Chapter 378 : Prioritizing Love Over Your Sister
“Sister, why do you seem so distracted today?”
Xu Xiaoxiao looked at her older sister, who was holding a guitar. They had planned to have a lesson in the evening, but from the moment they started, her sister seemed off.
Even with her limited understanding of music, Xu Xiaoxiao could tell that her sister’s heart wasn’t in it. She had hit the wrong notes multiple times—something unusual for her.
Hearing her younger sister’s comment, Xu Qing abruptly stopped strumming and looked up, dazed. “Am I really distracted?”
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded earnestly. Even earlier, she had called her sister’s name several times before getting a response.
Suddenly, a thought struck Xu Xiaoxiao—tomorrow was Qixi Festival, the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Was her sister’s distraction related to that?
“Sister, did you get a boyfriend or something?”
“Eh?!”
Xu Qing blinked, confused by the sudden question.
“It’s Qixi tomorrow, and you seem super distracted today. You must be planning to ask someone out, or maybe someone asked you out!” Xu Xiaoxiao said knowingly, her face glowing with the satisfaction of having cracked the case.
“That’s... no, that’s not it! I was just thinking about asking Sister Ling Ning to go shopping tomorrow. Don’t overthink it!” Xu Qing replied hastily, clearly flustered.
In truth, she had been considering inviting Ling Ning out tomorrow, but she couldn’t help hesitating.
Xu Xiaoxiao clapped her sister on the shoulder, looking much older than her years. “What’s there to hesitate about? Go ask her already!”
“I’m just worried that someone else might’ve already asked her...” Xu Qing admitted sheepishly.
Xu Xiaoxiao sighed, exasperated. “You won’t know until you ask! How are you going to find out if you don’t try? What, are you planning to wait around for someone to ask you for the rest of your life?”
“And why are you still sitting here? I can practice guitar on my own—go make that call!”
With that, Xu Xiaoxiao began pushing her sister out of the room. Watching Xu Qing clutch her phone and head to the balcony, Xu Xiaoxiao felt a wave of satisfaction.
Wait a second! Tomorrow was Qixi Festival, and her sister wanted to invite Sister Ling Ning out... Did this mean her sister liked Ling Ning?
Xu Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened as she realized she might’ve stumbled upon a major secret.
So girls can like other girls?! Does that mean I can like girls too?
The thought filled her with a strange excitement, as if the door to a whole new world had just opened before her.
Still, she decided it was best to confirm her suspicions first.
Sneaking back to her room, which was close to the balcony, she opened her window slightly to eavesdrop on her sister’s conversation.
Meanwhile, their father, sitting in the living room watching TV, laughed heartily at his daughters’ antics.
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Thanks to Xu Xiaoxiao’s encouragement, Xu Qing finally mustered the courage to call Ling Ning.
The phone rang for a long time. Just as Xu Qing began to think Ling Ning wouldn’t answer, the call connected, and Ling Ning’s soft, gentle voice came through.
“Hello? Xiao Qing Qing? Sorry, I was in the shower and couldn’t answer right away. What’s up?”
The mention of a shower sent Xu Qing’s imagination spiraling uncontrollably. Images of Ling Ning in the shower flooded her mind, making her face turn bright red. She desperately tried to stop her thoughts, but they kept creeping back.
“Xiao Qing Qing?”
Ling Ning’s voice came through again, snapping Xu Qing back to reality.
“L-Ling Ning, I was wondering if you’re free tomorrow...” Xu Qing’s heart pounded wildly as she spoke.
Peeking from her room, Xu Xiaoxiao observed her sister’s lovestruck expression and nodded knowingly. Years of watching soap operas had taught her that this was the unmistakable look of someone in love—or, at the very least, talking to their crush.
The fact that her sister’s crush was Ling Ning only confirmed her earlier suspicions.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a new exchange from the balcony. She strained her ears to catch the conversation.
“Tomorrow? Yes, I’m free. Are you inviting me out shopping?”
“Uh, if you’re okay with it, then yeah... let’s go shopping tomorrow.”
“Sure! Just text me the time and place, and I’ll be there. But I need to go rinse off now—I got soap in my eyes.”
Xu Qing clenched her fist triumphantly. If Xu Xiaoxiao hadn’t pushed her to make the call, she might’ve missed this opportunity. She’d have been kicking herself forever!
When the call ended, Xu Xiaoxiao quickly ran back to the living room, pretending she had been there the whole time.
“So, Sister, did you manage to ask Sister Ling Ning—”
Before Xu Xiaoxiao could finish her sentence, Xu Qing scooped her up in a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek.
Xu Xiaoxiao was stunned. She hadn’t expected her sister to be this excited. Then again, it made sense. If she had scored a Qixi date with her crush, she’d be over the moon too.
“Sorry, Xu Xiaoxiao, but you’ll have to practice guitar on your own tonight. I need to prepare for tomorrow—pick out clothes and stuff. I’ll teach you next time, okay?”
Without waiting for a reply, Xu Qing bounced back to her room, humming as she started planning for the date.
Watching her sister’s retreating figure, Xu Xiaoxiao pouted. “So now that you’ve found someone you like, you’re ditching your own sister? Typical!”
Still sulking, Xu Xiaoxiao suddenly had an idea. She grabbed her phone and called her best friend Qin Sirou.
“Hey, Sirou, are you free tomorrow? Let’s go shopping!”
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Author’s Note:
I was going to focus on writing today, but somehow my game Overwatch launched itself. What could I do?