【Cold-Blooded Brother-Con Sister (Fake)】

Gege still hadn’t come back…

Why wasn’t he back yet…

I remembered night classes ended at nine.

Walking home from school took at most thirty minutes. If he walked fast, twenty minutes would do.

By habit, Gege would stop by the vending machine near the park for a hot coffee, sipping it leisurely on his way home. Even then, it’d take no more than forty minutes.

Maybe a teacher kept him late. But the school locked its gates after ten when the night watch left…

It was already eleven. Gege still wasn’t back.

I wanted to call and ask where he was. I wanted to rush out and find him. I wanted to run straight to his side and hug him…

But I had to hold back. Had to hold back.

What if he’d just wandered somewhere else? Or stayed up all night at an internet café? Calling would expose how worried I was.

No matter what, Gege must never know I loved him.

I’d hidden this for years. I couldn’t ruin it over something small… Yes. Bigger picture. If Keling found out what I’d done… she’d tell Gege everything.

We had a deal: days belonged to her, nights to me.

If Keling told Gege… my proper, upright brother would cut me off completely. That couldn’t happen.

But it was way too strange for him to be out this late…

Just then, Keling’s door cracked open. She peeked out halfway down the hall.

“Has Gege come back yet?”

“No.”

“Damn it. Which vixen’s got her claws in him…”

Keling gnawed her thumbnail, frowning, eyes sharp with danger.

Only with me did she drop the act. Mom might know her true self, but Dad, Gege, everyone else—they saw only the sweet little sister.

I didn’t mind.

Keling pretended to be gentle just to win Gege’s love. And he did adore obedient, cute sisters.

Unlike me… I’d always been expressionless, cold… If I could be cute like Keling, Gege wouldn’t be so formal with me, would he?

But this personality… it matched his. That made me a little happy.

“…Ugh. Fine. Xinran-jie! You wait for him, okay?”

“Mm. Go sleep. I’ll wait here.”

The door shut. But Keling wouldn’t sleep. Faking it was just to keep her perfect image for Gege.

Time crawled… Near 1:30 AM, I heard the front door open.

Gege was back!

Finally… Breathe, An Xinran. Don’t let him see you waited.

In the dark, I spotted his shadow and called out.

“Who’s there?”

“Ah, it’s me… You’re still up, Xinran?”

He seemed ready to head straight to his room. He hadn’t expected me waiting. He turned back, flicked on the hallway light—and there I stood.

“Whoa!”

Gege jumped back a step. I stepped forward. “Why so late?”

“Uh…”

His gaze drifted upward… Guilty conscience?

“What are you looking at?”

“N-nothing… Thought I saw a bug… Hey, why are you up so late?”

A lie. Why was he so flustered? Had Keling been right about some vixen?

My mood darkened. My voice turned icy.

“I just came for water. Don’t dodge the question. Why so late?”

“Well… I, uh… fell asleep in the park…”

This felt true. When Gege lied, he’d rub his nose. This time, he touched his temple. So he really had been at the park.

My mood lifted slightly. I almost wanted to throw myself into his arms.

But that’d have to wait until he was asleep.

Gege slept deeply. Quiet movements wouldn’t wake him.

But it was past one… He might skip sleep entirely. Then I couldn’t… No. I wanted to hold him.

I had to make him sleep.

I walked downstairs, feigning indifference. “I’m boiling water. Want anything?”

“Oh, make me coffee too. Forgot to buy any today… Huh?”

He’d forgotten coffee? So it wasn’t just napping in the park… What happened? He’d never tell me even if I asked.

My mood sank again.

“No need! I’ll do it myself!”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s just convenient.”

Downstairs, I prepared the coffee absently. To make him sleep… I’d have to resort to Dad’s sleeping pills. I dissolved one into his cup, then placed it on his desk.

“Left it on your desk.”

“Mm. Thanks…”

I rarely did anything for him. He’d feel grateful and drink it right away. That was my gentle Gege.

Now, just wait thirty minutes for the pills to take effect.

Half an hour later, I slipped into his room.

The medicine worked. Gege slept soundly.

I stood by his bed, watching his face.

“Gege…”

I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Gege… Gege…”

Only now was he truly mine. All mine… Gege…

I slipped into his bed, hugging his left arm. I’d done this countless times… not a single night missed in 365 days.

“Gege… Gege… Gege… Gege…”

His scent filled my nose. I wanted to hold him forever…

Leave my mark on his face…

“Gege… mmph…”

His breathing hitched. I snapped back to reality—my palm had pressed against his chest.

Even drugged, loud noises might wake him.

I held him until 5 AM. Time to leave.

Good times always felt too short.

As I slipped from his bed, I kissed his forehead one last time.

Xinran loves you, Gege…

Really… I love you so much…