They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

Lü...Ning?

[Next chapter preview: I suddenly wanted to reach out and grab Chen Di, but Chen Di seemed to be prepared and easily pulled away from me.]

Holy crap, you're not my sister at all! Who are you?!

This is the only thing that must never be known.

I regret my despicable thoughts.

"...Should I call you Brother Lü Ning, or Brother Ning Ruoyu?"

Chapter 45: My Distance from the Orthopedics Department

"I already said, what can those small pieces of cement do to anyone? I completely dodged them! — That was an accident on my head, I was just hit by some gravel."

I sat on the hospital bed and protested loudly.

"Let me out of bed! Wasting medical resources is a shameful act!"

“I personally believe your accusations completely.” Standing by the window next to my hospital bed, Chen Di casually peeled an apple. “But unfortunately, it is the people’s call for you to recover properly.”

"Help! Please spare me! If I lie here for another day, the little wound on my forehead will heal on its own!"

"I haven't finished my summer homework yet!"

Chen Di skillfully cut the apple into pieces and placed them in a transparent glass bowl.

"This isn't something I can decide. You should talk to the next person visiting you."

"There's another one?! Seriously, could you please put up a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my door?" I thought for a moment and added, "And could you also write a title for me: 'An Yu and Industry Personnel Strictly Prohibited from Entering'?"

I'm truly not worthy of the fruit baskets that people like Uncle Gold Tooth send. Anyone who didn't know better would think I'm here enjoying my retirement.

As for An Yu, she's doing great. Four hours ago she was with Hu Dan, three hours ago with Ge Lanlan, two hours ago with the chairman, and one hour ago with Xu Xingxin—is she trying to gain tour guide experience here?!

"I still can't make that decision," Chen Di said with a smile, glancing at the door. "You're here, good afternoon."

"Excuse me, good afternoon, Senior Chen Di."

I followed Chen Di's gaze and saw Ning Ruoxin standing at the door.

bang bang dong!

I suddenly tried to reach out and grab Chen Di, but Chen Di seemed to be prepared and easily pulled away from me.

"Since you're here, I'll head back now—I have a competition training session tonight. Ning Ruoyu, get well soon!"

He gave me a hearty laugh, and I gave him the middle finger in return.

The ward fell silent.

I searched for a way out of this awkward silence, and finally, my gaze fell on the things Chen Di had left behind.

Would you like an apple?

I asked with a smile.

"Chen Di peeled it, but I haven't eaten it yet."

My point was that I hadn't touched the bowl of apples yet, so I could still eat them...

"...Is it inconvenient? Then I'll do it."

"Oh—huh?"

I stared in shock at my sister, who always seemed to keep her distance and be reserved, now sitting obediently beside my hospital bed, holding a bowl.

Her slender, fair fingers, like green onions, picked up a toothpick and carefully inserted it into a slice of apple. Then, she placed her other hand protectively below and brought it close to my mouth.

"Hey, be careful not to drop it, ah—"

I subtly created some distance between myself.

Ning Ruoxin tilted her head.

"Don't you want to eat?"

No, it's mainly because you were too enthusiastic, little sister. It always reminds me of the virtuous wife and loving mother in a classic novel who fed medicine to the pancake vendor.

Seeing the troubled look on my face, Ning Ruoxin seemed to understand something, put down the bowl, and then put the apple into her mouth.

Ah, that feels good! This is how things should be. It's okay, little sister, you don't need to be so polite. Just put the bowl there as usual!

"Very sweet!"

Ning Ruoxin smiled and said, her eyes narrowed.

"I've already tried it, is it okay now, brother~"

Holy crap, you're not my sister at all! Who are you?!

……

To cut to the chase, I now know two things.

First, Ning Ruoxin is different from An Yu; she's not easily amused.

For example, when I used a flippant tone to try and make her not be so polite, I successfully made her cry.

Looking at this girl who suddenly hugged me and then silently shed tears, I really wanted to slap myself for being so rude just now.

...Never mind, any self-reproach I might do now will only make the child cry.

Secondly, my younger sister seems to be a little too clingy now.

"Um, Miss Ning Ruoxin, although summer vacation is almost over, the weather is still quite hot... Could you let me get some fresh air?"

I asked the girl, who had simply climbed onto the hospital bed, with a slap in my cheek.

"...It must have hurt a lot."

Ning Ruoxin was almost pressed against me, not answering my question, but instead gently touching my forehead with a sad expression.

"It just looks scary. Actually, if I had been taken to the hospital a little later, I could have stopped the bleeding myself. Um, I think I heard the bed creaking and groaning."

I don't think hospital beds were designed with the weight of two teenagers in mind.

"I...I'm very light." Ning Ruoxin finally answered my question, but her face flushed slightly, revealing a somewhat unhappy expression. "Last time she weighed 41..."

"Then you really should eat something. I'm going to tell Mom about this!" I tried to steer the conversation toward family matters.

"No way. If I get heavier, you won't be able to carry me."

Ning Ruoxin looked at me intently, her stubbornness tinged with a hint of shyness.

That's a one-time service!! There's no after-sales support!!! Wake up, little sister, I'm your own brother!!!

...Damn, I don't think I'm his biological brother. This is the one thing he absolutely mustn't let anyone know.

Out of a sense of security, I subconsciously gripped the thin sheet on the hospital bed.

"...When I heard from Senior An Yu that you were sent to the hospital, I was thinking..."

Ning Ruoxin said softly, her sobs, which she had just managed to stop, now returned with a trembling voice.

"It must be because I've been naughty, disobedient, and unkind to you. That's why I have to be punished."

"I'm about to lose my brother..."

She gripped my arm tightly, as if I would disappear at any moment.

I sighed and cautiously reached out my hand.

"That's feudal superstition! Look at me, I'm doing just fine~ And you're very well-behaved, very obedient, or rather, too obedient. If anything is bad, it's always been me who's been bad to you."

As I gently stroked Ning Ruoxin's head, I realized that it wasn't the bed that was shaking because it couldn't support itself—it was the girl who had been trembling slightly the whole time.

"No. No..."

Ning Ruoxin grabbed my hand and pressed her face against it; I could feel the warmth of those tears in my palm.

"I'm sorry, brother, I'm so sorry... I was wrong, I was really wrong, please don't leave me, never leave me again!... Please..."

"I shouldn't have said those things, I shouldn't have treated you like a burden, I shouldn't have said I didn't care... I'm sorry, it's you, it's always been you. Whether it was saving me, standing up for me, or taking care of me, it's always been you!"

“I, I’ve always been so scared… I’m so scared that I won’t have the chance to thank you, and then, I won’t have the chance to apologize to you, and even that I won’t be able to see you again from now on.”

"I, I, I..."

My usually polite and sensible little sister was so overwhelmed with emotion that she cried so hard she couldn't speak anymore.

I told you she couldn't take it, because she cried even harder the second time than the first.

I gently rubbed her head, and Ning Ruoxin made a nasal "hmm" sound, looking up at me with a slightly dreamy look in her watery eyes.

"You're making me very worried."

I said seriously.

Perhaps startled by my seriousness, Ning Ruoxin finally shifted her attention, looking at me with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"I don't deny that I've done some things for you, but have you forgotten how much you've done?" Although I successfully calmed Ning Ruoxin down, I was afraid of continuing to frighten the child, so I softened my tone.

"I……"

“At least in my opinion, you did more. I really want to thank you for never thinking of giving up on me.”

"I just……"

"I was actually quite touched."

I smiled and gently rubbed my silly little sister's head. Her hair was as silky and fine as a waterfall, and it felt so good to the touch.

“You’ve never thought about getting a different brother. It’s precisely because it’s you that I don’t want to disappoint you.”

"...But actually I didn't do anything. It was always you, brother, who indulged me."

"Some things, just the fact that you can hold onto them in your heart is already a great help to me. If you only remember the good others have done but forget how much you have given, you will suffer in the future."

I reached out and wiped away Ning Ruoxin's tears. "Isn't that what family is like?"

I feel like I went too far. She was just a younger sister wanting comfort from her older brother, and I was just concerned about physical contact and distance. I'm such a jerk.

I regret my filthy thoughts just now, and I must study hard to be a good older brother.

"..." Ning Ruoxin stopped talking, but buried her face in my arms again, wrapping her arms and legs around me, clinging to me like she was hugging a large teddy bear.

"...Silly brother. Why can you say such embarrassing things so casually?"

She whispered in my ear, sounding like she was complaining and also like she was being coquettish.

It's alright, this is just my cute little sister being affectionate.

"I won't let you get the short end of the stick. As long as you promise not to leave me, all I need to do is treat you well."

Ning Ruoxin's breath brushed against my ear, making me feel a little warm.

Although it was a bit cheesy, my sister's genuine feelings touched me deeply.

"What will happen in the future? Haha, who knows? Maybe you'll find someone you like, and then I'll get married or something..."

I chuckled awkwardly.

The little sister in my arms suddenly trembled, followed by a deathly silence.

"……elder brother."

Ning Ruoxin suddenly looked up and gazed at me with very clear eyes, without the slightest impurity or evil intention.

"Stop bothering your senior."

"?"

"I... I'm not saying you're not good enough for my senior! You're handsome and a really nice person... If she doesn't have those kinds of feelings for you, I... I think it's best if you don't bother her..."

"??"

"...I don't actually want to be home alone during summer vacation and beyond."

Ning Ruoxin spoke softer and softer, then pursed her lips and lowered her eyes, looking too shy to continue.

"???"

For the first time, I saw something dangerous in Ning Ruoxin's eyes, and a distance that seemed to be growing ever closer between us...

Wait, wait, didn't you portray yourself as someone who hates physical contact?! Honey, wait a minute!!