Take Care of Your Sister

“What’s wrong, Sister Tao?”

Xia Yueshan, who had been pulled into a corner by Sun Tao, asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Sun Tao didn’t answer Xia Yueshan’s question. Instead, she glanced back to make sure Xia Muzhu wouldn’t suddenly come over. After confirming, she reached out to gently pat Xia Yueshan’s head, her voice full of concern as she said,

“Xiao Shan, I’m leaving now. These next few days, you need to pay more attention to your sister.”

“She’s been in a bad mood lately. Last night, she seemed to have cried for a long time. When I woke up this morning, I found her pillow soaked!”

“Ah?”

“Why was my sister crying?”

Xia Yueshan asked curiously.

“I don’t know either.”

Sun Tao shook her head and continued,

“Anyway, you have to take good care of your sister these days. Don’t keep making her angry, got it?”

“Okay.”

Xia Yueshan nodded.

Sun Tao patted his head again, and a faint smile finally appeared on her face.

“Good boy.”

“Next time we meet, Sister Tao will treat you to something delicious.”

“Zhuzi, I’m off!”

After reminding Xia Yueshan, Sun Tao greeted Xia Muzhu and hurriedly dragged her already packed suitcase away.

Xia Muzhu and Xia Yueshan, the brother and sister, saw Sun Tao off to the elevator. After the elevator doors closed completely, they turned and headed home.

On the way back, Xia Yueshan stole a few glances at Xia Muzhu and noticed her eyes were swollen and red, and the tip of her nose was also red. It seemed she hadn’t just cried all night yesterday but probably had secretly shed some tears again this morning.

Back home, Xia Yueshan looked at his sister with reddened eyes and, remembering Sister Tao’s advice, wanted to do something to cheer her up.

But after thinking it over, he realized he had no idea how to make his sister happy.

In the past, whenever he wanted to make up with his sister, all he had to do was come out and eat the food she made.

To cheer her up...

If he helped set the table before meals, he might get a compliment.

But, is it mealtime now?

Xia Yueshan glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was exactly ten in the morning—seemed a bit early to eat.

More importantly,

Letting his sister cook first and then helping her with a few trivial chores while she cooked didn’t seem like a way to really cheer her up!

After some thought, another idea popped into Xia Yueshan’s mind.

What if he just acted cute and spoiled his sister directly?

Like Little Tong next door, grabbing his sister’s hand with both hands, twisting and turning like a little snake, and acting all sweet to make her stop being sad...

...

Could he really do something like that?

Xia Yueshan’s expression turned serious, as if he were about to drink the world’s most bitter medicine. After mentally preparing himself, he opened his mouth.

But moments later,

He shut it again.

Ugh!

Too gross!

He just couldn’t bring himself to say it!!!

After a brief internal struggle, Xia Yueshan slumped back into his room.

No choice.

Maybe later.

He’d wait until his sister was making lunch, then help her out more, and during the meal, praise her cooking properly.

Yeah.

That always made her happy before.

He figured today would be no different.

Xia Yueshan returned to his room and spent a while practicing some acupressure techniques and the “Monkey Stealing Peaches” move in front of the full-length mirror. Feeling bored, he eventually flopped onto the bed and started playing on his phone.

After a short while, there was a gentle knock on the door.

“Come in,” Xia Yueshan said.

The door opened, and Xia Muzhu walked in, her eyes red and puffy. She blinked a few times and forced a somewhat stiff smile, then softly asked in a tentative tone:

“Xia, how about going out for lunch today?”

“I’m a bit tired today and just want to take it easy,” she replied.

“No need, I’ll just order takeout and eat at home,” Xia Muzhu said.

Sticking to his principle of not leaving his sister’s side unless absolutely necessary, Xia Yueshan said, pausing for a moment, lowering his voice and avoiding eye contact, sounding a little embarrassed:

“Sis, if you’re tired, you should rest more. Your health is the most important thing. You don’t need to worry so much about me.”

A small look of surprise flashed across Xia Muzhu’s face, as if she hadn’t expected her usually mischievous little brother to say something so gentle. Her furrowed brows relaxed, and a faint, tender smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

But she didn’t leave. After a moment of silence, she spoke again:

“Then, Xia, do you want to go see a movie?”

“Weren’t you saying before that you wanted to watch Kung Fu Panda 3?”

“I checked — it’s already showing at the theater now.”

“Really?!”

Xia Yueshan suddenly perked up, quickly sitting up on the bed with bright, sparkling eyes:

“Can we watch it now?”

“Yes, we can.”

Xia Muzhu smiled and nodded.

“That’s great!”

“I want to go!”

Excited, Xia Yueshan jumped off the bed and started changing his clothes.

He chattered away like a little sparrow, talking about the movie’s plot, while Xia Muzhu quietly helped him pack his things, listening with a gentle smile and responding at the right moments.

Before long, everything was ready.

At the doorway, Xia Muzhu tenderly straightened the collar tucked under Xia Yueshan’s clothes and softly said:

“Don’t wander off after the movie. Remember to come back early.”

Just as Xia Yueshan was about to nod out of habit, he suddenly noticed something was off. He looked at his sister’s obviously red and swollen eyes, surprised, and asked:

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“I’m not going. I’m a bit tired today and want to rest at home.”

After fixing Xia Yueshan’s collar, Xia Muzhu gently patted his head, her faint smile tinged with visible exhaustion as she said:

“If you’re not going, then I won’t go either.”

The smile on Xia Yueshan’s face vanished instantly. Pouting, he strode straight to the sofa inside the room.

“Why not?”

Xia Muzhu looked at her suddenly moody little brother, confused, and asked:

“Weren’t you looking forward to watching Kung Fu Panda for a long time?”

“Why don’t you want to go anymore?”

Xia Yueshan plopped down on the sofa, straightened up, stiffened his neck, almost slipping out the secret message, "You might be in danger recently, I must stay close to protect you," but recalling Lin Yu’s warning, he held back the urge. Instead, he threw a childish tantrum:

“If you’re going, then I’m going. If you’re not, then I’m not either!”

Xia Muzhu looked at her stubborn little brother and felt a slight headache coming on. She raised her hand to her forehead and glanced at the clock on the wall.

After a moment’s thought, she finally gave in and said,

“Alright, okay, I’ll go watch it with you.”

“Really?”

Xia Yueshan’s eyes lit up, his face changing in an instant.

“Yeah.”

Xia Muzhu nodded but then shifted her tone.

“But I have some things to take care of first, so I’ll be a bit late. You go ahead, and I’ll catch up with you after I’m done.”

“What do you have to do?”

“Can’t I just wait for you at home?”

Xia Yueshan furrowed his naturally thick, pale eyebrows. Having just been warned by Lin Yu yesterday about how unpredictable fate could be, he wasn’t comfortable letting his sister go to the cinema alone.

Xia Muzhu was silent for a moment before speaking.

“I have some personal matters to handle. It’s inconvenient for you to stay at home, so just wait for me at the cinema. I’ll be there soon.”

“Personal matters?”

“What kind of personal matters?”

Xia Yueshan’s brows knitted tightly, suddenly alert.

Could these ‘personal matters’ have something to do with that so-called danger?

“I already said it’s personal. Of course, I can’t tell you what it is!”

Xia Muzhu poked Xia Yueshan’s forehead with her finger in mild annoyance, then gently rubbed the spot with her thumb, her voice weary as she said,

“Be good, okay?”

Her exhausted look, like a peach blossom struck by frost, made one’s heart ache with pity and tenderness—so much so that it was hard not to want to agree to all her requests.

But Xia Yueshan wasn’t buying it. He leaned back, lying down on the sofa, then turned his face toward the backrest, throwing a childish tantrum again:

“No!”

“If you don’t tell me what it is, I’m not going!”

“We’re siblings; we shouldn’t have any secrets between us!”

Watching Xia Yueshan’s stubborn antics, Xia Muzhu felt both amused and curious. In the end, unable to resist, she sighed helplessly and revealed her next plan:

“I’m going to have Lin Yu come over and talk about something.”

“You can’t listen to this!”

“After I finish talking with Lin Yu, I’ll come to the cinema to find you.”

Xia Yueshan spun around in an instant, his expression sly, eyes squinting as he raised an eyebrow and teased:

“Private matters with Lin Yu?”

“And I’m not allowed to listen?”

He smirked mischievously, but very quickly, seeing the serious, unsmiling face of his sister, he dropped the cheeky expression. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he didn’t dare to tease any further...

...

Standing outside the door, Xia Yueshan looked at his sister inside and asked again to be sure:

“So, it’s just Lin Yu coming over, right?”

“After he leaves, you’ll come find me to watch the movie?”

Watching Xia Muzhu nod firmly, Xia Yueshan finally agreed to go downstairs and leave.

After Xia Yueshan left, Xia Muzhu closed the door and returned to her room. She sat down on the sofa.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she took out her phone and stared at the chat window with the ID "Long Aotian." She pursed her lips slightly, then gently tapped to send a message.

"You need to come over. I have something to discuss with you."

...

Downstairs.

Carrying a small bag on his back, Xia Yueshan felt increasingly uneasy.

Recalling what Lin Yu had said last night, his thick eyebrows nearly twisted together in frustration.

No way!

Something’s definitely off with my sister today!

I absolutely can’t just leave like this!

Xia Yueshan glanced left and right, then finally headed toward a nearby patch of thick bushes, still carrying his small bag.