Chapter 12 Dilemma
It was already seven o’clock when I returned home.
As I inserted the key into the front door lock, the door opened before I could turn the key.
“Hmm?”
I looked up in confusion and saw Keling rushing towards me with a delighted expression.
“It’s really my brother~”
Catching Keling as she lunged at me had become almost a reflex. I instinctively embraced her, rubbed my cheek against her hair, and then patted her head, asking with a smile, “Keling, how did you know I was back?”
“Because Shirley said you’d be back soon, so I’ve been waiting at the door~”
“Miss Shirley…”
“Yeah!”
After putting Keling down, I took off my shoes and walked into the living room. Xinran was reading a magazine, and Miss Shirley was bringing the heated dishes to the dining table. Just as I entered the living room, she placed the chopsticks and spoons on the table, the timing almost instantaneous.
If she hadn’t predicted my return time so accurately, she wouldn’t have been able to heat up dinner for me so perfectly. But how did she know how long Lily and I would talk? Every time, it was in these details that Miss Shirley’s formidable reconnaissance, intelligence, and execution abilities were evident.
How could she achieve this level of precision? If this information control ability were applied to something like business or politics…
Indeed, as Lianbing had said, if Miss Shirley wanted to, she could probably easily achieve what others take decades or even generations to accomplish.
I suddenly wondered why Miss Shirley wanted to be a maid. Was it because she enjoyed taking care of people like Maria from “Maid Sama!”? Or was it to care for Lianbing, who had lost her mother?
Moreover, she didn’t seem much older than me yet possessed full stats, perfect in every aspect. This wasn’t just impressive; it was like using a cheat code.
My interest in Miss Shirley grew, and she was a maid, my most interesting type… Cough… Why did I suddenly feel guilty… It felt like I was letting Lianbing down somehow?
No, no, no! This doesn’t count! If this could be considered a betrayal of thought, then there wouldn’t be a single faithful man in the world!
I hadn’t expected Miss Shirley to still be home; I thought she would have left already.
“Young Master Jun Cheng, welcome back. Dinner is heated for you.”
“Ah, thank you. Sorry to have kept you waiting so long.”
“It is my duty.”
Miss Shirley didn’t linger. After heating my dinner and greeting me, she left, saying she needed to prepare Lianbing’s evening tea.
It’s quite troublesome for her to be running back and forth like this… After I get my stitches removed at the hospital the day after tomorrow, I’ll tell Miss Shirley she doesn’t need to take care of me anymore.
Actually, my injuries have almost healed. This morning while brushing my teeth, my abdomen didn’t hurt as much, and as long as I don’t intentionally strain it, there shouldn’t be any problem.
Even if I started doing chores or cooking now, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
After dinner, I didn’t immediately return to my room. Instead, I sat on the sofa, leisurely watching TV with the green tea that Shirley had prepared for me earlier.
Ah… Home is truly the most peaceful place…
Last week, I was constantly on edge when I came home because of Xinran’s situation. But after resolving Xinran’s matters, my home has once again become my sanctuary.
I took another sip of tea and, seeing Xinran still engrossed in her magazine, asked with some curiosity, “Xinran, what are you reading?”
“A magazine, it’s about what men think… Brother, do you really think like this?”
“Hmm? What what?”
I sat down next to Xinran and leaned over to look at the magazine page.
It said…
★ 300 Lonely Single Men Rank the Top 5 Most Heartwarming Things
① Going on a date with a cute girl.
② Celebrating a birthday with a cute girl.
③ Spending Christmas with a cute girl.
④ It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, as long as they’re cute!
⑤ Whether it’s 2D or 3D, I hope someone will notice me, care for me, and comfort my lonely heart… PS: Excluding Mom, I hope to speak with someone other than my mother.
“What kind of garbage is this… It’s just a complaint filled with resentment.”
It’s practically screaming, “I want a girlfriend! Please, anyone, can you be my girlfriend! Even a femboy is fine!” with tears of blood.
“But, celebrating a birthday with a cute girl though…”
I should prepare a birthday present for Lianbing.
“What’s wrong? Brother?”
“Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something… Ah, right, Keling. Tomorrow is a day off. If you have nothing to do, do you want to go shopping with me? I need to buy a gift for a friend and want your opinion.”
“Hmm? Brother, who are you buying a gift for? A guy or… a girl?”
There was a subtle pause, and I felt Keling exuding a rather dangerous aura for a moment.
Casually, I took off my glasses and said to her, “It’s for my girlfriend.”
“Girlf… riend… Eh~ So Brother has a girlfriend now~”
…It wasn’t my imagination. The aura that momentarily appeared had indeed turned as dark as ink.
“No problem~ Leave it to Keling!”
“Ah, I’ll rely on you then.”
Speaking of which, the atmosphere between Miss Shirley and Keling was a bit tense when Miss Shirley first arrived… It doesn’t seem as awkward now, something must have happened between them.
Did Keling and Miss Shirley clash because Miss Shirley is Lianbing’s maid, and Lianbing is my girlfriend?
Thinking this, I couldn’t help but look at Keling.
She was eating an ice pop, her upper body swaying with her ponytail. The air conditioning was set a bit high, causing the ice pop to melt quickly, dripping down her fingers onto her wrist. Noticing this, Keling quickly extended her bright pink tongue to lick away the sugary liquid, licking her way up and taking a large bite of the ice pop. However, her mouth was too small to hold it all, and she spat it out… Even so, she groaned from the ice cream headache caused by eating too much cold food at once.
“Mmm… Ouch…”
It was the same innocent and lively Keling I knew.
But that morning, in front of Miss Shirley, Keling had shown a dark emotion. And just now, although it was only for a moment, the change in her aura to black was undeniable… That was the dark side Keling had never shown me before, her ‘black-bellied’ nature?
Despite being her brother, I haven’t truly understood my sisters’ inner selves for so long. Whether it was Xinran, who had confessed everything to me, or Keling, who still hid her true self, I had never truly entered their world… I am a truly failing brother…
At this moment, Keling also noticed me looking at her. She smiled brightly at me and climbed into my lap directly.
“Brother~ Want some ice cream?”
“No, I’m drinking tea.”
“No, I’ll feed you, come on~ Ah~”
… The last time Lianbing asked me to do this, I became more accustomed to the action and instinctively leaned forward and opened my mouth.
Keling suddenly took a bite of the ice pop in her hand and then put it into my mouth!
“Hehe, is it delicious?”
“No! Keling, how could you…”
“It’s fine, we’re siblings~”
This seemingly innocent yet loaded statement shattered my mental defenses, leaving me completely limp.
“Hehehe…”
“Teeheehee~”
Xinran chuckled softly to my left. Keling turned around, sat to my right, and hugged my right arm, smiling innocently.
In that smile, there was a trace of slyness, imperceptible, that hinted at a plan coming to fruition.
My whole body trembled, and I immediately understood.
“…”
So that’s how it is…
I’ve fallen into their trap!
My sisters have teamed up to dig a pit and are waiting for me to jump in!
They weren’t like this before!
When did it start that I suddenly couldn’t gauge the distance between siblings anymore?
The boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred.
Do they treat me as a brother, which is why they are behaving so casually?
All love eventually turns into family affection, and since we had family affection from the beginning, we easily crossed that line.
Brother complex…
It’s all the brother complex’s fault!
My sisters have suddenly become overly intimate with me, what should I do?
Please, someone save me…
If this continues, I will eventually step into that irreversible hell…
