Chapter Ninety-One: The Elder Sister and the Younger Sister

I rose to my feet and, for the second time, extended a friendly hand toward Yang Xiaoyu, who sat diagonally across from me. Smiling, I nodded and said, "Then let us work together in good harmony!"

But Yang Xiaoyu did not seem inclined to accept it. She pouted, lifted her delicate hands, and pointed at Zhang Jiaxin beside me.

I was put on the spot. If this had been Zhang Jiaxin of old, there was no way she would ever have apologized. She had always been a self-reliant, stubborn girl. In all the years we had been together, I had never once seen her bow her head to anyone. Yet back then, I had been exactly the same kind of mule-headed person myself: I could lose, but I could not yield.

Just as I was thinking of what to say to smooth over the awkwardness, Zhang Jiaxin slowly stood up. She gave Yang Xiaoyu a sweet smile, then lowered her head slightly in a sincere bow and said, "Xiaoyu, I really am sorry just now. I take back what I said. You are very capable, at least much stronger than I am in this respect. I apologize."

I stared with my mouth hanging open as Zhang Jiaxin remained bent at the waist, a faint smile still on her lips, frozen where I stood. Was this still the same proud, stubborn girl I knew?

But it was not only me. Even Yang Xiaoyu, who had been so smug a moment ago, was so shocked by Zhang Jiaxin's genuine apology that she could not speak for a long time. After a moment, she finally stammered, "Oh... no, no, it's nothing. I didn't take it to heart."

"Thank you. Then let's let bygones be bygones," Zhang Jiaxin said, looking up at Yang Xiaoyu with what seemed to be great cheer.

I still could not make sense of Zhang Jiaxin's behavior. She had actually apologized. Back then, even when she and I had arguments, that little firebrand would argue stubbornly to the end; in the end, I would always be the one to soften first before we could make up.

Yang Xiaoyu smiled as well, two lovely dimples appearing on her beautiful face. Then she stood and lightly shook my hand. "Pleasure doing business."

Sister Rose, who had remained silent all this while, looked thoughtfully at Zhang Jiaxin, who seemed to be lost in thought, and then at me. She shook her head and sighed.

At last, though the beginning had been less than ideal, the outcome was satisfying enough. I had finally won over the youthful, spirited girl with such excellent skills, Yang Xiaoyu. Looking at Zhang Jiaxin beside me, who showed no trace of unhappiness despite her own actions just now, I felt an emotion I could not quite name, as though I had somehow owed her something without meaning to.

"Yang Chen..." After Zhang Jiaxin and Yang Xiaoyu each hugged Sister Rose, they left the cold drink shop laughing and chatting, while I was stopped by Sister Rose.

In truth, I had always felt that Sister Rose had something she wanted to tell me. That was also why I had not left immediately. Hearing her call my name, I naturally turned and walked to her.

"That girl Xiaoyu may seem wild and reckless at times, but she's actually a very good person, simple and kind. You must not let her get hurt, understand?" Sister Rose looked at me with her beautiful, mature eyes and said seriously. "She always acts tough in front of others, but inside she's a very soft-hearted child. I am leaving her in your hands. Don't let me down, all right?"

"I know." I was somewhat puzzled by the stark contrast in the way Sister Rose spoke of Yang Xiaoyu before and after, but I did not ask. I knew everything happened for a reason, and I never forced others. Sometimes, an offhand remark or an innocent question could wound someone without my realizing it.

"And also..." Sister Rose hesitated, then lifted a hand to pat my shoulder lightly. Looking straight into my eyes, she said in a low, distant voice, "If you can, be a little kinder to that girl. She has not had it easy... Even if there is no love left between you, do not hurt her again, all right?"

After hearing Sister Rose's words, I felt my body tremble faintly. "Sis, did she tell you something... about the reason we broke up back then?"

Sister Rose's eyes were bright. Meeting her gaze made me feel as though she could see straight through me. After a brief silence, she finally nodded.

"Can you tell me?" Once I realized Sister Rose knew the truth behind it, I could not help asking in a rush.

"Spend more time with little Xin when you have the chance. I think she will tell you herself. After all, she has never really been able to refuse your requests." Sister Rose turned and went back behind the counter, clearly unwilling to say any more. Seeing her silent stance, I knew that no matter what I said or did, she would not yield.

"Yang Chen, hurry up, what are you doing?" Zhang Jiaxin pushed open the door and called to me, dissatisfied with my delay.

I quickened my steps and walked out of the cold drink shop.

"What were you doing inside? Don't tell me you were..." Yang Xiaoyu's pretty figure suddenly came close to mine, and she leaned in beside my ear to whisper, "Don't tell me you were taking a fancy to Sister Qi?"

My old face flushed red, and I hastily dodged her, feigning anger. "Don't talk nonsense!"

Yang Xiaoyu seemed to fear my "anger" not at all. She ran over to Zhang Jiaxin and whispered a few more words to her. Instantly, the two girls burst out laughing, leaving me embarrassed and drawing many sideways glances from passersby.

Watching the two girls laugh as they walked, I too could not help smiling. Even the tension that had been coiled in me seemed to loosen because of them... Come to think of it, how long had it been since I had seen Zhang Jiaxin smile so brightly?

The two girls chatted and laughed as they walked, while I was content to follow behind them in peace. I often thought that it would be wonderful if everyone could live happily, without worries, without spending every day fretting about the future... But what, in the end, was my own happiness? A life of extravagant wealth? Obviously not. What I wanted now was simply for the girl I loved, the one who loved me, to come to my side, to walk with me down this long street, to share the quiet of this late autumn, to spend with me an ordinary and warm life. Perhaps that was my happiness.

"Yang Chen, I have something to take care of this afternoon, so I'll head off first. Call me later." After waving farewell to Zhang Jiaxin, Yang Xiaoyu said to me, "This young lady is going to have some fun. Otherwise wouldn't all this effort on my appearance be wasted?"

"Mm, go ahead. Be careful." I replied instinctively, only to earn myself a white-eyed glance from Yang Xiaoyu.

With a quick "Got it," Yang Xiaoyu hailed a taxi and left first, leaving only Zhang Jiaxin and me to continue walking aimlessly along the broad but sparsely populated street in the south of the city.

"Yang Chen... what did Sister Rose say to you just now?" After Yang Xiaoyu left, Zhang Jiaxin was not as lively as before. Walking beside me, she looked a little fragile.

"Nothing much. She just told me to treat Yang Xiaoyu well." I omitted part of it naturally.

At my answer, Zhang Jiaxin seemed to relax. Then she smiled and said, "Don't let her rebellious look fool you. That girl is actually pretty amusing. Kind of adorably dazed."

I smiled as I looked at Zhang Jiaxin's cute little face, flushed red by the autumn wind. "As her sister, you're being rather unkind, talking behind your own little sister's back right after she leaves."

"Who's talking behind her back? She really is adorably dazed... Do you know what she just said about you?" Zhang Jiaxin said with an air of mystery.

"How did she say it?"

"She said, of course..." Zhang Jiaxin leaned a little closer to me. "Of course..."

"Stop!" I suddenly realized something and quickly raised my hand to interrupt her. "I don't want to hear it."

"Tch, how boring!" Seeing that I had seen through her little trick, Zhang Jiaxin pretended to be angry and quickened her pace for a few steps before slowing down again on her own.

I was inwardly pleased. Trying to pull that stunt on me? Wasn't it just that once I leaned in, she would deliberately tease me? I, Yang Chen, had seen all kinds of storms and tempests. How could I not see through something like this?

"Seriously though, you and Yang Xiaoyu both have the surname Yang. Why don't you just take her as your little sister?" Zhang Jiaxin came back beside me. Her white skirt and long, smooth hair fluttered in the breeze, pure and lovely.

"Come on, have her be my little sister? You'd make a better candidate for that..." I said indifferently.

"What did you say?" Zhang Jiaxin suddenly stopped and looked at me coldly.

I looked at her, baffled by the sudden change, not understanding what had gotten into her.

"I'm going back to school." Zhang Jiaxin did not bother explaining. She turned to hail a taxi, and then left without saying another word to me.

I stood in the autumn wind, blankly watching the taxi disappear from sight, unable to figure out which nerve in her had gone wrong this time. They say a woman's heart is like the depths of the sea, but the ones I met all seemed to be the kind of ocean-securing needles that could hold the sea in place.

Forget it... I rubbed at my aching temples and prepared to take a taxi home as well. What was the point of all this running around? It would have been far more peaceful to go straight home and sleep!

I was walking half-heartedly toward the roadside when my phone rang. I could not help but sigh at how things changed once people got busy; in the past six months I had not received as many calls as I had in just the last two months. Though none of it amounted to much, life still somehow felt fuller than before.

"Ms. Shi?"

"Mm. How about it? Do you have time to come look at the house with me?" Shi Yu seemed to have just woken up. Her voice was a little weak, lacking energy.

"Sis, you should rest a little longer. I have plenty of time. Don't overdo it. You still have to work tonight, don't you?" I felt touched. Earlier, Shi Yu had told me we could look at the house after she slept for a while, but I had not taken it too much to heart, because I understood her exhaustion. Her nights were already busy enough at work, and during the day, when she should have been resting, she was still helping me with things that should have been done by me alone.

"It's fine. I've already slept enough." Sister Shi Yu raised her voice slightly to sound more energetic.

But the more she did that, the more guilty I felt. I understood Sister Shi Yu's nature well: she was the kind of woman who could squeeze herself dry for the sake of others, and once she decided to do something, there was usually no changing her mind.

"All right, Sis. Lie down for a little longer and wait for me to come pick you up." In the end, I could only agree with a heavy heart. Once I got the shop up and running as soon as possible, Sister Shi Yu would be able to rest easy... If one day in the future I could truly achieve even the smallest success, I would repay Sister Shi Yu for all she had done for me, and never let her suffer a single bit of hardship or grievance again.