Chapter Eleven: If I Were Not Your Sister

Perhaps it was the exhaustion from climbing the mountain the day before, but the next morning, all three of them slept in… It wasn’t until after eleven that Lin Qin, driven by hunger, pushed open Qin Xuan’s door. She was met with the sight of two people sprawled crookedly across the bed, which immediately left her speechless. She hurried over and gave Ruo Xi’s bottom a sharp slap, but the latter didn’t stir. Reaching out, she managed to disentangle the two’s interlaced limbs and, only with effort, roused Qin Xuan.

Seeing Lin Qin standing by the bed, fully awake and fuming, Qin Xuan quickly pushed at Ruo Xi, who was still sleeping like the dead, and decided to leave her be. Thankfully, he didn’t have the habit of undressing in his sleep—unlike a certain sister…

Under Lin Qin’s disapproving gaze, Qin Xuan simply got up in his pajamas to make breakfast. He cooked a pot of millet porridge and boiled a few eggs. When everything was ready, he realized Ruo Xi was still asleep. Lin Qin looked at him suspiciously, wanting to ask what exactly had gone on between the two of them the night before.

It was only after one o’clock that Ruo Xi woke with a start, finding herself in Qin Xuan’s bed. She checked herself, let out a sigh of relief, then scolded herself inwardly for her lack of composure. When she left the room and found the apartment empty, she grumbled, “Those two idiots left me behind again.” In the end, she discovered a still-warm pot of porridge in the rice cooker.

Meanwhile, Qin Xuan and Lin Qin had gone to visit Maru. Lin Qin clung to Qin Xuan’s hand, savoring their private time together.

“Brother, when are we going back home?” she asked.

“What’s wrong? Missing Mom and Dad already?” Qin Xuan was puzzled.

“No, it’s fine as long as you’re here,” Lin Qin mumbled. “I just have something I want to ask them.”

“What is it?” Qin Xuan was curious. “Isn’t it the same as asking me?”

“You wouldn’t know!” Lin Qin suddenly grew agitated.

“Alright, alright,” Qin Xuan conceded, thinking for a moment. “We probably won’t go back until New Year’s.”

“No, wait—Mom said she’d be coming to Shu City for some business,” Qin Xuan suddenly recalled.

“That’s good! When?” Lin Qin squeezed his hand so tightly it hurt.

“She said around National Day, so it should be in a few days. What do you want to ask her?”

“I’m not telling you.”

Lin Qin released his hand, then wrapped both arms around his, pressing all her weight against him. Qin Xuan felt her shift and remarked, “You’ve gained weight.”

“Hmph! I have not!” Lin Qin retorted instantly.

“You definitely have,” Qin Xuan stated factually, though Lin Qin clearly didn’t believe him. She raised her tiny fists, ready to punch him, but she slipped, startling Qin Xuan. He quickly steadied her by grabbing her waist. When Lin Qin realized she’d been saved from falling only because Qin Xuan held her, she…

“Your hand!” Lin Qin exclaimed, feeling something off against her chest.

“Uh…” Qin Xuan, sensing what his other hand had landed on, quickly let go, grateful no one else had seen.

“I’m your sister! You pervert.” Lin Qin’s face flushed scarlet.

“It was an accident,” Qin Xuan tried to explain. “How was I supposed to react in time?”

“Tsk, tsk,” Lin Qin declared. “When Mom gets here, I’m telling her what you did to me!”

“Hey, that’s too much!”

“I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you,” she sang, ignoring him.

Their bickering carried them to Liu Qin’s building, and any awkwardness quickly faded. But as they reached the entrance, they found someone squatting outside Liu Qin’s door. Qin Xuan looked closely—it was Sister Qin’s ex-boyfriend, Yang Sheng.

“What are you doing here?” Qin Xuan eyed him warily.

Yang Sheng, holding something in his hand, looked up and recognized the student from the other day. He’d later found out Qin Xuan was a freshman in Liu Qin’s class. Yang Sheng handed the item to Qin Xuan. “Can you give this to Liu Qin for me? Tell her I’m sorry.”

Qin Xuan looked down and saw it was a wedding invitation. He hesitated, then refused. “This is Sister Qin’s affair. It’s not my place to accept it.”

Yang Sheng sighed, shoved the invitation into Qin Xuan’s arms, and said, “If she won’t take it, just throw it away for me.” With that, he hurried downstairs. Qin Xuan watched his retreating figure with a frown, then turned and knocked on Liu Qin’s door. When there was no answer, he sent her a message.

Liu Qin finally opened the door, and Qin Xuan noticed her eyes were red—he understood why. He handed her the invitation. Liu Qin bit her lip, took it, and immediately tossed it into the trash.

Qin Xuan and Lin Qin sat on the sofa. He asked gently, “Sister Qin, what happened?”

Liu Qin slumped back with her eyes closed. “His girlfriend’s pregnant, so they’re getting married. He even tried to invite me—am I supposed to be some kind of joke?”

Qin Xuan could only sigh at the melodrama of her life; reality was often absurd in this way. He offered what comfort he could, then left with Lin Qin and the meowing Maru.

After they left, Liu Qin rose slowly, fished the invitation out of the trash, and laughed at its soiled surface. “This was supposed to be mine, wasn’t it?” she thought. As she recalled their story, she wondered—perhaps he’d grown tired of her, like men so often do. Perhaps she’d humiliated him by haggling over a few coins. Perhaps her traditional family background had made her too conservative—so much that even after graduation, she wouldn’t live with him.

There were many reasons, but looking at the invitation, she dared not open it. Was it fear of seeing his name beside another woman’s? Perhaps.

Outside, Qin Xuan and Lin Qin lingered, hearing her quiet sobs through the door. Their hearts grew heavy. On the way back, Lin Qin swung Qin Xuan’s hand and asked, “Brother, are you afraid I’ll meet someone like Yang Sheng?”

“Of course!” Qin Xuan replied firmly. “If you ever meet someone like that, I’ll beat him so badly his own mother wouldn’t recognize him.”

“Really?” Lin Qin forced a smile. “I knew you were the best, Brother.”

“Nonsense, you’re my only sister,” Qin Xuan rolled his eyes at her.

“What about Ruo Xi?”

Qin Xuan thought for a moment. “It’s different, but you’re both my closest people.”

Lin Qin pressed, “How close?”

“If the world were to end tomorrow, I’d make sure I died before either of you,” Qin Xuan replied.

Lin Qin’s eyes sparkled. “With that kind of talk, why haven’t you found me a sister-in-law yet?”

“Excuse me? Can you be serious?”

“Hehe, Brother,” Lin Qin went on, “If—just if—I weren’t your sister, what would you do?”

“Hm?” Qin Xuan looked at her, puzzled. “There’s no ‘if.’ I’ve watched you grow up since you were little—how could you not be? Are you an alien in disguise?”

“Oh, come on, it’s just hypothetical!”

“Then I’d sell you off,” Qin Xuan teased. “You’re so pretty you’d fetch a good price.”

“You jerk!” Lin Qin suddenly snapped and let go of his hand.

Qin Xuan was caught off guard by her sudden anger. “Why are you mad?” he amended, “Alright, I’d definitely marry you—just the right person to keep the bed warm in winter.”

“And Ruo Xi?” Lin Qin’s mood improved.

“Her?” Qin Xuan was confused. “I’m not interested in her.”

“Really? I’ve got evidence.” Lin Qin pulled out her phone. “I recorded everything you said just now.”

Qin Xuan laughed. “So what? Ruo Xi doesn’t like me either—who are you threatening?”

“Hmph, none of your business,” Lin Qin thought to herself: Someday, you’ll understand.