Shu Yu rested her chin in her hands, thinking.
Was it true that aside from family, only a lover would say such things?
What kind of person would she like in the future?
As she pondered, the image of a young man's cold, sharp aura and that patch of white shirt hem surfaced in her mind.
Shu Yu blinked slowly. She supposed she would like someone clean-cut.
Shu Yu pressed her lips together and replied.
LittleFishSwimming: You can't call me a good girl. It feels a bit frivolous.
ATM: Sorry.
Si Yiheng pressed his temple. Habit was a terrifying thing.
Whenever he thought of how the person on the other end was his little sister, holding her phone and obediently staring at the screen to chat with him, he wanted to call her a good girl.
But to Shu Yu, he wasn't the brother she spent every day with now.
He was a stranger.
LittleFishSwimming: Mm.
Si Yiheng: "?"
Mm?
A wary kitten.
There were less than two months left until Shu Yu's college entrance exam.
Ji Fei and Song Xuyan stayed home all day. Though they looked the same as usual, both of them were secretly paying attention to Shu Yu's mood.
Afraid she was under too much pressure.
Song Wenzhao had also come back several times.
Si Yiheng came home every day and drove Shu Yu to school every morning.
But when Si Yiheng offered to study with Shu Yu, she awkwardly refused.
Si Yiheng pressed his lips together. "Little Treasure, do you not need your brother anymore?"
Shu Yu: "..."
Should she tell Si Yiheng that his friend was helping her study every night?
Shu Yu quickly said, "Of course I need you, bro! You driving me to school every day is already great."
"I can't trouble you in the evenings, of course. Go get some sleep—you have to get up early tomorrow."
Song Wenzhao, who rarely had a day at home, watched with glee. So even Si Yiheng had his days.
Song Wenzhao: "Go to sleep. Tomorrow you have to rise early and rest early."
"Tomorrow I won't wait for you, and neither will Little Treasure?"
Si Yiheng: "..."
Si Yiheng: "We'll go together tomorrow."
Song Wenzhao: "Fine. Tomorrow I'll drop Baby Yu off at school first, then take you to school."
"Don't say I'm not a fair eldest brother."
Si Yiheng: "..."
Si Yiheng returned to his room.
He opened his phone.
LittleFishSwimming: cat peeking head emoji
Si Yiheng sent Shu Yu some practice problems.
ATM: Try these first. I'll explain anything you don't get.
LittleFishSwimming: cat nodding emoji
Si Yiheng stared at the questions he had organized, lost in thought. If it had been someone else—
would Shu Yu have refused him, and studied with that other person instead?
If Shu Yu truly got together with someone else, would he no longer be able to be with her every moment?
Shu Yu would drift further and further away from him.
Just the thought was unbearable for Si Yiheng.
Shu Yu finished the problems and sent them to Si Yiheng. After grading, he replied.
ATM: All correct.
ATM: Impressive.
Shu Yu hugged her phone, the tips of her ears turning red.
LittleFishSwimming: You said yesterday that if I got everything right, there'd be a reward.
ATM: Mm. What reward does Little Treasure want?
LittleFishSwimming: I want you to send a voice message singing a song.
ATM: What song do you want to hear?
This ATM was really always so agreeable. It seemed like no matter what she asked, he wouldn't refuse.
LittleFishSwimming: I don't know.
Shu Yu hugged her phone and typed.
LittleFishSwimming: You can't just have me give you the answer and then copy it, you know. Brother, you can't be that inconsistent.
ATM: Okay.
ATM: I'll do my best to give you an answer you'll be satisfied with.
Shu Yu stared at ATM's reply a few more times before typing.
LittleFishSwimming: Oh. Then I'm going to sleep. You can take your time thinking about it—sing it to me after I finish my college entrance exam.
Shu Yu bit her lip, feeling that her hint was pretty obvious by now.
Before the exams, no dating, no online romance.
After the exams, it was fine.
Yes, that was her real intention.
If he couldn't read between the lines, then ATM wasn't that smart after all.
Or maybe he understood perfectly but was politely turning her down.
Shu Yu tapped her phone. These days, most songs were about emotions anyway. With that high a hit rate, she couldn't be wrong, right?
ATM: Mm.
ATM: Good night, Baby Yu.
After sending that message, Si Yiheng silently stared at Shu Yu's request.
Her asking him to sing seemed like a simple enough request.
But...
That request didn't seem all that simple.
It was like she was testing him, trying to probe his feelings.
But he didn't dare to be too sure. What if he was overthinking it?
What if Shu Yu just genuinely wanted to hear a song?
So he tested her in return, asking what song she wanted to hear.
Shu Yu said after the college entrance exam.
After the college entrance exam...
Si Yiheng gripped his phone tightly. Was it what he thought it meant?
So, stepping away from the role of brother, being with Shu Yu day after day, they could have another possibility.
Familiarity could indeed breed affection.
Shu Yu, in front of "ATM," was cute, coquettish, and had a bit of a temper.
So this was how his Little Treasure acted with someone she liked.
Just thinking about Shu Yu throwing herself into his arms, no longer calling him brother, but calling him something only she could call him—
Si Yiheng's heartbeat faltered for a moment.
He would be both Shu Yu's brother and Shu Yu's lover.
The first twenty-odd years he'd cared for Shu Yu as her brother; the rest of his life he would care for her as her lover.
Si Yiheng didn't sleep that night.
The next day, Shu Yu noticed the dark circles under Si Yiheng's eyes.
She blinked lightly. "Brother, why couldn't you sleep?"
Si Yiheng gently took hold of Shu Yu's wrist, applying slight pressure. The distance between them suddenly closed.
So close that Shu Yu nearly brushed against Si Yiheng's thin lips. Shu Yu froze for a second, then moved back a little. "Brother?"
Si Yiheng lowered his eyes, staring at Shu Yu's soft lips, his Adam's apple rolling slowly.
Si Yiheng seemed to suddenly realize his lapse, and quickly let go of Shu Yu's hand, rubbing his brow.
"Haven't been resting well lately. A bit tired."
Shu Yu: "Then you don't have to drive me to school. Song Dabao can take me today."
Si Yiheng: "I'm going too."
The three of them left together. For the whole five-minute ride, Song Wenzhao kept chatting with Shu Yu, as if trying to fill up every second of her time.
Si Yiheng wore a calm expression.
Even Song Wenzhao was a little surprised. Why wasn't Si Yiheng fighting for attention today?
After dropping Shu Yu off at school.
As the two walked back together, Song Wenzhao heard Si Yiheng ask him, "Eldest brother, if Baby Yu ever dates someone, what kind of person would you want him to be?"
Song Wenzhao: "..."
So that was why Si Yiheng wasn't talking today.
He'd made a mistake and didn't dare say anything.
Song Wenzhao was practically fuming: "Si Yiheng, how useless can you be? I told you to watch over Baby Yu and you couldn't even manage that?"
Si Yiheng said nothing.
Seeing him like that made Song Wenzhao even angrier and more panicked.
Why wasn't Si Yiheng speaking? Which dog actually stole his sister?
Song Wenzhao: "Who is it?"
"What kind of person seduces a student into dating before her exams?"
"He clearly didn't put Baby Yu's studies and her future first."
"They have to break up."
Si Yiheng was silent for a few seconds, then slowly spoke. "Not yet. I was only floating a hypothetical."
Song Wenzhao: "Bring up a hypothetical? Si Yiheng, do you take me for a fool?"
"If you're bringing up a hypothetical, it must mean something's already come to light."
Si Yiheng's expression grew even calmer as he looked at Song Wenzhao, "Big Brother, you're overthinking it."
"If Little Treasure really were dating someone else, you wouldn't even need to lift a finger."
"I'd stop it myself."
Song Wenzhao still didn't believe him, but with Si Yiheng's completely neutral face, Song Wenzhao couldn't detect the slightest trace of a lie.
Song Wenzhao pressed, "If there's no such thing, then why bring up the hypothetical at all?"
Si Yiheng said evenly, "Baby Yu will grow up. She'll meet someone she likes. You can't expect Baby Yu to stay by our sides forever, never dating, never marrying."
"If you want only family around Baby Yu, that's a bit selfish of you."
Song Wenzhao: "???"
Who the hell put a spell on Si Yiheng?
Defending some lowlife scumbag, and accusing him of being selfish?
Don't tell him Si Yiheng doesn't want to take care of Shu Yu for the rest of his life anymore?
Song Wenzhao's mind raced, "Do you have someone you like?"
