At that time, Mo Xuan thought he would never cross paths with those two sisters again, but fate seemed to have already written the outcome.
Mo Xuan had been practicing martial arts with Grandpa Zhang since he was young, and every morning he would go for a run with weights strapped to his legs. The day after he met Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi, he passed by that old Western-style house during his morning run.
From a distance, Mo Xuan spotted Luo Shiya standing on the balcony. The morning light bathed her as she lazily combed her thick, jet-black hair, wearing a white nightgown.
Mo Xuan was so entranced that he nearly bumped into an elderly man passing by.
"Sorry, sorry..."
Mo Xuan awkwardly apologized, and the old man simply smiled and waved before walking away. When Mo Xuan looked up again, the girl on the balcony had disappeared.
He remembered this old house. It was said to have been built by a wealthy family, but after their children either moved abroad or bought properties in the bustling areas of the Capital, the house was left vacant following the passing of the elderly family members.
Occasionally, he heard that someone had moved in, but it seemed they were in a hurry. The construction workers had been working around the clock, and the house was quickly tidied up.
After that, someone moved in, but the family was quite peculiar. They were rarely seen outside, and if it weren’t for the occasional daytime sightings, the elderly ladies and middle-aged aunties in the neighborhood would have thought the house was haunted.
Mo Xuan shook his head and was about to continue his run when the gate to the courtyard opened. Luo Shiya stood there, holding a comb, silently watching him.
At 13 years old, Mo Xuan was already beginning to understand certain things, and Luo Shiya was undeniably beautiful. Flustered, he almost turned to run away.
"Would you like to come in?" Luo Shiya's pleasant voice suddenly broke the silence. "Just in the courtyard."
Mo Xuan turned back in surprise. The beautiful older girl in front of him wore a faint smile, her peach-blossom eyes gazing directly at him.
"No, that wouldn't be appropriate..."
Mo Xuan hadn’t expected that the girl he had just met yesterday would invite him into her home. In truth, Luo Shiya herself couldn’t quite explain why she had extended the invitation.
There was just something special about this boy. Having grown up in the Luo Family, Luo Shiya had met all kinds of people, but Mo Xuan was different.
The feeling was unique, and Luo Shiya even wondered if it was because he was good-looking, making her unconsciously biased.
It was only later that she realized the image of Mo Xuan sitting on a tree, seemingly isolated in his own quiet world, had been imprinted in her and Luo Muqi’s minds.
That’s why she became interested in him. At first, Luo Shiya thought it might just be boredom driving her to find something to fill her idle time.
Years later, they would weave a web around Mo Xuan, but in reality, they were the first to be caught in it.
"Would it be rude of me to come in? I wouldn’t want to disturb your family," Mo Xuan asked hesitantly as he followed Luo Shiya inside. At 13, he was still shorter than her.
Luo Shiya glanced back at him and said calmly, "It’s fine. Besides the housekeeper and the maids, only my sister and I live here."
Mo Xuan nearly stumbled. Goodness, had he accidentally befriended someone extraordinary?
The courtyard was adorned with a meticulously maintained flower bed, a clean white round table with chairs, and a swing not far away.
Luo Shiya sat on one of the chairs and gestured to Mo Xuan, "Have a seat."
Just as Mo Xuan sat down, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Luo Muqi, her hair a mess, barefoot in slippers, and wearing a long pink cartoon nightgown.
Luo Muqi, who had been running toward Luo Shiya, came to an abrupt halt when she noticed Mo Xuan.
Though still young and with a hint of baby fat, Luo Muqi resembled Luo Shiya, especially in her peach-blossom eyes.
When Mo Xuan nodded politely at her, Luo Muqi suddenly turned and ran back inside, followed by a maid who had just caught up to her and was now panting as she chased after her.
"That’s my sister. You met her yesterday," Luo Shiya said calmly. "She just woke up and wanted me to help her comb her hair. She’s probably embarrassed because there’s a stranger here."
Mo Xuan could understand. He had a childhood acquaintance named Su Yanran, who would sometimes visit with her grandmother to chat with his.
Su Yanran always dressed up beautifully when she came over, and his grandmother would always ask him to keep her company. Although Mo Xuan wasn’t always thrilled about it—Su Yanran could be a bit of a handful—he obliged.
She had once told him with a hint of pride, "Girls care a lot about their appearance."
So, it made sense that Luo Muqi, having just woken up and looking disheveled, would feel embarrassed being seen by a stranger.
As Mo Xuan was about to say something, Luo Shiya suddenly asked, "Your name is Mo Xuan, right?"
"Huh?" Mo Xuan was taken aback. "How did you know?"
"Yesterday, that auntie called you, and we were there too," Luo Shiya smiled. "I’m Luo... Luo Weiwei, and that’s my sister, Luo Xiaoxue."
Luo Shiya didn’t reveal her real name. Although she felt an inexplicable fondness for the boy, she thought it best not to disclose her true identity given their current circumstances.
It was better for both of them. At that time, Luo Shiya never imagined what the future held for her, Luo Muqi, and the boy in front of her.
After introducing herself, Luo Shiya fell silent. Mo Xuan, sitting with his head down, seemed nervous, and she wasn’t sure what to say next.
"Well, I should get going. I still have to finish my run..."
Mo Xuan’s awkward voice broke the silence. Thankfully, it was the weekend, so he didn’t have to worry about being late for school.
"Alright, I’ll walk you out," Luo Shiya said as she slowly stood up, leaving Mo Xuan even more confused.
So, when she said "come in and sit," she really meant just that?
"By the way, if you have time, could you come over occasionally?" Luo Shiya asked as they reached the gate, turning to look at him. "My sister... doesn’t have many playmates. I’m often busy with schoolwork, so I was hoping you could keep her company."
"That might not be very convenient," Mo Xuan scratched his head. "I’m a boy, and we’ve only met twice..."
"I know, but there aren’t many kids our age around here."
Though they rarely went out, Luo Shiya had asked Uncle Zheng to check the neighborhood, and it seemed Mo Xuan was the only one close to their age.
The rest were younger children living with their grandparents.
Mo Xuan was about to decline when he caught sight of Luo Muqi peeking at him from behind the maid in the distance.
"Our family situation is a bit unusual, so my sister and I don’t go out much," Luo Shiya continued patiently. "If you feel uncomfortable, I won’t force you. It’s just that my sister is often alone..."
Mo Xuan hesitated. He didn’t want to agree to something that felt so personal, but when he saw Luo Muqi’s pleading eyes, his resolve softened.
He couldn’t deny it—Luo Muqi was adorable, and the way she looked at him felt like a direct hit to his heart.
"Alright..."
Mo Xuan sighed. He didn’t have many friends anyway, and if he could tolerate Su Yanran, he figured this girl couldn’t be any worse.
What Mo Xuan didn’t realize was that by agreeing, he wasn’t just committing to occasionally playing with Luo Muqi—he was entangling himself with both sisters.
Even after losing his memory, Mo Xuan would later discover that he had long been exposed to the most peculiar traits of the two sisters: their tendency to push boundaries and their sense of entitlement.