Unusual Fate Records

Chapter 282.012. Siblings
"Qin, you seem very happy today?"

Under the small desk lamp, Fu Xun put down his pen and handed the test paper to Fu Qin beside him.

The girl took his mock exam paper and said, "No."

"But you seemed to be laughing just now."

"I said no." Fu Qin's expression remained unchanged. Without raising her head, she quickly scribbled on the test paper with a red pen.

Fu Xun looked at her with dissatisfaction, sulking and remaining silent until Fu Qin finished grading his test paper and placed it on the table.

"Today's training went quite well."

Hearing his older sister's rare praise, Fu Xun was not happy at all. He felt that he was benefiting from someone else's praise: "Is that guy bothering you again?"

"He is quite annoying," Fu Qin said without trying to hide it.

Fu Xun felt a sudden tightness in his chest, because he couldn't detect any aversion in Fu Qin's words. His hands clenched unconsciously: "Are you—with him...?"

He suddenly couldn't speak, and felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

Fu Qin remained silent and did not look at Fu Xun.

“We clearly agreed that we would always be together…” Fu Xun lowered his head, his teeth chattering.

After their parents passed away, the siblings were left to depend on each other. Qin was cold to everyone, but she took meticulous care of him, giving him scholarships and looking after his daily life. In his life, his sister was more like a mother than the woman who gave birth to him.

Fu Xun also curbed his unruly nature, constantly thinking about how to lighten Fu Qin's burden, his thoughts always revolving around her. She was his most important family member, and if things remained the same until he came of age, he was determined to support Fu Qin on his own.

But now, watching Fu Qin's expression gradually relax, Fu Xun felt a tightness in his chest, as if his older sister had been taken away.

Fu Qin looked up and comforted her, "I won't leave you."

"Qin, only I can take care of you!"

Fu Qin looked at fourteen-year-old Fu Xun, rubbed her forehead, and said with a headache, "My younger brother is actually a sister-complex, it's really a headache."

"Give me some more time, and I will definitely earn money to support you." Fu Xun lowered his head, his expression somber. "I wasn't this sad when my parents passed away, but hearing that you're going to be kidnapped by that guy, I suddenly feel so heartbroken that I can't breathe. My world can be without anyone else, but it can't be without you."

Fu Qin stared blankly at Fu Xun.

When her parents were alive, Fu Qin always stood in front of Fu Xun to protect him from the constant domestic violence. Her father lost an arm in a fire, his guesthouse went out of business, and he became an alcoholic, until her mother could no longer tolerate his incompetence, and the two sides began to argue endlessly.

The shadows of their shouting match on the wall were deeply imprinted on the hearts of the siblings under the light. Fu Qin would prepare breakfast for him, take care of his clothes and washing, and when he was smashing things and yelling outside the room, she would hold him in her arms with a blank expression.

Fu Qin protected Fu Xun's childhood.

In young Fu Xun's heart, "older sister" meant everything.

Fu Qin's expression shifted slightly, yet she also found it somewhat amusing: "What do you mean by 'kidnapped'? There's nothing between him and me. We'll continue living our lives as usual. But you, you need to get along well with him. You two... are the two most important boys in my life..."

The girl's tone was soft yet steady, so steady that it made people forget she was only a sixteen-year-old girl.

Fu Xun didn't notice the unusual wording of the girl. His expression improved slightly, and he pouted, saying, "I'm already unhappy that that guy's status is the same as mine."

Fu Qin found this way of sulking funny; it was just like a child vying for attention. With a gentle expression, she said, "Life is very short. You should cherish the 50% of people who treat you like their own life, instead of pushing your luck."

"You can break up in the future, you can change boyfriends, but you only have one younger brother." Fu Xun said this without even taking a breath.

"Okay, okay." Fu Qin pursed her lips, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Fu Xun could hear the perfunctory tone in the girl's voice, and solemnly said:

"Qin, in the future, I will protect you until I witness your happiness."

Fu Qin was startled, quickly turned her head, and her voice sounded strange:

"Where did you learn such cheesy lines from in soap operas? They might work for picking up young girls, but they're completely useless against your older sister."

"Oh."

Fu Xun remained silent.

Fu Qin kept her head turned away, gazing unconsciously out the window, barely managing to stop her throbbing tears.

The girl's expressionless facade slowly crumbled, revealing a blank look in her eyes.

The night sky was as black as ink.

Tonight there is no moon or light, even the surging clouds are hidden in the darkness, as if there is an invisible expression, grinning with its claws and teeth out.

fool.

The girl retained her tear stains and smile.

Your older sister...

There is no future.

……

The next day.

The mountain path echoed with the rustling of grass and trees, and dewdrops clung to the branches and leaves, only to be unconsciously brushed off by passersby.

It was 5:15, and the sky was just beginning to lighten. It would take a while for the sunlight to dispel the dampness. Before that, the entire back mountain was shrouded in mist.

A pair of boots crunched on the broken branch.

Black sneakers followed closely behind, leaving footprints of varying depths.

"Do you remember when we were kids, you claimed that you went up the mountain in the dark at four o'clock to test your courage, and you even embarrassed yourself on this road. If I hadn't followed you, you would definitely have had to go to the hospital to get a rabies vaccine." Jin Junlai laughed heartlessly.

"Mm." Jin Ziyue followed quietly.

"Testing one's courage is itself a symbol of resisting one's own cowardice. Trying to deny it through reckless behavior is actually a bad thing. People who are usually timid and hesitant may be able to deeply understand courage when they take a chance."

Jin Junlai parted the dense branches with his hands, and dew clung to his trousers, soon leaving wet stains of varying shades on his gray pants.

“They all think you’re brave and like to cause trouble, but only I know that my son is actually timid as a bat.”

Jin Jun began recounting Jin Ziyue's childhood experiences, reminiscing about the younger generation's past—a common interest among the older generation.

"But even though you were so scared your legs were trembling, and you were clutching your phone tightly, ready to call me at any moment, you were still shivering as you searched for something in the haystack."

Jin Junlai turned around and glanced at him, his expression mocking: "There are always some things that, once lost, are more terrifying than this darkness before us."

Jin Ziyue said indifferently, "I don't remember."

“It doesn’t matter. It was just from that time that I realized my son seemed to have a bit of a desperado potential.”

As they spoke, they had already crossed the jungle and arrived at a slightly more spacious clearing.

The dilapidated little courtyard was shaded by canvas, with dusty bamboo poles supporting half of the curtain. The bamboo fence was crookedly inserted into the soil, covered by wild gourd vines, all of which were tender green.

Jin Ziyue looked into the wooden house. Through the dilapidated windows, the interior was dark and the exterior was covered with dense cobwebs.

Clearly, this place hasn't been visited for some time.

Jin Junlai skillfully untied the wire fence, walked into the deserted courtyard, and stepped onto the wooden floor steps, making a thumping sound.

He suddenly stopped, stood on the steps, and left Jin Ziyue with his broad back.

"Before I open your eyes, let me test what level you've reached."

(End of this chapter)