My Sister Is Acting Strange

Tang Huaijin was unusually quiet during lunch, lost in thought. Fortunately, his sister had just woken up, still groggy from sleep, and didn’t notice his mood.

After finishing lunch, Tang Huaijin glanced at his sister, who was lounging on the sofa watching TV. He opened his mouth as if to say something but ended up just greeting her before heading out to school.

He was still undecided about whether to use the method suggested by the doctor and hadn’t figured out how to discuss it with his sister.

…

In the classroom, Bai Yuerou noticed Tang Huaijin entering and put down her book, smiling gently. “Did you manage to sort it out?”

Tang Huaijin returned her smile, saying, “Yes, it’s sorted, thanks to you, Yuerou.”

“No need to thank me,” Bai Yuerou replied with a blink and a warm voice.

Usually, Xia Xinya was the most lively in the class, but today she was unusually quiet. Tang Huaijin turned to look and, sure enough, she was sleeping soundly at her desk. Judging by her posture, she must have slept through the morning, so Tang Huaijin decided not to disturb her.

After the afternoon class, Xia Xinya seemed to be awakened by the bell, slowly opening her sleepy eyes and lazily rubbing the corners of her eyes, yawning widely.

Seeing her mouth open wide, Tang Huaijin mischievously extended his pen as if to poke her mouth, startling her into snapping her mouth shut and waking up instantly. She glared at Tang Huaijin with mock anger, “You rogue, bullying me as soon as you arrive.”

Tang Huaijin chuckled, intending to tease her further, but suddenly remembered something and turned to Bai Yuerou, asking, “Yuerou, is your foot okay now?”

At the mention of this, Bai Yuerou’s cheeks flushed slightly. She shook her head, saying, “No, it’s fine now. I iced it last night, and it’s much better…”

“Alright, try to avoid any strenuous activities for the next few days. Use warm water, ouch…” Tang Huaijin winced as he felt a sharp pain in his back, turning to glare at Xia Xinya, “You little brat, what’s wrong with you? Why are you pinching me?”

Xia Xinya turned away guiltily, muttering, “It wasn’t me.”

Her interruption made Tang Huaijin forget what he wanted to say. He glared at her helplessly and took out his book to start writing.

…

With the book issue resolved, Tang Huaijin enjoyed a few peaceful school days. During Friday’s club activities, thanks to Shen Yiqiu’s presence, everything went smoothly without any drama.

In the Xia Family villa, after dinner, Xia Xinya walked back to her room with a blank expression.

Xia Xinya hadn’t been feeling happy these past few days. For some reason, whenever she saw Tang Huaijin talking to Bai Yuerou, she felt a pang of dissatisfaction. Seeing them close made her heart feel sour.

This inexplicable sense of crisis put her in a foul mood. She curled up in her chair, sulking for a while, then took out her diary from the drawer and poured her emotions into it.

After venting her feelings, she put the diary back in its place, flopped onto her bed, and tucked the little bunny plushie between her legs. She picked up her phone and sent a message to Bai Yuerou: “Rou, are you there?”

Bai Yuerou seemed to be on her phone too, quickly replying, “Yes, I’m here. What’s up, Xinya?”

“Can you come over to hang out tomorrow morning? I’m so bored by myself.”

Receiving Bai Yuerou’s affirmative response brought a smile to Xia Xinya’s face. She placed her phone aside, closed her eyes, and slowly drifted into sleep.

The next day, Xia Xinya woke up early and sat on the sofa after lunch, waiting for Bai Yuerou to arrive.

Xia Yunzhu sat beside her, watching her daughter absentmindedly play with her phone, wanting to say something.

However, a few knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts. Xia Xinya immediately perked up, put her phone away, and excitedly ran to open the door for Bai Yuerou.

Today, Bai Yuerou was dressed in her usual light-colored attire. Ever since Tang Huaijin mentioned that she looked good in beige, she rarely wore other colors. Her face was adorned with a light, delicate makeup, and she greeted Xia Xinya with a gentle smile, her fair cheeks displaying two charming dimples.

Bai Yuerou greeted Xia Yunzhu, calling her Aunt Xia, before being whisked away to the bedroom by Xia Xinya.

Xia Xinya’s bedroom was spacious, complete with its own bathroom and walk-in closet, as well as a large balcony. The balcony had several comfortable-looking chairs, offering a view of the garden in the backyard of the villa.

For Bai Yuerou’s visits, Xia Xinya had even arranged for a bookshelf to be installed in the room, so Yuerou could enjoy reading when she came over.

When they weren’t going out, the two would often sit on the balcony chairs, basking in the warm sun and gentle breeze, feeling utterly relaxed.

As usual, Bai Yuerou sat reading, while Xia Xinya played on her phone, occasionally sharing amusing videos with her best friend.

But today, for some reason, Xia Xinya felt that Bai Yuerou seemed a bit uninterested, and she herself felt a little bored. Even the funny videos failed to amuse her, as if something was missing. She glanced at Bai Yuerou and said, “Rou, I’m so bored.”

Bai Yuerou looked up, smiling gently, and suggested, “It does feel a bit dull. How about we go out for a walk?”

Xia Xinya hesitated, biting her lip, and then said, “Why don’t we invite that jerk along?” Her eyes lit up with excitement as she continued, “Let’s have him carry our bags while we shop!”

Bai Yuerou shook her head softly, saying, “I think he might be busy today.”

Xia Xinya looked puzzled and asked, “How do you know?”

Bai Yuerou discreetly tucked her phone, which had been hidden behind her book, away and said, “Just a guess. Why don’t you ask him?”

Unaware of her friend’s subtle actions, Xia Xinya nodded and began to pester Tang Huaijin with messages.

After sending several memes, Tang Huaijin called back, sounding a bit impatient. “What do you want, you little brat?”

Hearing his exasperated tone, Xia Xinya could almost picture Tang Huaijin frowning. A hint of amusement flickered in her eyes as she playfully said, “I’m giving you a chance to accompany me shopping.”

“Well, thank you so much,” Tang Huaijin replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “No, I’m busy. I have to write.”

Xia Xinya pouted, protesting, “No way, you have to come with me.”

“I really can’t this weekend,” Tang Huaijin said, sounding a bit stressed. He had promised his sister to visit Wei Zhuang Ancient Town the next day, so he planned to spend today writing.

Realizing he seemed genuinely busy, Xia Xinya, though a bit disappointed, didn’t press further. She hung up the phone in frustration and told Bai Yuerou, “Rou, you were right. That jerk really is busy.”

Seeing Tang Huaijin turn down Xia Xinya, Bai Yuerou secretly breathed a sigh of relief and suggested with a light laugh, “He might have things to do. It’s okay, let’s go out and have some fun. Staying at home all day isn’t good.”

Xia Xinya nodded, picked up her small bag, and led Bai Yuerou out of the bedroom.

As they came downstairs, Xia Yunzhu smiled and asked, “Going out?”

This time, Xia Xinya didn’t ignore her but simply replied with a soft “Mm,” not wanting to elaborate. She focused on putting on her boots, while Bai Yuerou politely bid farewell to Xia Yunzhu, and the two left.

Watching them leave, Xia Yunzhu sighed quietly and went upstairs. She didn’t want to invade her daughter’s privacy by reading her diary, but given their current strained relationship, she felt she had no other choice.