Wang Xiao stood before the closed door of Wang Xueying's room, a sigh escaping his lips as he contemplated the situation that awaited him on the other side.
Should he knock? The thought crossed his mind, but then he remembered the flinch he had observed from Wang Xueying through the door, her anxious eyes focused on the entrance.
Despite his hesitation, he decided to push the door open gently. "Hm?" he mumbled to himself as he entered, finding Wang Xueying with her back turned to him, lying on the bed. She appeared to be either asleep or pretending to be, although the latter seemed more likely.
She looked more like she was pretending to be dead.
Wang Xiao quietly closed the door behind him, the sound causing Wang Xueying to suck in a sharp breath in surprise, her heart racing with nervous anticipation.
'Is he gone?' Wang Xueying wondered, still too frightened to move.
With no more sounds coming from the room, she sighed in relief. "Finally..." she muttered, kicking the quilt aside as she prepared to sit up. However, her moment of respite was shattered when she was met with a pair of red eyes staring at her. Wang Xiao leaned against the wall, his gaze locked on her.
!!
Wang Xueying froze, her voice stuttering as she stammered, "B-Brother!" She hastily turned on the lampshade beside her bed, casting light across the room.
Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow in surprise as he observed her sudden transformation.
"I didn't see anything!"
"I swear, I am blind!"
She clutched the quilt and hugged her knees, her words coming out in a panicked rush, leaving Wang Xiao momentarily speechless.
"...What are you trying to do?" he finally asked, bewildered by her reaction.
Wang Xueying stopped shivering, slowly raising her head. "You aren't here to kill me?" she inquired with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Wang Xiao, "..."
Wang Xiao stared at Wang Xueying, initially taken aback by her explanation.
Wang Xueying, feigning confusion, brought a finger to her face, saying, "Isn't this how it usually goes in those dramas? You see something you shouldn't, and then you get killed?"
Her words prompted a mechanical nod from Wang Xiao. "I was indeed here to kill you," his expression deadpanned.
!!
"What!?"
Wang Xueying stared at him in sheer disbelief, her heart pounding.
"No, D-don't come close!"
She raised her hands in a futile attempt to stop him from approaching, but he easily leaped over her, and the next sounds that filled the room were her terrified screams.
In the end, Wang Xiao managed to quell her dramatic tendencies and her penchant for over-the-top drama plots. Wang Xueying lay there, breathless and helpless, finally admitting defeat. "B-Brother, it's enough!"
"I admit defeat!"
Wang Xiao released his grip on her hands, his figure falling onto the mattress next to her, enveloping the room in a heavy silence.
"...."
After a prolonged silence, Wang Xueying's breaths faded into near silence, her gaze fixated on the ceiling as if she were staring into a distant abyss.
Gradually, her expression shifted, becoming marked by a deep seriousness.
She hesitated for a moment before finally parting her lips and inquiring, "... Brother, was what I witnessed in there truly real?"
"..."
Her words hung in the air, met by silence, until Wang Xiao responded with a subtle smile, "If you saw it, then it must have been real."
*gasp!*
Wang Xueying's breath quickened, but she couldn't muster the courage to ask him directly.
Thankfully, she wasn't facing him, her gaze locked on the ceiling, providing her with a newfound sense of confidence.
"So, there is indeed something between you and Wang Mei?"
Her words ceased being a mere question; they transformed into a statement of disbelief.
In this peculiar moment, Wang Xiao found himself eerily composed, wondering why he didn't feel the usual tension, while Wang Xueying attempted to make sense of the whole situation.
"It's all wrong..." she muttered, her voice heavy with a deep sigh.
"You both can't do this. If Dad finds out, you guys would be..." Suddenly, she lost the thread of her words.
Wang Xiao remained silent.
Wang Xueying, growing increasingly frustrated at his lack of response, pushed him slightly with her hand. She couldn't comprehend why he would engage in such risky behavior.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
"Are you even listening to me!?"
"I am," Wang Xiao calmly replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. This unexpected response left Wang Xueying nearly furious. She sat up to scrutinize his face, only to find him smiling with his eyes closed.
What!?
In disbelief, Wang Xueying pressed her lips together and, without warning, delivered a sharp fist to his chest.
"Agh!" Wang Xiao's eyes shot wide open as he sat up abruptly, his attention now focused on Wang Xueying, who was sporting a satisfied grin.
Wang Xueying smiled triumphantly. "Serves you right!"
Wang Xiao glared at her in frustration, his chest still stinging from the unexpected punch. "You're insane!" He spoke, rubbing his chest in efforts to soothe the pain.
"Huh?"
Wang Xueying retorted, "I'm insane!?"
"It's you guys who are insane!"
"Both of you are brother and sister, but still—"
"Ugh! Never mind that. Just how long have you guys been doing this!?" Wang Xueying was at a loss for words to express the level of surprise she was experiencing.
In the charged atmosphere, Wang Xiao couldn't help but notice that Wang Xueying was rarely this concerned, if not for rare moments like this he almost forget that she was his elder in age.
With a casual air, he finally admitted, "It's been a few months," and watched as Wang Xueying's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wang Xueying, "So, this is why Mei was sleeping in your room!?"
Realization hit her like a sudden storm, and Wang Xiao lightly tapped her head. "Why are you getting so worked up?" he asked.
"Brother, did you hit your head and lose your intelligence?" Wang Xueying's hand gently rested on his forehead, a furrow forming on her brow as she worried that he might be sick, his brain malfunctioning. "Do you really have no idea what you're doing!?"
"It's one thing to care for your sister, but you absolutely can't cross those boundaries!" Her voice carried a tone of stern admonishment as she stressed the importance of their familial bond.