Crossing the Line: Brother, Please Stop Pampering Me

Autumn in New York always carries a refreshing chill, especially in the early morning when the mist hasn't completely dissipated.

The Foster mansion.

"Elena, are you up? The driver is waiting downstairs." A deep, pleasant voice, as elegant as a cello, sounded outside the door.

Elena Foster drowsily stretched out a small, fair hand from the covers, rubbed her eyes, and spoke in a soft, sleepy voice: "Julian... just five more minutes..."

The person outside the door was silent for a moment, then chuckled and pushed the door open to enter.

Julian Foster wore a neatly ironed school uniform, his shirt buttoned to the very top, showing a hint of coldness amidst his rigor. But when he saw the little girl curled into a ball on the large bed, that coldness instantly transformed into helpless pampering.

He walked to the bedside and expertly "scooped" Elena out from the covers.

"Stayed up late doing problems again last night?" Julian frowned as he looked at the faint dark circles under her eyes.

Elena leaned into his arms, like a boneless kitten. "Mmm... that math competition problem was too hard. I had to solve it."

Julian's long fingers gently combed through her somewhat messy long hair. "If you can't solve it, you can ask me. Now, go wash your face, or you'll be late for the opening ceremony."

"Okay..." Elena pouted and slowly moved toward the bathroom.

Half an hour later, the two appeared at the gates of St. Lyton Private High School.

This school was the top elite private school in New York. Those who could enter were either rich or noble, but the two Foster siblings were undoubtedly the most dazzling presence among them. Julian was the genius of the senior year, consistently ranking first in the grade and serving as the student council president. Elena, on the other hand, was the beauty of the junior year, and her grades were also among the best.

As soon as they got out of the car, whispers of discussion broke out around them.

"Look, that's Julian and Elena! As expected, they're coming to school together every day again." "Even though they're siblings in name, their looks... they're just too well-matched." "Shh, keep your voice down. Don't you know how protective Julian is? Last time a guy tried to give Elena a gift, Julian made him do function problems all afternoon. I heard he left crying."

Elena held Julian's arm, completely oblivious to those gazes. She was staring eagerly at the dessert shop not far from the school gates. "Brother, I want the sea salt milk foam from that shop."

Julian looked at his watch. "You go in first; I'll go buy it. Remember to go back to your classroom; don't run around."

"Got it!" Elena beamed.

However, as soon as Elena walked into the main hall of the teaching building, several girls blocked her way. Leading them was Vanessa Lin from Class 2, who usually liked to find trouble with Elena, relying on her family's wealth.

"Oh, isn't this our Miss Foster?" Vanessa crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "I heard your brother personally brought you here again today? Elena, how old are you? Haven't you been weaned yet?"

Elena stopped her tracks and looked at her calmly. "Vanessa, if you're feeling jealous because you don't have a brother to bring you, I can understand. But if you're looking for trouble because you have too little homework, I suggest you go ask my brother. He happens to be helping the teacher organize math papers lately."

"You!" Vanessa was choked for a moment, then sneered. "What are you acting so proud of? Everyone knows Julian is just an outsider adopted by the Foster family. When the Foster family falls into your hands in the future, he'll just be an employee. You're not ashamed to be flattering him now."

As soon as she finished speaking, a bone-chilling voice came from behind them.

"It seems Vanessa is very interested in my family's affairs."

Vanessa stiffened and turned around. Julian was standing there at some unknown time, holding a cup of unopened milk tea.

His face was as cold as frost, and there was no warmth in his beautiful peach-blossom eyes. "Vanessa, the Lin family's business is currently bidding for the project in the south of the city. If your words today reach my father's ears, do you think the Lin family still has a chance?"

Vanessa's face instantly turned pale. "President... President Foster, I was just joking..."

"I don't want to hear such jokes again in the future." Julian bypassed her, walked to Elena's side, and naturally inserted the straw, handing it to her lips. "Didn't you want to drink it? Take it slow."

Elena took a sip, the sweet taste exploding on her taste buds. She looked at Julian with a smile. "Brother, you're really fast."

Julian looked at her, his gaze instantly softening. He reached out and rubbed her head. "Let's go, I'll take you to your classroom."

Vanessa stood in place, feeling the pointing gazes of the students around her, trembling with rage but not daring to say another word.

The whole school knew that you could provoke anyone but Elena Foster.

Because behind her stood a protective demon, Julian Foster. And this demon was only gentle to Elena Foster.

After the opening ceremony, the learning pace at St. Lyton High School quickly tightened.

As the top class of the junior year, Class 1's breaks were often filled with the sounds of discussing problems.

Elena Foster was buried in a pile of papers when suddenly, a crumpled ball of paper landed precisely on her desk. She looked up in confusion and saw several boys in the back row winking at her.

"Elena, there's a new arcade opening behind the school tonight. Want to go play together?" The boy speaking was named Leo Zhao, a member of the school's sports team. Although his grades were average, his family background was impressive, and he was a bit of a troublemaker at school.

Before Elena could speak, her seatmate, Sarah, pulled her sleeve and whispered, "Ignore him. Leo's been betting with people lately that he'll definitely get you out this week."

Elena frowned slightly, threw the paper ball into the trash, and responded politely but distantly, "Sorry, I have to review. I don't have time."

Leo, however, didn't plan to stop there. He walked over with a grin and leaned on Elena's desk. "Don't be like that, busy number one student. You need to balance work and play. Besides, don't you find it boring following that nominal brother of yours every day? Let me show you the world."

"Leo, please move," Elena's voice turned cold.

"What if I don't?" Leo reached out, wanting to touch Elena's ponytail.

"Bang!"

The front door of the classroom was pushed open heavily, making a dull thud.

Julian Foster appeared at the door with a cold face, still wearing the red sash of the student council, a sign of patrolling class discipline.

"Leo Zhao, ten points deducted from Class 1's discipline score for provocation and interfering with a student's studies." Julian strode over, his aura fully unleashed, exuding an intense sense of oppression.

Seeing Julian, Leo's arrogance instantly halved, but he still wouldn't admit defeat. "President Foster, isn't this a bit too much? Normal communication between classmates counts as provocation?"

"Does normal communication involve reaching for a female classmate's hair?" Julian stood in front of Elena, shielding her completely behind him, his gaze burning as he stared at Leo. "The Foster family may have a gentle reputation, but we never show mercy to those who bully us. If you think the Zhao family's business is going too smoothly, feel free to try again."

Leo swallowed hard. He knew Julian's methods. Last year, a senior tried to block Elena on her way home, and the next day, the entire family moved out of New York, never to be heard from again.

"Fine... President Foster, you're the boss. I'll leave, okay?" Leo slunk back to his seat.

Julian turned around, meeting Elena's sparkling eyes, and the chill in his gaze instantly melted.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice.

"I'm fine. You noticed before he even touched me." Elena stuck out her tongue. "Brother, did you install a monitor on me? How do you always arrive so punctually?"

Julian chuckled, and his long fingers gave her forehead a light flick. "That's my intuition. Also, wait for me in the piano room after school. I'll take you to eat something good."

"Okay!"

After school, Elena took her backpack to the piano room in the multipurpose building. Before she even entered the door, she heard a fluid, flowing piano piece.

It was "Croatian Rhapsody," intense and magnificent.

Elena pushed the door open a crack and saw Julian sitting in the sunlight. The youth's profile was as exquisite as a painting, his long fingers dancing across the black and white keys as if he were glowing.

Only when the piece ended did Julian turn his head and beckon to the figure outside the door. "Come here."

Elena ran over and plopped down on the bench beside him. "Brother, you look so handsome playing the piano. Whoever marries you in the future will be so happy."

Julian's finger pressed lightly on a key, making a soft sound.

"Is that so?" He turned his head, looking at her with a deep gaze. "Then who do you think would be suitable?"

Elena tilted her head and thought for a long time. "Hmm... she has to be beautiful, gentle, and able to stand your cold temperament..."

Julian looked at her serious profile, and his eyes darkened.

Silly girl, if that person isn't you, whether she's gentle or beautiful, what meaning would it have for him?

"Let's go. I'll take you to that private restaurant you've been thinking about." Julian rose and naturally took her backpack to carry on his shoulder.

Along the way, countless girls stopped to watch, screaming at the combination of the "cold school hunk and the soft genius."

Elena walked ahead, skipping along, but she didn't know that the youth behind her never took his eyes off her figure.

She was the treasure he had guarded for ten years. If anyone dared to touch her, he'd be willing to fight for her life.

The Foster mansion.

Because their business was busy, Mr. and Mrs. Foster were away from home for most of the year. In this large villa, Julian and Elena were the only ones there most of the time.

Tonight, thunder roared outside, and the rain poured down.

Elena had been afraid of thunder since she was a child. Every thunderstorm night, she would curl up under the covers and shiver.

"Crack—"

A purple flash of lightning sliced through the sky, followed by deafening thunder.

"Ah!" Elena screamed, unable to move under the covers.

The door was knocked gently, and Julian's warm voice came through. "Elena, open the door."

Elena felt like she had caught a lifeline. She ran off the bed barefoot, pulled the door open forcefully, and crashed into Julian's arms.

"Waa... brother, it's so loud..."

Julian carried the fresh scent of someone who had just showered. He took the opportunity to pick up the shivering little girl and walked back to the bedside.

"How old are you and still afraid of thunder?" Although he was teasing, his movements were extremely gentle as he settled her at the head of the bed and sat beside her.

"I'm just afraid..." Elena held onto his sleeve and wouldn't let go. "Brother, don't leave. Tell me about when we were little. I remember the first time I saw you, you seemed to be crying."

Julian's movements stiffened for a moment, and his thoughts went back ten years.

At that time, his parents had died in an accident, and he was sent to an orphanage. That was the darkest period of his life until that little girl in a pink princess dress appeared before him.

Only five years old, Elena held a large lollipop in her hand and said to him in a soft, milky voice, "Little brother, don't cry. I'll share my candy with you, and in the future, I'll share my mommy and daddy with you too, okay?"

At that moment, a ray of light shone into his world.

Mr. and Mrs. Foster originally only went to provide sponsorship, but at their daughter's insistence, they eventually adopted Julian.

From then on, he became her shadow, her bodyguard, her... brother.

"Yeah, back then you were a little chubby girl, you'd trip just walking." Julian chuckled, his eyes full of nostalgia.

"I wasn't a chubby girl!" Elena retorted dissatisfiedly. "Mom said it was baby fat!"

"Okay, okay, baby fat." Julian's long fingers slid across her paper. "This physics problem, you've calculated it wrong three times. Elena, were you just thinking about playing?"

"No... it's just that the magnetic field induction in this part is too abstract." Elena pouted. Her original fear had mostly dissipated with Julian's company.

"I'll explain it to you again." Julian took the pen and expertly drew a model on the draft paper. "Look, when the charge enters the magnetic field..."

Under the desk lamp, their shadows intertwined.

Julian's profile was perfectly flawless. He patiently disassembled the complex formulas, his voice deep and magnetic, like some kind of hypnotic music.

As Elena listened, her eyelids began to droop.

Finally, she leaned on Julian's shoulder and fell fast asleep.

Julian stopped writing and looked at the girl leaning on his shoulder. Her eyelashes were long like fans, her breathing steady, looking completely defenseless.

As if possessed, he reached out, his fingertips gently sliding across her cheek.

"Elena..." he murmured in a low voice, so soft it seemed it would be blown away by the wind. "If only we could stay like this forever."

But he knew she was slowly growing up.

She would meet boys she liked, fall in love, and leave this home.

At the thought of this, Julian's heart felt as if it had been heavily squeezed by something.

No, he would never allow it.

Even if it meant crossing the line, even if he had to bear the nominal guilt, he would absolutely never let her out of his sight.

The rain gradually stopped. Julian tucked her back into the covers and placed a restrained and deep kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my little princess."