“Zhou Mu Xi!”
The living room echoed with Zhou Huanan’s somewhat irritated voice.
“I told you not to make a fuss, didn’t I?!”
Yet Mu Xi’s crying couldn’t be stopped, and Liu Li didn’t know how to soothe or comfort her. It wasn’t until Zhou Huanan rushed into the kitchen that Mu Xi seemed to see a savior, flinging herself into his arms like an octopus, clinging tightly to him.
“What’s wrong?”
Zhou Huanan sighed, looking helplessly at his little sister wrapped around him. He reached out to pat her head.
“What do you mean, what’s wrong? Who is that girl?!”
Mu Xi sobbed, burrowing deeper into her brother’s embrace, pointing at Liu Li with a trembling finger, making Liu Li feel a bit flustered.
How could she tell?
“Girl?” Zhou Huanan looked at Liu Li standing before him. Although Liu Li had grown her hair long, it wasn’t as if…
Upon closer inspection, a delicate nose, refined eye corners.
Well, he had to admit that Liu Li was becoming more and more like a girl, but…
Zhou Huanan sighed.
“He’s Liu Li, what are you talking about?”
Zhou Huanan pulled his clinging sister away, turning her head to face Liu Li directly.
“Liu Li is a boy, can’t you see? Why are you making such a fuss?”
Zhou Huanan made his sister open her eyes and look closely, hoping she would acknowledge that the beautiful girl with jet-black hair before her was actually a boy.
“What?!”
Mu Xi let out a desperate sound, scanning Liu Li from head to toe. True, her chest was a bit flat.
But brother, are you saying this beautiful girl is a boy?
You should be the one looking closer!
Mu Xi was on the verge of a breakdown!
Her eyes felt like they were about to pop out!
Mu Xi couldn’t comprehend how her brother could point at a beautiful girl and calmly say she was a boy.
*Cough cough!*
However, the truth wasn’t as complicated as it seemed, nor was it that Zhou Huanan’s vision was poor.
You see, Mu Xi and Liu Li hadn’t seen each other in a year or two, so when she saw someone so different from her memory, her mind naturally assumed it was a stranger, leading her to reassess and conclude that Liu Li was a girl.
But Zhou Huanan was different.
He had witnessed Liu Li growing her hair long over time, and in school, Liu Li’s brooding demeanor was often mistaken for femininity. Combined with Liu Li’s naturally delicate features, it wasn’t uncommon for people to mistake him for a girl. Not to mention, Liu Li had only fully transformed into a girl a few hours ago.
Zhou Huanan’s mind hadn’t updated quickly enough to fully reassess Liu Li, making it normal for him not to notice the change right away.
In fact, Zhou Huanan’s keen observation allowed him to notice that Liu Li was becoming more feminine that very morning.
Just moments ago, sitting on the sofa, he had been daydreaming, imagining Liu Li fully transformed into a soft, delicate girl, someone who wouldn’t resist his embrace while they played games together.
eh~ Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
“Forget it, I don’t care, anyway, brother is mine!!”
Mu Xi clung to her brother, staking her claim.
She knew that without solid evidence, she couldn’t expose Liu Li, so like a possessive kitten, she glared at the woman who dared to compete for her brother’s affection.
“You’re not allowed to take him.”
“Mmmm…”
Liu Li, who faced terrifying monsters without fear, found Mu Xi’s expression unnerving. It seemed like she had gotten the answer she wanted, and Mu Xi finally stopped paying attention to Liu Li, remembering her original purpose for coming to the kitchen.
She released Zhou Huanan and sent him back to the living room, then opened the fridge to gaze at the bountiful array of dishes. Glancing back at Liu Li’s retreating figure, she seethed, thinking her brother never prepared such a feast for her. Frustrated, she quickly reheated the food in the microwave and hurried off to find her brother.
Meanwhile, Liu Li took her time, finally finishing the dishes and removing her apron, hanging it by the door. As she stepped out, she saw Zhou Huanan and his sister playing games on the sofa.
“Nooo! Give me another chance, I can do it this time!”
Mu Xi pouted, her voice sweet as she begged, her game controller snatched away by Zhou Huanan, who held it high above her. Mu Xi straddled her brother, pleading for the controller.
“Eh, Liu Li, you’re just in time, catch!”
Zhou Huanan tossed the controller he had taken from Mu Xi to Liu Li, but Mu Xi intercepted it, causing the controller to veer off course. Just as Zhou Huanan winced, thinking the controller would break, Liu Li’s quick reflexes allowed her to catch it.
Mu Xi clicked her tongue, while Zhou Huanan beamed with the joy of seeing his favorite team score a goal.
“Oh~ Awesome, come here, come here!”
Liu Li hesitated, feeling the weight of Mu Xi’s disapproving stare, but she still sat down next to Zhou Huanan.
Please, don’t look at me like that! Liu Li, who couldn’t stand being the focus of attention, wanted to escape, but Zhou Huanan wouldn’t let her go, keeping her firmly by his side.
“Eh, I’m getting annoyed with her, Liu Li, show her what real skill is like.”
“B-but, I haven’t played in so long…”
Liu Li wanted to say not to expect too much, but she gripped the controller, forcing herself to play. Surprisingly, she and Zhou Huanan cleared the level without a hitch.
“Mmmmm…”
Mu Xi expressed her displeasure, but no one paid her any mind.
“Eh, just like that!!”
Zhou Huanan and Liu Li high-fived, continuing their cooperative game, engrossed for the entire afternoon.
During this time, Mu Xi could only watch as her brother inched closer and closer to Liu Li, but she didn’t dare say anything. Even if she pouted, it would only be seen as childish.
Mu Xi, on the verge of tears, was ordered by her brother to reheat the food, as it was almost dinner time.
Mu Xi looked at the pair before her, her heart aching as if it were bleeding.
Damn, I’ll do it! Around 7 or 8 PM, the doorbell rang, and Zhou Huanan got up to retrieve their takeout. Combined with the leftovers from lunch, it made for a lavish dinner, enough to satisfy all three of them.
Originally, Liu Li had planned to leave after dinner.
But she couldn’t resist Zhou Huanan’s enthusiasm. He insisted that the game had finally made progress with Liu Li’s help, rather than being stuck on the same level. He insisted on keeping Liu Li to finish the game.
Liu Li had no choice but to stay, hugging the controller and leaning against Zhou Huanan’s shoulder, the two of them losing track of time.
When Mu Xi came to remind them, it was already 11 PM.
Zhou Huanan couldn’t possibly let Liu Li go home alone at that hour.
“Don’t worry, staying one night is the same as staying two. We might as well go to school together tomorrow.”
With Zhou Huanan’s words, Liu Li could only nod, obediently going to take a shower. She changed into a slightly oversized nightgown, but as she emerged from the first-floor bathroom, seeing Mu Xi, she realized a problem.
The issue was that…
Yesterday, Liu Li could have slept in Mu Xi’s room while she was out, but what about tonight?
Liu Li voiced her inner question, and Zhou Huanan, a bit surprised, replied with a matter-of-fact tone.
“Like before, you can sleep with me, right?”
“Eh?”