Xu Yi couldn’t bear seeing Yun Sisi so aggrieved: "How can you think like that? Don’t always swallow your grievances."
She glanced at Yun Shifei twice more.
It was her first time meeting this younger sister. Although they were biological siblings, her appearance truly couldn’t compare to Yun Sisi’s. They said her grades were mediocre too — likely raised in the countryside and ruined, right?
She actually felt that Yun Sisi, even without any blood ties to them, had the kind of cultivated temperament that resembled their family more.
Yun Sisi sensed that Xu Yi was gradually being swayed by her words, and continued to say: "Sister, am I really still not good enough? Ever since sister came back, it’s like I’ve been marginalized..."
"No, you’re wonderful."
"Ah, to be honest, I feel a bit selfish inside. I keep thinking, if only sister hadn’t come back, things might’ve been better. Perhaps for thinking , it means my heart is too dark, doesn’t it?"
Xu Yi doted on Yun Sisi especially and, hearing Yun Sisi say things like that, didn’t find any fault with it. Instead, she empathized somewhat.
If she were in Yun Sisi’s position, she’d certainly feel deeply upset too.
Yun Sisi wrapped her arms around Xu Yi’s: "Sister, stay with me tonight; let’s chat amongst sisters."
Yun Shifei also noticed how close Yun Sisi and Xu Yi were.
Xu Yi was their eldest uncle’s daughter, only 19 this year, delicate in looks but quite rebellious in nature.
Yun Shifei didn’t have a particularly deep impression of Xu Yi — only remembered that she had dated a thug boyfriend her parents disapproved of, yet insisted on being with him.
After Xu Yi graduated college, she married the guy and even had a child, but within a few years, they divorced.
The man not only committed domestic violence but cheated on her and spent the money Xu Yi earned.
At this moment, Xu Yi was probably still involved with that same man.
When Yun Shifei looked over at them, Xu Yi glanced back at her.
Her gaze now lacked the friendliness from their initial introduction and carried a hint of coolness.
It seemed that Yun Sisi had said something to Xu Yi.
Old Mrs. Xu took Yun Shifei by the hand into the house and opened the refrigerator: "Shi Fei, pick whatever you’d like to eat."
The array of ice creams dazzled Yun Shifei.
"So many..." She couldn’t help murmuring in awe.
"But don’t eat too much, okay? Watch out for an upset stomach."
Undecided, Yun Shifei struggled as everything looked both tasty and tempting.
In the end, she picked a strawberry-flavored ice cream.
The elders were chatting, while she quietly ate her ice cream nearby, appearing especially well-behaved.
"Shi Fei, are you adjusting to life in South City?" A girl approached her, smiling warmly.
This was her youngest uncle’s daughter, Xu Yuejiao. Despite her delicate name, she sported a neat short haircut and carried a bold charisma.
Yun Shifei nodded slightly.
"It hasn’t been easy for you. These years must’ve been hard to get through," Xu Yuejiao sighed. "If I were in your shoes, I might’ve crumbled ages ago. You’re still so well-behaved."
That was because she had already lived through a lifetime — this personality wasn’t her original self.
Her former self wasn’t .
"Let me know where you’d like to go during this time, and I’ll take you out to play," Xu Yuejiao offered.
Yun Shifei blinked, cautiously: "You’re the same age as me."
"I’m older by a month."
Yun Shifei replied with an "Oh."
Seeing her obedient appearance, Xu Yuejiao’s smile grew wider: "Has anyone ever said you’re kind of adorable?"
What was with this submissive demeanor? It made people want to tease her.
Yun Shifei found Xu Yuejiao’s grin a bit intimidating and instinctively shrank back.
Xu Yuejiao laughed out loud, "I’m not going to eat you."
This little sister was just too timid — truly adorable.
The commotion on their side caught Old Mrs. Xu’s attention, earning Xu Yuejiao a sideways glance: "Jiaojiao, don’t bully your younger sister."
"How would I dare? If I bullied her, wouldn’t you all come after me with a stick?"
Xu Yuejiao’s remark elicited laughter from all the elders.
After dinner, Yun Tiancheng and Xu Ya prepared to head back to the city.
Everyone else went back to their own homes too.
Xu Yuejiao said to Yun Shifei: "Shi Fei, little sister, I’ll come see you again in a few days."
"Yuejiao, you and sister seem really close!" Yun Sisi suddenly interjected. Whenever something concerned Yun Shifei, she always had to butt in.
Out of all the cousins, her relationship was the best with Xu Yi. Xu Yuejiao’s tomboyishness wasn’t to her taste.
Girls should act like girls.
Xu Yuejiao, however, had short hair and favored jeans — from afar, she could even be mistaken for a boy.
Though, Xu Yuejiao had pretty good grades, likely because both her parents were teachers.
This made Yun Sisi dislike her even more.
Every exam season, their elders would compare their grades.
Though she always scored better than Xu Yuejiao, the difference wasn’t vast.
Old Mrs. Xu arranged sleeping arrangements for Yun Shifei and Yun Sisi.
Yun Shifei’s room was next to Old Mrs. Xu’s, while Yun Sisi’s was directly across — her usual spot when visiting Old Mrs. Xu.
Tonight, though, Yun Sisi would be bunking with Xu Yi.
The two squeezed into a single bed, a fan whirring above them.
Breezes drifted inside through the windows, keeping it from feeling too hot.
"Sister Yi, what should we do? Look at today — Grandpa and Grandma’s attention was all on sister," Yun Sisi muttered.
Xu Yi sighed: "What can you do? Well, you might as well make her disappear again."
She said it lightly, but Yun Sisi’s heart jumped.
Xu Yi was truly her best confidante — their thoughts aligned perfectly.
"But... But how can we make her disappear?"
"Isn’t it simple? Ten years ago, she was kidnapped. So why not have her kidnapped again, ten years later?"
"That... doesn’t seem right," Yun Sisi feigned hesitation.
Xu Yi, however, had already begun plotting.
"My boyfriend knows a few guys. Some of them are quite skilled — making someone vanish isn’t hard at all."
She had no affection for Yun Shifei but deeply cherished Yun Sisi and couldn’t bear seeing her upset.
So why not just pretend Yun Shifei had never existed?
"In a few days, let’s invite her out to play. I’ll contact my boyfriend then — no one will suspect a thing." Xu Yi’s plan was taking shape.
"I don’t want to harm sister..."
"Don’t worry, we won’t take her life."
Yun Sisi said nothing more, but in the dark, the corners of her lips curled upward into a smile.
A smile unlike the pure and lovely image she typically portrayed.
It was dark, sinister, and disturbingly malevolent.
Merely thinking about how she would soon return to the peaceful and happy life, surrounded by love from everyone, made Yun Sisi feel a surge of relief.