My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 42 - Girl Boy Girl

Following Doctor Bai’s advice, Tang Huaijin spent the entire Saturday by his sister’s side. The sibling bond between them remained as close as ever, though Huaijin refrained from pestering his sister for kisses or anything that might upset her.

Tang Yaoyao’s condition had improved significantly. At the very least, she no longer showed strong resistance to Huaijin’s affectionate gestures.

Since they had already planned to have dinner at the Xia Family’s house that evening, Huaijin had prepared an excuse in advance. Sitting on the sofa next to his sister, Yaoyao naturally stretched out her long legs, resting her petite feet on his lap.

Huaijin gently massaged her delicate feet, glancing at his sister, who was lazily leaning against the sofa cushion, her attention half-heartedly on the TV. In a soft voice, he said, “Sis, I have a gathering with classmates tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.”

He felt conflicted as he said this. Ever since their parents had passed away, the two of them rarely ate dinner apart. Eating alone always left a hollow feeling in their hearts. Yet, he couldn’t figure out how to explain the situation to his sister.

It was true what they said: one lie often leads to another, even if it’s a well-intentioned one.

Huaijin felt a pang of guilt. He didn’t want to deceive his sister. He opened his mouth, almost ready to confess the truth.

Yaoyao’s soft, fair feet, peeking out from under her lounge pants, playfully pressed against his lap. Her toes, painted a cheerful peachy pink, wiggled like tiny lotus buds. She seemed to perk up at his words, her eyes lighting up with surprise. “Really? I was just about to tell you the same thing. It’s your sister Han Yaoyao’s birthday today, and she invited me to dinner.”

Huaijin was equally surprised by the coincidence and couldn’t help but tease, “Why didn’t you take me along?”

Yaoyao pouted and gave his leg a light stomp with her foot, a hint of dissatisfaction in her tone. “Her gathering is all girls. I’m worried you’d get taken advantage of if you came along…”

After saying this, she suddenly turned to Huaijin with a suspicious look. “Are there any girls at your gathering?”

Huaijin instinctively wanted to say no, but catching the mischievous glint in Yaoyao’s peach blossom eyes, he stopped himself. Instead, he chuckled and replied, “Sis, how could a gathering with classmates not have girls?”

Clearly, his sister was trying to catch him in a lie. Saying no would only lead to more questions and risk exposing him.

Seeing Huaijin’s calm demeanor, Yaoyao finally let out a soft hum and warned, “Jin, don’t sit next to any girls, and come home early. I’ll be back quickly after dinner.”

“Alright,” Huaijin replied with a cheerful smile and a nod.

The siblings left the house together. After seeing his sister off in a taxi, Huaijin walked to a Bentley parked by the roadside, opened the door, and got in.

Xia Xinya was sitting inside, idly scrolling through her phone. When she saw Huaijin enter, she immediately complained, “Why are you so slow?”

Huaijin shot her an annoyed look. “What’s the rush? Are you trying to kill me?”

He had indeed taken a bit longer than expected, as he’d waited for his sister to change clothes. But with Xinya, this brat, there was no need for politeness.

Tang Huaijin glanced toward the front seats. The driver was still the same female bodyguard from last time, but Aunt Song was now sitting in the passenger seat, smiling warmly as she turned to look at him.

Feeling both surprised and flattered, he said, “Aunt Song, it’s just a quick trip to pick me up. Why did you come along?”

Aunt Song chuckled gently. “It’s no trouble at all. Madam asked me to come along, just to make sure you’re properly taken care of.”

Then, with a curious look, she asked, “That young lady just now-who is she to you?”

Xia Xinya, busy fiddling with her phone in the back seat, was oblivious to the conversation. But Aunt Song had seen it all clearly-Tang Huaijin walking out hand in hand with a tall young woman.

Huaijin smiled. “That’s my sister. She happened to be heading out as well.”

Xinya’s eyes lit up. “Was it Yaoyao-Jie? Where is she?”

“She already left. That’s what you get for burying your head in your phone,” Huaijin teased, though inwardly he felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness this girl was so impatient. If she’d seen Tang Yaoyao getting into a cab, the whole charade would have been exposed.

He made a mental note: less lying in the future. It was too nerve-wracking.

“Ah…” Xinya let out a disappointed sigh.

Aunt Song, still smiling, glanced at the two of them and said, “If there’s nothing else, shall we get going? We still need to pick up Rou.”

Huaijin nodded, and the car smoothly pulled away, heading toward a villa.

The villa wasn’t particularly large, exuding an understated elegance. Combined with the Maybach parked outside to pick up Bai Yuerou, it was clear her father was a man of quiet sophistication.

After a short wait, Bai Yuerou emerged from the villa, dressed in a floral maxi dress. Spotting the Bentley parked by the roadside, she jogged over and opened the door.

Seeing Huaijin sitting inside, she didn’t seem surprised. After he scooted over to make room, she gracefully adjusted her skirt and slid into the seat.

The car’s interior lights illuminated her delicate, finely featured face. She had applied light makeup, and her lips, painted a soft pink, looked particularly alluring.

Once seated, she gave Huaijin a gentle smile, revealing a pair of shallow dimples. She blinked expectantly, as if waiting for his opinion.

Huaijin grinned. “Why go all out with such a beautiful look today?”

A faint blush crept up Yuerou’s cheeks. Pleased by the compliment, she lightly pinched the hem of her dress and murmured, “Well, it’s only natural to dress up when going out.”

Huaijin nodded approvingly, then glanced at Xinya. “You look stunning. This dress suits you perfectly-much better than Xinya’s sense of style.”

Xinya, who had no reason to dress up for a casual dinner at home, shot him a glare. She hated being compared to others, but since it was Yuerou, she couldn’t really argue. Instead, she snapped, “Ugh, you’re so annoying! If you can’t say anything nice, just zip it!”

Huaijin, having successfully teased her, chuckled gleefully.

Yuerou covered her mouth, laughing softly as well. But there was a faint shadow in her gaze as she looked at Huaijin.

He was sharp, always maintaining just the right distance. The moment he sensed even a hint of ambiguity, he would deftly steer the conversation back to safer ground, shifting any budding feelings into the realm of friendship.

The Bentley’s interior was spacious enough to comfortably seat three, especially when two of them were slender young women.

The female driver handled the car with remarkable smoothness, and the Bentley’s superior suspension ensured there was no jostling. Sitting in the middle, Huaijin had no chance of accidentally brushing against either of them.

Xia Xinya was scrolling through her phone, occasionally tossing a few words into the conversation between Tang Huaijin and Bai Yuerou.

Yuerou seemed a bit distracted herself, idly fiddling with her delicate, fair hands. She replied to Xinya now and then but didn’t initiate any topics.

Suddenly, Xinya stumbled upon a funny video and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Noticing Huaijin’s curious glance, she tilted her phone screen away, shielding it from his view. After all, it was one of those jokes only girls could truly understand.

Huaijin immediately pulled a face of disdain, as if to say, “Who cares?” He wasn’t actually interested in the video-he was just instinctively curious about what had made Xinya laugh so suddenly.

Ignoring him, Xinya excitedly called out, “Rou, you’ve got to see this! It’s hilarious!” She reached out to show the video to Yuerou, leaning closer to Huaijin in the process.

Yuerou, intrigued, leaned in as well. The text on the video was too small for her to read from a distance, so she scooted closer to Huaijin.

And just like that, Huaijin found himself sandwiched between two girls.

Xinya didn’t seem to care, though. She shot a quick glare at Huaijin, who rolled his eyes and deliberately looked away. Then, she leaned in even closer, happily chatting with Yuerou in hushed tones.

Yuerou, a bit shy, noticed Xinya’s casual attitude and shifted slightly closer, her movements tentative.

Their legs occasionally brushed against Huaijin’s, but he didn’t pay it much mind. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit exasperated. In hindsight, he thought, wouldn’t it have been better to have Yuerou sit on Xinya’s side from the start?

Just as he was mulling over this, fate seemed to play a prank on him. The car’s wheels hit something on the road, causing a sudden jolt. Instinctively, both girls grabbed onto Huaijin’s arms for support.

Huaijin froze, staring blankly at the situation unfolding before him.

The female driver glanced awkwardly at the rearview mirror. She had been slightly distracted by the trio’s closeness earlier, and now Aunt Song was giving her a mildly reproachful look. Embarrassed, the driver murmured, “Sorry…”

Yuerou’s cheeks flushed as she quickly let go of Huaijin’s arm. Her face turned a delicate shade of pink. Though Huaijin’s muscles weren’t overly bulky, they were firm and solid, and for that brief moment, holding onto his arm had felt oddly reassuring.

Xinya, on the other hand, was entirely unbothered. She gave Huaijin’s arm a light smack and grumbled, “Why are you sitting in the middle? You’re such a hassle. Move over!”

“How am I supposed to move?” Huaijin replied, half-laughing, half-exasperated. The car was still in motion, and stopping wasn’t an option. Couldn’t this troublemaker just sit still for once?

“Fine, don’t move,” Xinya said after glancing out the window and confirming that stopping wasn’t feasible. Without further ado, she climbed over Huaijin, attempting to switch seats.

The car wasn’t cramped, but it wasn’t a spacious RV either. And Xinya wasn’t exactly short, so standing upright wasn’t an option. She practically crawled over Huaijin, at one point even plopping down on his lap. The soft sensation made Huaijin’s brow twitch involuntarily.

Once Xinya had settled into her new seat, Huaijin wasted no time scooting over, his expression one of utter disdain.

“Ugh, you’re such a jerk. I haven’t even said anything, and you’re already acting all grossed out,” Xinya muttered, annoyed. She shot him another glare before turning back to Yuerou, resuming their whispered conversation.

Yuerou glanced at Xinya and hesitated before asking softly, “Xinya, don’t you think you’re a bit too close to Huaijin?”

“Not really. You and I act like this all the time, don’t we?” Xinya replied casually, shaking her head.

“But we’re both girls…” Yuerou sighed, giving her somewhat clueless best friend a helpless look. “Doesn’t it feel awkward being so casual with a guy?”

“…” Xinya paused, realizing the point Yuerou was making. Maybe she was being a bit too carefree around Huaijin. But it wasn’t like she could admit she’d simply grown used to his antics over time.

Awkwardly, she said, “Alright, I’ll try to be more mindful from now on.”

As the conversation ended, Xinya began to reflect on the issue. She had always disliked being around boys, finding their presence irritating and even repulsive at times. Physical contact was out of the question-it made her skin crawl.

But Huaijin? He was different. Sure, he annoyed her, but she didn’t find him unbearable.

After pondering for a while, her mind still couldn’t come up with a clear answer.

Could it be… Huaijin wasn’t a real man?

Sneaking a glance at Huaijin, Xinya’s gaze turned oddly speculative, her expression full of suspicion.

Huaijin, noticing her strange look, frowned in disgust.