"Guoguo, what are you talking to my sister about? It's been so long." A slender figure appeared on the nearby staircase.
Su Yun looked up and saw Qin Yuanyuan's bright eyes staring at them, especially at Qin Guoxuan.
"Third Miss, we were talking about things on Xia Mo's side. Xiao Ying and the others were slacking off and didn't clean the rooms, so I was pleading with Second Miss on their behalf."
Good heavens...
Su Yun was startled by Qin Guoxuan's respectful and composed demeanor.
She was so good at lying.
But upon a closer look, she noticed Qin Guoxuan's legs were trembling, as if she were about to face something dreadful.
"Third Miss? Heh, hehe... Sister, is what she said true?" Qin Yuanyuan lowered her head slightly, a cute yet somewhat sickly smile on her face.
"It's true, Yuanyuan. You should go up and rest first."
"Oh."
Qin Guoxuan quietly raised her hand as if to stop Qin Yuanyuan, but ultimately let it fall back to her side. "Third Miss, you drank so much yesterday. Please get some proper rest."
"..." Qin Yuanyuan didn't reply and went upstairs without looking back.
Not long after Qin Yuanyuan left, Su Yun heard the soft, intermittent sobs of a girl.
She was deliberately suppressing her voice.
"Qin Guoxuan, thank you for being willing to tell us," Qin Xue said, breaking the strange atmosphere.
"You're welcome, Second Miss. It's my duty as a maid," Qin Guoxuan replied, turning to bow to her.
But the girl's sobs continued, and her respectful bow made the situation feel even stranger.
"..."
"Are you okay?"
...
The morning passed quickly, but they were all in low spirits after returning home.
Especially Qin Xue.
When it was time for lunch.
"Xiao Xue, here it comes." Wang Haiyan placed the last bowl of soup on the table, completing a sumptuous spread of home-cooked dishes.
There was chicken and duck, stir-fried eggplant with meat, and an egg and meat soup. Su Yun didn't know if it was because it was still the New Year holiday or because Qin Xue was here that her mom was so diligent (she was usually diligent anyway).
Then, everyone started eating together.
"Xiao Xue, is your sister okay?" Wang Haiyan asked with a concerned expression.
At that moment, Qin Xue held her chopsticks without picking up any food, her tone subdued. "She's fine, just had a little too much to drink last night and almost got into trouble..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Haiyan's chopsticks, raised above her head, almost flew out of her hand. "Ah, drinking? How can a girl drink outside so late at night? She needs to be taught a good lesson!"
"You're right, Mom."
"Then you can't drink either, Xiao Xue. Alcohol can be deadly! You won't be able to walk straight, and someone could take you away without you even knowing."
"Yes, I definitely won't drink, Mom," Qin Xue replied curtly, seemingly unwilling to continue the conversation.
Normally, she would have mischievously recounted how she had bullied Xiao Yun last night, boasting about it with great enthusiasm.
But now, Qin Xue just stared blankly at the rice in her bowl.
Aloofness was Qin Xue's protective coloring, Su Yun understood.
She still remembered that night when Qin Xue had taken her to the school's sports field to watch the stars.
Su Yun stared at Qin Xue, puffing out her cheeks.
Really, Sister Xue, even if you're upset, you still have to eat. You need strength to take care of that girl after you eat.
Su Yun picked up her own rice bowl and used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of eggplant.
"Sister Xue, open your mouth."
"What for?" Qin Xue turned her head slightly to glare at her, that familiar sharp gaze reappearing.
In the past, Su Yun would have been so nervous under this big sister's cold gaze that she might not have dared to move.
This time, Su Yun naturally leaned closer, bringing the chopsticks near those red lips, and then said in a soft, angry voice, "You're not allowed to skip lunch!"
Their eyes met at that moment and held for more than ten seconds.
Qin Xue reached out and gently pinched her puffed-up cheek. "I'll listen to you."
Aww.
Then Su Yun saw the person before her gently tuck her beautiful black hair behind her ear, lower her head, and take the eggplant she offered into her pink lips.
Her heart filled with joy. "Yes, that's a good Sister Xue."
"Good?"
"..." Qin Xue frowned and glared at her fiercely, but didn't refute.
"Again, ahh~" Su Yun scooped some rice from her own bowl with a spoon.
Then those red lips took in the rice again.
Just like that, a seemingly petite girl fed her older sister for ten minutes.
Every time the older sister ate the little girl's food, she had to lower her head because the little girl was too short.
Wang Haiyan watched this scene from the side, her saliva almost dripping from her eyes.
"They have such a good relationship. Old man, did you see that? Put away your worries." Then Wang Haiyan secretly pinched Su Fulin's thigh under the table.
"I wasn't worried about their relationship. I just think, uh... stop pinching, just eat your food. You can't even eat a meal in peace," Su Fulin grumbled in a low voice.
But in reality, his gaze also drifted to the loving couple feeding each other across the table.
He wasn't as carefree as Wang Haiyan. He had always treated Qin Xue with a reserved attitude. After all, their families were from two completely different worlds.
Perhaps this was the inferiority complex of an unsuccessful middle-aged man.
And at this moment, his own Xiao Yun was feeding that domineering young lady mouthful by mouthful. The other party was even very obedient, opening her little mouth to eat.
However, Su Fulin soon realized that while Qin Xue did listen to Su Yun, it was the kind of obedience a husband has for his wife.
"..."
"Little sister Yun, I'm full."
"Hey, you usually eat more than this."
Su Yun looked at the half-full bowl of rice, thinking that perhaps people don't want to eat when they're sad.
Has it already reached this point?
"Unless little sister Yun feeds me with her mouth, I might be able to force myself to eat a little more..."
"?"
"You're still in the mood to joke!"
...
After the meal, Su Yun quickly washed the dishes.
As for what to do in the afternoon, she didn't really know.
On this beautiful afternoon, Su Yun sat quietly on a small stool by the sunny window, basking in the warm sunlight and looking at the peaceful and serene community.
Oh, someone died in that patch of grass yesterday, that rapist.
Tsk, what a mood killer.
Su Yun stopped looking out the window and turned to look at Qin Xue, who was leaning against the headboard on the bed, staring blankly.
Her eyes were fixed on the quilt covering her body, and she didn't speak.
"..."
Su Yun felt that in this situation, perhaps only if something happened to her would Qin Xue get excited and talk.
But unfortunately, there was an expressionless girl sitting next to Qin Xue, constantly watching her.
Qin Xue kept staring at the quilt.
A strange scene.
"Ding."
Suddenly, a phone rang in the room.
Su Yun thought it was hers, but when she checked, it wasn't.
"Counselor?" Qin Xue picked up her phone and read the message from the other party coldly. "The winter break volunteer activity ends tomorrow. Your group needs to take photos and make a PowerPoint presentation as soon as possible?"
"Huh?"
Su Yun leaned over curiously. She hadn't heard anything about school in a long time.
"Winter break volunteer activity."
"It's just helping to sweep the community or promote something, then taking pictures and uploading them to the leaders," Qin Xue patiently explained to her.
They clicked into the group chat and discovered that the group leader was someone named Sweet Candy.
This name most likely belonged to a girl.
(Li Wei: Where's Class President Chu? Why hasn't she replied for a week? What are we going to do about our group's volunteer activity?)
(Wang Lili: What else can we do? Just let it be.)
The people in the group seemed indifferent, and in fact, they were. They had all secured their spots in graduate school, so they looked down on these things.
But Su Yun didn't dare. What if something at school wasn't done properly and it caught Dong Jinghua's attention?
"Sister Xue, contact your group leader and get this done quickly," Su Yun said, then felt something was off.
In this situation, how could Qin Xue be in the mood for this?
"..."
"The group leader is here," Qin Xue said, pointing to the silent Chu Bing beside her.
"Ah..."
The 'Sweet Candy' who had been out of contact for a week?
Su Yun glanced at Chu Bing's legs, clad in over-the-knee socks pressed together, and felt that it wasn't out of place. She was probably quite sweet.
Oh right, Chu Bing had amnesia. She probably didn't even know what school was now, let alone volunteer activities... In that case, Qin Xue's activity would definitely not be completed, and Dong Jinghua might find out that Qin Xue was slacking off.
And now Sister Xue was sad because of Yuanyuan, and Yuanyuan was sad because of Xia Rou...
Ugh, this feels so troublesome.
Su Yun also collapsed onto the bed, feeling a little like giving up.
"Sister Xue, let's not do the activity. Let's sleep. I'll hold you."
"..."
Qin Xue lay quietly in her arms. This was one of the rare times Su Yun held Qin Xue, instead of the other way around.
It seemed Sister Xue was really tired.
Let's sleep first.
...
She didn't know how long she had been asleep, but Su Yun vaguely heard a conversation by her ear. It was two slightly cold female voices.
Clear and cold, pleasant female voices.
"Little Bingbing, you said you know the Embrace? You remember?"
"Yes."
"Then you go and save..."
"No, I won't, unless you promise..."
"..."
Promise?
Su Yun's eyes flew open, but when she sat up, she found that the two girls who had been beside her were gone.
Was she dreaming just now?
"..."
[End of Chapter]