“Mm.”
Ning Dongli pressed her lips together. In the end she did not refute it.
Although she had no intention of competing, she truly wanted to know exactly how An Yu felt about her sister—whether there was any interest in that direction.
Looking at Ning Dongli beside her, who clearly wanted to speak but held back, An Yu tilted her head expressionlessly.
Why would she suddenly bring up Ning Wanciu at a time like this?
Was this what Ning Dongli had been thinking about all along?
An Yu spoke softly. The voices in the crowd were a little noisy, but her voice landed clearly in Ning Dongli’s ear.
“Yes.”
Ning Dongli nodded.
There was no need to deny it. Perhaps after this she could even count as An Yu’s little sister.
Thinking this, Ning Dongli raised her head.
The dejection from before vanished, replaced by an incredibly serious gaze fixed on An Yu.
Those eyes, colored by the contacts, were filled with expectation.
But for some reason, An Yu only said three words. Almost instinctively she opened her mouth.
“Ning Wanciu…” and then there was nothing more.
She looked completely dazed, as if lost in thought about something.
Perhaps it was seeing Ning Dongli’s serious expression that made An Yu truly consider the matter for the first time.
What exactly was Ning Wanciu to her?
Her most important friend?
An indispensable daily necessity?
Or the big pillow she wanted to sleep with forever?
She could list many things, but none of them felt like the right answer.
Because what Ning Dongli was expecting was not that kind of reply.
But how strange.
An Yu stared blankly at the Ning Dongli before her, yet her gaze did not actually rest on the other girl.
Ning Wanciu… what exactly was she to her?
She did not understand.
An Yu really could not figure it out.
But she knew one thing…
“Ning Wanciu is important… very important.”
She spoke softly, giving the only answer she could.
Because Ning Wanciu really was important—important enough that An Yu did not even want to recall nap times without her.
“Is… that so…”
Ning Dongli curved her lips into a faint smile. She spoke slowly, but her voice carried a trace of loneliness.
She had noticed it. Whenever An Yu thought of her older sister, her eyes changed.
Perhaps…
An Yu also had feelings for Ning Wanciu. It was possible, right?
Ning Dongli did not understand because she had never been in love.
Although An Yu had not given her a clear answer, Ning Dongli thought she knew what she should do now…
“Ah, we’re at the front. Wait a moment, An Yu~”
She pressed her lips together and looked at the stall they had finally reached, her mind filled with who-knew-what thoughts.
Ning Dongli tried her best to keep her voice cheerful, though it still trembled a little.
Looking at the stall in front of her, filled with her favorite character merchandise.
But how strange.
Suddenly she did not feel quite so happy.
“Hello, what would you like to buy?”
The person at the stall asked politely.
Ning Dongli did not stay dazed any longer. She calmly lifted her head and pointed at everything on display with a grand sweep of her hand.
“I’ll take it all!”
Just buy everything. Shopping always made people happy, right?
“Understood.”
The vendor nodded and began packaging the items for Ning Dongli.
But no one expected An Yu to suddenly tug at Ning Dongli’s small hand, her voice cool and calm.
“You are important too.”
Ever since hearing the answer earlier, Ning Dongli had started acting a little strange.
It was as if the emotions she had been hiding in her heart could no longer be contained.
An Yu could not fully understand, but she knew one thing…
Ning Dongli was important too—important in a different way from Ning Wanciu.
“…?!”
Ning Dongli jolted in surprise. Her pretty face instantly flushed crimson. The hand that had been boldly shopping froze, and she stood there stunned.
“U-um… An Yu?”
Looking at An Yu who was holding her hand, Ning Dongli sounded completely flustered.
She had never expected An Yu to launch a surprise attack at a moment like this.
The stall owner was right in front of them, and there was a whole line of people behind…
An Yu reached out and smoothed Ning Dongli’s furrowed brows, then slid her finger down and gently poked her cheek.
“Ning Dongli, if you’re not happy, I’m not happy either. But if you’re sad, then I’ll be sad too.”
“You are an important person, so if you’re unhappy you have to tell me.”
An Yu had always been like this. She hoped Ning Dongli could be more honest and tell her directly what was going on.
Though Ning Dongli had always been a little awkward about it.
“W-wait… don’t…”
In an instant Ning Dongli’s face burned bright red.
She instinctively glanced at the stall owner and discovered that the other party had already finished packaging everything and was watching the two of them with a big, knowing auntie smile.
Ning Dongli turned into a steam engine, her face an unnatural shade of red.
The gazes of the crowd made her more and more embarrassed. She felt like she was about to break.
After finally gathering her courage, it vanished completely under those stares.
“Mm? Ning Dongli?”
An Yu subconsciously pinched her cheek and found it burning hot.
“Hm?”
Ning Dongli’s eyes spun in circles. “I-I’m at my limit…”
An Yu’s words had left her completely dazed.
Finally, she could not hold on any longer and collapsed.
An Yu caught her smoothly and looked at her face with concern.
But Ning Dongli was not actually hurt; her face was just very red, and she seemed to want to hide everything about herself in An Yu’s arms.
An Yu blinked dazedly and finally remembered one thing.
That was that Ning Dongli was an ultimate social-phobe—the kind who was afraid to even leave the house.
Sure enough, becoming outgoing was not that easy.
“Let’s… go over there.”
An Yu blinked expressionlessly, took the items from the stall owner, and led Ning Dongli away.
On the other side, Ning Wanciu was sitting in Cheng Shimumeng’s room, staring blankly at the photos on her phone.
From the look in Ning Dongli’s eyes, this child had fallen far deeper than she had imagined.
When exactly had it started?
Was it because they played games together? Or because of that late-night talk she knew nothing about?
Ning Wanciu did not know, but she knew one thing…
Ning Dongli felt the same way she did.
This was a reality she could not escape, because it was happening right before her eyes.
Ning Wanciu should have realized it sooner…
No, she actually had realized it long ago, but she had never dared to confirm it.
Ning Dongli’s attitude had always been strange.
Even for a social-phobe, she should not have been so humble toward an ordinary friend.
The young girl frowned slightly.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
From suspicion to confirmation, it had taken this good older sister only an instant.
But exactly how she should handle it, no one seemed able to tell her.