Chapter 26

“Sister, do you want Auntie to find out that you’re…”

Li Huanhuan was shocked, staring wide-eyed at Qin Shi’s impromptu actions. She desperately tried to signal him with her eyes, away from her mother Su Mei’s sight.

Qin Shi smiled and turned his head slightly, whispering into her ear in a voice only she could hear, “Sister, didn’t you say for me to cooperate with you? I’m just cooperating with you now.”

His hot breath brushed against her ear, and Li Huanhuan felt the temperature around her ear rise instantly. Qin Shi’s deliberate and playful “Sister” gave her goosebumps, and she instinctively wanted to pull away. But as soon as she moved, her wrist was firmly grasped.

“Sister, do you want Auntie to find out you’re lying?” Qin Shi continued, still smiling.

His face was smiling, but his mouth remained still, and the voice seemed to come from his teeth.

“Stop calling me sister!”

Li Huanhuan felt uncomfortable with his repeated “Sister,” which sounded strange.

Even though “sister” was a completely normal word, when it came from Qin Shi’s mouth, it felt off. It wasn’t respectful at all, and instead, it felt as if he was going to swallow her up.

“Don’t you like being called ‘sister’?” Qin Shi’s deep, dark eyes quietly stared at her. “As soon as someone calls you ‘sister,’ you forget your own surname, let alone the promises you’ve made.”

“Hmm? What?”

Li Huanhuan frowned, confused, sensing that Qin Shi was implying something.

Fortunately, Qin Shi’s “abnormal” behavior lasted less than half a minute before he quickly returned to normal: “Li Huanhuan, I’m just helping you cover up the lie.”

“Heh.” Li Huanhuan gave a cold smile, her lips curling slightly.

Their “tension,” the “tit for tat” battle, looked like an intense situation, but to Su Mei’s eyes, it seemed like they were whispering to each other, gazing at each other with deep affection—quite ambiguous.

Su Mei even turned to Li Huanhuan’s stepfather, Liu Jianguo, and winked at him.

Liu Jianguo, who had been peeling an apple, paused for a moment when he saw Su Mei’s wink. He then chuckled along with her.

Li Huanhuan turned around and met her mother’s and stepfather’s strange looks. The air suddenly felt awkward, and Li Huanhuan could feel goosebumps rising on her arms.

To prevent her mother from continuing her wild assumptions, Li Huanhuan quickly said, “We’re out of time,” and then told her mother and stepfather, “We’re leaving,” before grabbing her keys and phone, and pulling Qin Shi’s wrist toward the entrance.

“Auntie, Uncle, I’m heading out with Li Huanhuan. It was nice meeting you both. When I have time, I’ll come visit again,” Qin Shi said, turning around and waving to Su Mei and Liu Jianguo, who were sitting on the couch.

“Come visit when you’re free.”

“Take care, take care.”

…

“What do you mean, ‘come visit when you’re free’?”

As soon as the door of apartment 149 closed, Li Huanhuan let go of Qin Shi’s wrist and tilted her head back, looking disapprovingly at the tall young man in front of her. “Do you want them to misunderstand even more? Do you want to live a life controlled by your parents?”

He still thought they hadn’t misunderstood enough.

Qin Shi silently thought to himself.

But he also knew that now wasn’t the time for such a conversation; the timing wasn’t right.

So Qin Shi put his hands in his pockets and casually said, “Li Huanhuan, that’s basic courtesy, the kind of polite phrase you use when saying goodbye to elders. No one takes it seriously. Haven’t you been cooped up at home too long, forgetting basic social etiquette?”

“You don’t understand anything,” Li Huanhuan retorted.

Qin Shi’s attitude made her breathe a small sigh of relief inside.

But on the other hand, for some reason, this same attitude also made her a little angry.

“Where are we going now? Are you really treating me to a meal?” Qin Shi leaned against the wall, stretching his posture, hands in his pockets, looking down at her with a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.

“Of course.”

Li Huanhuan didn’t want to argue over his earlier comments. Instead, she nodded seriously, “I don’t like lying.”

Earlier, when she had been sick with the flu, Qin Shi had taken her to the hospital, then arranged for his cousin to take care of her. Once she recovered, she had planned to thank him by treating him to a meal. But at the time, Qin Shi had been reluctant to meet, fearing his lies would be exposed, so he kept putting it off.

Now that everything was out in the open, there was no need for hiding. She might as well take this opportunity to return the favor.

Even though Li Huanhuan knew that a single meal wouldn’t clear up the relationship between her and Qin Shi, it was a gesture that had to be made.

“Alright, then let’s go.”

Qin Shi stood up straight from the wall, raised his chin, and walked toward the elevator.

When he saw his reflection in the elevator doors, Qin Shi instinctively touched his chin and realized he wasn’t wearing his mask. He hesitated, wondering if he should go back home to get it. But when the thought of “going home” crossed his mind, he felt like he had forgotten something.

What had he forgotten?

Qin Shi touched his chin, staring at his reflection in the elevator doors, deep in thought.

Ding dong.

The elevator arrived.

Li Huanhuan entered. Since she had been busy taking care of the barbecue meals while Qin Shi had been walking the dog earlier, she casually asked, “Did you pack the barbecue food?”

“Packed, ah—”

Qin Shi suddenly remembered what he had forgotten.

He had left the barbecue in the pet dryer.

“I need to go back.”

At a private room in a Cantonese restaurant in the city center…

“Why is she here?” Qin Shi frowned, seeing Dongfang Jiao, who was sitting across from him and smiling brightly.

Li Huanhuan, who was sitting next to him, turned to look at Dongfang Jiao on her right and smiled. “Because I was in the hospital last time, and it was thanks to Jiao Jiao. If she hadn’t been running around and staying with me at the hospital for a whole day, I probably wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.”

Qin Shi: “You mean she…”

Li Huanhuan turned her head, confused, “What’s wrong with Jiao Jiao? Didn’t I tell the truth?”

Even after discovering that “Qin Shi was the neighbor at 150,” Li Huanhuan had guessed that the person who took care of her at the hospital had always been Qin Shi.

But since Qin Shi hadn’t admitted it and had lied to her, she chose to continue playing dumb.

“Of course not…”

Qin Shi gritted his teeth. He was about to say something but stopped himself just in time. “As expected of my sister, such a warm-hearted person, always helping others without asking for anything in return!”

Li Huanhuan raised her eyebrow.

Qin Shi felt bitter inside but still managed to smile.

Dongfang Jiao sat across from him, holding a cup and glancing at her cousin Qin Shi, who looked a bit frustrated, then at the seemingly challenging Li Huanhuan. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

The laugh broke the tense moment between the two.

They both turned to look at Dongfang Jiao.

Dongfang Jiao held her cup, grinning. “Sorry, sorry, I just remembered something funny.”

She then took a sip from her cup, her bright eyes moving between the people sitting next to and across from her.

Soon, the Cantonese dishes were brought to the table.

The food was good. After finishing, the evening was still young. Dongfang Jiao looked at the two quiet people beside her and suggested, “How about we go to the community nearby to have some fun?”

It was a popular place among young people. It used to be an old factory, but later an investor took it over and turned it into a new commercial community combining fashion, food, photography, entertainment, and film, which was well-liked by young people. Usually, Dongfang Jiao would go there with friends.

“I…”

Li Huanhuan was about to refuse.

She had “fashion allergies” and didn’t like noisy places.

Qin Shi seemed to anticipate what she was about to say and spoke before her: “It’s fine if we go back now. But I think Auntie and Uncle are probably still awake, and they might invite me over to sit with them.”

“…”

Li Huanhuan hesitated. The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue but were swallowed back.

Thinking about her mother’s warm, yet entirely different personality, if they returned now, it seemed very likely that what Qin Shi had just mentioned would happen.

Of course, she hadn’t even considered what would happen if she didn’t go back with Qin Shi or asked him to return later.

“Alright then,” she murmured.

Dongfang Jiao, with her sparkling eyes, scanned between the two of them.

The commercial community was indeed lively. Moreover, since it was the weekend, even more people were there. Qin Shi put his mask back on. Not long after they arrived, Dongfang Jiao pointed out an ice cream shop ahead and asked Qin Shi to buy some for her.

Qin Shi didn’t want to be bossed around, but Dongfang Jiao said, “Sister would like it too.”

“No, I…”

Li Huanhuan was distracted by the lanterns on the side of the road. When she snapped back to attention, she waved her hand. But by then, Qin Shi had already walked ahead to queue for the ice cream.

“Sister, let me have some fun with my brother for once,” Dongfang Jiao said, grabbing her arm.

“…” Li Huanhuan.

Li Huanhuan looked at her with an innocent face. Since Qin Shi had already gone ahead, she had no choice but to give up.

But as for Dongfang Jiao’s “fox borrowing tiger’s might” comment, she felt that was overthinking it.

Li Huanhuan turned her attention back to the lantern.

“Sister, actually, the one who was running up and down to take care of you at the hospital that day was my brother,” Dongfang Jiao said, looking at her profile.

She realized that Li Huanhuan had a slightly round face, like a cat’s.

Li Huanhuan froze for a moment.

Dongfang Jiao wanted to explain more but saw Li Huanhuan smile: “I know.”

“Ah?”

“I guessed it.”

Dongfang Jiao was stunned for a few seconds, then laughed: “Looks like only my brother is the fool.”

“Who’s the fool?”

Qin Shi came over holding three ice cream cones.

He handed one to Dongfang Jiao, another to Li Huanhuan, and kept one for himself.

“Thanks.” Li Huanhuan accepted the ice cream.

Qin Shi frowned. “Why are you always so polite to me?”

Li Huanhuan: “…”

Li Huanhuan smiled, but it was a bit perfunctory.

Some people are like that: if you show them a good attitude, they’re unhappy; but if you act stern, they’re content.

After the brief ice cream episode, Dongfang Jiao went ahead to the arcade. Qin Shi raised an eyebrow but didn’t object. With a 2:1 ratio, Li Huanhuan was caught up in it and headed to the arcade.

Qin Shi’s professional player advantage became evident.

The arcade practically became his home court, whether it was basketball, bowling, air hockey, shooting games, or jumping joy, Qin Shi excelled at everything, winning every time.

“Wow, amazing!”

“Big brother, you’re awesome!”

…

Gradually, Qin Shi was surrounded by people.

Although he wore a mask and couldn’t be seen clearly, his basketball shooting posture and accuracy in the shooting game attracted many admiring and surprised gazes.

Today, Qin Shi seemed to be in a great mood, like a peacock showing off its feathers. After finishing one game, he immediately dove into the next, continuously radiating his charm.

“Sister, my brother’s amazing, right?” Dongfang Jiao had long been used to situations with Qin Shi. He always attracted attention like the center of focus.

Although Li Huanhuan didn’t want to admit it, it was true that as the protagonist, Qin Shi had the right to do so.

“What do you want to play next?” Qin Shi squeezed his way out of the crowd, walking to Li Huanhuan.

Li Huanhuan looked at him without answering.

Nearby, Dongfang Jiao suggested, “Claw machine?”

“Sure.” Qin Shi gave Li Huanhuan a meaningful look before turning his attention to the claw machine.

When they reached the claw machine area, they found that a lot of people had gathered around.

“Wow, amazing!”

“This handsome young man has grabbed quite a few, hasn’t he?”

“Wow, so impressive.”

…

His golden hair fluttered in the crowd.