"Are you sulking?" In the back seat of the car, Mu Lin looked sidelong at the small bunny beside her, who was clearly in a huff, and asked with a light smile. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"No." The small bunny stubbornly denied it, despite her inability to hide her feelings.

Mu Lin chuckled lightly, her lips curving up, "The little bunny has learned to lie." This was concerning; her words carried a teasing undertone.

Upon hearing this name, Ya Yan instinctively looked up at Mu Lin, "You haven’t called me that in a while." She pouted, brimming with a sense of injustice.

The little bunny, a nickname she thought Mu Lin had forgotten about, was a special name reserved just for her.

Listening to this, Mu Lin couldn’t help but laugh, "I thought it’d be better to call you by your name." She remembered once overhearing someone complaining about people casually giving them nicknames. The person seemed uncomfortable but couldn’t protest due to shared living arrangements. She thought she heard it from Mo Yinfan.

So, Mu Lin thought Ya Yan might not like it either, and hence, had been addressing her by her name ever since they met again. Yet, who knew?

Looking at Mu Lin, Ya Yan shook her head, "That’s not it, I actually really like when you call me ’Little Bunny.’ It feels more intimate." Ya Yan scratched her head, somewhat embarrassed.

"Now I understand." It seemed that she had been overthinking previously.

"Mhm." Ya Yan nodded, her face breaking into a smile.

"It’s good to see you smile." Mu Lin looked at her and suddenly said, "Do you want to tell me why you’re feeling unhappy?" Even if she hadn’t said it, Mu Lin could have guessed. She probably felt unsettled by the woman who suddenly showed up today, which made her vaguely aware of her own feelings, but she still didn’t quite understand.

It was likely due to this event.

Just a moment ago, she had been fiercely protecting Yan Zilei like a bull, and her face was full of jealousy. Yet, she had been ignoring him since. This capricious little girl, probably didn’t even know what she was doing.

There was a pause, Ya Yan kept her head lowered, and Mu Lin didn’t rush her, waiting for her to figure it out herself.

"Mu Lin." Finally, a soft voice sounded in Mu Lin’s ear.

"Mm." Mu Lin responded softly, waiting for what was to come.

"I am a bit upset." Ya Yan admitted, raising her head to look at Mu Lin, "But I don’t know why I should be upset." It was ’why she should be’ rather than ’why she was,’ it seemed that the little bunny knew why she was upset.

"So, why are you upset?" Mu Lin, leaning back leisurely, asked lightly.

"Because I didn’t like that woman earlier," said Ya Yan. "From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I didn’t like her." But she didn’t know why she didn’t like her until... "I didn’t like the way she looked at my brother, and also," she looked down at herself while speaking.

Upon Ya Yan’s words, along with her actions, Mu Lin couldn’t help but laugh; she wasn’t sure whether the little bunny was feeling jealous or insecure. She found it all rather dizzying.

The next moment, Ya Yan continued, "It’s clear that this woman was seducing my brother, I certainly don’t want such a person to be my sister-in-law." Absolutely not.

"Then, what kind of person do you hope could be your sister-in-law?" Looking at her, Mu Lin asked casually, the smile at the corner of her mouth somewhat enigmatic.

"I..." Subconsciously, her voice rose, and Ya Yan sat up abruptly, only to slump down again, "I don’t know." With her eyes downcast, she seemed lost in thought.

Mu Lin observed Ya Yan, realizing that this girl was indeed starting to explore her feelings for Yan Zilei.

Mu Lin stayed silent, but Ya Yan continued to speak, "Mu Lin, actually, just now I was thinking, if my future sister-in-law were you..." However, the moment her voice fell, Mu Lin immediately felt a drop in the temperature inside the car. She looked helplessly at the cold gaze in the rear-view mirror, trying to diffuse the tension.

Petty squabbles with a young girl; Mu Lin surely had to admit, it appeared that their family’s master had a fondness for vinegar.

Without uttering a word, Mu Lin listened as Ya Yan continued, "I even thought, if my future sister-in-law were you, or someone as strong as you, would I like her?" However...

"What’s your answer then?" Mu Lin asked, a soft smile on her face, as she looked at her.

"My answer..." Ya Yan murmured, "I suddenly don’t want anyone to be my sister-in-law, I don’t want anyone to take away my brother’s love for me." Even if it were Mu Lin, whom she liked the most, Ya Yan cast a sidelong glance at Mu Lin, "Mu Lin, am I bad?" Was she selfish for thinking about such things that would never happen? And Mu Lin was so kind to her, even saving her life.

"So, you weren’t angry at your brother just now, but at yourself, am I right?" Mu Lin smiled helplessly, finding her thought process different from the average persons’. She thought her anger was due to Yan Zilei shaking hands with that woman, but it seemed like she was wrong.

Hearing Mu Lin’s words, Ya Yan nodded gloomily.

Driving in the front, Jing Chen found it a bit laughable that Mu Lin was talking about feelings in the backseat. He hadn’t forgotten how much effort he put into making this girl fall in love with him, even setting his work aside; he suffered a lot during this vacation because of this.

Ouyang Jun: Is it my fault then?!

Jing Chen was even wondering if it was truly easier to understand another’s feelings than your own. She seemed clueless about her own feelings, but when it comes to her friends, she’s like an intimate big sister who could chat freely about emotional matters. It felt a bit odd.

"Alright." Mu Lin reached out and rubbed Ya Yan’s head, saying, "I think there’s only one problem you need to think about right now." As long as she could figure out this one problem, all the subsequent ones would solve themselves, neatly and cleanly.

"What problem?" Ya Yan looked at Mu Lin, not understanding at all.

"Ya Yan, I remember you once told me that your brother is not actually blood-related to you, right?" Since there’s no blood relation, then it really doesn’t matter; Mu Lin believed that Ya Yan’s parents would be relieved if Ya Yan and Yan Zilei could become a couple, and that it would be their most comforting thought.

Ya Yan nodded, "That’s correct. My brother was found by my parents before I was born." At that time, he was just a few years old, but in her heart, he was her one and only real brother. But what did that have to do with her problem and her brother’s origin?

Ya Yan was confused.

Mu Lin chuckled, "Ya Yan, this problem, I think you have to figure it out yourself, when you do, perhaps you will understand why you were angry today." Or perhaps why she was jealous.

After treating him like her older brother for more than twenty years, it wasn’t possible to change her thinking so quickly.

With head tilted, Ya Yan was even more puzzled after hearing Mu Lin’s words. She wanted to ask further, but seeing Mu Lin leaning back with eyes closed as if tired, she didn’t question further, just kept thinking about their conversation. It was as if she had a splitting headache.

What did Mu Lin mean exactly? Why didn’t she understand?

This innocent girl, sometimes thinks too straightforward. Therefore, some things require a slow understanding, or maybe, she needs someone to help her sort it out.

Mu Lin became the first person to give her a hint. The next steps, Mu Lin thought, would require Yan Zilei to clear things up for her.

Because! Mu Lin had an evil taste; she didn’t want Yan Zilei to easily win over this little bunny’s heart. If he really loved Ya Yan, he should take decisive actions after today.

With her eyes closed, Mu Lin seemed to be deep in thought, or maybe she was just resting.

Last night, she didn’t have much sleep because the master of the house was too much of a handful.

Through the rear-view mirror, Jing Chen saw the resting figure, a faint smile played at his lips, his eyes filled with warmth and satisfaction, very much so.

However, the mood in the car behind them was completely different. Yan Zilei was in a very good mood, but he didn’t show it outwardly; he had to, no matter how happy he was today, he couldn’t stimulate his brother who was pushed to his limit with all these mood swings, almost making him feel desperate and question his life.

However, the moment he thought about Ya Yan’s behavior just now, he felt his heart lighten and he couldn’t help but be satisfied.

It seems his Ya Yan was starting to become aware of her own feelings for him. Yan Zilei suddenly felt that Mu Lin wasn’t just Ya Yan’s lucky star, but also his own star.

After her first appearance, Ya Yan had voluntarily asked to break off her boring engagement with Du Hongyu; and this time, while going shopping with Ya Yan, he really didn’t expect... he really didn’t expect.

Yan Zilei never thought that one day, Ya Yan would stand in front of him, protect him, and keep other women at a distance; he didn’t think that she, with her gentle and almost non-confrontational character, could also shut others up.

Seeing all this, how could he not be satisfied.

The appearance of his Ya Yan becoming jealous and not knowing it was truly adorable.

Just like the first time he saw her when they were children, her pure smile at that moment cleansed his body and soul, and his loneliness; his heart finally found a harbor to anchor.

From that moment, he had always sworn to himself that even if the price was death, he would protect... that smile, which brought him happiness.