Chapter 59

"Do you know each other?"

"No, we don't..."

She looked away, denying it firmly.

"Is that so?"

Samson Nan said, then turned his head to look at Yin Lixia.

"Um..."

Yin Lixia turned her eyes, thought for a moment, and then smiled brightly.

"Haha, I've only heard of Raina Nan's sister, so I guessed it might be this little girl~"

"Oh."

Samson Nan didn't think too much, probably heard it from someone in the company.

"Well, I'm quite busy too, so I'll take my leave."

Yin Lixia bowed lightly and prepared to leave.

"Oh, by the way..."

Taking a half step forward, she turned around again.

"If you need any help, just let me know~, any-thing-at-all~"

Her gaze swept over Raina Nan, paused for half a second, and then quietly moved away.

"Oh, Lao Yin, look at how sensible your daughter is! She's beautiful and sweet-mouthed!"

Lao Mama raised her thumb and praised.

"Haha, not at all~ If you really like her, how about I let her marry your son Samson Nan?"

"Huh?"

"Or maybe Samson Nan can marry into our family!"

"Really? That would be great!! We'll...we'll..."

"Closer than close!"

"Exactly! Closer than close, closer than close!"

Lao Mama laughed as if she had won the lottery, unable to close her mouth.

"..."

Raina Nan stood by, watching, not saying a word. The banter between adults was not something she, a younger generation, could interrupt.

She could only lower her head and glance at his reaction from the corner of her eye.

"Mom, Director Yin was joking, why are you taking it seriously..."

Samson Nan said with a wry smile.

"Hey! Samson Nan, I would never joke about my own daughter~"

"Did you hear that?"

Lao Mama turned her head back and glared at him fiercely.

"But well, it still depends on the children's wishes. We parents can only help build a bridge and make connections at most, don't you think?"

"That's right! We, Samson Nan's side, have no problem at all! It's just that..."

"Hey, Mom, that's not appropriate...it hurts!"

Lao Mama pinched his arm hard.

"Samson Nan, I have watched this child grow up. I know his character very well and I appreciate it. If it could really..."

"..."

Raina Nan remained silent, listening to their conversation.

She only had one thought: I really want to go home...

"Director Yin,"

His voice interrupted Director Yin's words.

"I'm afraid I have to disappoint you."

"What are you talking about, child!"

Lao Mama turned her head, looking at him with surprise in her eyes.

"Oh? Samson Nan...do you have someone you like?"

"Ah"

He didn't hesitate too much, just lightly agreed.

"Is that so?"

Director Yin hesitated for a moment, then turned to confirm with Lao Mama.

"Huh?"

Lao Mama looked at Samson Nan with a confused expression.

There was not much change on his face, he smiled and answered their questions.

"Cough cough, I almost made a fool of myself! So close to causing a scene!"

"Oh, Lao Yin..."

"You all find a place to sit first, I'll go check if everyone's here!"

Director Yin said, taking big strides and walking away.

"It's over..."

Lao Mama looked at his back and said somewhat disheartened.

"Mom..."

"Shut up, I want to be alone for a while."

"Okay, then we won't disturb you~"

He tactfully took a step back, thwarting Lao Mama's plan, because although the harm wouldn't be fatal, it was best not to provoke her anymore...

"Little one, let's go."

He signaled Raina Nan with his eyes.

"..."

"Little one!"

"Huh?"

"Why are you daydreaming? Let's go.""Oh..."

She hadn't even reacted yet, but he had already grabbed her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Since just now, he had noticed that Raina Nan was acting a bit strange.

"Did your period come?"

"You just got your period!"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and turned her head away.

"I'm telling you..."

He leaned in closer and whispered.

"Do you really not recognize that Yin Li Xia?"

"W-why are you asking?"

Her body trembled slightly.

"N-no, I just thought you looked a bit strange when you saw her earlier."

"R-really?"

She felt her ears turning hot.

"Yeah, you seemed so flustered."

"Not at all."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She didn't hesitate much and nodded lightly.

"Oh, maybe I was thinking too much..."

He scratched his head.

"Samson Nan! Over here!"

It was Li Xing, holding a glass of red wine, standing not far away waving his hand, with several other men and women beside him.

"They're my colleagues, I'll go over and have a few drinks with them."

He said as he walked over.

"Wait for me here."

"Oh."

He took her over, and she couldn't avoid being persuaded to have a few drinks. He knew she couldn't handle alcohol very well.

So she stayed in her spot.

Five minutes passed...

Looking left and right, all she could see were moving heads, and she didn't recognize anyone.

Her brother seemed to be enjoying himself chatting with his colleagues as if he had forgotten about her, showing no intention of coming back.

Feeling bored, she found a seat by the side and watched him from afar, murmuring softly.

"Fool."

"Indeed, he's a fool~"

"Hmm... eh?!"

She suddenly jumped up from her seat.

"Hi~"

It was Yin Li Xia.

She smiled and calmly sat down next to Raina Nan.

She seemed to be done with her busy work, her face still faintly bearing traces of makeup remover.

"..."

Raina Nan stood up, unable to look at her, ready to leave.

"Little. Fish. Er."

She pronounced each word.

"Don't be so indifferent~ I'll be sad, you know."

"..."

She stopped in her tracks, hesitated for a moment, then turned back and sat next to her.

"What do you want?"

"Haha, don't be so defensive~ Let's consider ourselves friends, alright?"

Friends?

She certainly hadn't forgotten about this person, "Half Summer Bloom". She had listened to her words in a moment of confusion and done those foolish things. Once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of the rope, how could she forget.

"See, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"What?"

"I told you I'm also a little sister, right~"

"..."

That part wasn't a lie.

"So, you and I are on the same side, no, we're comrades!"

"Huh?"

Comrades? That was a fresh term.

"Want a drink?"

She took a cocktail from the waiter's tray and handed it to her.

"..."

Even though she couldn't handle alcohol, she didn't refuse.

"You and your brother seem to get along well~"

"It's not like that..."

She whispered, taking a sip of the cocktail.

"But..."

Yin Li Xia interrupted her words and looked at her with her head tilted.

"It's not enough yet."

"What?"

...

Yin Li Xia didn't answer, she just turned her head towards the front.

Raina Nan followed her gaze.

The spotlight focused on the groom in his white suit and the bride in her pure white wedding dress. They walked out amidst the flowers and the crowd.

She glanced at Yin Li Xia beside her with the corner of her eye.

Her gaze was fixed on the center of the venue, with a smile that appeared and disappeared, subtly flickering at the corners of her mouth.

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, isn't he handsome?"

"Yeah."

Yin Dong still wore his metal-framed glasses, but he combed all his hair up to reveal his forehead, giving off a shrewd and stable feeling.This is what I've heard Flower Blooms in Half Summer mention before, that brother who's not really a brother...

"You seem happy~" Yin Lixia chin rested in her palm.

Of course, it's a wedding after all. People are supposed to be at their best moments, right?

That's what she thought.

"But, you know..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Raina Nan.

"That's all a lie."

"Eh?"

Raina Nan was taken aback.

"Because, the person my brother likes..."

The corner of her mouth formed a slight smile.

"It's me~"

"What do you mean..."

Raina Nan looked at her in surprise. What did she mean by "likes"? What kind of liking did she mean?

"Just literally liking~"

When she looked up, she realized that the groom's expression seemed somewhat complicated.

His eyes wandered all over the place, never lingering on the bride who he should have been watching.

As if desperately searching for something important.

"I'm right here~"

Yin Lixia looked at him with interest and whispered.

"Fool."

She quietly moved a few fingers, even though he couldn't see.

The crowd rushed in and gradually blocked his face.

Nothing could be seen, nothing could be heard.

They were just like this, one standing in the center of the stage, the other standing on the outskirts of the venue.

"It's pretty miserable, isn't it?"

She laughed at herself, as if she had let out a sigh of relief, leaning back in her seat.

"But this is our ending."

"..."

"Little fish, you should understand, right?"

"I..."

"Ah, just now you were thinking 'I definitely don't want to become like this,' weren't you?"

"No, I didn't."

She quickly waved her hands.

"That's mean~~"

"Why..."

"Hmm?"

"Why can you still laugh?"

She looked down, shaking the cocktail in her glass and asked softly.

"Because today is the most important day for him~"

Yin Lixia said naturally.

"Don't you like him?"

"I do."

She narrowed her eyes and smiled, answering without hesitation.

"It's not excessive to say 'love'."

"Then why..."

"Little fish, you know?"

She said, her gaze becoming softer.

"Even though I'm just a sister, refusing to come out of his heart, isn't that something with a guilty conscience?"

"A guilty conscience..."

She had never even thought of that word.

"Yeah, you must think it's unfair, right? Even though we love each other, we can't be together because we are siblings."

"Yeah..."

She nodded gently, unable to deny it.

"But what about that woman?"

She followed Yin Lixia's gaze and looked through the crowd, barely able to see the woman's face.

The bride was a petite girl, standing there with a bouquet, but there was no smile on her face.

Was she really the bride? For a moment, she had such doubts.

"Even though they're married, the person she's thinking about in her heart is her brother, is that fair?"

"..."

"So, I won't cry or make a fuss."

She said, a fleeting sense of loss appeared on her face, but was quickly replaced with a smile.

"I want to see my brother marry his bride with a smile and sincerely bless them from the bottom of my heart. That way, I'll feel at peace..."

"It seems like you've thought about this a lot..."

"Don't underestimate me!"

She laughed and flicked Raina Nan's forehead with her finger, then said:

"So I'm curious... If it were you, what would you do?"

Soundlessly, she handed the question over to her.

"I..."

"What?"

His voice interrupted her thoughts.

She looked up and saw Samson Nan's face slightly flushed from alcohol.

"Brother... When did you come over?"She suddenly felt a bit flustered.

"Just now..."

"You heard?"

"What?"

"Nothing, it's nothing."

"..."

He paused for a moment and glanced at Yin Lixia beside him.

Yin Lixia smiled and waved at him.

"Let's go."

He said, bending down and taking her hand.

"Oh."

She stood up and turned to look at Yin Lixia again.

"Goodbye~"

"Yeah, see you later~"

Yin Lixia smiled lightly and wrinkled her brow at her.

"Fight!"

"..."

She nodded and then turned and left.

"What did she say just now?"

"What?"

"Did I hear it wrong?"

"Oh."

"Is that so..."

He looked at her suspiciously.

"By the way, they were talking about the singles party later again..."

"You're not allowed to go."

"Huh?"

"I said you're not·allowed·to·go!"

He paused for a moment, looking at her, and she also raised her head, staring straight into his eyes.

"Oh, alright..."

"Well~ let's go to my mom's place then~"

She smiled with narrow eyes, pulled his hand, and walked ahead.

"..."

Who does this little rascal think they are being so arrogant?

He felt like if he had said that just now, he would have a very miserable death...

But well,

"It's not bad this way."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing."