“Chatting with your online romance again?”

A voice suddenly sounded from behind him; Liang Yan instinctively pressed his phone screen against his palm, turning to see it was Liang Xumo, and the tension in his body eased at once.

He let out a breath, settling back into his usual careless manner.

Lazily reclined on the sofa, both legs sprawled up on the coffee table without any decorum, he gave a soft “tch,” saying with mild displeasure, “I told you, it’s not an online romance.”

Liang Xumo had just come back from the office; her prim office attire and heels had left every bone in her body aching, and the moment she’d changed into slippers, she’d headed straight for the sofa beside him.

The instant she sat down, seeing Liang Yan’s legs sprawled with no regard for manners, she smacked them with her bag. “Get those down — Dad’ll yell at you again if he sees.”

Liang Yan startled at the smack, glaring up at her; Liang Xumo just smiled at him, her gaze drifting toward his phone every so often.

Unnerved by her glancing over, Liang Yan unconsciously drew his crossed legs back a little, wary. “What?”

Liang Xumo smiled and pulled her gaze away.

The two siblings had presented a united front since childhood. Liang Yan might be a bit of a troublemaker, but Liang Xumo was remarkably tolerant, gentle by nature too.

Compared to Liang Yan’s track record — scaring his kindergarten deskmate with bugs, scaring his teacher in elementary school with paint made to look like blood, sneaking over the wall to skip class in middle school, secretly street-racing underground in high school, turning around and heading into showbiz right after college — Liang Xumo had been far, far more well-behaved.

The girl had grown up safely and smoothly, obediently following her parents’ arrangement to take over the family company.

Perhaps understanding the limitations placed on people like them, she’d never dated either, resolutely determined never to cause her parents trouble over the conflict between falling in love freely and marrying into a business alliance for the family.

Seeing Liang Yan’s secret online romance, she, as his older sister, hadn’t stepped in to stop him — instead, she’d helped cover for him.

Sometimes she’d even offer a pointer or two.

“If you really like her, ask her out to meet in person. What’s the point of staying online forever?” Liang Xumo said, her voice soft. “You’re already in the industry — Mom and Dad won’t force you into anything else.”

“Bullshit.” Liang Yan didn’t believe that for a second. “Zhou Jiaye thought the same thing before, and look what happened — he still got dragged back and married off.”

Zhou Jiaye was a young master from a family that were old friends of the Liangs, having grown up wearing the same pair of pants as Liang Yan, so to speak. The two of them had spent their college years abroad eating, drinking, and having fun together, swearing they’d never abandon love for corrupt money and marriage.

Yet the moment they’d returned to the country, Liang Yan had gone off breezily into showbiz, while Zhou Jiaye had been dragged straight to the marriage registry by his family.

Liang Xumo knew about this too, but in her eyes, Zhou Jiaye’s situation was still different from her brother’s.

“Zhou Jiaye didn’t have financial independence — the only reason he got dragged back was because they froze his accounts and left him with no other choice.” Liang Xumo looked at her brother with evident pride. “You’re different. You’re a top-tier star in the industry — you earn even more than your sister does.”

Liang Yan didn’t mind the flattery one bit; grinning, he accepted it happily, then tossed his phone aside and got up to give his sister a shoulder and back rub.

Liang Xumo laughed. “Alright, go on and tend to your romance.”

Liang Yan rubbed his nose, saying with a guilty conscience, “There’s really nothing going on.”

Liang Xumo clearly didn’t believe him, her tone teasing. “Is that so?”

Liang Yan laughed too. “Not yet, anyway.”

“Well then, good luck?” Liang Xumo pumped a fist.

“Jie, actually, why don’t you—” Liang Yan frowned, clearly displeased that his sister was always so accommodating of everyone else.

Liang Xumo raised a hand to rest it on Liang Yan’s, which was still on her shoulder. “Alright, don’t talk nonsense. Go do what you love — you’ve got your sister at home.”

Liang Yan actually disliked hearing her say things like this more than anything, but seeing her always so gentle, he never dared argue back, and could only manage a flat “Oh.”

By the time their parents got home, Liang Xumo had already gone upstairs to shower. Father Liang’s gaze swept once around the large living room, and not seeing the person he was looking for, glanced perfunctorily at the young master on the sofa. “Where’s your sister?”

Liang Yan, swinging one leg over the other, pointed a finger upstairs.

Father Liang had no patience for this bad habit of his; in two steps he came over and swung a hand toward his head. “Are you mute?!”

The smack came without warning, and Liang Yan’s phone went flying straight to the floor. He yelped, “Where’s your sense of reason?”

“You want reason from me now?” Father Liang sat down on the sofa, reaching for the washed fruit on the coffee table.

Liang Yan picked his phone back up, and just as Father Liang took his first bite of the apple, said, feigning sudden innocent recollection, “That thing fell on the floor just now, rolled around a few times.”

Father Liang raised the apple as if to hurl it at this unfilial son; Liang Yan dodged quickly and dashed for the second floor with his phone.

Passing the kitchen bar on the first floor, he stuck his head out and called, “Mom, I want braised ribs tonight.”

“Got it. Call your sister down in a bit,” Mother Liang said. “Oh, right, Liang Yan—”

Liang Yan said “Ah?” and stuck his head back in. “What is it?”

“Your sister…” Mother Liang hesitated, and finally just sighed. “Never mind, it’s nothing — go on up and do your own thing.”

Liang Yan frowned, no longer in the mood for his phone. He came back down the stairs in a few steps and leaned against the counter beside his mother. “What’s wrong with Jie?”

Mother Liang glanced at him. “What are you worrying about now?”

“She’s my sister — of course I worry about her.” Liang Yan said.

Just then Father Liang came over at the sound of their voices, his expression turning stern. “You can’t even manage your own affairs and you’re worrying about your sister’s — get upstairs, now!”

Seeing his father had come over too, Liang Yan knew there was no getting anything out of his mother today, so without wasting further time, he turned to leave.

Halfway there, he thought better of it and crept quietly back, and sure enough, caught the two of them speaking in hushed tones.

“Don’t rush it,” Father Liang said. “Pick a good time to talk it over properly — she just got back from work, she’s probably tired.”

“She’s tired every single day.” Mother Liang sighed. “Ugh, if it weren’t for that matter, would we even be hesitating like this?”

Hearing this, a flicker passed through Liang Yan’s eyes, and a shadow gradually gathered in those always-careless peach-blossom eyes.

Back in his room, Liang Yan didn’t even bother taking off his shoes, sprawling out in a starfish position on the bed, playing dead. His WeChat pinged with a message, and he tilted his head to look.

Liangou’s Precious Baby: What were you just up to?

Liang Yan stretched out a hand and, without minding the effort, tapped out a reply one key at a time.

Liang: My dad got home.

Liang: Saw me lazing on the sofa and smacked me.

Liang: Psycho.

Liangou’s Precious Baby: Hahahahahahahahaha.

Liangou’s Precious Baby: Your own flesh and blood, too.

A few seconds later, the other side seemed to suddenly realize something.

Liangou’s Precious Baby: Your dad? Is your whole family abroad?

Liang Yan paused, staring at his phone for a long while, thinking of what Liang Xumo had said downstairs just now. He abruptly got up off the bed and stood up straight.

Holding the phone in hand, he dropped all his usual carelessness and replied with unusual seriousness.

Liang: No.

Liang: I’m back in the country.

Author’s note: Liangou: I’m back in the country.

Liangou: We can xx/oo now! [shy]

……

Liangou: ?

[Sorry, since you are not friends with this person, your message has been rejected]

Liangou: …………

Liangou: Baby, check out how proper my kneeling form is. [laughing]