Still a Shotacon

"Alright, I really need to sleep now."

"Go to sleep then, I won't bother you."

"You'd better not, I'm telling you." Xia Yanchun lifted her smooth chin and placed Shen Nian's hand back where it belonged—which was on her leg.

Shen Nian narrowed his eyes and rubbed his fingers slightly. Even through her outer pants and thermal leggings, he could still feel the girl's cloud-like, cottony softness. Even his heartbeat uncontrollably picked up its pace.

Xia Yanchun, who had relied on her thermal leggings to boldly let Shen Nian rest his hand on her leg, instantly regretted it. Sure enough, she shouldn't have trusted Shen Nian to behave!

She pressed both of her small hands over his, her voice muffled, timid, and soft. "No moving around..."

"Okay."

Shen Nian's hand completely relaxed, just resting steadily on Xia Yanchun's leg.

Xia Yanchun quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Only like this could she not be afraid at all. If it were summer and she was only wearing her school uniform pants, she wouldn't even indulge him by letting him rest his hand like this.

Letting his hand rest on her leg was strictly a winter-exclusive indulgence.

Xia Yanchun gathered her fluffy pink mini pillow and lazily lay down on her desk, turning her head toward Shen Nian to meet his gaze.

Shen Nian bared his teeth in a grin.

Xia Yanchun stuck out her tongue.

Shen Nian put on a serious face.

Xia Yanchun's eyes curved into a sweet smile.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"I might sleep for half an hour in a bit. You go ahead and sleep."

Xia Yanchun nodded. She took two deep breaths before her breathing leveled out, gradually entering a peaceful state.

Winter lunch breaks were truly comfortable.

Shen Nian ultimately decided to pull his hand back. Stretching one arm out like that wasn't a comfortable posture, and since Xia Yanchun was going to rest, he would rather watch her sleep sweetly.

"Hmm...?" Xia Yanchun instead opened one eye, sleepily looking at Shen Nian.

"What's wrong? Not used to me not touching you anymore, huh?"

"No, I just felt like you weren't acting as much like a pervert."

"..."

So Shen Nian put his hand right back. If he was going to be called a pervert whether he touched her or not, then not touching her would be a waste of the title.

Besides, Xia Yanchun herself didn't seem to mind.

"Are you having trouble falling asleep?"

"I'm alright. I'm not a pig, I can't just fall asleep the second I lie down."

"Damn, you're actually not?"

Xia Yanchun had long anticipated that Shen Nian would say something like that. Guessing his comeback actually gave her a sense of satisfaction, like she had him completely figured out.

She purred softly, a little flower blooming in her heart, and her gaze toward Shen Nian grew increasingly hazy.

Since Xia Yanchun wasn't angry at all, it was Shen Nian's turn to be surprised.

It seemed she was genuinely in a good mood, not even getting mad at his teasing.

"Is this also you indulging me?"

"I suppose. An older sister wouldn't bicker with her younger brother over something like this."

"Then would an older sister let her younger brother do this?" Shen Nian stroked his chin and pressed down his thumb. "Emphasizing our sister-brother relationship in this kind of situation, you really are..."

"Wah wah!" Xia Yanchun huffed, interrupting Shen Nian's spellcasting. She grabbed his hand and used it to smack his own face.

Shen Nian wasn't annoyed. "So cute."

"...Idiot."

"Hey, why do you always indulge me?"

Xia Yanchun tilted her head. "Because I'm the older sister."

Shen Nian rested his head on his arm. "That's not what I want to hear."

Xia Yanchun lay back down, resting her head on her arms just like him, but she had an extra fluffy cushion. Many soft, unruly hairs poked through the gaps and tickled her face, causing her fair and delicate cheeks to slowly turn pink.

"Because you're the younger brother..." Xia Yanchun mumbled vaguely, her voice soft and sweet.

Shen Nian blinked, his face expressionless. This answer, identical to the last, was still not what he wanted to hear.

"..."

Did he really have to hear it?

A wave of heat rose from within her, making Xia Yanchun's eyes moist and sleepy. She shifted her gaze and instinctively nuzzled her pillow. Her hair slipped down from the slight movement, revealing ears that had started burning hot at some unknown point.

Shen Nian's gaze was too intense; she knew exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Because..." Xia Yanchun hummed softly.

"Because what? Come on, tell me." Shen Nian reached his large hand over, resting it on her shoulder and gently brushing her hair aside.

"You're asking when you already know the answer, aren't you?"

"You do this all the time too. I want to hear it. Hurry up and say it, or I'll beat you into a cream puff."

Xia Yanchun wasn't afraid of his threat at all, treating it like a passing breeze.

Whatever, she would indulge him just this once!

Xia Yanchun leaned in close and whispered in his ear, her breathy voice kept very low and slightly husky.

"Because... I like you. Satisfied now?!"

"Your attitude wasn't good enough, do it again."

"Get lost, you're so annoying."

"So do you like me or find me annoying?" Shen Nian gently stroked the girl's face with a faint smile.

"I'm not telling you." As if she were submerged in water, Xia Yanchun spoke with a muffled voice, bubbling up a little complaint.

The wind blew gently, and a beautiful, rippling reflection of light shimmered in her heart.

The classroom was completely quiet. She could hear Shen Nian's breathing and the beating of her own heart.

"You've indulged me since we were kids, doesn't that mean you've liked me since we were kids? You hid it really well, Xia Yanchun. I can't believe I'm only finding out now," Shen Nian said, a look of sudden realization dawning on him.

Liking him since she was that little, huh? Impressive, she was actually a shota-con.

"Stop talking nonsense, okay? That's not true at all!"

"Because you like me, you indulge me. So doesn't that mean you indulged me when we were kids because you liked me? Are your left brain and right brain elbowing each other right now?"

"In the past, I just didn't bother being strict with you because you called me 'older sister'!"

"I don't believe you."

"Tch, who cares if you believe me." Xia Yanchun suppressed the urge to huff at him. She buried her face and whimpered softly, ignoring him.

It was all this guy's fault for making it so hard for her to sleep. If she felt drowsy in the afternoon, she was going to throw erasers at him.

"I'm sleeping!" she reminded him emphatically.

"Ahem, I really can't do anything about you. Go to sleep."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Nian pulled his chair closer, half-rose from his seat, and gave the sweet-smelling Xia Yanchun a brief hug before finally leaving her to rest.

The sun came out a bit at noon, with sparse clouds drifting through the sky. The sunlight streaming down added a touch of warmth, and Shen Nian's mood was just as pleasant as the weather.

When the lunch break bell rang, Xia Yanchun leisurely woke up. There was no sign of Shen Nian beside her, but there was an opened bottle of Wahaha yogurt drink.

It was warm, having been mixed with hot water, full, and Shen Nian had taken a sip from it.

Xia Yanchun took a sip from the bottle, moistening her throat. There was completely none of the dryness that usually came after not speaking for a long time.

She stretched lazily, her hemline pulling up with the movement. A cold breeze slipped into her clothes, so she quickly adjusted them. Stumbling slightly as she stood up, she walked out of the classroom and spotted Shen Nian leaning over the corridor railing, spacing out.

A perfect opportunity!

Anyone who could resist sneaking an attack on their archenemy's exposed back would have to possess an incredible amount of willpower.

"Hey!"

Like Tom the cat, Xia Yanchun sneaked up behind Shen Nian. But before she could even slip her hands down his back, she happily cried out first.