Chapter 23: Source Plan
“I’m back.”
As I returned home, Xinran greeted me, taking the plastic bag from my hands and walking towards the bedroom while saying, “Do you want to take a shower? The water is already heated. It’s quite cold today, so you should get rid of the chill.”
“Ha, I see you went straight to the shower without any options offered.”
In the three questions we normally ask when returning home—shower, dinner, and… cough, let’s not mention the third one— it feels like we’re a newlywed couple.
“Did you not eat dinner?” I asked.
“I thought you had eaten out… I’m going to cook now.”
“No need to trouble yourself; just heating up the leftover dinner is fine.”
Although I had bought ingredients for dinner, I figured that if dinner was already prepared, it would be good to use them.
I wanted to say something, but stopped as I looked at her expression; I could guess what happened.
Taking a peek into the kitchen, I noticed there wasn’t any kitchen waste in the trash bin, and the countertops showed no signs of cooking. Sure enough, they hadn’t had dinner.
“You all didn’t eat dinner? I thought I had sent a message letting you know I might be back later,” I said.
“The dinner I made, Keling wouldn’t come down to eat. She knew she wasn’t very hungry, so she didn’t bother to cook. When she realized you weren’t back, she went straight upstairs and didn’t come down,” Xinran explained.
“I see. Then it’s perfect; the ingredients I bought can be put to use now. Xinran, please call Keling down for dinner; I’ll start cooking right away.”
“… Got it.”
Xinran seemed to have wanted to say something more but ultimately held back.
She still hadn’t completely opened her heart to me, and speaking of which, if we did return to our original world, the situation between us siblings would become a serious issue…
Ah.
Cold once again turning into heat?
Why are the relationships among the three of us sisters always so extreme? It’s either too close or as distant as strangers. It’s better than living under the same roof, constantly fearing some family disaster might occur…
At least back then, I didn’t have to worry about anything.
I still hope…
To return to our original world.
This kind of silent dinner table really makes me uncomfortable.
After dinner, as I was washing the dishes, Xinran was wiping the table. After finishing, she came over with the wet cloth.
The water made a gushing sound, and I noticed that Xinran had stopped moving her hands, while I continued washing the same bowl for a while.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make the atmosphere so awkward,” I said.
“Mm? Ah, isn’t it… Xinran, you’ve improved in handling this awkwardness.”
“Just the fact that Keling could come down for dinner is something to be grateful for. That alone is a big step.”
“But that doesn’t mean she’s made any progress… Since she found out you’re her biological brother, she’s been acting the same way. You should know that… in this situation, the one who suffered the most was her because you’re her first love.”
As I was holding the bowl, it slipped from my fingers and fell into the sink.
I hadn’t expected Xinran to suddenly bring this up. The bowl shattered, and water splashed all over my face.
I hadn’t imagined Xinran would suddenly talk to me about this.
“She always liked you, but suddenly knowing you’re her biological brother is something she just cannot accept…”
I see.
No wonder Keling was so furious with me that day.
Her feelings were the exact opposite of mine.
Keling detests me as her brother. The more I act like a brother, the more she resents me… Only a few days ago, she would harshly confront me.
Meanwhile, I’ve always seen myself as her brother, caring for her from a relative’s perspective.
Keling would rather resent me than receive that kind of care…
Xinran turned off the faucet and, twirling the cloth, looked at me and said, “It’s my fault. If that day I hadn’t gotten overly excited and gone into your room, Keling wouldn’t have known about this. It’s all my fault.”
If I hadn’t been found in your room, this wouldn’t have leaked out, but Xinran also had feelings for me.
After realizing that we weren’t actually biological siblings, she suppressed her feelings and came to my room. However, in this world, because of the reminder note, I discovered her entering my room and further realized we were not siblings at all—Keling was my real sister.
The development that followed was that Keling also learned about this…
