She had only herself to blame for boasting that she wasn’t so weak. Si Wen didn’t mind being laughed at by anyone else, but she couldn’t stand the thought of Xue Yang laughing at her. This was her last bit of stubborn pride where he was concerned.

But this feels awful. In this moment of solitude, she desperately longed for someone to be by her side, even if it was only to pour her a cup of hot water. She debated calling her aunt to come and take care of her.

As she was pondering this, her phone rang again. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was a call from Xue Xing.

She raised an eyebrow. Why would Xue Xing be calling me at a time like this?

Despite her confusion, Si Wen answered. Xue Xing’s cheerful voice came through almost immediately. "Sister Si Wen, I’m on break!" he said excitedly.

"Oh," Si Wen replied simply, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

Xue Xing noticed something was wrong. "Sister Si Wen, what’s the matter? You don’t sound right," he asked with concern.

"I’m fine, really." Si Wen tried to hide her discomfort, but her coughing grew more intense, as uncontrollable as falling leaves in an autumn wind.

"Sister Si Wen, you must have caught a cold!" Xue Xing said anxiously. "Where are you? Are you at home, or at my brother’s place?"

At this, Si Wen’s heart clenched. "Don’t you dare tell Lin Xi," she said quickly, her voice a mix of pleading and resolve.

Xue Xing sensed her anxiety and pressed on. "You’re not home alone, are you?"

Hearing that question, Si Wen’s eyes began to well up. She fought to control her emotions, but her voice was thick and nasal as she answered, "No, I’m not alone."

Her answer, however, only made Xue Xing more worried. He could sense her vulnerability and helplessness through the phone, and concern washed over him like a tide. He quickly tried to comfort her, "Sister Si Wen, don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. I’m coming to find you right now."

At his words, Si Wen’s tears finally spilled over. On this cold winter day, she felt his warmth and care, filling her with gratitude and comfort.

Si Wen wiped her tears away. "You don’t have to. Your offer alone means so much to me."

"I can!" Xue Xing insisted. He then promptly hung up.

He immediately opened a flight-booking app on his phone and searched for flights to Yancheng. It was morning, and there was a flight available that afternoon. He quickly checked the price. Even though the winter vacation hadn’t begun yet, ticket prices were high because of the Christmas season.

After seeing the price, Xue Xing hastily checked the balance from the red packets he’d received for New Year’s. In total, he only had a little over a thousand yuan, nowhere near enough for a plane ticket.

What should I do? he wondered anxiously.

An idea soon came to him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he dialed a familiar number.

"Bro, it’s me," Xue Xing said, his voice urgent.

"No, nothing’s wrong at home," he quickly clarified.

"Oh, well then..." Xue Yang sounded puzzled.

"Bro, can I borrow some money? It might be a lot..." Xue Xing’s voice held a note of hesitation.

"How much?" Xue Yang asked directly.

"Five thousand..." Xue Xing’s voice trembled slightly, worried his brother would ask what he needed it for.

However, Xue Yang didn’t ask. He simply replied, "Should I send it via WeChat, or a direct transfer to your bank card?"

"WeChat is fine. Thanks, Bro!" Xue Xing said gratefully.

"Alright," Xue Yang agreed, about to hang up.

Xue Xing quickly added, "Bro, I can’t tell you why I need this much. But please trust me, I won’t waste it."

"I trust you," Xue Yang’s voice was firm and resolute.

Hearing such complete trust from his brother, Xue Xing nearly burst into tears. If he had asked his parents for this much money, they would have grilled him with questions. More importantly, they probably wouldn’t have given him the money even after all that. Xue Xing felt incredibly lucky to have a brother like him. He vowed to study hard and get into Yanbei University to follow in his brother’s footsteps as soon as he could.

Not long after he hung up, his WeChat chimed. He knew without even looking that his brother had sent the money.

Xue Xing accepted the transfer and sent Xue Yang a thank-you emoji. Then, without hesitation, he bought the plane ticket to Yancheng, his heart filled with anticipation at the thought of seeing Sister Si Wen.

...