Luo Shuhe's voice was youthful, yet carried a hint of detachment that didn't match her age.
"Shuhe, guess who won first place in the math competition?" Luo Shuning hurried over to her and said,
"Guess, guess!"
"I don't know." Luo Shuhe replied expressionlessly.
"You don’t know who got first place, but I know who only got second." Luo Shuning extended her small hand, pointing straight at her:
"That’s right—it’s you."
"......"
Luo Shuhe turned her head away, saying nothing more.
Yet Luo Shuning seemed completely oblivious to her sister’s disinterest, still basking in her own triumph as she jumped right in front of her.
Raising both index fingers with pride, she declared:
"Oh, and I also won first place in the piano competition."
"I’m always first."
"Oh..." Luo Shuhe gave only a slight nod.
Unfazed, Luo Shuning continued her relentless bragging:
"As a reward for winning, Father is buying me a new piano."
She paused, tilting her chin up slightly:
"And he’s taking me abroad to visit Mother during summer break. I haven’t seen her in half a year—she must miss me so much."
Luo Shuhe remained unmoved, ignoring the topic and instead asking, "Why do you call them 'Father' and 'Mother'? Doesn’t it feel awkward?"
"Not at all."
Luo Shuning blinked, answering with an innocent expression:
"Father told me to call them that. He says it gives him inspiration for writing scripts and filming."
Hearing this, Luo Shuhe merely nodded faintly. "Alright. Anything else?"
She didn’t want to hear any more of these trivial matters.
Mother was busy with the family business, often gone for entire years. Father was absorbed in his career, spending most of his time on film sets, only occasionally returning to see the three sisters.
Day-to-day, they were raised by nannies.
Luo Shuhe couldn’t understand why Father and Mother, who had long since become strangers, still refused to divorce.
Whatever. It didn’t matter.
"Hmm... Well, Father is going to France for an event this summer, so he’s taking me to see Mother. You and Shuling will have to go to our grandparents’ place in the countryside." Luo Shuning hesitated for a moment before adding, her tone strangely conflicted:
"...Shuhe, what if I let you win next time? You must miss Mother too, right?"
"I don’t."
Luo Shuhe shook her head without hesitation.
"You’re lying. You do miss her." Hearing this, Luo Shuning inexplicably raised her voice, her expression turning stern.
"No, I don’t miss her at all."
"You liar! You’re lying!" Luo Shuning shouted angrily.
"Suit yourself."
Without another word of explanation, Luo Shuhe turned and walked toward her room.
Her heart was calm.
She didn’t need parents.
Their existence was just a formality. The only one she truly cared about was Shuling.
As for Shuning?
She was just a pitiable older sister.
But everyone had their own way of thinking.
Luo Shuhe had long grown indifferent to it all.
When she was older, she would take Shuling and escape this home—no, this cold, lifeless house.
Just then—
"Shuhe! Shuning!"
The round-cheeked Luo Shuling suddenly pushed open the bedroom door, running out excitedly with a beaming smile:
"Look! I won a prize from my snack!"
She waved the winning card high in the air:
"Three free packs! Three!"
"We can each have one! Heehee!"
............
............