MTMIO Chapter 32

Chapter 32: What Gentle Sister, Rotten to the Core! (Slightly Revised)

The light of dawn, a faint white glow, permeated the window glass, flowing into the room, seeping from the foot of the bed to the head, spreading onto Lu You’s face.

Warm breaths lacked a fixed rhythm, like the gentle tickling of a feather tip against her ear.

Arousing a subtle itch that softened her bones, sending goosebumps down her jawline.

At her arm, the soft rise and fall was impossible to ignore.

At her lower abdomen, the slightest curl of fingers was clearly felt through the fabric of her clothing.

Her long, thick eyelashes trembled, struggling between drowsiness and the two sensations, lifting slightly. Lu You squinted, tilted her head, and cast her gaze downwards towards the arm that was holding her.

In her vision, two snow-capped peaks squeezed together, forming a valley gorge.

Her brain was occupied by that whiteness for a few seconds, suppressing the last vestiges of sleepiness.

Lu You looked away, thinking that this sleeping posture wasn’t exactly bad, but it wasn’t exactly good either.

After all, it was a form of torment in another sense.

Even though she had pulled away a bit, her ears still felt like they were being burned.

A faint, throbbing pain in her ankle pulsed beneath the bandage.

Lu You carefully pulled her arm out of the softness, little by little.

Just as she was about to succeed, Yue Yunxi suddenly curled her hand, her thin eyelids fluttered slightly, as if she was about to wake up at any moment.

Lu You held her breath for a moment, her heart pounding as if it had jumped into her throat.

She froze in place for a long time, until Yue Yunxi’s slightly furrowed brow smoothed out. Only then did she slowly, tremblingly, exhale, and completely pull her hand out.

It was like walking a tightrope on a cliff. A simple action that stretched into an eternity.

Releasing the other doll, she took her phone from under the pillow. Lu You slowly got out of bed and took medicine and a packet of wet wipes from the table.

She also wanted to get a cigarette. Her heart was beating erratically, and the sensation of being enveloped by warm breath still lingered on her ears, inexplicably making her throat itch.

Unfortunately, she had been too busy before the trip to be anxious, and hadn’t touched a cigarette in a while. And since she was here with her grandmother, she hadn’t even thought about bringing any.

Gently pulling open the door, she slowly moved out of the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

The subtle creak of the door was lost in the chirping of birds. As the gap narrowed to the width of a finger, the person on the bed’s eyelashes fluttered twice, and opened her eyes as the door closed.

Outside the door, Lu You turned around and stood in the air, already carrying the heat of early summer, taking a deep breath.

The thin, warm morning light had already crossed the courtyard walls, dyeing the framed square of pale blue sky. A few rays slipped down, skimming over the lush green and red pomegranate tree, flowing from the tips of the leaves to the wicker chair beneath the tree.

She hopped over and sat down, placing her phone and medicine on the table. She propped her leg on another chair and began to unwrap the bandage.

The phone screen on the table lit up, displaying several WeChat message notifications.

Lu You freed a hand and tapped to open them.

Chen Feifei: [I’m going to die, I’m going to die!! I’m really going to die!]

Followed by a string of frantic emoji.

Lu You was stunned. The scene of Yue Yunxi pressing down hard on her ankle flashed in her mind after she casually said she was going to die last night.

Half of the bandage was unwrapped. The ankle, released from its constraints, was even more swollen.

The sudden, throbbing pain seemed to seep from her memory.

After unwrapping the bandage, Lu You poked the screen with her fingertip and replied to Chen Feifei: [Don’t talk nonsense.]

Chen Feifei: […]

Chen Feifei: [Are you not asleep or just woke up?]

YoYo: [Not asleep]

YoYo: [What’s up with you?]

This time, the reply wasn’t instant. Lu You took a pack of wet wipes, cleaned her ankle, and spread one out on top of it. She glanced at her phone. Chen Feifei had just sent a message.

Chen Feifei: [Yesterday, you guys went back first, leaving the four of us to play the goose game. We actually got it, and the goose was sent to the kitchen and tied up. Seeing that you guys hadn’t come back yet, Mimi wanted skewers, so we went to get some.]

Chen Feifei: [Recently, my mom has been pushing me to go on blind dates really hard, which is annoying. I drank a little too much, and Yun Zhu also drank a lot, for some reason. When we got back, we discussed switching rooms with Zhi Zhi and them, letting them take Mimi to live with them, and Yun Zhu and I moved into their master bedroom.]

Chen Feifei: [At night, Yun Zhu asked me if I would get married. I said I didn’t know, I don’t like men and don’t want to get married, but my mom’s health is really not good, and she wants to see me settle down. Later, Yun Zhu asked me a lot about women dating women.]

Chen Feifei: [Then we fell asleep while chatting. Just now, I wanted to go to the bathroom, and as soon as I opened my eyes, damn!! I almost kissed her.]

Lu You: “…”

Truly sisters in misery, getting drenched in the same dog blood.

Chen Feifei: [That’s not the point!]

Chen Feifei: [I was stunned for a while, then she opened her eyes!]

Lu You smacked her lips. She was in a better situation. Luckily, Yue Yunxi hadn’t woken up, so the scene wasn’t too awkward.

Chen Feifei: [That’s not the point either!]

YoYo: [… Then tell me the point]

There was no movement again. Lu You finished applying the wet wipes to her ankle, unscrewed the cap of the medicine tube, squeezed out the ointment, and smeared it on her ankle.

Perhaps it was because she knew exactly when she would feel the coolness and how much pressure to apply with her hand.

There was none of the subtle sensation that she had felt last night when Yue Yunxi applied the medicine for her.

While her hand was paused, Chen Feifei sent two more messages.

Chen Feifei: [Then, inexplicably, we kissed!!]

Chen Feifei: [My mouth is still numb to this day [broken]]

YoYo: [!!!]

After replying, she unconsciously touched her ear. It was no better here.

It was still burning to this day.

Chen Feifei: [But she’s asleep again now. I don’t even know if she was just dreaming and sleepwalking because we talked too much last night, or if she just gnawed on me and then got sleepy and continued sleeping.]

After a while, Chen Feifei sent another message: [[broken] [broken] [broken] I’m so worried! What do you think I should do when she wakes up later?!]

Lu You circled her ankle with her fingertip, subconsciously glancing at the door to the east.

When Yue Yunxi woke up, what kind of attitude would she have?

Just as she was about to reply to Chen Feifei, she suddenly heard a “creak—” sound.

The birds perched on the branches suddenly took flight. The flapping wings stirred a gust of wind, rustling the green leaves. The subtle sound lingered in the branches.

Lu You’s heart skipped a beat.

Looking up, she realized that it was the door to her grandmother’s room that had been pushed open. It was like riding a roller coaster, from tense to relaxed. Her shoulders slumped heavily downwards, and she could still feel the throbbing in her chest.

Lu You breathed a sigh of relief, greeted her grandmother, and replied to Chen Feifei: [I think it’s best to pretend that nothing happened, otherwise, it’ll be pretty awkward.]

Chen Feifei: [Then what should I do if she asks me? Help! How am I supposed to face her?!]

Just as she was about to continue replying, she saw her grandmother approaching, exclaiming in surprise, “Why are you up so early?”

Lu You rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and said, “My ankle was swollen and uncomfortable, so I woke up.”

Her grandmother sat down on the chair diagonally opposite her, looking at her ankle. Her eyes showed concern, but her mouth grumbled unsparingly, “Serves you right, you should have your eyes open next time.”

“You’re just like Sister Yunxi.” Lu You applied another layer of ointment to her ankle. “Yesterday, she said I didn’t watch where I was going, and today, it’s turned into me walking with my eyes closed.”

“Yunxi said that to you too?” Her grandmother asked casually.

—”It’s not dislike, it’s that I think it’s kind of cute.”

Lu You’s hand paused. She remembered Yue Yunxi’s tone when she said those words.

It was indescribably captivating.

The temperature that had barely subsided rose again. Lu You rubbed her ears and looked up to meet her grandmother’s direct gaze, feeling panicked again.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, suppressing her heartbeat.

Her grandmother asked sternly, “What time did you go to bed? Your dark circles are so heavy, and your eyes are swollen too.”

Lu You chuckled sheepishly.

Her eyelids felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead. Without looking, she knew that her eyes must be full of fatigue.

“Still laughing.” Her grandmother said seriously, “I saw on the news a few days ago that young girls who stay up late have all kinds of problems. If you continue like this, you’ll be about the same.”

“You’re wrong to say that, cursing me so early in the morning.”

“I’m not cursing you, I’m advising you. While I’m still by your side, I have to nag you more, in case one day I—”

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Lu You, enduring the sudden surge of soreness in her nose, lightly slapped her grandmother’s leg with ill humor. “You’ll live to be a hundred! I’m just not used to the bed, I’ll be fine in a few days. I promise, when the trip is over, I’ll exercise and go to bed early every day. I definitely won’t let you worry!”

Her grandmother smiled broadly: “That’s more like it.”

Lu You smiled as well, stood up to hug her, and affectionately rubbed her face against her cheek, saying, “If you talk nonsense again next time, I’ll get angry.”

Her grandmother laughed and said, “I know.”

As Lu You rubbed, she felt a little dazed, and thought of the scene last night when Yue Yunxi stopped her from talking nonsense.

She stopped her because she cared deeply about her grandmother. But what about Yue Yunxi?

The phone on the table lit up. Her grandmother patted her hand: “Phone, someone’s looking for you.”

Lu You gathered her thoughts, picked up her phone, and looked.

Chen Feifei: [I’ve decided, I’ll respond to all changes with no change. If she doesn’t mention it, I’ll pretend that nothing happened, like you said! If she does mention it, I’ll pretend that I was dead asleep and sleepwalking, so we don’t have to be awkward face to face.]

Lu You thought it was very feasible and replied with a row of thumbs-up to Chen Feifei.

Switching out of the chat window, she found another friend request, with the nickname “Eleven” and the remark: Reserve a seat.

After accepting the request, Lu You sent the WeChat of the bar’s temporary manager to the other party and left it in the list, paying no more attention.

Afterwards, she followed the videos online to re-bandage her ankle. Lu You tiptoed to her grandmother’s room to brush her teeth and wash her face. Without makeup, she could only accompany the two elderly women for a chat with a clear face and panda eyes.

Unknowingly, she cast aside the chaotic thoughts of being kissed on the ear by Yue Yunxi.

It wasn’t until the first alarm she set went off that she went back.

Hopping to a stop outside the door, worried that Yue Yunxi hadn’t woken up yet, Lu You didn’t knock, but directly pushed the door open and shuffled inside in her slippers.

The air conditioning in the room brushed over her skin, bringing a cool sensation. She looked down to close the door, then turned towards the bed.

The moment she looked up, she froze in place.

Yue Yunxi, on the bed, like a cat, was frozen at the foot of the bed in a kneeling position. Her long legs were slightly apart, her hands were propped up in front of her, and her curly hair fell from her shoulders, softly swaying beside her cheeks. A strand slipped into her slightly open collar, caressing her collarbone like silk, covering her fair skin.

From this angle, everything was in full view.

“……”

Lu You’s face quickly burned up. She hurriedly raised her gaze upwards.

As if she was still sleepy, Yue Yunxi raised her hand to rub her eyes, and her thin eyelids lifted. She tilted her head dizzily, meeting her gaze.

Yue Yunxi’s bare face was almost the same as when she was wearing makeup, only with a purer feel.

If her made-up appearance could be compared to a luxurious floral oil painting, then her bare face was like a clear stream flowing past small flowers on the shore.

“Good morning,” Yue Yunxi said.

Her tone wasn’t the hoarse tone of other people who had just woken up, but rather ethereal.

As she greeted, Yue Yunxi stretched out her legs and got off the bed.

Beneath the hem of her clothes, a dark shadow was faintly visible.

It was unclear whether it was shorts or…

The visual impact completely overwhelmed her auditory senses. Lu You closed her eyes and turned around, not paying attention to her special tone, replying, “… Good morning.”

Touching the back of her ear, which was burning again, she walked towards the clothes rack.

“When did you wake up?” Yue Yunxi asked as she put on her slippers.

Lu You took a bag from the clothes rack and placed it on the vanity, replying, “A while ago.”

After a short pause, she added, “I changed the medicine and bandage. It just so happened that Grandma and them had also woken up, so I went to chat with them for a while and wash up.”

Yue Yunxi asked with concern, “How’s your ankle today? Does it hurt a lot?”

“It’s okay.” Lu You took clothes from her bag and glanced at Yue Yunxi in the mirror as she walked over, pointing to the bathroom, saying, “I’m going to change clothes. You can use it to wash up later.”

Yue Yunxi gently agreed.

Lu You was about to go to the bathroom.

“Oh, right.” Yue Yunxi called out to her.

Lu You paused, looking over, waiting for her to continue.

Their gazes lightly collided. Yue Yunxi lowered her eyes. A beam of sunlight from the window happened to fall, shining on her trembling eyelashes, dyeing the corners of her eyes, adding a bit of warmth and a hint of shy charm.

“When I was sleeping, did I do anything to you?”

Even her voice was caught between the cool wind blowing from the air conditioner and the soft, warm sunlight, with an indistinct emotion hidden in her calm words.

Lu You’s mind was filled with the fact that Chen Feifei had just talked to her about it and given her the standard answer.

She pretended to be natural, “No, I was asleep, I don’t know too well.”

“… Oh…” Yue Yunxi nodded, then suddenly raised her eyes to look at her, curving her lips and saying with consideration and gentleness, “You have to sleep earlier today, your dark circles seem a bit heavy.”

“…”

Lu You forced a smile: “Okay, I’m going to change clothes.”

She almost fled, jumping into the bathroom.

“Slow down, be careful not to fall again.” Yue Yunxi’s gentle reminder echoed outside, separated by the door, sounding even more ethereal.

As if there was a smile.

Or as if there wasn’t.

After changing clothes, Lu You carried her makeup bag and slipped to her grandmother’s room, applying simple makeup. She chatted idly with her grandmother and auntie Li Can, only ending the topic when Yue Yunxi had washed up and dressed, and was about to take her grandmothers out for breakfast.

Considering her swollen pig trotters, the less she had to walk, the better. Yue Yunxi didn’t let her go with them, saying that she had ordered breakfast for her and that someone would deliver it later.

Her grandmother and Li Can’s auntie praised Yue Yunxi for her thoughtfulness and meticulousness all the way out the door.

Lu You slowly swayed back to the master bedroom, wanting to use the kettle to boil water for her medicine, but picked it up and realized that the weight was wrong.

Unscrewing the lid, steam swirled before her eyes. Lu You blinked, recalling what her grandmother had said about Yue Yunxi.

Her phone vibrated.

Yue Yunxi sent her a message at the right time: [There’s hot water in the kettle, for you to drink. Wait half an hour after eating breakfast before taking your medicine.]

Tsk, she had been predicted.

Lu You obediently replied: [Okay]

She stuffed the medicine back into the plastic bag.

Then, she opened Chen Feifei’s profile picture and asked about the aftermath between her and Yun Zhu.

Chen Feifei replied quickly: [Crisis averted, Yun Zhu doesn’t remember anything [smile] [smile] [smile]]

She also sent a picture of the breakfast they had eaten today, which was spicy soup and soy milk with fried dough sticks.

Chen Feifei asked: [What are you eating?]

YoYo: [I don’t know yet, Sister Yunxi ordered it for me but didn’t tell me what it is]

Just as she sent it, the phone in the room rang. The auntie who was in charge of cleaning the guesthouse came to change the sheets, blankets, and toiletries.

Opening the courtyard door, the delivery man was also outside, handing her two paper bags of food.

Walking back to the room, Lu You opened the bags and looked.

A cup of coffee with a deer head printed on the packaging cup, and a box of panda bean cakes.

Lu You: “…”

What gentle sister, rotten to the core!