Sinian is Too Sweet!

Some people are angels with broken wings, while others are those heaven wants to break your wings and kill you.

As his mother told him, Li Mu Yang was struck by lightning when he was born, nearly dying before he could even glimpse the vibrant world.

This made Li Mu Yang wonder, what terrible deeds had he committed in his past life to deserve such heavenly punishment?

Li Mu Yang could only open his eyes to see at the age of three, and walk unsteadily at seven. He learned to speak at ten, and by fourteen, he was still unable to lift a chicken, unable to practice swordplay or internal energy like other youths—

Someone once said that when God closes a door, he also leaves a window open.

If martial arts didn't work out, then he should focus on his studies. Perhaps he could become like the great literary scholars, drinking strong wine and writing poems that would live on for generations. But whenever Li Mu Yang picked up a book, his head would grow heavy, and he would soon fall asleep, resting his head on the square characters.

His deskmate called out, but he didn't wake.

His teacher scolded him, to no avail.

A new teacher even broke a ruler—an alloy ruler at that—because Li Mu Yang fell asleep in his class.

But Li Mu Yang remained unchanged.

He was addicted to sleep!

As long as he could sleep, anything was negotiable.

If he didn't get enough sleep, his temper would become exceptionally volatile.

For instance, the reason he had such a fierce confrontation with Zhang Chen while boating today was precisely because he was woken up from a pleasant dream due to insufficient sleep.

At least, that's what Li Mu Yang thought.

Splash—

Li Mu Yang's head emerged from the bathtub, and he gasped for air.

He calmed himself for a long time, but his heart was still pounding.

"Aren't I a good-for-nothing?" Li Mu Yang thought to himself. "What was that punch just now—what was that?"

He examined his arms carefully. His skin was as delicate as ever, though it had turned a purplish-red from the hot water.

Clang!

The room door was pushed open forcefully, and an incredibly cute girl rushed in, asking with a face full of urgency, "Brother, did some bastard bully you again?"

The girl's eyes were large, as if they had natural cosmetic lenses. Besides her pupils, which were like black ink pearls, you could barely see any whites.

Her nose was slightly upturned, her small mouth rosy. Her skin was like fresh snow, seeming as if a touch of her fingers would melt a piece away.

Her white gauze dress was dazzlingly white, and the pink ribbon on her head swayed slightly from her rapid movement.

The girl's face was sweet. Even though she was currently angry, she still gave people the urge to step forward and pinch her cheeks.

Li Sinian, Li Mu Yang's sister, three years his junior. They both attended Fuxing High School; Li Mu Yang was in his third year of senior high, and Li Sinian was in her second.

Of course, unlike her "useless" brother Li Mu Yang, Li Sinian had been clever and intelligent since childhood. She was a leader among children and had consistently won first place in the school with the most outstanding academic results every year.

She started school three years later than Li Mu Yang but was only one grade behind him. This was because she had skipped two grades consecutively in her early childhood.

The school had also suggested she skip grades during high school, but their parents refused. They believed the three years of high school were the most crucial, and by preparing more thoroughly during these years, she would be able to get into the Empire's best university later.

Li Sinian was a little beauty in the school, a well-known campus belle. Li Mu Yang wasn't surprised that she could know the moment he was bullied.

Li Mu Yang crossed his arms to cover his exposed chest and said with a wry smile, "Li Sinian, how many times have I told you to knock before coming in—"

Li Sinian had never had the habit of knocking. Every time she entered his room, she would barge in. Because of this, Li Mu Yang had lost count of how many "Harem" magazines he had failed to hide in time.

Whenever Li Sinian saw Li Mu Yang reading these "indecent books," she would righteously snatch them away, claiming she would hand them over to their parents.

Strangely, their parents had never discussed this issue with Li Mu Yang.

"Oh." Li Sinian's pretty face flushed slightly. She glanced at Li Mu Yang and then retreated.

As she left, she didn't forget to close the bathroom door.

Knock, knock, knock—

There was a knock on the door from outside.

"Brother, can I come in?" Li Sinian called from the doorway.

Li Mu Yang said with a helpless expression, "Come in."

Li Sinian pushed the door open again and asked anxiously, "Brother, which bastard bullied you?"

"I bullied someone else," Li Mu Yang replied. This time, it wasn't him boasting to his sister; he had indeed sent Zhang Chen flying with one punch, and many people could testify to that.

"Brother, which bad guy did you bully?" Li Sinian's expression softened slightly as she asked.

Li Mu Yang looked at Li Sinian with a touch of emotion, thinking, She really is my own sister.

He smiled at Li Sinian and said, "Zhang Chen tried to bully me, but I bullied him back—but it's all in the past now."

"Hmph—" Li Sinian tilted her small face up and snorted. Her bangs swayed with her movement. "It's that bastard Zhang Chen again. I won't let him get away with this."

Li Mu Yang quickly tried to persuade her, "Sinian, it's all over now, and your brother didn't suffer any losses. Don't go looking for trouble with him—you're a girl—"

Li Mu Yang was worried about Li Sinian's safety. After all, Li Sinian was just a delicate girl. If Zhang Chen took out his anger towards Li Mu Yang on her, that was the last thing Li Mu Yang wanted to see.

He would rather endure some hardship himself.

This was also the main reason he was unwilling to get into conflicts with others and didn't want to tell his family about being bullied at school.

"No way," Li Sinian said with a determined little face. "No one is allowed to bully my brother."

"Sinian—"

"Brother, I bought you some roasted sweet potatoes." Li Sinian took out a small box from her schoolbag. Before it was even opened, a rich sweet potato aroma wafted out. "Here, eat them while they're hot."

Li Mu Yang was deeply touched. He split the large sweet potato in the box in half and said, "Here, let's share."

"You eat it, I won't," Li Sinian shook her head. "Eating sweet potatoes makes you fart."

"—"

—

The school's Cuju hall was hosting an internal friendly match for the school team.

As the captain of Fuxing High School's Cuju team, playing was Zhang Chen's daily routine.

Moreover, he enjoyed hearing the clear and sweet cheers of the girls when he was sweating.

"Go, Zhang Chen—"

"Zhang Chen, you're the best—"

"Zhang Chen, I love you, muah—"

—

Zhang Chen couldn't help but look towards the stands again. There was a group of girls cheering for him, but the most active and sweetest-looking girl there was someone he had never seen before.

"What a beautiful junior!"

"What a lovely voice!"

"The way she bounces around is so incredibly cute, like a little angel!"

Because he kept glancing at the crowd, he missed the Cuju ball passed by his teammates several times.

The game was paused, and a group of teammates gathered around him, winking and nudging him.

"Captain, new merchandise—"

"A fresh, tender little cabbage, I give her a ninety this time—"

"I give her ninety-eight. If you don't want her, give her to me—"

"We're tired of the big meals, time to switch things up with something light, right?"

Zhang Chen bantered with his teammates for a bit, then walked towards the stands.

The fan support on the stands immediately erupted in cheers. Someone handed him water, someone handed him a towel, and someone had a heart-shaped bento box ready.

"Thank you. Thank you all." Zhang Chen thanked his many fans, a smile on his face as they took care of him.

He saw the little girl who had been cheering the loudest and jumping the most, hiding behind the crowd. She looked at him with shy, adoring eyes, too timid to approach.

A newcomer, that's understandable.

Zhang Chen parted the crowd and walked towards that "little cabbage."

"What's your name?" Zhang Chen asked, his voice deep and his face holding a gentle smile.

"My name is Sinian." The girl looked up at Zhang Chen, then quickly lowered her head like a startled little rabbit.

"Sinian, what a beautiful name—" Zhang Chen smiled even more charmingly.

What a wonderful girl. The moment she looked up and then down again made my heart pound.

She reminded Zhang Chen of a poem by the Empire's poet, Xu Zhimo: "The most tender is that lowered head, like a shy water lily unable to withstand the cool breeze."

"Thank you," the girl said, her cheeks flushed red.

"What are you holding?"

"It's the soup I made."

"Really? Not many girls make soup these days. The man who gets to have your soup must be a truly enviable fellow—"

"This is for you—" The girl looked up, her star-like eyes meeting Zhang Chen's gaze with determination.

"Really?" Zhang Chen pursed his lips and smiled. "So I'm that lucky man?"

"My cooking skills aren't very good—"

"It's already very thoughtful."

"It might not taste very good—"

"The thought is what counts."

"Will you really drink it all?"

Zhang Chen laughed happily and said, "Of course. How could I waste such a lovely gesture?"

The girl handed him the soup bowl she was holding and gently instructed, "Be careful, it's hot."

"I won't," Zhang Chen felt his heart melting. He took the soup bowl and said, "This is the best gift I've ever received—"

He tilted his head back and gulped it down.

As he drank, his brow furrowed.

Remembering the girl's words, 'My skills aren't that great,' he tilted his head back and continued.

As he drank, his stomach began to cramp.

Remembering the girl's words, 'It might not taste very good,' he desperately persisted.

As he drank, his heart began to ache too.

Remembering what he had said to the girl, 'How can I waste the kindness of a fair lady,' he wanted to see it through—

"Gag—"

He suddenly turned and vomited violently onto the grass behind him.