Liuhua Jing finally managed to push herself off her brother’s body, no longer limp and powerless as before. Though her face flushed with embarrassment from Mirror October’s teasing, her heart secretly thrilled—this was the first time he’d ever responded so actively to her touch.
An unusual heat stirred within her. She’d always felt an innate, irresistible pull toward Mirror October. A voice inside whispered that he was her closest family, her lover, her junior—no request from him would she ever deny, no matter how outrageous.
Otherwise, the relatively conservative Liuhua would never have flirted so openly with him on a crowded street. …Though now it seemed Mirror October had only been toying with her. As his elder sister of many years, Liuhua quickly sensed the inexplicable sorrow beneath his playful act.
What words could describe that face?
More alluring than most women’s, his crimson eyes perfectly embodied an aura of restrained desire. Yet on that very face—one that could make women envious—lingered a profound unease, a grief as if he stood to lose something irreplaceable.
Seeing this, Liuhua’s maternal instincts, honed from years caring for orphans, surged uncontrollably.
He looked so weary, so heartbreakingly vulnerable.
She pulled Mirror October into a tender embrace. *Why such sorrow?* she wondered. *You’re so strong… why does it ache my heart so?* It felt like a crack splitting her chest open. She studied his restless face, noticing the porcelain-pale smoothness of his skin—almost inhuman.
“I won’t ask why you wear that expression.”
Everyone had secrets. Liuhua knew this well. No matter how heart-wrenching his gaze, she’d never pry before he chose to bare his soul.
“So when you’re ready… tell me everything, little brother.” She held his slender frame tighter, trying to warm his icy body with her own heat—even if it was futile. She wouldn’t give up.
Mirror October’s gemstone-red eyes flickered faintly. He stayed silent.
“Jie, I’m fine. Truly fine. No matter what happens… I’ll always be your brother, Mirror October.” As a master psychologist, he recognized this despair—the instinctive panic of his fading humanity. To deny and be denied. To need and be needed. *I am Mirror October. I am not Mirror October.* Absurd. Complicated.
“…If you’re fine… then good.”
Liuhua wasn’t blind. She saw the glacial indifference buried beneath his unease. With practiced ease, Mirror October smoothed his features back into calm composure.
They walked on in silence.
The air felt distant, blurred like glass frosted over. Sunlight poured generously around them. After a long while, Mirror October spoke slowly, his gaze drifting. “I don’t know why Ruoshui hates me so much. Maybe I’ve grown too stubborn… too cold. But… but I really…”
“I know,” Liuhua interrupted gently. “No matter how you change, I can still feel it—you’re my brother.” She wasn’t lying. Though no Superhero, she’d always sensed something uniquely *him* since childhood. That inexplicable bond had shaped her into the devoted sister she was.
“Sorry. I lost my composure.” He gestured ahead. “We’re here. Let’s go inside.”
“Oh! What a lovely place!”
Mirror October’s earlier turmoil had vanished, swallowed by the starry stillness within him. It had been ages since he’d felt emotions this intense. *An opportunity to mend myself…* He’d long sensed his own distortion. He needed a mirror to reflect his true self before he broke beyond repair. And he already knew who that mirror should be—just not yet.
“Quite the setup you have here! Living alone must be heavenly.” Liuhua’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she scanned the apartment. “Be honest now—have you brought any girls home overnight? Like that ‘Mumu’ on QQ? I saw her! No denying it!” If her brother *had* hosted girls here… well, as his sister, she absolutely wouldn’t fall behind!
“Seriously? I’ve only been here a day. Your ‘charming’ brother isn’t *that* irresistible.” Mirror October shot her a dry look. For a fleeting second, he wanted to crack open her head and examine its bizarre wiring.
“Of course you are! Girls can’t resist a handsome boy like you!”
“Not to that extent. Yet.”
As he tidied Liuhua’s haphazardly dumped luggage, Mirror October mentally calculated how soon he could reasonably kick this troublesome sister out to fend for herself.
“You’re really staying? This place only has one bed.” He kept sorting while probing her plans. A short stay was manageable—but long-term? Who knew what chaos she’d unleash.
“No bed? No problem! We can share yours. We used to…”
“When? When I was five?”
“We *did*! Details don’t matter! I don’t mind!”
Glasses glinting, Liuhua pounced on the plush living room sofa, rolling gleefully. The furniture—bought by the disciple Dragon Sparrow—surprisingly radiated warmth.
“Suit yourself. But you *will* wear pajamas to bed. Understood?” Liuhua had a habit of sleeping without them. Mirror October felt compelled to correct this orphanage-bred quirk. She pouted but nodded reluctantly.
*Heh heh… sharing a bed anyway~* Liuhua thought, winking inwardly. *Once my little brother loses control… pajamas won’t matter much, will they?*
