A Sister’s Secret

After washing up downstairs, Ye Xingmian was summoned to the dining room by Lin Ziyan.

“Come here and take your medicine.”

Lin Ziyan had already found the medicine. She stirred it with water, then looked up to see the young girl staring blankly at her.

“What are you spacing out for? Come over here!”

Ye Xingmian approached, though a hesitant air clung to her.

“Um… is today some special occasion?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Uh… it’s just…”

The girl had wanted to ask why Lin Ziyan had been acting so unusually these past two days. It had started yesterday, when Lin Ziyan opened the door for her, helped warm her food, and even spoke up on her behalf.

Today, she had woken her up and actively sought out fever and cold medicine for her. Ye Xingmian truly suspected the sun had risen in the west. ‘Was this truly Lin Ziyan’s typical attitude towards her?’

‘But then, a sudden realization struck her. If she actually voiced these thoughts, Lin Ziyan would undoubtedly reverse her attitude by 180 degrees.’ So, she promptly clamped her mouth shut.

Lin Ziyan, observing her reaction, vaguely guessed what she was pondering. Yet, she was in no hurry to expose her. She merely let out a cold chuckle before presenting the fever medicine.

“Drink it quickly. After this, there’s more fever medicine. I’m hungry, so once you’re done with your medicine, go make dinner.”

“Mm…”

With Lin Ziyan’s attitude finally reverting to its familiar state, the young girl actually felt a measure of relief. She accepted the medicine, carefully testing its temperature with her lips. It wasn’t hot, in fact, it was just right. She then drank it down.

While Ye Xingmian was taking her medicine, Lin Ziyan prepared the cold medicine. She handed over several capsules along with it, instructing the girl to take them all.

“Finished? If you’re done, hurry up and make dinner.”

“Alright.”

The medicine slowly took effect, the high fever gradually receded, and her consciousness began to clear. She nodded, then headed towards the kitchen.

Yet, it hadn’t occurred to her why Lin Ziyan hadn’t taken her to a clinic for an IV drip. Was it merely an aversion to trouble? Or was there perhaps another reason entirely?

She didn’t dwell on it much. The fact that Lin Ziyan was willing to take time off work to care for her at home was already far beyond her expectations. She didn’t want to ask for too much.

Besides, IV drips were expensive, easily costing several hundred yuan over a few days. Subconsciously, she believed her adoptive parents wouldn’t want to spend such ‘unnecessary money.’

Stepping into the kitchen, she decided that cooking another meal would be wasteful. Instead, the girl simply brought out last night’s leftovers, reheated them, and finally placed them back on the dining table.

“All done?” Sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, a phone clutched in her hand, Lin Ziyan watched the young girl bustling about with keen interest.

In the past, Lin Ziyan rarely paid attention to such things, but seeing Ye Xingmian busy now held a unique charm. Honestly, having such a hardworking and compliant punching bag around the house was quite pleasant.

What’s more, the girl was exceptionally pretty; simply looking at her was a feast for the eyes.

“Mm…”

Glancing back at Lin Ziyan, who was still seated on the sofa, the girl closed her eyes briefly, then turned her head away, no longer looking at her.

Lin Ziyan paid her no mind. She put away her phone and walked directly to the opposite side of the table from the girl.

Between them lay the steaming dishes. Lin Ziyan simply stared at the girl, then suddenly chuckled softly. Once again, she pulled the long, white cloth from her pocket.

“Still not going to tell me what this is for?” Her hand gently swayed the cloth.

Ye Xingmian had just prepared to eat. The way she constantly clutched her hand to her chest made it difficult not to feel suspicious. She held her chopsticks in one hand, then looked up at the sound of Lin Ziyan’s voice. Her gaze fell on the item in Lin Ziyan’s hand, and she fell silent.

She lowered her head, eating her meal in silence, no longer looking up at the person across from her.

Seeing this, Lin Ziyan already understood the girl’s stance, and her smile deepened.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Ye Xingmian ate distractedly. As a result, Lin Ziyan finished her meal much earlier than she did.

Casually setting down her bowl and chopsticks, Lin Ziyan seemed to intend to go upstairs, having nothing else to do. Throughout this, the girl continued to eat her meal in silence.

“Come to my room after you finish eating. You’re not allowed not to come, okay?”

By the time Ye Xingmian looked up at the sound, Lin Ziyan’s figure had already vanished at the top of the stairs.

‘Go to her room? Why? What could she want with me? A sense of foreboding settled deep within her.’

Slowly, she finished her meal. After clearing the dishes, she meticulously washed and stacked them in the sink, then carried them to the cupboard.

Having done this countless times, the girl was intimately familiar with the routine. Yet, after completing everything, she gazed at the path leading upstairs, a sense of hesitation creeping in.

‘Did she really have to go?’

It seemed there was no avoiding it. Even if she didn’t go, Lin Ziyan would surely come downstairs to find her later. Regardless, she couldn’t escape.

‘How annoying…’

‘She hated this feeling of powerlessness. Why was she so foolish, completely lacking any way to cope?’

In the end, she reluctantly ascended the stairs.

Lin Ziyan’s room door was closed. Ye Xingmian knocked, and hurried footsteps echoed from within. A moment later, the door swung open.

The room was somewhat dishevelled, with various clothes piled on the bed. They came in different colours and styles, a dizzying array.

Silence.

Being nearly half a head shorter than Lin Ziyan, Ye Xingmian always had to raise her gaze slightly when meeting her eyes.

Neither of them spoke at first, and the atmosphere grew stiff. Eventually, Ye Xingmian was the one to break the silence.

“Um… what did you need me for…?”

Lin Ziyan looked at her, and a strange smile suddenly bloomed on her face.

She seized the girl’s hand, yanking her inside with brute force.

“Woah! What are you doing!”

Being slender and no match for Lin Ziyan’s strength, the girl nearly lost her balance and fell to the floor from the abrupt tug. She quickly steadied herself against the wall.

When she looked back, she saw Lin Ziyan had already closed the door and locked it behind her.

She pressed her lips together, a powerful sense of foreboding instantly rising in her heart. Leaning against the wall, one hand instinctively covering her chest, she watched Lin Ziyan with anxious eyes.

“Zi… Ziyan… what are you going to do?”

Lin Ziyan’s room was lavishly adorned. All four walls were covered with fluffy pink tapestries that exuded a clean fragrance from frequent washing.

Along the walls, various plush toys were arranged. Some were old, their fuzzy bodies bearing ugly stitches, yet there were also seemingly new dolls, carelessly discarded in corners.

“What am I doing?” Lin Ziyan suddenly leaned closer. One hand propped against the wall to the left of Ye Xingmian’s head, while her other hand once again pulled out Ye Xingmian’s chest binder from her pocket.

“I already know, you see?” Her eyes narrowed mischievously, and an insidious smile played on her lips.

“Was it comfortable staying with the class president? You’re not allowed to go there anymore, understand? Otherwise, I’ll tell our parents your secret, and they’ll throw you, this ‘little monster,’ out. Got it?”

Casually tossing the white cloth to the floor and stepping on it, Lin Ziyan, this little devil, finally bared her fangs.

With that same hand, she pried open the girl’s arms that had been guarding her chest. Under Ye Xingmian’s stunned gaze, Lin Ziyan’s palm gently covered the softness that shouldn’t have been there.

“My… sister…?”