The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

After finishing their dumplings, Wen Yao and the others said goodbye to Xu Nian and Xu Xi and left the restaurant.

It was already dark, and if we left too late, we would miss the last bus.

"Xiaoxi, just leave the bowl there, I'll wash it."

In the kitchen, Xu Nian gently patted her younger sister's head as she finished cleaning up the dishes and spoke to her softly.

"No need, brother. You've had a long day. You've worked hard. Go take a shower and rest first. I can wash the dishes quickly."

As she spoke, Xu Xi squeezed dish soap onto the sponge, reached her little hands into the sink, and skillfully began washing the dishes.

They didn't give the older brother a chance to get ahead.

Xu Nian smiled and had no choice but to go upstairs to prepare for a shower.

Compared to Deng Xiaoping's house, the living conditions here are quite cramped.

In a 20-square-meter space, you need to fit a bed, two small sofas, a wardrobe, and then set aside a few square meters to make a bathroom.

The luggage that had been moved in had not yet been unpacked and was piled up in the narrow passageway, making it difficult to move.

However, it is small but complete.

Xu Nian found the box where the bedding was stored and made the bed.

Let's gather the rest of the things tomorrow.

He muttered to himself.

They say moving takes a lot of effort, and today I not only moved, but also did a lot of work, so I'm exhausted.

He went into the cramped bathroom, took off his clothes, and began to take a shower.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but when hot water flows over my body, I feel a little numb.

Maybe it's because I'm too tired.

After taking a shower, Xu Nian collapsed onto the bed, feeling as if her eyelids weighed a ton.

When Xu Xi went upstairs, she saw that her brother had already fallen into a deep sleep, and his soft snores echoed in the room.

She loosened the hair clip on her head, and her long, black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall.

I'm covered in sweat, and my body feels sticky and uncomfortable.

I need to wash my hair and take a shower.

She yawned and took small, quick steps into the bathroom.

My brother's dirty clothes are still piled up in the basin; he hasn't had time to wash them yet.

The girl slowly took off her clothes and put them into the washing machine along with her brother's dirty clothes.

Pour in the laundry detergent, press start, and the drum begins to rotate slowly.

Xu Xi prepared to hand wash the remaining two people's shorts and her own white stockings.

She picked up her brother's shorts, a blush rising on her cheeks.

In the past, no matter how tired he was or how late he came home at night, he always insisted on washing his own shorts and never gave her the chance to do so.

The girl pricked up her ears to make sure her brother's snoring hadn't stopped.

She breathed a sigh of relief, closed her eyes, brought her nose close, and gently sniffed...

Just then, two little figures popped out from above the girl's head.

The little figure on the left looks like an angel, holding a staff and striking her head hard.

"Xu Xi, Xu Xi, what are you doing? You're committing a crime, do you know that! You pervert! You're disgusting! If your brother sees this, how will you face him?"

The little figure on the right looks like a demon, holding a fork and grinning wickedly.

"It's okay, your brother is already asleep, he won't notice."

"He will be yours, everything he has will be yours, you're just collecting a little tax in advance, it's no big deal."

"So noisy!"

Xu Xi patted the little head, and the two noisy little people disappeared instantly.

Her eyes were lowered as she looked at the clothes in her hands, lost in thought.

After graduating from high school, Yao Yao and Lin Lin both found their own love.

She, however, remained stagnant, making no progress whatsoever.

However, it's also my fault; I never asked my brother how he felt about me.

Is it a mutual attraction where both parties have feelings for her? Or does she only see her as a younger sister in the true sense?

She didn't have the guts, nor the courage.

Based on the girl's judgment, she leans more towards the latter.

Because Xu Nian showed her too much respect.

Come to think of it, Xu Nian never took the initiative to hug her; every hug was initiated by her.

Even if she occasionally does something out of line on purpose, she will be scolded by Xu Nian.

Could it be that my brother... really only sees me as his little sister...?

Yao Yao's proactive approach won over Xu Bowen, who had kept his feelings deeply buried in his heart.

Linlin's proactive approach saved Qi Yu from leaving her due to his inferiority complex.

If I take the initiative, will things naturally fall into place and become a fait accompli?

...

Ripples spread across the basin of water. When I came to my senses, I saw two pairs of shorts and stockings, one large and one small, already washed and hanging on the clothes rack.

Xu Xi shook her drowsy head, walked to the showerhead, and prepared to take a shower.

Turning on the showerhead, the hot water splashing onto my body brought a sharp stinging sensation.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

"Little Creek! What's wrong?"

Within two seconds, the bathroom door was suddenly pulled open.

Xu Nian, half-asleep, and Xu Xi, completely naked, locked eyes.

Xu Nian: 0.0

Xu Xi: (ﾟдﾟ)

"Aaaaaaaahh ...

......

Two and a half minutes later, Xu Xi, wrapped in a bath towel, walked out of the bathroom with a flushed face.

Her hair was wet, and water droplets dripped down, landing near her pink little feet.

Xu Nian, whose face was also flushed, coughed lightly and turned her head to the side, not daring to meet the girl's gaze.

"Brother...the water heater is leaking electricity..."

"Is there an electrical leak?"

Xu Nian frowned.

He looked up at the old electric water heater hanging on the ceiling, which looked almost as old as she was.

No wonder I always feel a tingling sensation when I take a shower.

It was an electrical leak!

He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

Are you alright?

"I'm fine..."

Xu Xi bit her thin lips tightly, her eyes shyly glancing to one side, her long eyelashes drooping.

The moment their eyes met, her first reaction was to cover her eyes with her hands.

At the same time, she squinted her fingers slightly, secretly observing her brother's reaction.

If her brother was secretly glancing at her, it meant he was somewhat interested in her too.

Xu Nian turned around without hesitation, not even glancing at her for a second.

Instead, after confirming that she was not in danger, he immediately urged her to wrap herself in a bath towel.

This means... at least for now, the older brother still sees her as his younger sister.

The girl sighed softly, a sense of loss welling up in her heart.

In that case, the phrase "taking the initiative" would have to be crossed out of her vocabulary.

In a game where there is no chance of winning, once a piece is placed, the entire game is lost.

Xu Nian was unaware of the girl's thoughts. He brought over a ladder used for renovations, climbed up, carefully turned off the water heater switch, and unplugged it.

"This water heater is quite old. Even if it's repaired, it's still dangerous to keep using it. I'll go buy a new one and replace it tomorrow."

He murmured to himself, noticing his sister's downcast eyes, seemingly unhappy.

"Xiaoxi, wait here for a moment. I'll go downstairs and boil two buckets of water for you and bring them up. You can wash yourself up first tonight, and then take a shower tomorrow after the new water heater is installed, okay?"

Xu Xi gave a soft "hmm" and nodded slightly.