Recently, the number of invitations for Yuan Chu to attend parties has increased significantly.
If she were just an ordinary top student, most students might admire her from afar and avoid getting too close.
However, if she were a top student who also knows how to have fun, it would be a different story.
However, Yuan Chu isn’t very interested in having fun, and Li Xi keeps a close eye on her, so she doesn’t have the opportunity to go out. Even so, Yuan Chu soon received her first love letter ever.
The love letter was from a sophomore named Shan Ruize, a tall, handsome, and enthusiastic young man.
His letter was very tactful, not asking for a relationship but simply hoping to be friends and inviting her to watch him play basketball when she had the time.
After all, Yuan Chu was only fourteen, and it wasn’t the right time for her to be in a relationship.
Yuan Chu carefully read the letter and felt that fate was truly remarkable. This Shan Ruize was destined to become Li Xi's future CEO, smart, capable, and visionary.
According to the original trajectory, Shan Ruize and Li Xu met while studying abroad. They quickly became friends due to their similar interests, and after completing their studies, Li Xi brought Shan Ruize into his company.
Currently, the two should not know each other, yet...
“What’s this?” Li Xi took the letter from Yuan Chu’s hand and quickly scanned it, his eyes immediately filling with a storm.
Yuan Chu is only fourteen, and this jerk dared to write her a love letter!
He crumpled the letter into a ball and threw it into the trash, sternly warning Yuan Chu, “You’re still so young, no dating allowed.”
“Okay,” Yuan Chu thought Li Xi had been irritable lately, getting angry at the slightest thing.
“What’s with this Shan Ruize? Do you know him?” Li Xi asked again.
“No,” She replied. It’s you who should know him.
“Good, stay away from him. Anyone who preys on minors is definitely not a good person.”
Yuan Chu thought to herself, 'He’s your future friend and partner. Is it really okay to talk about him like that?'
“And another thing,” Li Xi added, “if anyone gives you a love letter, throw it away immediately.”
“…Alright.”
In the afternoon, as Li Xi and Yuan Chu passed by the playground, they suddenly heard a lively voice from a distance.
“Yuan Chu!”
Yuan Chu turned her head and saw a tall boy in sportswear waving at her with a bright smile while holding a basketball.
“Who’s that?” Li Xi asked, displeased.
“...Shan Ruize,” Yuan Chu replied.
Li Xi immediately shot a sharp glance at him, then put his arm around Yuan Chu’s shoulder, blocking Shan Ruize’s view, making it clear that she was off-limits.
Shan Ruize seemed unaffected by Li Xi’s warning. He passed the basketball to a friend, jogged over, and said with a smile, “You must be Yuan Chu’s brother. Hi, I’m Shan Ruize.”
“You’re the one who likes to hit on underage girls, Shan Ruize?” Li Xi’s words instantly raised the tension.
Shan Ruize was speechless, while Yuan Chu was equally stunned.
“Stay away from my sister, or else.” Li Xi’s eyes were as sharp as knives.
“Don’t worry, I’m not the kind to cross the line. I just want to be friends with Xiao Chu.”
“Who’s your brother? And who gave you permission to call her Xiao Chu?”
“I’m nineteen this year, how about you?” Shan Ruize flashed a bright smile.
Li Xi narrowed his eyes, “So, just a kid.”
Shan Ruize replied earnestly, “I may not be as mature as you.”
The two locked eyes, the air thick with tension.
Yuan Chu thought, 'You two are supposed to be friends and partners in the future...'
“Let’s go, Chuchu,” Li Xi said, putting his arm around Yuan Chu’s shoulder and walking away without looking back.
Shan Ruize waved from behind, “Brother, let’s have a meal together sometime with Chuchu.”
Li Xi’s back stiffened, his eyes filled with hostility. This guy calling him brother repeatedly was clearly a challenge.
He must keep a close eye on Yuan Chu to prevent her from being taken by ill-intentioned people.
However, it seemed fate was against him. The more he tried to avoid it, the more inevitable it became.
Several of Yuan Chu’s new elective courses happened to overlap with Shan Ruize’s.
They often ran into each other, and over time, they got to know each other. Shan Ruize was good at creating a lively atmosphere and had no ulterior motives, so Yuan Chu didn’t dislike him and occasionally chatted with him.
One day after school, Li Xi came to pick up Yuan Chu and saw her laughing and chatting with Shan Ruize. He was furious, feeling as though he was about to explode.
“Brother, you’re here,” Yuan Chu quickly walked over to him.
Li Xi took her bag and coldly stared at Shan Ruize, “Why are you with him? Didn’t I tell you to stay away from him?”
“We chose the same course,” Yuan Chu noticed that Li Xi didn’t like her interacting with others, be it Sun Xinrong or Shan Ruize.
Li Xi said nothing more, pulling her along to leave.
“Wait,” Shan Ruize called from behind, “Although she’s your sister, aren’t you being too overprotective? She doesn’t have any friends because of you. Do you want to isolate her?”
“Her matters are none of your concern,” Li Xi replied coldly. Yuan Chu’s health was fragile, and too much interaction with others could expose her to infections.
Plus, the world was full of bad people. How could he not be protective?
“Is that so? Does that mean I shouldn’t tell you if someone is harassing your sister?” Shan Ruize’s casual remark made Li Xi stop in his tracks.
“Someone’s harassing her?”
Shan Ruize took a stack of envelopes from his bag and handed them to Li Xi.
Li Xi glanced through them, roughly counting over a dozen, all love letters addressed to Yuan Chu.
His face darkened as he skimmed through the letters, realizing they were all from the same person, with the same handwriting, all vulgar and obscene.
“Did you read these?” Li Xi asked Yuan Chu, suppressing his anger.
“I only read one,” Yuan Chu replied. She knew the contents and the sender. She had planned to handle it herself but didn’t expect Shan Ruize to find out.
“Do you know who it is?” Li Xi asked again.
Before Yuan Chu could answer, Shan Ruize interjected, “I know.”
“Who?” Li Xi’s gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s.
Shan Ruize took out his phone and showed a photo, “Kang Tong, a junior in the sports department, with some family background.”
“How are you sure it’s him?” Li Xi asked, scrutinizing the photo.
“I have a senior who was also harassed by him. The situation was identical. This scumbag likes to play games, starting with letters, then sending candid photos, followed by adult items, escalating step by step until the victim breaks down.”
Li Xi’s expression grew darker, “This is already a crime.”
“He’s good at forging handwriting, leaving no clear evidence and causing no substantial harm,” Shan Ruize’s face showed rare seriousness.
Only he and his senior knew about it and dared not speak out. Meeting Yuan Chu and Li Xi, he saw a chance to solve the problem.
“I understand.” Li Xi took the disgusting letters, asked Shan Ruize to send him Kang Tong’s photo, then left the school with Yuan Chu.
Back home, Li Xi asked sternly, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought it was just a prank,” Yuan Chu replied. Such a small matter, she could handle it herself and didn’t want to worry him.
“A prank?” Li Xi suppressed his anger, “Is there such a prank?”
“Don’t be mad,” Yuan Chu comforted him, “I wasn’t scared even when I was gravely ill, so why would I be scared of this?”
Li Xi was stunned for a moment, then softened. Yes, the Yuan Chu he knew was fearless.
But he would not let this pervert who harassed Yuan Chu go unpunished!
A chilling light flashed in Li Xi’s eyes.
A few days later, when Kang Tong’s details were sent to Li Xi’s email, he had already started sending candid photos to Yuan Chu.
During class, meals, walks, reading...almost monitoring all of Yuan Chu’s activities at school.
Li Xi couldn’t tolerate it any longer. He decided not to slowly gather evidence but to take the most straightforward approach.
He hacked into Kang Tong’s phone and computer, finding numerous photos of girls, including some of them bathing or changing clothes.
Li Xi hadn’t expected this scumbag to be so depraved, harassing countless girls over the years.
He packaged the evidence and sent it to the police. A week later, Kang Tong disappeared from the school completely.
Due to the involvement of many girls, the incident wasn’t publicized, and Kang Tong’s classmates had no idea what happened to him.
"You don't need to worry anymore, Chuchu," Li Xi said to Yuan Chu.
Yuan Chu nodded, her expression calm and serene.
"You really are a handful," Li Xi said, tapping her forehead.
Yuan Chu thought, 'You're overthinking things...'
After this incident, Li Xi's attitude towards Shan Ruize improved considerably.
If it weren't for the information he provided, Li Xi wouldn't have been able to resolve the situation so quickly. However, every time he saw Shan Ruize with Yuan Chu, he still felt uneasy.
He could tolerate it until one day he asked Yuan Chu, "Do you like Shan Ruize?"
"Yes, I like him," Yuan Chu replied casually. The friend of the Child of Destiny is her friend too.
Li Xi: No, he is not my friend!
These four simple words completely darkened Li Xi's mood, and he never let Yuan Chu see Shan Ruize again.
Yuan Chu was puzzled but didn't object. Not seeing him didn't really affect her life.
Shan Ruize, however, wasn't so easily dismissed. "Li Xi, your overprotectiveness will only harm her. She will become more and more outstanding in the future. How long can you protect her?"
He had first noticed Yuan Chu because of that video. The girl in the video was confident, cool, and dazzling.
But under Li Xi's confinement, her light was dimmed, her true nature suppressed, turning her into an ordinary person.
Had Li Xi not realized that his protective desire for her had already surpassed the boundaries of a brother-sister relationship?
"I don't think I'm being overprotective. The incident with Kang Tong is a prime example. If I hadn't been attentive enough, Xiao Chu might have been hurt," Li Xi retorted, but a different voice whispered in his heart.
That night, as Li Xi leaned against the bedhead with his tablet, he unconsciously opened that video and watched it repeatedly.
"Brother." The door was knocked, and a head popped in.
Li Xi turned off the video and silently watched the girl walk towards him.
"I made some milk. Let's drink together," Yuan Chu handed him a cup of milk.
Holding the warm glass, Li Xi suddenly spoke, "Chuchu."
"What?"
"Are you happy being with me?"
"Yes, I am."
"Don't you think I'm restricting your freedom too much?"
"No one can restrict my freedom. If there is," Yuan Chu smiled, "It must be voluntary."
For the Child of Destiny, she was willing to blend in with the crowd. But she would not lose herself because the Child of Destiny gave her the power to reshape herself.
'If there is, it must be voluntary... voluntary.'
Li Xi felt as if something had struck his heart. His hard shell shattered, and a certain unclear feeling surged out, suddenly making everything clear to him.
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