My sister never calls me brother.

“I know it’s uncomfortable to be laughed at, and I have to build walls to keep others out, but…” Zhou Han paused, “Sometimes I really envy those who don’t pretend and can chat with anyone without any reservations, like Gu Bai. I’ve fantasized many times about how great it would be if I could be him, hehe…”

Looking at Zhou Han, who seemed like a fool, Liu Yue never imagined that she would one day hear Zhou Han pouring out his heart to himself. In her eyes, Zhou Han was a strange and aloof person, and it was impossible for the two of them to have any communication.

“But no matter how hard I try, I can’t become someone like Gu Bai. His talent and ability are beyond my reach, so…” Zhou Han scratched his head and said with a silly smile, “I gave up. I don’t even want to wear a disguise. If wearing a disguise makes me live a better life, I will feel very uncomfortable, because it makes me feel like I’m submitting to someone like Gu Bai.”

Liu Yue lowered her head and remained silent, biting her lip tightly. It was unclear what she was thinking.

“So I hope you won’t continue living this pretense, at least not because of it, and don’t let it bother your sister. Actually, I used to have similar thoughts to yours…” Zhou Han recalled for a moment and said, “I used to be on a youth soccer team. Don’t laugh at me, I just wanted to look better and get more girls to notice me. When the soccer team was training, I would leave my sister home alone, but every time I came home, she would stare at me with hostility. At that time, I couldn’t understand why she hated me. I hadn’t done anything wrong. It wasn’t until my parents divorced and I was home alone that I understood how my sister felt…”

Zhou Han looked at Liu Yue earnestly and said, "True family affection is about supporting each other through thick and thin, and considering each other's needs—that's the best kind of affection!"

"After saying all this, the final choice is still in your own hands, but I still hope you don't follow in my footsteps..." Zhou Han awkwardly scratched his face with his finger and said with a smile, "Your sister is in the dessert shop across the street, go and chat with her."

Liu Yue glanced at Zhou Han standing under the streetlight. The dim light shone on him, making him appear taller and more handsome than before, despite his somewhat thin frame. Was this still the same delinquent who spent his days doing nothing? He looked more like a friendly boy next door.

Liu Yue was silent for a while, then turned and walked towards the dessert shop. After taking a few steps, she stopped.

"Um..." Liu Yue hesitated, "I'm sorry for hitting you earlier."

Zhou Han was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily and said, "If it's taking the beating in place of the people who mocked you back then, then it's no big deal."

Liu Yue didn't say anything more and went straight to the dessert shop across the street.

Zhou Han watched Liu Yue leave, let out a long sigh, and patted her heart.

To be honest, he was extremely nervous just now. If he said the wrong thing, it could lead to the worst possible outcome, and he would be labeled as arrogant and unreasonable. Although he himself didn't care, the club was a whole, and everyone was in the same boat. It was very possible that his mistake could lead to the disbandment of the club.

Zhou Han looked up at the night sky, which was now filled with stars, and relaxed.

For the first time, he realized that seeing things from another person's perspective can evoke many different feelings, good or bad. Everyone has unspeakable grievances and chooses to cover them up when they don't want to face them.

Perhaps there's nothing wrong with that; they're just trying to appear more like the majority, not wanting to stand out from the crowd and be seen as an oddity, that's all.

When Miyazaki Airi and Lin Nianwei saw Liu Yue arrive at the dessert shop, they knew that the matter was over. The two left quietly, leaving the two sisters alone. After they came out, the two met up with Zhou Han outside the door.

Lin Nianwei saw Liu Yue and her sister chatting and laughing through the shop window and knew roughly how it would turn out.

"Looks like you succeeded, but you also suffered a lot..." Lin Nianwei said, looking at the slap mark on Zhou Han's face.

"Luckily, I was lucky, haha!" Zhou Han grinned and laughed.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? Do you know how worried Vi-chan and I were about you?" Miyazaki Airi realized her meaning was a bit off as soon as she finished speaking, and quickly corrected herself, "Oh no! Do you know how worried Vi-chan and I were about you ruining the club!?"

Airi Miyazaki poked Zhou Han's head hard with her finger.

"Sorry! Sorry! Stop poking me..." Zhou Han frowned as she was poked.

"Never mind..." Lin Nianwei sighed, "Although it wasn't perfect, it's already quite good that it's done this far..."

"So, is our request complete?" Miyazaki Airi asked.

"Yes, it seems to be basically over." Lin Nianwei nodded.

"Haha, as the biggest contributor to this incident, doesn't anyone want to interview me?" Zhou Han tossed his hair.

"Seeing your smug look on your face really makes me angry..." Miyazaki Airi said with a dark face, suppressing the urge to punch Zhou Han.

"It's getting late, I'll head back now." Lin Nianwei hailed a taxi by the roadside.

She had just opened the door when she saw that Miyazaki Airi showed no sign of leaving. Curious, she asked, "Miyazaki-san, aren't you leaving?"

"Me!?" Miyazaki Airi pointed to herself, glanced at Zhou Han beside her, and said awkwardly, "This idiot and I are going the same way..."

"Is that so..." Lin Nianwei glanced at the two of them, said nothing, and got into a taxi and left.

"To avoid being seen by acquaintances, should you go first, or should I go first?" Zhou Han asked.

"Are you out of your mind?" Miyazaki Airi frowned. "It's this late, where would we find anyone we know? I'll allow you to come with me tonight."

“Okay…” Zhou Han said with a bitter face. Couldn’t this girl change her attitude?

Inside the dessert shop—

Liu Yue and her friend sat side by side.

"Why are you back so early today? Did your club activities end so early?" Liu Qing asked irritably.

"No," Liu Yue said, looking at her sullen sister. "I've already decided to quit the guitar club."

"Why!?" Liu Qing was surprised and somewhat confused. "Don't you really like the guitar club?"

"Even if you like it, you can't truly integrate into it without talent," Liu Yue smiled.

Liu Qing was silent for a while, then pinched her skirt and muttered softly, "I won't be happy if my sister quits the club because of me. I was sorry for getting into that fight recently."

“I know about this,” Liu Yue said, patting her younger sister’s head.

"I'm just a little angry because my sister has been ignoring me lately," Liu Qing said sullenly. Feeling comforted as her sister patted her head, her tone softened. "Although it was wrong of me to make you worry, I still love you, sister."

"I know," Liu Yue said, looking at her younger sister with affection. "I like you the most too..."

"Hehe—" Liu Qing nestled in her sister's arms, laughing happily.

Zhou Han and Miyazaki Airi walked home; it was the first time the two of them had ever walked home at night.

Miyazaki Airi found it somewhat novel and looked around, while Zhou Han, on the other hand, was used to it and didn't feel anything.

The two passed by a vending machine, and Zhou Han happened to be a little thirsty and wanted to have something to drink.

"What would you like to drink?" Zhou Han asked Miyazaki Airi.

"Me!?" Miyazaki Airi had been lost in thought. "Whatever..."

"Whatever..." Zhou Han scratched his head, thought for a moment, grabbed a Coke for himself, and handed Miyazaki Airi a juice.

“Thank you…” Miyazaki Airi was about to say thank you, but found herself unable to say it.

"Hmm?" Zhou Han asked, puzzled.

"It's okay!" Miyazaki Airi gave up after all.

"Ugh—!" Zhou Han took a sip of cola, looking both conflicted and enjoying it. "I love the feeling of carbonation stimulating my throat!"

"Idiot..." Miyazaki Airi cursed inwardly.

"What method did you use to persuade Liu Yue today?" Miyazaki Airi asked curiously.

"It's nothing serious..." Zhou Han thought for a moment, "It was just sharing my experience as an older brother."

"Experience as an older brother?" Miyazaki Airi almost forgot that despite his seemingly dull appearance, he was actually an older brother with a younger sister.

Miyazaki Airi glanced at Zhou Han furtively, thinking, "This guy is a few months older than me, so he should be my older brother. But why do I feel like I'm the one taking care of him in our daily lives? I hope his younger sister isn't as miserable as I am."

“Um…” Miyazaki Airi hesitated for a moment, then asked, “What kind of person is your…younger sister?”

"Huh!? Why are you asking her?" Zhou Han looked terrified; he didn't want to recall the fear of being dominated by his sister.

"I was just asking casually. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too. I... I didn't say I had to hear it." Miyazaki Airi put on a haughty look, seemingly not caring at all.

“My sister…” Zhou Han thought for a moment and said, “has a worse personality than you, is more unreasonable than you, and is more willful and unrestrained than you.”

Miyazaki Airi's face darkened as she kept asking herself, "Is he cursing at me?"

"Oh, right!" Zhou Han laughed carelessly, then remembered a difference and said, "Her breasts were much bigger when she was ten than yours are now, haha!"

"Tch!" Miyazaki Airi couldn't hold back any longer and stomped hard on Zhou Han's foot, twisting it twice.

"Ouch—!" Zhou Han rubbed her foot in pain and asked indignantly, "What are you doing!?"

"You were just talking about me, saying I have a bad temper, am unreasonable, willful and unrestrained, and my chest... my chest..." Miyazaki Airi blushed and said unhappily, "My chest is not even as good as your ten-year-old sister's!"

Zhou Han was speechless and a little guilty. "Did I...did I say that?"

"Yeah! Do you have the memory of a fish? You forgot so quickly!?" Miyazaki Airi was barely able to contain her urge to beat him up.

"I'm...sorry..." Zhou Han scratched his head and said, "What I meant was that my younger sister is really scary!"

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Commission Completed

"Hmph!" Miyazaki Airi snorted coldly. "Isn't she your sister? Is she that scary?"

“You’re an only child, so you don’t know the hardships we older brothers and sisters face.” Zhou Han spread her hands and said with a bitter face, “As the youngest brother or sister in the family, they often have absolute privileges. They’re practically like little emperors. Especially my sister, who is cunning and deceitful. If she does anything wrong, Mom and Dad will definitely blame you in the end.”

"Would you hate your sister if she looked like this?" Miyazaki Airi asked curiously.

"Dislike!?" Zhou Han was taken aback, then quickly waved her hands. "How could I? At most, I'm just mentally exhausted. She's my sister, how could I dislike her? Even if she's willful and capricious, she still has her good points, like..."

Zhou Han pondered for a while, then solemnly gave a thumbs up and said, "My sister's breasts are well-developed, really nice!"

"Tch!" Miyazaki Airi's face darkened, and she punched Zhou Han in the stomach.

"Pfft—!" Zhou Han clutched her stomach and collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain, "What...what are you doing...?"

"I don't know why, but I suddenly feel like hitting you," Miyazaki Airi said coldly.

Zhou Han stood up, her face full of black lines, and said quietly, "But ever since my parents divorced, I haven't contacted my sister..."

"Why don't you contact them?" Miyazaki Airi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Because...because..." Zhou Han put on a serious face and said with great momentum, "Because this brat didn't even contact me first. As her older brother, how could I lower myself to contact her first? Don't look at me like this, I still have the dignity of an older brother!"

"Oh ho~" Miyazaki Airi almost burst out laughing at Zhou Han's arrogant remark, her expression full of mockery.

"Speaking of which, I'm a few months older than you, right?" Zhou Han suddenly remembered this.

"So what if it is?" Miyazaki Airi said indifferently.

"So, nominally I'm your brother, hahaha!" Zhou Han laughed, and continued, "Even though you're a fake sister, don't worry, I won't look down on you..."

"What!? Who's looking down on whom?!" Miyazaki Airi looked at the smug Zhou Han as if she were an idiot, with a hint of her inner universe about to explode, especially the words "fake sister," which made her furious.

"I was wondering why you looked so familiar. Oh, it's the two of you!"

A familiar voice suddenly rang out behind them, and a pale face with deep eyes startled Zhou Han and Miyazaki Airi, causing them to scream.

"Whoa—!" The two quickly turned around, only to see the elusive Song Mingyuan.

"Why are you all reacting like you've seen something dirty? I have mixed feelings..." Song Mingyuan said awkwardly.

"Don't just stand behind someone without making a sound!" Miyazaki Airi said, annoyed.

"It's already dark, are you trying to scare us to death?" Zhou Han was still recovering from the shock.

"You guys are too cowardly!" Song Mingyuan said helplessly.

"How did you end up here?" Miyazaki Airi asked, trying to calm herself down.

"I'm buying some late-night snacks so I don't wake up hungry tonight." Song Mingyuan lifted the lunchbox in his hand, then remembered today's club activities and asked impatiently, "Did you finish the assignments today? The most important time is right before my exam, so annoying!"