In that dream of her memories, this little deer cup had once sat on her bedside table.
She and Bai Siyuan had picked it up at a market in District A of Whale Harbor City.
At the time, the vendor had sworn that it was an antique left over from the Old Era—the only one of its kind in the world.
Bai Siyuan had paid a hundred Federation credits for it.
It was only after they had walked some distance away that she noticed a line of tiny writing on the bottom of the cup:
Imitation antique. Suggested retail price: twelve Federation credits.
She had laughed at Bai Siyuan all the way home.
Jiang Nuan picked up the cup, the cold ceramic pressing against her palm.
The sounds in the dormitory quickly faded, and memories surfaced in her mind.
She was squatting on the bedroom carpet, packing her luggage.
Over the past few years, the ability stabilizer had finally been developed.
Thanks to the project, the Bai family had risen to become one of the most prominent families in the Qiming Foundation.
Bai Siyuan was no longer the illegitimate son who could only let Bai Suting dictate his life.
He now controlled more and more projects, and his influence within the Bai family was nearly equal to Bai Zhengze’s.
Jiang Nuan had also moved from the side compound into the main residence.
Her bedroom and Bai Siyuan’s were both on the third floor.
His study was even right next door.
At last, they could see each other every day again, just as they had back in the refugee district.
She had decorated the bedroom herself, piece by piece.
The floor was natural wood, and the walls were a soft beige.
Sunlight streamed through the gauze curtains of the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the edge of the bed. There were none of the ostentatious decorations the Bai family favored. Even the sofa was upholstered in the soft fabric she liked.
Bai Siyuan knew nothing about such things.
But whenever she said what she wanted, he remembered. Not a single piece of furniture delivered to the room was wrong.
“Still not done packing?”
Bai Siyuan leaned against the doorframe.
He was wearing a clean white shirt with the sleeves rolled above his forearms, and he held a document that he had not yet finished reviewing.
Jiang Nuan turned to look at him.
“You only said we were leaving tomorrow. You never told me where we’re going. How am I supposed to know what to bring?”
“Just bring the clothes you usually wear.”
“Is it far?”
“Not far.”
Jiang Nuan narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Big brother, you’re getting better and better at keeping secrets.”
Bai Siyuan walked over, took the clothes she had stuffed haphazardly into the suitcase, folded them properly, and placed them inside again.
“You’re the one who’s impatient.”
“My patience is excellent.”
“Is that so?”
Bai Siyuan smiled at her.
“Who was it just now that said if I didn’t tell her within three minutes, she wasn’t going?”
Jiang Nuan replied with perfect justification, “That was a reasonable threat.”
Bai Siyuan let out a low chuckle.
Jiang Nuan glanced at the little deer cup on the nearby bedside table and reached for it, intending to pack it in the suitcase as well.
But the moment she stood up, her vision suddenly went dark.
She instinctively reached for the corner of the table.
Bai Siyuan was faster. He stepped forward, slipped an arm around her shoulders, and half-carried, half-supported her to the edge of the bed.
“Dizzy again?”
His brows drew together as his hand continued to support her shoulder.
“You’ve had symptoms of anemia for the past two years. It seems all those doctors and medications I found haven’t helped.”
“It’s just because I was crouching for too long.” Jiang Nuan waved a hand. “Low blood sugar, that’s all. Don’t be so nervous.”
Bai Siyuan did not let go immediately. His gaze fell on her bloodless lips and lingered there for a moment.
“I’ll find another group of doctors.”
Jiang Nuan looked at him helplessly. “Big brother, you’re really making a mountain out of a molehill.”
But she knew perfectly well how could she not be anemic?
The agreement stated that she was to have blood drawn once a month, but it never specified how much blood was to be taken each time.
The laboratory always had a new excuse: a critical stage, insufficient samples, the need for further verification. They made their reasons sound perfectly legitimate, and she silently extended her arm.
After all, the more successful the project became, the more secure Bai Siyuan’s position within the Bai family would be.
As for where those samples actually came from, there was no need for him to know.
All he needed to do was make the project a success and establish himself more firmly.
And since she had chosen this path, she could not turn back now.
“Really, I’m fine.” Jiang Nuan came back to herself and deliberately nudged him with a smile.
“If you don’t tell me where we’re going tomorrow, then I really won’t go.”
Bai Siyuan watched her for a while. At last, he released the arm around her shoulders and tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear.
“You’ll know tomorrow.”
The next day, Jiang Nuan finally learned what he meant by “not far.”
They had not even left the Bai family’s main residence.
They went around an unfinished glass conservatory and passed through a transparent barrier hidden from view.
In the next instant, the scene of the Bai family’s estate receded.
Before Jiang Nuan stretched a broad, tree-lined avenue leading into the distance. Academic buildings, a library, sports fields, and dormitories stood in orderly succession across the campus.
The wind stirred the leaves, and sunlight filtered through the canopy onto the ground. Even the bulletin board stood exactly where she had once described it.
Jiang Nuan stood rooted to the spot for a long time.
“Big brother… where is this?”
“The place you told me about.”
Bai Siyuan stood beside her, watching every change in her expression.
“You once said this was the place you liked most.”
“I only mentioned it two or three times.” Jiang Nuan’s nose began to sting.
“Everything A Nuan says, I remember.”
To him, building a university unlike anything this world had ever seen was not something worth mentioning.
Jiang Nuan could not hold herself back any longer. She hurried back to him and threw her arms around Bai Siyuan.
He froze for a moment, his entire body stiffening. His hands hung motionless at his sides before slowly settling against her back.
His embrace was restrained, yet his arms left no room for her to pull away.
He rested his chin lightly on the top of her head.
“Do you like it?”
“I do.” Jiang Nuan buried her face against his chest and nodded vigorously. “I love it.”
She lifted her head from Bai Siyuan’s arms and looked once more at the familiar campus.
“Other than the students, it’s exactly like the university I told you about.”
She walked a few steps down the tree-lined avenue, her gaze settling on the empty sports field in the distance.
The wind passed through the treetops. Sunlight glinted off the windows of the academic buildings. The entire campus was so quiet that it felt almost unnatural.
Jiang Nuan suddenly felt a little regretful.
“Big brother.”
Bai Siyuan followed half a step behind her. At her words, he answered, “Hmm?”
“It’s so beautiful here. Can I bring my friends?”
His footsteps paused.
“Friends?”
“Yes.” Jiang Nuan turned around, her eyes brightening. “Zheng Chengxin, the second son of the Zheng family. You’ve met him before.”
She thought of the restless young man who was never able to sit still and could not help smiling.
“He talks a lot and loves running around. The first time he came to the Bai residence, he nearly made Steward Zhang’s face turn black with anger. But he’s a good person, and I enjoy talking with him.”
Bai Siyuan listened in silence.
Jiang Nuan did not notice that the fingers hanging at his side had already clenched tightly.
She pointed toward the sports field in the distance.
“Zheng Chengxin is always saying how stifling it is at home. If I brought him here, he’d definitely love it.”
Bai Siyuan remained half a step behind her, his gaze fixed on the smiling profile of her face.
A shadow passed through his usually gentle eyes, dark and ominous, before he quickly suppressed it.
“Is that so?”
His tone was perfectly normal, even carrying a trace of indulgence.
“You like spending time with him?”
Jiang Nuan did not read anything into the question. She nodded.
“More or less. He’s fun to talk to.”
Bai Siyuan gazed at the smile on her face and remained silent for a long while.
Only belatedly realizing that something was wrong, Jiang Nuan asked, “Is it inconvenient?”
“No.”
He quickly curved his lips into a smile and raised a hand to smooth the hair the wind had tousled.
“This place was built for you. You can bring whoever you want.”
Jiang Nuan let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile, “I knew my brother was the best.”
Bai Siyuan’s hand lingered in her hair instead of withdrawing at once.
“Next time he comes to the Bai residence, tell me in advance.”
Jiang Nuan assumed he was simply worried about being an inadequate host and cheerfully agreed.
“Sure.”
Only then did Bai Siyuan lower his hand.
He stood where he was, watching Jiang Nuan run toward the field. Sunlight fell upon her, bright enough to dazzle.
Only after a long while did he lower his eyes and murmur that name again.
“Zheng Chengxin.”
The smile remained at the corners of his lips, but his gaze gradually darkened.
“Next time... I suppose I’ll have to give him a proper welcome.”
