Crimson Instinct Chapter 133: Their mother's memories

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*Xin Lei*

Till bro's team was working on restoring data from the video cara we found, everyone else was chatting around.

I went to Bai Li's side and hugged him.

"I like your brother. He is cool." He chuckled.

I widened my eyes in surprise. I typed. "Are you for real?"

He shrugged. "Why not? Actually, I find him to be an ideal big brother. Most of the brothers really dote on their younger sisters. Not that it's wrong, but they really don't do anything even if their sisters act spoiled. I like n who can toughen up for their sisters and daughters. Xin Zhen loves you, but he also scolds you if he finds that you lack sowhere. That kind of relationship is nice"

I giggled. I type. "I don't think any other man would have talked like this about his potential future brother-in-law considering the way how he treated you at the entrance."

"Ah, that. I don't mind. Well, brothers are also protective of their sisters, so it's reasonable. Everybody is on guard when it cos to sister/daughter's boyfriend. I have to win his heart, and we will be good buddies in no ti."

I coughed.

Buddies...I wonder.

But I imagined Bai Li and bro acting like 'buddies,' and sohow, the image of my bro made shudder.

Bai Li wrapped his hands around my waist and kissed my forehead. "By the way, was your Mom strict? Does Xin Zhen resemble her personality-wise?"

I typed. "No ways! Mom was very warm and gentle. Even if she scolded us, it felt so loving and caring. She hardly got that angry."

He frowned, and I could sense his curiosity as he asked. "But your Dad doesn't seem to be that strict too. So how co Xin Zhen is so cold? Personality-wise, he doesn't seem to resemble your Mom or Dad."

I thought about it and typed. "Actually, Bro wasn't always like that. He was still quiet and reserved even when he was a boy, but he smiled a lot and was sotis carefree like other boys his age. But since Mom's death, he changed. From that day, we stood in the cetery for Mom's funeral, bro wasn't the sa anymore. He beca more withdrawn, and since then, he was always like that."

The mories of my mother once again made feel a bit lancholic. I felt Bai Li's hand on the back of my head, and he pulled in his embrace.

I smiled, and I felt tears filling my eyes. I typed. "Bro and I would always compete for Mom's affection. He would always tease by saying that Mom loved him more than ."

I heard Bai Li softly chuckle. "Typical of any older sibling. Wait. Did he tell you that you were adopted?"

I laughed and felt my eyes turn sore. I typed. "Yes, he did. How did you know?"

"I could guess that. All older siblings love to play that prank on their younger siblings."

I typed. "He did. He said that Mom and Dad picked from near a trash can and adopted since I was pitiful. I was only four years old when he told that, and like any other naive kid, I believed him."

I felt Bai Li's hand brushing through my hair. It felt so nice and peaceful. His sturdy hold on comforted .

"What happened then?"

I typed. "I cried hard. I really thought I was adopted, and then guess what?"

"What?"

I giggled and typed. "I ran away from ho."

"What!?"

I laughed and typed. "Yes. I loved bro and looked up to him, and so I believed his words. I didn't bother to ask Mom and Dad because I thought, why would bro lie to ? But then bro found in a flash because I hid in my usual spot in the park where we played. I was crying. He panicked and scolded .

"Are you stupid to believe that? Idiot! You are my real sister! Don't believe everything so easily! You will be eaten by the wolves one day!" He told the truth, and that was the only ti he begged not to say this to Mom or Dad."

"I can imagine. If they learned that a four-year daughter ran away, any parent would panic." he chuckled.

I nodded and typed. "But they still found out. We tried to behave normally as best as we could when we returned, but I had cried so hard that Mom imdiately noticed it. After much questioning, bro had to co out with the truth."

"And how did they react?"

I typed. "Hehe~~Dad gave him a nice beating, and Mom forced him to kneel on the durian for a long ti."

I recalled Mom's angry words as she lashed out at bro.

'You do not play pranks like that, young man! What if sobody had kidnapped her when she ran away! There are many bad people around. Kneel on the durian and reflect upon your actions!'

I typed. "I enjoyed seeing Bro's pitiful state like that."

Bai Li cupped my face and smiled. "You have a good family. I would have loved to et your mother."

My eyes brightened, but the vision of Bai Li in front turned a little blur with my tears. I typed. "En. I am sure that she would have definitely liked you a lot."

Bai Li felt his way and slowly pressed his thumb on my cheek, wiping the tear away.

"It must be hard on your family after she...left. I am sorry for making you sad."

I kissed his hand and shook my head.

He pulled in his embrace again and tightly hugged .

I typed. "If you don't mind, then can I ask you about your parents?"

"Sure."

"How were they?

Bai Li chuckled. "My mom was really...how can I say...she was very clumsy. Half of the ti, she crashed into sothing or soone while walking her way. The only thing Dad was busy for the entire day was to make sure that she didn't get into an accident."

I laughed.

"Dad doted on her a lot. He even despised a little because he thought I stole Mom from him ever since I was born."

Aww, that is so cute.

"Mom was clumsy and a little forgetful too. But she liked cooking a lot. She made the most delicious food. Everybody in our neighborhood was a fan of her food."

I typed. "My mom was the opposite. She liked to cook and was very orderly about things but her cooking skills well...But she always tried her best. We knew that. It was usually Dad who cooked most of the ti while Mom would sotis learn so new recipes."

Bai Li smiled as I looked up at him. "Wouldn't it have been perfect if our Moms had t? Mom had opened her own small cooking class, but as I said, she was clumsy. You can just imagine the ss she made while teaching. Her class was more cody than a cooking session. Haha. Your mom would have taught her about orderliness while my Mom would have taught her how to cook. It would have been a fantastic duo."

I grinned. That would have been perfect. But now that I rember, Mom did use to attend a one cooking class. She was hell-bent in improving herself as she felt terrible for letting Dad cook most of the ti.

I forgot the na of that cooking class, though. I was really young, maybe four or five, when Mom started.

I typed. "What was the na of your Mom's cooking class?"

Bai Li smiled. "Yixi's Ho Cooking. Bai Yixi was my mother's na."

I frowned and tilted my head.

Was that the class?

I would ask Dad soti later. He would surely rember it.

"Xin Lei!" A dangerous voice suddenly ca from behind my back.

I jumped, feeling startled. I turned and looked at my bro, whose expression was sour and ugly.

Oops...did he see us getting intimate?

Oh, God! I sobbed.

I could hear him gritting his teeth in annoyance. "Do I need to remind your pea-sized brain that I haven't yet accepted Bai Li? Keep your distance, young lady." His voice sounded as cold as the Arctic.

Bai Li coughed. "We were just hugging."

Bro sneered. "Yes, of course. Now you are just hugging and kissing, and tomorrow, you two will be rolling naked in the sheets together. Do you take as an idiot? I know how it works."

I wanted to puke three liters of blood.

Rolling naked in the sheets? Oof! Bro really had no filter in his mouth!

"Your brother is really sothing else" Bai Li whispered.

I agreed a hundred percent.

"Zhen!" Shi Ruiling stepped in, holding her hands on her waist and glaring at bro. "How could you talk like that! Xin Lei is your sister, and Bai Li could be a part of our family in the future. Talk like a respectable brother-in-law." She hit him on the shoulder.

Hm? Our family?

I rapidly blinked my eyes.

Perhaps bro understood my confusion, so he said, "She said it right. Our family. Shi Ruiling is my girlfriend."