Chapter 124: The Boyfriend and His Possessive Little Sister?

It was past four o'clock when the two finally got off the train at the East Chengdu Railway Station. They took the subway home, stopping by the market on the way to pick up some groceries, thinking that Ruoxi and Zhiyi must not have eaten well over the past few days and needed a good meal to make up for it.

As soon as they got home, Lin’er collapsed onto the sofa, looking incredibly comfortable. Qin Xuan checked the time; school would be out soon, so he conscientiously took the groceries to the kitchen.

Sure enough, a short while later, Liu Ruoxi walked in, arm-in-arm with Nan Zhiyi. The moment they entered, they saw Lin’er sprawled across the sofa.

"Oh? So you know how to come back, huh?"

Lin’er didn't even lift her head when she heard Sister Xi’s voice, merely responding with a couple of mumbles from the sofa.

Soon, the scent wafting from the kitchen reached them. Ruoxi didn't even bother changing her shoes; she trotted into the kitchen, stood in the doorway, and watched Qin Xuan busy at work, smiling at him with satisfaction.

"Go on out, the fumes are a bit strong," Qin Xuan urged her as he prepared the fish.

Instead of listening, Ruoxi stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her face against his back without a word.

"What's wrong?" Feeling the warmth against his back, Qin Xuan’s hands paused.

"Nothing... just let me hold you for a bit," Ruoxi’s voice drifted from behind him, causing Qin Xuan to sigh helplessly as he continued his cooking.

On the sofa, Nan Zhiyi and Lin’er were huddled together, chatting about the events of the past few days. Lin’er even took out photos to show her. Seeing the involuntary smile on Lin’er's face, Zhiyi felt a sense of complexity in her heart.

Noticing that Sister Xi had been gone for a long time—and that the aroma from the kitchen had even changed—Lin’er spoke up curiously, "Huh? What are Sister Xi and Qin Xuan doing?"

Nan Zhiyi gave a strained smile. Thinking about how Ruoxi had come to sleep with her the past two nights, only to toss and turn all night, she said, "It's obvious—she missed Qin Xuan!"

"..." Lin’er glanced at her. "And what about you?"

The smile on Nan Zhiyi’s face froze. What kind of question was that! Didn't she have a reputation to maintain?

"I missed him too..."

"Then why play hard to get?" Lin’er leaned back against the sofa cushions and rolled her eyes at her.

"Whatever, I have plenty of time tonight!" Zhiyi thought to herself, remembering that it was Monday and there was an elective class that evening.

A while later, Qin Xuan and Liu Ruoxi brought the dishes out, filling the dining table.

"Wash your hands and come eat, you two!" Qin Xuan called out to them.

As he looked up, he met Nan Zhiyi’s somewhat resentful gaze. Lin’er noticed this and couldn't help but want to laugh—such hypocrisy!

When the two stood up to wash their hands, Zhiyi surreptitiously reached out and pinched Qin Xuan’s hand as she walked past him.

***

At the dinner table, Qin Xuan watched as the others ate with such delight. Ruoxi polished off three bowls of rice, leaving her so full she didn't want to move from her chair.

"I told you to eat less, look at you, stuffed like that..." Lin’er said, speechless.

"Oh, give it a rest," Ruoxi replied, feeling a bit weary. "You were competing with me for the fish the whole time; do you really have the nerve to say that?"

Lin’er went silent, took a pile of things out of her bag to toss onto the sofa, handed the roast duck to Ruoxi, and then retreated to her room with the snacks she wanted to keep for herself.

After washing the dishes, Qin Xuan let Nan Zhiyi take his arm as they headed out.

"So? Did you have a good time?" Zhiyi asked, tilting her head toward him as they walked.

"It was alright..." Qin Xuan thought for a moment before answering casually.

"Hmph, you really got off easy!" Zhiyi muttered, turning her head away, though she tightened her grip on his arm.

Seeing her like this, Qin Xuan gently pulled his arm away. Just as she grew confused, she saw him run to a nearby milk tea shop and immediately understood.

Soon, Qin Xuan returned and handed her a cup of milk tea. Zhiyi hesitated for a moment before taking it, straw already inserted.

"Trying to butter me up?" Zhiyi took a sip and asked, puzzled, "Why is it hot?"

Qin Xuan reached out and ruffled her hair. "Are you in any condition to be drinking cold things right now?"

Zhiyi sighed. "But hot milk tea doesn't taste as good..."

Qin Xuan ignored her, instead taking her small hand and squeezing it a few times.

They arrived at the classroom a bit late, as expected, but when the old professor saw them standing at the door, he didn't say anything and just waved them in dismissively.

They found a corner seat, and Zhiyi began to fidget, playing with Qin Xuan’s hand the entire time. By the time class ended, Qin Xuan felt like his hand had been thoroughly handled.

On the way back, they stopped by the night market. Lin’er hadn't had a chicken leg in days and had asked Qin Xuan to pick one up for her, so he specifically chose the largest one he could find. They also bought some skewers before heading home, walking slowly arm-in-arm.

Upon entering, they saw Ruoxi and Lin’er sitting on the sofa, wearing plastic gloves and gnawing on roast duck—specifically the kind that had been braised before roasting, which was lean and delicious. Seeing them return, Lin’er quickly tried to hide a duck leg...

"Don't bother hiding it, I saw you!" Zhiyi called her out.

"I'm not hiding it! I was saving it for Qin Xuan!" Lin’er sat up straight and pulled the duck leg from behind her back to show off.

Sister Xi, seeing this, snatched it right out of her hand and immediately handed it to Qin Xuan.

Lin’er was stunned. She hadn't even finished her own, and she wasn't going to let her have that one either?! She could only look at Qin Xuan with a pitiful expression.

Qin Xuan looked at the duck leg in his hand; it looked delicious. Under Lin’er’s gaze, he took a bite...

Suddenly, Lin’er lunged at him with a fierce expression! Fearing she might fall, Qin Xuan caught her by the waist with one arm, still holding the duck leg in his mouth.

To his surprise, once she was held by him, Lin’er leaned in and bit onto the duck leg hanging from his mouth, pulling it away with a sharp tug.

Left with only a morsel of meat, Qin Xuan was astonished. *What the hell? Can she really do that?*

Lin’er took the meat from her mouth with her hand and gave Qin Xuan a triumphant look. *I don't mind!*

"Do you still want this chicken leg?" Qin Xuan asked, holding out the still-warm chicken leg.

"Yes!" Lin’er snatched it away instantly. She loved the ones that were just pure meat!

Nearby, Nan Zhiyi and Liu Ruoxi watched the scene with amusement. What was this? A boyfriend and his food-guarding little sister?

After a simple late-night snack, Qin Xuan returned to his room to play a few rounds of chess, which left him completely drained. He had hoped that his luck would improve after the trip, but alas... reality always likes to deliver a blow, often accompanied by a "lucky" loss.

When Liu Ruoxi finished her shower and returned, she found Qin Xuan leaning back in his chair, feeling dejected.

"You're going to Zhiyi's place tonight."

"Yeah, she's not feeling well these past few days," Qin Xuan turned to look at Zhiyi, who was wearing pajamas. "What if I suddenly don't want to leave?"

"Hmph, I don't want you to leave either! But I already made a deal with Zhiyi..." Ruoxi looked helpless, but then her eyes twinkled. "But you could always stay a little later before you go..."

As she spoke, she flopped onto the bed and draped her legs over his chair, her intentions clear.