Give Me Another Smile

Tang Yu pursed her lips and sat down in front of her desk. She had to admit that treating the young and ignorant Yin Zhao-an with the mind of an adult was incredibly cruel. However, she would only be letting history repeat itself should she let the same relationship between them form.

Her father had yet to go on that mission this time, and her mother had yet to break the law in search of revenge. Everything was still in its most beautiful state. The only thing she had to do now was to have her parents avert the impending disaster. No, she must do it…

In the meantime, Yin Zhao-an couldn't help but feel aggrieved. She might have a lively personality, but she was still nothing more than a seven-year-old child. This was the first time she had faced two consecutive rejections from someone her age. So, in an aggrieved and sobbing tone, she asked, "Do you not like me… Is that why you don't want to be friends with me."

Tang Yu's heart thumped. However, after hesitating for a moment, she answered:

"Mhm."

Yin Zhao-an was put into an awkward situation, not knowing what expression she should make after hearing Tang Yu's blunt response. Despite feeling aggrieved inside, crying wasn't her strong point. So, she feigned nonchalance and said, "F-Fine, then. But I cannot leave right now. Otherwise, my mom will think that I bullied you again."

After saying so, Yin Zhao-an sat on the floor and stopped speaking. Then, the room fell silent.

The silence continued for more than ten minutes. During this period, both girls remained seated in their positions. One sat before the study desk while the other sat on the floor, leaning against the bed.

After another several minutes passed by, Tang Yu fiddled with a drawing book on the desk while sneaking a glance at the figure sitting on the floor behind her in a daze.

"...Stop sitting on the floor. It's cold."

A voice broke the frozen atmosphere. Yin Zhao-an lifted her head in a daze and looked at the person who spoke, a happy smile immediately forming on her face. Then, she patted the nonexistent dust on her pants, sat on the nearby sofa, and said, "You're so nice, Tang-Tang."

Tang Yu maintained an expressionless face. Her mind, though, was filled with criticisms. This was how Yin Zhao-an was in her childhood. A few words and a piece of candy were enough to coax her out of a bad mood. It was also because of this personality that Tang Yu had found herself subconsciously wanting to rely on Yin Zhao-an… However, if she never held such feelings for Yin Zhao-an, maybe the two of them would have different futures.

The sunlight was projected on the desk through the light pink curtains, illuminating the poetry book that was spread out and reflecting every sentence and word in Tang Yu's clear black eyes. Tang Yu's long and slender eyelashes drooped slightly, covering the eyes that hid various thoughts.

Sometime later, a gentle knock came from the door. Yin Zhao-an reached the door ahead of Tang Yu and opened it. Then, she greeted Yu Wanrou, who stood outside the room, the smile and shallow dimples on her face giving her a well-behaved look.

Yin Zhao-an's smile was very effective against Yu Wanrou. After crouching down and gently stroking Yin Zhao-an's head, Yu Wanrou said, "An-An, your mother's waiting for you downstairs." After saying so, Yu Wanrou turned to Tang Yu and continued, "Little Yu, you come down as well to see An-An off."

"...Okay."

…

The Yin family's car drove away from the small courtyard, the lingering fumes in the air stimulating Tang Yu's nose and giving her an urge to sneeze.

Inside the car…

"Just look at your Big Sister Tang Yu. Not only is she beautiful and delicate, but she's also well behaved. Her only flaw is her quiet personality… You, on the other hand, behave no differently than a monkey!" Wang Zhen berated Yin Zhao-an.

Yin Zhao-an childishly covered her ears with both hands. However, she dared not refute her mother directly. Instead, she weakly responded by saying, "No matter how wonderful Tang-Tang is, she isn't your daughter…"

Wang Zhen immediately grew incensed when she heard her daughter's rebuttal. "You don't say? Had you been a boy, I would have set up an arranged marriage for you two immediately."

Arranged marriage?

"What's an arranged marriage?" Yin Zhao-an asked, showing a rare desire to learn for the first time in a long while.

"An arranged marriage is an agreement made now for two children to get married once they grow up." As soon as Wang Zhen finished speaking, a disappointed expression appeared on her face. Then, when she saw the dazed look on her daughter's face, she helplessly shook her head and said, "Nevermind. You'll understand in the future."