They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

"Patient number thirty-four, you still need to do some orthopedic examinations today... Hey? No need to rush to get out of bed, slow down!"

……

After the examination, I didn't dare to go back to the ward immediately.

Although it might be a bit much to say this, in the final moments before the examination, I vaguely sensed an ominous aura emanating from my sister.

I need to seriously consider whether the problems are with the girls around me, or if there's something wrong with me...

With a self-deprecating sigh, I saw a familiar figure in the flower bed outside the corridor.

I walked over there as a matter of course.

Sensing my approach, the girl seemed to have no reaction, simply continuing to sit quietly on the bench eating her seaweed rice ball.

“…Is it delicious?”

I haven't even had an apple since the beginning, so I'm getting a bit hungry now.

"Hmm, they gave us quite a lot of ingredients."

"You don't mind if I buy one and then we sit here and eat it, do you?"

"You're welcome—no need to go over there, I bought a few extra, here you go."

I smiled, took the rice ball, and sat down next to her.

The girl looked at the cloudless, azure sky with a calm expression, and then asked a question.

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

I chewed the rice ball with gusto.

"Whatever, you can just call me 'Hey' like before. Oh, by the way, you were listening outside my ward for a long time, weren't you?"

[Next chapter preview: Wow, this seaweed is so seaweed-like!]

It's a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding.

But at this moment, she no longer possessed the innocence and naivety she once had.

"Just let it go."

"Give up if you want, struggle if you want, anyway, your mother will regret it in the end."

Chapter 46: Things We Cannot Choose

"Wow, Brother Ning Ruoyu is amazing!"

Hearing my question, Ling Chuqing wasn't very surprised and sincerely praised me.

"You didn't really hide it that well. In fact, if Ning Ruoxin hadn't been so emotional, she probably would have found out anyway."

Ling Chuqing crumpled the plastic packaging of the rice ball in her hand into a ball.

"Ah Xin will be so excited. The brother she dislikes is actually the best brother. She feels like she's suddenly become a silly brother-obsessed person."

"Ah, but if it were me, I'd become a brother-complex too, big brother~"

Ling Chuqing shouted that at me on purpose, as if it were a prank.

"Please have mercy. I prefer a more playful, sibling-like relationship."

"Really?"

"Haha."

Just kidding. Before that, I had no concept of sibling relationships at all.

"Oh, I'm so envious..."

As Ling Chuqing said this, she continued to look up at the sky.

I didn't respond.

We both knew what the other was avoiding, and we were both looking for an opportunity to speak.

Adhering to the principles of "I don't want to be a bad person" and "avoid trouble and pretend to be confused," I started counting the grains of rice on the rice ball.

Wow, this seaweed is so incredibly seaweed!

"Brother Ning Ruoyu is actually a very gentle person."

This is too much, please have mercy.

The three girls who had already knelt naked and apologized twice, and Yan Xuejun, would probably never think that way.

"Even if you try to sweet-talk me, I won't give you the pickles."

I regretted saying that as soon as I finished speaking. Spending too much time with An Yu has made my excuses as stupid as his.

"No way." Ling Chuqing covered her mouth and laughed, then looked at me gently after a while.

"Thank you for making me happy."

It's a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding.

But I decided to keep the misunderstanding and just shrug.

"...Ling Qingxue, no, it's still strange to suddenly call her by her full name like that."

Ling Chuqing shifted her gaze to the flowerbed in the distance and said softly.

"My sister, I heard, fractured her leg. Although she had emergency surgery, the doctor said that even if she rests for a year, her leg will likely have long-term effects."

"You can save your leg? That's great."

I took a bite of the rice ball. "Anyway, I was originally planning to make her 'reflect' for at least a year."

"I still feel like I don't know what my sister is thinking."

"How do I view my own life? How do I view my family? How do I view my sister? The more I think about it, the less I understand."

"Does she like her life now? Why would she do something so crazy? Has she integrated into our family? She looks so happy in the photos. Has she... ever considered me her sister?"

I glanced at the girl but didn't say anything.

These aren't questions, I don't need to answer them. She's just sad.

"Does my sister like me? If she does, why is she so determined to destroy me? If she doesn't, why did she save me in the end?"

"I don't understand. For the first time in my life, I feel that the world and the people around me are so complicated."

"I didn't understand anything before."

Ling Chuqing gazed calmly into the distance, her features vaguely resembling those of the woman I first met on the basketball court.

But at this moment, she no longer possessed the innocence and naivety she once had.

"Why force yourself to understand mental illness? If you do, you'll go crazy too."

I threw the package into the trash can next to the bench.

"The problem you're talking about, Ling Qingxue probably doesn't know the answer herself either. Don't dwell on it. It's not a Japanese drama where you have to elevate it to some grand philosophy and then have each other understand each other."

Eat and drink as you please, and don't take things to heart.

I stood up, sighed, and reached out to ruffle her hair.

"Didn't you tell me back then, 'This isn't something you can choose?' Your background, environment, family—things you can't choose are simply not things you can't choose. And things you can't understand, you'll never understand."

"Just let it go."

I pulled the plastic bag out of her hand and threw it into the trash can.

"Well, personally, I think that girl is a lunatic. I should avoid contact with her. Perhaps, judging from what she did in the end, she could be considered somewhat human, but that's about it."

I patted Ling Chuqing's head.

Ling Chuqing lowered her head.

"It's really going too far to talk about someone's older sister like that."

"Honest advice is hard to hear, my friend."

I know I'm meddling, and although having an older sister like that meant Ling Chuqing was bound to end up like this sooner or later, as the catalyst for it all, I feel somewhat guilty towards this young girl.

In just one summer vacation, her entire life may have undergone earth-shattering changes.

"...This blue ribbon was a gift from my sister when I entered junior high school. Back then, no, I should say until today, it was my most precious treasure."

“My sister and I aren’t actually biological sisters. I came here with my dad. I was little then and I was scared hiding behind him. My sister took my hand, smiled, and said, ‘You’re Xiao Qing, right? From now on, I’ll be your sister!’”

"She said she was imitating me, but why did she forget that I was the one imitating her in the first place..."

Ling Chuqing had her head down, so I couldn't see her expression. I could only see the striking blue ribbon, which was now covered in dust.

"Maybe I'm too dependent on her. Is it because everyone places the responsibility of being the 'older sister' on her that she acts this way?"

Don't ask me, I don't know without your perspective.

"Brother Ning Ruoyu, if I said I still want to go back to how things were with my sister, would you think I'm naive?"

"You're more than just naive, you're practically a saint," I sighed. "And I'm not just praising you."

“I know.” Ling Chuqing looked up, seemingly trying to force a smile, “but…”

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm just a 'friend's brother,' you don't need to explain that to me." I shrugged. "In the end, I was just offering a suggestion, I won't interfere with your choice."

Even if deep down you believe my choice was wrong?

"Hilarious! Who in the world can say they've made all the right choices in their life? I've always felt like I've never made the right choices in my life."

I said it with a clear conscience.

"As long as you can accept the outcome of making the wrong choice, don't care what others say." I gently squatted down and looked directly into her eyes.

"What I see and experience is just my perspective. Perspective doesn't represent justice. If you think that girl can be saved and are willing to save her, then as an outsider, I can only say 'awesome' and smile with respect and blessings—anyway, I can't forgive her, nor can I save her. The fact that I didn't actively kill her is just my kind and benevolent heart."

"Give up if you want, struggle if you want, anyway, she'll regret it in the end." I said with a smile, "Then play the saint for this moment, I promise not to bother her while you still want to try."

"...So you still want to cause trouble for your sister after all."

“I already said I’ll settle the score,” I said seriously. “I don’t care how she treats other people, but she’s a threat to me and my family—yet you’ve been worried about my sister, and I’ve also lied to you.”

"I'm a person who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment. So if you're the one stopping me, I can let it go for now. Anyway, karma has already taken a leg from her, hasn't it?"

Well, while they make it sound nice, the truth is that since it involves the gray market and a few thugs, the gray market, which is currently in a period of transition, wouldn't want this matter to escalate. When Uncle Gold Tooth and his group delivered the fruit basket, they were also subtly implying that they hoped the matter would be handled by them.

For example, if a school has some teaching accidents during an inspection by the education bureau, even though the school may want to kill the teachers and students involved, they have to swallow their anger and try to minimize the damage.

I suppose I owe them a favor, which limits my actions in this regard.

Although the gray market will definitely retaliate, my original plan to personally find an opportunity to dislocate Ling Qingxue's arm now seems a bit...

It can only be said that every act of help from the gray area comes with a price tag.

The more this is the case, the more precious the unconditional help from people like Chen Di, the president, the senior student, and An Yu becomes.

“It’s just a fracture, not a disability…” Ling Chuqing protested.

"That really is a god is a girl," I said with regret.

"Why? Does it mean God is on the girl's side?"

"It's God's injustice."

"........."

Ling Chuqing looked at me with a somewhat cold gaze, which made me a little sad.

I've been wanting to use this meme for a while, but it seems to be having a mediocre effect.

"Okay, I've been talking here long enough. I was just about to leave, but I ended up spouting a bunch of philosophies. My legs are numb."

I stood up, waved to her, and prepared to turn around.

I felt something soft against my back, and a pair of fair and delicate arms wrapped around my waist.

"?"

"Hey! Please don't turn around!"

No, in this situation, who would dare not turn around! Brother, you smell so good! Brother, don't turn around, brother, I'm your wife...

Just as I was about to protest, I felt some dampness on the back of my hospital gown.