Chapter 6: Sister

Ye Ning held onto Hua Niao’s sleeve, her steps light as she turned into one winding alley after another.

The roads in the Old District weren’t as orderly as those in the New City District.

The bluestone-paved surfaces were full of potholes, worn smooth and shiny by time, occasionally emitting faint, crisp sounds when stepped on.

Low walls on both sides were covered in lush green ivy, vines intertwined and tangled, completely obscuring the walls.

The evening breeze rustled through, making the leaves whisper.

“My home is in the Old District, so the path is a bit winding. I hope you don’t mind.”

Ye Ning turned her head to the side, offering Hua Niao an apologetic yet bright smile.

Hua Niao’s gaze fell on the scattered old houses around them.

Her long, gray-to-purple gradient hair shimmered with a cool-toned luster in the night.

She shook her head gently, her voice light.

“Not at all. It’s quite interesting here.”

Ye Ning breathed a sigh of relief, raising her hand to point at a corner not far ahead.

“Look, go through the alley at that corner, walk another few dozen meters, and we’re home.”

As they spoke, the two of them quickly walked toward that corner.

Just as they stepped into the final narrow alley, Hua Niao suddenly let out a soft “Huh?” and abruptly stopped her steps.

“What’s wrong?”

Ye Ning looked back at her, puzzled. Only the dim yellow streetlights illuminated the alley, their light and shadow mottled on the walls.

It was so quiet they could hear the chirping of insects from the corners and the sound of their own breathing.

Hua Niao’s gaze fell into the deep shadows of the alley.

The corner of her mouth lifted into a faint smile, her tone casual. “It’s nothing. I just thought I saw a cat run past. Fluffy, quite cute.”

“Oh, I see.”

Ye Ning’s face lit up with understanding. She smiled, her steps not stopping.

“There are indeed quite a lot of stray cats and dogs here in the Old District. Sometimes when I come home from school, I bring some breadcrumbs to feed them. Over time, several have gotten to know me. When they see me, they even come over to rub against my legs.”

Hua Niao made a sound of acknowledgment, a glimmer of an imperceptible, profound light flashing deep in her eyes.

It was so fast it seemed like an illusion.

She then quickly caught up with Ye Ning’s pace, always maintaining a half-step distance.

“So, Ye Ning lives in a place like this?”

Hua Niao looked around, her gaze sweeping over the peeling plaster on the walls and the old potted plants on the windowsills.

No emotion could be heard in her tone.

Ye Ning scratched her head, a somewhat embarrassed smile on her face.

“Hehe, it is a bit shabby. But the neighbors around here are all very nice. It’s lively.”

“Ah… that’s not what I meant.”

Hua Niao’s voice paused, her tone inexplicably strange.

Looking at the bright, sparkling light in Ye Ning’s eyes, the corner of her mouth curved up again.

“But… as long as you like it.”

Ye Ning didn’t catch the deeper meaning in her words, simply taking it as Hua Niao comforting her.

She nodded with a smile and continued leading the way.

Just after rounding a bend, they saw two people standing under the eaves of a small house not far away.

One was a man in a white shirt, tall and straight, with gentle eyes and brows.

He was holding a recently purchased vegetable basket.

Beside him stood a woman also dressed in white, her hair tied up in a neat bun, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

She held a needle and thread, as if she had just been mending something.

“Ning Ning, you’re back?”

The man spoke first, his voice as soft and warm as the evening breeze.

Ye Ning immediately raised a big smile and waved.

“Yes! Hello, Uncle Wang!”

“Ning Ning, why are you back so late today?”

The woman in white stepped forward, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair, her tone full of concern.

“Did something happen on the way?”

“Hehe, just a little something happened on the road. It’s fine.”

Ye Ning stuck out her tongue, giving Hua Niao’s hand a light shake.

“I’m heading home first, Sister Li!”

Along the way, neighbors occasionally poked their heads out of their houses to greet Ye Ning—white-haired old grannies, aunties with children.

Ye Ning smiled and responded to each one, her eyes curved into crescents.

It was clear she was very well-liked here.

Hua Niao followed behind her, her gaze calm, a faint, seemingly amused smile always hanging at the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes held an elusive, inscrutable emotion.

Finally, the two arrived in front of a small house with a few scattered morning glories climbing its walls.

The wooden door was a faded light brown, the handle worn smooth.

“We’re here.”

Ye Ning took out her key, gently turned the lock, and looked back at Hua Niao with a smile.

She stepped inside first, reaching for the switch by the door.

The light didn’t come on.

“Huh?”

Ye Ning frowned, pressing the switch a couple more times.

The bulb still showed no reaction.

“Strange, is the power out? Or did Sister go out and leave the light on, causing a circuit breaker to trip?”

She muttered softly, stepping further into the room, her fingertips feeling along the wall for a familiar texture.

“Sister should be back, right? It’s so late. She wouldn’t have snuck off to drink again, would she?”

“‘Sister’ refers to?”

Hua Niao followed behind her, her gaze resting on the dark interior of the house.

Her light voice broke the silence inside.

“She’s my sister.”

Ye Ning explained as she felt her way toward the living room, her tone carrying a note of dependence.

“I grew up with her since I was little. Even though we’re not related by blood, she’s been better to me than a real sister. We’ve always lived together.”

Her words had just fallen when a pair of warm hands suddenly reached out from behind, gently covering her eyes.

The fingertips of those hands were slightly cool, but the action was exceptionally gentle, without a hint of malice.

A clear, cool voice sounded by her ear, its tone carrying a trace of imperceptible mischief, yet still gentle.

“Guess who?”

“Wah!”

Ye Ning was startled, a small cry of surprise escaping her lips.

She instinctively swatted away those mischievous hands and turned around indignantly, but when she saw who it was, the anger on her face instantly vanished.

“Really! Don’t scare me like that, Sister! You can scare someone to death!”

She fumbled around, found the switch for the emergency light in the living room, and pressed it with a click.

Warm yellow light instantly illuminated the modest living room, also lighting up the young woman before her.

The young woman wore a simple black long dress, the hem falling to her ankles, making her figure appear even more slender and upright.

Her long hair was jet black and smooth, casually draped over her shoulders.

Her eyes and brows were cool and clear, her nose bridge high, her lips pale.

An aura of aloofness and detachment surrounded her, like moonlight on ice—clear, cold, and pure.

But when she looked at Ye Ning, those cool, clear eyes instantly filled with tenderness, like spring water after the ice and snow have melted.

She stepped forward, reached out, and gently flicked Ye Ning’s forehead.

“You little ungrateful thing, coming back so late, and you dare blame me?”

Her tone held reproach, yet also concealed doting affection.

Ye Ning covered her forehead, stuck out her tongue, then pulled Hua Niao beside her over, introducing her with a smile.

“Sister, this is my new deskmate, Hua Niao. She saved me today, so I brought her home to stay for the night.”

Then she turned to Hua Niao, her eyes curved into crescents as she pointed at the young woman before them.

“Classmate Hua Niao, this is my sister. Her name is Liu Tinghua. Sister might look as cool as you, Classmate Hua Niao, but she’s actually super nice too.”

As she spoke, Ye Ning turned and headed toward the kitchen.

“You can sit on the sofa for a bit. I’ll find some cups to make tea.”

“Classmate Ye Ning.”

Hua Niao’s voice suddenly rang out, carrying a note of hesitation.

A strange smile was on her face, one that didn’t reach her eyes, making it appear particularly eerie.

“What you said, I don’t quite understand.”

Ye Ning was holding two white porcelain cups in her hands.

Hearing this, she turned her head curiously, her eyes full of confusion.

“Huh? What don’t you understand?”

Hua Niao tilted her head, her expression growing even more bizarre, her gaze heavy, carrying a hint of bewilderment.

“From the very beginning, there have only been the two of us here.”