My Gloomy Stepsister Has Her Eyes on Me - Chapter 8

What is Elder Sister saying?

Zhen Min’er’s amber eyes, which had been darting nervously, gradually focused as her gaze drifted uncertainly toward her elder sister.

Elder Sister doesn’t want to send me away?

Zhen Min’er cautiously lifted her head to look at Zhen Zhu, who had turned away. Slowly, she reached out a hand, wanting to touch her. “…Elder Sister?”

“…” Stop calling me that!

Zhen Zhu regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. What am I doing?!

Showing weakness to my stepsister? Apologizing to her?!

“Elder Sister…”

“What is it?!” Annoyed by her stepsister’s persistent calls, Zhen Zhu snapped her head around, ready to retort with a sharp “Stop calling me that!” But then she saw those doe-like eyes, now glistening not with triumphant weakness, but with cautious…

Anxiety.

As if afraid Zhen Zhu’s words were just empty promises.

A faint shimmer appeared at the corners of Zhen Min’er’s eyes. With each blink of her round eyes, the shimmer coalesced into a perfect teardrop.

It slid down.

It fell.

No, Zhen Zhu bit her lip. Was I too harsh again?

Though her stepsister often acted soft and fragile, she rarely actually cried.

“Um…” Zhen Zhu pursed her lips, her usually refined features creasing slightly with uncharacteristic vulnerability. She watched as Zhen Min’er’s eyes continued to glisten, tears falling like pearls strung on a thread, blinking down one by one.

Zhen Zhu averted her gaze, unable to bear the sight. As her eyes shifted, she noticed Zhen Min’er’s slightly raised hand—

The red at her fingertips was glaringly bright.

Had Zhen Min’er been injured?

Stepping closer, Zhen Zhu gently grasped her stepsister’s wrist, lifting it to examine it closely. It was indeed bl00d.

“When did this happen?”

Could she have cut herself while pulling Zhen Zhu earlier? Zhen Zhu tugged her tearful stepsister toward the chaise lounge, pressing her shoulders to make her sit down.

“Aunt Wang, bring some alcohol… no, iodine up here,” Zhen Zhu instructed the housekeeper through the pale blue intercom on the wall.

She then went to the bathroom for cotton pads and began wiping the still-bleeding puncture wound on Zhen Min’er’s fingertip.

But as soon as she finished wiping, the bl00d began flowing again, relentlessly. The wound was deep.

Frowning, Zhen Zhu turned to her stepsister, who had been staring at her silently. “Did you cut yourself when you grabbed me earlier?”

Zhen Min’er seemed to only now realize she was injured. She stammered, “No… it was at Celia Theater today. I…”

She trailed off, the warmth of her elder sister’s concern nearly making her blurt out something she shouldn’t.

But would crying really make her sister care?

Zhen Min’er pinched the tender flesh at her waist with her good hand and twisted hard.

The sharp pain triggered her body’s natural tear ducts.

Tears instantly welled in her eyes.

She blinked.

Tears fell silently.

“Today at the Celia Theater, the lights suddenly went out. I wanted to find Elder Sister… but I fell and cut my finger on a pair of scissors on the table.”

Her voice trembled, her doe-like eyes glistened as she gazed at Zhen Zhu, whispering softly, “It’s okay. Elder Sister is safe.”

She wanted to find me?

Zhen Min’er really cares about me?

Actually… my stepsister has always been quite obedient.

A faint warmth brushed across Zhen Zhu’s cheek like a silken ribbon, slipping smoothly into the deepest recesses of her heart and tickling it.

Feeling slightly awkward, Zhen Zhu turned away and stood up. “Why hasn’t Aunt Wang come yet?”

What is my stepsister doing? Why is she suddenly saying all this… It’s making me a little…

Deliberately ignoring her stepsister’s clingy gaze, Zhen Zhu walked to the door. As she opened it, she heard footsteps following her.

Frowning, she turned back and scolded, “Why are you running around with an injury?!”

Before the words were even out of her mouth, a soft drip sounded. The pitiful Main Lead was crying again.

Help me! Zhen Zhu had no choice but to soften her tone slightly. “I’m not scolding you.”

Oh my god, Zhen Zhu thought. Before, my stepsister would always look like she was about to cry but never actually did. That was manageable. But now, with all this sobbing and sniffling…

It was really starting to…

She pushed her stepsister back onto the sofa cushion, her brow furrowed but her voice icy and controlled. “Alright, sit properly.”

“Don’t follow me.”

She hurried out the door and bumped into Aunt Wang coming up the stairs. After taking the medicine from her, Zhen Zhu rushed back to her room.

As she opened the door, she saw her stepsister looking up, tears welling in her eyes, her deer-like gaze fixed intently on her.

The girl’s usually dim eyes suddenly sparkled like stars at the sight of Zhen Zhu.

Zhen Zhu’s hand froze on the doorknob. The strange, tickling sensation in her heart made her turn her head away from her stepsister’s gaze.

“Tell me if something like this happens again.”

“…You’re my sister. If you get hurt and I don’t know, it makes me look like a terrible elder sister!”

“Promise me you’ll tell me next time, understand?”

Zhen Zhu stared coldly at Zhen Min’er, her raised gaze carrying a clear threat.

“Okay, Elder Sister~” Zhen Min’er agreed with a tearful, sweet smile.

“…”

What’s with the smile?! Why aren’t you crying anymore?!

Zhen Zhu felt an inexplicable surge of irritation, but her gaze softened as she noticed the slow trickle of bl00d still seeping from the wound on her stepsister’s fingertip.

Zhen Zhu let out a cold snort and sat down next to her stepsister. She took the girl’s hand, first disinfecting the wound with an iodine-soaked cotton swab, then applying the medicinal liquid. After confirming that the bleeding had slowed significantly, she remembered how painful this medicine was. She had fallen once before, and since the family doctor didn’t live on the premises and would take ten minutes to arrive, her stepsister had applied the medicine herself.

It stung terribly.

Zhen Zhu had frowned and endured the pain, but her stepsister had blown on the wound, which seemed to ease the discomfort considerably.

With this in mind, Zhen Zhu lowered her head and gently blew on the wound. “Are you okay?” she asked softly. “I remember this medicine hurts a lot.”

When she looked up, her usual cold, indifferent gaze had softened, her expression tender.

Her bright, aloof elder sister was showing concern for her.

The needle-like sting of the medicine mingled with the joy in her heart, creating a complex emotion—a mix of happiness, discomfort, and an indescribable feeling.

It had been so long.

Ever since that incident, her sister had always ignored her, her gaze perpetually fixed on that disgusting man, Jining Lan.

This… this was a long-lost moment.

“Elder Sister~ It doesn’t hurt,” Zhen Min’er said, her face radiant with joy. “With you here, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“I’m not… worried about you…”

As she continued blowing, Zhen Zhu realized something was off. She froze in place, awkwardly looked up, and opened her mouth to retract her words—only to see her stepsister’s undisguised joy.

It seemed… to be because of her.

Ding-dong—The Main Lead’s Happiness Index has increased by 5%, now at 30%!

The System’s accompanying notification seemed to validate Zhen Zhu’s thoughts.

“System,” Zhen Zhu said, pressing her lips together and shifting her gaze away from her stepsister as she continued applying the ointment, “is the Main Lead’s Happiness Value due to the Male Lead?”

“Of course!” the System’s childlike voice replied with unwavering conviction. “The Main Lead is destined to be with the Male Lead in the future.”

“Naturally, it’s because of the Male Lead.”

The Male Lead…

Zhen Zhu glanced up slightly and met a pair of shimmering eyes, sparkling like starlight.

Hmph.

She pressed the cotton swab down a little harder. Tch, what’s Jining Lan even worth?

My stepsister cries at just a few words from me.

How many episodes would she survive if she ran into that scum?

Irritation simmered within Zhen Zhu, and she applied the ointment more generously.

“Elder Sister…”

Hearing the soft, clingy, sweet voice from above, Zhen Zhu finally realized something was wrong.

No… what is she doing?!

With this much medicine, won’t it hurt even more?

“…I’m sorry.”

This medicine was effective, but it also stung intensely. When her stepsister had applied it before, she had always done so little by little.

Otherwise, if she applied it like this, Zhen Zhu would never be able to endure the pain.

“It’s okay, Elder Sister.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

The honey-sweet voice made Zhen Zhu look up in confusion. She saw her stepsister’s eyes still shining like stars, her face radiating trust.

She…

What is she doing?!

Zhen Zhu gritted her teeth, quickly wiping away the excess medicine from her stepsister’s fingertips. After confirming the bleeding had stopped, she applied a bandage.

Done.

“All finished.”

Zhen Zhu scrambled to her feet, turning her back to her stepsister. Her chest rose and fell twice as she steadied herself, regaining her usual composure. She spoke coldly, “You can go back now.”

Expecting an immediate reply, she was surprised when silence stretched on.

Turning her head in confusion, she found her stepsister holding her hand.

The doll-like face looked up at her, pitifully. “Tonight… I want to sleep with Elder Sister…”

“Can I?”

“…”

“??? What did you say?!”

“Listen to yourself!”

Zhen Zhu couldn’t maintain her composure any longer, her eyes widening as she stared at her stepsister, who had suddenly become frighteningly bold.

As if startled by Zhen Zhu’s reaction, tears began welling up in her stepsister’s eyes again, her voice softening into a plaintive whine: “Elder Sister…”

“Is it not allowed?”

“It’s not that…” Zhen Zhu instinctively softened her tone.

“No!” Zhen Zhu snapped back to her senses.

She glanced at her stepsister, who was now crying again, and delivered a firm refusal, then quickly averted her gaze from those tear-filled eyes.

“Elder Sister… it hurts,” the small voice persisted.

“I’m not a painkiller!”

“Besides, you weren’t crying about the pain just now!”

“If it hurts, go back and rest immediately!”

Zhen Zhu turned abruptly, carefully avoiding her stepsister’s injured hand as she grabbed her other arm.

She pulled Zhen Min’er to the doorway and pushed her out.

“Don’t forget my plans for tomorrow.”

“Don’t stay up too late!”

Zhen Zhu had completely forgotten that her stepsister always woke her up every morning. Her mind was now consumed with the urgent need to distance herself from the Main Lead, who made her feel so uneasy.

She closed the door.

Zhen Zhu stood by the door, waiting until she was sure her stepsister’s footsteps had faded away before returning to her bed.

After taking off her red dress and washing up, she was about to get into bed when she realized something was wrong. She silently got out of bed and went back to the door.

She locked it from the inside.

Lying back in bed, Zhen Zhu still felt unsettled.

This stepsister is really going out of her way to cling to me!

She even wants to sleep with me?

Doesn’t she know I’d scold her to death?!

Could she be deliberately acting weak to make me feel sorry for her?

Zhen Zhu tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Even reading a novel written by her best friend couldn’t calm her racing thoughts.

Seriously! Just because I applied medicine for her once, she thinks she can say anything she wants!

When I applied medicine for her before…

Wait a minute.

Zhen Zhu suddenly sat up in bed, frowning as she tried to recall: When exactly did Zhen Min’er apply medicine for me before?

Zhen Zhu carefully sifted through her hazy memories, finally piecing together a vague recollection… It must have been three months ago, when she fell while chasing after Jining Lan.

What kind of absurd memory is this?!

“I chased after him?”

“And fell?!”

Why does this memory exist? Was she that infatuated with Jining Lan?!