"Bloo, how are you this strong?" On the way, the blonde girl let her guard fall, curiosity bubbling, eyes skimming the blue-haired youth like a scanner. Sun-browned skin like toasted wheat; a sharp, handsome face; deep-blue hair the wind brushed yet never shifted, a still lake under a gust.

"How much gel did you use?" At that moment, Little Loli curled in the corner, cautious fingers playing with loose blonde strands. She lit her phone; it crept toward five. In a little while, Lu Ke would be home.

Her delicate face, under the sunset’s honey, looked breathtaking. It did nothing to the blue-haired youth, though. "Bloo, how old are you?" Before the next question landed, the Mercedes lunged. The g-force slapped her into the seat like a wave.

"Hey, hey! You can’t treat me like that for asking more. I’m just keeping the vibe alive." Xiao Qianxue rubbed the little head that hit the seat, a puff of grievance before the sting.

Under Bloo’s masterful hands, the Mercedes flew and slid to a stop before her apartment gate, a silver fish cutting to shore. "Anyway, thanks." Before getting out, Little Loli tucked the golden hair back into her hood, careful as folding silk, and reached for the door.

"Get ready, mentally... that drug... is troublesome." Right as she was leaving, Bloo broke his usual silence, words spilling for once like stones from a sealed jar.

"What are the side effects? And when will you pick me up tomorrow?" Seeing Bloo finally speak, Little Loli pressed while the iron was hot.

"Not sure. I’ll call tomorrow..." He fell quiet. She knew no more would come, so she hopped out and trotted home, light as a sparrow in dusk.

"Xue’er, I’m back!" The door swung open just as the blonde girl slipped off her hoodie. Her hair spilled like a waterfall over a black tee. The thin cloth traced a body just starting to blossom. A rosy glow warmed her small face, like wine on snow.

"Welcome back. And, big bro, go cook, quick. I haven’t even had lunch!" Little Loli grabbed fresh clothes and dived into the bathroom, a swish like a koi.

"Did she just get in? Weird..." Lu Ke shook his head. The election frenzy had already chewed his day to ribbons. Home was for emptying the mind, for the quiet medicine only his sister gave.

Awoo, awoo. In a nightgown, hair still beaded with water, Xiao Qianxue saw the food and bounced onto a chair, shoveling rice like a happy squirrel.

"Slow down, Xue’er. I made a lot today." He looked at that flawless, adorable face—no, at the porcelain skin the nightgown framed like mist over jade. Heat rose to his cheeks, and he wrestled his focus back to the food.

"Hey, big bro, I’ve got something important to say..."

"Xue’er, I’ve got something too..."

After dinner, they spoke in unison, words colliding like birds. "Big bro, you first." She dabbed her lips clean; her expression settled, a lake gone still.

"Alright. I won the student council president today." Lu Ke cleared his throat, trying to wear a mantle of authority like a newly fitted cape.

"Congrats~"

"And... I might not make it home at noon from now on. But I’ll prep tomorrow’s lunch ingredients every night. You’re amazing, so you’ll be fine... right?" His voice thinned at the end, a candle in a draft.

"Is it because the president’s work is too heavy?" The blonde girl bit her chopsticks, teeth tapping like rain on bamboo.

"Yeah... I’ll try it for a while. If you’re unhappy, or if it’s too much hassle, I’ll resign."

"Don’t. It’s a good chance to get stronger." She twirled the chopsticks like a baton, head bowed. "I’ll take care of myself. You don’t need to worry so much, big bro."

"Good. Then, Xue’er, what was it you wanted to say?" Relief eased his chest, yet a knot remained. He could feel weight in her silence, a bell before it tolls.

"If... if one day I have to leave, all of a sudden—could you accept that?" She lifted her head as she spoke. In those gold-red eyes, he saw struggle, and a blade of resolve.

"I can. I’m the one who brought you home and called you my sister. I’m not into locking people up. But what you’ll face... it’ll be cruel, won’t it?" He’d guessed this shape of question for a while. Bitter truth walks on soft feet.

"Compared to big bro’s life, yeah." Xiao Qianxue glanced at the peaceful night outside, a calm pond over a deep spring. Her heart tangled. After smashing her phone last time, she’d lost every old contact. The only thread to the past was the electronic panel Joanna had given her, tucked away like a sealed letter.

"Anyway, it won’t be soon. Don’t worry, big bro." She switched tones in a heartbeat, sweet and contagious, washing the room like warm light. Then she dashed to the sofa, flicked on the TV, and booted the console.

"Sigh. A girl who won’t let you stop worrying." Lu Ke shook his head and started clearing the table. A small cloud crossed his mood, but some weather can’t be changed.

Hours drifted by.

"Man, a hot shower is still the best." Lu Ke stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around him. He opened the door and found the blonde girl standing there. "Xue’er? What’s up?" He scrubbed at his hair with the towel, puzzled.

"Nothing. I saw you still stewing, so I brought a little welfare." Little Loli tilted her head, playful as a fox, and opened her arms. "Here, have a hug~"

He looked at the petite, lovely girl reaching for him. He didn’t hesitate long. He spread his arms and hugged back. In an instant, jasmine flooded his breath like spring rain. The small body in his arms was soft, fragile as pressed snow—too much force felt like it might break her.

"Hey, hey, big bro! How long are you planning to hold me?"

"Mm, sorry!"

"Hmph. Getting carried away, you lewd big bro."