During the time they entered the elevator together.
The air was scorching hot.
Neither of them spoke.
Lu Qing stood in front,
Bai Xing stood behind.
But both knew that,
after today, a question would inevitably arise.
— "What is our relationship now?"
…
…
It was faintly perceptible that, despite Bai Xing's seemingly clingy and overly proactive demeanor,
deep down, she was actually very afraid.
Speaking those words just now had required an unimaginable amount of courage.
At such a moment,
rejecting her would be like pushing her into an abyss, plunging her into a dark swamp from which she could never regain her vitality.
Therefore,
Lu Qing's response had only one option.
Silence.
A tacit "assent."
……
Click.
Before going home, they exchanged a glance.
He gave her a look that said, "You worked hard today";
she nodded, her face filled with a mixture of gratitude and joy that was close to tears.
She practically fled, pulling open the door and darting into her own room.
Not even daring to say a single "Goodbye, Senior" at the door of 1901.
"So cute,"
Lu Qing shook his head and turned the doorknob.
Another gust of air instantly engulfed him, pulling him into a deeper abyss.
……
~【Yandere Sister·Volume 2·"Grant You Sunshine"·Greetings】~
Su Ling remained silent.
Silently waiting.
Today, her brother
seemed very happy.
His expression carried a sense of fulfillment after a hard day's work,
the lipstick on his lips a subtle display of other women's attempts to flaunt their presence.
Su Ling smiled,
poured a cup of hot tea,
held it in both hands,
wearing a very thin nightgown, she welcomed him home, taking his bag.
"Brother, you were quite late today."
She ignored Bai Xing's declaration of war,
inhaling his scent subtly,
as if complaining.
"Yeah, the schoolwork was a bit challenging, so it took a little longer."
He changed his shoes and asked her, "By the way, I texted you earlier to order takeout for dinner, did you eat?"
"Mmm~"
Su Ling smiled.
But in Lu Qing's eyes, this smile meant she was shaking her head, indicating she hadn't eaten.
Sure enough, she said, "How could I have any appetite without you by my side? I thought you wouldn't be back too late, so I just stayed in the house, waiting for you."
"……"
For some reason, Lu Qing almost dropped the teacup in his hand when he took it from her, nearly shattering it.
"Wait, what?"
He pulled Su Ling into the house.
"Su Ling."
"Hmm? Is Brother going to lecture me again?"
"……"
Lu Qing couldn't deny it; this habit had to change, it absolutely had to.
"When I'm not home, it doesn't mean you can't eat."
He said.
"I know." She nodded.
"There are various ingredients at home, and even if you don't want to order takeout, you can cook something simple or just eat what's ready. I remember there are plenty of thick-cut steaks and KFC's ready-made baked rice in the fridge. Just pan-fry them or heat them in the microwave."
"Mmm, but I have no appetite without Brother around."
Su Ling looked a bit upset and lowered her head, then, at just the right angle to be noticed by him, glanced pitifully at the wall clock—
It was 9:30 PM.
"……"
Oh no.
A massive wave of guilt almost immediately engulfed Lu Qing, dragging him into self-reproach.
His sister was sick,
and it was normal for her to have no appetite and not eat in such a state.
She might only be able to eat when he was around.
Looking back, it seemed she had never actively eaten on her own.
It was only when he was home that she would eat a few bites at the dinner table, and her appetite was extremely low.
"I was actually blaming her."
She's a patient.
How could I blame her?
"……"
Lu Qing frowned deeply.
Regretting his wrong words and actions.
"Brother, it's okay, don't worry about me."
Su Ling said maturely, "I know Brother is also very busy with schoolwork, and it must take a lot of effort to complete… So, I was thinking today, maybe I should try to go back to school as soon as possible, to reduce the mental pressure Brother has to bear for me every day…"
Her words were clear: she didn't want Lu Qing to always worry about her.
However, to Lu Qing, this was equivalent to "Brother not doing his job well," even making him feel a bit depressed.
"……Su Ling."
He exhaled, feeling guilty, "Today, I didn't plan well, which caused the homework process to be more difficult and took longer than expected. But next time, it won't happen. I won't come home late again, I won't leave you alone in the house. Remember Brother's words, I will never let you be sad alone again."
Although he knew such a promise would be hard to keep, Lu Qing was a man of his word.
Once he said it, he had to fulfill it.
No matter how difficult the process.
It was clear that Su Ling's condition seemed to be improving recently; she hadn't increased her medication and sometimes even secretly halved a pill, trying to challenge the doctor's limits. (Don't imitate)
For her, having her brother by her side, watching him eat the breakfast and dinner she prepared with love, was undoubtedly one of the things that could release her heart the most,
the serotonin she gained from it made her feel "I seem to be a normal person" with a strong illusion.
As if, for the girl,
Lu Qing's presence was more effective than imported "Brexpiprazole tablets."
The premise was,
that he wasn't taken away.
By anyone.
Taken away.
The girl's heart gradually darkened, rippling with gray waves.
On the surface, she still maintained the innocent and considerate demeanor of a sister.
"Brother, I'm not being stubborn, I really don't want you to be too tired, so much so that you can't give your best at school."
She got up and moved to Lu Qing's side, leaning against his arm, gently saying:
"Alright, alright, don't feel burdened. Look, I'm still here by your side, aren't I?"
"!"
The sudden change in tactics, the voice so close to his ear.
It was a soothing feeling that had once been unattainable.
Breaking through defenses, destroying reason.
Enough to ensnare any older man.
"Mmm…"
Lu Qing couldn't help it,
he could only nod.
Trying to change the subject, he said, "So… about going back to school, are you serious? Can your current state support you going out and interacting with classmates?"
He was still a bit worried.
Afraid that Su Ling was only trying to compromise due to psychological pressure, even if her condition was still not optimistic, she still wanted to reduce his burden.
This was something Lu Qing couldn't accept.
Su Ling said, "Mmm! I feel pretty good recently, really. But I understand Brother's concerns, and I know my body isn't ready to go back to school immediately…"
She continued, "So, I was thinking… maybe I could transition in some way."
"Huh?"
Lu Qing didn't quite understand what his sister meant.
"Transition?"
How so?
He looked curiously at her.
"Mmm…"
She thought for a moment and said, "Based on my symptoms, the last time I went shopping with Brother, I felt a lot of pressure."
"Pressure?"
"Yes, pressure from strangers, street pedestrians, their gazes, and even the sunlight and store lights."
Su Ling's description was extremely clear.
Clear enough for Lu Qing to fully understand, to grasp that all of the above were things she had to confront.
Got it.
So, her idea was that as long as she gradually dealt with these "pressures," until she could handle them calmly, she could return to a normal state and go back to school, right?
Lu Qing thought this way and continued to ask,
"If that's the case, where should we start? Su Ling, which pressures do you think are easier to accept and resolve based on your current state?"
"Emm… let me think."
Su Ling slightly lowered her head.
Her lips curled into an almost imperceptible smirk.
"Brother, 'noise pressure.'"
She said.
"Oh? Noise?"
Lu Qing narrowed his eyes, pondering.
Her meaning was probably that external noises also bothered her.
For example, the ambient noise on city streets.
For instance, the absolute silence within an enclosed space.
「Silence, too, is a kind of noise.」
“Mm-hmm.”
Su Ling said, “When I lived alone before, I would feel scared going out to buy groceries or taking the trash downstairs.”
“In the elevator, the sound of it swaying would make me uneasy.”
“Walking down the stairs, stepping on those metal grille steps, would make my heart race.”
“In the classroom, the sound of the teacher writing on the blackboard with chalk would feel piercing, like it was stabbing into my heart.”
Su Ling recounted her deep-seated experiences—
“On stormy nights, the rain that drenched me was cold, loud, and unbearable.”
“…”
Lu Qing suddenly looked up, inhaling a stifling breath.
Su Ling.
Su Ling…
Was it really with such determination that she came to find him?
With everything on the line, full of wounds, overcoming countless obstacles, enduring every step as a torment—
In that state,
She overcame the storm,
Step by step, resolutely,
Found him.
「She, took my hand.」
Lu Qing’s breathing quickened.
He blurted out:
“What should I do?”
“How can I overcome these noises?”
He looked into her eyes, into her deep, ocean-like pupils that seemed to absorb everything.
“Brother, I think, if we replace the noise with ‘musical tones’—”
“Wouldn’t that make things better?”
Quietly,
She stared into his face.
Expressionless,
She said,
“Musical tones.”
Lu Qing opened his mouth.
「Musical tones.」
What a long-lost term.
What a term,
So close at hand.
How could he not know what 「musical tones」 were?
—Tones with a fixed pitch, pleasing to the ear.
In other words,
「Music.」
Yes,
By replacing 「noise」 with 「musical tones,」 wouldn’t the fear of noise be completely resolved?
It was undeniable that Su Ling’s solution was nearly perfect.
Almost genius's eccentricity.
“But how do we obtain 「musical tones」?”
Lu Qing still didn’t fully understand.
He pressed, “Su Ling, are you suggesting relying on listening to music or music therapy to gradually pull yourself out of the quagmire of fear towards noise?”
He tried to guess his sister’s train of thought as practically as possible.
Unfortunately, Su Ling’s answer was not what he expected.
“No, brother.”
She maintained her smile, flawless, and said, “I’ve tried sound therapy and secretly used your expensive headphones to play soothing light music.”
“Oh?” He became interested.
“But it didn’t work.”
Su Ling bluntly stated.
“Such ‘indirect’ methods cannot truly ‘understand musical tones,’ ‘obtain musical tones,’ ‘enjoy musical tones,’ or ‘immerse oneself in musical tones.’”
As she said this,
She looked into his eyes, which were gradually narrowing,
And continued, word by word:
“If you want to truly replace ‘noise’ with ‘musical tones,’ I believe there’s only one way.”
“…”
Lu Qing seemed to guess what it was.
But a sense of resistance and rejection from deep within him told him,
Don’t let it be this,
Please, not this.
It can’t be this.
Absolutely,
Absolutely not.
Su Ling, what exactly are you going to say?
You wouldn’t—
…
…
As expected.
Su Ling showed a thoughtful expression, lasting about thirty seconds.
Then,
At just the right moment,
With just the right tone,
She subtly,
Asked:
“Brother, if a girl wants to learn a musical instrument, which one would you recommend?”
……
……