It was quite interesting—this was actually Zhu Ming’s first time seeing Xi Xianqing in casual attire.

No expensive, well-fitted suits or sleekly tailored trench coats. Instead, he wore a simple white short-sleeved T-shirt. The usual distant and aloof air was softened, replaced by the refreshing vitality of someone his age.

The simpler the clothes, the more they highlighted his naturally superior physique. Veins ran down his strong arms to his wrists. Standing at the end of the corridor, his upright posture remained unchanged, with that innate, familiar arrogance intact.

Zhu Ming saw Xi Xianqing walk up to Xi Mufei, frowning as he asked, “Why are you barefoot again? And you’re not wearing your hearing aid either.”

His speech was slower than usual, but his gestures in sign language were practiced and fluent.

Xi Mufei set down her pen, smiled at him, and responded in sign language.

“I know inspiration strikes you suddenly, but that doesn’t mean you can—”

Xi Xianqing frowned and instantly lifted his gaze. He noticed Zhu Ming standing behind Xi Mufei. His expression immediately turned slightly awkward. “You… woke up pretty quickly.”

Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow, “No introduction?”

“This is my sister, Xi Mufei,” Xi Xianqing said hesitantly. “She—”

Xi Mufei used sign language to gesture something at Xi Xianqing.

Zhu Ming: “What?”

Xi Xianqing’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he glanced at Zhu Ming, clearly reluctant to relay the message. “She… said your eyes are beautiful.”

Zhu Ming was momentarily stunned into silence. He hadn’t expected someone as stiff and picky as Xi Xianqing to have a jiejie who was so straightforward and open with compliments.

He curved his eyes into a smile. “En… please thank her for me, and tell her she looks very beautiful and kind as well.”

This response made Xi Xianqing fall into a brief silence. After a moment, he turned to Zhu Ming and said, “No, that will be the biggest misunderstanding you’ll ever have about her.”

Zhu Ming: “Ah?”

Still, Xi Xianqing turned around and translated for Xi Mufei.

The smile on Xi Mufei’s face deepened. She looked at Xi Xianqing, then at Zhu Ming, blinking a few times before raising her hands to sign something else.

Xi Xianqing’s temple twitched; it was clear he didn’t want to translate this time.

But faced with Zhu Ming’s probing gaze, he reluctantly conveyed it with a seemingly calm expression: “She said… thank you for the compliment, my stolen blind date.”

Zhu Ming: “Pfft.”

He felt like he was starting to understand what Xi Xianqing meant earlier.

This beauty, who appeared so serene and elegant on the surface, seemed to harbor a sly, cold sense of humor beneath it all.

Suddenly recalling something, Zhu Ming asked curiously, “I’ve always wondered—when my aunt was setting up the blind date, how did she even find your family? As far as I know, her social network isn’t that extensive ah.”

Xi Xianqing glanced at him. “Your aunt met my sister once at the opening of an art exhibition a few years ago.”

“They hit it off and exchanged contact information at that time. Your aunt even provided her with the most advanced hearing aid available in District Seven for free,” he said.

These sounded like the kind of things a warm-hearted Zhu Yingying would do.

“So later, when your aunt suggested the blind date, my sister didn’t refuse. Since she can’t hear, I was supposed to go along with her.”

Xi Xianqing glanced over at Xi Mufei. “But my sister is a manhua artist who mostly works from home. The scheduled date happened to coincide with a tight deadline for her serialized work. Plus…”

“—Plus, you weren’t exactly thrilled about your sister going on a blind date with someone who’s disabled, and you conveniently discovered that I’m someone who can heal mental manifestations..”

Zhu Ming helpfully completed the rest of the explanation with a grin. “So, you decided to step in personally and go on the blind date for her?”

Zhu Ming spoke the words ‘disabled person’ with ease, but for some reason, an inexplicable discomfort rose within Xi Xianqing’s heart, even more than at the mention of ‘stepping in for his sister on a blind date.’ “At the time, that was indeed my thought, but now…”

Zhu Ming watched his expression and shook his head with a smile, “It’s okay, I understand.”

When Zhu Yingying arranged the blind date with Xi Mufei, it was likely with the idea of having two individuals with physical challenges get to know each other and see if they could manage life together.

But from Xi Xianqing’s perspective as a younger brother, it was entirely reasonable not to push his sister into another difficult situation.

Zhu Ming glanced at Xi Mufei, who was peeking curiously from behind Xi Xianqing, clearly trying to figure out what they were discussing. “Then does she know about you…?”

With his back to Xi Mufei, Xi Xianqing shook his head. “She’s never been interested in the trivial matters of the family. She only knows that I’m about to participate in the representative’s assessment. She doesn’t know about my inability to manifest a display, let alone the agreement between us.”

Zhu Ming was vaguely startled.

The bracelet on Xi Mufei’s wrist, Xi Xianqing’s fluent use of sign language—these small details made it obvious, even to an outsider like him, just how deep the bond between this pair of siblings ran.

“I can completely understand you wanting to hide it from those malicious relatives at home.”

Zhu Ming felt that Xi Xianqing seemed to be overly paranoid about hiding all the pressures he was under, and unconsciously frowned, “But even your own sister… you’re not willing to confide in her a little?”

“She’s living happily now.”

After a long time, Zhu Ming saw Xi Xianqing shake his head. “There’s no reason for her to know about these things.”

“As for me, I don’t need her to worry about me. It’s enough for me to see that she’s living her life well.”

After a pause, Xi Xianqing added, “So, just like how I played along with you in front of your aunt, now I need your help to smooth things over for me.”

Behind them, Xi Mufei looked at the two with a puzzled expression.

She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she didn’t like being excluded from the conversation. Raising her hand, she poked Xi Xianqing’s arm to express her dissatisfaction.

Xi Xianqing looked deeply at Zhu Ming and turned around, “What’s wrong?”

Xi Mufei pursed her lips, first pointing at Zhu Ming, then at Xi Xianqing. She then brought her thumbs together, bending them twice in a gesture that resembled two people bowing to each other.

Xi Xianqing didn’t translate, but Zhu Ming seemed to roughly understand what she meant.

“En, it seems that Aunt Ye told you,” Xi Xianqing said. “We’re about to get married.”

Xi Mufei glanced at Zhu Ming, the confusion in her eyes undiminished. She frowned slightly.

She used one hand to gently stroke the back of her other thumb, her expression soft yet filled with a kind of tender concern. Her gaze settled on Xi Xianqing, eyebrows raised slightly as if seeking confirmation.

Xi Xianqing froze in place, standing stiffly and unable to respond for a long time.

Although Zhu Ming couldn’t understand her exact meaning, he noticed the worry on Xi Mufei’s face and connected it with the context, vaguely guessing her thoughts.

So Zhu Ming smiled and spoke, “Yes, we are deeply in love.”

Xi Xianqing turned to him in shock. “You understand sign language?”

Zhu Ming chuckled. “Not really, but I have a good brain and I’m good at using context to guess the story.”

Xi Xianqing: “…”

This marriage was indeed rushed, and as an elder sister, Xi Mufei would naturally worry if there was some hidden agenda behind it.

Zhu Ming met Xi Xianqing’s gaze bluntly, urging him, “Go on, tell her for me.”

In reality, the phrase “we are deeply in love” was simple—just five words. Xi Mufei could read lips and had already roughly figured out what Zhu Ming had said.

However, she still quietly looked at Xi Xianqing, wanting to make sure she understood correctly.

Xi Xianqing’s body remained tense. After a brief pause, he finally raised his hands to translate for her.

To make the story more convincing, Xi Xianqing even added some details of his own: “We’ve been dating for a while now. I brought him back this time because I wanted you to meet him before I leave for the assessment.”

Zhu Ming saw a relieved smile bloom on Xi Mufei’s face, and the white peac0ck behind her fluttered its feathers in excitement.

She pointed at her sketchbook, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm. Turning to Xi Xianqing, she signed something quickly, then gestured toward Zhu Ming before signing a few more rapid motions.

Xi Xianqing’s expression turned slightly disgruntled. Being used as a translator by the two people that he could do nothing about the most was a fate he could only endure. Patience was his only option.

After a moment, he crossed his arms, looked at Zhu Ming, and faintly said. “She said she’s looking for inspiration for her manhua. She has a few questions for us and wonders if you’d be willing to help.”

Zhu Ming was a bit surprised, but still said, “With pleasure.”

Xi Xianqing nodded to Xi Mufei.

Xi Mufei smiled and wasn’t polite as she gestured a series of movements to Xi Xianqing.

Not knowing what questions she asked, Zhu Ming saw that Xi Xianqing’s pupils shrunk slightly, and was very visibly stuck in place. “You…”

Xi Mufei paused to think, her eyes brimming with inspiration. Suddenly, she clapped her hands in excitement and signed something else to Xi Xianqing with great enthusiasm.

Although Zhu Ming couldn’t understand her gestures, he clearly saw the tips of Xi Xianqing’s ears turn a faint shade of red.

Zhu Ming curiously said, “What did she ask?”

Xi Xianqing didn’t answer.

A few seconds later, Zhu Ming watched as Xi Xianqing took a deep breath, placed his hands firmly on Xi Mufei’s shoulders, and decisively turned her around, pushing her down the corridor without mercy. “I think you should go work on your draft, Sister.”

The word “sister” was practically said through clenched teeth.

Xi Mufei, unsatisfied with the lack of answers, turned her head with a disgruntled expression, clearly intending to press Zhu Ming further. But Xi Xianqing raised his arm and leaned it against the wall, creating a firm barrier between her and Zhu Ming.

“Catch up on the manuscript,” he said icily.

The tall and handsome youth was simply like a wall in front of her.

Faced with Xi Xianqing’s unwavering stance to act as a translator, Xi Mufei, unable to hear and with Zhu Ming unable to use sign language, found herself at an impasse. After a moment of silent confrontation, she conceded defeat.

With a resigned look, she tried to pry Xi Xianqing’s arm away, then stood on her tiptoes and waved regretfully at Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming was unsure. “What’s wrong? What exactly did she ask?”

Xi Xianqing didn’t reply. Xi Mufei, however, glanced at her brother’s reddened ears, and a mischievous smile played at the corners of her lips. She silently mouthed “bye-bye” to Zhu Ming.

Then she bound away barefoot with her sketchbook in hand, her white peac0ck hopping along after her.

Turning back to Zhu Ming’s probing eyes, Xi Xianqing spoke with a subtle expression, “You wouldn’t want to hear it, and you definitely wouldn’t want to answer.”

But Zhu Ming, being as rebellious as ever, only grew more determined to dig to the bottom of the matter when faced with such a dismissive response.

He directly grabbed Xi Xianqing’s sleeve and stared him down. “You didn’t even translate. How do you know I wouldn’t want to hear it?”

Xi Xianqing averted his eyes, looking stiffly out the window. “She asked too many questions just now. I can’t remember them all.”

Zhu Ming: “…Do I look that easy to fool?”

“Your sister only wants inspiration for her manhua. Such a gentle and multi-talented beauty—no matter how abrupt her questions might be, I’d still be more than happy to answer them.”

Zhu Ming sighed lightly and said in a heartfelt tone, “But you—forget that this is the first time we’ve met, you didn’t even bother translating properly. And as her didi, wasn’t your attitude a bit harsh when you just chased her off?”

“…”

“And your sister, in the end—”

“Who chased who first? Where was the first kiss? Who initiated it? Did it involve tongue?”

Zhu Ming: “…?”

“—And, on the bed, who’s the top and who’s the bottom?”

Zhu Ming froze entirely, his expression utterly blank. Perhaps emboldened by this reaction, Xi Xianqing crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, his jaw slightly raised as he spoke each word without a hint of emotion: “Answer, and I’ll immediately convey it to her.”

Author’s Note:

Sister: A wildly imaginative and renowned pure love manhua artist from District Six; is a yellow peac0ck.