Chapter 7: Xu Duyan (6) — Chocolate Cake

“Okay…”

Su Ziyan answered in a low voice.

The excitement and helplessness he felt upon their first meeting began to cool, and for a moment, he found himself unable to look her in the eye.

After all, he hadn’t dared to contact her once over the past half a year.

Yet, judging by her words, she had never stopped caring about him for a single second.

‘The online friend I always vented to… She was probably the one pretending to be younger just to trick me,’ he realized.

“This is all too plain.”

Xu Duyan’s voice drifted into Su Ziyan’s ears, making him pause.

“I said, this is all too plain…” she repeated.

Taking a step forward, she pulled Su Ziyan directly into her arms.

“After suffering so much, it wouldn’t be over the top to hold your Sister and cry.”

Held in her embrace, Su Ziyan felt her scent and warmth.

The tears he had been holding back finally began to flow uncontrollably.

“Sister…”

“If you don’t want to stay there, just come home with me. Isn’t that normal?”

Xu Duyan comforted him softly, patting his back.

“Sister won’t think any less of you.”

“But I really feel like I’ve let you down…”

“Since when did we have to worry about letting each other down?”

Xu Duyan spoke with total indifference.

“If we really drew the line that clearly, wouldn’t I have been arrested for pedophilia for telling you to marry me when we grew up?”

She was cracking a terrible joke, and it wasn’t funny at all.

“Alright, alright, enough of that nonsense.”

Xu Duyan pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and gently wiped Su Ziyan’s tears.

“Let’s go. Sister is taking you home. You should just live a good life with me from now on. Since you don’t like it there, don’t go back to your mother’s house anymore.”

“Is that really okay?”

Su Ziyan blinked, staring blankly at Xu Duyan’s face.

“Even though I’ve already done things like that?”

“What things?”

Xu Duyan waved her hand dismissively.

“I don’t care.”

“Ah… no, actually, I should say I’m happy you’d consider my feelings like that. It’s quite heartwarming,” Xu Duyan said after a moment of thought, her expression becoming serious.

“But don’t do it again. I hate people who are only good at moving their own hearts.”

With that, she finished wiping his tears and hailed a taxi waiting at the hotel entrance.

She stuffed Su Ziyan and herself into the back seat and gave the driver a familiar address.

“If you ask me, you just think too much.”

After getting into the car, she firmly pressed Su Ziyan’s head down until he was lying across her lap, which was clad in black Silk Stockings.

“There’s no such thing as ‘owing’ between us.”

Su Ziyan stared dazed at his sister’s face.

‘Sister is so beautiful,’ he suddenly thought for no reason.

“Hey, what are you spacing out for?”

Xu Duyan gave Su Ziyan a light pinch.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to see your mother together. I can only keep you here once we’ve made everything clear. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I understand,” Su Ziyan nodded.

“I suddenly feel like you’re the legendary Perfect Woman, Sister. You’re beautiful, and your personality is…”

“Enough, enough. Stop sucking up to me.”

Xu Duyan’s face remained largely expressionless, but her cheeks turned a faint shade of red that was hard to see in the dark.

“If you really want to flatter me, then give me a foot massage when we get home.”

“I was planning to mix two drinks tonight to reminisce about the old days, but who knew you’d suddenly act like you had nothing left to live for.”

Xu Duyan pressed down on Su Ziyan’s head with a bit of annoyance, making him beg for mercy.

“I was so worried that I rushed right over. I’m still wearing Silk Stockings and High Heels, you know! Running those few steps really hurt!”

“I’m sorry… I was wrong, Sister.”

Seeing the boy on her lap so quick to admit his fault, Xu Duyan couldn’t bring herself to scold him further.

She paused for a moment and then suddenly spoke.

“I just thought of something I read in a book.”

“What is it?”

“A girl’s Silk Stockings and High Heels are like a man’s suit and tie—they are like a Knight’s armor and sword.”

“That sounds like a pretty indecent book.”

“Right? I thought it was indecent too,” Xu Duyan agreed.

“So, does that make me a Knight who just rescued a Withdrawn Princess from a High Tower?”

“Isn’t the gender reversed?”

“True. But you’re not exactly a princess either. To me, you’re a Foot-washing Maid at most.”

“That’s a great honor… I want to eat the Tomato Fried Eggs you make.”

“Look at you, having no ambition at all. You won’t even ask for something fancy… Fine, I’ll make it for you when we get back.”

***

“Ah, it’s been too long since I cooked…”

Xu Duyan felt a bit embarrassed as she set the Tomato Fried Eggs on the coffee table.

“The eggs are a bit overdone.”

“It’s fine. As long as you made it, Sister.”

Su Ziyan took a bite with a smile.

“I’ve craved this taste for so long.”

The television played some nonsensical program.

For a moment, it felt like they had returned to the past, when they would sit in the living room watching TV while they ate.

It was the only way to make the quiet house feel a bit livelier.

This made Xu Duyan feel even more self-conscious.

Suddenly remembering something, she turned and walked back into the kitchen.

A moment later, she returned to the living room holding a cake box.

When she opened it, it was a Chocolate Cake—the same kind Su Ziyan used to eat every year on his birthday.

Meeting Su Ziyan’s surprised gaze, Xu Duyan turned her head away and lit a cigarette.

“I was a bit out of it when I woke up today. I saw the date on my phone and reflexively ordered one,” Xu Duyan’s voice drifted through the smoke.

“I originally planned to give it to the college students who work part-time for me.”

‘If she really meant it for a part-timer, she wouldn’t have bothered taking it out of the fridge,’ Su Ziyan thought.

He chuckled and said, “Okay. I’ll give you that foot massage after we finish eating, Sister.”

“Ah…”

Xu Duyan paused, surprised by his words.

“I was joking.”

“But I’m serious.”

The entire room fell silent for a second.

In the next moment, Xu Duyan said with a hint of embarrassment, “You don’t have some kind of special fetish, do you? You can’t do that with your Sister.”

“I don’t!”

Su Ziyan nearly choked on his cake.

He looked at Xu Duyan with an exasperated expression.

“How could I have a fetish like that?”

“But…”

Xu Duyan said in a low, teasing voice, “You always love looking at those lewd pictures online… You even said you wanted to lick…”

“That’s ACG Culture! Don’t get involved with ACG Culture stuff!”

Su Ziyan turned his head, frantically trying to explain.

“How could anyone be like that in reality? Besides, you’ve been running around in Silk Stockings and High Heels all day. I didn’t even complain about you smelling…”

“What do you mean? You’re disgusted by me!”

For some reason, Xu Duyan—who had been hugging a sofa cushion—also got defensive.

She lay back on the sofa and kicked her legs toward Su Ziyan’s face.

“They don’t smell at all! Smell them if you don’t believe me!”

“No!”

“You brat, you’re rebelling now? Open your mouth!”