Chapter 60: Coffee with Sugar

When they got home, the two of them clumsily opened the car door.

Liu Anran was soaked on his left side, while Liu Xie was drenched on her right.

The young man grabbed the umbrella he’d prepared in advance, and opened it over both their heads.

For now, the weather hadn’t worsened into a downpour, even though each of them had half their body soaked, as if they were wearing matching couple’s outfits made by nature itself.

Liu Xie, however, preferred to call this kind of coincidence a parent-child outfit.

There was still a bit of distance before they reached the Liu Family Residence. After passing through the main gate, there was a classical front courtyard, the moss-stained stone bricks beneath their feet echoing with their steps in the rain.

This umbrella wasn’t particularly large—wider than a single-person umbrella, but still not enough to fit two people.

Yet, Liu Xie clearly didn’t feel a single cold raindrop touch her anymore.

She lifted her head slightly and saw the umbrella was almost entirely covering her own head.

Liu Anran was a bit taller than her, so when he held the umbrella, Liu Xie didn’t object at all. But she hadn’t meant for this guy to hold the umbrella completely over her head.

She stopped walking, and Liu Anran stopped as well.

Then, craning her neck, she glanced over and saw that her good little brother’s other half was nearly soaked through.

Just like a drowned chicken.

She pursed her lips and moved a bit closer to her good little brother.

“My clothes are wet, don’t get too close,” Liu Anran reacted quickly, pulling away to keep his distance.

Half his body was still in the rain.

Liu Xie couldn’t think of a better solution, but she wasn’t about to snatch the umbrella for herself either—she’d have to hold it up, and that would be tiring.

Nor could she just enjoy her brother’s sacrifice while remaining perfectly comfortable herself.

So what should she do?

She reached out, snatched the umbrella from Liu Anran’s hand, and before the young man could react, tossed it into the nearby pond, where it landed with a splash among the old carp.

Then she grabbed his wrist and took off running.

Turning back, she flashed a bright smile.

There was no light source in the front courtyard, yet to Liu Anran, it seemed as if she was glowing.

Just like that rainy night back then—his savior had also thrown away her umbrella, then reached out to pull him from the mud.

Looking back now, maybe it was just that Liu Xie had a few screws loose at the time and liked getting caught in the rain.

But what about now?

He didn’t know. All he knew was that Liu Xie was holding his wrist, leading him across the aged stone bricks, into the warm, amber glow of the lights.

At the doorway, Liu Mother was already waiting to welcome them home.

But it wasn’t just Liu Mother—Liu Father, sitting on the sofa in the distance, was also startled by the sight of the two of them soaked from head to toe.

“What… What happened to you two?” At Liu Mother’s call, the servants quickly brought towels, but it was hardly enough for these two dripping wet “drowned chickens.”

“It rained, of course.” Liu Xie’s damp golden hair clung to her clothes and cheeks, but her expression was still cheerful.

Her white shirt, wet from the rain, was faintly see-through.

“It’s raining, but you didn’t have a car or an umbrella?” Liu Mother said irritably, tossing a towel at Liu Xie’s chest.

Then this mother turned to look at the steady and mature Liu Anran, watching as his gaze finally shifted away from Liu Xie’s face.

“You too, just going along with your sister’s nonsense. When you’re out, you’re supposed to keep your sister in check, not just indulge her.”

Liu Mother seemed to want to say more, but in the end, it all turned into, “Weren’t you always so responsible before?”

“Mm…” Liu Anran paused, glanced at Liu Xie making faces beside him, “Because I rather like the rain too.”

“You…” Liu Mother looked back and forth between her children, “You’re just spoiling her.”

“Hey, I don’t like the sound of that.” Liu Xie hung the towel Liu Mother had thrown around her neck like a scarf. “If he likes the same things I do, it just proves he’s on my side.”

Liu Father, who had come over from behind, paused when he heard this and gave Liu Anran a pointed look.

He could naturally see how different Liu Anran’s attitude was toward Liu Xie.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, didn’t say a word.

Forget it, after all, it was his good son—no, his good daughter’s own choice. He couldn’t control it, nor did he want to.

“Don’t catch a cold.” That was all he said in the end.

Liu Xie nodded furiously, then took the change of clothes the servant handed her.

Heaven knows how the family always knew her exact size.

The best way to avoid catching a cold after getting drenched is to take a hot shower.

Liu Xie, soaked to the skin, went off to shower—skipping around before and after as if nothing had happened.

Maybe she was a lot tougher than Zhu Niao in terms of constitution.

The family might have underestimated her size, though. After putting on the clothes, she felt an odd tightness in her chest and a definite sense of being squeezed.

It didn’t show from the outside. The white lantern-sleeved nightgown did a good job of hiding Liu Xie’s rather excessive figure.

“It kind of looks like maternity wear.” Liu Anran, also showered and changed into pajamas, came over unhurriedly with two steaming mugs.

His fluffy dark blue pajamas looked like the gift Liu Xie had given him last year.

Only at times like this did he seem like a young man, rather than the cranky old man he usually sounded like.

Liu Xie raised an eyebrow, grabbed the loose sides of her nightgown at her waist, and tugged behind her.

She wanted to show Liu Anran that she wasn’t as chubby as she looked, but things weren’t so simple.

Aside from the two oversized, squeezed mounds straining the fabric, there was also her slender waist, a slightly rounded belly—

And the way her crossed legs made the fabric sink into a captivating, subtle triangle.

With the white cloth clinging to her skin, there was even a faint pink showing through.

Rather than simply revealing her curves, the contrast between front and back made Liu Xie’s loose nightgown even more eye-catching, leaving a deeper impression.

The young man suddenly paused, and two drops of hot milk spilled from the brimming mug in his hand.

“Here.”

He averted his gaze but still handed the hot milk to Liu Xie.

“What, are you scared?” It seemed like the first time Liu Xie had seen her good little brother avoid something. She took the milk, curiosity lighting up her face as she leaned closer.

Her beautiful eyes blinked. Liu Anran took a deep breath and simply closed his eyes.

“We’re meeting the girl’s family tomorrow morning. If you want to come along, go to bed early tonight.”

With that, he turned away.

“Oh…”

Her good little brother seemed to have gone back to being his usual cold self at that moment.

Maybe.

Liu Anran simply returned to his room, set down his hot coffee, and sat in the recliner, leaning back.

Some things just wouldn’t go away, hard to forget.

A feeling he’d never known before.

But she was his savior. She shouldn’t be tainted by anything, not even by him, the muddy little mess she’d dragged from the gutter.

But Liu Xie had pulled him out of the mud, protected him up till now—maybe their positions should be reversed.

Would it be better if he could get closer to the savior he was supposed to protect?

Liu Anran rarely felt muddled about anything, but every time he did, it was because of Liu Xie.

He took a big gulp of coffee.

Tomorrow he’d be meeting a girl who was very interested in him—though there were many, many girls interested in him.

It was hot, a little bitter.

But why did it taste sweeter the more he drank?

He didn’t know.

Maybe he’d accidentally put sugar in when making Liu Xie’s milk.

Yes, it was Liu Xie. It could only be Liu Xie.