Jiang Cheng followed Grandpa Sun back to the courtyard with a slight sense of urgency.

On the way, she learned that Shen Xing had gotten into a fight with a classmate at school and accidentally fell into a drainage ditch.

“Don’t worry. What kid doesn’t get into fights? They grow up through them,” Grandpa Sun reassured her.

“That’s true.”

Jiang Cheng understood that Grandpa Sun meant well, so she didn’t bother to argue over right or wrong.

The two of them entered the alleyway. One more turn, and they would reach home.

The wind whistled through the narrow passage, rustling the tree shadows under the moonlight.

“Brother—don’t go—!”

Shen Yue’s voice rang out.

Jiang Cheng’s heart sank, and for the first time, she panicked as she looked at Grandpa Sun.

“Wasn’t it just a leg injury?”

Grandpa Sun also jolted in fear.

“Yes! I didn’t see any other wounds!”

Jiang Cheng had already rushed into the courtyard, with Grandpa Sun following closely behind.

Inside the yard, under the dim yellow light, Shen Yue stood at the door, arms stretched wide, stubbornly blocking Shen Xing from hopping out on one leg.

Jiang Cheng let out a breath of relief.

So this was the “don’t go” she had yelled.

She almost scared her to death.

“Shen Yue, move. I need to go to the bathroom.”

“No! Grandma said you can’t put weight on your leg!”

Shen Yue was determined to keep him from leaving.

“Sister Jiang Cheng!”

Shen Yue still refused to lower her arms. “Don’t try to trick me!”

Shen Xing rolled his eyes. “I’m not! Sister Jiang Cheng is really back!”

Jiang Cheng had already walked over and stood beside Shen Yue.

“I’m back.”

Shen Yue’s little nose suddenly twitched, and she pouted.

“Sister—”

“It’s okay. I’m here now.”

Jiang Cheng turned to look at Shen Xing, who was standing awkwardly, his face turning red.

“Number one or number two?”

Shen Xing hesitated before whispering, “Number two.”

Jiang Cheng calmly grabbed the household slop bucket, placed it inside the room, and fetched a roll of toilet paper.

“We’ll wait outside. Hold onto the table so you don’t fall in. I’ll think of a way to make a cover for it tomorrow.”

She then pulled Shen Yue away, closed the door, and walked toward Grandpa Sun to thank him.

Grandpa Sun waved her off. “As long as he’s okay. You scared me just now.”

He offered to stay and help, but Jiang Cheng assured him there was no need. So, he took his leave.

Jiang Cheng made a mental note to thank Grandpa Sun properly later. Then, she pulled Shen Yue to sit on the steps and asked about the fight.

“Yue Yue, does that Zhu Pencheng always bully you guys?”

Shen Yue nodded her chubby little face and said indignantly, “Sister, they say we’re orphans. They say Mom and Dad didn’t love us, so they left us.”

“They even said I caused their deaths. Sister, was it really me?”

“Of course not. Who do you believe—me or them?”

“Sister!” Shen Yue answered firmly. “I believe you!”

Jiang Cheng hugged her and let her lean against her.

“That’s right. You do have parents. They just got sick and left earlier than others. And you’re not an orphan—you have Big Brother, Brother Xingxing, Grandma Shen, and me. We all love you. Understand?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Shen Yue nodded.

On the other side of the door, Shen Xing leaned against the wall. His pride made him clench his teeth as he furiously wiped his eyes. But no matter how hard he wiped, the tears wouldn’t stop.

Ten minutes later, Shen Xing hopped to the door on one leg.

“Sister—”

“Shen Yue, help your brother back inside.”

After giving that instruction, Jiang Cheng picked up the slop bucket and a bucket of water, heading to the public restroom outside.

Shen Xing wanted to cry again.

He was a man! He should be able to handle things himself!

By the time Jiang Cheng finished cleaning up, she ran into Grandma Shen on her way back. The old woman was hurrying home with a flashlight and medicine bottles.

“Grandma Shen!”

Jiang Cheng jogged over, taking the medicine bottles from her.

“What are you doing? What’s all this?”

“Nothing, just emptying the slop bucket.”

Grandma Shen is no fool; who would carry two buckets just to pour out slops?

The moment she thought of Shen Xing being unable to move, she understood what was going on.

“Jiang Cheng—”

“Grandma Shen, maybe you should stop being so nice to me?”

When Grandma Shen heard this, she smiled helplessly and no longer thought about thanking her.

Too distant.

Jiang Cheng grinned as she followed her into Shen Xing’s room, where they both paused at the doorway.

Then, they exchanged a meaningful glance.

Shen Xing was lying on the bed, covered with a blanket. If it weren’t for the way his eyes were still moving, Jiang Cheng would’ve thought she was paying her respects at a funeral.

The posture. The flawlessly smooth blanket. The eerily precise way it covered his body.

“You really wrapped him up nicely,” Jiang Cheng remarked.

Shen Yue eagerly admitted, “Sister, I did it!”

Jiang Cheng: What a good little sister!

Grandma Shen sighed in exasperation. Really, who used a white sheet like that?

“Enough. Get up and take your medicine.”

Shen Xing didn’t actually want to be lying down, but he had played along to comfort Shen Yue.

Grandma Shen applied a thick layer of herbal ointment onto his ankle.

Shen Xing’s foot was swollen like a purple-blue bun.

“This medicine works wonders. If anyone here gets a sprain or a fracture, they always go to that house for it,” Grandma Shen said.

Once she finished, she went out to wash her hands.

Jiang Cheng turned to Shen Xing.

“Have you fought them before?”

Shen Xing shook his head.

“No. Zhu Pengcheng and his group usually just pretend to block our way, throw our schoolbags, or put dirt in our lunchboxes. But we never actually fought.”

“Just that? Sounds like nothing much.”

Jiang Cheng could barely contain her anger. Meanwhile, Shen Xing remained composed.

He shook his head and said softly, “I couldn’t win against five of them, and I had to protect Yue Yue. They bully me, but I’ve written it all down. When Big Brother comes back, I’ll show him.”

“At least you’re not stupid,” Jiang Cheng muttered.

She took his little notebook and flipped through it.

At the doorway, she looked at Shen Xing and said, “No need to wait for your brother. I can handle this alone.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll show you what it means to win without a fight.”

She returned to her own room.

Meanwhile, Shen Xing lay in bed, thinking: I need to gather more tickets for Sister.

Across the hall, Jiang Cheng finished reading Shen Xing’s notes.

Every single day, those kids had bullied him and Shen Yue—verbally and physically.

With a sharp snap, she shut the notebook.

She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and calmed herself down.

When she reopened them, her gaze was clear and unwavering.

She had been good to Shen Xing and Shen Yue not only because they were kind-hearted, but because she saw her own past in them.

The only difference was that she had always fought back—because she had no one to rely on.

But Shen Xing was different.

He never told his brother about any of this. He was too busy protecting his little sister and sparing his older brother from worrying.

Late at night, Jiang Cheng continued studying.

Far away, Shen Que received another letter from Shen Xing.

“Big Brother, we have a pretty new sister at home. Her name is Jiang Cheng…”

Shen Que: Jiang… which ‘Cheng’?

At that moment, he had no idea—every letter from now on would be all about her.