Liking expressed through lip-reading is still liking

Tonight's crescent moon hung curved in the sky. The clouds and mist were thin, unable to veil the moonlight, casting a soft, hazy glow over the entire world.

Outside the shopping mall, the amusement rides were bustling—a paradise for children, filled with noise and excitement.

Xia Yanchun’s eyes curved even more than the moon above, narrowed into slits of pure joy. Her long eyelashes almost completely hid her eyes. Shen Nian looked at her and thought that if it weren’t for her beaming smile, he might have assumed she had fallen asleep standing up.

"I'll let you win this time. Let's go home, let's go home. I’ll sleep with you tonight. If you want me to pay you back, don’t wear pajamas. Shorts and a t-shirt would be best—let me get a look at those legs while you're at it."

He was still fixated on seeing her legs. Even with things going as well as they were, he still hadn't managed to get a look.

"Hey, you've got that backward... You owe me money, not the other way around." Xia Yanchun cleared her throat and covered her mouth, speaking with a sly tone. "Shen Nian, you wouldn't want anyone else to find out about your debt, would you?"

"Please don't tell anyone. I'll submit to you tonight, is that enough?"

"...You!"

Who asked you to submit?

Xia Yanchun elbowed him repeatedly, feeling completely helpless against his antics.

After all, Shen Nian was the kind of thick-skinned guy who could say "I like you" right to a girl's face, making her blush furiously while he remained completely composed.

If she actually told him to come over and sleep with her, he really would. Even if it got a bit more perverse—like taking off his clothes—he would definitely do it!

It seemed Shen Nian was getting the better of every situation. It made Xia Yanchun so angry her insides cramped.

She made a wish that Shen Nian would turn into a submissive little puppy dog, the kind that was easy to bully. Well, she certainly had material for her dreams tonight.

They say what you think about during the day appears in your dreams at night, so she decided to think about it as much as possible.

"What are you mumbling about? Let's go home."

Shen Nian smiled and smoothed the hair at her temples. He bought her a skewer of candied hawthorn, then drove them back to their residential complex.

Xia Yanchun saved the last one for him. After getting out of the car, she held it out to feed him sideways, then licked the leftover syrup from the bamboo skewer herself.

There weren't many children left outside in the complex. Primary schoolers were dragged back by their parents at nine o'clock sharp to sleep, and middle and high schoolers had school starting the next day.

Xia Yanchun walked ahead with her hands behind her back. "You still owe me money, you know. Interest starts calculating from today—twenty bucks a day."

"Oh. I'll pay you back in a couple of days."

"There's no need to rush."

"I’m not calling you that."

I saw through silly Chun's little scheme in 0.01 seconds. Want to give it a try?

"Hmph!" Xia Yanchun puffed up in anger. He would rather pay extra money than call her "Sister." Was calling her "Sister" really that difficult?

Ever since hitting puberty, he refused to call her that voluntarily. She had to use little tricks every single time.

It felt unpleasant. She wanted to sulk and make Shen Nian guess why. Xia Yanchun pressed the elevator button and didn't say a word the entire way up.

Shen Nian didn't speak either. He just looked down at his phone, perfectly content to let silly Chun keep guessing.

They went to their respective homes. Shen Yue happened to be in the shower, which saved Shen Nian the trouble of explaining what he was holding. He hid the necklace directly in his desk drawer.

He’d go fishing in a couple of days just for show, pretending he had earned some money, so he could pay Xia Yanchun back sooner rather than later.

Two thousand yuan was enough to buy a smartphone. Only Xia Yanchun would lend him that kind of cash anytime, anywhere.

He read for a while, and in the blink of an eye, it was already midnight.

The strategy of drowning in practice problems was no longer effective. Shen Nian either needed to expand into new question types he hadn't encountered or read extracurricular books. But question types were finite and would eventually be exhausted. Shen Nian had now entered a state similar to Xia Yanchun's.

Studying honestly during the week, reading extracurriculars on weekends to accumulate essay material—at this score level, it was very hard to improve further.

Even though No. 1 High School had a few top scholars with high scores, Xia Yanchun might just snatch their spots in the second mock exam. For people at this level, the rankings were like musical chairs.

Someone could consistently be in the top five, but no one stayed number one forever. Even someone as strong as Xia Yanchun had times when she placed second in the school.

Buzz!

His phone vibrated. It was a "nudge" notification from Xia Yanchun.

Immediately following that, a video call came through.

Shen Nian answered. Xia Yanchun’s fair, small face filled the screen, the lighting making her look even more delicate.

The camera was zoomed right in on her face, so he couldn't see what she was wearing.

"What wind blew Chunbao here?"

"Just checking to see what you're doing."

"Studying."

"Oh—so diligent, Student Shen Nian."

"You bet, Class Monitor. I’m firing on all cylinders to beat you. I’ll be overtaking you soon. Is our Class Monitor ready for me to rise up and take her down?"

It sounded strange no matter how she interpreted it, but if she pointed it out, Shen Nian would definitely accuse her of having a dirty mind.

The clever Xia Yanchun didn't take the bait. Her little mouth kept moving, "You’re definitely going to drop below seven hundred on the next exam."

"I really need to get you under control."

"Bleh! I called you for serious business!" Xia Yanchun tapped the screen with her fingertip. "It's already Monday. With twenty bucks interest, you now owe me two thousand and twenty. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"So you still haven't given up on that?"

"Give up on what? I don't understand what you're saying." Xia Yanchun played dumb. She wanted to hear Shen Nian call her a sweet "Sister" tonight; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to sleep!

"Unbelievable." Shen Nian sighed and hung up the video call without warning.

Xia Yanchun was still confused about why he hung up. Just as she was about to call back, she heard a noise at her front door. Startled, she hid under her blanket.

The pervert Shen Nian was coming to get her!

Her bedroom door clicked open. Xia Yanchun’s heart raced. In the next instant, the corner of her blanket was lifted, revealing Shen Nian’s face.

"W-what are you doing here!"

"I can't pay back the money I owe you, so I'll pay with my body. I'll just sleep with you."

"Get lost! Who wants you to sleep with them?"

"It's fine. I'll just sleep in yours then." Shen Nian turned off the light and crawled straight under the covers.

Warm and soft. Xia Yanchun’s bed was truly comfortable.

Xia Yanchun was fuming. Her small hands clawed at him, pinching his head as she grumbled, "You're not allowed to sleep until you call me Sister!"

"If I say it, can I sleep?" Shen Nian turned to face her and pinched her nose. It was perfectly clean, without a trace of oil.

"No! I mean actual sleeping!"

"Then there's no point in saying it. Goodnight." Shen Nian lay flat.

Xia Yanchun was frantic. Was a sister still a sister if she didn't get to hear herself being called "Sister"?

"Shen Nian, Shen Nian... I hate you! You’re not allowed to come over and sleep here tomorrow!"

"We'll talk about tomorrow, tomorrow." Shen Nian paused. "You hate me? Then I definitely can't say it. I only call people who like me 'Sister.'"

"..."

Xia Yanchun blinked her almond eyes. She burrowed into his embrace for a moment before looking up to stare straight at Shen Nian.

"Then you can say it now..."

"You like me?"

Xia Yanchun’s heart pounded. Her fingers slid gently over Shen Nian’s chest, feeling the faint, restless rhythm of his own heartbeat. She pushed herself up from the bed, planting her hands and knees beside him, looking down at him from above.

Her lips parted slightly, the peaks softening as her mouth stretched into a gentle, flat curve. Then, the corners pulled in, rounding her lips, while the tip of her tongue lightly brushed against the back of her upper teeth.

Shen Nian was slightly stunned.

Even though she hadn't made a sound, he could practically hear Xia Yanchun’s sweet voice pronouncing those two sweet words.

"Y-your turn!" Xia Yanchun stared at him wide-eyed. If Shen Nian dared to renege on the deal, she would stuff her foot right into his mouth.

Shen Nian gave a silly smile, and imitating her, he mouthed the words.

Xia Yanchun pressed her lips together.

It felt like little peonies were blooming in her heart.

Even a silent "Big Sis" was still a "Big Sis"!