Chapter 2: “First Kiss”

The grand, elegant hall was adorned with opulent decorations.

Men and women in formal attire mingled like seasoned professionals.

They held high-stemmed glasses, chatting in small groups.

“Eat something here.”

“I’m going to talk with those sisters over there.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay, okay.”

Sister Yuan didn’t seem to care much for this banquet.

She still wore the black dress from earlier today.

Her face bore no makeup.

Yet even so, her natural beauty drew plenty of gazes.

This school’s pretty generous.

The food looks, smells, and tastes amazing.

It’s so tempting.

If I weren’t worried about embarrassing Sister Yuan, I’d devour it all.

“Hey, kid, are you Mo Yuan’s little brother?”

A man in a suit, with gold-rimmed glasses and a handsome face, spoke to me.

Kid?

The term annoyed me.

I may look short, but I’m fifteen.

I’ll be a high schooler after summer.

Out of politeness, I didn’t snap back.

“Yes, I’m Sister Yuan’s brother.”

“And you are?”

“Hi, I’m Zhao Xun.”

“I’m your sister’s classmate.”

“And… one of her suitors.”

A suitor?

With Sister Yuan’s charm, it’s no surprise she has admirers.

But his boldness in admitting it caught me off guard.

And… one of?

Does Sister Yuan have other suitors?

“So, what do you want?”

“I don’t really like chatting with strangers.”

“You’ve got the same vibe as Mo Yuan.”

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m not a bad guy.”

“I just want to talk about your sister.”

“You must be curious about what she’s like at school.”

“I can tell you.”

The man adjusted his glasses.

His tone was warm and friendly.

Hearing “kid” again tanked my opinion of him.

I dropped any pretense of courtesy.

“No thanks.”

“If Sister Yuan wants me to know something, she’ll tell me herself.”

“If there’s nothing else, please don’t bother me.”

The annoying man’s face stiffened.

He gave an awkward smile.

Finally, he walked away, head down, defeated.

In the distance, Sister Yuan was chatting with a few pretty older girls in long dresses.

Occasionally, she curved her lips into a faint, fake smile.

A fake smile.

She once said it’s a necessary tool for socializing.

Unlike her genuine happiness, it’s just a mask to fit the mood.

Even that fake expression, though, I’ve never seen her show to other guys.

Her real smile?

That’s only for me.

Around Sister Yuan and her group, others were gathered, talking loudly.

Life’s little details, juicy gossip, future plans—they discussed it all.

A few guys kept stealing glances at Sister Yuan and her friends.

Likewise, Sister Yuan occasionally shifted her gaze.

She’d look my way.

Our eyes met.

I swallowed the cake in my mouth.

I flashed her a big smile.

The girls chatting with Sister Yuan suddenly stopped.

They looked at her, then at me.

Then they all walked over to me.

“You’re Mo Yuan’s little brother, right?”

“She talks about you all the time.”

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Lu You.”

“Lu, as in land, and You, as in leisurely.”

“Lu You, you’re just as cute as Mo Yuan said!”

“Can I pat your head?”

“Uh… well…”

Before I could finish, a cool hand started ruffling my hair.

But it was quickly swatted away.

“No way.”

“Only I get to touch my brother’s head.”

“Come on, Mo Yuan, don’t be so stingy.”

“It’s just a pat, no big deal.”

“Your brother’s so cute.”

“How about he becomes my boyfriend when he grows up?”

“No way, I want Lu You as my boyfriend!”

The girls giggled.

They kept trying to touch me.

But Sister Yuan blocked them every time.

“Stop it.”

“Xiao You will be my boyfriend in the future.”

Sister Yuan’s tone was calm and serious.

Her smile was the same as before, but it carried no hint of joking.

“Mo Yuan, you mean… Lu You’s your future husband?”

“Like, a childhood groom you’re raising?”

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

Sister Yuan patted my head.

She pressed her face against mine.

“Lu You’s the husband I’m raising for myself.”

“A husband you raise yourself is the most satisfying, isn’t it?”

The girls looked stunned.

Then they burst into laughter.

“Wow, I knew it! Mo Yuan’s totally into younger boys.”

“No wonder she gives all those hot guys the cold shoulder.”

“Poor Lu You, claimed by Mo Yuan at such a young age.”

‘Didn’t you just say something similar yourself?’

“No wonder Mo Yuan didn’t even glance at that rich, loyal, good-looking Zhao Xun.”

‘Zhao Xun? That prim and proper guy with the gold-rimmed glasses?’

He’s decent-looking, sure.

But I really don’t like him.

“Loyal?”

“Didn’t he give up after I rejected him once?”

“No, you barely noticed him, so you wouldn’t know.”

“He’s still trying to figure out what you like behind your back.”

“He even asked us.”

“Clingy, annoying guy.”

Sister Yuan muttered under her breath.

Only I, sitting next to her, could hear it.

“Now that you mention it, it’s weird.”

“Those guys who didn’t give up after Mo Yuan rejected them…”

“They either disappeared or transferred schools not long after.”

“We never saw them again.”

“Probably just a coincidence.”

“What, you think I secretly got rid of them?”

Sister Yuan had me sitting on her lap.

She was feeding me peeled tangerines.

She kept chatting with the girls, her hands never stopping.

Sister Yuan was about a head taller than me.

In this position, her full, round chest pressed against my shoulder.

The sensation from behind made my face flush.

To hide it, I carefully lowered my head.

Noticing I wasn’t eating, Sister Yuan looked down at me.

“What’s wrong?”

“Full already?”

“Why’s your head down?”

“I’m full.”

“I feel a bit off.”

“I’m gonna take a walk.”

I wriggled out of her embrace.

I hopped off the chair.

I walked out through the hall’s back door.

Outside was an open grassy area.

A few tall trees and streetlights dotted the lawn.

The night was quiet, the breeze cool.

A stark contrast to the noisy clamor inside.

“Face red like that just because you’re feeling off?”

Sister Yuan had followed me out.

She stood half a meter behind me.

“Nothing gets past you, does it, Sister Yuan?”

“In front of you, I feel like I have no secrets.”

“Then don’t keep secrets from me.”

“Your sister will forgive anything.”

“So, what’s up?”

“Why’s your face so red all of a sudden?”

“You… that position just now… it touched…”

“Touched?”

“Touched what… oh~”

“Xiao You’s getting shy, huh?”

I turned around.

Sister Yuan, in her black dress, looked dreamlike against the night.

Her fair, glowing skin shone even in the darkness.

Her beauty was otherworldly, captivating.

She smiled and stepped closer.

Without warning, she pulled me into her arms.

This time, my face was pressed right into her soft, round chest.

“Better get used to it.”

“You’ll have plenty more of this kind of contact in the future.”

‘Plenty more?’

‘What does that mean?’

“Mo Yuan!”

A warm, magnetic male voice called from behind her.

She turned her head.

Seeing Zhao Xun in a suit, holding a large bouquet of roses, her face twisted with obvious disgust.

A group of people watched from a distance.

“Mo Yuan, I…”

The polite, refined-looking man didn’t seem to notice her distaste.

He started to speak, oblivious.

Sister Yuan turned back.

She grabbed my hand.

Without looking back, she walked away.

She didn’t even give him a chance to finish.

A cold, icy expression settled on her face.

Her narrowed eyes brimmed with clear disdain.

Her lips moved slightly, murmuring words carried away by the wind.

“Annoying pest.”

“I’ll find a chance to deal with him too.”

“Sister Yuan, what did you say?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

She was walking quickly but suddenly stopped.

She glanced at the crowd in the distance and the flustered Zhao Xun.

Then she looked at me.

A mischievous, devilish expression crossed her face.

A soft, warm sensation touched my lips.

Her light purple eyes, so close, squinted slightly.

Sister Yuan leaned down.

Her soft lips pressed tightly against mine.

Three or four seconds later, she stood up straight.

She didn’t care about the onlookers’ reactions.

Without a word, she led me away from the scene.