Chapter 55

Dai Ning casually mentioned to Chen Jing while in the car, “Brother, our school has rehearsals for a cultural event, so I’ll be coming home an hour later every night.”

Her school dismissed evening self-study at ten, so a one-hour delay meant she’d return at eleven.

Chen Jing frowned, feeling it was too late. He instinctively wanted to stop her but then remembered that Chen Lianxing was also rehearsing for the art festival, and he hadn’t intervened in her plans.

So why did he feel the need to control Dai Ning? Pressing his lips together, he ultimately agreed. “Alright.”

“Li Ming doesn’t need to pick me up. The school is close to home; I can get back on my own.”

“No.” Chen Jing was firm on this point. Safety wasn’t negotiable.

“Okay,” Dai Ning relented.

Chen Jing thought she would talk more about the rehearsal—perhaps who she was working with or what the performance entailed. However, Dai Ning simply hummed a tune lightly and didn’t bring it up again.

When they arrived, she jumped off the car. “Bye, Brother!”

Chen Jing watched her retreating figure. She seemed so youthful and joyful, a stark contrast to the somber atmosphere around him.

He suddenly wanted to light a cigarette, but after taking one out, he put it back.

Chen Jing headed to the underground fight arena. As soon as he arrived, the people there greeted him enthusiastically. “Hey, Brother Jing!”

By now, everyone knew him as the undefeated Number Zero. In the world of underground boxing, winning streaks weren’t unheard of, but being virtually injury-free was rare. Chen Jing was the first.

Young, handsome, and ruthless in his technique, most of the opponents who fought him ended up bedridden for a while.

Not long ago, a wealthy young man wanted to become his apprentice, but Chen Jing turned him down without hesitation. That man had pestered him for days before finally giving up.

During today’s match, Chen Jing’s strikes were noticeably harsher than usual. Whether it was intentional or accidental was unclear. By the time his opponent was carried away, Chen Jing removed his gloves, and the organizer clapped him on the shoulder with a teasing grin. “Young man, if you’ve got pent-up frustrations, go blow off some steam. Find yourself some fun.”

Chen Jing turned his head away, ignoring the suggestive remark.

Meanwhile, Dai Ning went to the dance studio after school for training.

In the studio, there were six girls and six boys, plus Dai Ning, making fourteen people in total. Coincidentally, Zhang Youying was also there.

The moment Dai Ning entered, everyone’s eyes were on her. Li Hu clapped his hands to get their attention. “What are you looking at? Get to practice.”

The group dispersed, but Zhang Youying muttered, “Are you planning to let her play the female lead?”

The sourness in her tone was palpable.

Dai Ning found it amusing as she observed Zhang Youying. This young lady, who acted so high and mighty around others, turned into a soft-spoken, delicate girl in front of Li Hu, even tweaking her voice to sound gentler.

“No, we’re casting someone else for the female lead.”

Hearing this, Zhang Youying’s expression improved, and she joined the group to rehearse her part. Dai Ning noticed her holding a prop board and crouching in the corner—her role was literally a background prop!

For Li Hu, Zhang Youying was truly going all out.

Li Hu handed Dai Ning a script, with red markings on specific lines. “You’ll play the elf who torments the princess early in the story.”

The scenes were clearly added at his discretion and fit Dai Ning’s criteria perfectly: minimal dialogue, a lazy demeanor, and opportunities to bully the protagonist.

“What role are you playing?” she asked.

Li Hu smirked. “The king.”

Ah, the princess’s father—also this story’s “big boss.” Since it was a parody of a fairy tale, the king was a dominant figure who waged wars and was stubbornly self-centered.

Dai Ning’s main task for the day was to familiarize herself with the lines. She lazily perched on a high platform, watching the other students exhaust themselves in practice.

An hour later, everyone packed up and headed home.

Li Hu stood by the door and casually picked up Dai Ning’s pink and white backpack. The other students glanced over in surprise. Known for his aloofness, Li Hu was as domineering and self-sufficient as the king he portrayed. This was the first time anyone saw him carrying a girl’s backpack.

Li Hu remained unfazed. Zhang Youying, on the other hand, lowered her head, her eyes dim and filled with bitterness.

Having someone carry her bag suited Dai Ning just fine. She leisurely followed Li Hu, the two of them walking under the streetlights.

Dai Ning’s steps were slow and unhurried. Despite his long legs, Li Hu occasionally paused to wait for her.

“Sleepy?” he asked.

Dai Ning stifled a yawn with her hand.

“Want me to carry you?”

Dai Ning found his boldness amusing. While he usually played the role of a model student, it seemed rules meant little to him when he felt like crossing a line.

Curious to see if he’d actually follow through, she stretched out her arms. Without hesitation, the boy scooped her up, his arms supporting her waist and knees.

Dai Ning wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up at him.

Her black-and-white eyes blinked sleepily. She showed no hint of embarrassment, as if he were simply a chair for her to rest on.

Li Hu’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

“Hey, Chen Dai Dai, ever heard of blushing?”

Dai Ning tugged at his ear. “You talk too much. Are you walking or not?”

“If you keep pulling my ear, I’ll take you to a hotel tonight,” he teased.

“Want to meet my fifteen brothers one by one?” she countered.

Li Hu burst out laughing.

When they reached the school gate, Li Ming was there drinking water. Seeing the scene, he spat it out in shock.

Li Hu gently set Dai Ning down and ruffled her hair. “See you tomorrow.”

Li Ming was stunned. What did he just witness? Chen Jing’s little sister—dating? Their family’s precious cabbage, stolen by some bad boy?

“Li Ming, let’s go!” Dai Ning urged.

Li Ming, still flustered, struggled internally. Should he tell Chen Jing? Would Dai Ning hate him for it? But keeping quiet didn’t seem right either!

Dai Ning watched his expression change multiple times and found it highly entertaining.

Qingtuan advised her, “Dai Ning, explain to Li Ming, or he’ll report this to Chen Jing and cause a misunderstanding.”

“Explain what? Let him misunderstand! Anyway, I’m not some obedient little sister. If Chen Jing doesn’t date me, why can’t I date someone else?”

Qingtuan hesitated, feeling her argument made some sense—wait, no, it didn’t!

By the time they got home, Li Ming still hadn’t said a word. He convinced himself that Dai Ning’s foot must have hurt, and that boy had simply been helping her. Yes, that had to be it.

Dai Ning, watching his self-deception, was disappointed. “These street punks are so spineless. Where’s the drama? They should confront me and question me with Chen Jing!”

She went upstairs. At this hour, Chen Jing wasn’t home yet, and only Chen Lianxing was in the house.

She took out her keys to unlock the door. Upon entering, she saw Chen Lianxing eating the lychees and imported snacks that Chen Jing had bought for Dai Ning. Beside her was a pile of trash. Dai Ning stared at Chen Lianxing for a while.

“What? My brother bought these. I’m not allowed to eat them?” Chen Lianxing lifted her chin defiantly.

To Chen Lianxing’s surprise, Dai Ning responded generously this time: “Suit yourself.” She then headed to her room.

Qingtuan couldn’t understand Dai Ning’s intentions. It decided to stay quiet, fearing it might expose its ignorance by asking.

Later that evening, Chen Jing returned home. Normally, when he came back, Dai Ning would be curled up on the sofa waiting for him. As soon as he entered, she would greet him with a sweet voice, calling him “Brother” with her eyes smiling. Sometimes they would watch TV together, or he would accompany her as she leisurely worked on her homework.

But tonight, as he entered, his instinct was to glance at the sofa.

To his dismay, Dai Ning was not there. Chen Lianxing had taken her place instead. His eyes dimmed slightly, and he didn’t say a word. It had been a long time since Chen Lianxing and Chen Jing had spent time together, and it made her a little uncomfortable.

Awkwardly, she spoke, “Brother, you’re back.”

Chen Jing’s gaze lowered. “Where’s Dai Ning?”

Unhappily, Chen Lianxing replied, “In her room.”

Chen Jing hesitated. He wanted to check on Dai Ning, but now that the house had another occupant—Chen Lianxing—it didn’t seem appropriate for him, a grown man, to knock on Dai Ning’s door at eleven at night.

Only then did Chen Jing realize that Chen Lianxing’s presence had added an invisible constraint to his actions. The entire day, apart from dropping Dai Ning off at school in the morning, he hadn’t spoken much to her.

Suppressing the restlessness in his heart, Chen Jing went to the bathroom to wash up. He didn’t say much to Chen Lianxing afterward and retired to his room.

Qingtuan, observing from the sidelines, suddenly had an epiphany.

The “Fated Child” was in a bad mood, as though… as though their private little world had been disrupted by an outsider. Qingtuan was shocked at its own metaphor and silently curled up into a ball.

Oh no. It felt sullied. Could it still find a nice, pure little spirit bride in the future?

Dai Ning had a peculiar habit: she needed fresh desserts and fruits every day.

Chen Jing indulged her whims, ensuring these items were always prepared in advance. Yet recently, he noticed Dai Ning wouldn’t touch any of the snacks or fruits at home.

The stash, however, noticeably dwindled. But it wasn’t Dai Ning who ate them—it was Chen Lianxing.

Anything Chen Lianxing touched, Dai Ning wouldn’t go near. Be it breakfast, fruits, or snacks.

This picky little troublemaker was uncompromising in such matters. Usually, Chen Jing wouldn’t touch Dai Ning’s food supplies either.

Chen Lianxing’s arrival disrupted the rhythm of life he and Dai Ning had shared. Not only did Dai Ning stop eating the snacks he bought, but she also barely spoke to him these days.

Ever since Chen Lianxing took over her cozy spot on the sofa, Dai Ning had stopped waiting for him to come home. She would retreat to her room right after school, avoiding conversations with either Chen Jing or Chen Lianxing.

Sometimes, Chen Jing found his gaze drawn to that closed door, only snapping out of it when Chen Lianxing called out to him in confusion. A heavy, inexplicable weight pressed on his heart.

The burden grew heavier until, on Friday morning, before Dai Ning left for school, Chen Jing finally couldn’t hold back. He stopped her, placing a slice of cheesecake and a fruit platter into her backpack.

Taking out a pen and paper, he asked, “Are you upset that Lianxing has been staying over?”

Dai Ning unwrapped a lollipop and tilted her head at him. “Why would you think that, Brother? I’m not upset at all.”

Her words carried a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. When Chen Jing met her gaze, he realized she wasn’t lying. She truly wasn’t upset—not in the slightest. If anything, she had adapted quickly.

So it turned out that the only one struggling to adjust to Chen Lianxing’s presence… was him.

Chen Jing’s gaze fixated on the candy in her hand. He was intimately familiar with everything Dai Ning ate and wore, from the brands of her clothing to every piece of chocolate she consumed. However, the candy in her hand at this moment was a brand Chen Jing had never seen before.

Frowning, he wondered: if Dai Ning no longer touched the snacks at home, who had been providing her with the food she now enjoyed?

“Brother, if there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

Almost instinctively, Chen Jing grabbed her hand.

Dai Ning lowered her gaze. A flicker of mockery passed through her eyes but disappeared in an instant. When she looked up again, her expression was innocent and cheerful. She pulled her hand free and placed it behind her back, mimicking the way Chen Jing usually lectured her.

“Brother, I’ve grown up. You can’t just grab me like that.”

Chen Jing’s lips tightened. He couldn’t put his feelings into words at that moment. “Sorry,” he said softly.

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t hold it against you.” Dai Ning smiled, waved, and ran off to school.

Chen Jing clenched his fist. The laughter and chatter around him only made the emptiness in his heart more pronounced. It felt as though something once within reach had suddenly moved far away.

For a brief moment, he even regretted letting Chen Lianxing stay.

But wasn’t it his responsibility to care for her? He had been doing so for over a decade. Why, now, did he feel like buying her a separate house just to restore his life with Dai Ning?

The suffocating weight in his chest drove him to the underground fight arena, where he made a decision.

“Let me finish early.”

The organizer was surprised. “But the schedule doesn’t allow for that.”

“Two matches.” Chen Jing looked up, his voice low. “I’ll fight two matches tonight.”

He typically fought one match per day—a single match was already enough to rake in huge profits for the arena. Now, to finish his obligations sooner, he was willing to risk an extra match.

In a world where life and death were on the line, such a trade was irresistible. The manager, delighted, immediately agreed.

That evening, when Dai Ning left the dance studio, she assumed it would be Li Ming waiting for her at the school gates. To her surprise, the tall figure under the streetlight was none other than Chen Jing.

Even Qingtuan was startled. “Chen Jing!”

Realizing it wasn’t someone else, Qingtuan breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Li Ming wasn’t there to send her off tonight. That would have been dangerous. Way too dangerous.

But Dai Ning wasn’t fazed in the slightest. She smiled and ran to Chen Jing. “Brother!”

Chen Jing’s gray-brown eyes softened as they fixed on her, a hint of a smile appearing.

Dai Ning stepped onto his shadow, her lips curving up.

Good brother, remember today. What you’ve just learned is called possessiveness.