I Want Her to See Only Me - Chapter 13

Xia Yu didn’t dare hurt Xia Xiuyin, but her fingers dug into the girl’s clothes, her knuckles turning white. Her tears flowed fiercely, but not loudly, whimpering like a small animal, her voice both delicate and pitiful, softening anyone who heard it.

Xia Xiuyin’s collar was soaked with tears, leaving a wet patch at her neck. She wanted to look at Xia Yu’s face, but the moment she moved, Xia Yu stirred slightly, burying her head even deeper into her shoulder and crying out “Sister,” “Sister” in a muddled, intimate murmur.

Xia Yu had once again received her sister’s embrace, as soft and fragrant as ever. She carefully sniffed Xia Xiuyin’s scent, dejectedly thinking that her sister no longer liked her. Her wonderful sister no longer liked her. Tears streamed down her face.

“A’Yu…” Xia Xiuyin gently stroked the child’s back, patient and affectionate. Xia Yu couldn’t see the faint smile that swept across the eyes of her beloved sister.

Noticing Xia Man and his wife walking in with worried expressions, Xia Xiuyin composed herself, masking her emotions with a veil of gentle indifference.

Xia Xiuyin grabbed Xia Yu’s thin shoulders, forcing the little girl to look at her. She said gently, “A’Yu, don’t cry. Your mom and dad will treat you well, and I’ll visit you often, okay?”

Xia Yu’s skin was tender, especially around her eyes. The little girl must have been devastated, as the skin was now red and swollen, creating a heart-wrenching image with her watery eyes.

Xia Xiuyin stopped wiping at her face and found a paper towel to gently press against Xia Yu’s eyes, allowing the highly absorbent material to soak up the tears.

“No…” Xia Yu looked at her with teary eyes, shaking her head back and forth, afraid Xia Xiuyin wouldn’t notice. “No… Sister…”

“Then… what do you want?” Xia Xiuyin’s voice was soft, her expression serene, but there was a hint of something taboo in her tone as she lifted her voice slightly at the end, as if enticing a forbidden fruit.

Xia Yu fearlessly grabbed Xia Xiuyin’s fingers, lifting her wet gaze. “I… want you… want Sister… want Sister to be with me.”

Only a few servants remained in the mansion, stunned by the scene unfolding before their eyes. They didn’t dare to make a sound.

The vast space was silent, save for the occasional hoots of cicadas outside the window, and a soft, childish voice, almost sobbing, rang out clearly, “I want Sister.”

Xia Man’s footsteps paused near them, and his wife’s grip tightened around his hand.

Xia Xiuyin offered an apologetic glance and gestured for them to calm themselves.

“A’Yu’s parents are wonderful people. Why don’t you try giving them a chance for a little while?” Xia Xiuyin took a step back and pleaded.

Xia Yu’s mind was consumed by fear, and she drew in a shallow breath without processing Xia Xiuyin’s words. The bangs Xia Xiuyin had trimmed softly framed her forehead, but she muttered to herself, “Sister… Don’t…don’t leave me…”

“Don’t leave me…”

Her vision blurred, but every line on Xia Xiuyin’s face was etched into her mind.

She opened her eyes slightly wider, desperately trying to see her sister clearly, and whimpered, “I’ll…be very…good.

“I won’t…bother Sister…”

Xia Xiuyin opened her mouth, and Xia Yu stared at those trembling, soft lips, feeling a chill.

Before she spoke, the little girl blurted out, unable to contain herself, “Sister…”

“I don’t need to live in a big house…”

“The trash bin near Sister’s home… I can grow up just fine inside…”

She blinked after every sentence, tears rolling down her cheeks, as if even her eyes couldn’t hold such sorrow and had to release it bit by bit.

“Foolish A’Yu, how could I possibly let you live in a trash bin?” Xia Xiuyin responded mildly.

She was waiting—to see what other surprises this trembling little girl before her had in store.

“It’s very good inside the trash bin,” Xia Yu insisted, attempting to convince Xia Xiuyin earnestly. She pulled herself together a little. “The trash inside is very warm, and there’s a lid so I won’t get bitten by dogs or have to worry about rain… I can even find food inside to fill my stomach.”

As she spoke, her lips quivered, then finally gave in as she relented, “As long… as Sister occasionally comes to visit me.”

Her clear and sincere gaze was filled with hope as she looked at Xia Xiuyin.

Xia Xiuyin could not deny that her heart seemed to have been gently nudged by a wet little nose. A soft, prickling emotion slowly engulfed her. Why was this child so well-behaved, as if she had grown exactly as Xia Xiuyin had wished?

Xia Xiuyin recalled that rainy night, when she’d seen those clean eyes amidst the filth of the trash, under the dim lamplight—curious and innocent, they had unwittingly met her gaze, and she had seen her own reflection within them.

Her throat felt dry, her eyes strangely excited, yet they appeared unhappy, deepening into a dark hue.

Xia Yu shivered, letting go of the fabric between her fingers. She begged quietly, “Sister… If you don’t want to visit me…that’s okay… Just…don’t drive me away…”

Xia Yu had never wished more fervently to be a pet. Pets did not need parents; they only needed owners. The Sister was the one who found her, so she belonged to the Sister now. This was Xia Yu’s breaking point, and Xia Xiuyin could feel it.

The child’s tears had stopped, as if she had run out of tears to shed. The stains left on her cheeks made her look even more pitiful.

“Little Sister…” Xia Yu sighed.

Xia Man held his tear-stained wife, patting her gently on the arm to stop her from crying in front of the children.

“If you don’t mind, please allow the children to stay here for a while longer.” He forced a smile, aware that his request might not be the most appropriate.

Xia Yu stared at him blankly.

“The children have suffered so much already, and the first person they met was you… We’re practically strangers, so it’s understandable that she’s afraid of us.”

Even someone as dense as Xia Man could pick up on Xia Xiuyin’s unspoken words. Looking into those calm eyes, he felt an illusion: Even if Xia Yu allowed Xia Xiuyin to take Xia Zhen home today, the child would still have to return to this cold mansion in the end, to stay by Xia Xiuyin’s side.

He suddenly recalled Xia Zhen, that overly prideful and stubborn youngest daughter of the Xia family, whose possessiveness bordered on frightening.

Beneath Xia Xiuyin’s refined and gentle exterior, was there also a twisted and proud soul?

Xia Xiuyin’s fingers brushed against the little girl’s wrist, and she said, “Cousin… A’Yu is on your household registry.”

A chill ran down Xia Man’s spine. For a split second, he seemed to catch a glimpse of Xia Xiuyin’s hidden frustration and resentment.

But it wasn’t directed toward him.

He awkwardly changed the topic again. “Let’s just say it’s me…”

Xia Man closed his eyes briefly. “Let’s just say it’s your cousin asking to take care of… Xia Yu… for a while.”

His wife shuddered in his arms.

Xia Xiuyin seemed pleased. “Since your cousin asked, then A’Yu will stay with Sister a little longer.” She said gently, “If cousin misses A’Yu, you can always come visit with your husband.”

Xia Yu’s eyes widened, and she held her breath, afraid that this might just be a dream.

All of her senses returned to her body; her sister’s hand felt soft and smooth as it covered hers, and Xia Xiuyin gently stroked her fingertips, soothing her without realizing.

Xia Yu felt her nose prickling.

Xia Man whispered something into his wife’s ear, and the woman walked up to Xia Yu and knelt before the little girl.

“A’Yu…”

The woman’s eyes brimmed with tears, and Xia Yu saw them. So, she didn’t hide, allowing the woman to touch her face.

“Mom… Your uncle and aunt love you very much.” The woman pressed her lips together, trying not to cry aloud. “When we come to visit you, don’t be afraid, okay?”

Xia Yu looked at her, then looked at Xia Man, whose arms were open behind her.

She nodded, answering in a hoarse voice wet with tears, “Okay~”

Xia Xiuyin and Xia Yu watched the pair depart.

When Xia Yu turned back to look at her sister, Xia Xiuyin offered a smile and patted her head. “A’Yu likes Sister so much?”

The child responded softly, “Yes.”

Delight spread across Xia Xiuyin’s eyes.

Aunt Chen thought to herself that she really didn’t know the mistress after all. She turned around and went into the kitchen to prepare an ice pack.

Xia Yu truly was a delicate little girl; her eyes had become swollen from crying. After such a heartrending wail, Xia Yu had no appetite. Aunt Chen prepared a bowl of pumpkin congee and a few refreshing side dishes, hoping that this little mistress would eat at least something.

Xia Yu, likely out of fear, became even more quiet and obedient than before. Her eyes followed Xia Xiuyin around the room, filled with both longing and fear, as she worked diligently to swallow the food in her bowl.

Xia Xiuyin watched her for a while, noticing that Xia Yu seemed a little distressed, and asked, “A’Yu, are you having trouble?”

Xia Yu immediately shook her head, “I can…eat it…”

Then she offered her sister a pure smile.

She had to finish all the food her sister had placed in her bowl.

That smile seemed to stab Xia Xiuyin’s heart.

When Xia Yu couldn’t hold back a dry-heave, Xia Xiuyin swiftly collected the child’s bowl and spoon to the side, then said gently amidst Xia Yu’s bewildered state, “A’Yu, can you get a spoon for me? It’s at the bottom of the cupboard—if you can’t find it, ask Aunt Chen for help.”

Aunt Chen was currently cleaning the cherries for the fruit plate in the kitchen.

“Mm-hm!” Xia Yu nodded obediently and slid off the chair, clapping her feet against the floor as she went to find Aunt Chen.

With a flip of her hand, Xia Xiuyin poured all the pumpkin porridge from Xia Yu’s bowl into her own. By the time Xia Yu returned clutching a spoon, Xia Xiuyin placed it beside her bowl and took Xia Yu’s hand. “Let’s go take a bath together.”

“Congee…” Xia Yu stood on her tiptoes, trying to see past her aunt.

Xia Xiuyin subtly moved to block her line of sight. “The congee is cold now; I’m not eating it.”

Xia Yu’s eyes flickered.

She let out a small, conflicted sigh, but Xia Xiuyin caught it, and her eyes curved in response.

Xia Xiuyin took the bilingual storybook from Xia Yu, concerned that reading might strain her eyes. “Today, I’ll read to A’Yu, and tomorrow, you can read to me, okay?”

Xia Yu nodded eagerly, delighted to have her wish fulfilled.

She had just gotten out of the bath, her cheeks still pink, and she wore a soft nightgown. Her clear and wet black eyes stared attentively at Xia Xiuyin.

In truth, Xia Xiuyin’s voice wasn’t gentle, even a little crisp, but when she slowed down and spoke softly, her voice could melt the sweetest of candies.

As Xia Yu drifted off to sleep, enveloped in her sister’s voice and the greedy scent clinging to it.

Once her breathing evened out, a kiss landed on her eyelids.

“This is a reward,” the voice said.

What kind of reward?

Hearing Xia Xiuyin close the door, Xia Yu touched the skin her sister had just brushed against.

“Ah.” She let out a small gasp.

It was warm, as if her sister’s aura lingered on it.

What kind of reward was this?

Would she receive more rewards in the future?

Xia Yu squirmed beneath the covers.

It was wonderful, staying by her sister’s side.

The sleepiness she had painstakingly brewed within herself vanished with the unexpected kiss.

Xia Yu blinked at the pitch-black ceiling.

In the end, she rolled out of bed, turned on the small night light, hopped down, and pushed aside the mattress.

A newspaper was folded neatly underneath.

It was the newspaper she had asked Aunt Chen for earlier. The center of the paper featured a photo of Xia Xiuyin.

Her sister stood beside a bookshelf in the library, dressed in her school uniform, her eyes downcast as she read a thick book in its original language.

In grayscale, Xia Xiuyin’s features appeared even more elegant and refined.

The newspaper’s title was bolded, and the words “Provincial Examination Champion Discusses the High School Entrance Exam: Father Is Her Greatest Support” were underlined.

Xia Yu stared at her sister’s face, printed on paper, which she could now hold in her hands.

Aunt Chen had told her that Xia Xiuyin disliked all the articles written about her, so Xia Yu never showed her the newspaper. Aunt Chen also said that, if Xia Yu wanted, they could secretly watch the news on TV when Xia Xiuyin wasn’t around to see.

“Sister…” Xia Yu carefully touched Xia Xiuyin’s face with her finger, tracing over her thin lips, straight nose, and slightly narrowed eyes… until finally her finger stopped on Xia Xiuyin’s hand.

Xia Yu blushed.

She took the Xinhua Dictionary from the low bookshelf on the other side of the wall, then dove back into her bed.

There were many words in the article she didn’t recognize, but she couldn’t wait to read it. She wanted to know how her sister looked beyond this household.