Chapter 41: A Brother’s Gentle Burden

Bai YuYang had every reason to believe something was amiss. This was simply too exaggerated!

Yet, to Aunt Liu, it wasn’t exaggerated in the slightest.

If the higher-ups at the parent company, the ones who issued the directive, discovered that Bai YuYang had worked even a single minute of overtime, her position as restaurant manager would be jeopardized instantly.

She was acutely aware of the parent company’s formidable enforcement capabilities.

Initially, Aunt Liu had intended to keep Su Xiaomeng to help her reconcile the accounts.

However, she suddenly recalled the reason she’d given Bai YuYang for leaving: the corporate culture that strictly prohibited any employee from working overtime.

‘Why did I use such an excuse in the first place?’ she lamented inwardly.

Well, there was no turning back now. Everyone had to leave. Aunt Liu alone would bear the burden.

Her once tranquil position as restaurant manager would never be peaceful again.

****

“Whoa… Senior, Aunt Liu still seems to be inside reconciling the accounts. Are we really not going to help?”

“Is this a question of whether we *want* to help? Didn’t you see her almost yank the power cord the moment my hand touched the mouse?”

“I… I saw it…”

It was half past eight in the evening, and the sky had long since darkened completely.

Bai YuYang and Su Xiaomeng, having changed back into their school uniforms, stood outside the restaurant, ready to head home after work.

Unsure how long Aunt Liu would take to finalize the accounts, and with her refusing any assistance, the two of them had no choice but to depart.

The subway station was a kilometer away. Regardless of their final destinations, they would certainly need to take the subway, meaning they would walk this initial stretch together.

“Su Xiaomeng, which line are you taking later?”

“Line 3? Oh, let me check if it’s Line 3…”

“……”

Watching her repeatedly check her phone, Bai YuYang felt a wave of speechlessness.

However, this also suggested that today was likely her first time taking the subway to work; otherwise, she wouldn’t need to reconfirm the line number.

The journey was brief. In less than ten minutes, Bai YuYang spotted the subway station sign.

He waved his hand and said, “I’m taking Line 2, so I’ll head off first. Tomorrow, you’re on the same afternoon shift, so please don’t be late again for any strange reasons. Unlike what you saw today, Aunt Liu isn’t actually that easygoing.”

“Understood! Thank you for the advice, Senior! I’ve noted it, and I absolutely won’t be late again!”

As a seasoned part-timer, Bai YuYang nodded, satisfied with her response.

Su Xiaomeng lowered her phone, which was displaying the subway map, and suddenly turned around. The moonlight illuminated her profile, catching her twin ponytails as they swung in the opposite direction, making her appear quite playful and vibrant.

She walked towards her side of the subway entrance.

Meanwhile, Bai YuYang headed for the west entrance of the subway.

The two of them joined separate lines at their respective entrances, waiting to enter the station.

Just as the timing seemed right, Bai YuYang watched her fumbling to scan her phone and pass through the subway entrance. Only after she stumbled onto the already uncrowded Line 3 did he breathe a sigh of relief, turning to enter his own station.

Perhaps, this was Bai YuYang’s inherent kindness.

Even for a junior colleague from his part-time restaurant job, if Bai YuYang felt a flicker of worry, he would, despite his outwardly reluctant demeanor, genuinely watch over them from a distance for a while.

Alas, every family had its own struggles, and it wasn’t easy for a high school freshman to work and earn money.

Bai YuYang understood this deeply.

***

From the subway exit to the two-kilometer journey back home, Bai YuYang didn’t run; instead, he hailed a taxi.

Though he could have run home, the usually frugal Bai YuYang chose to spend a little extra on a cab.

His little sister, YuXi, was waiting at home.

Bai YuYang couldn’t bear to measure the time she spent waiting and hungry in monetary terms.

Every second saved was precious.

In just five short minutes, Bai YuYang’s taxi rounded several corners and arrived at the main gate of their residential complex.

Walking briskly to his front door, Bai YuYang didn’t need to knock; he had his own house keys in his bag.

However, just like last time… finding the keys was quite a hassle.

Even after retrieving the keys, Bai YuYang, momentarily lost in thought, instinctively tapped the doorframe twice in the air with his finger.

Don’t ask what he was doing; it was a conditioned reflex from years ago, before the family switched to a password lock.

With a helpless chuckle, Bai YuYang unlocked the door. He was about to call out, “YuXi, I’m home!” but quickly clamped his mouth shut.

Upon entering, he quietly closed the door behind him.

Because his little YuXi was fast asleep on the sofa…

She leaned against the sofa backrest, her silver hair spread out behind her like silk. Her breathing was steady, and she clutched a blue dolphin pillow Bai YuYang had given her years ago.

Bai YuYang had always felt that the pure white pajamas she wore suited her perfectly. Combined with her fair skin and silvery-white hair, lying on the sofa like that, she resembled a large, white cat.

Fearing he might wake her, Bai YuYang tiptoed to the sofa and first used the remote to turn off the television.

Before it switched off, Bai YuYang noticed a cooking show, a culinary instruction program, playing on the screen.

‘Had she been learning to cook just now?’

“YuXi… you shouldn’t sleep here; you’ll catch a cold.”

Bai YuYang called out softly, but YuXi’s chest continued its steady rise and fall. It seemed she was deeply asleep.

This wouldn’t do.

Although Bai YuYang longed to admire YuXi’s peerless beauty in sleep a little longer, to praise his world’s cutest little sister.

But… if YuXi caught a cold, the loss would be far too great.

Dinner could wait until she woke up; it was better to let her return to her room to sleep properly.

Unwilling to wake her, Bai YuYang had only one solution.

He would carry her.

Decisive in his action, Bai YuYang minimized his movements. He slipped his left arm around YuXi’s back and his right arm beneath her legs.

Just as he was about to exert force and stand up, the blue dolphin slipped from YuXi’s grasp.

Suddenly, she clutched Bai YuYang’s arm.

“YuXi? Are you awake?”

There was no response…

But it seemed she had sensed Bai YuYang’s presence.

For Bai YuYang could feel her entire body visibly relax in his embrace.

Now, Bai YuYang dared not move rashly. He maintained his position, observing YuXi’s state.

Initially, she was only holding his arm, but before long, she buried her small head completely into Bai YuYang’s chest.

Then, at zero distance, Bai YuYang heard her soft murmurings in her sleep.

“Ge… Ge… hug…”

‘Even in your dreams, you’re still acting spoiled?!’

Truly… just one sentence, even a dream whisper, instantly melted Bai YuYang’s heart. He suddenly felt that the lingering fatigue from work had completely vanished.

This was the healing power YuXi brought him…

Without thinking, Bai YuYang held her tighter in his arms, and just like when they were children, he whispered soothingly.

“Good girl, YuXi… big brother is here, I’m always here.”

“Mmm…”

After a long while, only when the person in his arms relaxed once more, did Bai YuYang tentatively ask,

“YuXi… you’re actually awake, aren’t you?”

“……”

Still no response.

You can never wake someone who is pretending to be asleep, and even less so a sister who is pretending to be asleep.

That saying was indeed true.

Regardless of whether she was truly asleep or awake, this time, Bai YuYang, with a surge of determination, steadily lifted her into a princess carry.

A familiar, pleasant scent of the shampoo YuXi often used wafted around them.

Bai YuYang walked as steadily as possible towards YuXi’s room.

‘How quiet it is… I truly wish this tranquility could last a little lo—’

“Bai! Yu! Xi! Where’s the sweet and sour fish you said you’d send over?! I haven’t seen anything! It’s been two hours, are you messing with me?!”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Accompanied by three heavy knocks on the door and the little萝莉 (loli)’s loud shouts from outside, Bai YuYang, who had just been appreciating the peace, felt his blood pressure skyrocket.

‘Lin QingYu, you truly know how to ruin a moment!’

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