Time passed little by little, and along with it, the heights of the three grew.
By the Spring Festival when they were 14 years old, Luo Muqi had lost the baby fat on her face. Not only had she grown taller, but her appearance had also begun to transform from a cute little girl into a budding beauty.
Luo Shiya, on the other hand, had gained a sense of calmness and maturity.
The only thing that remained unchanged was how they still clung to Mo Xuan, just as they had in the past.
Mo Xuan had grown significantly taller, though his growth spurt had only started after entering high school. Even now, he was almost as tall as Luo Shiya, who stood at over 170 cm, and he might even be slightly taller.
The large glasses he used to wear, reminiscent of Conan's, had been replaced by a new pair with Prada frames, which Luo Shiya had asked Uncle Zheng to have custom-made for Mo Xuan based on his prescription.
The once slightly childish Mo Xuan had now become someone who turned heads on the street, thanks to his strikingly handsome face.
Almost two years had passed since the sisters had started with their "no early dating" brainwashing, and now they had escalated to outright unreasonableness.
"Look, you come to spend time with me and Xiaoxue every day. A boy and two girls alone in a room—our reputations are at stake too, you know."
"That's right, Brother. You really can't start dating now. You have to think about what will happen to me and my sister. My sister might be fine, but I'm still so young!"
"Xiao Xuan, you can't forget that one summer when you stayed over at our house during your vacation. That day..."
Before the sisters could finish their nonsense, Mo Xuan quickly reached out to stop them. Why did they seem to grow more irrational as he got older?
Mo Xuan was the type of person who had good looks but was completely unaware of it. He had a calm demeanor and was usually a loner. Ever since the sisters came into his life, he had even less interest in maintaining relationships with others, and now he cared even less.
But that didn't stop others from liking him, especially Su Yanran, who had been drawn to Mo Xuan's handsome face and had constantly pestered him to play with her.
Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi felt uneasy about this, so they asked Sister Hui to arrange for someone to keep an eye on Mo Xuan. Sister Hui and her team were primarily there to protect the sisters, but sending one or two people to follow Mo Xuan wasn't out of the question.
The good news was that Mo Xuan remained the same as before. The bad news was that more girls had started to like him.
So Luo Shiya changed her approach, escalating from banning early dating to declaring that if Mo Xuan liked someone else, it would be equivalent to abandoning them.
Mo Xuan wanted to argue, but when he thought about it, he realized he had held the sisters' hands and spent almost every day with them...
He had also been hugged by them, more than once...
As for staying over... nothing had really happened.
That summer, Luo Shiya had invited Mo Xuan over, and the three of them had watched a movie together. They had stayed up so late that they ended up falling asleep on the couch.
When they woke up the next morning, Luo Shiya was leaning on Mo Xuan's shoulder, and Luo Muqi was clinging to his arm...
Somehow, this incident had become a bargaining chip for Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi. If anyone asked, it was all about protecting the girls' reputations.
"Look, Xiao Xuan, you know a bit about our family background. Families like ours place a lot of importance on a girl's reputation. So, you spending the night on the couch with me and Xiaoxue, and the intimate behavior that followed... it's a big deal."
"Now you have to start thinking about how you're going to take responsibility for us after you turn 18. Of course, we can discuss that later... but if this gets out, our family will be the subject of gossip. So, for the sake of our family's reputation, you absolutely cannot have any relationships with other girls."
As Luo Shiya spun this web of twisted logic, Uncle Zheng almost choked on his own blood.
Not to mention how far-fetched and nonsensical her arguments were, how many times had she and her sister voluntarily thrown themselves at Mo Xuan? Holding hands, hugging, and even kissing his cheek on Luo Muqi's birthday—Luo Shiya hadn't hesitated to do the same on her 17th birthday!
She was making a big deal out of them falling asleep on the couch while watching a movie, but she conveniently left out all the things she and her sister had done!
Now she cared about her reputation? Did her grandmother, father, and mother know about how she and her sister had been throwing themselves at Mo Xuan all this time?
Mo Xuan knew full well that Luo Shiya was talking nonsense, but by then, he had already started going along with their whims.
Unlike with Su Yanran, where he simply didn't want to bother arguing, with the sisters, Mo Xuan was willing to indulge them, as long as it made them happy.
This year, during the New Year celebrations, Mo Xuan once again stayed overnight at the old Western-style house. Luo Muqi, who had originally planned to watch the fireworks with them to ring in the New Year, had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
"Xiao Xuan, let's go out for a walk," Luo Shiya whispered as she leaned close to him. "Let's go watch the fireworks nearby, okay?"
Mo Xuan hesitated. The last time Luo Muqi had wanted to go out, he had taken her to an amusement park after seeing her cry. But they had only been there for a short while before Uncle Zheng and his team tracked them down and brought them back.
At the time, Luo Shiya hadn't said much, just lightly tapped Mo Xuan's forehead and remarked, "It's fine that you spoil Xiaoxue since she calls you 'brother,' but you can't indulge her in everything."
Seemingly sensing Mo Xuan's hesitation, Luo Shiya smiled and said, "We'll stay nearby. Look, it's 11:50 now. Once the fireworks are over, we'll come back. I'm the one suggesting it this time, and we won't go far. It'll be fine."
"Alright, I understand," Mo Xuan nodded, grabbing his coat before heading out with Luo Shiya.
The area where they lived wasn't particularly lively, even during the New Year. Most of the elderly residents had been taken in by their children for the holidays, while a few, like Mo Xuan and his grandmother, stayed behind. At least his grandmother could visit Old Man Zhang and his family, but some elderly people were left all alone in their cold, quiet homes.
There were also families where children came to visit their parents for the New Year, bringing a sudden burst of liveliness to the household. But by the next day, the place would often return to its usual quiet state.
Mo Xuan and Luo Shiya didn't wander too far, leaving behind two faint trails of footprints in the snow.
"By the way, Sister Weiwei, are you going to leave after starting university?" Mo Xuan suddenly looked up at Luo Shiya. "I haven't seen you attend high school. What about the college entrance exam?"
Luo Shiya shook her head with a bitter smile, not answering. Luo Sheng had told her that if things weren't resolved by the time of the college entrance exam, they would have to go abroad to study.
Originally, they were supposed to be sent overseas, but at the time, leaving the country was too risky. Even leaving the Capital wasn't safe, so they had resorted to this arrangement.
But after all this time, Luo Sheng and Luo Quan had gradually gained control of the situation. However, the illegitimate children and those behind them still had some influence, so the sisters had continued to live here.
In the past, Shen Qingyun had visited a few times and had even met Mo Xuan once. At the time, Shen Qingyun had been focused on comforting her daughters. Seeing that Mo Xuan was not only good-looking but also academically excellent and well-mannered, she hadn't objected to his friendship with her daughters.
However, as a mother, Shen Qingyun had warned Mo Xuan not to speak carelessly and, more importantly, not to hurt her daughters.
As a woman, she could see the way Luo Shiya looked at Mo Xuan. She understood her daughter's feelings, knowing full well that she herself wasn't exactly a normal person.
Moreover, Luo Muqi had been extremely dependent on Mo Xuan, treating him differently from everyone else.
Mo Xuan had simply replied with calm sincerity, "Don't worry, I won't."
Recently, Shen Qingyun had been reminding Luo Shiya about their plans to go abroad after the college entrance exam, but Luo Shiya was hesitant. If she and Luo Muqi left, what would happen to Mo Xuan?
Mo Xuan had entered their lives, but in a way, they had also become a part of his life.
So when Luo Shiya asked Mo Xuan to go out with her, she had a bold idea she wanted to share with him.
"Xiao Xuan, my family is planning to send me and Xiaoxue abroad after the college entrance exam," Luo Shiya suddenly stopped and looked at Mo Xuan quietly. "I want to take you with us. Don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to take care of your grandmother. Once we're settled, if you're willing, we can bring her to live with us overseas."
The Luo family was never short of money. Adding Mo Xuan and his grandmother to their plans was no trouble at all. Besides, even if the grandmother didn’t go abroad, Luo Shiya would have found a way to ensure she received the best care.
She had already discussed it with Shen Qingyun. If they were to go abroad, they would have to bring Mo Xuan along. Shen Qingyun wasn’t entirely willing at first, but she eventually agreed.
Parents are a child’s first teachers, and Shen Qingyun, being the intelligent woman she was, understood perfectly well that her possessiveness toward her husband had subtly influenced her daughters. However, she probably never imagined that her daughters would one day take things even further than she had…
“This…”
Mo Xuan was taken aback as he looked at Luo Shiya, not expecting her to suddenly ask him such a question. He wanted to refuse. After all, no matter how close they were, they were still just friends. Moreover, he had his grandmother to consider. Even if she agreed, he couldn’t bear to leave her behind.
Seeing Mo Xuan hesitate, Luo Shiya could understand. She gently took his hand and said, “I know, Xiao Xuan. This is a big decision, and I won’t pressure you to give me an answer right away.”
“But I can tell you this—whether it’s me or Xiao Xue, you’re very special to us. I’m not lying about that.”
Mo Xuan nodded instinctively. Even someone as slow as him could see that the way Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi interacted with him, and everything they had been through together, couldn’t be a lie.
“Alright, Sister Weiwei, I promise I’ll talk to my grandmother about it,” Mo Xuan said seriously. “To be honest, after all this time, not being able to see you and Xiao Xue… I’d feel really uncomfortable too.”
Seeing Mo Xuan stammer and avoid eye contact, Luo Shiya smiled and said, “It’s almost midnight, Xiao Xuan. Let me give you a gift. Close your eyes.”
Mo Xuan was puzzled, but at Luo Shiya’s insistence, he closed his eyes. After a moment, he heard her counting down:
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”
When the countdown reached one, the sound of firecrackers erupted from all directions, accompanied by loud booms in the sky.
And then… a sudden warmth and softness pressed against his lips.
A moment later, he felt a warm breath near his ear, followed by Luo Shiya’s gentle voice: “This is your gift. Happy New Year, Xiao Xuan.”