Chapter 60: The Photo

“Hiss…”

“What’s wrong?” Luo Ming asked curiously. Just as the call was about to end, she heard the boy make a sudden sound.

“Nothing. I’m hanging up now. Bye.”

“Mm, bye.”

Gu Yu put down his phone and touched the faint tooth marks on his shoulder, casting a resentful glance at the woman smirking beside him.

“You’re already lying in the same bed as your sister, and you still dare to flirt with other girls?”

“You could hear us, couldn’t you? It was just a normal chat.”

“Is that so? Xiao Yu sounds very concerned about her. Do you want Sister to drive you to see her right now?”

Yun Qianxin’s smile was gentle, her charming eyes filled only with Gu Yu’s reflection. Her tone was soft and tender enough to make anyone drop their guard.

Yun Qianxin’s moods dictated which of her two personas appeared. The gentle, kind elder sister was the one Gu Yu saw most often. The other—when she was truly angry—was a cold, indifferent ice queen who brooked no argument or refusal.

This was the explanation Gu Yu had come up with; having seen both sides of her, he used this theory to define her.

“Really? That would be great. With snow this heavy, Luo Ming might catch a cold,” Gu Yu said straightforwardly. He suspected Yun Qianxin wouldn’t like this reaction, but he didn’t want to hide his concern for Luo Ming.

She was the girl he liked, his “white moonlight.” He was unwilling to compromise his feelings for her just to cater to the woman beside him.

Yun Qianxin tapped Gu Yu lightly on the head and pursed her lips in a mock scolding, not truly angry. “Silly boy. That girl is definitely already home and asleep. Do you really want to disturb her now? Besides, it’s so late—if you did see her, what would you do? Bring her back to sleep with us?”

“I’m just joking. You should get some sleep too, Sister Qianxin. Staying up late is bad for your skin.”

“Fine, fine. Xiao Yu really knows how to care for people.”

Yun Qianxin reached behind her to feel around, grabbing the coat she had discarded by the bed. She pulled a red envelope from the pocket and stuffed it into Gu Yu’s hand. “Here, New Year’s money for Xiao Yu. No refusing your sister.”

“Alright, thank you, Sister Qianxin.”

Gu Yu took the red envelope. As he touched the flat, bright red paper bag, he didn’t feel the texture of paper money inside. Instead… it felt like a hard card?

“The password is your birthday. Keep it safe. Consider it your sister making up for all the New Year’s money I’ve owed you over the last few years.”

“Sister Qianxin… who puts a bank card in a red envelope? Normally you just put a few dollars in.”

“I put the card in because the cash wouldn’t fit. Don’t be so awkward about it, Xiao Yu. I’ve given it to you, so you’re not allowed to give it back.” Yun Qianxin’s voice grew firmer, carrying the weight of an elder.

Gu Yu felt a bit helpless. Accepting Yun Qianxin’s kindness felt natural enough, but he didn’t want to take too much; it didn’t feel right. “How much were you planning to stuff in there? If it’s too much, I’ll feel bad taking it.”

“Well, you don’t have a choice now. Just think of part of it as payment for Xiao Yu… letting Sister borrow your body for a bit.”

“Body? Sister Qianxin… what are you doing?”

“Don’t move. Sister can do it herself.”

Yun Qianxin extended her fair, soft palm. Her long, slender fingers pulled back Gu Yu’s collar. Her gaze swept over his fair, soft skin until she found a suitable spot, where she pressed a light pink lip print.

Warm breath brushed against the side of Gu Yu’s neck. The sensation was tingling and slightly itchy, accompanied by the occasional graze of teeth against skin. She continued, one mark after another, until his neck was almost covered in red prints.

Yun Qianxin looked at his neck with satisfaction, took out her phone, and snapped a photo. She uploaded it to her personal space on a social media platform with the caption: “Covered in marks. You belong to Sister now; no one else can snatch my Xiao Yu away.”

“You… why did you include my name? People will misunderstand!”

“Then let them. Xiao Yu, are you afraid the girl you have a crush on will find out?” Yun Qianxin pinched the soft flesh of his cheek, the smile at the corners of her eyes deepening.

Her social media space was closed to strangers; only Gu Yu and Mo Yin were authorized to view it. Not many people would see it, but she insisted on teasing him. The boy’s bashfulness was her favorite thing.

“It’s not that I’m afraid of Luo Ming… it’s just that it’s a bad look. You know that, right?”

“Sister doesn’t know that. Doing this will make those annoying pursuers back off on their own. Don’t you want to help your sister, Xiao Yu?”

So that’s what she meant… Gu Yu couldn’t refuse. The woman was always so flawless in her logic, finding perfect excuses that were both playful and serious. He could only give up and let her have her way.

“Alright, alright. No more teasing. Let’s sleep. Tomorrow is the New Year.”

“Mm. Goodnight, Sister Qianxin.”

“Goodnight.”

&

In previous years, New Year was spent idling away the time alone. A few movies could kill a significant amount of time. Gu Yu would usually take the rare opportunity to stay in bed until noon, fix a hasty lunch, and then relocate to the sofa to lie down and binge-watch new movie releases until nightfall.

Visiting relatives for New Year greetings was never something that concerned him. In the eyes of those people, receiving a greeting from a destitute orphan like him was bad luck—something that would ruin the vibrant, festive spirit of the holiday.

He had once overheard a seemingly friendly aunt and uncle complaining behind his back: “He’s definitely here to beg for a red envelope. Acting all pitiful like a beggar. It’s the New Year; how unlucky.”

That was the only time he had gone out to give New Year greetings after his parents passed away. He thought he had been extremely polite, greeting everyone he saw and refusing to take a single cent, never coveting anything. Yet, he still wasn’t welcome.

Perhaps… being weak was a sin in itself.

This year was very different. The quiet old house had a second person in it, bringing more warmth. The lingering, bitter cold seemed to dissipate because of it.

The New Year’s Eve dinner last night was more lavish than anything he had ever seen. The table was covered in fragrant, glistening dishes—fish and meat, almost all of which were his favorites. Unfortunately, the two of them couldn’t finish much. Yun Qianxin was full after a few bites, and even though Gu Yu ate until he was stuffed, more than half was left over.

“Do you have any plans for the New Year, Xiao Yu? Do you want Sister to take you out to play?”

“Probably not. People usually go visiting for the New Year… Aren’t you going, Sister Qianxin?”

Yun Qianxin paused for a moment. The thought of those people’s ugly, greedy faces disgusted her. Even hearing their flattery was a miserable experience. She only wanted to stay far away from them; she didn’t want to see them at all.

“Forget it. I don’t really have anywhere to go.”

“Then do you want to just rot here with me? I want to go back to sleep for a bit.”

Gu Yu pulled the blanket up. The soft sofa dipped slightly under his weight. A boring soap opera was playing on the TV. He lay there horizontally, looking as sluggish as a man in his eighties.

“Xiao Yu, really… how can you have zero youthful energy?”

“This is the life I want. Going to school and working every day is exhausting.”