Enough to Drive You Mad

"Then you could've at least said hello once you got in!"

"If I suddenly said hello while you were driving, what if I startled you and something happened?" Shen Banxia asked, looking perfectly innocent.

"That's true-no, anyway, next time you can't sneak into my car without saying anything."

"Are you afraid I'll spoil your fun, Second Brother? Then I'll keep quiet next time!"

"It's not about whether you keep quiet. You've got me all muddled. This isn't about bothering me-it's unsafe. Don't do it again."

"Okay. Thank you, Second Brother!"

"Where do you want to go?"

Shen Banxia's eyes lit up. She had thought he would drive her straight home, but it turned out her second brother wasn't entirely unreasonable.

"Anywhere! Wherever there's good food," Shen Banxia said eagerly.

Shen Jinyan sighed softly and resigned himself to taking his seventh sister out for a late-night meal.

No matter how little he liked her, she was still his own sister, wasn't she?

If it tasted good, Shen Banxia wanted a serving. She turned nothing down-the more, the better.

As the meal went on, Shen Jinyan began to grow nervous, afraid she would make herself sick.

"Um... it's not that I'm reluctant to buy you food, but won't eating so much at once upset your stomach?" Shen Jinyan asked worriedly.

Shen Banxia put down the red willow skewer she had just stripped of grilled lamb, looked up at her second brother, and smiled.

"Second Brother, I'm not three years old. I know to stop when I'm full."

"That's good!" Shen Jinyan nodded, relieved. Then, remembering how much his seventh sister had just eaten, he couldn't help remarking, "Good thing you're our child and we found you. Otherwise, with that appetite, you'd have eaten your adoptive parents out of house and home."

"They really are pretty poor," Shen Banxia agreed with a nod.

Shen Banxia was merely stating a fact, but Shen Jinyan heard an entirely different meaning.

"No wonder you ended up like this! From now on, just tell me whenever you want something to eat. If I'm too busy to take you out, I'll order delivery. I won't let you go hungry," Shen Jinyan promised earnestly.

"You're so good to me, Second Brother!" Shen Banxia said, nodding repeatedly.

Then she noticed that her second brother was staring intently at her.

Shen Banxia looked down at herself.

"What's wrong, Second Brother?"

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Shen Jinyan asked expectantly.

He wanted to hear his seventh sister's thoughts again so he could learn more.

"You're so good to me, Second Brother!"

"Not that!"

"What, then?"

"...Nothing. What else do you want to eat?" Shen Jinyan was speechless. Apparently, this wasn't something he could summon at will.

"I'm full. Thank you, Second Brother!" Shen Banxia pulled out a tissue and wiped her mouth and hands.

[Is Second Brother still thinking about that Lisa? Is he rushing me to finish so he can hurry up and take me home?]

[Since he treated me to such a feast, I absolutely can't let him walk back into that trap tonight.]

[Does Second Brother have a hormonal imbalance? Why else would he think about women all day? Can't he do something useful?]

Shen Jinyan's expression grew darker and darker. A moment ago, he had been hoping to hear his seventh sister's thoughts. Now, each one made his heart sink further, and he was so embarrassed he could barely stand to listen.

Why did his seventh sister see him as some desperately frustrated man?!

Naturally, Shen Jinyan wasn't going to see Lisa again. Whether the story was true or not, he couldn't afford to take that risk.

Once they returned to the Shen Family home, Shen Banxia started upstairs.

"Seventh Sister-"

Shen Banxia stopped and turned to look at her second brother.

"I'm not going out again tonight. I'll go to bed early!"

"Oh. Good night, Second Brother!" Shen Banxia replied.

She thought her second brother was like a little kid, even reporting to her that he was going to bed early.

Shen Jinyan, who had been about to play a couple of rounds before bed, stumbled when he heard her silent jab.

He had only told her because he was afraid she would stay awake to keep watch over him!

Shen Banxia returned to her bedroom. With her stomach full, she washed up and went to sleep, utterly content.

Morning arrived with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

Xu Mingyue was sleeping soundly when a burst of infernal noise woke her.

"What lunatic is making noise this early? Can't people get some sleep?" Xu Mingyue sprang up in a fury and rushed to the door, only to realize the noise was coming from the terrace.

She ran out onto the terrace and saw Shen Banxia holding a textbook and reading aloud.

Xu Mingyue nearly lost her mind and shrieked,

"Banxia-"

"Call me Big Sister!" Shen Banxia stopped reading on the neighboring terrace, turned toward her, and reminded her with a smile.

"What?" Xu Mingyue froze.

"Weren't you the one who said you'd call me Big Sister? Have you forgotten after just one day?"

"Big Sister, could you keep your voice down this early in the morning? You're disturbing everyone's sleep," Xu Mingyue reminded her, struggling to stay calm.

"Little Sister, it's already six thirty. That's not early at all. Back in our village, we'd have made breakfast, eaten, and left for school by now.

"Besides, morning is the best time to get things done. You can't slack off either, dear little sister. Hurry up and get out of bed for your morning reading," Shen Banxia replied with a beaming smile.

It took every ounce of Xu Mingyue's strength not to start screaming abuse. Instead, she simply shut the glass doors, pulled the covers over her head, and tried to catch up on sleep.

But once she had been woken up, falling asleep again was hardly that easy.

Shen Banxia continued reading her textbook aloud, utterly indifferent to Xu Mingyue's suffering.

Wasn't she a senior in high school? Although she wouldn't transfer to International High School until next Monday, preparation was the key to success. Shouldn't she get a head start?

At breakfast, the scene looked like this: Shen Banxia was full of energy, focused entirely on eating.

Xu Mingyue, meanwhile, looked as though her soul had left her body. With dark circles under her eyes and drooping eyelids, she picked listlessly at her breakfast.

Just as Shen Banxia was finishing breakfast, Shen Jinyan entered the dining room and told Sister Lian he would have his usual sandwich and coffee.

[Second Brother is dressed like a peacock showing off its tail today!]

A peacock showing off its tail?

Shen Jinyan looked down at his blue-green suit. He had thought it looked quite dashing.

After hearing Shen Banxia's thoughts, his confidence instantly vanished.

He decided to go upstairs and change after breakfast.

Just then, Shen Qingfeng entered the dining room, yawning.

He had helped Mingyue write her paper last night, then emailed it to her teacher. By the time he finished, it was already two in the morning, and he had barely managed to get up.

[Was Sixth Brother out sneaking around doing something shady last night?]

"No-"

Shen Qingfeng blurted out the reply instinctively. Only a second later did he realize he had heard his seventh sister's thoughts. Everyone was now looking at him strangely.

Flustered, he forced a smile and tried to cover his embarrassment with a greeting.

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Second Brother. Morning, Seventh Sister. Morning, Little Sister!"

After breakfast, Shen Jinyan immediately returned to his bedroom and changed out of his suit into a conventional black one.

He frowned at his reflection. No matter how he looked at himself, he thought he resembled a bodyguard.

In the end, he consoled himself that it was still better than looking like a peacock showing off its tail.