Chapter 2: My Brother Loves Me Too Much - The Next Day

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After the first season of "Romantic Encounter" aired last year, it received a very positive response online. The previous season’s dating show invited top idols and rising star actresses from the entertainment industry as high-profile guests. During filming, an unexpected incident almost caused the show to be unable to air normally.

For this season, the production team planned to select guests from among ordinary people.

Regarding the filming format, the team decided not to shoot at various locations across the country. Instead, like most dating shows, they chose a single residence where male and female guests would live under the same roof, allowing the cameras to observe whether sparks of love would fly between them.

Yun Zhiyi, having experienced a tsunami and high fever in her childhood, was physically weaker than most. Learning that this season would not involve difficult physical challenges or games, she felt relieved.

She was joining the show to help her brother find a partner and had no intention of risking her health for popularity.

After filling out the application, Yun Zhiyi discovered that participants needed to submit a self-introduction video without any beauty filters.

She thought providing personal information would suffice; she had never filmed such an interview video before, which made her somewhat uneasy.

Orphaned, she lived with the Jiang family. Her foster parents treated her kindly, like their own daughter, but she was still a guest in their home and felt anxious and fearful. Naturally introverted, she disliked much social interaction.

Both her foster father and mother were busy with their careers, so she spent most of her time with her brother Jiang Yanbai. They had been inseparable since childhood, and he cared deeply for her. Every important moment in her life before high school involved him.

When she was upset, he would do everything to make her smile. When she secretly drank a beverage that caused a bacterial infection, he took her to the hospital by taxi and stayed by her side all night.

She absolutely would not allow such a good brother to be caught in the whirlpool of public opinion and suffer from online abuse.

After removing her makeup and tidying her hair in the bathroom, Yun Zhiyi took her phone to a plain white wall in the hotel and began recording a brief self-introduction.

Being her first time filming this kind of “interview” video, she appeared somewhat stiff and unnatural in her gaze and movements. After many takes, she finally had one usable video, which she immediately uploaded.

Having completed this task, Yun Zhiyi relaxed completely, silently praying to pass the show’s review.

Filled with anticipation, she drifted into sleep.

…

The next day.

Yun Zhiyi jolted awake, clutching herself tightly, cold sweat covering her body.

It was too vivid.

She had dreamed that dream again.

The despair of having disabled legs, the agony of drowning in the cold river water after attempting suicide—it chilled her to the bone, as if she had truly died.

After her death, the police retrieved her body from the river. Despite everyone’s objections, Jiang Yanbai knelt on the ground, holding her corpse, weeping bitterly. She wanted to wipe away his tears, but she could not touch him through the air; she could only watch helplessly.

The news of her suicide led to a sudden silence among those who had abused her online. Many of the abusers deleted their accounts and fled, hoping to evade responsibility by disappearing from the internet.

She was dead, and suddenly the whole world seemed to love her.

Some who had joined the online abuse apologized out of conscience, while many pretended nothing had happened, condemning her for not valuing her life.

Later, she watched her brother seek revenge on her behalf. He put the driver responsible for the car accident that crippled her legs behind bars, and took legal action against the main instigators of the online abuse, making sure they paid a heavy price.

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As the online uproar escalated, the bloggers who led the cyberbullying turned out to be fans of Xu Xinran. Pressured by the situation, Xu Xinran was forced to apologize, stating she could not control her fans’ behavior and expressing regret for failing to restrain them, promising to be more vigilant in the future.

Xu Xinran’s commercial endorsements and career were not harmed due to her gracious statements. She thrived in the entertainment industry, her career booming.

Jiang Yanbai, however, never recovered. He remained unmarried, taking care of his ailing mother and lived out a lonely, desolate life.

Yun Zhiyi felt a sharp pain in her heart. This was not a dream but a life she had truly lived. She did not know how she had returned to the past, but in this lifetime, she had the chance to change everything.

She struggled to pull herself out of the gloom and got up to visit her foster parents at the Jiang family home. After graduating from high school, she had traveled overseas for university and rarely returned home. Now that she was back, she wanted to see her two elders first.

Since starting high school, Jiang Yanbai had moved out of the Jiang family home and lived alone in an apartment, only returning for major holidays.

Over the years, they had seen each other only rarely and spoken few words at home.

She had assumed Jiang Yanbai had changed and no longer cared about her, but his tragic life after her death proved he still cared deeply about his sister.

Thinking this made her feel somewhat relieved. She picked out a playful yet elegant white fitted short skirt from her suitcase, paired with custom-made leather shoes, packed up, and checked out of the hotel to return home.

On the taxi ride back to the Jiang residence, Yun Zhiyi felt a bit uneasy. Jiang Yanbai had not been home for the New Year last year. She had stayed at home for a week but never saw him. It had been over a year since they last met.

The driver stopped at the iron gate of the villa and helped her with her suitcase. Yun Zhiyi politely thanked him.

In front of the villa’s garden, a middle-aged woman in a gray blouse and black skirt was trimming the greenery. She glanced at Yun Zhiyi, then quickly walked over in mid-heeled shoes and opened the iron gate.

“Miss, why didn’t you tell Aunt Feng you were coming back? I sent the driver to pick you up,” she said.

Aunt Feng’s hair was tied up neatly, her appearance dignified, radiating sharp efficiency. Her keen eyes softened with concern and kindness upon seeing Yun Zhiyi.

Aunt Feng had watched Yun Zhiyi grow up and long ago regarded her as family.

“Aunt Feng,” Yun Zhiyi greeted softly.

Aunt Feng instructed the staff to take her luggage to her room and asked, “Miss, are you back for vacation or do you intend to work here?”

Yun Zhiyi had just graduated from university and was undecided whether to start working or continue with graduate studies.

When Jiang Yan’s mother had video-called her, she urged Yun Zhiyi to return to China, promising easy work arrangements if she did.

Yun Zhiyi replied, “I’m back to work. I’m not going to the States anymore.”

Aunt Feng, usually stern and feared by the household staff, smiled for the first time upon hearing this. “That’s wonderful. The master and mistress have often worried about you living abroad all these years.”

Hearing this, Yun Zhiyi felt a bittersweet happiness.

The Jiang couple truly cared for her.

They walked into the villa together, with Aunt Feng sending the staff to prepare water and wash fruit. “The master has gone to the company, and the mistress went out early to have morning tea with Mrs. He. I’ll call to tell them you’re back.”

Yun Zhiyi nodded. “I’ll go upstairs to take a look.”

Having lived in this home for over ten years, she knew every plant, every room, and every decoration intimately. She did not need anyone to guide her. She took the spiral staircase upstairs.

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The second floor was where Jiang Yan’s parents lived. Jiang Yan’s father’s study was also on this floor. She and her brother lived on the third floor, with their bedrooms facing each other—her room’s balcony overlooked the backyard, while his window faced the front garden.

The backyard had a large lawn and an open view. Her room was bigger and more spacious than the others.

Originally, the bedroom was Jiang Yanbai’s. After her parents’ death, she was taken in by the Jiang family. To care for her feelings, Jiang Yanbai gave up his room to her. It was renovated in a soft pink theme, like a fairy and princess’s realm.

This time, Yun Zhiyi did not intend to live at the Jiang home long-term. She had not legally been adopted by the Jiang family; the house her parents had bought when she was young was still in her name. Now an adult, she should move out.

After a quick look around her room, she closed the door and glanced across at the other bedroom.

Jiang Yanbai would not be home at this hour.

Hesitating for a moment, Yun Zhiyi walked across. When they were young, she could enter Jiang Yanbai’s room anytime, often sneaking in to play with his toys. When thunder scared her at night, she would clutch her plush bear and crawl into his bed, where he would hold her and soothe her to sleep.

She sighed softly. They had been inseparable as children, but somehow had grown distant.

She pushed open the door and entered Jiang Yanbai’s bedroom.

The room was decorated in cool gray tones. A large bed was against the left wall, with two black lacquered wooden panels above it, holding mechanical models and a photo frame.

Yun Zhiyi immediately noticed the photo inside the frame—a picture of five-year-old her squeezed next to Jiang Yanbai. He wore a baseball cap, and she had twin ponytails, their faces radiant with happy smiles.

She stepped lightly to the bed and tiptoed to take down the photo frame.

Suddenly, she heard the door open and turned toward the sound.

A tall figure appeared in the doorway.

Yun Zhiyi froze.

How could he be home?

Jiang Yanbai wore a white shirt under a black fashionable jacket. The tailored shirt was tucked into casual trousers, his broad shoulders and narrow waist perfect, showcasing a model-like physique.

They stared silently at each other.

Jiang Yanbai’s handsome face resembled a wild, aloof nobleman from a comic, exuding an unapproachable aura.

Yun Zhiyi studied his sharply defined features. He wore no smile, giving off a cool, distant demeanor.

Her gaze settled on the small black mole on his high nose bridge, a mysterious, sexy touch on his perfect face. She stared at him without blinking.

Jiang Yanbai seemed surprised to find her in his room, pausing briefly. His long eyelashes lowered as he said, “You’re back.”

Her brother was so cold.

Hearing the emotionless tone in his voice, Yun Zhiyi felt a pang of disappointment. Looking into his deep black eyes, she nodded slightly: “Mm.”