Liang Jin’s face turned red.
Liang Sheng had landed squarely between her legs—though, thankfully, at a safe distance.
“Ah!” In her panic, Liang Jin snapped her previously sprawled legs shut.
“Smack!” Liang Sheng’s face caught the brunt of the double assault. Her head rang like thunder had crashed right through it.
“You…” Liang Sheng didn’t even get a chance to curse.
Liang Jin immediately apologized to her poor big sister. “Sorry, Sister!”
“Then freaking let me go!” Liang Sheng’s mouth was clamped too tight to open properly.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Liang Jin finally caught on and splayed her legs back out into that wide-open position.
Liang Sheng rubbed her stinging cheeks, tempted to give the little lass in front of her a good slap.
No, she couldn’t be this sloppy. She’d definitely get eaten alive out in the real world. Liang Sheng decided it was time for a verbal lesson to drill some sense into her careless little sister.
“You close…” Another day, another interruption.
“Smack!”
Ah, that familiar whoosh~ the familiar force~ the familiar sound~ that familiar pain~ the familiar daze~
“You freaking…” Liang Sheng felt like her teeth were loosening. How was this little lass’s kneecap so damn hard?
Liang Jin sheepishly resumed her original position.
Liang Sheng decided the spot where she’d fallen had the worst feng shui imaginable. She scrambled to her feet and plopped down beside her little sister.
Still rubbing her cheek, Liang Sheng glared at her. “The first time, I get it—nerves. But you learned from that, so what was the second one’s excuse?!”
Liang Jin mumbled under her breath, all aggrieved. “Sister Liang Sheng, you said ‘You close,’ didn’t you?”
What kind of nonsense was this kid spouting?! Liang Sheng fumed. No normal person begged to have their face slapped!
“When did I…” Liang Sheng paused. Damn, she actually had said it.
She couldn’t help but laugh despite herself.
“What I meant was ‘Why’d you close your legs?’ You didn’t even wait for the full sentence before slamming those little stubby legs together.” Liang Sheng grinned wide.
“Hiss~” The motion tugged at her sore face, earning Liang Jin another glare.
Akino Hoshiko awkwardly scratched her head and murmured an apology. “Sorry, Sister Liang Sheng.”
“It’s fine. Your Sister Liang Sheng isn’t petty like that!” Liang Sheng shot a murderous look at the girl across from her—the one who bore a passing resemblance to herself.
Liang Jin glanced up and met her big sister’s terrifying stare. She jolted. “S-Sister Liang Sheng, y-you looking at me like that… it’s kinda scary.”
“Don’t worry,” Liang Sheng replied, practically grinding her teeth. “This is Big Sis’s way of showing love.”
Yeah right, that rotten Sheng is bad news.
Before long, it was time to head out. Liang Jin excitedly linked arms with her big sister, looking for all the world like the best of friends.
Their parents trailed behind, murmuring about the pair.
“Hey, didn’t my girl and Jinjin have a falling out a while back? How’d they end up this close again?” Liang Wengao whispered to his younger brother.
Liang Jin’s dad was just as puzzled. “Kids, am I right? They fight one day and make up the next. What real grudge could they hold? It’s all just silly little stuff.”
Liang Wengao nodded. “Fair point. As long as they’re on good terms. Our family’s only got these two girls this generation—they should stick together.”
Liang Jin’s dad suddenly leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. “Get this: my girl’s got a ton of admirers at school!”
“No kidding?!” Liang Wengao’s eyes went wide. “How’d you find out?”
“Whoa!” Liang Jin’s dad mimed a towering stack. “Love letters, chocolates—piles of the stuff! I peeked at one. Talk about sappy! ‘I’ll be your little lamb’ and all that… Tsk tsk, cheesier than anything I ever wrote…”
“Cheesier than what you wrote to whom?”
“Cheesier than the ones I wrote to the class beauty!” Liang Wenying blurted. Then it hit him.
“Nice!”
That was unmistakably a woman’s voice.
Liang Wenying turned slowly. There was Liang Jin’s mom, right behind him.
She gritted her teeth and pinched his ear. “Nice! Wasn’t I supposed to be your first love? Now there’s a class beauty too?!”
“Ow, ow!” Liang Wenying rose onto his tiptoes in agony. “C’mon, you’re not some kid anymore—jealous over this?”
“I don’t care!” Clearly pampered rotten by her husband, Liang Jin’s mom was in full pouty-wife mode. “You lied to me!”
Liang Wenying rushed to explain. “The class beauty didn’t like me anyway! She was into my brother! What’s there to worry about…”
“…”
The scene froze—except it didn’t.
The two girls up ahead had heard every last word.
Liang Sheng, who’d caught the whole exchange, slapped a hand over her face.
Oh, dear old dad. Good luck to you.
Sure enough, Zhong Wen’s eyes bulged too.
“L-Let’s get going.” Liang Sheng seized Liang Jin’s hand and bolted for the car. A battlefield was brewing behind them, and she had zero interest in the crossfire.
Liang Jin glanced at her sister’s hand gripping hers. The corners of her mouth curved up ever so slightly.
They reached the car, where Liang Sheng was panting. Liang Jin asked, “Sister Liang Sheng, has anyone ever chased you?”
“As if no one’s chased me!” Liang Sheng puffed out her chest. “With a face like mine—like a blooming flower—and this graceful figure? I’m a total heartbreaker~”
“Uh…” Liang Jin was at a loss for words.
Sure, you’re pretty, but you’re grossing me out right now.
“W-Were they all boys?” Liang Jin ventured hesitantly.
Ah… how to answer that one?
Liang Sheng scratched her cheek, looking sheepish.
Truth be told, aside from the Male Lead’s harem group fawning over her, a few other girls had confessed too.
Like a month earlier…
Liang Sheng had been walking down the hallway after using the bathroom, just about to round the corner.
“Bam!” She collided with a cute-faced, petite girl.
Liang Sheng barely felt it, but the other girl hit the floor hard.
“You alright?”
Out of pure affection for cute girls—no, sympathy for this adorable one (total bull), Liang Sheng politely extended a hand to help her up.
To her surprise, the girl looked up at Liang Sheng, blushed beet red, and seemed utterly flustered.
