The school beauty is aloof? Whatever, she has a younger sister.

Chapter 219 I’ve got you covered
The night outside the window was quiet.

Zhang Muchen and Xiaoyouzi sat on rattan lounge chairs in the rest area, facing Chu Jiuli, who was fast asleep.

They didn't go far, chatting quietly in this small corner.

At this moment, Zhang Muchen had already comfortably reclined, gently rocking the recliner. Little Youzi, on the other hand, sat upright, her two little hands neatly placed on her lap.

"Aren't you tired sitting like this?" Zhang Muchen asked, rocking the chair and glancing at her sideways.

"I… am not tired."

"I don't believe it. Just looking at you sitting like that makes me tired."

As he spoke, he stopped rocking in the recliner and stood up.

"Come on, let me help you relax." He walked to Chu Youting's side and bent down.

"what?"

Before Xiaoyouzi could react, she felt a hand on her shoulder, followed by a gentle press.

"Ah..." she cried out softly, a hint of panic in her voice.

"Don't move, lie down quietly."

With a gentle pull, Zhang Muchen pushed Xiaoyouzi down onto the recliner. She instinctively grabbed the armrests on both sides of the recliner, her cheeks flushing.

"Isn't lying down more comfortable than sitting?" Zhang Muchen walked back to his recliner and sat down, continuing to sway slowly.

"Little Yuzu, how's your relationship with your sister?" Zhang Muchen suddenly asked out of the blue.

"Our relationship... is very good."

"Don't you think your sister is too strict?"

"Won't……"

"Hmm?" Zhang Muchen turned his head. "Tell the truth."

She hesitated for a moment, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and finally whispered, "Yes... a little..."

After saying that, she quickly added, as if afraid of being misunderstood: "But my sister is... she's doing it for my own good. And... and my sister isn't as... strict as she used to be..."

"Indeed, your sister has changed a lot. She definitely wouldn't have come to these kinds of events before."

"Um……"

Zhang Muchen put his hands behind his head and turned his head to look at the tatami area opposite him.

Chu Jiuli lay there quietly, the dim light unable to conceal her figure.

After watching for a while, Zhang Muchen shifted his gaze back to Xiaoyouzi.

"Little Yuzu, do you ever feel like I'm bullying you sometimes?" he asked.

"what……"

Chu Youting was startled, and the swaying recliner slowed down as well.

The girl slowly raised her head, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and hesitation, as if she didn't know how to answer.

The air was silent for a few seconds. Zhang Muchen, not waiting for an answer, chuckled to himself: "Actually, I wasn't teasing you. Little Yuzu, you know, good friends always joke around a little."

He lay reclining, his head resting on his arm, his gaze casually sweeping over her: "You and I are good friends, so that's not bullying, it's just interaction between friends. Understand?"

"Huh?" Chu Youting blinked, her mind processing Zhang Muchen's sophistry.

After a dozen seconds, her lips moved: "But...but sometimes you...you're really bad..."

Zhang Muchen raised an eyebrow: "So, are you angry?"

Little Yuzu lowered her head, her voice barely audible, "No...no..."

"That's right, that's proof that we're good friends. So, it's not that I'm mean, I'm just playing around with you like friends do."

Little Yuzu blinked, her cheeks still slightly flushed, unsure whether she should retort.

Zhang Muchen suddenly stretched out his hand and opened his palm towards her: "Little Youzi, give me your hand."

"Ah..." Chu Youting's eyes widened, "You... what are you going to do..."

“We’re good friends,” Zhang Muchen said matter-of-factly. “It’s perfectly reasonable for friends to have their palms read, right?” “But…but…”

Zhang Muchen didn't wait for her to finish speaking before standing up, quickly moving around to face her, a faint smile on his lips.

"Honey, it's just palm reading between friends."

"But...but..."

“We are good friends, and we are serious palm readers.”

Little Yuzu pursed her lips, her ears turning slightly red: "Then...then I'll give you a little while..."

As the girl spoke, she slowly extended her hand.

Zhang Muchen held the girl's hand, his fingertips touching her palm. Soft, warm, and tiny, like a handful of cotton.

"Hmm..." He stared at the palm lines for a moment, his tone suddenly becoming serious, "The heart line is quite long. Let me see just how long it is."

As he spoke, he slowly traced her emotional line with his fingertips, following the lines on her palm bit by bit.

Little Yuzu lowered her head, her whole body tense, her cheeks flushed slightly, and even her fingertips became slightly warm.

The delicate touch spread with every movement, like a subtle electric current, silently creeping through her nerves.

“And this one too—” Zhang Muchen continued in a serious tone, “Your lifeline is quite long, so it seems you’ll live a long and healthy life.”

Little Yuzu protested almost immediately in a low voice, "No... don't scratch it..."

“Palmistry is a science,” Zhang Muchen said slowly. “It’s all about ‘looking’ and ‘touching.’ How can it be accurate without touching?”

Little Yuzu bit her lip, lowered her head, and remained silent.

She didn't break free, but in her heart she whispered: You bad guy...you big bad guy...

……

Half an hour later, Zhang Muchen finally let Xiaoyouzi go.

The girl jogged back to the tatami room, then gently lifted her clothes and lay back down in her original spot.

She closed her eyes, her cheeks still burning, her mind filled with Zhang Muchen's mischievous expression as he earnestly examined her palm.

"Bad guy...bad guy..." she muttered to herself.

Just then, Chu Jiuli beside her suddenly turned slightly to the side, her voice muffled as she asked, "Little Yuzu...did you go to the bathroom just now?"

"Ah..." Chu Youting was startled, her heart clenching.

She turned her head and saw that her sister's eyes were half-closed, her expression was hazy, and she still had the drowsiness of just waking up. She quickly hummed softly to hide her inner panic.

Chu Jiuli didn't seem to think much of it, and just mumbled, "I woke up for a moment and found you weren't here."

After saying that, Chu Jiuli moved closer to her and gently pulled her younger sister into her arms.

"Go to sleep."

A familiar warmth pressed against her, carrying her sister's faint fragrance. Little Yuzu blinked, vaguely seeing Chu Jiuli's thick eyelashes in the darkness and feeling her gentle breathing.

She took a breath, feeling a warm sensation on the tip of her nose.

The next second, Xiaoyouzi slowly closed her eyes and buried herself in her sister's arms.

……

[Task Completed: Have a late-night heart-to-heart talk with Chu Youting, soothe her emotions, and lull her to sleep]

[Reward: 1 RMB]

Zhang Muchen looked at the prompt that appeared in his mind and slowly curled the corners of his mouth. He leaned back in the rocking chair, leisurely looking at the ceiling.

"Little Yuzu, you're such a lucky charm for me!"

"They're obedient, gentle, and can make money."

"I've got you cornered."

……

(End of this chapter)