Chapter 81: Big Brother

Lin Beixiu could only help her dry her hair, muttering under his breath about Qin Muxue being lazy.

Qin Muxue pretended not to hear and quietly enjoyed it.

“Little Bei, I want to sleep with you later.”

Lin Beixiu turned off the hair dryer, first smoothing her silky hair, making sure it was all dry, before he spoke.

“No.”

“Little Bei.”

“I said no.” Lin Beixiu was very firm, leaving no room for doubt.

But Qin Muxue could see a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Hehe, it seemed her efforts over this period were not in vain.

Qin Muxue’s eyes darted around, and a naughty idea quietly took shape as she blushed and grabbed Lin Beixiu’s arm.

“Little Bei… brother.”

Lin Beixiu: !!!

“You, you, you…”

Lin Beixiu became incoherent, stepping back and looking at her helplessly. This was the first time someone had called him brother, and a strange feeling arose.

It was a feeling he couldn’t help but want to protect.

“Brother Bei, I want to sleep with you, I’m afraid of the dark,” Qin Muxue said again softly.

Although it was another poor excuse, Lin Beixiu’s heart softened, unable to withstand girls acting spoiled.

“You win, I agree.”

Qin Muxue was delighted inside. So Little Brother Xiao likes this.

“Thank you, Brother Bei.”

She went off to tidy up things contentedly.

Lin Beixiu sighed softly, unable to articulate his feelings, but… it seemed he was also quite happy.

Lin Beixiu returned to his room, where Qin Muxue had already moved to the innermost part of the bed.

“Brother Bei, I promise I’ll stay on the inside and won’t move around.”

Lin Beixiu’s lips twitched; he felt that was the least trustworthy statement.

“Whatever.”

Lin Beixiu sat on a chair, playing with his phone, while Qin Muxue lay on the bed playing with hers.

Time passed.

“Brother Bei, it’s time to sleep.”

“You go to sleep first.”

Qin Muxue reminded him, “Brother Bei, are you planning to be late again tomorrow?”

Lin Beixiu was speechless, “That’s your fault.”

“But wasn’t it you who carried me here? I wouldn’t have…”

Lin Beixiu: …..

Enough, no more talk.

“Go to sleep.”

Lin Beixiu said before planning to leave, but Qin Muxue called out to him from behind.

“Brother Bei…”

“I’ll come back in a bit.” Lin Beixiu said helplessly.

Qin Muxue thought he was leaving for good and only relaxed when he reassured her, lying back down.

Soon, Lin Beixiu returned, lay on the bed, and turned off the light.

Though he knew it might be futile, Lin Beixiu still warned.

“Don’t come over.”

“Okay.”

Qin Muxue agreed, “If I come over, I’ll be a little dog.”

“…….”

Lin Beixiu stared at the pitch-black ceiling, lost in thought.

“Brother Bei, are you asleep?”

Lin Beixiu, with a forehead full of black lines, “No, what now?”

“And stop calling me brother.”

It felt strange, she had called him little brother before, and now she was calling him big brother.

Qin Muxue shifted slightly, “Why? You’re always taking care of me. I said before that I’m like a little sister being cared for by you, so calling you brother shouldn’t be a problem.”

“So, what’s the matter?”

Lin Beixiu didn’t realize his tone was off, his heart beating fast.

“I can’t sleep, I wanted to talk.”

Lin Beixiu grunted, “What do you want to talk about? I’m not much for talking.”

“Just listen to me.”

Qin Muxue moved a bit closer, which Lin Beixiu didn’t notice.

“I wanted to say it’s my first time having a brother. I’m an only child, and if I had had a little brother, I wouldn’t have been so lonely growing up. I do have a cousin, but she lives far from me, so I only see her during vacations.”

This was the first time Qin Muxue had talked about her family situation to him.

“My mom is always busy with business, so it’s usually just me alone.”

“So why can’t you cook?” Lin Beixiu asked, voicing a long-held curiosity.

Qin Muxue: ……..

So annoying.

“I went into the kitchen once and it exploded.”

Lin Beixiu: …….

“I’m really lucky.”

He couldn’t help but

remark, also feeling fortunate for having survived any culinary attempts by Qin Muxue.

“Am I too dumb?”

She seemed to lack many qualities, couldn’t cook, always caused trouble, and had previously troubled Lin Beixiu with her care. What if she confessed her feelings to him later? Would Lin Beixiu really accept her?

At that moment, she began to doubt herself, unsure of her worth.

“Fool.”

Lin Beixiu’s voice came, seemingly a bit displeased with her self-deprecation, “You came second in the exams, if you consider that dumb, what would others think?”

“Nobody’s perfect, no one is without flaws. A few small shortcomings mean nothing.”

Qin Muxue blinked, turning to look at him. Though she couldn’t see his expression in the dark, she was happy now.

“Mmm, thank you, Brother Bei.”

Lin Beixiu turned his head to see her looking at him, then turned away again.

“It’s late, let’s sleep.”

Probably because of family issues, she longed for care more, her so-called strength was just to mask her inner vulnerability.

Qin Muxue saw his hesitancy to speak further and didn’t press him. She had shared most of her deep secrets with him today, and that gave her some comfort.

Qin Muxue said nothing more and closed her eyes to sleep, feeling very tired.

The room quickly fell silent…

Lin Beixiu tossed and turned, unable to sleep, perhaps also longing for kinship. Qin Muxue really gave him a lot, also feeling that sense of connection.

……

Listening to the faint snoring next to him, Lin Beixiu forced himself not to think too much.

Just as Lin Beixiu was about to fall asleep, in his drowsiness, he felt something soft in his arms and instinctively hugged it.

………..

The next morning.

Qin Muxue opened her eyes, about to stretch her limbs when she felt constrained and looked in astonishment.

Initially, Qin Muxue had not intended to cuddle up, so she slept on the very edge, and they started out on opposite sides of the bed, but now… they ended up in the middle, wrapped in each other’s arms.

And it looked like Lin Beixiu was the one holding her. Qin Muxue blinked, her face reddening as she snuggled into his embrace.

This wasn’t her intention, so… sleeping a bit longer wouldn’t hurt, right?

Qin Muxue’s left hand slowly wrapped around his waist, gently holding him as she gazed at his handsome face, content to fall back asleep.

……..

When Lin Beixiu opened his eyes and moved, Qin Muxue felt his motion, and they opened their eyes at the same time, each seeing the other’s face and blinking eyes.

Lin Beixiu was stunned, looking down at their entwined bodies, then looked up at her as if asking, what happened?

Qin Muxue wore an innocent expression, her beautiful eyes blinking.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie