On the very first day of the new year, Ning Yuan didn’t sleep well.

Lying on his bedding on the living room floor, he tossed and turned, wide awake. Fireworks still popped faintly in the distance, breaking the silence of the night.

The mat beneath him was topped with a soft cushion, it’s actually quite comfortable to sleep on. But being stuck in the living room, without any privacy, made it hard to rest properly.

And now it was already five in the morning…

He glanced at the time on his phone, then turned to look at the front door.

Why wasn’t Ning Chu back yet?

She’d only gone out to watch fireworks… She promised she’d be home by one o’clock.

Ning Yuan’s eyelid twitched. He had his suspicions—especially after seeing how much more grown-up and alluring she’d looked compared to last time—but it was still hard to accept that the “little brother” he had practically raised was now being swept away by another man.

But really… a man and a woman spending the whole night out together? Any adult could guess what that meant.

It’s not like they were playing games at an internet café all night… right?

His chest felt strangely empty. With a sigh that sounded more like that of a worried father than a brother, Ning Yuan sat up, debating whether to text her and ask what was going on.

Just then, the sound of the elevator drifted in from the hallway. He froze, turning again to the front door.

Through the door, muffled voices could be heard.

“We’re here.”

“Keep your voice down, don’t let my mom hear… If she knew I wasn’t even home on New Year’s Eve, she'd kill me.”

A key slid cautiously into the lock. With a soft click, the door opened.

Ning Chu poked her head in, peeking inside nervously. The curtains were drawn, leaving the living room pitch black.

“You don’t need to walk me back,” she whispered.

“The streets are empty. I can’t just leave you,” Wen Yang leaned against the stair rail, yawning. “Fine, I’ll head back. I’ll come by at noon for New Year’s lunch.”

“Go on then, be careful. And park the scooter like in the photo I sent you. If my mom notices anything’s off, I’m dead.”

“Relax.”

Only once she saw him step into the elevator did Ning Chu finally close the door behind her. She kicked off her shoes, bent to place them neatly on the rack, and muttered under her breath:

“I need to be careful…”

Her eyes lifted toward the living room floor—then froze.

There was a faint outline of a person on the bedding. Her heart skipped hard, a cold shiver running down her back.

Ghost?!

She staggered back in fright, but then quickly realized and pulled out her phone, flicking on the flashlight.

“Bro… what are you doing up in the middle of the night?”

Relief washed over her, though she still complained weakly, “You nearly scared me to death—I thought you were a ghost! My legs went soft…”

Ning Yuan’s voice was stern:

“Out all night on New Year’s Eve—what were you doing?”

“…”

Her heart lurched again.

Brain working overtime, she blurted out the first excuse she could think of:

“I went to see fireworks. Then after seeing it I wasn’t tired, so… I found an internet café that was still open and played games till now.”

Ning Yuan nearly laughed. An internet café? She is spending the night with a guy, and that’s the story?

If he hadn’t overheard her and Wen Yang just outside, he might’ve actually believed it—because Ning Chu really was the type to do something that ridiculous.

But seeing her now, standing there nervously with her head down, cheeks flushed, fiddling with her fingers… she looked guilty as anything.

Caught red-handed staying out all night. And to make things worse, in her brother’s eyes, she was still his “little brother,” not his sister.

What was she supposed to do? Tell him she’d spent the night… going a few rounds with Wen Yang? No way.

More importantly, she couldn’t let their mom find out. Skipping out on New Year’s Eve to fool around? That would give their mother a heart attack.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly switched tactics, putting on her best pitiful face.

“Bro~ please don’t tell Mom…” she pleaded softly. “Just this once, okay?”

Ning Yuan’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.

“Don’t bother. Acting cute won’t work on me.”

Ning Chu gritted her teeth, then boldly stepped forward, wrapping herself around Ning Yuan’s arm. She swayed it gently, pitching her voice high and sweet in a syrupy, cutesy tone:

“Bro~~~~”

The stretched-out syllable, the childish whine—it hit Ning Yuan completely off guard. He’d barely dealt with women before, so his defenses crumbled instantly.

Looking down at his little sister’s adorable face, all wide-eyed and obedient, his heart melted.

“Fine, fine. Go get some sleep. I’ll cover for you.”

—Maybe having a little sister wasn’t so bad after all.

For the first time, he understood why some guys were obsessed with their sisters—she really was too cute.

“Good night!”

Before he could react, Ning Chu bolted into her room like a gust of wind, slamming the door shut behind her.

“...”

The perfect image of a cute, spoiled little sister he’d just been sold on collapsed in an instant.

It took him a moment to process, then he muttered in disbelief to himself:

“Damn it… she hasn’t even been a girl for long, and she already acts this natural? That fake baby-voice too…”

Well, of course—she had Wen Yang to practice on.

And not just practice being cute…

That thought dragged him deeper into messy emotions. He felt like a father realizing his daughter had been tricked by some shameless guy—part worry, part helplessness, and with a faint, unshakable sense of possessiveness mixed in.

Even though Ning Chu was finally back, sleep was impossible for him now. He lay there on his mat, mind spinning, until he heard movement from the master bedroom.

It was just past six. Their mother, who had been dead drunk the night before, was somehow already up, yawning as she prepared for the New Year’s Day rituals.

Tradition called for setting off firecrackers, but she simply played an electronic firecracker recording instead.

Ning Yuan had just started to feel drowsy again when he gave up with a groan and sat back up.

“You’re up so early?” Ning Juan asked cheerfully, still carrying a faint trace of alcohol.

“I hardly slept last night,” Ning Yuan replied with a yawn.

“Did Ning Chu go out yesterday?”

That made him pause—but he quickly shook his head.

“No, she went to bed around midnight.”

“Oh.”

Ning Juan didn’t press the issue, as if this wasn’t the first time.

…Wait. Why did her tone make it sound like Ning Chu often stayed out overnight?

Still dazed, Ning Yuan was pulled back to reality when his mother ordered, “If you’re not sleeping, help me clean the table. Nobody bothered to tidy up last night—it’s practically begging the cockroaches to move in.”

Just then, Ning Chu emerged from her room, rubbing at the corners of her eyes, perfectly playing the part of someone who had just woken up.

She glanced nervously at her mother, then hurried over to help, all obedient and sweet, clearing the messy table without a word.

“When Ning Xin wakes up, let your brother catch up on some sleep in the bedroom,” her mother said.

“Okay.”

“We’re going to your grandfather’s tomorrow, so start getting things ready.”

“…Oh.”

Her mother gave her a sharp look.

“Anyone can see you’re up to no good—why are you suddenly this hardworking?”

Ning Chu puffed up in protest.

“Can’t it just be because I’m a year older and more sensible now?”

“Ha! As if.”

Once the table was cleared, the mother and daughter pair pulled open the curtains together.

Beyond the horizon, the first faint glow of dawn was spreading, casting a soft light over the new spring morning.

“It’s the New Year already,” Ning Juan sighed. “In just half a year, I’ve somehow ended up with two daughters… Looks like I should start preparing to be a grandmother this year too.”

Ning Chu nearly choked, waving her hands frantically.

“That won't happen!”

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