Please, brother, help Ah Yuan~

Liu Yuan followed Su Qi’s pointing finger and looked.

Sure enough, on the stone bench downstairs sat a lone bubble tea cup.

The outline unmistakably matched the one from the shop she had ordered from.

Then, the younger sister turned her head and stared at Su Qi in silence.

Those pretty eyes no longer held the earlier irritation—instead, they gleamed with a scrutinizing look that seemed to say, Let’s see what excuse my brother comes up with now.

Su Qi’s heart skipped a beat.

He knew that look all too well.

Every time his silly sister wore that expression,

it meant she had already seen through him—she just wasn’t calling him out yet.

This was the downside of knowing each other inside out.

One glance from him, and Liu Yuan could tell he was guilty.

One pout from her—no, not a pout, a slight purse of her lips—and Su Qi knew exactly what mischief she was scheming.

But at this point, he couldn’t just admit that he’d been the one to drink her bubble tea, could he?

His pride was at stake.

Su Qi kept his expression neutral, his heartbeat steady, even taking a step forward to appear more composed.

The highest level of lying was convincing yourself first.

“Do I look like that kind of person?”

His tone carried a hint of wronged resignation.

Stubbornness would have to do.

Liu Yuan still didn’t speak, only letting out a soft, dismissive snort in response.

She sidestepped Su Qi, walked to the bed, and plopped down onto it.

Grabbing a newly purchased cat-shaped pillow, she hugged it tightly, burying her face completely in its softness.

A few seconds later, a muffled voice, tinged with a whimper, emerged from the pillow.

“I don’t care.”

“My bubble tea is gone, and Brother came back empty-handed.”

This move…

This move was lethal.

Su Qi’s greatest weakness—utterly indefensible.

He sighed in defeat, sitting beside her on the bed and reaching out to ruffle her hair, only for her to dodge by hugging the pillow tighter.

“Alright, alright, my bad. It’s all my fault.” He softened his tone, slipping into coaxing mode. “I shouldn’t have let Elder Feng taste your bubble tea. I’ll go downstairs right now and buy you double the amount, okay?”

He made a show of standing up, only for the hem of his shirt to be tugged from behind by a small hand.

Liu Yuan lifted her face from the pillow—where were the tears?

Only the faintest upward curl at the corner of her lips, smug and sly.

“I don’t feel like drinking it anymore.”

Su Qi’s heart gave a tiny jolt. A bad premonition crept in.

He ventured cautiously, “Then… what do you want?”

His sister deliberately drew out her words, her voice sweet and sticky like syrup.

“I waaant—”

Su Qi: “……”

“No, no, no.” He hastily raised his hands in surrender. “Just tell me how you want to punish me.”

Watching Su Qi’s defeated expression, Liu Yuan let out a triumphant hum, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up.

“I’m punishing Brother,” she declared, her tone laced with victory.

Punishment?

Su Qi’s mind instantly conjured a few less-than-pleasant scenarios.

His silly sister’s thought process was always unconventional. Would her so-called “punishment” involve dragging him to the bamboo grove for another round of “sparring”?

The last time, she’d claimed it was to “train her combat reflexes,” only for him to chase her through the grove with a bamboo stick. The mental image was already forming.

He tested the waters. “How exactly? And no fighting.”

Liu Yuan, seeing his guarded expression, swayed her head smugly.

“Punishment is… Brother has to take me shopping for new clothes tomorrow!”

“I’m sick of everything in my closet, and it’s almost season change—I didn’t bring enough autumn clothes from home.”

Su Qi blinked.

The sword of Damocles hanging over his head vanished.

That’s it?

He’d braced for something earth-shattering.

Though he’d never understood why girls could have closets bursting at the seams yet still claim they had “nothing to wear.”

Some outfits hung untouched for a year after purchase.

But understanding wasn’t necessary—respect was.

Such a simple request wasn’t worth refusing.

“Fine, no problem.”

He agreed readily, even with a hint of post-crisis relief.

……

The next morning.

Su Qi felt something warm and damp tickling his ear.

The sensation was strange—something soft brushing against his earlobe, accompanied by light, rhythmic breaths.

He instinctively shrank back, trying to bury his head deeper into the pillow.

But the teasing persisted.

“Brother~”

A voice, sweet and slightly nasal with sleepiness, called out.

“…Time to wake up.”

Su Qi finally cracked one eye open.

Liu Yuan was kneeling on the bed, leaning over him, one hand braced on the pillow while the other mischievously twirled the ends of her hair.

Seeing him stir, she didn’t retreat—instead, she inched closer.

Her bright eyes curved into crescents, brimming with playful triumph.

“Are you a mosquito… buzzing in my ear…” Su Qi mumbled, half-asleep.

“Mosquitoes aren’t as pretty as me~”

Liu Yuan retorted without missing a beat, then straightened up, hands on her hips, looking down at Su Qi imperiously.

“You promised—today’s shopping is my punishment.”

“Who goes shopping this early…” Su Qi closed his eyes again, clinging to the last dregs of sleep.

But the next second, the mattress dipped slightly.

Something pressed down on his face.

“Mmph—”

Su Qi’s breathing grew labored.

He had to inhale deeper.

The girl wasn’t heavy, but her antics made sleep impossible.

Su Qi finally surrendered.

Yesterday, he’d been discussing nation-altering secrets with Great Xia’s legendary figures.

Today, his sister was rousing him from bed like a child.

“Okay, okay, I’m up. I’m up.” He raised his hands in surrender. “Now get off my face.”

Liu Yuan gave a satisfied hum, hopping off the bed and pulling open the curtains with a flourish.

Sunlight flooded the room, banishing the last traces of drowsiness.

“Hurry up! Brother gets twenty minutes to get ready!”

The ultimatum was delivered.

……

Ten minutes later, the two were prepped and ready to leave.

Su Qi wore simple casual wear, while Liu Yuan had chosen a pretty beige dress, her long hair loose and swaying with youthful energy.

They headed downstairs together.

In the courtyard, beneath the old tree, a familiar figure reclined on the weathered rattan chair as always.

Elder Feng’s eyes were closed, this time idly rolling two polished walnuts in his palm, their rhythmic clacking filling the air.

At the sound of footsteps, he didn’t even lift an eyelid.

“Young lovebirds off so early in the morning?”

Liu Yuan’s face flushed instantly. She ducked behind Su Qi, protesting in a small voice, “Elder Feng, don’t say nonsense! He’s my brother!”

"Oh? It's you, brother." Elder Feng slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over the two of them before settling on Su Qi with a meaningful smile.

Though he wouldn’t pry into the private affairs of young people.

But the room he rented to Su Qi only had one bed.

And he hadn’t seen them add another one these past few days.

What kind of grown siblings still shared a bed?

The nature of their relationship wasn’t hard to guess.

"Yeah," Su Qi nodded. "We’re going out to buy some things."

"Go ahead." Elder Feng closed his eyes again. "Young people should get out more, not stay cooped up at home all day."

His tone was no different from usual—just an ordinary old neighbor showing concern for the younger generation.

"Got it…" Su Qi replied vaguely.

Soon after, the two stepped out of the alley and stopped at a suitable spot to hail a ride.

Su Qi pulled out his phone and deftly called a ride-hailing car.

While waiting, Liu Yuan perched on a roadside stone post, swinging her fair, slender legs, her good mood unmistakable.

"Brother, what kind of clothes should we buy later? A dress or pants?"

"Whatever you like," Su Qi answered lazily, leaning against a nearby tree.

"No!" Liu Yuan immediately hopped down from the post, her expression serious as she protested. "You have to pick! That’s the whole point of the punishment!"

Su Qi turned his head to study his sister.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her face.

Her eyes sparkled, a hint of mischief lurking within.

What foolish scheme was this idiot sister cooking up now?

Making him choose?

This wasn’t punishment—it was practically handing him a reward.

Or was she hoping he’d pick something ridiculous so she could mock his taste?

"You really want me to choose?" he confirmed.

"Mhm!" Liu Yuan nodded emphatically, a strange smile playing on her lips, like a little fox that had just stolen a treat. "Pick whatever you want, brother. If you dare to choose it, I’ll dare to wear it."

Su Qi raised an eyebrow. What kind of bizarre game was this?

"Fine."

He agreed.

The two arrived at the commercial plaza.

True to its reputation as the heart of Great Xia’s shopping district, the place was bustling even on a weekday.

Under the enormous glass dome, luxury brand stores dazzled the eye with their extravagant displays.

Su Qi had no interest in the flashy boutiques and headed straight for a minimalist yet stylish women’s clothing store, pulling Liu Yuan along with him.

A well-dressed saleswoman greeted them with a smile. "Welcome! What are you looking for today? We’ve just gotten in a lot of new arrivals—"

"We’ll browse on our own," Su Qi cut her off flatly.

Ignoring the saleswoman’s enthusiastic recommendations, he moved swiftly between the racks, his eyes scanning the clothes.

Liu Yuan trailed behind him, a little puzzled.

She had expected Su Qi to point at random items or drag her into some frilly, pastel-colored lolita boutique. She hadn’t anticipated him picking a store like this.

A moment later, Su Qi stopped and plucked a pale blue dress from the rack.

The design was simple, with no unnecessary embellishments—just some delicate pleating at the collar and cuffs. The fabric looked light and fluid.

"Try this on."

He handed the dress to Liu Yuan.

She took it, half-doubtful.

The color was nice, but wasn’t the style… a little too plain?

Holding the dress, she stepped into the fitting room.

A few minutes later, when the curtain was drawn back, even the saleswoman arranging clothes nearby froze for a second.

The pale blue skirt flowed like clear water, making the girl’s skin appear even fairer and more translucent. The tailored waist accentuated her slender figure, and the hem stopped just above the knees, revealing a pair of straight, well-proportioned calves.

Innocence and liveliness blended perfectly on her, as if the dress had been made for her alone.

Liu Yuan herself seemed stunned. She turned in front of the full-length mirror, unable to hide her surprise and shyness.

"Brother… since when did you have such good taste?"

She asked softly, her cheeks tinged pink.

Su Qi leaned against the wall nearby, hands in his pockets.

He didn’t answer, just reached for a white linen casual set from another rack.

"Try this one too."

……

Half an hour later, Su Qi carried multiple shopping bags in both hands while Liu Yuan walked beside him, humming a cheerful, off-key tune.

From the dress to the casual wear, and even a stylish cropped jacket—every piece Su Qi picked seemed tailor-made for her, perfectly highlighting her best features with just the right touch of elegance.

Liu Yuan was practically glowing, her steps light with satisfaction.

The only regret was that Su Qi hadn’t chosen any "weird outfits" for her.

Ugh!

She gave him the chance, and he didn’t take the bait!

Just as Su Qi thought this "punishment" was about to end smoothly, and they could sit down for a drink—

His foolish little sister suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Su Qi paused too, glancing at her in confusion.

Liu Yuan tilted her face up, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips—the same look she’d had last night when declaring her "punishment."

"Brother~"

She deliberately drew out the word, building suspense, then pointed a delicate finger at a store in the distance, its entire façade decorated in shades of pink.

"The shopping isn’t done yet. You have to buy that for me too."

Su Qi followed her finger.

Then his pupils contracted slightly.

It was an exquisitely decorated lingerie boutique.

In the display window, mannequins clad in skimpy fabrics struck alluring poses.

He understood instantly.

This was the main event.

This was the real "punishment."

Everything before had just been the warm-up.

"Go by yourself."

"No!" Liu Yuan immediately latched onto his arm, clinging to him like a koala. "You promised this was a punishment, so you have to see it through! This is the final and most important part! If you don’t go, you’re breaking your word!"

"Brother~" The girl deployed her ultimate weapon—her voice soft, sweet, and dripping with a pleading lilt. "Good brother, please? Help your little Yuan out~ She’s too shy to go alone…"