Chapter 42: Anyway, No Staying Up Late

Ning Wanciu looked at her younger sister sobbing in her arms and was momentarily stunned.

So… what exactly was going on here?

My friend is ignoring her?

Ning Wanciu’s friends were Huai Xiang and Cheng Shimumeng, but neither of them was close with Ning Dongli.

So Dongli meant… An Yu?

But Ning Wanciu clearly remembered that before she left, Ning Dongli had been dead set against adding An Yu as a friend.

Ning Wanciu lowered her head in confusion and looked at Ning Dongli, who was crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain.

Was this the same person as the Ning Dongli from before she left?

“Dongli, it’s okay, it’s okay. First tell big sis what happened, alright?” 

Ning Wanciu gently stroked Ning Dongli’s little head. 

“No matter what it is, we’ll solve it together.”

Hearing this, Ning Dongli sniffled and responded in a muffled voice. 

“Mm.”

“So, what exactly happened? My friend ignoring you… is it An Yu?”

“Mm…”

An Yu. That was indeed the name. When Ning Wanciu had introduced her, Ning Dongli hadn’t paid attention. 

Only now did she seriously remember it.

Ning Wanciu was full of question marks after getting the answer.

Didn’t she say she absolutely wouldn’t add her? 

How come the moment she came back, not only had she added her as a friend, but her attitude had completely flipped…

“She… she’s completely ignoring me now… My attitude earlier wasn’t good. I must have made her angry…”

The so-called “not good attitude” referred to how she had been tortured by An Yu’s game skills, then silently abandoned An Yu and started running around the map looking for people to kill.

Although it was rare for someone to get angry over something like that, Ning Dongli’s mind was currently occupied by the feeling of having gained and then lost something. 

She subconsciously assumed An Yu was ignoring her because she was angry.

“Wuu… Sis, what do I do…”

Ning Dongli somewhat fearfully acted spoiled toward Ning Wanciu. 

The Ning Wanciu in front of her was now the only person she could rely on.

Ning Wanciu was stunned for a moment before helplessly smiling at the panicked Ning Dongli.

“Dongli, don’t worry. Let’s go over there and talk slowly.”

Ning Wanciu pulled Ning Dongli to the sofa nearby. 

The two sisters sat side by side and had a heart-to-heart talk.

…

…

“So, Dongli, you ignored An Yu while playing games, and now she’s not responding. You want to make up for it, right?”

Ning Dongli fell silent for a while but eventually nodded slowly. 

“…Mm.”

“Sigh…” 

Ning Wanciu let out a helpless sigh. “Don’t worry. Maybe An Yu’s phone just died.”

“R-really?”

Ning Dongli’s own phone had never shut down because of a dead battery.

“Really…” 

Ning Wanciu snatched Ning Dongli’s phone, glanced at the long wall of text, covered it with her hand, and directly deleted it.

“Ah!”

Seeing her sister’s action, Ning Dongli let out a startled cry.

She had typed for so long and hadn’t even sent it yet!

“Idiot!” Ning Wanciu helplessly flicked Ning Dongli’s forehead.

“Wuu…”

Ning Dongli winced in pain, clutching her forehead and looking at Ning Wanciu with teary eyes, not understanding why she did that.

“Anyway, nothing will happen. Don’t send such a long message to harass her. That will only backfire, okay?”

Ning Wanciu felt speechless inside. 

Had her little sister not socialized with others for too long? 

Why did she like doing such silly things?

So overly sensitive, always thinking others were angry at her.

Although she hadn’t interacted much with An Yu, from what Ning Wanciu knew of her…

Saying An Yu was ignoring Ning Dongli because she was angry was less likely than saying her phone had been eaten by a roadside cat.

“But…”

“No buts!” 

Ning Wanciu gently rubbed Ning Dongli’s little head. 

“Just go to sleep peacefully. No staying up late tonight.”

“But…”

“No buts either!” Ning Wanciu continued. 

“I know you’re worried. Tomorrow I’ll help you ask An Yu.”

“And I’ll ask if she can keep playing with you tomorrow.”

Knowing her sister tended to overthink, Ning Wanciu deliberately added another sentence to raise her expectations.

“Really…?”

Seeing the expectation shining in Ning Dongli’s eyes, Ning Wanciu couldn’t help but want to laugh.

“Of course it’s real. But if you stay up late tonight, big sis can take it back.”

“No taking it back! I-I’m going to sleep right now!”

Ning Dongli’s body trembled slightly. 

She immediately grabbed the throw pillow from the sofa, stood up, and jogged all the way to her room.

“Really…” 

Watching her sister’s retreating figure, Ning Wanciu shook her head helplessly.

She didn’t know when Ning Dongli had become so sensitive.

But…

What happened today might not be a bad thing. It could even be a very good thing.

Dongli’s somewhat humble attitude and sorrowful expression showed just how much she cared about An Yu.

This was the first person besides herself that Ning Dongli had cared about in a very long time.

Ning Wanciu unconsciously curved her lips.

She could probably consider this a success—she had helped Ning Dongli make her first friend, right?

If the two of them got along well online, maybe they could also get along in real life.

Ning Wanciu thought that if Ning Dongli cared so much about An Yu, she might be able to use An Yu to get Ning Dongli out of her room and play outside with An Yu.

Moreover, although they weren’t the same age… An Yu looked even younger than Dongli. 

That point would make it easier for Ning Dongli to accept.

While Ning Wanciu was thinking, Ning Dongli suddenly stopped in front of her.

She slowly turned around, worry still in her eyes. “Sis, it’ll really be okay… right?”

“If you don’t go to sleep soon, even if it’s okay it’ll become not okay, you know?” 

Ning Wanciu threatened in a low voice.

“I-I got it. I’m going to sleep right now!”

Ning Dongli hugged her little throw pillow and hurriedly opened her room door and slipped inside.

“Really…” 

Ning Wanciu shook her head helplessly again.

She stood up, about to tidy herself up and go to sleep, when Ning Dongli’s room door opened once more.

A cute little head poked out.

“Really, what now, Dongli?”

Ning Dongli pressed her lips together. “Big sis, good night.”

Ning Wanciu was stunned for a moment before a gentle smile appeared on her face. 

“Mm, good night. I hope my little Dongli has sweet dreams tonight.”

After exchanging good nights, Ning Dongli closed her door and didn’t come out again.

But Ning Wanciu in the living room couldn’t recover for a long time.

Tonight’s Ning Dongli gave her the illusion that they had gone back to the past.

For a very long time, Ning Dongli hadn’t even wanted to acknowledge her. 

Yet now she was acting spoiled toward her so naturally.

This was the change An Yu had brought…

Thinking of that cat-like girl who was inexplicably cute in strange ways, Ning Wanciu unconsciously smiled.

As expected, introducing An Yu to her had been the best decision.