Chapter 97: Awkward

The trickling water sound came from the bathroom, muffling the sisters' lowered conversation.

Shuang'er pressed her little face to Ling'er's ear, her voice openly curious: 'Sis, did you and Brother Qingxuan kiss yesterday?'

Ling'er's hand, wringing the towel, paused; the flush that had just faded from her cheeks surged back with a 'shh', even her ears burning.

She avoided her sister's probing gaze, draped the wrung-dry towel over Shuang'er's face, her motion tinged with annoyed fluster: 'Don't ask so much, you brat! Hurry up and wash your face!'

I'm not a child! Just tell me, what does kissing feel like?' Shuang'er flung the towel open, pouting dissatisfied, her big eyes rolling: 'I saw it this morning! You slept hugging Brother Qingxuan's arm, so comfortable! Like a little kitten!' She mimicked the morning pose in front of her sister, even rubbing against her.

'Shuang'er!' Ling'er's voice suddenly rose, then she instantly realized something, guiltily glancing at the closed bathroom door, she lowered her voice: 'No more nonsense! Hurry up and brush your teeth!'

She shoved the toothbrush with toothpaste into Shuang'er's hand, then faced the washbasin, splashing icy water repeatedly on her scorching cheeks, trying to wash away the burning heat; she lifted her head to look at herself in the mirror, her face flushed, as if the warmth and scent of his arm still lingered at her neck.

By then, Li Qingxuan had already put on his outer garment, walked to the bathroom door, and knocked lightly twice.

'Brother Qingxuan?' Shuang'er's clear voice rang out as the bathroom door opened.

She sprang out like a little rabbit, her wet hair sticking to her forehead, her big eyes curiously probing Li Qingxuan's face: 'Brother Qingxuan, what did you guys do last night?'

'Cough cough cough... nothing much, just rested a while.' Li Qingxuan choked on his saliva at Shuang'er's question, gave a light cough, then looked past her at Zhao Ling'er, who was trudging out slowly.

Ling'er lowered her gaze, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt, the flush on her cheeks not yet fully faded, like a peach blossom on early-spring branches about to bloom, betraying a shy reluctance to conceal.

'Sister Feifei called us to eat; let's go down together.' Li Qingxuan's voice returned to its usual calm, speaking gently to the two.

'Okay okay, let's eat!' Shuang'er cheered, hopping to Li Qingxuan's side, grabbing his sleeve, tilting her head to urge: 'Hurry hurry, I'm starving!' She looked exactly like an impatient little glutton cat.

Ling'er followed behind the two, her steps a bit slow, her eyes occasionally flicking to Li Qingxuan's back then quickly away, as if afraid of being discovered hiding some secret.

'What's wrong?' His gaze fell on Ling'er again, carrying a hint of inquiry.

Ling'er took a deep breath, slowly lifted her head, her gaze meeting his in an instant before quickly dropping, landing on Shuang'er's upturned little face.

She took her sister's hand, fingertips icy, and whispered, 'It's nothing,' her voice as faint as a mosquito.

Li Qingxuan's tall figure strode ahead, his footsteps steady; Ling'er led Shuang'er behind, Shuang'er still chattering about what breakfast would hold, while Ling'er merely listened silently, her palms slightly sweaty, her gaze occasionally landing on the broad back ahead, her tumultuous emotions like the howling wind and snow outside the window—intense yet sealed off by thick walls, ultimately becoming an inexpressible stillness mingled with sweetness and helplessness.

The stairs to the dining hall seemed even longer than the distance behind last night's door; Shuang'er was led down by her sister, her shoes tapping softly on the cold steps, yet her boundless curiosity could not be restrained.

She lifted her head, her big eyes darting between her sister's reddened ear tip and Li Qingxuan's broad, straight back, finally unable to resist muttering softly, her voice especially clear in the narrow stairwell: 'Sis, why is your face so red? Like a monkey's butt!'

She stretched out her other free little hand, trying to touch her sister's cheek; Ling'er felt the stair rail turn scorching, she jerked back from Shuang'er's 'attack' as if shocked, her fingers instinctively tightening, prompting Shuang'er to cry out 'Ow!'

'Don't mess around!' Ling'er's voice dropped even lower, tinged with the urgency of having her thoughts exposed, the tail end even trembling slightly.

She drew a deep breath, the cold air filling her lungs, trying to suppress the burning sensation on her face, as well as the fluttering in her heart mixed with embarrassment and fear.

The three entered the dining hall; Li Feifei had already laid out breakfast on the table—steaming porridge and simple canned food giving off a warm aroma.

She was just putting the last bowls and dishes in place when she heard footsteps, looked up and smiled: 'Perfect, hurry sit and eat; we'll just have something simple this morning.'

Shuang'er's attention was instantly grabbed by the food; she cheered, broke free of her sister's hand, and ran to the table: 'Wow! Porridge! And canned food! I love porridge, I love canned food!'

Ling'er breathed a sigh of relief, finally freed temporarily from her sister's endless questioning; she pulled out the chair beside Shuang'er and sat down, her gaze timidly flicking toward Li Feifei opposite.

Feifei's keen gaze swept over the three without a trace; Shuang'er was lively and innocent, Ling'er lowered her lids, the lingering blush on her cheeks and her deliberately averted eyes betraying her thoughts.

Li Qingxuan, as usual, calmly picked up his spoon; when his gaze met Ling'er's lowered side profile, he paused for a brief instant, his Adam's apple barely moving.

'Did you sleep well last night?' Feifei asked, seemingly offhand, while ladling porridge for Shuang'er, her voice gentle.

'Mm!' Shuang'er nodded vigorously, mouth full of food, speaking indistinctly: 'I slept wonderfully! Just...'

She swallowed, her big eyes blinking, looking at her sister then at Li Qingxuan, and giggled mischievously: 'Just that when I woke up this morning I saw Brother Qingxuan also sleeping on our bed, sister still holding...'

'Cough cough cough!' Ling'er burst into coughing, her voice laced with unprecedented panic, nearly standing up, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson: 'Hurry up and eat your food!'

She quickly cut off her sister's words, wishing she could sink into a crack in the ground, and in her fluster knocked over the water cup beside her.

'How careless,' Feifei said as she saw the warm water from the cup spill onto the table, a few drops splashing onto the tabletop and the back of her hand; she hurried over, her face bearing a gentle smile, a hint of tenderness flickering in her eyes toward Ling'er: 'Don't rush, say what you have to say slowly.'

Feifei picked up a nearby rag, silently wiped the water off the table, her tone still calm and gentle: 'All right, all right, hurry up and eat.'

Then she turned to Shuang'er, with a hint of reproachful smile: 'Shuang'er, hurry up and eat, look how you've frightened your sister.'

Shuang'er, cowed by her sister's fierce reaction and Feifei's gentle admonition, shrank her neck, stopped messing around, and obediently lowered her head to pick at the porridge in her bowl.

For a moment, the dining hall held only the faint clink of bowls and utensils and Shuang'er's chewing sounds.

Outside the window, the howling of the wind and snow grew clearer, like a savage beast racing through the mist, constantly charging at the fog.

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