Li Yifei had noticed Xu Yingying's displeased expression long ago and immediately said upon approaching her, "Were you getting anxious? Shanshan twisted her ankle, and we had to rest a bit before coming down."
With that simple sentence, he explained everything, and Xu Yingying's sour look instantly turned into one of worry; she steadied her sister's other arm and asked, "How is it? Do we need to go to the hospital?"
"Can't you see I can walk? What's the need for a hospital? Let's just go, let's go home."
Xu Yingying frowned and said, "You really are a worry, how can someone your size still manage to twist an ankle walking? When will you ever give me peace of mind?"
"Big sis, cut the nagging. I've realized that when you get old, you'll definitely be just like Mom, nagging non-stop every day."
"You... do you even realize that this is me showing concern for you?"
"Save it, your concern can be spared. Better to leave it for my brother-in-law to enjoy."
In the company, Xu Yingying could call the shots, but in front of her little sister, she really didn't have any answers and could only help Li Yifei support Xu Shanshan out of the mall.
Once they reached the parking lot, Xu Shanshan said to Xu Yingying, "Sister, you drive."
Xu Yingying had no intention of letting Xu Shanshan drive anyway; she took the car keys and went to the driver's seat, while Li Yifei helped Xu Shanshan into the back. He meant to sit in the front passenger seat, but Xu Shanshan pulled him back, saying, "Brother-in-law, you sit in the back. It's easier for me to talk to you there."
Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying, and seeing that she had no reaction, he joined Xu Shanshan in the back.
As soon as they were seated, Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Hey big sis, are you jealous over there? Hehe, don't worry, don't worry, I won't compete with you for my brother-in-law."
"Honestly, you're a grown woman and still can't speak a single serious word."
"Relax, now that you've found your place, I'm happy for you too. I always thought with your rotten temper, you'd never get married in this lifetime. I ought to have a good chat with my brother-in-law about how to properly handle you."
"Humph, as if you're one to talk about temper. So, why haven't you found a boyfriend?"
"I'm not in a rush. I'm planning to have fun for a couple more years. Getting tied down in the fortress of marriage too early is just looking for trouble."
"Give it up. Now that my issue is resolved, Mom and Dad will definitely turn their sights on you next."
"Ah, that's true, and now I'm really in trouble. Why did you have to bring a boyfriend home? Now you've really gotten me worried."
"Humph, just for you always teasing me, now you can taste this feeling too."
Xu Shanshan let out a wail and exclaimed, "Oh my god, the nagging from Dad and Mom, that's a real lethal weapon."
Along the way, the three talked and laughed, but it was mostly Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei who were enjoying the conversation. Xu Yingying found it hard to join in; firstly, she was usually a woman of few words, and secondly, their topics were all about playing and enjoying, matters that were seldom on Xu Yingying's mind.
"Stop the car! Stop the car!" Xu Shanshan suddenly banged hard on the back of the seat and shouted loudly.
"What are you doing?" Xu Yingying, startled, cried out unhappily but still pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Firecrackers! Didn't you see the firecrackers? We haven't bought any firecrackers yet for our home."
"What's the use of those? Nobody at our home sets them off."
"That was the past. Now we have a brother-in-law, right? You can set them off, can't you?"
"I, too, seem to have not set off any for many years. Buying some to add a bit of festivity isn't a bad idea."
"Exactly, brother-in-law, let's go down and buy some."
"No buying. It pollutes the environment."
"With all your grand theories, driving a car pollutes the environment too, and I don't see you walking every day."
This remark left Xu Yingying at a loss for words, and she could only watch as the two got out of the car. After hesitating for a bit, she followed them.
Li Yifei also loved to set off firecrackers as a child, but back then in the orphanage, such luxuries were out of reach. Later, when he joined the military, and particularly in that special unit, setting off firecrackers was certainly out of the question. Now, buying some firecrackers to set off really brought a vaguely excited feeling, like returning to the days of his childhood.
Although Xu Yingying tried to stop her, Xu Shanshan still bought a lot, and even got two large firework displays, leaving Xu Yingying truly helpless.
After everything was packed into the trunk, Xu Shanshan and Li Yifei started chatting even more enthusiastically, discussing which of the purchases looked best.
When they got back home, Xu Yingying's parents were preparing lunch. The New Year's Eve meal had to be the most lavish meal of the year, a tradition passed down from the older generation. In the past, living conditions were poor, so the good stuff was only affordable during the New Year, but nowadays life is better, and New-Year-only treats can be eaten at any time, making the festive atmosphere not as strong as it used to be.
As soon as they entered, Xu Shanshan excitedly shouted, "Mom and Dad, we bought a lot of firecrackers." By then, her foot was also better.
Xu Zhenguo laughed heartily, "Exactly, it's about time we bought some. In the past, our family had only you two girls, and you didn't care for them. But now with Yifei around, making things livelier is certainly appropriate."
Xu Shanshan became even more smug, making a face at Xu Yingying, "See, Dad supports me, yet you still wouldn't let us buy."
"Hmph!" Xu Yingying huffed and changed into slippers to enter the living room.
While Xu Yingying was changing shoes, Li Yifei caught a glance of her feet unintentionally and noticed that her foot shape must be no different from Xu Shanshan's. It seemed he might have been overthinking things.
After entering the house, Xu Shanshan ran straight back to her bedroom, and before long she reappeared, dressed in the outfit Li Yifei had bought her, proudly running to the kitchen doorway and calling out, "Mom and Dad, how do I look in this outfit?"
"Not bad, not bad at all. This outfit really looks great. You must have bullied your sister into buying it for you, right?" Xu Shanshan's mother asked with a chuckle while picking greens.
"Not at all, my sister doesn't have that kind of taste. This was picked out by my brother-in-law."
"Well, now you've really got someone to pick on, but... don't go too far." Her mother's voice dropped as she finished the sentence.
"Got it. This set was only a little over six hundred yuan, it's both economical and pretty. I really admire my brother-in-law's taste."
After showing off to her parents, Xu Shanshan ran over to Xu Yingying, who had just changed clothes, brandishing her own outfit with pride and saying, "Sis, look at the clothes brother-in-law bought me. They're pretty, right?"
Xu Yingying didn't see them at the mall, but now at a glance, she was indeed impressed; the outfit toned down Xu Shanshan's usual flamboyance and added a bit of sophistication, yet did not lose the youthful vitality. The loose sweater made Xu Shanshan look a bit more mature and atmospheric, and the tight pants highlighted her lively spirit. These two seemingly contradictory styles were perfectly combined, making it a rare set of clothes that she admired.
Turning her head to glance at Li Yifei, Xu Yingying grew even more curious about this man. A security guard with such taste was indeed rare.
"Does it look good or not?" Xu Shanshan, not getting the praise she expected, urged her sister impatiently.
"It finally looks somewhat decent." Dropping this cool response, Xu Yingying headed into the kitchen.
"Pfft! Such an act." Xu Shanshan muttered discontentedly, but such a comment from her sister was already very rare, so she proudly ran back to her bedroom to change clothes.