The door was knocked on about forty minutes later, sooner than Chen Jinyue had expected. She propped herself up from the bed and walked over to open it.
It was Zhao Man. She had just returned from outside, still carrying the chill of the winter air.
Without any unnecessary preamble, she held out her hand. In her palm was a trimmed blister pack—four capsule slots, one already empty, the other three still tucked neatly inside the foil.
"Here, painkillers. Take two now. If it still hurts in eight hours, take another."
As she spoke, she lifted her left hand to check her watch, adding, "Hmm... let’s say ten tonight. If it still hurts after ten, take one more."
Chen Jinyue liked Zhao Man’s straightforward personality; it saved her from unnecessary pleasantries, yet the underlying care was impossible to hide. "Thank you, Zhao Man-jie."
"You're welcome. I’ll head out now, you get some rest."
"Are you going back to work?" Chen Jinyue asked.
"Me? No, I’m going back to my room to rest." Zhao Man tilted her head at her.
"Okay. Goodbye, Zhao Man-jie."
"Mm-hmm."
After she finished speaking, Chen Jinyue glanced out into the hallway before gently closing the door. She had thought Lin Yunsheng would return with her, but it was only Zhao Man.
Once the medicine kicked in, she collapsed back onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. It wasn't until six-thirty in the evening that she woke, and there was still no sign of anyone returning. Lin Yunsheng was even busier than she had imagined.
The good news, however, was that her head no longer throbbed. She reached out to click on the bedside lamp and looked around. She had spent the entire day alone in this room; she should have been used to the feeling by now, yet at this moment, she felt a pang of loneliness.
She couldn't quite figure out why she had followed Lin Yunsheng to North City in the first place, only for her to be so busy she couldn't spare a moment for her.
As she sat there dazed, her phone chimed. It was a message from Zhao Man.
「Little sister, does your head still hurt?」
「Much better, thank you, Zhao Man-jie. I just woke up.」
「Hungry? I ordered takeout, want to eat together?」
She backed out to her chat list and saw Lin Yunsheng’s name, buried beneath official accounts and muted group messages—there were still no new notifications from her.
She hesitated over whether to send a message to ask: *Are you still busy? Have you eaten? Should I wait for you?*
She decided to send it.
「Sister, are you finished with work? Do you want to have dinner together?」
After typing the line, she stared at the screen, waiting. Within seconds, the status "The other party is typing..." flashed at the top.
But after flashing a few times, it reverted back to "Lin Yunsheng."
Chen Jinyue found it strange and continued to wait.
When the typing status flickered again, the message followed quickly. This time, there was no hesitation.
Lin Yunsheng said: 「I’m still busy. Go eat with Zhao Man, she ordered takeout.」
So that was it.
Perhaps the painkillers hadn't just blocked the physical pain, but the excess emotions as well, she thought.
She replied simply: 「Okay.」
Returning to the chat with Zhao Man, she said: 「I am a bit hungry. I’ll come to your room to find you, Zhao Man-jie.」
「Great, I’m in 8606.」
Chen Jinyue got out of bed, freshened up briefly, changed her clothes, and headed over.
When she knocked, Zhao Man answered quickly. The moment the door opened, a rich scent of roses burst from the room, rushing into Chen Jinyue’s nose.
She instinctively rubbed her nose and said, "Sorry to disturb you, Zhao Man-jie."
"Don't keep calling me Zhao Man-jie. It makes me feel so old. I'm only a year older than your sister."
"Then..." Chen Jinyue hesitated.
"If you must call me 'jie,' doesn't Xiao Man-jie sound a bit better?" Zhao Man said with a smile.
"Okay... Xiao Man-jie."
"Good girl," Zhao Man teased.
Zhao Man’s bed looked messy and unmade; she had likely just woken up not long ago herself. Chen Jinyue’s gaze landed on it, a detail Zhao Man caught. While standing by the table unpacking the food, she said, "It’s a bit of a mess in here, don't mind it. You’re Yunsheng’s sister, so I won't stand on ceremony."
"Um... it’s fine. Did you not sleep well last night?"
"Right, I never sleep well after drinking. How about you?"
"I... I was okay. I think I was just drunk. I don't remember much." Chen Jinyue brushed her hair back, feeling embarrassed. "Where's my sister?"
"Hmm?"
"Did she sleep well? Uh... no. I mean, how did she seem at the company today?"
"Her? She seemed a bit low on energy. She probably didn't rest well either; she had to take care of you since you were drunk." Zhao Man arranged the dishes on the table and opened two containers of rice, gesturing for Chen Jinyue to sit.
The table was spread with four dishes, all of which were her favorites.
It wasn't hard to guess who had been giving advice behind the scenes.
However, with just the two of them eating, "Isn't this a bit much?" Chen Jinyue asked as she pulled out a chair.
"It’s fine, it's for three. Your sister is included."
Zhao Man took out a fresh disposable container, packed some of the dishes into it, and stacked it with another unopened container of rice. She had set aside a portion for Lin Yunsheng.
Chen Jinyue bit her chopstick and remained silent. It felt as if anything she said would be redundant.
She felt redundant, too.
"Eat up, don't just sit there."
"Okay..."
As they ate, Chen Jinyue engaged in casual conversation with Zhao Man. She occasionally looked up at her. Zhao Man’s face without makeup looked much softer and more elegant than the night before. Her long, curly hair hung loose behind her, occasionally falling forward as she leaned down, prompting her to tuck it behind her ears. After it happened several times, Zhao Man didn't seem to mind, but Chen Jinyue lost her patience watching it.
"Do you need a hair tie?" she asked.
Zhao Man paused and blinked at her. "Yes. Do you have one? I think I lost mine."
Chen Jinyue slid the hair tie off her right wrist and handed it over. Zhao Man quickly gathered her hair and deftly tied it into a messy bun.
She was beautiful. Chen Jinyue had to admit that.
"I didn't even know Yunsheng had a sister before this, let alone a biological one," Zhao Man started a new topic.
*Biological sister?* Chen Jinyue looked at her, wondering how to respond. "Did my sister tell you that last night?"
"Mm-hmm," came the upward-inflected reply.
"I was abroad before, I just returned to the country." Lin Yunsheng must have said it while she was drunk; she had no memory of it at all.
"Oh, I see."
"Are you getting used to being back? North City is quite cold, isn't it?"
"It’s alright... where I lived, it snowed heavily all the time. Much heavier than here."
"Really?" Zhao Man noticed she was talking more than eating, so she reached out and scooped a spoonful of steamed egg custard onto Chen Jinyue’s rice.
"Yeah... ah, thank you, Xiao Man-jie."
Chen Jinyue used her chopsticks to flatten the custard, poking holes into the rice one by one.
"So, what do you do on snowy days?"
"Hmm... if the snow isn't too heavy, I like going for walks while it's falling."
Listening to her, Zhao Man smiled and said, "You seem quite sentimental, unlike Yunsheng."
"Is that so..." she followed the lead.
In reality, Lin Yunsheng was sentimental too. Not just sentimental—in Chen Jinyue’s eyes, she had been "romantic" for a very long time.
It was a style of romance unique to Lin Yunsheng, a way of expressing love without leaving a trace. It was just that she hadn't seen it much lately.
Chen Jinyue looked up at Zhao Man.
*So, what exactly is your relationship?* Now that the conversation had reached this point, Chen Jinyue couldn't help but want to ask directly.
"I feel like you and my sister have a very good relationship," she asked tentatively.
"Yeah, it is quite good. But—" Zhao Man was about to continue.
*Ding-dong—* The doorbell rang.
She cut herself off, put down her chopsticks, and went to open the door.
It was Lin Yunsheng. She was still carrying her bag—she had come straight here.
"Finished eating?" Her eyes darted past Zhao Man to look at Chen Jinyue first, before returning to Zhao Man.
"Almost. I saved your portion for you."
With her back to the door, Chen Jinyue swallowed her last bite of rice. She put down her chopsticks and began clearing the table.
"Okay." Lin Yunsheng seemed accustomed to this kind of interaction with Zhao Man; it was natural, requiring no extra words of thanks.
She walked over to Chen Jinyue and saw she was finished. In a gentle voice, she said, "Let's go back." Then she reached out to take the two packed containers of food.
"If it gets cold, remember to heat it up before you eat. Don't let your stomach hurt again," Zhao Man reminded her.
"I know."
Chen Jinyue stood up. "Xiao Man-jie, let me help you tidy up and take out the trash."
"It's fine, just leave it. I can do it myself."
"Okay... thank you, Xiao Man-jie. I'll be going now."
The two walked to the door, and Lin Yunsheng opened it. "Okay, see you later, Xiao Jin," a voice called out from inside the room.
At the name *Xiao Jin*, the hearts of both people at the door sank.
Back in their room, Lin Yunsheng set her bag down properly and hung her coat in the wardrobe. Noticing the jacket Chen Jinyue had just taken off and tossed onto the bed, she walked over, picked it up, and hung it next to her own coat.
Finally, she took a bottle of perfume from her bag and gave Chen Jinyue’s clothes a few sprays.
A sudden, awkward atmosphere fell between them. It was somewhat uncomfortable.
Coincidentally, Lin Yunsheng’s phone rang at that moment. She answered it and walked toward the window. Chen Jinyue overheard a few words—it seemed to be about work—so she simply grabbed her pajamas and went to take a hot shower.
By the time she finished her shower and came out, Lin Yunsheng had already hung up the phone and had finished eating and cleared away the packed food.
She was sitting at the desk with her laptop open. Seeing that Chen Jinyue was done, she said, "Come here."
Chen Jinyue obeyed, her skin flushed a damp pink from the heat of the shower. Lin Yunsheng pulled out a tissue and gathered the wet ends of her hair. "Why didn't you tie your hair up?" she asked.
It was only after she had taken off her clothes that she remembered her hair tie was with Zhao Man, so she had simply used the hotel’s disposable shower cap. But the cap was loose, and several strands of hair had escaped.
Chen Jinyue didn't answer, silently watching Lin Yunsheng.
She watched as Lin Yunsheng tenderly dried the ends of her hair. Chen Jinyue’s eyes followed her every move, but Lin Yunsheng didn't seem to notice. Instead, she asked softly, "You drank the Wangzai milk?"
"Uh... yeah. You bought it?" Chen Jinyue had almost forgotten about that.
"Mm-hmm."
*I bought it because I was afraid you'd be cold.*
*I bought it even though I knew milk doesn't cure a hangover.*
*Most importantly, I bought it because I remembered you loved it when you were little.*
It was a bit childish, but she had to admit... when she saw the empty can in the trash while on the phone, and then instinctively looked at the nightstand to see the unopened hand warmer still lying there, Lin Yunsheng’s mood had brightened slightly, as if a layer of dust had been brushed away.
"Oh."
Lin Yunsheng patted her on the hip and said, "Go lie down in bed. Don't catch a cold."
"What about you..." *Are you going to be busy for a long time again?*
"I'm almost done."
When Lin Yunsheng said she was almost done, she wouldn't make anyone wait long.
Not that—who was waiting for her anyway?—Chen Jinyue naturally wouldn't admit it.
After about seven or eight minutes, Lin Yunsheng closed her laptop and went into the bathroom.
The dense mist spread, filling the shower stall and Chen Jinyue’s heart.
The sound of water splashing against the travertine floor was muffled, plucking at the strings of her mind one by one.
She drifted in this restless state for an unknown amount of time until Lin Yunsheng pushed open the bathroom door and walked out. Surrounded by swirling vapor, she looked vivid and pure. Chen Jinyue took only one look before hurriedly returning her gaze to her phone screen.
Lin Yunsheng turned off the room lights, leaving only the one by the bedside. Radiating warmth, she climbed into the covers and lay down beside Chen Jinyue.
*I can't remember how long it's been since we were like this.*
The same thought echoed in both their hearts.
The open bathroom door had raised the room's temperature by a couple of degrees. No, more than that—otherwise, why did it feel so hot? Chen Jinyue, still leaning against the headboard, wondered.
Lin Yunsheng, however, lay down directly.
"Are you sleepy?" she asked her sister.
"A little."
"Did I bother you last night?" Jinyue asked.
Lin Yunsheng seemed to think of something, her eyes crinkling into a smile. The sound of her soft laugh drifted into Jinyue's heart along with the mist, sending a wave of goosebumps over her skin and making her tremble slightly.
"No."
"Aren't you going to sleep?" she added, her voice as light as a feather.
"I... I slept all day."
"Does your head still hurt?"
The sudden question caught Chen Jinyue off guard. She tried to decipher the meaning behind it. Her sister knew her head had hurt, which meant she naturally knew Zhao Man had given her medicine.
"Um... I got some medicine from Xiao Man-jie," she answered truthfully.
"Mm." She saw Lin Yunsheng’s long eyelashes flutter almost imperceptibly in the lamplight, clearly betraying a hint of disappointment.
"I didn't want to trouble you. You were working, you were so busy..." Chen Jinyue added uncontrollably, trying to catch that faint trace of disappointment.
"So you went and troubled Zhao Man instead?" The disappointment was caught, but she hadn't expected it to sprout into a grievance.
She looked at Lin Yunsheng, pouted slightly, and said, "Didn't you also tell me to have dinner with her?"
Her voice dropped, carrying a hint of hidden grievance.
"I thought you didn't want to trouble me."
She had never realized before that Lin Yunsheng could be so relentless.
"Trouble me." The voice was like a feather again, accompanied by the warm yellow light of the night, tickling her heart.
"Huh?"
"You heard me..." The words were exhaled in a breathy whisper. Lin Yunsheng reached out and took the phone from her sister’s hand, locking it and setting it aside. Taking her arm, she slowly pulled her down, wrapping her in the blankets.
She pulled her into her arms.
"I said, trouble me." The voice vibrated against her ear and into her heart.
"Sister..." Chen Jinyue’s heart skipped a beat, losing its rhythm.
In the quiet of the night, it went *thump-thump*, vibrating against her eardrums.
Her senses were once again flooded with the scent of woody perfume. She uncontrollably nuzzled against Lin Yunsheng’s neck, her breath hitting the skin, causing the fragrance to scatter and then gather again.
"Sister..." she murmured with a slight tremble, her hand reaching up to grasp Lin Yunsheng’s collar, rubbing the fabric bit by bit.
She thought the painkillers must have worn off by now; the physical pain had vanished. But her five senses embraced her with a clarity stronger than any night in the past six years.
Lin Yunsheng let her move restlessly, her own breathing quickening as she held her sister tighter. Her lips brushed against the top of Jinyue's head, time and again, in a touch that was barely there.
Lin Yunsheng took a deep breath.
Her voice was tight with an unnatural tension as she said, "Go to sleep, Xiao Jin."
***
