My Sister Is Acting Strange

Because they stayed up too late last night, the siblings both ended up sleeping in.

Ahem, actually, they were both already awake.

Feeling a slight movement from the hand, Tang Yaoyao, who had been pretending to sleep, immediately opened her eyes and angrily swatted it away, glaring at Tang Huaijin. “You sneaky Jin, were you awake this whole time?!”

She had been pretending to sleep to avoid waking Tang Huaijin, thinking it would be awkward for both of them if they woke up at the same time. She hoped he’d leave on his own once he woke up.

Tang Huaijin’s eyelids fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes as if he had just woken up, mumbling, “What are you talking about, sis?”

Tang Yaoyao squinted at him for a long time, trying to find any flaws in his act. Seeing none, she grumbled, “Nothing. Why are you sleeping in your sister’s room?”

Tang Huaijin put on a wronged expression and protested, “You fell asleep on me last night, sis. If I moved, you’d wake up.”

His explanation seemed somewhat reasonable. Looking at his pitiful expression, Tang Yaoyao couldn’t bring herself to say more. She lightly kicked him and said, “Alright then, since you’re awake, go make breakfast. I’m starving.”

Tang Huaijin smiled ingratiatingly, quickly got out of bed, and left his sister’s room.

He felt a bit guilty himself. Who knew his sister would cling to him like an octopus as soon as she woke up?

It wasn’t really his fault, was it?

…

That day, Tang Yaoyao barely interacted with Tang Huaijin. Partly because of the morning incident, and partly because she was busy writing a proposal, something Tang Huaijin couldn’t help with due to his lack of expertise.

But seeing his sister occasionally rub her stiff neck, Tang Huaijin felt a pang of sympathy and started giving her a neck massage from behind.

At first, she seemed reluctant, but as Tang Huaijin was her top-notch masseur, his skills were exceptional. Before long, she closed her eyes in comfort, a satisfied smile spreading across her face, and she no longer minded his unintentional morning antics.

Although Tang Yaoyao started working on the proposal right after lunch, she was busy until late. It wasn’t until Tang Huaijin came in several times to urge her that she finally shut down her laptop, exchanged goodnights with him, and went to bed.

On Monday morning, seeing his sister’s tired face, Tang Huaijin felt a bit worried and suggested she take the day off.

But Tang Yaoyao firmly refused, saying she just needed to finish up a bit more at the office.

Unable to persuade her, Tang Huaijin could only remind her to take care of herself, gave her a peck on the cheek, and headed off to school.

After Lin Ruoxi’s bold declaration to Tang Huaijin on Friday, she became even more audacious. When she saw Tang Huaijin getting on the bus, she waved him over and snuggled into his arms.

Tang Huaijin looked at her expressionlessly and said softly, “Lin Ruoxi, do you realize this behavior is considered harassment? It’s a crime.”

“Is it a crime to get close to my boyfriend?” Lin Ruoxi looked at him with feigned surprise.

Tang Huaijin shook his head speechlessly, unwilling to argue with her about it.

Lin Ruoxi didn’t push it too far, only taking advantage of him in the mornings with her shameless cuddling.

It might not seem like much.

But what troubled Tang Huaijin the most was that this subtle interaction was making him gradually accustomed to it, to the point where he wasn’t as sensitive to normal contact anymore.

For instance, during club activities, Lin Ruoxi would sit next to him. Such a thing would have been unthinkable right after their breakup, but now he found it somewhat normal.

Tang Huaijin looked at the ponytailed girl rubbing her head contentedly against his chest. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words.

The reason he allowed her to cling to him was because she had threatened to tell everyone she met that she was Tang Huaijin’s girlfriend.

Initially, Tang Huaijin was skeptical about this. After all, how could a girl be so shameless?

But last Friday, her demeanor gave him the impression that if he backed out, Lin Ruoxi might actually do something like that.

After being clung to by Lin Ruoxi all the way to school, Tang Huaijin, in a foul mood, arrived at his seat and forced a smile. “Morning, Xinya, Yuerou.”

Bai Yuerou put down her book and looked at Tang Huaijin, whose expression was a bit off. She asked gently, “Morning, Jin. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Tang Huaijin shook his head, unwilling to elaborate and unable to explain.

Xia Xinya, who had been listless, perked up upon seeing his displeased expression. She leaned in and nudged him with her elbow, curiously asking, “What’s up, you grumpy guy? Why the long face?”

Ugh, this girl. Tang Huaijin glanced at her, full of impatience. “None of your business.”

Xia Xinya was even more intrigued, grinning as she said, “Don’t be so stingy. If something’s bothering you, just spill it. It’ll make me happy too.”

Tang Huaijin’s mouth twitched in irritation. Seeing her excitement, he chose not to retort and instead turned to talk with Bai Yuerou.

He pulled out a stack of drafts from his bag and handed them to Bai Yuerou with a smile. “Yuerou, I’ve finished the first volume of my book and sent it to my sister for publishing. Here’s the draft, a keepsake for you.”

Bai Yuerou, an avid reader with a keen eye for literature, had been a great help to Tang Huaijin over the past week, offering feedback and suggestions. Since the draft wasn’t of much use to him anymore, he decided to give it to her.

“Really?” Bai Yuerou looked at Tang Huaijin in surprise. Seeing him nod with a smile, she accepted the draft, holding it like a treasure. She said with gratitude, “Thank you, Jin. This is the most meaningful gift I’ve ever received.”

For a writer, a handwritten draft holds significant sentimental value. Moreover, it gave her a sense of achievement and recognition, making it the perfect gift for a literary girl.

Xia Xinya felt a pang of jealousy seeing Tang Huaijin ignore her and chat happily with Bai Yuerou. Hearing Bai Yuerou’s words, she couldn’t help but interject, “Rou, how could you say that? What about the music box I gave you? It’s just a draft.”

Bai Yuerou looked a bit embarrassed, opening her mouth but unsure what to say. She awkwardly replied, “Xinya…”

Tang Huaijin turned and glared at Xia Xinya, snapping, “Who are you calling a ‘draft’? You can’t even score half the points on an essay, you silly girl.”

“Who’s the silly girl, you jerk, you pervert?” Despite Tang Huaijin’s harsh tone, Xia Xinya felt oddly happy that he was finally paying attention to her, continuing to provoke him recklessly.

Faced with Xia Xinya’s provocations from the moment he stepped into the classroom, Tang Huaijin wasn’t about to hold back. Without warning, he flicked her forehead with a playful snap.

“Ouch!” Xia Xinya yelped, rubbing her reddened forehead with her small hand, looking at Tang Huaijin with a pitiful expression. “That hurt!”

“Good, it should hurt. That’s what you get for provoking me,” Tang Huaijin replied, feeling no remorse for teasing her. He even chuckled a couple of times, clearly pleased with himself.

“You’re such a jerk, I hate you,” Xia Xinya pouted, looking even more aggrieved, clutching her head pitifully.

Seeing that she seemed genuinely hurt, Tang Huaijin sighed in resignation. He reached out and gently ruffled Xia Xinya’s hair. “Alright, alright, maybe I was a bit rough. How about you hit me back?”

“Who wants to hit you, gross,” Xia Xinya retorted, her tone full of reluctance as she pouted. “Ugh, now my hair’s all messed up because of you.”

Despite her words, Xia Xinya didn’t push his hand away. Instead, she seemed to enjoy it, her eyes narrowing contentedly, her expression softening.

Huh, is this girl part cat?

After a couple more ruffles, Tang Huaijin withdrew his hand, noticing she had calmed down considerably. He gave her a curious glance before turning back to chat with Bai Yuerou.

But before they could exchange more than a few words, a leg stealthily extended from the left, giving him a gentle kick.

Tang Huaijin turned to look at Xia Xinya again, glaring at her with annoyance. “What’s wrong with you? What do you want?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Xia Xinya blinked innocently, mumbling.

Tang Huaijin eyed her suspiciously but decided to let it go, turning back to his writing, occasionally discussing the plot with Bai Yuerou.

Throughout the morning, whenever Tang Huaijin spoke more than a few words with Bai Yuerou, Xia Xinya would either kick him or poke him. Even when he flicked her forehead again, she didn’t resist. Tang Huaijin didn’t dare use too much force, and after a few rounds, he simply ignored her.

It wasn’t until a foot stealthily stepped on his white sneakers that Tang Huaijin turned to glare at Xia Xinya, demanding, “What exactly do you want?”

Xia Xinya froze, seeing that he was genuinely angry, and felt a bit scared. She pouted, “You’re always chatting with Yuerou. You’re trying to make a move on her, but I won’t let you succeed!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Tang Huaijin sighed, glancing at Bai Yuerou, who remained expressionless. “You’re judging me with a petty heart. I’m just discussing the plot with Yuerou. Can’t you see I’m writing a book?”

Xia Xinya pouted, huffing, “Then why don’t you discuss the plot with me? You think I’m not good enough?”

…What on earth would I discuss with you?

Tang Huaijin sighed, “Fine, fine, I’ll ask you later, okay?”

Satisfied, Xia Xinya nodded, then turned to Bai Yuerou with a determined look. “Yuerou, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, I won’t let this jerk make a move on you.”

Bai Yuerou smiled gently, nodding without saying a word.