A Sad Story

"Click!"

A new photo appeared on Shen Yiyue's phone. She and Ning Yu were sitting on the sofa, leaning against each other, both wearing the same gold pocket watches around their necks.

Shen Qianqian squeezed herself between her two older sisters, making a "Y" shape with her fingers and flashing an innocent smile at the camera.

"Sister, you made my face look so big."

Being the closest to the camera lens, Shen Qianqian couldn't help but complain.

"Sorry, it's just your natural look," Shen Yiyue teased mercilessly, already adding cute stickers to the photo.

After much deliberation, she added a pair of pink cat ears to Ning Yu and then added a pair for herself.

"Ugh, Xiao Yu is just too cute!!"

Shen Yiyue turned to look at Ning Yu, her eyes already turning into the shape of ><.

"Um... Sister, could you help me slim down my face..."

Shen Qianqian waved her hands beside her, trying to grab the phone to edit herself, but Shen Yiyue kept dodging her.

"Wait, wait a moment..."

Shen Yiyue continued adding stickers, ignoring her sister's request.

"Hmph! I get it, I'm just a tool. You're such a mean sister, I don't like you anymore!"

Fed up with her sister's indifference, Shen Qianqian turned and climbed into Ning Yu's embrace, curiously opening the pocket watch around Ning Yu's neck.

There, she saw the familiar family photo inside, featuring Ning Yu's parents and Ning Xuan.

"Wow!! This is Ning Yu's..."

Shen Qianqian's eyes widened as she looked at the photo of Ning Xuan, who looked almost identical to Ning Yu, with only the eye color serving as a slight distinction.

"My sister."

Ning Yu handed Shen Qianqian a cookie as she watched her.

Shen Qianqian took it with practiced ease and then continued to ask, "So Ning Yu has a sister too. You must be really nice to her! Unlike my sister..."

Shen Qianqian glanced sideways at Shen Yiyue, who was still tapping away, completely ignoring her complaints.

What a lame sister!

Ning Yu didn't know what to say at this point. Perhaps more details about her childhood could only be asked of Ning Xuan.

Finally, Shen Yiyue finished tweaking the photo and showed it to the two of them.

"Sister! Slim my face! Slim my face!!"

Shen Qianqian pointed disapprovingly at her face in the photo. Ning Yu looked as well and noticed that it wasn't actually that big, just round like most kids her age.

"Alright, alright, I got it."

Shen Yiyue finally dragged the editing tool over Shen Qianqian's face, making her chubby cheeks look a bit slimmer.

"If you ate less, you wouldn't be so round and then blame me," Shen Yiyue teased, showing her the result with a chuckle. She reached out to pinch Shen Qianqian's cheek but was quickly dodged.

"Hmph, mean sister."

Satisfied with the outcome, Shen Qianqian quickly scampered back to her room, closing the door behind her but leaving a small crack open.

"What book were you reading earlier?"

Ning Yu suddenly reached out and picked up the book Shen Yiyue had been reading. The cover depicted a snow-covered house, with snow so deep it seemed to be over 10 centimeters thick.

The title on the cover read "Snow Country" in big letters.

"I found it at a second-hand book stall."

Shen Yiyue had already saved the photo and leaned in to take a look.

"Don't you think the cover is beautiful? The name is so poetic too."

Ning Yu had just flipped to the title page when she heard Shen Yiyue's words and couldn't help but smile. This silly girl picked books like this?

As she flipped through a few pages, a line caught her attention:

【Her eyes, overlapping with the light, were like glowing, beautiful fireflies dancing in the afterglow of the sunset.】

Ning Yu read the beautiful sentence and couldn't help but glance at Shen Yiyue, whose eyes sparkled like the Milky Way on a summer night, filled with brilliance and light.

"Your eyes are just as beautiful as this."

Ning Yu pointed to the sentence in the book for Shen Yiyue to see.

Following Ning Yu's finger, Shen Yiyue read the line and blushed.

"Do you always speak so directly, Xiao Yu?"

"Yes, why not compliment your beautiful eyes?"

Ning Yu replied and continued flipping through the pages.

【He knew it wouldn't be in vain for this woman, yet he blurted out "in vain." After saying that, he felt her existence even more pure.】

In vain?

Ning Yu thought of the serene, snow-covered landscape on the cover and guessed the type of story this book might be.

【Koma sat alone on the floor, offering the only cushion to Shimamura.】

After flipping a few more pages, Ning Yu closed the book.

"This might be a sad story."

She seemed to have reached a conclusion and handed the book back to Shen Yiyue, noticing the bookmark was still near the beginning, indicating she had just started reading.

"It's okay!"

Shen Yiyue took the book, turned around, and lay sideways in Ning Yu's embrace, letting her silky hair fall onto Ning Yu's clothes.

Ning Yu gently inhaled the fragrant scent from her hair and couldn't help but pick up a strand, curling it around her fingers.

The smooth texture felt delightful, as Shen Yiyue always washed her hair carefully, even when washing it for herself.

Ning Yu placed her black hair next to her own silver strands, mixing them together to create a subtle blend of colors.

"If you read enough tragedies, then every moment of life feels like a joy."

Shen Yiyue said this while swinging her small, delicate feet at the end of the sofa, gently lifting them up and down. She then opened "Snow Country" and began reading.

"I didn't realize you were such an optimist."

Ning Yu didn't know why, but she suddenly thought of the night at the small supermarket when Shen Yiyue came to talk to her.

"Not really... I mean, wait, why 'optimist'? I'm a girl! Mean Xiao Yu!"

Shen Yiyue caught the tail end of that sentence and turned her head from the book, pouting at Ning Yu.

"Alright, alright, optimistic girl."

Ning Yu picked up the unfinished mixed nuts bag from the table and took some, leaving out the raisins, which she found too sweet.

"I want some too~"

Shen Yiyue, now engrossed in her book, heard Ning Yu's movements and began to pout for a snack.

Ning Yu carefully picked out the raisins and fed Shen Yiyue the other assorted nuts.

"Hehe~"

Shen Yiyue felt incredibly happy. Ning Yu always indulged her little whims.

Watching Shen Yiyue read so intently, Ning Yu couldn't help but take out "The Stranger" from her bag, a book she hadn't read in a long time.

Come to think of it, the last time she read it was... well, the last time.