His shoulder throbbed faintly beneath the bandages, but right now, that pain meant nothing.
*It’s good to be alive.* A smile curved Qin An’s lips.
“Ah! Gege, you’re awake?” The little girl beamed, dropping her schoolbag as she rushed to his bedside. He instinctively pulled the blanket over his bare chest. She reached out, gently tracing the bandages. “Does it still hurt? Are you feeling better?”
Her smile vanished instantly. “Why did this happen?” Her eyes were still puffy from crying all night.
“You knew there was a thief at home. Why go back?”
“How could I know? I’m not a god who sees the future!”
“You *did* know! Otherwise, why lie to Aunt Xia about locking the door? We didn’t lock it this morning—the key’s right here in my bag!” Qin Yage planted her hands on her hips, scolding like a tiny adult. “You lied!”
Qin An fell silent. His sister wasn’t just pretty—she was sharp. He wouldn’t need to worry about her falling for bad men later. His parenting needed to change; he wouldn’t repeat last life’s mistakes.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“Hmph! I don’t believe you. You’re a liar—the universe’s number one super liar!”
“Uh…”
“I’ll forgive you… if you agree to my terms.”
*Please don’t ask for candy…*
Qin Yage caught the flicker in his eyes. She blinked slyly. “If you lie to me once, you owe me ten lollipops. Twice? One hundred. Three times…” She held up slender fingers, then paused, calculations failing her.
“What happens on the third time?”
“I’ve decided!” She puffed out her chest. “You’ll buy me candy for life!”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“No arguing! Ten lollipops!”
“Unhappy with the penalty? Ten lollipops—”
“Alright, alright! I surrender. You win.” Qin An ruffled her hair and pulled her into a hug.
“Hmph! Unauthorized hugging without sister’s permission? Ten lollipops!”
“So ten lollipops buys a hug?”
Flustered, Qin Yage wriggled free, baring tiny fangs. She sank them into his neck.
“I’m injured! Go easy—”
“No! Flirting with your sister? Twenty lollipops! You pervert!”
Total debt: ninety lollipops.
“Xiao An! Are you alright?” A figure burst into the ward like a gust of wind.
Qin An smiled weakly from his bed. “Much better.”
“Thank goodness it was only your shoulder. Who spread that ridiculous rumor about ten billion in inheritance? Disgusting.” Aunt Xia adjusted her white doctor’s coat, fury etched on her face. (Rumor said she’d been a nurse when she met Little Tyrant’s dad at the hospital. After her divorce, she’d clawed her way to becoming a doctor.) “Your sturdy build saved you. Most boys your age wouldn’t be talking right now.”
“Mom, that’s *my* doing!” Little Tyrant puffed his chest. “I trained him hard!”
Aunt Xia flicked his forehead. “Bullying your brother is a virtue now?”
Little Tyrant rubbed his head, stubbornly defending his “contribution.” Aunt Xia gave up—she was on shift—and hurried off, leaving him grinning.
“Where’s that brat Yage?” Little Tyrant asked, peeling an apple with swift strokes.
“Probably buying dinner.”
“Oh, I covered for you at school. Your desk mate kept asking questions. I told her you were sick… and turned down her visit. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
“Good.” He exhaled, then inhaled deeply. “I made this. You haven’t eaten yet, right?” He opened a lunchbox brimming with fragrant rice and savory dishes. Qin An’s stomach growled. Chopsticks in hand, he was about to dig in when a sharp voice cut through:
“Gege, *this* is your meal.”
Qin Yage stood rigid in the doorway, glaring at Little Tyrant, who glared right back. Her own box held simple dishes: sweet-and-sour pork ribs, honey-glazed radish, and cold tomato salad—her sweet tooth never quit.
“Nee, eating with your left hand must be hard, right?”
“It’s fine—”
Under the table, Qin Yage pinched his waist fiercely. Her eyes screamed: *Play along.*
“Hard! Very hard!”
“Then I’ll feed you!” Her bright, watery eyes sparkled with mischief. She popped a pork rib into his mouth—cloyingly sweet. Under her fierce stare, Qin An forced a blissful expression.
Leaning close to Little Tyrant’s ear, Qin Yage whispered, “Sister Wang, I’ve got this. You can go home. Thank you for taking care of my brother.”
“No need to thank me. Xiao An, eat the apple after dinner, okay?”
“Got it.”
As Little Tyrant left, Qin Yage grinned triumphantly.
Qin An happily dug into Little Tyrant’s dinner—far better than Yage’s saccharine spread. Seeing him enjoy “that fox spirit’s” food, Yage’s joy froze solid. She snatched the lunchbox away. “You’re not eating hers!”
“Why not? Should I eat yours?”
“Yes! You have a problem with my food? Say yes, and I’ll bite you!”
“N-no problem…”
“Then why eat hers?!” She scoffed at his excuse.
“I saved it for you! I knew you’d want it.”
Easily swayed, the little girl devoured every sticky bite. Only Qin An’s stern “big brother” voice—and the threat of ninety lollipops—forced her to brush her teeth. She stomped off, muttering, “Despicable… shameless… vile… treacherous…”
*Do you need every insult in the dictionary?*
Thanks to Aunt Xia’s pull (and low patient numbers), Qin An had the ward to himself. Yage insisted on staying overnight despite his worries about germs. Even lollipop bribes failed.
By 8 PM, exhaustion hit. Qin An watched his sister sleep soundly on the opposite bed, her face angelic in the dim light. A soft smile touched his lips before he drifted off.
Morning light spilled into the room. He stirred as the blanket lifted. A warm little body slid under the covers.
“Yage…?” he mumbled, eyes closed. Her arm pulled his aside. The clean scent of her hair filled his nose. His arm became her pillow.
Yage had shared his bed for years. As she grew older, she’d grown shy about sleeping with her brother—aware of the differences between boys and girls, craving independence. But on stormy nights, or after ghost stories, she’d always crept back to his warmth. Her parents felt like strangers; her mother would scold her for seeking comfort. So she teased him, envied him—anything to make him *see* her. Because in her heart, only he was truly her brother.
