My Sister Is Acting Strange - Chapter 49 - Nightmare

Ever since Tang Huaijin suggested visiting their parents’ graves, his sister had been somewhat downcast. After watching TV with him for a while on the sofa, she went back to her room to sleep.

Tang Huaijin, on the other hand, returned to his room to ponder over the topic for his book.

After much thought and research, he decided on an urban business theme, opting for a traditional book format.

Once he settled on the theme and type in his mind, a complete outline and storyline instantly appeared in his thoughts.

With his eyes closed, Tang Huaijin absorbed the entire story’s main plot, foreshadowing, conflicts, and climax.

The story was about a small-time character in the 1920s who rose from obscurity to become a business tycoon.

The protagonist, named Li Zhengyi by Tang Huaijin, came from a family of soldiers. True to his name, he was upright and brave. A chance encounter with a car in the city gave him the opportunity to enter the big city. His passion and integrity earned him admiration, leading to his rise. However, as he navigated the ruthless and deceitful world of business, he gradually lost his original nature.

After becoming a business tycoon, he reflected on his life and realized that the righteous young man he once was had died the moment he stepped into society.

Though surrounded by beautiful women, the girl in the checkered dress who had once given him a pastry when he was starving was long gone.

The story could be divided into three volumes. The first would be humorous and lighthearted to attract readers and highlight Li Zhengyi’s naive and passionate youth.

The middle volume would detail his repeated setbacks due to his integrity and the transformation of his character in the harsh social environment.

The final volume would narrate his rise to power through cunning and ruthlessness.

With a clear outline and a strong theme, combined with his master-level writing skills, Tang Huaijin was confident he could write this book well.

Looking at the scribbles on his paper, his eyes showed determination.

Don’t worry, sis, I’ll make sure you’re happy.

…

Time quickly passed, and it was National Day. Tang Huaijin got up early, having prepared everything needed for the visit to their parents’ graves the day before: the white wine their father loved, the mung bean cakes their mother enjoyed, and some paper money.

After a shower, he changed into black clothes and found his sister in the living room, also dressed in a black dress with a bare face. He said softly, “Shall we go, sister?”

Seeing her nod, Tang Huaijin led her downstairs and onto his scooter.

The cemetery wasn’t far, and they arrived quickly. After showing their credentials, the guard let them in.

The siblings made their way to their parents’ tombstone. His sister was already in tears along the way, and Tang Huaijin’s eyes were slightly red.

They lit incense, placed the prepared flowers and offerings by the tombstone, and tidied up the area. Then, Tang Huaijin led his sister in bowing three times to their parents.

Afterward, his sister covered her face, bending over and sobbing uncontrollably.

Tang Huaijin went over to embrace her, gently comforting her.

After completing everything, the siblings returned home. Tang Huaijin went to prepare dinner while his sister cleaned their parents’ bedroom.

Every time after visiting the graves, Tang Yaoyao’s mood would be quite down. At such times, all Tang Huaijin could do was stay by her side. He had even suggested going to the cemetery alone to spare his sister from the painful memories, but she refused.

After dinner, Tang Yaoyao seemed slightly better, though her face was still pale. She watched TV absentmindedly for a while before saying goodnight to Tang Huaijin and going to bed.

Tang Huaijin wasn’t feeling great either. After tidying up a bit, he went to his room to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Tang Huaijin was suddenly awakened by the faint sound of his sister sobbing and calling his name, which startled him into sitting up abruptly.

Tang Yaoyao was leaning over his bedside, crying softly with her face buried in her hands, her pale face already streaked with tears.

“Sis, why do you always do this? If I weren’t brave, I’d probably be scared out of my wits.”

Tang Huaijin quickly helped his sister up, not bothering to ask questions, and guided her to his bed. He tucked her cold hands into his embrace, holding her tightly, while gently stroking her hair with his other hand.

Tang Yaoyao said nothing, only burying her head in his chest and crying her heart out.

After a while, when her sobs began to subside, Tang Huaijin softly asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

“I dreamt of Mom and Dad…” Tang Yaoyao sniffled, her eyes still showing traces of fear.

“You just miss them too much, Sis,” Tang Huaijin comforted her gently.

“No, it’s not that.” Tang Yaoyao shook her head, tears welling up again as she cried, “Jin, Mom and Dad are blaming me, blaming me for not being a good sister.”

“Sis, what are you talking about?” Tang Huaijin turned her shoulders to face him, looking into her reddened eyes, and said earnestly, “Sis, you’re the best sister in the world, and you’re my only family. Don’t talk about yourself like that, okay?”

After soothing her for a while, Tang Yaoyao finally stopped crying.

“Jin… I’m so scared. Are we doing the right thing?” Tang Yaoyao’s eyes, bright in the darkness, stared unblinkingly at Tang Huaijin as she asked softly.

“There’s no right or wrong. We only live once in this world, and no one else has a say,” Tang Huaijin shook his head, his gaze firm.

“What about Mom and Dad?” Tang Yaoyao sighed softly, asking, “Would they approve if they were here?”

After a moment of silence, Tang Huaijin gently pulled his sister close and said warmly, “Even if Mom and Dad were still alive, I would dare to tell them that I like you. Tang Huaijin likes Tang Yaoyao.”

Tang Yaoyao nestled against him, her head resting lightly on his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat, though her eyes held a touch of sadness.

Even Tang Huaijin hesitated when mentioning their parents, unable to confidently say they would approve. Though the siblings weren’t biologically related, their parents had never hidden this fact from them. Yet, imagining their parents’ reaction to seeing the two of them together was another matter entirely.

Tang Yaoyao remained silent, slowly closing her swollen eyes, and gradually fell asleep in Tang Huaijin’s arms.

Tang Huaijin stayed by her side, maintaining the same posture as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, when Tang Huaijin woke up, he noticed that his sister was quieter than usual, but overall, she seemed fine.

“Yaoyao, about last night…” Huaijin began, a bit puzzled.

Tang Yaoyao, wearing an apron, reached out to cover his mouth and said, “Don’t bring it up again. I just had a nightmare and got some energy from my little brother, so I’m fine now.”

“Alright,” Huaijin chuckled at her explanation and decided not to press further.

After lunch, as Tang Yaoyao sat cross-legged on the sofa playing with her phone, she suddenly asked, “Jin, do you have any plans today?”

“Not really, why do you ask?” Huaijin replied, putting down his phone and looking at her.

Yaoyao seemed a bit troubled as she looked at her phone. “Han Yaoyao wants me to go shopping with her. She says there’s a great spot for photos and insists on dragging me along.”

Huaijin blinked and teased, “Why not take me along?”

Yaoyao pouted, kneeled on the sofa, and walked over on her knees, pinching Huaijin’s cheeks with a hint of dissatisfaction. “Why do you keep bringing this up? You don’t have a crush on that Han Yaoyao, do you?”

“No, no, I don’t like her. I only like my sister,” Huaijin feigned pain from the pinching, pleading for mercy.

Satisfied, Yaoyao released him and, seeing his pained expression, reached out to rub his cheeks. She then complained, “So, do you have any plans? Because it seems like that place is quite far, and I might not make it back for dinner.”

Huaijin glanced at his phone. With no one inviting him out, he thought for a moment and said, “No plans, really. I might as well stay home and work on my book. I’ve got some ideas.”

Yaoyao looked a bit apologetic and hesitated, “Then… maybe I shouldn’t go?”

“Go ahead, go ahead. Staying cooped up at home isn’t much fun,” Huaijin said with a smile. He didn’t mind his sister going out to have fun, as long as she let him know in advance.

“Who says it’s not fun? Being with my brother is the happiest thing,” Yaoyao said cheerfully, giving Huaijin a peck on the cheek before heading to her room to change.

Once she was dressed and had left, Huaijin returned to his room, sat at his desk, and prepared to start writing his novel.

He had just written the opening when his phone rang. Thinking it might be his sister forgetting something, he picked it up and saw it was a voice message from Bai Yuerou.

When he answered, Bai Yuerou’s gentle voice came through, “Jin, are you free now?”

“Yeah, I’m free. What’s up?” Huaijin put down his pen.

“Nothing much, just that I’m with Xinya right now and wanted to see if you’d like to join us,” Bai Yuerou asked.

Huaijin thought for a moment. Spending the whole National Day holiday at home didn’t seem ideal, and he had promised Mrs. Xia before. So he agreed, “Alright, where should we meet?”

On the other end, Xia Xinya seemed to be playfully arguing with Bai Yuerou. After a moment, Xinya took the phone and, with a hint of dissatisfaction, said, “Just wait at home. We’ll come pick you up.”

“Alright,” Huaijin agreed, remembering they were both young ladies, so having a ride wasn’t bad at all.

After hanging up, Huaijin sent a message to his sister, letting her know he was going out with classmates. Feeling a bit guilty herself, Yaoyao didn’t ask too many questions and readily agreed.