Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Sister and Brother

Ci, it sounds like an elder calling a younger one, or a sister calling a brother.

Yu Xia really likes being a sister, just like how she gets excited when she hears the word ’brother.’ But to seriously call him Ci, it still feels a bit odd.

Calling it a few more times just makes it even stranger.

The mix of awkwardness and embarrassment made her uncomfortable all over, so she put down her cup and dragged him to see the "temporary room" next door.

The room next door isn’t as big as the main or side bedroom because he piled up many books there, further reducing space. His parents hadn’t tidied up the books, so with a bed put in there, it really does look crowded.

Xie Qingci threw himself onto the bed to test it out, then sat up curled around a pillow.

"It’s still not longer than me. Sister, take me in, I come with a pillow."

Yu Xia imagined the scene and said, "If you come knocking with your pillow in the middle of the night, acting a bit pitiful, I might take you in."

"How pitiful do I have to be?" He suddenly leaned in close, lowered his eyelids, lightly furrowed his brows, and trembledly brushed her lips.

"Begging you?"

"!"

Whoa, who could resist that?

Yu Xia grabbed the pillow and covered his face, pushing him back down.

"You’re seducing me. Watch less, listen less, think less. I want to be a serene and pure Bodhisattva."

Xie Qingci laughed muffledly under the pillow.

Considering they were at someone else’s house, and Mr. Xie and Mrs. Xie could come upstairs anytime, they didn’t have much physical contact afterward. Even though Xie Qingci closed the door, they were just chatting.

The topic mainly revolved around Xie Qingci and his parents.

"When did you tell them about us dating? How did they react when they found out?" She asked while flipping through Xie Qingci’s high school textbooks on the shelf.

"They asked your name, where you’re from, and then deposited money into my account." He lay on the bed, not moving, with his head resting on his arm, looking at her.

Yu Xia smiled, "Dating fund, right? College students do need more living expenses for dating."

Xie Qingci shook his head, "But by then, I’d already earned my first paycheck from endorsements and didn’t need their support. Our conversations usually started with the pretext of depositing living expenses."

For example, when a month passed or they suddenly remembered, they would send some money to him and then seize the moment to call and ask if he received it, while also casually inquiring about his life, studies, and health.

They didn’t communicate much, once those questions from distant relatives were asked, there was usually not much left to say.

He used to be quite annoyed with this dysfunctional family relationship, every time he was about to receive living expenses, he felt more resentment than anticipation.

When he joined the entertainment circle and started earning money himself, no longer needing their money, his attitude towards this matter softened a bit, and he took these monthly contacts just as regular emotional connections.

It’s because of her that this change happened, otherwise, he might have needed more time to earn enough money at this age, requiring more time to shake off that living expense-tied relationship.

He called her, "Sister."

"Mmm?" Yu Xia lifted her head from his high school book, "I was just thinking about how to respond to you in a way that would seem gentle for a college student sensitive to such emotions."

"No need to respond. Did you find anything from reading my book?"

She opened a page and lifted it towards him, "I noticed you drift off in class, doodling all over your textbook."

There was a keyboard drawn, with a flop-eared dog in the upper right corner.

Xie Qingci couldn’t remember, "Maybe it was too boring in class, I drew randomly."

"Not bad at drawing," she shoved the book back in, her fingers gliding over a row of books, stopping at a black leather notebook, "A diary? Can I take a look?"

"Sure. You’re already mine, what can’t you look at?"

She chuckled, "Tch," and took the diary down.

Upon opening it, she found it was full of drafts, calculations of math and physics problems, drawings, and drafts of English essays, the strokes flowed freestyle, unexpectedly nice.

It sure was surprising.

"You use a notebook for drafts? Did they give you so much living expenses you bought notebooks wholesale?"

Which student uses them so extravagantly, when school scrap paper is cheap enough to get a stack for a few bucks.

Xie Qingci casually said, "Loose-leaf scrap paper gets torn off and stolen by people, so I switched to notebooks."

Sometimes the scrap paper would have problems or tasks to do the next day; once torn off, all would be gone. After a few times, he got angry and switched to notebooks instead.

Yu Xia gave a meaningful, "Oh—".

"So popular, huh? I get it, the drafts of a male idol have retention value too."

"You get it? What, have you collected someone else’s stuff like this before?" He immediately asked.

She didn’t reply, leisurely shoved the notebook back onto the shelf.

Xie Qingci turned over and pulled her down.

"You did that on purpose."

He said, biting her wrist.

Yu Xia pushed him away, "How come you’re like a dog, always nibbling here and there."

Just as Xie Qingci was about to speak, there was a knock on the door.

"Ci, there aren’t that many groceries at home, take Xiaxia to buy some of what you like to eat."

The two playful people immediately stopped, then Xie Qingci responded to the outside with, "Okay."

Footsteps retreated away.

Yu Xia whispered in his ear, "Didn’t we see lots of groceries downstairs just now? Didn’t you also say your mom brought back many groceries yesterday?"

"Maybe it’s the first time hosting the daughter-in-law, so they’re worried it won’t be good enough, fearing the things bought aren’t liked?"

"..." Who’s the daughter-in-law of your family?

The two went downstairs again, prepared themselves fully, and went out. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The gray scarf is long enough for both of them to wear, with Xie Qingci holding her hand. Even though it’s not cold, he insists on snuggling closely to the scarf.

Occasionally, people passing by can’t help but glance at them.

In winter, it gets dark early. It’s only five in the afternoon, and the sun is halfway down the horizon.

Walking out from this row of riverside villas, they encounter more people dragging their families along heading back home, seemingly to prepare dinner.

This place is quiet, and even when crowded, it isn’t noisy, except that the laughter of kids running around is a bit loud.

A child holding a pinwheel ran over, not watching the road, nearly bumping into Yu Xia’s leg.

Xie Qingci pulled her aside, hand on her waist to steady her.

"Sister, did he bump into you?"

"No." She moved around the dazed little child, leaning against him.

The child’s parents came over to apologize, while glancing at them with a peculiar look.

Yu Xia hadn’t thought much about it, she’s used to people staring at her when she goes out.

But just a few steps away, she heard them saying behind her–

"Whose family are they? Why haven’t the brother and sister learned to keep their distance, even at this age? Holding hands around the waist."

The younger one spoke softly, "Why care about them, abroad there’s siblings having kids together."

Yu Xia: "..."