Chapter 83: Light Clouds and Gentle Breezes
She’s here!
Much faster than anticipated, Xinran has already entered! From this point on, we’re stepping into unknown territory! Danger, extreme danger. My brain feels like it’s been doused in ice-cold water. The surge of adrenaline floods my body with excitement and a swollen sensation. Ah, this kind of stimulation is truly…
Of course, I’m not so perverted as to only feel alive when in danger. But in situations like this, I do become clearer-headed than usual, and my decisions are faster.
“…Why aren’t you answering me?”
“You actually consider me your brother? Xinran?”
Xinran fell silent. I took the opportunity to turn and saw Xinran, her entire body fractured. These aren’t real wounds; they’re more like wounds of the heart. I was the one who hurt her, and I’m about to inflict even deeper wounds.
…No, please forgive my rudeness, Master.
She still refuses to acknowledge me, and even now, she won’t call me brother. This is how important this matter is to her; she’s not planning to turn back, is she? Keling, behind me, said nothing, merely clutching the back of my shirt as if afraid I would leave her. Keling’s hidden desire for affection has been magnified. She’s had no other thoughts from beginning to end. Her intelligence told her the outcome long ago, yet she still acts petulant, out of fear of being abandoned by us. If I were to be with Xinran, we would grow distant from her. Keling just doesn’t want to be left alone.
“Master, it’s already so late. Why are you in Keling’s room?” Xinran tilted her head, her expressionless face unblinking. Although her expressions were always subtle, the current Xinran is clearly different from her past coolness. She seems more hollow, like she’s reciting lines.
“What do you think I’m here for?” Instead of answering directly, I threw the question back at Xinran, making her more suspicious. A Xinran without reason will surely only come to one conclusion. I’m sure she will ask if I’m here to do something improper to Keling.
“…Can I consider that you are here to do something improper to Keling?”
Novel
See, I knew it.
A normal Xinran would ask me such a question, but she wouldn’t truly believe it; it would just be for teasing. But now, she can no longer distinguish what is believable from what isn’t. Thus, the contradiction grows, and the conflict becomes more apparent.
“No… ugh…” Keling tried to deny it, but I covered her mouth with my hand. There’s no need for explanations, and even if I did, Xinran wouldn’t listen now. So don’t do anything that would make her target you, Keling. Let all of it come at me.
“Yes, if you hadn’t barged in, Xinran, Keling and I would already be deeply in love.” I felt Keling’s lips tremble beneath my hand. Saying this would surely affect her too. Keling is also irrational now; perhaps she’ll misunderstand… but that’s something to be resolved later.
The cracks spread again, the densest concentration being on her chest. The white apron’s chest area is covered in black fissures, with one scar even extending upwards to Xinran’s cheek, leaving a vertical gash on her delicate face.
“Then why look for Keling? You could have come to me.” As if trying to sell herself, Xinran said, pressing her chest. “I am your maid. I can do anything for you, Master.”
“So you can ask me. Anything.”
Judging from this statement, one might think Xinran has become like Yu Hui. But it’s completely different. Yu Hui would completely obey my commands; that was her ‘trust’ magnified to the point of near blind faith. She believed whatever I said. Xinran, however, isn’t saying this out of trust in me… she wants to bind me, to imprison me within herself. She wants to be depended on—in other words, ‘You can only depend on me.’
“Keling is still young, and isn’t she your younger sister? So, if there’s anything, if you need someone to vent your desires on, use me and endure it. I will—”
“What are you?”
“I consider you my younger sister, Xinran. But you are no longer my younger sister. So what are you now?”
“…-0….”
or 工 小 比
“A maid? Don’t be ridiculous. You know very well that’s just role-playing. I don’t need your service; Lianbing is enough.”
“If you no longer consider yourself my younger sister, then what are you now? What do you mean to me?”
I truly don’t want to say these things… Saying them, I feel like my heart is being cut. It fundamentally negates our sibling relationship. If we can’t even be siblings, then we’re just strangers living under the same roof… Xinran, what do you consider me? As for me…
“What should I call you then?” Completely engulfed in chaos, her sense of existence negated again, unable to grasp her own position, Xinran groaned, holding her head.
“…I… I… I…”
“Sister Xinran…” Perhaps Keling couldn’t bear to see this scene, she shook off my hand and peeked out from behind me, murmuring Xinran’s name. Xinran reacted to the name “Sister Xinran” and raised her head again, staring at us. But this time, she wasn’t looking at me but at Keling.
“…Keling, is she more important than me, more important than me?”
“…” Yes.
I could even guess what Keling wanted to say, but I didn’t let her. Who is more important—this kind of thing had never been seriously discussed before. In my heart, both younger sisters held equal value; they were both indispensable. Therefore, I had never shown excessive favoritism towards either Keling or Xinran.
“Of course… Keling is more important than you. She’s my younger sister.”
It shattered. Fragments kept peeling away. The ‘wound’ on her chest became a terrifying void, entirely black, seeming to absorb everything, and yet, something felt like it was about to…
Xinran lowered her head again, covering her cheeks with both hands, as if crying, but no sound of sobbing could be heard, nor did any tears fall. She was going mad in silence. My brain was already sounding alarm bells. This is bad, very bad, extremely bad. Running away would definitely be the best option, but… I can’t. Not only because this is all my fault and I should take responsibility for whatever happens, but also because Keling is behind me now, and I can’t let her get hurt.
“There… is…” Keling said from behind me, and I felt it too. In the room, with no windows or air conditioning, a gentle breeze began to blow. Xinran was unconsciously using her Destiny Power… This is a sign of imminent awakening!
Because there was a gentle breeze moments ago, now it’s a gale. The books on Keling’s bookshelf were all blown off, making a crashing sound. The wind is coming from behind… from behind? Why from behind…? Where is the source of the wind? Where is it blowing from?
“Please come to me…” Xinran opened her arms. I felt it… No, I’m about to be sucked in!
“I won’t do it again. I won’t make any more mistakes, so rely on me, depend on me more, always depend on me.”
“Making it so you can’t do anything without me…”
“This is to prevent you from feeling lonely.”
Cyclones began to appear around Xinran’s feet. This gravitational pull is caused by Xinran condensing the wind! She’s like the eye of a storm now, constructing a barrier of wind around herself! And the real purpose is to… pull me in!
Of course, I won’t just wait to die here. If I get caught here, the game is over! I need to leave immediately! First, I need to order Keling to evacuate. Xinran’s target is only me. So, as long as I attract her attention, she shouldn’t do anything to Keling.
“[Keling, go to Lianbing!]” As soon as I gave the order, I hugged Keling’s slender waist, lifted her from the bed, and then climbed onto the bed myself. Using Keling’s soft and bouncy bed, I leaped directly towards the window.
There wasn’t even time to open the window; I simply put my arms in front and broke through the glass. This series of actions was incredibly smooth, completed perfectly like a martial arts star. It was successful in one go. Xinran was standing at the door, so I had no choice but to jump out the window, right? It’s a simple thought.
But… I didn’t even land. A sudden gust of wind, called an updraft, from below, blew me away. A feeling of floating filled my surroundings. The ground moved away from my eyes. This height is terrifying; falling would mean certain death! The fierce wind raged on, and I was tossed around like a rag doll in a washing machine, disoriented by the ever-changing gusts. My brain felt like tofu pudding in a bowl, shaking with every movement. My sense of space was completely muddled, unable to distinguish up from down, left from right. I couldn’t tell the ground from the sky.
“Oooooohhhh!” I finally couldn’t help but shout. The physical sensation was just too real. This is incredibly terrifying! It’s countless times more stimulating than roller coasters or bungee jumping! Help! Lianbing! Lan! If you don’t save me, I’ll be blown into an idiot!
Perhaps my prayer worked, and the wind stopped. I fell. According to the law of heads before feet, at this height, I would surely land headfirst. So, what should I do next? Use Calamity from the Mouth to command people around to catch me… but being used as a cushion would mean I’m done for. So, I’ll use Thought Acceleration and a five-point landing at the last moment to cushion… Can a five-point landing really cushion a fall from this height… I feel like my legs would break.
Hmm, how far to the ground? Which method should I use? However, I wasn’t given any more time to think, because a gust of wind blew, accelerating my descent. I didn’t need to worry about landing either; someone caught me. It wasn’t Lianbing or Lan, but Xinran… I knew it. The size and shape of this chest… it must be Xinran. My cheek pressed against Xinran’s chest, still soft; it wasn’t drawing me into her body. After all, what I saw was merely an abstract concept; Xinran’s body wasn’t actually shattered. I slowly raised my head and met Xinran’s gaze as she looked down at me. Her expression was serene and filled with love, as if looking at a newborn infant.
“I will always take care of you… no matter what you become.”
