Chapter 184: Floating Song of Ten Autumns (9)

“Mm, I didn’t expect you to make that kind of joke, An Yu.”

Ning Dongli, who had been puffing her cheeks in indignation, suddenly felt a little deflated.

Just looking at that face made it impossible to stay angry, no matter how much she wanted to.

But unlike what Ning Dongli had assumed, An Yu showed no reaction at all. She simply tilted her head.

It was as if she were saying she had never made a joke in her life.

“…It was a joke, right?”

Ning Dongli’s face stiffened, and tiny beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.

She didn’t even know why, but being stared at by An Yu like this always made her feel unbearably flustered.

It felt like no matter how hard she tried to hide anything, she could never escape those amber eyes.

“Mm. Let’s head back. Ning Wanciu is still waiting for us.”

An Yu blinked, then took the girl’s hand once more and started walking toward Ning Wanciu’s home.

Gulp.

Ning Dongli let herself be led along. She could only stay silent and follow behind with her head lowered.

She had the vague feeling that An Yu might have noticed something, yet at the same time it seemed like she had noticed nothing at all. 

Ning Dongli felt a flutter of panic.

That was probably fine, then. 

She was panicking, but since An Yu was still willing to hold her hand…

Still…

She really should restrain herself a little.

Not that it was something she could control.

An Yu’s sense of personal space was truly odd, and so were some of her actions.

After spending only this short time together, Ning Dongli had already realized that sometimes An Yu seemed completely oblivious, as if she noticed nothing.

But other times her intuition was frighteningly sharp.

Even when Ning Dongli thought she hadn’t let anything slip, An Yu would pierce straight through with a single sentence.

It always left Ning Dongli feeling a little lost.

However…

Ning Dongli lifted her head and stared at the girl pulling her along. 

A satisfied smile unconsciously spread across her face.

She really liked being with An Yu…

It was inexplicable, yet it gave her an overwhelming sense of security.

Before she knew it, the two little ones had already returned to the front door.

Ning Dongli looked at the cake in her hand and suddenly felt the joy of having completed a mission.

What? She had actually done it!

The outside world wasn’t scary at all!

She narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Her sister wouldn’t have to worry about her every single day anymore.

The girl stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

***

Quick footsteps sounded inside, and the door swung open.

The golden-haired girl stood in the doorway, face full of worry.

Only after she clearly saw the two who had returned did she finally break into a relieved smile.

“Big Sis…”

“Welcome home, Dongli… and An Yu.”

Ning Wanciu nodded with a smile full of relief and joy.

Seeing that smile, Ning Dongli felt her nose sting.

In her entire life, no one except Ning Wanciu had ever cared about her this much.

From childhood until now, Ning Dongli had only ever had her older sister.

But that was wonderful, wasn’t it?

She had a sister who thought of her every single moment…

“Mm, we’re back, Big Sis!”

Ning Dongli forced herself to stay calm. 

The fear she had felt toward the outside world vanished completely the instant she saw Ning Wanciu.

She didn’t know whether Ning Wanciu had chased the fear away, or whether she simply refused to show it in front of her sister.

Ning Wanciu nodded. 

Like Ning Dongli, she was suppressing the emotions in her heart.

Everything had happened far too suddenly.

Ning Wanciu was even afraid she was dreaming.

She had only let An Yu meet Ning Dongli as a tentative attempt.

Yet it had actually worked—and so quickly.

She was truly happy.

As an older sister, failing to notice her little sister’s distress had been the biggest mistake of her life.

Ning Wanciu had always felt that she bore a great deal of responsibility for how Ning Dongli had turned out.

Now, she could finally breathe a little easier.

Ning Wanciu led the two girls back to the dining table and had them sit down. It was dinnertime, after all.

“Come on… let’s eat.”

Ning Wanciu took a deep breath and spoke softly to the two little ones.

“Mm-hmm! This is for you, Big Sis!”

Ning Dongli held out the cake she had been carrying.

The cake had been nothing more than an excuse to go outside, but they had actually bought it.

“Ah… I don’t even know what to say.”

Ning Wanciu looked down at the cake in Ning Dongli’s hands, then at the proud expression on her little sister’s face.

“Mm-hmm!”

Even though it was such a small thing, Ning Dongli still stood in front of Ning Wanciu with a proud little look.

Only this way could she make her sister believe she was really fine now.

Seeing that proud little expression, Ning Wanciu was momentarily stunned.

She suddenly felt as if she had gone back in time. 

Before the bullying, Ning Dongli had always worn exactly this proud, confident little look—so adorable.

“Haha.”

Ning Wanciu laughed in relief. 

They might never return to the past, but at least they were still themselves—a pair of harmonious sisters.

She stepped forward quickly and pulled both the proudly beaming Ning Dongli and the nearby spectator An Yu into her arms.

“Mm?”

An Yu blinked expressionlessly. 

She had assumed this had nothing to do with her and had already started studying what kind of dishes were on the table tonight.

But if Ning Wanciu wanted a hug, she definitely wouldn’t refuse.

Still, this hug felt a little strange.

It wasn’t because it was a three-person hug, but because she seemed to sense that Ning Wanciu was crying. 

Not only was there a faint tremor in her voice.

“Big Sis… see? I did it.”

Ning Dongli forced herself to deliver the line she had prepared.

“So… you don’t have to worry because of some… outsider’s words.”

“It’s all thanks to you taking care of me!”

“Mm, and An Yu too.”

As if remembering something, Ning Dongli broke into a smile through her tears.

She didn’t care about any of that mess.

Wasn’t she a total winner in life?

She had a sister who loved her and a perfect friend.

And she wasn’t some worthless failure either, right?

She had real talent at games and could even make money carrying people!

From now on, every day was going to be wonderful!

“Good. I know. Dongli is very strong and very capable.”

Ning Wanciu kept her head lowered as she smiled, not letting the two in her arms see her current expression.

But she soon found she could no longer hold it in.

Ning Wanciu felt a gentle little hand stroking her head.

Seeing that no one had praised Ning Wanciu, An Yu parted her cherry lips.

“Ning Wanciu, you’re amazing too.”

An Yu’s voice carried the same lack of emotional fluctuation as always.

Yet the words echoed inside Ning Wanciu’s heart.

“I like you very much.”