Chapter 76

Shen Xiluo’s foot was wedged in the door crack, leaving Yan Tu unable to close it. She could only gaze at her with a puzzled expression.

The two locked eyes for one second, two seconds, three, four…

Shen Xiluo stared in a daze, utterly entranced. Rabbit’s eyes were so beautiful—the almond shape like delicate peach blossoms, the pupils shimmering like flawless crystal beads, the lashes long and curled, each one distinct and perfect…

Yan Tu blinked.

Shen Xiluo snapped back to reality, her cheeks inexplicably flushing red. Finally feeling a bit embarrassed, she slowly withdrew her foot.

Just as Yan Tu moved to shut the door, Shen Xiluo decisively shoved her foot right back in.

Yan Tu, unable to close the door again: “？！！”

Shen Xiluo casually let her gaze drift around the room, feigning nonchalance.

Yan Tu called out to her. “Luo-jie.”

Shen Xiluo: “Eh?”

Yan Tu: “Your foot…”

Shen Xiluo raised her voice abruptly. “What’s wrong with my foot? Is it getting in the way of you packing up?”

Yan Tu answered honestly. “It’s getting in the way of me closing the door.”

Shen Xiluo nodded. “Good. As long as it’s not bothering your packing.”

Yan Tu: “………”

The atmosphere fell silent once more.

Yan Tu pressed her lips together, then gave up entirely. Leaving the door ajar, she turned and headed back into the room on her own.

Shen Xiluo lingered in the doorway for a couple of seconds before tentatively inching inside step by step. Seeing that Yan Tu didn’t turn around to stop her, she boldly strode in, trailing behind and watching as the other girl bustled about, packing her luggage and tidying the room.

Yan Tu’s belongings were minimal—no suitcase in sight, just a single slim backpack.

Hovering at her side, Shen Xiluo nagged on in disdain. “Tsk, how can you be packing so little? Aren’t you bringing extra changes of clothes? Hey, as a girl, you should pack more skincare stuff, sunscreen, an umbrella, a sun hat, a water bottle… Oh, and don’t forget some headphones—you can listen to English news and podcasts on the road. Right, have you got all your important documents? And stash some pads in your bag just in case…”

Yan Tu paused in her movements. She started to explain that she was just going home, not on vacation, but then thought better of it.

Shen Xiluo kept chattering away. “Huh, you’re not planning to just goof off the whole summer, are you? Not even bringing a few books? What about your summer homework? You’re wasting your studies, you know that? You could learn from me—I always carry different books with me no matter where I go. Even if I never crack one open, it shows I’ve got studying on my mind…”

Yan Tu finally stopped what she was doing and turned to shoot her a sideways glare. “Shut up.”

Seeing her get a reaction at last, Shen Xiluo grew even more spirited and brazen. “Heh heh, getting annoyed with me, huh? Well, I’m gonna keep talking then—talk until you drop dead from irritation. Go ahead, hit me if you’ve got the guts!”

“…” Yan Tu whipped around suddenly.

Shen Xiluo faltered for a moment, feeling a twinge of nerves but still trying to act tough. “C-come on then, make a move…” As she spoke, she braced herself in a defensive stance.

But Yan Tu said nothing. She simply stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Shen Xiluo, and pulled her into an embrace.

Shen Xiluo went rigid all over, frozen like a statue. “？？？？”

Yan Tu tightened her hold, hugging her quietly for a moment before letting go. Looking down at her, a faint glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes. “You told me to make a move. And yeah, it worked pretty well.” With that, she lowered her head and resumed sorting her things.

Left standing there dumbfounded, it took Shen Xiluo ages to process what had happened—that “making a move” meant hugging her.

“Hey…” Shen Xiluo blushed belatedly, stammering. “D-do you think a little coquettish hug like that will make me shut up? No way—I’m still gonna talk, I’ve got plenty more to say…”

Yan Tu set her neatly packed backpack on the table. Glancing back, she saw Shen Xiluo planted right in front of her, still yammering on like a large dog whining and grumbling for pets. Unable to hold back a chuckle, Yan Tu reached out and hugged her again.

Sure enough, Shen Xiluo fell instantly silent, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in an irrepressible grin. But the moment Yan Tu released her, she pouted once more, putting on a show of disdain.

Amused, Yan Tu warned her. “If you don’t stop talking, I might just keep holding you forever.”

“…” Shen Xiluo quieted down for a few seconds before piping up again in protest. “No can do. Sure, I don’t want you hugging me at all, but if I actually shut up, doesn’t that mean I caved to your threat? I’d lose all face. I’m not the type to give in easily, so logically speaking, I have to keep talking…”

Yan Tu rummaged a set of pajamas from the closet and headed toward the bathroom to shower. Pausing at the door, she glanced back. “I’m going to take a shower. How about you save it until I’m done?”

Shen Xiluo had been about to dive under the covers and slip in after her, but she caught herself just in time, planting her feet at the doorway. She mumbled a dazed, “Okay.”

The bathroom door slid shut. Outside it, Shen Xiluo stomped her feet in furious regret.

Argh, what kind of “okay” was that? She’d lost all her momentum! At a moment like this, she should’ve played the hooligan—blocking the door on purpose, refusing to let her bathe until she begged in flustered fury!

Shen Xiluo paced back and forth by the door. She wanted to bust right in and salvage her pride, but she had no idea what she’d even do once inside. In the end, she spun on her heel and marched to the sofa instead, plopping down to wait.

There were things she really needed to say to Yan Tu. She’d hemmed and hawed for so long, unable to spit them out, which had led to that whole ridiculous, awkward spiral of pigheaded behavior.

With Yan Tu heading back to the countryside tomorrow, Shen Xiluo was terrified that if she didn’t speak up now, it might be too late. They’d already been at loggerheads for a while—if she waited another month until Yan Tu returned, they might drift apart for good…

Less than half an hour later, Yan Tu emerged from the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. She blinked in surprise to see Shen Xiluo still perched in the corner of the sofa. She’d assumed she’d gotten fed up with waiting and left.

Lately, Yan Tu had been trying to keep her distance, forcing herself to stay calm and rational around Shen Xiluo.

But no matter how much she resolved to do so, the moment she actually saw her—had any real contact—her mind would conveniently blank out all reason. She’d happily let herself be led along by Shen Xiluo’s whims. No matter the time or place, just being near her made her whole body and soul relax without her even trying.

Yan Tu took the initiative. “I’m all done. Luo-jie, whatever you wanted to tell me, go ahead. I won’t interrupt this time.”

After tomorrow, it’d be a whole month before they saw each other again. She wanted to savor this nagging yet endearing voice while she could—just in case, after the separation, Luo-jie wasn’t so warm toward her anymore…

As Yan Tu veered toward the vanity, Shen Xiluo shot to her feet and grabbed her hand. “Actually…”

“Hm?”

“Actually…” Shen Xiluo scratched her head, then finally blurted it out. “That night, I overheard your conversation with Xili.”

Yan Tu froze for a split second. She hadn’t expected Shen Xiluo to bring it up so bluntly. Her gaze turned guarded as she asked softly, “What did you hear, Luo-jie?”

At the same time, her heart began to race with unease. For Shen Xiluo to admit so straightforwardly to eavesdropping… did that mean she was gearing up for a direct confrontation?

“Sigh, I heard everything I was meant to.” Shen Xiluo let out a heavy breath. “I was really hurt. I never imagined…”

Yan Tu’s fists clenched slightly, her heart sinking: Yeah, you never imagined it, did you? That I’d be so ruthless—saying those cruel things on purpose for you to hear, just to drive a wedge between your “sisterly” bond…

She watched Shen Xiluo with bated breath, tension coiling inside her.

Shen Xiluo continued, her tone turning dramatically tragic: “…that Xili would try to steal you right out from under me!”

Yan Tu: “???” Sister, can we keep it coherent? Don’t leave these massive pauses—now I have no clue what you’re even talking about!

Yan Tu could only tilt her head and let out a bewildered, “Huh?”

“I know…” Shen Xiluo plunged headlong into the emotions she’d been brewing, “we’re all sisters. As the big sister, I should yield to my little sister, and I shouldn’t badmouth her behind her back. But… I can’t hold it in anymore! I have to say it—Xili is way too sneaky!

“I spent half a semester earning these brief moments of harmony with you. And just like that, in one single night, she’s conquered you completely! I’m not having it! Sure, I’m tall and sturdy—not all delicate and pitiful like Xili—but I swear, when it comes to feelings, I’ve put in way more than her. I’m more sincere, more devoted. All she does is talk a good game…”

“Wait, hold on.” Yan Tu couldn’t help interrupting, squeezing her eyes shut for a deep breath before meeting her gaze head-on. “Luo-jie, what exactly are you saying? Can I take this to mean… you think Xili’s stealing someone from you—namely, me—and that she’s succeeded?”

Shen Xiluo reined in her torrent of feelings and arched one brow. “Isn’t that exactly what happened??”

“…” Yan Tu stared blankly, scrambling to collect her thoughts: So this whole cold war had been nothing but a massive misunderstanding—a failure of wavelengths! And it was all her fault—for vastly overestimating Luo-jie’s smarts from the start!

Yan Tu cleared her throat. “Luo-jie, let’s just lay it all out. You overheard Xili that night—so where exactly did you get the idea that she’d ‘stolen’ me away?”

Since everything had already been laid out, Shen Xiluo dropped all pretense and vented her grievances with righteous indignation. “Xili badmouthed me and played the victim card hard with you, and you comforted her so softly and gently. Doesn’t that prove you’ve fallen for her—that your heart’s starting to tilt her way? Then the very next morning, you turned distant on me in an instant, deliberately keeping two meters between us even when we were just walking!”

“…” Yan Tu tried to reason with her. “That morning, when I reached for your clothes, wasn’t it you who pushed me away first?”

“What if I did push you?” Shen·Throwing-a-Tantrum·Xiluo snapped back. “It’s not like I’ve never pushed you away before. Normally, you’d just stick right back to me, but that morning you didn’t. Doesn’t that prove you’d changed your heart toward me—that there was suddenly some wall between us?! If you’ve already gotten cozy with Xili and made your attitude so blatantly obvious, why on earth would I keep slapping my warm face against your cold ass?!”

Yan Tu was utterly at a loss for words. “…” Fine. It’s all my fault for not clinging to you first.

Shen Xiluo threw caution to the wind. “Say something! Let’s settle this once and for all today! Fine, I admit it—I’m just a hopeless lump of mud that can’t be propped up against a wall. You lofty geniuses out there—after that little heart-to-heart of yours, you’ve probably grown even more admiring of each other, haven’t you? Just like that fisherman and Jiang Ziya or whatever…”

Yan Tu corrected her. “Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi.”

“Same difference!” Shen Xiluo shot back. “You got my meaning right away—doesn’t that mean you’ve been thinking the exact same thing?!”

Yan Tu had no idea why, but she suddenly let out a little puff of laughter.

To Shen Xiluo, it was like tossing fuel on the flames. “Oh, you’re laughing now? You’re mocking me, aren’t you?!”

Yan Tu grew serious. “Luo-jie, I’m sorry!”

“Ah??” Shen Xiluo’s heart skipped a beat in shock, then sank cold. Sh-she was admitting it straight up?!

“I’m sorry…” Yan Tu set the towel aside and stepped forward, taking hold of her hands. “I’m sorry for not sticking right back to you that morning.”

“Huh?” Shen Xiluo was thrown off by the unexpected reason for the apology. She could only press on. “Th-then why didn’t you?”

“Because I thought you hated me.”

“Hah? Just because I pushed you once? I’ve done that plenty of times before…”

Yan Tu met her eyes and confessed plainly. “I knew you’d come by that night to pick up your things, so I set it up on purpose for you to overhear my talk with Xili. I only wanted you to see it—how the sister you pour your heart into actually despises you behind your back. I figured you’d caught on to my scheme, and that’s why you shoved me away… why you started hating me…”

Shen Xiluo stared at her in disbelief. There had been such a hidden layer to it all! Without pausing to think, she rushed to reassure her. “No way—how could I hate you over something like that…”

Yan Tu shook her head and went on. “And also… it’s because I don’t trust you, Luo-jie.”

“Hm?” This time, Shen Xiluo had the good sense to wait patiently.

Yan Tu gave a helpless smile. “Because we’re half-sisters, same father but different mothers—no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try to catch up, in your heart, won’t Xili always come first? No matter what she does, no matter how much she hurts you, when it comes down to it—between her and me—you’d pick her without a second thought, right?”

Shen Xiluo had harbored the deepest feelings for Shen Xili since childhood, planted there from the start. Even after the truth came out that they weren’t blood sisters, it would be incredibly hard for her to let go… That was the root of Yan Tu’s shaken faith. She had been afraid—distrustful of Shen Xiluo—suspecting that all those hot-and-cold moments before had truly been just to draw Xili’s attention.

The question left Shen Xiluo speechless. Only today did she realize how finely attuned and sensitive the other girl really was. Had she not lived through that previous life, she might have answered “yes.” But things were different now. Everything was different. Shen Xiluo replied with firm simplicity: “Wrong!”

“Is that so.” Yan Tu watched her expression closely, then asked another question. “So when you heard what she said about you… how did that make you feel? Heartbroken?”

Shen Xiluo nodded. “Heartbroken? Of course I was heartbroken—and furious, too! But come on, anyone would feel crushed and pissed off after being trashed like that! Besides, it’s not the first time she’s pulled something like this. Remember last time, when I was bawling my eyes out and you wiped my nose for me? I’m not about to embarrass myself like that twice. So yeah, if you’re asking how I felt… I guess I’m just used to it by now. I’m not some fragile flower, after all…”

Inwardly, she added silently that in her previous life, once she’d learned the truth while rotting in prison, she’d already shed enough tears for anyone in the Shen Family. She would never cry for them again.

As for that embarrassing crying fit last time, it was purely because Yan Tu had been by her side, so gentle and comforting that Shen Xiluo couldn’t help but want to lean on her. In that moment, the emotions had simply overflowed, and she’d let them out. It had little to do with Shen Xili’s vicious words, really…

Lost in thought, Shen Xiluo suddenly had a flash of insight. She came to a conclusion. “So, you stopped clinging to me afterward purely because—you were jealous of Xili?”

Yan Tu froze for a split second, then swiftly changed the subject. “Great! Now that the misunderstanding’s cleared up, we can just get along normally from here on out. I’ll keep in touch with Luo-jie even after I head out tomorrow… It’s getting late. Good night!” With that, she waved toward the door, her intention to shoo her guest out unmistakable.

Shen Xiluo’s face split into a wide grin. She slithered around Yan Tu’s body like a boneless snake, front and back. “Hey—you’re actually jealous!”

Yan Tu was flustered but forced herself to play it cool. “Between sisters, what’s there to be jealous about…?”

“That’s precisely why sisters get jealous the most… Oh wow, the first time I’ve seen a jealous Rabbit. It’s magical! Come on, no more jealousy—let your big sister pamper you!” In her excitement, Shen Xiluo launched herself with a leap, pouncing right at her without a thought for whether Yan Tu could catch her.

Caught off guard by the move, Yan Tu hugged her tightly to keep them both from tumbling to the floor. She shuffled sideways toward the bed and let their momentum carry them down onto it.

Shen Xiluo sprawled across the mattress and immediately released her hold. She kicked off her slippers, sending them flying to either side, then burrowed under the covers. She wrapped herself up tight, only her eyes peeking out. “I’m going to sleep now. Good night!”

Yan Tu sat up, her expression a complicated mix. “…” This shameless trick of glomming onto someone else’s bed felt all too familiar… She finally understood what they meant by “what goes around comes around.”

Seeing that Yan Tu wasn’t chasing her off, Shen Xiluo gleefully thrust out one leg and rubbed it frantically against her back, her teasing words tumbling out nonstop. “Come on, come on—hurry up and get in here. I need you to coax me or I won’t be able to sleep…”

Yan Tu: “…Don’t push your luck.”

Shen Xiluo craned her neck up. “What was that? About the jealousy?”

Yan Tu: “…How does Luo-jie want me to coax her?”

Shen Xiluo beamed, utterly content. “Sing me a song!”

Yan Tu: (-_- )…

Well, she sang. What else could she do? She couldn’t exactly toss her out.