Normally, if a pretty girl suddenly vanishes from your side, shouldn’t you go find her? But have you ever wondered why? Since she barely has any goodwill toward you, why bother looking at all?

If you can actually give me one solid reason to search for Xia Mo, I’ll be seriously impressed—but whether I do or not is another matter. Xia Mo’s a grown woman, not some kid. She can absolutely take care of herself. So, finding her can wait.

“What are you doing here, Uncle? Shouldn’t you be studying instead of playing around?”

A soft, childlike voice came from behind me. I scanned the area but couldn’t spot the source. Then I felt a tug on my trench coat—

“Right here… Being tall doesn’t mean you never look down, does it?”

I lowered my head and met Lemon’s gaze as she peered up at me.

“Let’s skip the formalities—I’m not your uncle. I’ve told you this a dozen times. Can’t you just call me ‘big brother’ properly?”

I didn’t see the point in scolding a little girl. This was just a gentle correction.

“Got it. So why are you here, Uncle?”

Lemon held an eco-bag—likely from home. The pink rabbit printed on it screamed whose taste it was. Honestly, she didn’t seem remotely remorseful.

Last time, I’d been too rushed to notice. Now, up close, this little loli was undeniably cute. Yet her face showed zero expression.

Happy, sad, angry, or upset—nothing ever rippled across this girl’s features.

She wore a pink dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Her clear eyes stared up at me, eerily intense. It wasn’t like she was looking at my face. More like she was staring straight through me at something behind.

To hide my sore neck, I slowly squatted down—polite for a kid. The second I did, she spoke:

“I thought you wouldn’t notice my stiff neck, Uncle…”

“I wasn’t doing it for you! Seriously, can you stop calling me ‘uncle’? I’ve stressed this forever. Just give me a little face—even once…”

Having a sister like mine at home, I’ve never been good with younger kids. This little loli completely stripped me of any authority.

“Since you, Uncle, really want me to call you ‘big brother,’ I’ll reluctantly call you ‘uncle’ just this once…”

Don’t force it, okay? That sentence had zero intention of changing! Can you stop making my head ache? Even as I thought this, Lemon stayed serious. She actually called me—but—

“So… Un… Big brother…”

“That’s why I said don’t force yourself! Call me whatever you want from now on. I won’t nag about this again—”

“I’m so relieved Uncle understands my struggle! No more wasting brainpower on trivial stuff…”

Huh? So calling me “big brother” is that hard for you? Wow, I’m sorry—I’m sorry for looking so old!

“Can you finally answer my question? Where’s your sister?”

Asking another family’s little sister about her sister felt weird. I didn’t actually care about finding Lingchuan. I just wanted to ditch this loli.

Honestly, I suck with kids.

“Different paths, different choices… Everyone walks their own road, so—”

“I get it—you two got separated, right? Drop the mature act. It’s not embarrassing. Just say it sooner!”

Lemon must’ve lost Lingchuan. Helping a kid was the right thing. A little girl’s worries matter—especially here, with crowds everywhere. Who knows what could happen? First off—I’m not a lolicon! Not a lolicon at all!

If she hadn’t met me, Lemon might’ve run into trouble. As a handsome, responsible young man (lol), I had to safely deliver her to Lingchuan.

So Lemon and I set off on this “family reunion quest.” Sounds dramatic, but true. Though with my face, I probably looked like a kidnapper. The nearby whispers made that painfully clear.

We headed uphill, avoiding crowded spots. Lingchuan’s golden hair stood out. No need to wander blindly—higher ground meant better sightlines. Easy to spot her.

“How did you and Lingchuan—”

“Lemon… If you don’t call me Lemon, I won’t talk to you.”

What childish nonsense? Interrupting adults is rude! But it was my first time being scolded by a kid. Fine, I’d play by Lemon’s rules.

“Lemon… Did you and Lingchuan come here to play too?”

“Dad’s cooking teppanyaki here. I brought ingredients for resupply—on my way back now. Already delivered them…”

She explained like she owed me one. Probably because of the food-filled bag in her hand.

“What about you, Uncle? Wasting life’s capital alone here? Living like an animal…”

You’re just a kid—why so much fire in your words? Be polite. Girls should be reserved. I knew lecturing wouldn’t work on Lingchuan or her blood-related sister. But I couldn’t ignore it.

“Do you think I’ll tell you I came with a friend? A super pretty big sister!”

First, I wasn’t praising Xia Mo. I just wanted to boost my image—snagging a super beauty makes me look amazing, right? (lol)

“Oh? Really?”

Whoa—where’d you learn that critical hit technique? 100% crit rate!

“I see my sister—over there. But she doesn’t seem to care I was missing at all!”

Lemon stood on tiptoes, pointing to a girl by a flower bed. Golden hair—definitely Lingchuan. She nibbled something, glancing around absently.

Normally, reuniting after getting lost should bring joy. Why did this girl’s face stay utterly blank?

We took a detour around the crowd and reached the flower bed. Lemon walked over slowly. Her sister Lingchuan sprinted toward us—

“I’ll never run off again! I was so worried!”

I expected Lemon to say that. Not her older sister Lingchuan?

“I’ll forgive you if you don’t run off next time.”

I thought the older sister would say that. But it was the younger sister, Lemon.

Seriously, you two swapped roles, didn’t you?

“Didn’t expect to find you here, unfaithful classmate? Didn’t even look for me? Tired of living?!”

Huh? I blinked, confused. Suddenly, heat surged behind me—a massive, fiery presence closing in. I got it. Pure rage. If I don’t run now… I might die.