Chapter 11 — Turns Out You Actually Like Me

Why is your face so red? Is the air conditioning broken in the car?

No, no, it is just internal heat acting up. I lied with a straight face.

Fortunately, my brother did not pay much attention to this minor detail. He patted Clear on the shoulder.

Right, during this upcoming break, we are planning to visit a hot spring resort for three days and two nights. Are you free? Care to join us?

Clear shot me a glance laced with quiet amusement and nodded. Free. His gaze remained glued to me, with no intention of starting the engine to leave. My brother, completely oblivious to the undercurrents, cursed and urged him on.

What are you staring at? Hurry up and get going, so you can play driver for us again tomorrow.

Only then did Clear withdraw his gaze, the corners of his lips curving upward as he finally started the car engine. I stood by the roadside, pretending to admire the streetlamp. But deep inside, the mischievous voice in my head had already sprinted eight hundred meters, done a backflip, and spun in circles three times. A hot spring resort. Three whole days and two nights. Early the next morning, Clear appeared downstairs right on schedule. He wore a light gray hoodie paired with black trousers, looking exceptionally fresh and clean. He leaned against the car door, head bowed as he scrolled through his phone. I grabbed my small backpack and skipped down the steps, a smile already blooming the moment I saw him from afar. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over me before a matching smile graced his lips. Good morning.

Good morning. I tried to look nonchalant as I pulled open the front passenger door, intending to climb inside.

Just as I settled comfortably into the seat, my brother tapped sharply on the window from behind.

Do you even know how to navigate? Be a good girl and get in the back.

I had no intention of moving an inch. I get carsick. If I sit in the back, I might throw up all over you.

You have been riding in cars since you were a toddler and have never once gotten carsick.

Well, it is starting right now.

Once I had buckled my seatbelt, I turned around and flashed him a radiant smile. Dear brother, it is so rare for us to take a trip. You should just relax comfortably in the back with your fiancee. You can safely leave the exhausting labor of the front passenger seat to me. My brother shot me a murderous glare, but just as Sister Han approached, he hurriedly rushed to open the back door with an eager expression. Right this way, my beloved wife. I rolled my eyes in speechlessness and quietly turned back around. After driving for over an hour, my brother’s ceaseless chatter finally sputtered out and died. Once he stopped talking, an unusual quiet settled over the car. I peeked through the rearview mirror and saw that both my brother and Sister Han had tilted their heads against the seats and fallen fast asleep. My brother’s mouth hung slightly open, while Sister Han’s head rested on his shoulder, the two of them curled together in a surprisingly warm embrace. Clear reached out and turned down the music volume. I turned my head to look at him. His expression was deeply focused, his long eyelashes fluttering occasionally, his nose high and straight, the line of his lips relaxed. He was devastatingly handsome. An itch bloomed in my chest, and I stealthily slid my hand across the console until my fingers brushed against the back of his hand. He paused for a fraction of a second, his fingers parting slightly before he gently clasped my hand in his. His thumb stroked softly against the back of my hand, barely registering a touch. The car glided smoothly down the highway, but my heart skipped one chaotic beat after another. Right at that moment, a head suddenly popped up from the backseat. I gasped in sheer panic, my reflexes screaming at me to pull my hand away. Clear, however, remained utterly unphased, keeping his grip on my hand firm and steady. Sister Han looked at me, then looked at Clear. A knowing smile bloomed across her face. While my brain raced a mile a minute, desperately trying to formulate some kind of plausible excuse, she simply channeled a highway safety guardian and delivered a single line.

You should not get distracted while driving.

Clear replied with a calm, unbothered, Understood. Sister Han leaned back against her seat, leaving me to spend the rest of the journey living in perpetual, nervous suspense. Would she tattle on me the moment my brother woke up? If she really told him, how would my brother react? By the time we arrived at the resort in the afternoon and finished checking into our rooms, it was already nearly four o'clock.