Qin An gently set Yuko down. Her legs still wobbled, and she leaned heavily on his arm to stay upright.

“Oh! Brother! Welcome back!”

Qin Chan came bounding out at the sound of the door, head down like a tiny bull charging straight for Qin An’s chest.

He stopped her with a single finger pressed to her forehead. “I’m soaked. Let me change first.”

“No way!” Qin Chan finally looked up—and spotted the dripping girl beside him. “Ohhh! Brother brought a girl home overnight! I’m telling Sister! Telling Auntie! You bad, bad brother!”

“Xiao Chan, wait—”

Qin An could only watch as she summoned the household’s two biggest devils.

“Brother, you…”

Qin Yage had thought it a joke. Now, tears unshed but teeth gritted, she radiated fury.

Qin An knew: without a solid explanation, he’d be kneeling on the washboard, keyboard, *and* remote tonight. Twice.

“Little An-An’s all grown up now…” Qin Yuqing’s tears flowed instantly. She dabbed her eyes with her sleeve—Oscar-worthy acting. “I can die happy.” She took Yuko’s hand. “Go shower, sweetheart. If Little An-An misbehaves? Sister will handle him.” Her smile was pure mother-in-law approval.

*“Meow~”*

“A kitty! Xiao Chan loves kitties!” Qin Chan’s eyes lit up like she’d found a new toy.

The black cat flinched, fur bristling. It buried itself deeper in Yuko’s arms, refusing to peek out.

Qin Chan grinned like a little demon. “I’ll play with you after your bath~”

“Brother.” Qin Yage tapped her foot impatiently. “Explain. Now.”

“Can I just change clothes first?”

“NO!”

*Seriously? Perfect sync?*

After signing several unfair treaties, Qin An finally escaped to change.

He summarized Yuko’s story simply: a homeless girl and her cat, found in the rain.

“Brother, you’re getting *weird*,” Qin Yage groaned, hand on her forehead like he was a hopeless case. “Bringing girls home at midnight? Auntie’s stories warned about this!”

*Wait—I haven’t done anything! What twisted tales has Sister Yuqing been feeding kids?! She’s just a child!*

“Brother!” Qin Chan poked his forehead. “No randomly bringing girls home! And where are my Magical Girl cards? I took *such* good care of Sister!”

“Crap!”

Qin An’s calm shattered. Cold sweat beaded on his brow.

◆

In the bathroom, Qin Yuqing peeled off Yuko’s clothes. Her eyes scanned the bare skin like a measuring tape. “B84, W63, H90. Face? 9.9 out of 10.”

Her wandering hand brushed Yuko’s shoulder. Yuko shrieked, face burning crimson.

“Great face, great skin, great potential. A real gem.”

“Um…” Yuko whispered.

“Call me Sister Yuqing.”

“Sister Yuqing… you can *see* me?”

“You silly thing. Of course we can. We’re not ordinary people.” Qin Yuqing flicked her forehead, then pulled her into a tight hug. The black cat, squished between Qin Yuqing’s ample chest and Yuko’s smaller frame, gasped. It yowled, leaping free—only to skid wildly on the wet tiles. *Thud!* It crashed into the wall, spun dizzily, and flopped over.

“Another silly one!” Qin Yuqing scooped it up, cradling it against her chest as she stroked its fur.

Qin An ignored the bathroom’s odd noises. At home, Qin Yuqing wore ratty clothes and messy hair—but her charm never dimmed. Outside, she was elegant, turning down endless suitors. *By my expert analysis,* Qin An thought, *she’s absolutely a lesbian. An aggressively forward one.*

He sipped ginger soup. Perfect after the rain.

Post-shower, Yuko looked brighter. Her eyes held color again. The black cat, now fluffy and smelling faintly of antiseptic, had been thoroughly pampered.

Qin Chan pounced on its tiny form. She’d learned her lesson—Brother said the cat hadn’t eaten. She pulled out her precious chocolate bar (even Sister couldn’t pry it from her).

She placed it before the cat. It sniffed, pawed cautiously… then turned away with disdain.

“Xiao Chan, you idiot! Cats can’t eat chocolate!”

“Why? It’s yummy!”

“Uh…” Qin Yage faltered. Brother had *mentioned* something about chocolate…

“WHY? WHY?” Qin Chan demanded, a whirlwind of endless questions.

“It’s… for humans! Not for cats!” Qin Yage snatched the chocolate. *Brilliant save.*

“Give it back! That’s for the kitty! If you eat it, you’re worse than a cat!”

“Hmph!” Qin Yage tore open the wrapper.

“Sister! Give it—”

The sisters erupted into a chase.

“Careful!” Qin An called, holding steaming ginger soup. *These maniacs…* he sighed inwardly.

Yuko swam in Qin Yuqing’s sleep dress—sleeves swallowing her hands, hem pooling around her ankles. The neckline gaped, revealing a sliver of pale skin.

“Drink this. Warm up.”

“Thank you.”

The soup burned but soothed. The small house buzzed with noise, yet felt warm. Loud, but kind.

“Brother! Don’t stare!” Qin Yage slapped her hands over his eyes the moment his gaze lingered on Yuko’s chest. *Can’t let my guard down for a second!*

*More fox spirits trying to snatch Brother… Hmph. Next year, I’ll enroll at his school. See how they lure him then. Little sister’s the ultimate shield.*

“Little An-An!” Qin Yuqing called. “Cook for your future wife! Steam a fish too!”

“FUTURE WIFE? NO! Brother can’t marry!”

Two voices. Perfect unison.