Dream and Frost

Ever since that time in seventh grade when I invited her over to my house and she happened to run into my brother coming home, she’s been utterly smitten with him. After that, she would often bring homemade pastries to my place under various pretexts. Honestly, I’ve given up on her!

“It’s really nothing! My brother’s seen you plenty of times already, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” Xiao said breezily.

“So… it’s settled then!” Meng’s cheerful voice rang out quickly from the other end.

“Hey! And you still say you don’t have a crush on my brother? You’re being way too obvious. But don’t be so quick to deny it! If someone else snatches him away, I won’t help you get him back. If you admit it to me now, maybe I’ll give you a hand at the crucial moment, who knows!”

Sprawled out on her king-size bed, Xiao chatted animatedly on her phone.

“Um… would you really help me? You… you wouldn’t mind?” Meng asked hesitantly.

“Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we? Rather than letting some random, pretentious girl become my sister-in-law, I’d much rather it be someone I get along with, someone who won’t bully me! See, doesn’t that make perfect sense?” Xiao boasted, quite pleased with her reasoning.

Just then, there was a knock at the door—“Miss, dinner is ready. The young master is waiting for you in the dining room,” came the servant’s voice from outside.

“Oh, alright! You go on ahead, I’ll be down in a minute,” Xiao called out toward the door, then turned back to the phone.

“Hey, gotta go—my brother’s waiting for me for dinner! Catch you later, bye!” Without waiting for a reply, she hung up abruptly.

She hurriedly slipped on her slippers, opened the door, and made her way downstairs. Passing through the elegant living room, she entered the dining room, which was surrounded by evergreens and chrysanthemums.

Many friends thought chrysanthemums were unlucky, but few knew the good meanings behind some of them—for example, the longevity chrysanthemum symbolized happiness, joy, purity, innocence, peace, and hope.

Such beautiful meanings! The windows were tall, Western-style floor-to-ceiling panes, paired with emerald green curtains that lent an indescribable visual comfort to the room. The dining table was a two-point-two-meter-long rectangle draped with a cream-colored cloth, and on it were all of Xiao’s favorite dishes.

“Wow! All my favorites! Brother, I love you so much! Come here, let me give you a kiss!” she exclaimed, showering her handsome brother’s face with kisses in delight.

Han looked at his little sister’s adorable antics, smiled gently, and patted her head. “You’re not a little kid anymore, you know. Still, as long as you’re happy. Now, sit down and let’s eat.”

Xiao made a face at her brother, pouting. “Hmph! I’ll be like this all my life, so you have to spoil me for life too!”

Han just smiled, saying nothing, his gaze warm and steady. Of course, he would always do exactly that.

Xiao went over to her seat and picked up her chopsticks. “Let’s eat!” The two of them dined quietly together. When they were nearly finished, Xiao sneaked a glance at her brother and tried to sound casual.

“So, brother, do you like anyone?” she asked.

She noticed his hand holding the chopsticks pause for just a moment before resuming. If she hadn’t been watching so closely, she would have missed it entirely. Could it be that he already liked someone? Then wouldn’t Meng have no chance? Xiao wondered to herself. But since he hadn’t answered yet, she couldn’t jump to conclusions.

So she pressed on, “Hey, do you have a girlfriend?”

——Author’s note——

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