After the evening self-study class ended, Liu Xiazhi returned home as usual.

Today, she seemed different from usual. The moment she got home, she didn’t respond to the teasing from her mischievous little brother. It was as if she was ignoring him completely, walking straight past him without a glance.

This left Liu Zhiyun, who had been waiting for his sister to come home since kindergarten, very surprised.

His confused eyes followed as his eldest sister strode quickly upstairs in a hurry.

Staring blankly at the scene in front of him, the large room now only had the small figure of Liu Zhiyun standing by the doorway.

The TV was playing cartoons, and Liu Zhian and Liu Chunnuan sat on the sofa watching after their baths. Being the youngest in the family, Liu Zhiyun had little interest in these childish cartoons. Instead, he found his only joy in the day to be playing with his somewhat not-so-bright eldest sister.

But for some reason, tonight she seemed to have something on her mind. After coming home, she didn’t even look him in the eye…

Although he liked to tease his sister, Liu Zhiyun actually cared for her deeply, and this sudden coldness hurt him.

He stood alone in place.

His expression slowly turned to one of sadness as time passed.

Suddenly, he understood something.

This was probably what being out of favor felt like…

His sister didn’t like him anymore…

Realizing this, Liu Zhiyun felt as if he had been hit hard. His eyes were filled with disbelief as he lowered his head to look at the floor beneath him.

After all, a child is still just a child.

No matter how clever he acted, when faced with such a painful blow, he would still cry.

Sure enough, unable to accept his sister’s coldness, tears streamed from the corners of Liu Zhiyun’s eyes like they were worthless.

In just a moment, his little face began to flush red.

“No… not talking to me anymore…”

Mumbling these words, Liu Zhiyun lowered his head and slowly walked from the doorway toward the inner room.

In his eyes, the world might have already lost its color.

But stubborn as he was, he refused to accept it, grumbling defiantly.

“I… I won’t talk to you either…”

Lost in despair, Liu Zhiyun said nonsense like this, yet his legs seemed to have a mind of their own, leading him toward the stairs.

He then went upstairs.

Liu Zhian, who sat side by side on the sofa, had clearly noticed this scene.

But to him, it didn’t seem unusual.

Being the older brother to a younger sibling one year younger, Liu Zhian knew his brother’s personality well.

Although the eldest sister was clearly the favorite in the family, Liu Zhiyun always liked to tease her just to get her attention.

In Liu Zhian’s eyes, this kind of personality was rather childish.

A helpless expression appeared on his face where it shouldn’t have been.

Liu Zhian shook his head slightly and murmured softly to himself,

“Hmph, so childish…”

“Zhian…”

Just after he spoke, Liu Chunnuan, who had been quietly watching the TV without a word, softly called out her brother’s name.

Hearing his sister’s call, Liu Zhian turned his head from holding the remote toward her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well…”

She reached out a small hand and tugged at Liu Zhian’s shirt corner, her expression a little downcast.

Her other hand pointed toward the TV, signaling her brother to look.

She said,

“Commercial… I don’t want to watch commercials…”

“Got it, got it!”

Hearing this, Liu Zhian immediately understood her meaning. He pressed the channel change button on the remote.

As he did, the commercial disappeared from the screen, replaced by another cartoon channel.

Seeing the cartoon playing now, Liu Chunnuan’s eyes lit up.

She loved watching “Ukala Little Magic Fairy” the most!

“Transform~ Chunnuan is the little magic fairy!”

Excitedly shouting this, Liu Chunnuan jumped down from the sofa and danced along with the protagonist’s movements in the cartoon.

Liu Zhian watched his excited sister.

Looking at this… equally not-so-bright sister.

The genes in the Liu family were always strange.

It seemed like the girls in this family… weren’t very smart.

Meanwhile, because she had eaten too many spicy sticks during the day and upset her stomach, Liu Xiazhi had just come out of the bathroom.

She opened the door and was about to return to her room when she saw a strange sight.

Liu Zhiyun was sitting against the wall, hugging his legs in a withdrawn manner.

Seeing the youngest acting so strangely, Liu Xiazhi, who had just finished using the bathroom, didn’t ignore him this time.

Curious, she approached and squatted down.

Her tone was gentle as she asked,

“Zhiyun, what’s wrong with you?”

“…”

Her sister’s voice sounded by his ear, but Liu Zhiyun stayed withdrawn, not moving as if he hadn’t heard her.

Seeing this, Liu Xiazhi asked again,

“Did those two bully you? Tell your sister, and I’ll get revenge for you!”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Liu Zhiyun finally lifted his head from its lowered position.

Looking at Liu Xiazhi in front of him, his eyes were red.

“Sister… do you not like me? Do you… hate me…”

“Huh?”

Liu Xiazhi didn’t expect her little brother to ask such a question, but seeing the sadness on his face, she quickly gave him an answer after a moment’s hesitation.

Although this brother always liked to cause trouble and was very mischievous…

As his sister, Liu Xiazhi didn’t dislike him.

Shaking her head, she replied,

“How could that be? I don’t dislike you at all.”

“Then… why didn’t you talk to me just now…”

“Because I was in a hurry to use the bathroom!”

She said this while rubbing her stomach.

“Didn’t you also once poop your pants? So going to the bathroom is very important!”

“Is that so…”

“Mm!”

“…”

Looking at her eldest sister’s sincere expression, Liu Zhiyun sniffled and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

He cheered himself up again.

Struggling, he got up from the floor and patted his own bottom.

Liu Zhiyun pouted.

“Hmph, I knew it… I was lying to you just now. I’m not sad at all!”

“What nonsense are you talking…”

“You’re just like Chunnuan, both big fools!”

“Liu Zhiyun!”

Hearing her little brother call her a fool, Liu Xiazhi’s just-now elder sister aura immediately collapsed. She reached out to grab him, but because of the advantage in size, Liu Zhiyun easily dodged her grasp.

Then he ran quickly toward a distance with his small legs.

Not wanting to be outdone, Liu Xiazhi chased after him.

She swore, today she would definitely teach this guy a lesson!

Absolutely!

————————————————

After the evening self-study class ended, Chi Xiaoxiao returned home alone.

All day, she had been somewhat restless.

It felt like she was dreaming…

She had actually become friends with Liu Xiazhi, and Xiazhi even treated her to instant noodles and spicy sticks…

Although her own pack of spicy sticks was also eaten by Xiazhi, her previously imagined aloof classmate, who looked very pretty, was surprisingly easy to get along with.

Good temper too…

Good looks too…

Except for… grades.

Yes, Chi Xiaoxiao discovered Liu Xiazhi’s disguise.

Only after they successfully started talking did she realize how foolish her previous thoughts since school started had been.

Liu Xiazhi’s grades were not as excellent as imagined;

in fact, they were quite poor.

Although it was hard to accept at first, after a day passed, Chi Xiaoxiao accepted this version of Liu Xiazhi.

To her, this was a living, breathing person.

Not a virtual character beautified by memory.

Chi Xiaoxiao was very happy. The thought of becoming friends and possibly going out together, shopping, drinking milk tea, and studying together made her chuckle quietly.

Lying on her bed hugging a pillow, her feet clad in little white socks tapped the bed up and down from excitement.

After a while of this fussing, she gradually calmed down.

“Hehehe…”

The room was filled only with her silly laughter.

After a long time, Chi Xiaoxiao rolled over from her prone position, lying flat on the bed hugging the pillow.

Staring at the ceiling before her,

In her mind appeared Liu Xiazhi’s face.

Slowly, her brow began to furrow.

For some reason, she always felt…

She seemed to have seen Liu Xiazhi’s face somewhere before.

But where… exactly?