CHAPTER 357: CHAPTER 357: SI MINGJING: ARE YOU MY BROTHER? 2

"Miss Qin, I’m happy that you’ve come to terms with it."

Si Mingjing changed how she addressed her, calling her Miss Qin instead of Mrs. Dong, signifying a liberation of identity.

Mrs. Dong, Qin Jingqiu, looked at Si Mingjing, thinking to herself, This girl is truly wise and perceptive.

She said, "I’m older than you and presumptuously consider myself your elder sister. Would you be willing to call me Sister Qin in the future?"

Si Mingjing replied, "Sister Qin."

Perhaps because Qin Jingqiu’s circumstances resembled those of her own mother, Si Mingjing was very willing to befriend her. Sometimes I wonder, she thought, if a little stroke of luck from heaven could have saved my mother by revealing the true insidious nature of the Song Family earlier. Maybe then she would have taken precautions and not ended up as a murderer banished to Prison Star. Unfortunately, there are no what-ifs in this world. All she could do was find some comfort for her soul from Qin Jingqiu, who had bounced back.

Looking at the time, she said, "Sister Qin, a new restaurant opened downstairs. I’d like to treat you to lunch there."

Qin Jingqiu said, "Since you’re calling me sister, of course, I should be the one treating you to this meal."

Si Mingjing did not argue with Qin Jingqiu.

Together, they took the elevator to the 16th floor.

Yun Yin had opened a restaurant with a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-remember name: Little Sister’s Restaurant.

It’s as though he’s afraid I won’t realize the purpose behind him opening this restaurant, Si Mingjing mused.

The restaurant was spacious, divided into several areas: an à la carte dining area, a buffet area, a hotpot area, an afternoon tea area, and a late-night barbecue area.

They went to the à la carte dining area, sat near a window, and chatted after placing their orders.

Qin Jingqiu remarked, "I’ve never seen a restaurant that tries to do everything like this one. Little Sister’s Restaurant is quite interesting."

"The food is also good," Si Mingjing added. I haven’t tried it myself yet, she thought, but the feedback from the company’s employees is that the cooking is top-notch, with amazing flavors and fast delivery service!

After the waiter brought their dishes one by one, Si Mingjing tasted each one and found that they were indeed delicious, on par with the dishes made by the renowned chefs at the palace.

After a satisfying meal, Qin Jingqiu went to pay the bill, only to hear the waiter say, "Table 19 is on the house."

Table 19 was their table.

Qin Jingqiu curiously asked, "What kind of lucky promotion is this?"

The waiter explained, "Our boss made it clear when we opened that whenever Miss Si comes to eat here, it’s always on the house."

Qin Jingqiu smiled as she returned to her seat and said, "Are you familiar with the owner of this restaurant? He said that whenever you come to eat, it’s always on the house. It seems I can’t treat you today; I’ll invite you out some other time."

Si Mingjing was surprised, yet she also felt it was to be expected.

「」

After seeing Qin Jingqiu off, Si Mingjing returned to the restaurant’s front desk. "Is your boss here?"

"Ajing, are you looking for me?"

Yun Yin had appeared behind her at some point.

Si Mingjing turned to look at Yun Yin. He’s very tall, she observed. The sunlight spilling in from the floor-to-ceiling windows scatters finely over him, making this handsome man even more striking.

She nodded. "Thank you for waiving the bill. But with such courtesy, I’ll hesitate to bring friends here in the future. Just give me an eighty-five percent discount next time."

"Alright." Yun Yin agreed, afraid she wouldn’t come back otherwise.

"Have you had enough to eat? Shall we sit over there and have some drinks?"

Yun Yin led her to an empty table. As he poured her a drink, Si Mingjing said, "I’ve begun to remember some things recently."

Yun Yin filled her glass, pushed it toward her, and waited for her to continue.

Si Mingjing cradled the hot drink in her hands, her eyes shimmering as she asked, "Are you my brother?"

A smile couldn’t help but touch Yun Yin’s usually indifferent face. "Ajing, what do you remember?"

Si Mingjing sipped her beverage and spoke softly, "Tens of thousands of years ago, on the eve of the great flood, you stopped me from being with Mo Yinhe. You caused me trouble."

The expression on Yun Yin’s face immediately cracked. It was as if a thunderbolt had struck from the sky, hitting him right on target.

"Are you still my brother now?"

I’m not sure,

Si Mingjing thought. But then again, she reasoned, the Dragon Clan is an undying existence! If I could be reborn from the ashes, then surely my brother could too. Otherwise, why would he travel thousands of miles from the Mu Continent to Yecheng, rent an entire floor in the Yinhai Building, and open this "Little Sister’s Restaurant"? These days, I’ve been waiting for Yun Yin to recognize me on his own, but he hasn’t. That’s why I took the initiative.

She composed her emotions, awaiting Yun Yin’s answer.

Yun Yin responded with a question of his own, "Ajing, what else do you remember?"

Si Mingjing continued, "The great flood burst forth suddenly. The whole city-state was destroyed, and I felt utterly powerless. But now, the Mu Continent has become the strongest of the four undersea nations. It’s survival of the fittest. Nature is cruel, yet merciful." It’s ironic, though, she mused, how the former inhabitants of the continent now look down on those who still live on land.

"Anything else?"

Si Mingjing shook her head, her lips moving slightly. "Nothing more."

Yun Yin’s eyes reddened. "Your brother wanted to save you. By the time I arrived, you had already..."

Memories so distant that Yun Yin thought he had forgotten them came flooding back as Si Mingjing brought them up, as vivid as if it were yesterday. When Yun Yin had arrived, Ajing had sacrificed herself to save the Mu Continent. He thought he had lost his little sister forever until, a few years ago, word spread that Bai Jiusi had performed a captivating dance in Mo Yinhe’s great hall. That "Dragon Dance," recorded and spread across social media, became world-famous, shocking him to the core. He knew in that moment that Bai Jiusi was Ajing. Not long ago, Ajing had also performed "Celestial Auspiciousness" at an opening ceremony. Others might not have seen "Celestial Auspiciousness" before, but Yun Yin knew it. Because before the great flood swallowed the Mu Continent, Ajing had secretly choreographed the dance, saying she wanted to dance for Mo Yinhe.

"Ajing," Yun Yin closed his eyes, and tears rolled down from their corners. "Your brother has been waiting for your return all this time."

Seeing this, Si Mingjing felt a tinge of emotion. The bond between people is built through interaction. Although she knew in her heart that Yun Yin was her brother, their lack of shared experiences made it hard for strong empathy to develop. Si Mingjing couldn’t shed tears as easily as Yun Yin; the only time she might cry so readily was when missing her mother.

She called out softly, "Brother, I have returned."

Yun Yin opened his eyes, tears streaming down even more fiercely.

He stood up, wanting to embrace her.

Si Mingjing did not refuse. She too stood up and allowed Yun Yin a long-awaited hug of reunion.

"Brother, is Sheng Liuyun also my brother?"

"No!" Yun Yin replied without a moment’s hesitation, decisively. "Ajing, in this world, your only true brother is me, Yun Yin, alone!"

Si Mingjing: "..."

"Then why, every time Sheng Liuyun looks at me, does it seem as if he’s looking at his own sister?"

Without a second thought, Yun Yin asserted, "Perhaps it’s because he’s shameless!"