"Are you ready yet?" Qiao Xiaoqing stood outside the door, growing impatient.
"Not yet, wait a moment." Kaguya's voice came from inside the room.
"Can I really see him?" Qiao Xiaoqing was filled with anticipation but also a bit of nervousness. "But I haven't even told you his name yet."
"No problem, it's a small matter," Kaguya reassured.
"Really?" Qiao Xiaoqing still felt a bit uneasy.
"Really. Come in now."
Qiao Xiaoqing eagerly entered the room, only to find no one else there except Kaguya, who smiled at her and beckoned.
"Where is he? Where is he?" Qiao Xiaoqing looked around excitedly, unable to contain her emotions.
"He's right here." Kaguya spread her hands and smiled.
"Where? Where?" Qiao Xiaoqing scanned the room, not seeing the familiar figure.
"Don't you recognize me, Xiao Qiao?" Kaguya said with a slight smile.
Qiao Xiaoqing was dumbfounded, staring at Kaguya in disbelief. Her eyes filled with confusion, unable to process what was said, her mind a jumbled mess.
"Ah!"
Qiao Xiaoqing finally reacted, her eyes widened, and she pointed at Kaguya with a sharp scream.
"You..."
On the lavish bed sat two beautiful young girls, one with long black hair and the other with silver hair, staring wide-eyed at each other.
"You might not believe it, but that's how it is," Kaguya said with an awkward laugh. "Isn't it unbelievable? I think so too."
"Are you saying you're Luo Yan?" Qiao Xiaoqing looked incredulously at the beautiful girl before her, unable to reconcile her image with the one she had in mind.
"Though I don't want to admit it, it really is me," Kaguya said with some embarrassment. After all, this kind of thing was hard to believe, so it was normal for others not to believe it.
Qiao Xiaoqing stood up, arms folded, and pinched her fair chin, circling Kaguya and scrutinizing her closely, as if trying to find some clue on her face, even sniffing her like a little puppy.
"What proof do you have?" Qiao Xiaoqing asked, frowning.
"You don't like green peppers; you won't eat anything with green peppers in it."
"That's normal; many people don't like green peppers."
"When you sleep, you like to bite your fingers."
"That doesn't count. You might have spied on me sleeping," Qiao Xiaoqing said, gesturing with her finger.
Well, don't blame me then. Kaguya gritted her teeth, ready to spill some secrets.
"You always eat the tasty parts of your meals and leave the rest for others, saying it's for dieting. You don't like wearing bras at home and leave them everywhere. You cried the first time you had your period, scared by the blood, and I had to buy sanitary pads for you. And you even wet the bed until middle school..."
At first, there was nothing unusual, but as the list went on, Qiao Xiaoqing's face turned redder, like a steamed crab.
"Stop it!"
Qiao Xiaoqing suddenly shouted, interrupting Kaguya, her eyes brimming with tears, staring intently at her.
That should convince her.
Kaguya sighed with relief. These were secrets only the two of them knew, and Kaguya was confident. She opened her arms, ready to embrace her in a heartfelt reunion.
Instead, Qiao Xiaoqing burst into tears, covering her face and running toward the door.
"Huh?"
This wasn't the reaction Kaguya had expected.
Kaguya quickly ran after her, grabbing her wrist and asking in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"It's so embarrassing that you know all these things. I can't live with it!" Qiao Xiaoqing cried, struggling to escape, like a fish out of water.
Kaguya almost laughed but knew it would make Qiao Xiaoqing furious.
With a gentle pull, Kaguya drew Qiao Xiaoqing into a hug. Held close, Qiao Xiaoqing stopped struggling and instead hugged Kaguya tightly, clinging to her clothes and sobbing softly.
"I missed you," Qiao Xiaoqing mumbled.
"So did I." Kaguya gently stroked her hair.
"Then why didn't you come to see me?" Qiao Xiaoqing asked, lifting her head, displeased. "And it's been so long without any news. Didn't you know it would make others worry?"
"I had no choice," Kaguya sighed. "I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."
"Are you leaving again?" Qiao Xiaoqing's grip on Kaguya's clothes tightened, her voice trembling.
"Yes, I have to go," Kaguya said with a smile. "But I promise I'll be back soon."
"Can't you stay?" Qiao Xiaoqing asked, tears welling in her eyes. "Or take me with you?"
"I'm sorry," Kaguya said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I must go alone."
"Is there nothing here worth staying for?" Qiao Xiaoqing bit her lip, her eyes slightly red.
"It's not that. I want to stay, and there's my cutest little sister here," Kaguya said, her eyelashes fluttering. "But some things are beyond my control."
Qiao Xiaoqing blushed at "cutest little sister," but her expression fell as she remembered something.
They stood in silence, the sound of their breathing the only noise in the room, as the atmosphere grew heavy.
Suddenly, Kaguya broke the silence with a smile. "By the way, I heard someone say I have a girlfriend now. I wasn't aware—no one informed me."
Qiao Xiaoqing's pale face flushed red. "What girlfriend? You must have misheard."
"Oh, really?" Kaguya teased. "Someone seemed pretty sure about it."
"I told you, you misheard!" Qiao Xiaoqing shouted, her face burning with embarrassment.
"Alright, alright." Seeing Qiao Xiaoqing on the verge of an embarrassed outburst, Kaguya quickly relented.
"Hmph."
Despite Kaguya's teasing, Qiao Xiaoqing felt much better.
"But I must say, brother, you're a real pervert."
"What?"