Seeing everyone run off into the distance, Lin Mo finally jumped down from the large tree in front of the gymnasium.
The blond-haired boy was stunned. He had no idea how his "fairy sister" had managed to zip up the tree in the blink of an eye.
Ji'an, however, took it in stride.
Back when they were kids, their family's yard had several big trees, and his sister had always loved climbing them—basking in the sun during the day and stargazing at night.
He had wanted to join her, but he was too chubby for her to lift.
Once, she came up with a solution—tying a rope around him and hoisting him up.
After nearly becoming a hanged ghost, he finally made it up.
But the moment he settled in, the branch his sister usually sat on snapped, sending both of them tumbling down onto their backsides.
Thanks to his extra padding, he was fine, but his sister couldn’t move her backside for days.
After that, she never took him up a tree again.
"Fairy sister, why did you climb the tree?" the blond boy asked, puzzled.
Lin Mo brushed off the leaves clinging to her clothes and made up an excuse on the spot. "I thought I saw a bird’s nest up there, but it turned out I was wrong."
What else could it be?
She was avoiding Gu Jingchuan, of course.
He had probably come to the school to watch his younger brother’s basketball game.
But she really didn’t want to run into him.
Even after being reborn, a side character was still just a side character—meant to create bigger misunderstandings between the main leads.
She had no intention of becoming part of their romantic drama.
The sun was blazing today, but the wind was strong too. By now, Ji'an’s sweat had mostly dried.
His bangs fell back over his eyes, obscuring the serpent-like glint in his gaze as he glanced toward the crowd.
The "Movie Emperor Gu" was Gu Jingchuan.
If he remembered correctly, his sister had dated him once.
At the Moment in Time milk tea shop, Lin Mo stood at the entrance, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling.
"It’s still here… that’s great!"
Inside, she ordered a jasmine milk tea.
The owner from before was nowhere to be seen—instead, a young woman was working the counter, someone Lin Mo didn’t recognize.
She figured the owner had made enough money to become a hands-off boss.
Ji'an and the blond boy, both clueless about milk tea, followed her lead and ordered the same.
"You wait here for the drinks. I’ll go with my sister to find seats," Ji'an told the blond.
Settling into a corner table, Ji'an finally asked the question that had been weighing on him.
"Sis, where have you been all these years? Have you been… okay?"
The tables in the shop were small, so Lin Mo reached over and ruffled her younger brother’s overly long hair.
"That’s exactly what I wanted to ask you. But since you’re curious, I’ll tell you my side first."
Feeling the warmth of her touch, Ji'an finally truly believed—his sister was real, alive.
He tilted his head up, staring at her without blinking.
Lin Mo didn’t plan to hide anything.
Honestly, she said, "I time-traveled straight from the day of the car accident eleven years ago. I know it sounds unbelievable, but that’s the truth. You must’ve noticed—I haven’t aged a bit."
"By now, I’m only a year older than you. I’m eighteen, and you’re seventeen."
Ji'an had been studying her the whole time. He had noticed.
His sister looked exactly as he remembered.
Even if the idea of time travel was hard to swallow, he believed her.
None of that mattered—his sister was alive. That was enough.
"I’ve been here for over a week now. First, I found your second brother, then I heard about your situation and started looking for you. Pretty impressive, huh? I actually found you!" Lin Mo grinned, her eyes curving into crescents.
That smile was dazzling, like sunlight burning straight into Ji'an’s heart.
But he lowered his head, his hands clenching tightly under the table.
His voice was quiet.
"That’s good."
Thankfully, she had found their second brother first. If she had come to him straight away, she wouldn’t even have had a decent meal.
"Now, tell me about your life all these years," Lin Mo said, her voice warm and soothing.
Ji'an lifted his head, forcing a relaxed smile.
"I’ve been fine, sis."
His bangs still hid his eyes, masking whatever emotion lay beneath.
But Lin Mo could tell—he was lying.
He hadn’t been fine.
Bringing up painful memories was like tearing open old wounds.
She wouldn’t push him on their first reunion.
"You’ve grown into such a handsome young man. Though this hair isn’t doing you any favors. Later, I’ll take you for a haircut, and we’ll have Shen Yihan pick us up for dinner."
"Your second brother never stopped looking for you. He blamed himself all these years. Now that we’ve found you, he’ll be overjoyed."
A flicker of unease passed through Ji'an’s eyes, but he nodded.
"Okay."
"The drinks are here!"
The blond boy returned like an enthusiastic waiter, cradling three cups of milk tea.
Ji'an took one, inserted a straw, and handed it to Lin Mo.
"Sis, here."
Only after fixing his own did he take a sip.
"This is so good! I’ve never had milk tea this delicious—must be because Fairy Sister treated me!" the blond gushed.
Ji'an shot him a look.
"You got your drink. Go home. My sister and I have things to do."
Though his expression was unreadable, the blond felt an inexplicable pressure.
This was how their leader acted when he was serious.
Swallowing the last of his tea, he grinned at Lin Mo.
"Alright, Fairy Sister, I’m heading out!"
Reluctant to leave, he kept glancing back every few steps.
Ji'an stood up and kicked him in the rear, sending him scampering off with a laugh while rubbing his backside.
Lin Mo could tell this was just their dynamic, so she didn’t comment.
"Hungry? Let’s grab some food first."
It was already noon—lunchtime.
Ji'an held his cup.
"Sure. I’ll just use the restroom first. Wait for me, sis."
Lin Mo nodded, pulling out her phone to message Shen Yihan.
[Found Fourth Brother. Pick us up for dinner after work!]
At that moment, Shen Yihan was in his office reviewing documents.
The notification made him pause.
Shock and joy flickered in his usually cold eyes.
Of course it was his sister!
He had searched for ten years with no luck, yet she found their missing brother in just days.
He immediately hit the call button, standing as he grabbed his suit jacket from the chair, the black Buddhist beads on his wrist glinting.
"Mr. Shen, where are you going?" Jiang Tang asked.
"My sister found Fourth Brother!" Shen Yihan’s voice was uncharacteristically animated.
Jiang Tang brightened.
"Congratulations, Mr. Shen!"
The family was finally whole again.
All because Lin Mo had returned.
"Hello?"
Her voice was light and clear through the phone.
"Sis, where are you? I’ll come right away!"
Shen Yihan was already striding toward the door.
Lin Mo chuckled.
"Relax. Finish your work. I’ll take him for lunch and a haircut first. You can join us for dinner—it’s not like he’s going anywhere."
Her tone made it sound so simple that Shen Yihan stopped in his tracks.
"Alright. Send me the address later, and I’ll pick you up."
There was so much he wanted to ask, but he held back.
They’d talk properly tonight.
Watching as a single sentence from Lin Mo sent Shen Yihan back to his desk, Jiang Tang smiled.
"President Shen, I’ll book the restaurant for tonight. Any preferences on the cuisine?"
Shen Yihan’s delight was unmistakable, his left hand fidgeting excitedly with the Buddhist beads on his right wrist. "Somewhere quiet—book that Hunan restaurant my sister loves."
Even if Fourth Brother had returned, his sister’s preferences still came first.
He was certain Fourth Brother would feel the same way!
Because of this, Shen Yihan felt time dragging unbearably slow.
His phone buzzed again.
Glancing at it, he realized only forty minutes had passed since his sister’s last message.
Frowning, he unlocked his phone to find another WeChat from her.
FourWeddings_KnowsLife: "Emergency! Fourth Brother really ran away!"
