Chapter 37: The Delicate Younger Sister

The moment I saw Qin Ruhua, she happened to see us as well.

We were only about ten meters apart, and she stared at Chu Mengchu and me, dazed. Ah, she must not have known who Chu Mengchu was and misunderstood the situation. But that wasn't the point; the point was that if she didn't watch where she was going, she was about to crash into a tree on the roadside.

"Watch out!" I shouted a warning, rushing toward her at the same time.

Chu Mengchu let out a cry of alarm and clung to me tightly. Qin Ruhua snapped back to reality, saw the tree directly in front of her, and panicked. With a gasp, she swerved the handlebars. Since she wasn't very skilled at riding, the scooter began to wobble violently and actually careened toward me.

I had already reached her by then. I quickly told Chu Mengchu to be careful, let go of the legs I had been supporting, and pressed my hands firmly onto the handlebars of the scooter. The vehicle wasn't moving very fast, and with my freakish strength, I brought it to an immediate stop. Qin Ruhua slammed on the brakes just in time, and I reached over and pulled out the key.

Qin Ruhua, still shaken, patted her heaving chest and let out a long breath. I wasn't particularly nervous; instead, I found myself unable to take my eyes off her as she patted her chest. Since I was quite comfortable with her, I took the opportunity to stare openly.

Qin Ruhua noticed my gaze, startled, and quickly covered her chest with both hands, glaring at me. Just as she was about to speak, Chu Mengchu’s scolding rang out from behind me: "How are you riding? Are you trying to kill us?"

Qin Ruhua and I both froze.

Chu Mengchu had already slid off my back. She stomped over to Qin Ruhua and continued, "Are you blind or what..."

"Mengmeng!" I quickly stopped her, saying sternly, "Don't just yell at people. She's a friend of your brother's."

Chu Mengchu paused, pouting as she looked Qin Ruhua up and down. Qin Ruhua’s eyes lit up, and she looked back at Chu Mengchu with a smile. "Are you Chu Fan's sister? You're so pretty!"

"Yes, my sister, Chu Mengchu," I added.

Chu Mengchu didn't say a word. After sizing Qin Ruhua up, she came over, grabbed my arm, and snorted. "Friends shouldn't be crashing into us."

Qin Ruhua's smile stiffened, looking a bit awkward. I darkened my face and said angrily, "Mengmeng, is that any way to talk!"

Chu Mengchu immediately pouted in annoyance. Qin Ruhua smiled awkwardly and asked, "Are you two going to buy a phone?"

"Yes. Huahua, I'm sorry, my sister doesn't really know how to talk to people," I said with an apologetic smile. "Are you just getting off work?"

"Yeah." Qin Ruhua smiled, glanced at Chu Mengchu, restarted her scooter, and said, "I'll head back first. You two enjoy your stroll."

Seeing that there was some friction between my sister and Qin Ruhua, I didn't feel right asking her to stay. I nodded and said, "Alright, be careful, ride slowly, and text me when you get home."

Qin Ruhua gave a light laugh, her mood improving, and said, "I will! See you!" With that, she rode off.

Once she was far away, my face sank. Chu Mengchu watched me cautiously out of the corner of her eye, remaining silent. Seeing her looking so wary, the anger in my heart dissipated for the most part. I sighed and said, "Mengmeng, watch your tone in the future. Don't be so aggressive. Since you aren't a street thug anymore, you need to change your personality to match."

Chu Mengchu lowered her head, pouting in silence. I didn't want to make her unhappy, so I said in a gentle tone, "Alright, don't overthink it. Let's go!"

I started walking forward, but I felt her steps were heavy, as if I were dragging her along. When I looked back, I saw she was still keeping her head down, with large teardrops falling one by one. I was startled; I didn't think I had been that harsh! How did I make her cry? I quickly coaxed, "Alright, Mengmeng, don't cry. I didn't mean to scold you, please don't take it to heart."

Chu Mengchu let out a wail and buried her face in my chest. I quickly held her gently, patting her back to soothe her. Passersby looked at us with curiosity. While making her cry made me feel a bit guilty, I was also a little frustrated. She hadn't been this fragile before. If she started crying every time I said a couple of words, that would be a problem!

Fortunately, she stopped crying quickly. She looked up, her eyes misty and pathetic. She seemed to realize she was being too sensitive, looked at me with some trepidation, and then lowered her head again.

I sighed and said softly, "Alright, let's let this pass. Let's go."

"Okay." Chu Mengchu kept her head down and hugged my arm even tighter.

We soon found a small restaurant and ordered a meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a soup. Chu Mengchu sat opposite me, still looking a bit nervous. I started chatting about trivial things and told her a few jokes, which finally made her smile again. During the meal, she was very attentive, trying to make amends and please me; she kept putting food in my bowl and even held it to my lips, her face filled with a sweet smile—as well-behaved as could be. I really didn't know what to do with her.

It was dark by the time we finished eating. Back in the car, under her direction, I drove toward the nearby digital mall. Her goal was clear: the latest iPhone. We bought it quickly and headed back. Along the way, she played with her new phone, full of excitement.

When we reached the bottom of her dormitory building, she didn't leave immediately. She looked down in thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Brother, I still want us to rent a place to live outside."

I didn't think that was a bad idea, but I couldn't leave Ling Xuan for the moment, and since Chu Mengchu and Ling Xi didn't get along, it was impossible for her to move into Ling Xi's house. Seeing my hesitation, Chu Mengchu leaned over, grabbed my arm, and shook it, acting spoiled. "Is it okay? Please, is it okay?"

She kept going as long as I didn't answer. I felt her change was quite drastic; she used to act spoiled, but it was much more subtle. Now she was so demanding, yet every time she acted this way, my heart was filled with indulgence, and I had no way to refuse her.

I thought for a moment and said, "Ling Xi's family is having some trouble right now, and I need to stay there for a while longer. Aren't you going on summer break soon? Let's move out when summer vacation starts."

"That's great!" Chu Mengchu cheered, lunged forward to hug me, and kissed my cheek hard. She paused, kissed me twice more, and sat back down, looking thrilled.

I touched the saliva on my cheek and laughed, "Mengmeng, you're so grown up, why are you still acting like a little kid?"

Chu Mengchu felt a bit embarrassed and gave a shy, lowered-head smile. I quickly changed the subject. "By the way, where did you stay during previous summer breaks?"

"I used to take summer jobs! There was a place to stay and I could earn tuition money," Chu Mengchu replied, looking up, her expression returning to normal.

My smile stiffened slightly. Even though she said it with a smile, I could imagine the hardship behind it. I sighed softly, "In the future, if you don't have enough money, just ask me. I've saved up a little bit."

"Okay, I knew that once Brother came back, he would take good care of me," Chu Mengchu said, tilting her head and smiling happily.

I reached out and ruffled her hair. "Alright, go on back."

"Okay." Chu Mengchu was about to open the car door when she turned back, hesitating. "Brother, I... I don't really like that friend of yours, Huahua." Her face flushed slightly as she lowered her head.

Ah, was she still holding a grudge because I made her cry earlier? I smiled and persuaded her, "Don't be so petty, she didn't do it on purpose."

Chu Mengchu bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, said, "Okay," and then got out of the car.

I watched her figure disappear into the dormitory building before I drove away.

It was after eight in the evening when I returned to the company. I had a cup of tea and then headed home with Ling Xuan. Halfway there, Ling Xuan glanced at me and suddenly said, "How can a grown man be so petty?"

I was slightly stunned before I realized she must have thought I was sulking because I hadn't talked to her much all day. I smiled slightly and said, "Miss, do I look like a petty person? I'm just afraid to talk to you!"

"Why?" Ling Xuan's voice carried a hint of a smile. I turned to look at her; she was leaning back, gazing at the road ahead with a soft expression.

"You ask why? I've been scolded to death these past few days," I said, feeling in a good mood and speaking lightly.

Ling Xuan let out a soft chuckle. I turned to look at her; there was a faint smile on her lips, and the curve of her profile was beautiful, her skin looking dreamlike in the dim light. Seeing her laugh, I knew she wasn't angry anymore—perhaps she was even laughing at me for being silly enough to stay silent all day just because I'd been yelled at. I laughed, "Miss, if you yell at me less in the future, I'll talk to you every day and tell you jokes."

Ling Xuan's smile froze. She turned to look at me, her brow furrowed, her smile vanished, and she turned back to look at the road, sighing softly.

I was stunned. Was there even a problem with saying that? "What's wrong?"

Ling Xuan said coldly, "It seems I'll have to yell at you more often."

I smiled stiffly. "Miss, did I say something wrong?"

"You'd better not talk to me, or I'll yell at you right now," Ling Xuan's voice turned frigid.

"Fine, I won't say anything."

Back at the villa, all the lights were on. Ling Xi was already home, doing homework in her room. Ling Xuan and I went to our respective rooms. Lying in bed, I thought about Ling Xuan's words, then my sister's changes, then Qin Ruhua's smile. My mind felt chaotic and directionless; I thought for a long time without reaching any conclusions.

In frustration, I took out my phone. Qin Ruhua had already sent a message saying she was home. Just then, I saw a few image messages left by Sister Yuan. I clicked on them, and I instantly froze, my eyes widening in disbelief.