Ouyang Feng opened the dining room door. Her heart, warmed at seeing her mother, instantly chilled.
"You’re always so punctual, huh?"
She roughly yanked out a chair by the table and sat down, arms crossed and legs propped up—an utterly rude pose.
"........"
As usual, Ouyang Shi sat perfectly still in her chair, giving no reaction to Ouyang Feng’s words.
"You!"
Ouyang Feng almost slammed the table to stand up but sat back down. Her furious face twisted into a meaningless smile.
"Ah~~ I remember now. Even you, ice queen, can change expressions. Hmm, what if I grab that good-for-nothing right now? Could you stay this calm?"
"......"
With empty eyes, Ouyang Shi slowly lifted her gaze until it locked onto Ouyang Feng’s face.
In that instant, Ouyang Feng felt unprecedented terror. Goosebumps rose all over her body. Her heart hammered at full speed.
One wrong move—and she’d die....
"You two are always so punctual! Hahaha!"
A booming laugh shattered the eerie silence. Ouyang Long and Ouyang Lijia pushed the door open together.
"....."
The deathly stare shifted away from Ouyang Feng, returning to Ouyang Shi’s usual pose—hands folded in her lap.
Hah... hah... hah...
Gasping for air, Ouyang Feng truly tasted what "on the brink of death" meant. The tension snapped, leaving her drenched in sticky sweat. Her back was soaked through.
"Huh? Xiao Feng, what’s wrong?"
Ouyang Lijia walked to her daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Dampness greeted her touch—clammy and wet.
"Mom..."
Ouyang Feng turned her head, voice trembling. Ouyang Lijia saw her daughter deep in shock. Even her dark pupils quivered unnaturally.
"There, there."
Guessing what happened, Ouyang Lijia gave a reassuring look. She moved to the secondary seat and sat down.
"Hmm~~ Can’t you two sisters get along better?"
Ouyang Long sighed as he pulled out his chair and sat.
"Yes."
Ouyang Shi lifted her head, meeting her sister’s eyes again.
"Eh!"
Ouyang Feng flinched, jerking back from that glance.
This time, Ouyang Shi’s gaze was merely flat—no strange emotions. Ouyang Feng breathed a sigh of relief.
"Master, shall we serve lunch?"
A maid approached Ouyang Long, speaking respectfully.
"Mm, bring the dishes. Everyone must be hungry, right?"
He smiled at his family.
"Master’s right. We shouldn’t skip meals," Ouyang Lijia said warmly, glancing at her daughter, then at Ouyang Shi.
"......"
Status meant nothing to Ouyang Shi. She remained unchanged under Ouyang Lijia’s gaze.
Lunch proceeded in silence.
As always, the dishes were nutritionally balanced. The Ouyang Clan lived where an ancient, traditional nation once thrived. Stir-fried, boiled, steamed, and deep-fried dishes filled the air with tempting scents.
But Ouyang Shi’s mind was elsewhere. Her chopstick movements were robotic—precise machinery. Pick up food. Put it in mouth. No emotion.
"I’m done. I’ll leave first, Father, Mother. Enjoy your meal."
She set down her chopsticks, gave a cold glance around the table, and strode out—ignoring any objections.
"Master..."
"Enough, Lijia. I know what you’ll say. But this daughter’s too strong. I can’t control her."
Ouyang Long set down his chopsticks with a bitter smile.
"......"
Only after her sister left did Ouyang Feng fully relax. Her stiff body softened.
Ignoring the dining room’s aftermath, Ouyang Shi hurried toward the kitchen. Her face wasn’t blank anymore—urgent anxiety burned there, as if she had a mission to complete.
.......
.....
Clang!
A metallic crash echoed outside the door.
Ouyang Ge, secretly doing rehab exercises, glanced toward the entrance but refocused on his movements.
Lunchtime again.
"Food" was an insult—scraps even dogs would reject. The Ouyang Clan’s attitude toward Ouyang Ge was clear.
He refused such humiliation, even while hiding his activities. He had ways to fill his stomach—but his biggest obstacle was Ouyang Shi.
As long as she was home, he had to play the obedient boy. No sneaking out. For Ouyang Ge, seeing his sister was bliss; being trapped was agony—a bitter contradiction.
Still, his sister promised to handle lunch. So he’d wait only for her. This mealtime was precious—extra moments to rebuild his body.
Lifting a heavy stone cup repeatedly, Ouyang Ge finally heard his sister’s footsteps.
"Time’s up."
He dropped the cup fast, grabbed a towel to wipe his sweat, and sat straight on the wooden chair.
"Little brother! I brought lunch!"
The wooden door burst open. Ouyang Shi beamed into his view.
"Huh? Wait—why’s there such a strong sweat smell?"
She set down the tray, ignoring his reaction. Sniffing around the room, she reached the bed—her face turned icy.
"Brother, has someone been here...."
"N-no!"
"Tell me the truth. Is someone bullying you..."
"Uh, Sister, what’s wrong?"
"Answer me!"
"......"
Ouyang Ge (pretended to be) stunned, mouth agape. Seeing this, Ouyang Shi instantly softened.
"I-I’m sorry, brother! I was just... worried. Worried someone’s troubling you..."
Realizing her harsh tone, tears spilled over. She clutched his hand, face wet with apology.
"I’ve just been here too long. The midday heat made me sweat, that’s all!"
He firmly rubbed her cold, trembling hand and smiled warmly.
"No one comes here, Sister. Don’t worry. I’m a man—I can protect myself!"
Ouyang Ge flashed a bright grin. That smile melted Ouyang Shi’s heart. She pulled his head into her chest, nuzzling it.
"Seriously, brother, showing off? But... this manly side is really likable..."
"Hehe."
At twelve, Ouyang Shi’s chest was unusually developed—likely to become "impressive" someday.
But Ouyang Ge had no impure thoughts. Even as he struggled to breathe, he endured—the familiar scent was too precious to lose after over a decade apart......
After enough cuddling, Ouyang Shi let go. Seeing his flushed face—red from shyness (and breathlessness)—she smiled sheepishly.
"Come on, eat up! You won’t grow without food!"
Ouyang Shi switched fully into doting-sister mode, starting to feed him.
.........
.....
Savoring this warmth, Ouyang Ge relaxed inwardly—but his mind raced to speed things up.
And that moment for acceleration was coming soon.
