A Bit Light

After deciding not to use the drug for now, Xia Yueshan sat on a stool in the kitchen, staring thoughtfully at the transparent glass filled with water on the countertop.

Binding them together in this way—would my sister and Lin Yu really find happiness?

Does Lin Yu already have someone he likes?

That time at the cinema, what did he say about the girl he brought along?

Not a girlfriend, but almost.

He must like her a lot, right?

The light in Xia Yueshan’s eyes gradually dimmed, replaced by confusion and emptiness.

All the problems he had impulsively abandoned the night before resurfaced in his mind at this moment.

If Lin Yu and my sister really take the plunge and make things official, would he give up that girl to choose my sister?

Would my sister end up paying the price?

Even if he chooses my sister, can he forget that girl?

Can he devote himself wholeheartedly to my sister?

...

...Will they really be happy together in the future?

Xia Yueshan looked at the clear, pure water in the glass. On the transparent wall of the glass, he saw himself—saw the confusion reflected in his own eyes.

And once this matter is exposed...

No, wait!

It definitely will be exposed, won’t it?

Who suddenly gets so lost in passion?

We’re not animals with uncontrollable mating seasons!

Neither of them drinks alcohol!

If this gets out, forget Lin Yu—probably even my gentle sister would hate me.

Would Lin Yu think my sister was the mastermind behind all this and start to resent her?

Then wouldn’t my sister hate me to death?

And Lin Yu—

He’s helped both my sister and me so much.

How could I do this?

The more Xia Yueshan thought about it, the more fearful he became. In the comfortably warm kitchen, cold sweat broke out all over him.

Using this method to keep Lin Yu—my sister wouldn’t want that either...

...

Sitting on the stool, Xia Yueshan’s breathing grew heavy, his forehead sweating as if he’d just run a thousand meters. His thin summer shirt was almost soaked through with sweat.

He took the small packet of white powder from his pocket, stared at it deeply for a moment, then, filled with dread, quickly turned and threw the powder into the trash bin by the kitchen door.

No more joking around.

At least the little chubby’s aunt and uncle had alcohol as an excuse—it could be chalked up to drunken passion.

My sister and Lin Yu don’t drink a drop!

Suddenly getting passionate and jumping into bed during a meal? Even a fool would realize something was wrong afterward.

Doing this wouldn’t just be a betrayal to Lin Yu—it would be irresponsible toward my sister.

Damn it!

Xia Yueshan slapped his forehead, silently cursing his own stupidity.

How could I have forgotten the most crucial part?

They had alcohol as cover, which made everything seem reasonable afterward.

I have no cover at all—this plan is a dead end!

If Lin Yu finds out, he’ll tear me apart!

My sister will definitely despise me too!

She likes Lin Yu, but she would never agree to keep him by using such a trick!

Thinking this over, Xia Yueshan sighed deeply, feeling utterly helpless.

What a waste of effort.

Forget it.

Let Lin Yu come and have a meal with my sister.

Their matters are best left for them to handle on their own.

Maybe, just maybe, those two will somehow end up together in a muddled way?

Xia Yueshan stood up and drained the water in his cup in one gulp.

He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Lin Yu.

Xia Aodi: Come by at noon. My sister wants to see you and has something to discuss.

After sending the message, Xia Yueshan, weighed down by unresolved worries, prepared to head back to his room and punch his punching bag to ease his mood.

Just as he stepped out of the kitchen, a notification sounded from his phone.

ぺあ殇灬鈊谇つζ: Boss, come out for a game?

ぺあ殇灬鈊谇つζ: Our class is playing against Class Six. Without you, we can’t hold our ground!

Xia Yueshan had already planned to relieve his anxiety through exercise, and now the opportunity was right at his doorstep. He immediately agreed and said he’d be there soon.

Before leaving, Xia Yueshan glanced back at the room, feeling it was only right to give his sister and Lin Yu some privacy.

With that, he left with an even lighter heart...

...

Xia Muzhu pushed open the door and entered the room together with the teenager carrying heavy bags.

"Little Lin, have a seat first."

Xia Muzhu took the vegetables and fish from Wang Lin’s hands and invited him to rest on the sofa. She insisted she could handle the rest on her own.

After putting the heavy groceries into the kitchen, Xia Muzhu quickly came out again, took a bottle of slightly chilled almond milk from the fridge, grabbed some snacks, and placed them all on the coffee table in front of Wang Lin. She wiped the thin sweat off her forehead and smiled warmly:

"I'm really glad I ran into you."

"Otherwise, carrying all this by myself would have worn me out."

Wang Lin grinned brightly, modestly replying:

"No big deal, no big deal."

Xia Muzhu handed Wang Lin the TV remote on the sofa and said a little anxiously:

"You watch some TV first."

"Sis has to get busy."

"There’s an important guest coming this afternoon."

"I need to tidy up quickly."

Hearing this, Wang Lin obediently nodded.

Xia Muzhu turned to leave but suddenly stopped, looked back at Wang Lin, and asked:

"Is your mom coming back today?"

Wang Lin nodded happily:

"Yeah, she just got off the plane and will be back soon. She said I’m not allowed to eat lunch now because she’s taking me out for a big meal later!"

"Alright, then you just wait here quietly for your mom to come back."

Xia Muzhu nodded and immediately dove into the kitchen, starting to work busily.

Wang Lin found an anime he liked and watched it with great interest.

After watching two episodes totaling about 40 minutes, Wang Lin picked up the remote, ready to watch another episode.

At that moment, he noticed Xia Muzhu going in and out of the kitchen several times. Seeing her frown, Wang Lin asked with concern:

"Xia Jie, what’s wrong?"

Xia Muzhu stopped in her tracks, looked at Wang Lin with a puzzled expression, and said:

“There’s a seasoning packet for the fish missing.”

“I’ve looked everywhere but just can’t find it.”

Hearing this, Wang Lin stood up promptly and eagerly headed to the kitchen to search alongside Xia Muzhu.

“Xia Jie, what does the seasoning packet look like?”

Wang Lin picked up a cabbage beside the cutting board. Seeing there was nothing underneath it, he put the cabbage back down.

Xia Muzhu, who had been crouching and searching nearby, stood up and walked over to the countertop. She glanced at the cabbage without picking it up. Finding nothing, she put it down and said,

“It’s a white paper packet, a bit smaller than the rim of a teacup, roughly the size of a bottle cap from a sports drink.”

Now that Wang Lin had a clear idea of what to look for, he nodded and resumed the search with renewed effort.

After searching the kitchen for quite some time without success, Xia Muzhu grew a little impatient and decided to stop looking. She planned to go to the market to buy another packet.

Just then, having exhausted every possible spot in the kitchen, Wang Lin’s gaze fell on the trash bin.

On top of the trash bin was a large packaging bag for stewed fish. Wang Lin lifted the bag and saw a plump white paper packet lying at the bottom.

He picked up the white packet and held it out to Xia Muzhu, who was about to head out the door.

“Xia Jie, is this it?”

Standing by the door, Xia Muzhu was just about to turn the handle when Wang Lin called her back.

She turned around, her eyes brightening as she looked at the white packet in the boy’s hands.

“That’s it.”

“Where did you find it?”

“I thought maybe they forgot to put the seasoning packet in this stewed fish pack!”

Wang Lin was about to reply when a knock at the door caught their attention.

Xia Muzhu cautiously peered through the peephole to see who was outside.

Seeing a familiar face, she turned to Wang Lin with a smile and said,

“Little Lin, your mom’s back!”

With that, Xia Muzhu opened the door.

At the entrance stood a slightly plump middle-aged woman. As soon as the door opened, she complained with a weary expression,

“The traffic was terrible today, otherwise I would have been here much earlier.”

After the complaint, the woman quickly switched to a gentle smile and looked apologetically at Xia Muzhu.

“Little Zhu, thank you so much for taking care of Wang Lin these past few days.”

“I brought back some cosmetics from overseas for you. Here, take these…”

“…”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the woman left with Wang Lin.

Once the door closed, Xia Muzhu returned to her own tasks.

After putting the seasoning packet Wang Lin found into the pot for the fish, she went on to prepare the other dishes.

Judging the time to be about right, Xia Muzhu came back to the pot and lifted the lid. She dipped her spatula into the broth and tasted a bit.

“Seems a little bland…”

Frowning slightly, she was not satisfied with the flavor of the fish.

She then squeezed some bean paste into the pot.

After tasting a little again, she added a pinch of MSG. Now the flavor was just right.

Satisfied, Xia Muzhu nodded and shifted her attention back to the other dishes still in progress...

...