At the same hour, Guo Chouyan stepped into the boys' dormitory again.
And for the first time, she felt like she had walked into the wrong place.
She had expected the usual scene—
her brother staring blankly at a screen, grinding through a game,
or sitting stiffly at his desk, buried in books, shutting the world out.
Instead—
She missed him.
Again.
And again.
Classroom. Library. Dormitory.
That rigid three-point routine was gone.
Guo Chouzhou had a nightlife now.
By the time she finally found him in the dorm, he was holding his phone.
His voice was low.
Soft.
Unbelievably gentle.
"It's late autumn already," he said.
"The wind gets strong at night. Put on an extra layer before you go out."
A pause.
"Don't catch a cold."
Another pause.
"When you get back, text me. No matter how late it is—you have to message me. Got it?"
Guo Chouyan froze.
"I miss you too," he continued.
"See you tomorrow."
The call ended.
And her mind exploded.
Was this… really her brother?
The same Guo Chouzhou who had scared people off with a single glance?
The same man who spoke in three-word sentences and hated unnecessary emotion?
Love really was terrifying.
Even a human iceberg could melt.
Today, Zeng Shunxi had gone out with her girlfriends—dinner and karaoke.
It was her first solo outing since they got together.
And Guo Chouzhou?
He had nagged nonstop.
Like an overbearing, anxious old father.
Only after repeating himself again and again did he finally hang up.
Nothing like the cold, efficient man he used to be.
The room fell silent.
Guo Chouyan walked over and pressed her hand against his forehead.
"Tsk. No fever," she said.
"Then why are you talking nonsense?"
Guo Chouzhou slapped her hand away.
Instantly cold again.
"You've been coming here a lot lately."
She lifted her chin proudly.
"My brother stayed single for twenty years. Now that you've finally got a girlfriend, of course I'm here to congratulate you."
Then she added smugly,
"And don't forget—I was the one who introduced her to you."
"If it weren't for me, would you even have noticed Zeng Shunxi?"
Back then, she had only tossed him a photo, casually mentioning that the girl liked him.
She never thought it would actually work.
But Zeng Shunxi had moved fast.
Faster than anyone expected.
A perfect win.
Her brother finally stopped wearing that deadpan face.
And Mo Lü?
Completely eliminated.
Still…
Something felt wrong.
The progress was too fast.
She couldn't help asking,
"Be honest, brother. You're just playing around, right?"
"This isn't serious, is it?"
Guo Chouzhou looked at her.
Calm.
Cold.
Unamused.
"What makes you think I'm not serious?"
Her jaw dropped.
She had never seen him treat feelings like this.
For years, she had believed one thing—
Her brother simply didn't like humans.
"That's impossible!" she blurted out.
"You're a 'keep out' type. No warmth. No emotions. What kind of creature like you even falls in love?"
Exaggerated?
Maybe.
But in nineteen years, even she—his own sister—had never received much affection from him.
No close friends.
No social circle.
No interest in getting close to anyone.
So how?
How could someone like him love another person?
She refused to believe it.
Ignoring his glare, Guo Chouyan opened his cabinet and started searching.
If this was real, there had to be proof.
And then—
Something slipped out.
A photo.
It fell from between the pages of his favorite novel, The Apocalypse Hunter.
Her breath caught.
It was Zeng Shunxi.
A freshman registration photo from the student union.
In the picture, she wore an off-shoulder white blouse and blue jeans.
Long black hair.
Slender figure.
Clear eyes looking straight ahead.
Pure.
Soft.
Untouched by the world.
Guo Chouzhou read this novel constantly.
Which meant—
He had deliberately kept her photo there.
As a bookmark.
"This photo…" Guo Chouyan stared at him.
"I gave this to you months ago."
"You… kept it?"
"Yeah."
His answer was calm.
"She looks nice."
Nice.
From him, that word carried terrifying weight.
Guo Chouyan swallowed.
"How long have you been together?"
"A little over a month."
Her heart skipped.
"Then… how did she manage to get you?"
Silence.
Then Guo Chouzhou spoke.
"I remembered her."
His expression softened without him noticing.
He remembered the first time they met—
how she rushed through an English presentation, nervous yet sincere.
He remembered how she always found excuses to work with him in the student union.
He had known.
All along.
And when she finally confessed—
Three years of quiet, stubborn love—
She broke through the walls no one had ever touched.
"I like her too."
The words came out firm.
Certain.
Guo Chouzhou looked at his sister, eyes steady, and for the first time—
He began talking about love.
About her.
About all the moments he never thought he'd care for.
And Guo Chouyan realized—
This time, her brother wasn't turning back.