"Today, we really owe it all to little brother Chu Feng~"
Zhou Xiaoxiao smiled as she handed over the freshly brewed cup of red tea. She loved it whenever Chu Feng ca to help out; most of the custors flocked to him, and she got to sit back, relax, make tea, and tend to the bar—life couldn't get much easier.
"Absolutely, absolutely. If it weren't for Chu Feng, I’d probably have to listen to that nagging, persistent custor all day," Ling Ning said with a grin.
"N-no, it's not like that~" Chu Feng touched his nose, embarrassed by the praise. On top of everything, he’d even made a friend today, and they'd arranged to et at a convention in a month and a half... Wait! Should he go dressed as a boy or as a girl? It dawned on him that Zhao Dezhu probably didn't know he was a guy. What should he do?
"Here’s the cream cake I promised you. Since you did such a good job today, it’s been upgraded from the large size to an extra-large." Chu ngyao placed an enormous slice of cream cake in front of Chu Feng.
"Long live my big sister!" Chu Feng's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the cake. He grabbed a fork and imdiately began savoring it. As for whether to wear a dress or a suit to the convention—well, he still had a month and a half to decide. He'd cross that bridge when he got there.
Watching Chu Feng dig into the cream cake, Ling Ning got the feeling she’d seen that cake sowhere before. Wasn't it the sa one that hadn’t sold and had been sitting in the fridge for a while? Could it really still be edible? Ling Ning shot a suspicious glance at Chu ngyao—after all, this was her real brother.
Seeing Ling Ning's expression, Chu ngyao walked over to her side and whispered, "It’s fine; it's been in the fridge, so it shouldn’t be spoiled... probably. It'd be such a waste to just throw it out. Might as well make the most of it."
"Are you two really siblings?" Ling Ning asked incredulously.
"Of course we are—truer than pearls!" Chu ngyao replied with a grin.
The fact that Chu Feng had grown up with a sister like Chu ngyao and still turned out the way he did—it was nothing short of a miracle.
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"I've got sothing to do today, so I’m heading out."
As soon as the shift ended, Ye Xuan quickly inford Ling Ning before rushing out the door. She'd already changed her clothes ahead of ti to save herself from any delays.
"Alright, take care on your way," Ling Ning called after her.
Ling Ning watched Ye Xuan's retreating figure with so curiosity. Lately, Ye Xuan had been acting strange, almost secretive, and she’d been on her phone a lot more often. Considering Ye Xuan was never the type to be glued to her phone, Ling Ning couldn't help but wonder if she’d gotten hooked on so pay-to-win mobile ga.
Shaking her head to dispel those wild thoughts, Ling Ning turned back inside. After carefully checking every corner of the shop, she also prepared to change and head ho.
When she entered the changing room, she found Xia You was there as well. Normally, this wouldn't have been noteworthy, but what Ling Ning saw made her pause—Xia You's arms and back were covered in bruises and scars, stark and shocking.
"Let see!"
"I... I'm fine."
Xia You tried to stop her, but in her injured state, she was no match for Ling Ning, who easily pinned her against the locker.
"How did you get these injuries?" Ling Ning asked, gently tracing the scars on Xia You's skin, her voice filled with concern.
Feeling Ling Ning's fingers lightly touching her wounds, Xia You experienced a rush of emotions that she couldn't quite na, making it difficult for her to speak clearly. "T-these... I fell down yesterday, by accident," she stamred. Even she didn’t believe her own words.
"Oh, really? You 'fell' and got belt marks like these?" Ling Ning scoffed. She knew these marks well—they looked exactly like the ones her father had left on her when she was young and misbehaved.
Xia You opened her mouth to say sothing but eventually lowered her head, choosing to stay silent.
"If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it." Ling Ning turned and left the changing room.
Watching Ling Ning walk away, Xia You suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, her nose stinging. Despite how much Ling Ning obviously cared, she still couldn’t bring herself to be honest with her.
"Maybe soone like just doesn't deserve friends," Xia You whispered, a bitter smile on her face.
Just then, the door to the changing room opened again, and Ling Ning walked back in, carrying a small first aid kit.
"Why did you put your clothes back on? Hurry up and take them off!" Ling Ning said, frowning. She couldn’t believe that in the short ti she was gone, Xia You had already dressed herself again.
"Huh!?"
Xia You stared blankly at Ling Ning, not knowing what to do.
"Huh what? I noticed so spots where your skin was broken. If we don’t treat it, it’ll leave scars," Ling Ning said while rummaging through the first aid kit.
"Wait, are you crying?"
As soon as Ling Ning gathered the supplies she needed, she noticed that Xia You was crying. This was the worst-case scenario for her—she was terrible at dealing with crying girls. Panicking, Ling Ning instinctively pulled Xia You into an embrace, gently stroking her soft hair while murmuring words of comfort, just as she would when comforting Ling Ye.
Perhaps it was Ling Ning's hug that did the trick; Xia You's sobs gradually quieted down. Feeling the wetness against her chest, Ling Ning suddenly felt grateful that she hadn't changed into her own clothes yet.
"Alright, it's okay now. Co on, take off your clothes. I'll help you apply the dicine, alright?" Ling Ning spoke in the sa soothing tone she used with Ling Ye.
Xia You nodded, slowly undressing again. As she moved, her face contorted in pain, clearly affected by her injuries.
"When I apply the dicine, it might sting a bit, so bear with it, okay?"
"Mm... ah!"
Though Xia You tried to brace herself, the sharp pain still made her cry out. Fortunately, the areas with broken skin weren’t extensive; otherwise, Xia You would have been in for an even rougher ti.
"It was my dad who did this."
Ling Ning was startled to hear Xia You suddenly speak up while she was treating her wounds.
"When I was little, my mom left with soone else, leaving only and my dad. I rember her saying she was going out to buy a birthday present that day... but she never ca back. After that, my dad was never the sa—he drowned himself in alcohol every day. Ow..." Ling Ning's focus had been on Xia You's story, causing her to accidentally apply too much pressure.
"Sorry about that," Ling Ning said, giving an awkward smile.
"I guess... I look more and more like my mom, and it upsets him every ti he sees ." Xia You gave a bitter laugh, a deep sense of resignation behind her smile.
"Alright, let the dicine dry before you put your clothes back on." As she applied the treatnt, Ling Ning noticed that Xia You’s body was covered in scars from previous injuries. Clearly, this wasn’t the first ti she'd experienced dostic violence.
"Okay~"
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Author's Note:
Without clicks, favorites, recomndations, votes, or tips, this salted fish has no motivation at all~
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