NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: Junior Sister, Where Are My Clothes?
Chapter 20: Junior Sister, Where Are My Clothes?
The sky was nearing dusk.
In the distance, the setting sun hung low, casting a warm orange glow that spilled over the window frames, the edges of the bed, and even onto the thick, thin eyelashes of the young man lying in bed.
As if sensing the light, the young man furrowed his brow slightly before opening his eyes.
The familiar veil of darkness enveloped You Su’s vision once again. He tried to focus his gaze, but the shadows refused to lift. The fiery, unyielding power that had surged through him earlier was now gone.
It felt as though his brief recovery of sight had been nothing more than a cruel joke played by fate. He was still just an ordinary blind boy from a small town, and everything-Elder Ling, monsters, junior sister, master’s wife, the Lantern Ghost-it all seemed like one long, vivid dream.
But the sharp pain radiating from every inch of his body reminded him otherwise. It had all happened; none of it was imaginary.
You Su propped a pillow behind his back and attempted to sit up, but after several tries he found himself unable to do so. His strength had left him.
He clenched his fist tightly. For the first time in eighteen years, he had suffered such severe injuries. The deep sense of helplessness gnawed at him and stirred resentment within him.
Blind people were naturally sensitive and insecure creatures.
“What are you doing?”
Ji Lingruo rushed into the room carrying a steaming basket of food. She quickly pressed You Su back down onto the bed and adjusted his pillows for him.
“Lie back down properly! The doctor said you shouldn’t move too much yet.”
Hearing her familiar voice brought a wave of comfort to You Su’s heart.
“Junior Sister, how long have I been asleep?”
“How dare you ask!” Ji Lingruo placed a stool beside the bed, smoothing out her dress before sitting down gracefully. “You collapsed at the door early yesterday morning, and now it’s already late afternoon on the second day!”
“I slept that long…”
You Su marveled at the passage of time, trying to recall what had happened before he passed out. That expanse of flawless white skin…
Ah, it must have been the lotus root he’d washed clean days ago but forgotten to eat!
As for his junior sister… You Su swore that the sky had still been dimly lit when he came in – he hadn’t seen a single hair on her!
Doesn’t Junior Sister know that? Her senior brother is blind!
“Oh no! Why are you bleeding again?” Ji Lingruo exclaimed anxiously, pulling out a fragrant handkerchief.
“Am I? Where am I bleeding?”
Aside from feeling a slight surge of blood rushing upward, You Su didn’t notice anything unusual.
That is, until the dry cracks on his lips tasted something sweet and metallic – he realized with embarrassment that he’d started nosebleeding uncontrollably.
You Su couldn’t help but feel mortified. And here he thought he’d fancied himself quite the experienced “old driver” in his past life.
Ji Lingruo leaned closer, carefully wiping away the trickle of blood from You Su’s nose.
Breathing in the delicate, fresh scent emanating from the young girl, You Su couldn’t help but smile softly.
She hadn’t lied to him. That fleeting glimpse had proven it-his junior sister truly was the most beautiful maiden under the heavens.
And her tender care for him only reinforced the belief that his desperate fight to protect her had been worth it.
Seeing the faint smile tugging at the corners of You Su’s lips, Ji Lingruo frowned irritably.
“What exactly did you do that day? Do you have any idea how scared I was when you stumbled in covered in blood? You looked like… some kind of walking corpse…”
“I went out to take care of a small matter,” You Su calmly replied.
“A ‘small matter’ that left you drenched in blood?” Ji Lingruo lightly bit her lower lip, her eyes flashing with dissatisfaction. She almost sounded like a suspicious wife who had caught her husband sneaking around, but lacked concrete evidence. “Even though the doctor said there were no external wounds, your internal organs were clearly affected. Obviously, you got into a fight. You must tell me the truth.”
A bead of cold sweat trickled down You Su’s temple as his mind raced frantically for an excuse.
Seeing You Su hesitate, Ji Lingruo grew even angrier. “Did you secretly go pick fights with someone?”
“Those… people?”
“Those young cultivators in town who are always blocking your way! That bunch of nobodies who strut around like they’re something special.”
Ji Lingruo clenched her delicate fists, her indignation evident. Then she added, softening her tone slightly:
“I told you to fight back, but I didn’t want you to end up looking like this. What if you hadn’t won? What would we have done?”
Junior Sister, oh Junior Sister, You Su thought inwardly, how had I never noticed how clever you are before? Damn it, you really are a genius!
You Su forced a sickeningly sweet smile onto his face, adopting an expression that screamed, “I’m perfectly fine, and I’ll do whatever you say.” In a gentle voice, he reassured her:
“It’s alright, Junior Sister. I won, didn’t I? They won’t dare bother me again. Since you told me to teach them a lesson, I couldn’t just avoid it-I had to show them what we’re capable of.”
You Su was careful not to claim all the credit for himself. Instead, he cunningly attributed this fictitious victory to “us,” subtly including Ji Lingruo in his triumph.
Sure enough, Ji Lingruo lapped it up. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, feeling a warm sweetness bloom in her heart as she murmured:
“I’ve never seen you listen to me like this before. Next time, don’t be so reckless, okay? Taking on so many opponents at once, what kind of hero does that? You should’ve dealt with them one by one when they weren’t expecting it”.
The idea that You Su could’ve been beaten up by his peers in Chuyun City was laughable to Ji Lingruo.
This seemingly humble but secretly arrogant senior brother of hers was definitely the type to say things like, “Come at me all at once!” or “I can take on ten of you!” Such words only served to make their blows land harder – what good were they otherwise?
As if recalling something else, she added earnestly:
“No matter how strong you are, there will always be people who will resort to underhanded tactics. Only when you’re sneakier than them will they truly fear you. Do you understand?”
You Su paused, surprised by such insight from his usually carefree junior sister:
“Junior Sister is wise beyond her years. I’ll remember your advice. If something like this happens again, I won’t act recklessly.”
“That’s more like it. Now drink your soup.”
Ji Lingruo’s eyes softened with affection as she opened the food container and took out a bowl of rich broth. After blowing on it carefully to cool it down, she brought the spoon to You Su’s lips.
Obediently, You Su leaned forward to sip the soup, savoring it as though it were nectar.
“Junior Sister, from which shop did you buy this yam and pork rib soup? It’s delicious!”
At this, Ji Lingruo rolled her pretty eyes. While it was true that she had purchased the soup, she still couldn’t help but feel slightly offended. Did You Su really think that there wasn’t even the slightest chance that she might have made it herself?
She suddenly recalled the noodles she’d prepared for him the first time – they hadn’t turned out well, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that his comment carried a veiled jab.
“This is something I personally stewed!”
You Su, being perceptive, immediately understood what Ji Lingruo was thinking and quickly placated her:
“Really? Junior Sister knows how to cook such an amazing soup? I must be blessed to taste it.”
“Hmph, at least you know better. Open wide.”
Pleasing Ji Lingruo never irritated You Su; in fact, seeing her happy made him happy too.
He obediently opened his mouth wide to accept the spoonful of soup. However, in doing so, he accidentally shifted the blanket covering him, exposing his broad shoulders underneath.
That’s when You Su realized that he was completely naked beneath the covers.
“Junior Sister.”
“What?”
“Where are my clothes?”
Ji Lingruo’s mind flashed back to an embarrassing memory, causing her heartbeat to quicken and her chest to rise and fall rapidly. Her ears flushed bright red.
“I… how would I know? Just drink your soup!”
“Oh…”