Ruan Xingyao sniffled, and her eyes instantly turned red.
Her mouth turned downward in a pout as she looked pitifully at You Huan.
“They’re all picking on me! They’re all bullying me!” Ruan Xingyao said as tears streamed down her face like strings of pearls, making her look heartbreakingly pitiful.
You Huan’s heart ached even more.
She quickly raised her hand to pat the top of Ruan Xingyao’s head and said, “Xingxing, don’t be sad. Let’s just ignore them.”
The elevator arrived, and You Huan linked arms with Ruan Xingyao, leading her back to the room.
Inside the dining area, more than ten food boxes had already been set on the table.
You Huan first pulled Ruan Xingyao to the bathroom to wash her face.
“Xingxing, do you want to take a shower and change clothes first? I’ll go open the food boxes,” You Huan suggested.
Ruan Xingyao shook her head. “I’m hungry. I want to eat first.”
She was in no mood for a shower now.
“All right, then let’s eat first,” You Huan said.
The two of them went to the dining table.
You Huan opened the boxes one by one, introducing each dish to Ruan Xingyao as a must-try specialty from that restaurant.
Ruan Xingyao’s attention gradually shifted away from her gloom.
When You Huan finished introducing the dishes, Ruan Xingyao asked, “Huahuan, is there any wine? I want to drink.”
You Huan looked at her with some concern.
She wanted to say something to dissuade her, but in the end, she said, “That’s easy. I’ll arrange it right away.”
She immediately called room service to have wine sent up.
Beer, baijiu, red wine—domestic, imported—whatever the hotel had, they delivered.
While waiting for the wine, You Huan served a bowl of porridge and said, “Xingxing, have some porridge first to fill your stomach, okay?”
Her tone was as if she were coaxing a child.
Even though Ruan Xingyao wasn’t in the mood, she still picked up a spoon and took a bite.
Soon, the wine was delivered.
Ruan Xingyao rested her chin on her hand, pointed and picked, and finally chose the prettiest-looking bottle.
You Huan picked it up to check, and when she saw the alcohol content, she asked worriedly, “Xingxing, are you really going to drink this one?”
It was 52-proof baijiu—she was truly afraid something might happen if Ruan Xingyao drank it.
But Ruan Xingyao had already taken the bottle and said, “This is the one I want. Huahuan, you pick one for yourself too.”
With no other choice, You Huan grabbed a random bottle and sat across from her.
Ruan Xingyao had already opened the bottle and was gulping it down.
The moment it entered her mouth, the burning spiciness spread all the way from her throat to her stomach, setting her insides ablaze.
Ruan Xingyao bared her teeth at the fiery sting.
It was her first time drinking this kind of liquor, and she really wasn’t used to it.
Before long, heat spread through her whole body, and her head felt light and floaty.
You Huan handed her a skewer of meat. “Xingxing, don’t drink so fast. Eat something first.”
Ruan Xingyao took the skewer and bit into it.
But after chewing only a few times, she stopped moving her mouth—and didn’t even swallow.
“What’s wrong?” You Huan asked worriedly. “Does it not taste good?”
Ruan Xingyao shook her head, swallowed the meat, and said, “Huahuan, I want to go home. I want to go back to my real home.”
Coming into this world that never truly belonged to her, she had once thought she was trusted and cherished.
Even though she carried a mountain of debt, she had always believed the people she met were good people.
People as good as her master and senior brothers and sisters at the Beast Taming Sect, who had loved and doted on her.
It was only today that she realized—it had all just been what she thought.
They all bullied her, all used her, none of them trusted her.
Even Xie Lin, the first one she trusted, was no different.
“Bad people! They’re all bad people!” Ruan Xingyao tilted back her head and took several more gulps of baijiu, tears falling in big heavy drops.
“Huahuan, I want to go home. I really want to go home… wuwuwu…” she sobbed.
You Huan stood, walked around the table to her side, and pulled Ruan Xingyao into her arms.
“Okay, then we’ll go home. I’ll buy us plane tickets right away. We’ll go back to Ningcheng,” You Huan said.
Ruan Xingyao shook her head, leaning against You Huan’s stomach, tears dripping down.
“I don’t mean Ningcheng. I want to go back to my home. I miss my master, and my senior brothers and sisters… wuwuwu…”
You Huan listened, utterly confused, her eyes filled with doubt.
She didn’t understand what Ruan Xingyao meant at all.
And just then, Ruan Xingzhuo pushed the door open and walked in.
He happened to hear every word Ruan Xingyao had just said.
In an instant, his face went pale.
His steps toward the dining room halted, his gaze fixed squarely on Ruan Xingyao.
From the moment he woke up, he had already realized that the Ruan Xingyao before him was no longer the same sister he once knew.
There had been countless little slips that confirmed it.
But in Ruan Xingzhuo’s heart, no matter how unexplainable it was, he had already accepted that this Ruan Xingyao was his sister.
After all, in this world, they only had each other as family.
But now—he had just heard Ruan Xingyao say she wanted to go home, back to her own home.
Ruan Xingzhuo raised a hand to clutch at his chest.
For a moment, even breathing became difficult.
Was she really going to leave him?
Like a little kitten, Ruan Xingyao rubbed her face against You Huan’s stomach.
Before long, she had soaked a large patch of her clothes, leaving it wet with tears and snot.
You Huan didn’t mind at all.
She gently stroked the back of Ruan Xingyao’s head, soothing her.
“Xingxing, it doesn’t matter where you want to go. Ruan Xingzhuo and I will go with you, okay?”
Ruan Xingyao pulled away from You Huan’s arms and shook her head wildly.
“I can’t… I can’t go back anymore. I’ll never be able to return to my home.”
Even though You Huan still felt like she was lost in fog, she finally started to piece together some guesses.
Her feelings grew impossibly complicated.
She wanted to say something, but no matter what words she thought of, none of them seemed like they could comfort Ruan Xingyao.
At last, Ruan Xingzhuo strode over.
He stopped at Ruan Xingyao’s side and said, “Sis, I’ll definitely find a way to send you home.”
By now, the alcohol had fully taken over Ruan Xingyao.
Her head was muddled, her thoughts unclear.
She only registered the familiar voice, but in her dazed state, she didn’t really hear the meaning of Ruan Xingzhuo’s words.
Lowering his gaze, Ruan Xingzhuo looked at her, his eyes firmer than ever before.
No matter how much it defied science, he only cared about one thing—Ruan Xingyao’s happiness.
To achieve that, he would stop at nothing.
Even with her head clouded by liquor, Ruan Xingyao could still recognize the person in front of her.
She swayed as she stood, lifted her hand, and patted Ruan Xingzhuo’s shoulder.
With utter seriousness, Ruan Xingyao said, “Don’t worry, Xiao Zhuo. Since fate made me your sister, I’ll definitely protect you! I won’t let you lose your sister for nothing.”
— The end of the Chapter–
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