My sister, whom I raised, has turned evil after faking her death for three years.

Just as Su Qing was seriously assessing the success rate of running away now, Jiang Ran had already reached out and pulled her into her arms.

Her back was pressed against the rough trunk of the old locust tree by the roadside, Xiao Ran's face was close to hers in front of her, and Xiao Ran's arms were on both sides. She was trapped between this embrace and the tree trunk, with no angle to slip away.

"Xiao Ran! This is the street!" Su Qing lowered her voice, her tone filled with anxiety and embarrassment. She instinctively placed her hands on Jiang Ran's shoulders, trying to push her away, but as soon as her fingertips touched the fabric of the burgundy shirt, she was completely enveloped by the faint jasmine scent emanating from Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran clearly didn't care about that.

At this moment, all she could see was her sister's pretty face, which was feigning composure but couldn't hide the slight blush. Her sister's clear eyes reflected her own image, her eyelashes trembled gently, and her lips were pressed tightly together. This sight was more captivating to her than all the snacks and scenery on the street combined.

She lowered her head slightly, bringing the already small distance between them even closer, so close that their hair almost intertwined, and so close that her sister's slightly accelerated breathing due to nervousness brushed against her cheek.

"Sister, are you trying to seduce me?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an undisguised, intense infatuation that was almost overflowing.

I rely on...

Su Qing was completely stunned.

She stared blankly at the face so close to hers, at the undisguised infatuation and possessiveness surging in those deep brown eyes. Something seemed to explode in her mind, making her ears ring... No, Xiao Ran! Are you being this blunt now?!

The system's voice rang out in her mind at just the right moment, carrying a subtle, knowing glint of amusement, analyzing each point: [Host's current shame level: Significantly increased.]

[Facial temperature: Above normal.]

[Resistance Index: Zero.]

[Acceptance rate: 80%]

[Overall assessment: Although the host feels tense and ashamed, no aversion or rejection has been generated. On the contrary, your dopamine levels are steadily increasing.]

[Should I continue analyzing your adrenaline and heart rate variability data?]

Su Qing mentally yelled "Shut up!" as if her ears were about to burn through.

At this point, passersby on the street also began to notice this area.

  

An elderly woman carrying a shopping basket turned her head to look, then turned back, shook her head with a smile, and sighed to her husband beside her, "It's so good to be young."

A young couple was walking hand in hand not far away. The girl quietly pointed in their direction and whispered something in her boyfriend's ear. The two of them chuckled together.

Further away, a girl with a bun hairstyle looked up, tugged at her mother's clothes, and asked in a clear, childlike voice why the two older girls were hugging. She noticed that the girl in the black dress had a very red face and wondered if she had a fever.

The girl's parents exchanged a knowing smile. The father bent down, picked up his daughter, turned her around, and whispered, "The girls aren't fighting; they're doing something very important."

The little girl asked again what was so important, and her mother smiled and said, "You'll know when you grow up."

Su Qing heard every word clearly, and felt that her face was beyond just "red".

She buried her face in Jiang Ran's shoulder, tugged at Jiang Ran's sleeve, and said in a soft, urgent voice, "Alright, Ran, if you want to carry me home, don't do this here..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran narrowed her large eyes slightly. Instead of relaxing, she moved even closer to her sister's pretty face, which was already flushed red.

At such close range, the fresh fragrance emanating from my sister intertwined with the faint scent of jasmine emanating from her, gentle and lingering, making it impossible to tell which one entwined with the other first.

"What you mean, sister, is..." Jiang Ran deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her lips almost touching Su Qing's earlobe, "...that means we can hug like this when we get home?"

Su Qing could feel her warm breath brushing against her ear. The skin that was already flushed pink from shame turned crimson at a visible speed.

She buried her face even lower, her forehead resting in Jiang Ran's shoulder, looking like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, unable to see outside, which meant that no one outside could see her either.

Jiang Ran looked down at the self-deceiving "ostrich" in her arms, her tone becoming even more mischievous: "If you don't say anything, then I'll assume you want to continue like this."

Su Qing suddenly raised her head and gave her a resentful look.

Her eyes were filled with reproach and shame, her cheeks were as red as freshly cooked shrimp dumplings, her lips were slightly pouting, and even the tip of her nose was tinged with a light pink.

Jiang Ran's heart trembled at that look... Her sister's expression, which was both shy and annoyed but not at all disgusted, was sweeter than the strawberry from before.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say, we'll talk about it when we get home! Let me go!" Su Qing said in a low voice, her tone filled with a sense of resigned helplessness.

Jiang Ran reached out and gently cupped Su Qing's cheek with one hand, her thumb lightly brushing against Su Qing's cool skin.

Then she turned her head slightly and placed a gentle kiss on Su Qing's other cheek.

The touch was warm and fleeting, like a petal brought by the spring breeze gently brushing across the water's surface, leaving behind a slightly cool dampness and a ripple that was slowly expanding.

She released her grip and took a step back, restoring a safe distance.

Su Qing was completely devastated.

She felt heat rising to her head, a heat that wasn't anger or aversion, but something she couldn't quite explain... like being burned in the heart by Xiao Ran's undisguised favoritism, or like having all the strength to refute taken away by that kiss.

She stood there, her lips moving several times, but in the end she said nothing. She just gripped Jiang Ran's hand that was holding hers even tighter, as if she was afraid of being left there to die alone.

Jiang Ran looked down at their clasped hands, then looked up at her sister's face, which was full of "I'm still angry but I won't say it," before suddenly switching to a pitiful expression.

She lowered her head slightly, her eyelashes drooping gently. The aggressive feeling she had been so determined to have had completely vanished in an instant, replaced by a kind of pitiful grievance that made people's hearts soften.

She said softly, "Sister, don't be angry. Xiao Ran just wanted to make you happy. If you feel upset, Xiao Ran won't do it again. Just don't be angry with me."

That tone, that posture, those slightly lowered eyelashes and gently pursed lips... In an instant, Su Qing's mind flashed back to that gloomy little mushroom huddled in the corner of the balcony, looking at her with timid big eyes.

The little mushroom was the same way back then. Even though he hadn't done anything wrong, he always followed her cautiously, afraid that she would get angry or that she would abandon him.

All the shame and embarrassment transformed into something softer in that instant. She sighed and said helplessly, "No."

Seeing this, Jiang Ran immediately climbed up the pole and continued to cling to her sister, burying her face in her neck and rubbing against her. She still spoke in that pitiful tone, saying that she had only said two words, which must mean she found her too annoying.

When she said, "Sister is just asking for trouble...", Su Qing reached out and covered her mouth.

"Don't slander me," Su Qing said, looking at the guy who was acting spoiled and coquettish in front of her. Her tone was serious and helpless. "I never thought of it that way." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a soft and wet touch in her palm.

A tingling electric current shot from her palm, along her arm, to the top of her head. She recoiled as if burned, staring wide-eyed at Jiang Ran, who was gently wiping the corner of her mouth with her thumb. She could barely speak.

The system's voice softly announced in her mind—[Shame Value: Doubled.]

[Shock level: Doubled.]

[Heart rate: Exceeds 130% of normal resting level.]

[Overall assessment: The host's physical response and psychological rejection index are negatively correlated.]

Su Qing no longer cared what the system was saying. She just stared at her palm, which still felt damp, and looked up at Jiang Ran, who was standing a few steps away, smiling at her.

Jiang Ran licked the corner of her mouth, a very light and natural gesture, as if she were savoring the aftertaste of something delicious.

The sunlight in the old street filtered through the gaps in the locust tree leaves, falling on her profile and revealing everything churning in her eyes.

Her smile was beautiful, so beautiful that it made Su Qing's heart skip a beat, but the infatuation mixed in that smile also carried a hint of almost morbid greed.

"You're so sweet, sister."

Her voice was so soft it sounded like she was telling a secret, with a slight upward inflection at the end, carrying undisguised satisfaction.