Chapter Ninety-Two: A Place of Peace Could Always Be Found with Her

Cough, cough. Qin Xuan walked over to Liu Ruoxi’s side, feeling a little guilty. But when she saw him come in, she didn’t even glance his way and kept browsing the web page in front of her.

“Ruoxi? Don’t be mad anymore,” Qin Xuan said, holding out a cookie he had snatched from Qin Lin’er and offering it to her lips.

Liu Ruoxi flicked him a look, then opened her mouth and bit down, fingers and all.

But she only nipped him lightly, just enough to take the cookie away.

Qin Xuan understood at once. He lowered his head and kissed her cheek.

At once, Liu Ruoxi stood up with a look of disgust and wiped at her face. Qin Xuan, on the other hand, dropped into the chair, pulled her close, and sat her on his lap.

“What are you doing? I haven’t even said I forgive you yet!” Liu Ruoxi protested from his arms, unwilling to give in.

Qin Xuan only smiled, saying nothing. Then he tightened the arm around her and drew her little face close, planting a series of kisses on it.

A few minutes later, he finally let go of the limp Liu Ruoxi.

“You’re so annoying,” she muttered, leaning against his chest and grabbing a tissue to wipe her face. “Gross.”

Qin Xuan thought: You weren’t saying that last night.

“You’re not mad anymore, right? I’ll make you spicy fish tonight,” he said, kneading her hand gently.

“I wasn’t mad...” Liu Ruoxi stared at him. “I just feel weird about it...”

Qin Xuan stroked her hair without saying anything, then got up to buy some vegetables and fish.

Watching him leave, Liu Ruoxi only then lay down on the blanket, lost in thought.

As soon as Qin Xuan shut the door and stepped out, he went straight into Nan Zhiyi’s room, only to find her sitting properly at the desk, fiddling with her computer.

“Zhiyi?” Qin Xuan called softly.

Nan Zhiyi turned to look at him. She had originally not wanted to turn around at all. He just stood there and did nothing while she got herself cleaned up. What a scumbag.

Qin Xuan looked at the sock thrown on the floor in confusion. Huh?

Seeing him curiously move toward it, Nan Zhiyi panicked and hurried over to pick it up, hiding it behind her back. She could still smell something in the air... Liu Ruoxi! You were ruthless!

“You’re all right?” Qin Xuan asked, seeing that she seemed fine.

“I’m fine! She didn’t hit me,” Nan Zhiyi said, tossing the sock into the hamper with the dirty clothes beside the bed. Then she leaned in as if to kiss Qin Xuan’s cheek, but thankfully he reacted quickly.

“That’s good. I’m off to buy groceries,” Qin Xuan said, pushing past her and turning to leave.

Once outside, Qin Lin’er, munching on chips, looked at him with suspicion, as though he were a thief with a guilty conscience.

“What are you up to? Harassing Sister Zhiyi again?”

Qin Xuan’s face went dark. “Why is that any of your business? Where did you even get so many snacks? Eat too much and you’ll stop growing.”

“Bought them myself, of course.” Qin Lin’er sat back on the sofa, still crunching away.

“Give me some.”

Qin Xuan walked over and held out his hand.

“Get lost! You just stole my cookies earlier!” Qin Lin’er was especially grudging when it came to having her snacks snatched away.

Qin Xuan could only shrug helplessly and change shoes, ready to head out.

“What are you going out for now?” Qin Lin’er asked curiously.

Without turning back, Qin Xuan said, “To buy groceries. There are a lot of people in this house.”

“Oh...” Qin Lin’er immediately sprang to her feet, abandoning the chips without mercy. “Wait for me!”

In a couple of quick steps, she ran over to her older brother and bent down to help him into his white sneakers.

Qin Xuan looked at her, and for some reason, whenever he saw her, he always found a little peace.

“Let’s go,” Qin Lin’er said, looping her arm through his and smiling up at him.

By the time they reached downstairs, Qin Lin’er had already darted into the supermarket and bought two grilled sausages. At least she hadn’t been raised in vain; she knew enough to buy one for her big brother too.

At the market, Qin Xuan realized only then that he had forgotten his phone. It must have been left on the sofa. In the end, the groceries had to be paid for by Qin Lin’er.

So Qin Xuan picked out the produce up front while Qin Lin’er followed beside him and paid, and oddly enough, the whole thing seemed rather harmonious.

When they left the market, Qin Lin’er was carrying a bag of groceries. Looking at Qin Xuan, she asked, “Qin Xuan, do I look like a proper housewife like this?”

Qin Xuan sized her up. “Do you need to ask? If you don’t, who does?”

“Hmph. I really want to hit you.” Though she said that, Qin Lin’er still kept her arm around his.

“Go on, then,” Qin Xuan said, spreading out the hand she had trapped in her embrace.

“Forget it. I can’t bear to,” Qin Lin’er said, letting go and lacing her fingers through his.

“Silly girl. Want a chicken leg?”

Thinking that he hadn’t fed her yet today, and remembering he still had five yuan and a coin in his pocket...

Qin Lin’er looked at him in confusion. “I want one, but I’ll just buy it myself.”

“I’ve got money!” Qin Xuan released her hand, pulled six yuan from his pocket, and placed it in her palm. Of course he had kept money set aside for chicken legs.

Qin Lin’er closed her fingers around the bills and laughed in delight, very pleased that Qin Xuan had even prepared money for her chicken leg.

“Let’s go.” She tucked the money into her pocket, even patting it twice, then looped her arm through his again and headed toward the snack street.

In the end, Qin Lin’er used Qin Xuan’s money to buy her own chicken leg. Thinking of Sister Zhiyi and Sister Ruoxi, she still brought one back for each of them.

The vendor was only about thirty. Watching the two of them walk away, he leaned back in his wicker chair with a trace of envy. He had once had a girlfriend who loved chicken legs too, but regrettably, she had not made it through reality. Chicken legs were never worth more than money, so... after graduating, he had opened a grilled chicken-leg stand here.

...

“Want some?”

Qin Lin’er noticed that Qin Xuan had been staring at her eating her chicken leg for quite a while, and she felt a little embarrassed. She turned the unbitten side toward his mouth.

Qin Xuan saw the chicken leg held out before him, opened his mouth, and took a bite. Delicious.

Qin Lin’er didn’t mind at all and kept happily gnawing away.

When they got home, Qin Xuan opened the door and saw Nan Zhiyi and Liu Ruoxi sitting on the sofa, chatting about something. They actually weren’t fighting?

He glanced at the time. It was only a little after four, still enough for him to play a few rounds. Perfect.

As for Nan Zhiyi and Liu Ruoxi, when they saw Qin Xuan return, the two simply linked arms and went into Nan Zhiyi’s room. Before leaving, they did not forget to take the chicken leg from Qin Lin’er’s hand...

Qin Lin’er stared blankly at the empty space around her. This...?

In the end, bored out of her mind, she went over to Qin Xuan to watch him hand out points to other players.

“What’s so fun about this game? Anyway, you always finish eighth,” Qin Lin’er said from beside him, feeding a chip into Qin Xuan’s mouth.

Qin Xuan thought: I feel like you’re insulting me...

“What do you mean, always eighth! I only happened to be eighth when you saw it. Next time I win a chicken dinner, I’ll call you over to watch!” He bit down on the chip with some annoyance.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I understand,” Qin Lin’er said, patting his shoulder comfortingly.

At that moment, Qin Xuan suddenly had no desire to talk to her anymore. Fine. Tonight, one less piece of fish for you.

After a couple more matches, Qin Xuan logged off in frustration. Sure enough, this game really was not suited to someone as unlucky as him.

Only then did he turn his head and notice that Qin Lin’er had somehow fallen asleep on the bed. It was only five o’clock. My dear sister—once you’re full, all you know how to do is sleep. Truly, that’s you.