5. The little sister

Spring slowly faded into summer.

The peach blossoms disappeared, leaving behind green leaves that danced in the warm breeze.

For Lin Xiaoran, life returned to its usual rhythm.

School.

Homework.

Drawing.

And occasionally thinking about Chen Yuze far more often than she should.

Not that she planned to stop.

Unfortunately.

⸻

One Saturday afternoon, Xiaoran was sketching in the living room when the front door opened.

A familiar voice drifted inside.

“Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin.”

Her pencil stopped.

Immediately.

Before she could even think about it.

Chen Yuze was here.

Again.

Trying to act normal, Xiaoran kept her eyes on her sketchbook.

As if she hadn’t noticed.

As if her heart hadn’t already started beating faster.

“Xiaoran.”

His voice came closer.

She looked up.

“Hi.”

“Drawing again?”

“When am I not drawing?”

“Good point.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The simple conversation somehow made her day brighter.

⸻

That afternoon, Yuze stayed for lunch.

The adults chatted while Haoyu complained about university assignments.

As usual.

At one point, Xiaoran reached for a bowl on the table.

Unfortunately, it was slightly too far away.

Before she could stretch further, someone placed it beside her.

She looked up.

Yuze.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

The gesture was small.

Almost meaningless.

Yet Xiaoran secretly remembered it.

Along with a hundred other small moments.

⸻

After lunch, everyone moved to the living room.

Haoyu disappeared upstairs to answer a phone call.

The adults went into the kitchen.

For the first time all day, Xiaoran and Yuze were alone.

The realization immediately made her nervous.

“So,” Yuze said.

“How’s school?”

“Good.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means good.”

He laughed.

“Very descriptive.”

Xiaoran rolled her eyes.

“Not everyone studies architecture and uses fancy explanations.”

“I don’t use fancy explanations.”

“You absolutely do.”

The conversation flowed surprisingly easily.

Soon they were discussing books.

Then movies.

Then art.

Before Xiaoran realized it, almost an hour had passed.

She was actually having fun.

⸻

Suddenly, Yuze glanced at her sketchbook.

“Can I see?”

Her eyes widened.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s embarrassing.”

“How?”

“It just is.”

Yuze raised an eyebrow.

Now he looked amused.

“That sounds suspicious.”

“It’s not suspicious.”

“It definitely is.”

Reluctantly, Xiaoran handed over the sketchbook.

Yuze flipped through the pages.

His expression remained thoughtful.

Then he nodded.

“These are really good.”

Her cheeks warmed.

“You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

The compliment felt just as powerful as the first time.

Maybe even more.

⸻

A little later, Haoyu finally returned downstairs.

The moment he saw them sitting together, he frowned dramatically.

“What are you two doing?”

“Talking,” Yuze answered.

“Suspicious.”

“How is talking suspicious?”

“Everything is suspicious.”

Xiaoran groaned.

“My brother has issues.”

“I heard that.”

“Good.”

Yuze laughed so hard he nearly dropped the sketchbook.

For some reason, seeing him laugh made Xiaoran happy.

Really happy.

⸻

As the afternoon turned into evening, Yuze prepared to leave.

Everyone walked him to the door.

Just before stepping outside, he paused.

Then he looked at Xiaoran.

“Study hard.”

She nodded.

“I will.”

“And keep drawing.”

“I know.”

“Good.”

For a second, he hesitated.

Then he smiled.

The same gentle smile she had come to recognize.

The same smile that always made her heart race.

And then he said it.

“You’re like the little sister I never had.”

⸻

Everything stopped.

Just for a moment.

The world.

The sounds.

Even the breeze.

Little sister.

The words echoed in her mind.

Little sister.

Yuze looked completely unaware.

To him, it was a simple statement.

A kind statement.

A compliment.

Proof that he cared.

But to Xiaoran…

It felt different.

Painful.

Not because he was cruel.

Not because he meant to hurt her.

But because she wanted to be anything except his little sister.

⸻

“That’s nice,” Haoyu said immediately.

“Finally. Someone agrees with me.”

Yuze laughed.

Meanwhile, Xiaoran forced a smile.

“Yeah.”

The word came out softer than she intended.

Fortunately, nobody noticed.

⸻

After Yuze left, Xiaoran retreated to her room.

The evening sky outside glowed orange and gold.

She sat beside the window.

Silent.

The words repeated endlessly.

Little sister.

Of course.

What else would she be?

She was younger.

Still in high school.

Just her best friend’s little sister.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

⸻

A strange ache settled in her chest.

Not enough to make her cry.

Just enough to make her sad.

For the first time, Xiaoran understood something important.

Crushes weren’t always sweet.

Sometimes they hurt.

Sometimes the person you liked saw you completely differently.

And there was nothing you could do about it.

⸻

That night, she opened her custom sketchbook.

The one Yuze had given her.

For a long time, she stared at the blank page.

Then she began to draw.

A peach blossom tree.

Its petals drifting away in the wind.

Beautiful.

Yet somehow lonely.

When she finished, she smiled faintly.

Not every feeling needed to be spoken aloud.

Some feelings could remain hidden.

Pressed between sketchbook pages.

Protected in silence.

Secret.

Just like her first love.

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