For a moment, Nie Ling stayed silent, eyes wide open as her gaze turned a few shades darker. But, Nie Xiaoyun didn't notice the subtle change in her. He kept on apologizing with a shaking voice.
"I'm sorry, Sister. It is me who is holding you back…"
"So, was this why you decided for yourself and ran to the Jiang's house to break my engagement without asking for my permission?" Nie Ling asked him, her tone turning grim. It was only then did Nie Xiaoyun realized how furious her sister was at the moment.
"Sister–"
"NIE-XIAO-YUN, do you remember how old you are?"
"I…" Nie Xiaoyun attempted to defend himself, but was frightened into a meek mouse when faced with the vicious snarl of her sister.
"Say it, how old are you now?" Nie Ling shot him a fierce look, sending cold shivers down the boy's spine.
Her sister had always shown herself as a gentle and soft-spoken person who was both kind and hardworking. Never in his life would he expect her sister to own this other fearsome side of hers.
"I–I'm turning 7 this year…" Nie Xiaoyun stuttered out, visibly frightened.
'Only no more than 7 years old, and yet already thinking of dying to not be a burden to his sister… How f*cked up this boy's life has truly been for him to think of something so fearsome like wishing for death?'
Nie Ling didn't know what to feel about this. When she was his age, she was still locked in that dark hell-like metal cage.
At that time, no matter how hard or bitter it was for her to keep on breathing, not even once had she thought of welcoming the embrace of death with open arms. And why was that?
That's because she was afraid of the darkness that would swallow her whole whenever she closed her eyes.
She was afraid that once she decided to close her eyes for however long eternity lasted, she would be completely enshrouded by the never-ending dark for the rest of her life.
At that time, all she knew was that living is the only way for her to gain the hope of leaving the dark and seeing the light one day.
For the past her, what she had feared the most was the endless darkness that would follow after her upon death. Then, what about Nie Xiaoyun? What did he fear the most, even more than death itself?
Nie Ling didn't need to ponder long for the answer.
"If you die, I will no longer live as well." She seriously said to the boy, the dark reflection in her eyes depicting the clear image of her little brother's pale face that had turned aghast upon the fall of her words.
"Sister!" Nie Xiaoyun was scared silly by the resolute look in his sister's eyes. He burst into tears when he thought of how his sister would suffer again because of him.
"I'm sorry sister, I was wrong." Nie Xiaoyun sobbed hard, forcing himself up to circle his arms tight around Nie Ling's waist.
"I was wrong. I…I merely don't want you to sacrifice your lifetime of happiness for me! I know that you never liked that surnamed Jiang! But for me, for the sake of that 2 taels of silver, you agreed to marry yourself to that man!"
"Sister, promise me that you won't marry that surnamed Jiang okay? I beg you… Whoever it is, I hope that sister will marry the man she likes and live happily ever after…"
Nie Xiaoyun cried in her arms, soaking her clothes with his tears. Lowering her gaze to the young boy's trembling shoulders, Nie Ling unknowingly softened.
Gently, she patted the boy's back. "Alright, Sister promises you. In the future, sister will only marry the man sister really likes so Xiao yun, promise me as well that you won't act this reckless again."
Nie Xiaoyun's voice sounded a bit muffled as he buried his head into the coarse fabric of her clothes, nodding obediently. "Okay, Xiao Yun will not repeat this and make sister worry again. Xiao Yun will listen to each and every of sister's words, since Xiao Yun is the world's most obedient little brother."
Listening to the boy's solemn promises, Nie Ling couldn't help but chuckle at his cuteness. "Really? Will the world's most obedient little brother, our Xiao Yun, listen to whatever sister tells him to do?"
Nie Xiaoyun furiously nodded, immediately proving himself as a boy who can hold his words no worse than a man.
Nie Ling smiled, "Then, let me ask Xiao Yun, what is sister's name?"
Though somehow confused by her strange question, Nie Xiaoyun still compliantly answered her, "Sister's name is Nie Ling."
Nie Ling's body stiffened for a moment. Before, she had a gist that the body's name would hold extreme similarities to her name when she heard them calling her 'Nie Lass' and 'Lingling'. But, never had she thought that they would share the same exact name!
Nie Ling sighed. Perhaps, this was what they called fate. Her smile slowly widened, feeling the connection between them turning deeper by this one discovery.
She then continued to ask him with a voice as gentle as before, "What about the brother from before?"
"Who?" Nie Xiaoyun rolled his eyes, feigning his ignorance.
"The one you call as surnamed Jiang." Nie Ling patiently reminded him.
"Janjelin"
"What?"
"Jiang. Ze. Lin."
Nie Xiaoyun begrudgingly spelled out the name of the man he loathed very much, nearly infuriating Nie Ling to the point of laughter.
"The next time you see him, do you know what to call him?"
"Surnamed Jiang."
"What do you say?"
Nie Ling shot him a glare, immediately turning him back to the so-called world's most obedient little brother on the spot.
"Jiang Ge-ge."
Nie Ling smiled, raising her hand to lovingly tousle the boy's soft hair.
"Good boy."