Chapter 1 — My Foolish Beauty of a Sister

My older sister is universally acknowledged as the beautiful idiot of the family. She is blessed with striking features, yet her mind is hopelessly sluggish. Every time I brought a boyfriend home, she would conveniently forget that there was an outsider in the house, leaving her bedroom door wide open as she leisurely changed her clothes. My first two boyfriends both vanished in precisely this manner. The first one flushed crimson and lingered for a few extra glances, prompting me to dump him on the spot. The second one pretended not to notice, but by that very evening, he had added my sister on WeChat, solicitously inquiring whether she was feeling cold. When I wept and complained to my mother, she slammed her palm down hard on the dining table.

Your sister simply lacks worldly cunning! If she did it on purpose, why would she forget to close the door every single time?

My father chimed in right along with her.

Given your sister intelligence quotient, why on earth are you bickering with her?

Because of this, for three whole years, I did not dare to venture into any romantic relationships. That was until I met Xu Shixiu. He was the most upright, honorable man I had ever encountered, his gaze as crystal clear as mountain spring water. That Lunar New Year, I brought him home. Before we even stepped across the threshold, I repeatedly cautioned my sister.

Wear decent clothes and close your door properly. I am begging you.

My sister nodded obediently, her large eyes blinking wide, looking utterly harmless to both humans and animals alike. Yet, as soon as dinner concluded, the moment Xu Shixiu stepped out of the kitchen, he caught sight of my sister bedroom door left ajar. She was standing with her back to the door, changing into her loungewear, the thin straps of her camisole slipping down past her shoulders. Catching the faint trace of a smile lingering at the corners of my sister mouth through the crack in the door, I suddenly understood that all her supposed idiocy was nothing more than an elaborate performance put on just for me. Unfortunately, my boyfriend possessed a profound intolerance for pretending to be stupid.

Oh, I am so sorry, I completely forgot there was an outsider in the house.

Ngan Uyen caught the half-sliding silk camisole and turned around. She fixed her glistening eyes on Xu Shixiu standing just outside the doorway, her shoulders shrinking inward just slightly, resembling nothing less than a frightened little white rabbit. She had deployed this exact maneuver countless times before. Feigning innocence, projecting fragility, and artlessly transforming a blatant transgression into naive carelessness. Had it been either of my previous two boyfriends, one would have stared in a dazed trance while the other would have lowered his head in a guilty, exposed panic.

Does your household keep someone who enjoys public indecency?

Xu Shixiu did not break his stride for even a fraction of a second, refusing to grant her so much as a superfluous glance. He reached out, grabbed the doorknob, and slammed the door shut with tremendous force.

A deafening crash echoed through the hall, causing the plaster on the walls to shudder and flake downward.

The air in the hallway froze solid for two whole seconds. From behind the closed door came a dainty squeak of alarm, immediately followed by the terrified, tear-choked voice of my sister, Ngan Uyen.

What on earth is going on?

My mother, Van Thuc Cam, emerged from the master bedroom wearing an apron, still clutching a pile of unfolded garments in her hands. My father, Ngan Chan Diep, poked his head out from the balcony. Xu Shixiu calmly pulled a wet wipe from the shoe cabinet beside him and leisurely wiped his hands.

It is nothing.

He tossed the wipe into the trash can, his voice chillingly cold enough to freeze the blood in one veins.

I was merely being kind enough to shield your precious daughter from the draft. Leaving the door wide open to change clothes in the middle of winter, I was simply afraid her brain was not getting enough circulation and she would fall ill from the chill.

The moment his voice fell, Ngan Uyen opened the door, draped in a bulky coral-fleece bathrobe, her eyes rimmed with red. She bit her lower lip, her large eyes swimming with tears, looking unspeakably pitiful.

Brother Shixiu, why did you slam the door so hard... You scared me half to death.

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying just the right amount of quivering vulnerability.

I just have a terrible memory and forgot we had a guest over. Won't you please not be angry with me?

With that, she shrank back behind my shoulder, acting precisely like a startled little white rabbit. Van Thuc Cam immediately rushed forward in deep distress to gather her into her arms.

This child, why do you keep forgetting to close the door? And Ngan Tich, you are just as bad, knowing full well how muddle-headed your sister is, yet you bring an outsider home without bothering to check her room first.

The very first dose of emotional manipulation landed with terrifying precision. I stared at the look of absolute righteous entitlement on Van Thuc Cam face. She was always so accustomed to shifting every single ounce of blame onto my shoulders. Ngan Uyen was pure, innocent, and prone to honest mistakes. Meanwhile, I, as the younger sister, was naturally expected to clean up her messes every single time and preemptively prevent any disasters from occurring.

Mom, I reminded her three separate times before we even stepped inside.

I stated the facts in a calm tone. Ngan Uyen tears spilled over instantly.

Tich Tich, I am sorry. I truly did not mean to. I was just thinking about something else and momentarily lost my focus, so...

She raised her head to look at Xu Shixiu, her eyes sparkling like pooled water.

Brother Shixiu, please do not blame Tich Tich. It is all because I am so foolish.

A textbook display of green-tea manipulation. First acknowledge fault, then project frailty, and finally pivot to plead on behalf of someone else, brilliantly highlighting her own benevolence while exposing my petty nitpicking. Both of my previous boyfriends had perished beneath this exact sequence of maneuvers. I turned my head to look at Xu Shixiu. I wanted to see whether his eyes, as clear as mountain spring water, could pierce through this aged vintage green tea. Xu Shixiu gazed back at her. His expression remained entirely unruffled, like a man watching a terribly unfunny comedian.

You really are quite foolish.

Xu Shixiu spoke up. His voice was not loud, but every single syllable rang out with crystal clarity. Ngan Uyen was stunned. Van Thuc Cam froze as well. They likely never imagined that anyone would actually accept the beautiful idiot premise and then step squarely on her face.

Knowing full well there is an adult male in the house yet still forgetting to close the door while changing clothes. That is not being muddle-headed; that is a fundamental lack of basic self-care capabilities.

Xu Shixiu shoved both hands into the pockets of his coat, looking down at Ngan Uyen with a chillingly cold evaluation.

I notice that your pajamas are last year clearance stock, and the seams are already peeling away at the glue. Since your intelligence quotient is lacking and your financial conditions are barely passable, I would advise you to learn how to lock your door in the future, lest people start suspecting you are running some sort of cheap solicitation routine.

The atmosphere plunged into absolute, dead silence. The carefully applied makeup meant to look effortless instantly drained completely from Ngan Uyen face. She stiffened right where she stood, completely forgetting even to let her tears fall.

What kind of language is that?

Ngan Chan Diep could no longer contain his fury, striding forward to point an accusing finger straight at Xu Shixiu.

This is my home, what business is it of yours if my daughter changes clothes inside her own house? You are an outsider who took extra glances, yet you dare turn around and blame her?

Let me offer a correction.

Xu Shixiu expression remained unchanged as he met Ngan Chan Diep gaze head-on.

First, I did not take extra glances. A figure as flat as a board does not align with my aesthetic preferences.

Second, the door was opened by her own hand, and the hallway is a communal area. If you consider it acceptable parenting for your daughter to undress in shared spaces, then I must respectfully decline to share the standards of your family upbringing.

He turned his gaze toward me.

Ngan Tich, where is your coat?

I pointed toward the jacket draped over the sofa. Xu Shixiu walked over, picked it up, and draped it over my shoulders, casually smoothing down my hair as he did so.

Let us go. The air quality in this place is subpar and tends to induce nausea.

I glanced at my parents, whose faces had turned ashen, and Ngan Uyen, who looked on the verge of collapsing. Deep within my chest, there was none of the expected panic; instead, an unprecedented surge of exhilaration bloomed.

Agreed.

I pulled my coat tight and followed him out. Van Thuc Cam was trembling all over with rage behind us.

Ngan Tich! If you dare walk out that door with this man today, do not ever bother calling me your mother again!

I paused in my tracks, but I did not turn around.

Suit yourselves.

Xu Shixiu pulled the front door open, and a biting gust of winter wind instantly swept inside.

Ngan Tich, you know how soft-hearted Mom is with her words, how can you act like this?

Ngan Uyen cried out from behind us. Her voice had finally lost its practiced softness, clearly laced with genuine panic. Xu Shixiu let out a soft chuckle.

Did you hear that?

He lowered his head to speak to me.

Even fools know how to bare their teeth and bite when they are cornered.

You were remarkably sharp-tongued with your insults just now.

Once we settled into the car, I fastened my seatbelt and remarked. Xu Shixiu started the engine, his long, slender fingers resting lightly against the steering wheel.

Sharp? I merely prefer stating facts. If she were genuinely simple-minded, she would not have felt anger when I scolded her just now; she should have praised me for my accurate psychological analysis.

He turned the wheel, guiding the vehicle smoothly out of the residential compound.

Her acting caliber does not even measure up to the fresh university interns working at my company reception desk.

I watched the scenery outside the window recede into the distance. The heavy boulder that had crushed my chest for over twenty years suddenly felt as though someone had shifted it just enough to let a sliver of light through. From childhood onward, Ngan Uyen had always been the undisputed center of the household. Whenever she ruined my homework, Van Thuc Cam would say, Your sister is clumsy, can't you just rewrite a copy for her? When she snatched away the dress I loved, Ngan Chan Diep would declare, Your sister loves looking pretty, what harm is it to yield to her just this once? Even when I tried to date, the moment Ngan Uyen put on an innocent facade and shed a few tears in front of my boyfriends, those men would immediately view her as the pitiable victim and me as the sharp-tongued shrew. Not a single person had ever acted like Xu Shixiu, mercilessly ripping away her disguise without a shred of hesitation. The phone in my pocket buzzed incessantly. I pulled it out to check. It was a string of voice messages sent by Van Thuc Cam. One after another, the red unread notification dots looked glaringly offensive. I tapped the first one without converting it to text.

Ngan Tich, you think you are quite something now, don't you? Where on earth did you dig up such an ill-bred man to come here and insult your sister? Since she was a child, she has never had to endure a single harsh word. To be humiliated like this today, she is locked in her blankets crying as if she is about to faint!

I listened to the entire thing with complete detachment, then tapped the second message.

You tell that fellow named Xu to turn right back around and apologize to your sister immediately! If you don't, you need never return to this house again. This family raised and fed you, not so you could collude with outsiders to bully your own flesh and blood!

Xu Shixiu caught every single word clearly from the driver seat. He let out a cold, dismissive snort.

Does your mother not watch television dramas in her spare time? These lines are every bit as outdated as a romance melodrama from the last century.

I locked my phone screen and tossed it back into my pocket.

I am used to it.

Being used to it does not make it reasonable.

Xu Shixiu brought the car to a halt at a red traffic light and turned to look at me.

Were you planning to endure treatment like this for the rest of your life?

I looked directly into his clear, profound eyes.

I am no longer planning to.

I said:

I want her to spit back out everything she owes me, with interest.

The corners of Xu Shixiu mouth curved upward into an exquisite arc.

If you require assistance, just say the word. My absolute favorite pastime is watching fools crash their own vehicles.

The following morning. I was right in the middle of a corporate meeting when Xiao Li from the front desk sent me a message.

Sister Tich, your older sister is here to see you, she is waiting at reception.

I furrowed my brow. Ngan Uyen rarely ever visited my workplace, mostly because she considered the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of our internet company suffocating, completely lacking the leisurely afternoon tea atmosphere suited for high-society young ladies. I pushed open the conference room door and walked out to the lobby. Ngan Uyen was clad in an exquisite, socialite-style tweed jacket, clutching a high-end thermal flask in her hands. The moment she spotted me, she hurried forward.

Tich Tich, are you finished with your work?