A Cunning Sister’s Intuition

“Did nothing?”

Hearing Serena’s aggrieved cry, Chen Si Yi’s brows furrowed. Her slender fingers once again twisted in a clockwise direction.

“Didn’t I tell you to constantly keep an eye on Lin Yan? How did you end up playing games, hmm?”

“Ow, ow, ow! Si Yi, spare me, please! Lin—Lin Yan was asleep, wasn’t he? That’s why I got lazy and played some games.”

Serena explained, on the verge of tears, yet her words failed to convince Chen Si Yi to stop her ‘sinful’ right hand.

“Being asleep isn’t an excuse for you to play games,” Chen Si Yi said, her tone growing serious. “Didn’t I tell you? Even if he goes to the restroom, you must keep a death grip on Lin Yan’s every move from outside the door!”

‘Seriously… is it really okay to be discussing all this just a meter away from me?’

‘And little sister, just how worried are you that I’ll run away, to the point of watching outside the restroom door? I’m not Spider-Man. From the seventeenth floor, am I really going to climb walls and leap out of a toilet window for a literal leap of faith?’

“Alright, alright. I won’t say anything more about it this time. Just be more careful next time.”

After casting another glance at Serena, whose face was still pinched, Chen Si Yi offered a faint smile and released her ‘sinful’ hands.

Having escaped her predicament, Serena’s expression instantly brightened. She was about to offer her thanks, but just as ‘Si Yi-jiang’ was about to leave her lips, Chen Si Yi interrupted her.

“Wait, don’t be so quick to thank me. I’m not finished speaking yet.” Chen Si Yi patted Serena’s shoulder, a playful smile curving her lips.

“The death penalty may be avoided, but… punishment for the living is inevitable. For your dereliction of duty this afternoon, I’m punishing you by having you learn to cook with Lin Yan and me!”

‘Hold on, wait a minute! How did I get another apprentice without my consent as the master?’

‘Teaching my sister, who has no talent for cooking, is already headache-inducing enough. Add Serena, a complete novice who’s never even held a ladle, and this cooking lesson is going to be utterly exhausting!’

“Exactly, exactly!” Serena chimed in from the side, refuting the idea. “I’m so clumsy; if I go to the kitchen to learn cooking, I’ll only cause trouble for you two!”

‘…’

While I utterly disdained Serena for abandoning her demonic dignity and slandering herself at such a crucial moment…

…we were, after all, in the same boat. Her desire to refuse cooking lessons perfectly aligned with my own.

Thus, I cleared my throat, adopting the role of a peacemaker.

“Ahem, ahem… Si Yi, if Serena doesn’t want to learn how to cook, don’t force her.”

“Let’s head to the kitchen quickly! Today, I’ll teach you how to master the heat control first. How does that sound?”

‘Yes, mastering the heat is the most crucial step in stir-frying. I certainly don’t want to eat stir-fries that taste burnt even in the vegetable leaves anymore. My sister must have realized this already, and she’ll definitely be interested in what I have to say about controlling the heat.’

I waved a hand, not wanting to give Chen Si Yi time to think, and turned to walk out the door.

Yet, before I had taken more than a few steps, a pulling force came from behind. Still disoriented, I was directly yanked into Chen Si Yi’s embrace by the grip she had on my collar.

A pleasant warmth made my back tingle, and a soft, delicate sensation began to spread across my skin.

“Um, Si Yi, what are you doing…?”

Startled by my sister’s sudden action, I knew my face must have turned crimson, even without a mirror to confirm it.

Chen Si Yi, still holding me, didn’t directly address my question. Instead, she took my chin, slowly lifting my head until my eyes met hers.

“Actually, I’ve felt like something was strange for a while now…”

Chen Si Yi’s obsidian-like eyes widened as she looked at me, then she glanced up at Serena, who was covering her face nearby. She couldn’t help but tilt her head, murmuring.

“Lin Yan, you and Serena… you aren’t hiding something from me, are you?”

‘Huh?!’

‘What kind of intuition is this? It’s far too accurate!’

‘Serena and I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, so why would she suddenly think that?’

In my astonishment, I couldn’t help but glance at Serena beside me. I found her frozen in place, her pupils constricted, her lips trembling incessantly. She was clearly in a state of extreme panic.

‘Hey, hey, Serena! Pull yourself together! This is clearly the cunning Chen Si Yi trying to trick us into talking. Reacting like this is practically a confession, alright?’

There was no other way. Since my comrade had completely lost her ability to ‘fight’, I had no choice but to launch a solo rescue mission to prevent Chen Si Yi from growing suspicious.

“Haha~ What are you talking about, Si Yi?” I chuckled noncommittally. “What could Serena and I possibly be hiding from you? Don’t overthink things.”

“I’m not overthinking, you know.”

“Not long ago, your relationship with Serena was like fire and water. How did you suddenly start speaking up for her? I’m quite curious.”

“No, no, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not actually defending her.”

I sighed, quickly explaining, “Alright, I’ll be honest then. The truth is, I just find teaching cooking a bit troublesome, which is why I didn’t want Serena to get involved.”

“Hmm, is that really the case?” My sister, still holding me, cast a doubtful gaze my way once more.

“But there’s another point that’s confusing me.”

“Wh-which point?”

I asked timidly, a ripple of unease already stirring in my heart.

‘Could Serena and I really have slipped up somewhere, enough for Chen Si Yi to discover a blind spot?’