The Inverted Dragon's Scale

An abrupt noise sounded. Li Muyang who was currently in deep thought, jumped up in fright.

Li Muyang was between laughter and tears as he saw his sister dressed in a pink Paul Frank Pyjamas making faces at him. He said, “Li Shinian, are you not too childish? ”

Li Shinian curled her lips and said with a dissatisfied face: “How come? Now you dislike me because I’m childish? After seeing the graceful and calm temperament of Xiaoxin sister, you begin to dislike me, a skinny and unsophisticated girl? Back then, when Xiaoxin sister did not pay any attention to you, did you think I was childish?”

“I didn’t mean it like that—”

“You did, you so did. You men only like the new and forget the old, do you think I don’t know–I heard that good-looking men are unfaithful. Li Muyang, unexpectedly, you are also a playboy. You can go out and chase after girls but will the girls even take a glance at you? ”

“—-”

Li Muyang knows, he had unintentionally hurt Li Shinian’s fragile self-esteem.

Otherwise, she would not have transformed into a poisonous snake baring its fangs and brandishing its claws in just one second.

“Wow, Shinian’s pyjamas are so beautiful, is it new? “Li Muyang began to display his ‘indirectly saving the country’ moves. Every time he used this trick in the past, Li Shinian would surrender, then the conversation will be drastically changed from criticising Li Muyang to praising Li Shinian.

“Li Muyang, I have already worn these pyjamas for a good few days. Yesterday night I came into your room wearing it and we chatted for half the day; does your eyes even take notice of me?” Li Shinian jumped onto the bed, grabbed a pillow and began to hit Li Muyang’s head.

“I surrender, I surrender.” Li Muyang tightly covered his head with his hands and admitted defeat. “Now that I think about it, yesterday night I indeed saw you coming in wearing this pyjamas. I originally thought that whatever clothes you wear will always look good on you, but the one you’re wearing is indeed especially kawaii.”

Li Shinian beat him with even more force. She gritted her teeth and said: “You idiot, what do you mean by kawaii? You dislike the fact that I have no chest or ass, right? You think my features and appearance are not mature enough but childish? I’ve never heard you compliment Xiaoxin sister ‘kawaii’? ”

“—–” Li Muyang did not dare to continue speaking.

He had realised, once a woman was angry at you, even breathing in her sight was polluting the air.

After letting her vent her anger by covering his head in the duvet for a while, Li Muyang was able to raise his head. He smiled at her and said, “No more hitting? ”

“I won’t hit anymore. My hands are aching. “Li Shinian threw the pillow to one side and leant against the headboard along with Li Muyang. She casually grabbed a bag of potato chips and ate loudly, making ‘kacha kacha’ sounds.

“At night, eat less fried foods, you will get fat. “Li Muyang said.

Li Shinian glared and said: “Li Muyang, what do you mean? Now you dislike the fact that I’m fat?

“—–”

Seeing Li Muyang’s speechless face, Li Shinian finally could not help but laugh loudly, she grabbed a potato chip, stuffed it into Li Muyang’s mouth and said: “Brother, sometimes I feel that you’re really adorably ugly and cute.”

“I’ve always thought you’re very cute. “Li Muyang mumbled with his mouth filled with chips.

“Of course. “Li Shinian flung back her freshly washed ear-length hair and said proudly. The lemon scent from her shampoo distributed throughout the air and the atmosphere turned sweet and sour, just like Li Shinian’s temperament. “Brother, you still haven’t answered my question. ”

“What question? ” Li Muyang played dumb.

“I asked if you like Xiaoxin sister—” Li Shinian said with a face of discontent: “Li Muyang, I’m telling you, you’re not getting away with it. I watched you as you grew up, before your butt even protrudes I already know you want to go to defecate—”

“I am your brother-” Li Muyang gloomily reminded her.

“Is what I said not the truth? ” Li Shinian rolled her eyes and asked rhetorically.

“——”

Li Shinian did not say anything wrong, she indeed did watch Li Muyang as he grew up.

Because of Li Muyang’s poor health, his body was extremely fragile. He was only able to open his eyes three years old, and only at seven years old was he able to walk steadily. Li Shinian was two years younger than Li Muyang, but when she was able to walk freely on the ground, Li Muyang was still like a baby lying in bed or crawling on the floor—At times when Li Muyang wanted to go to the toilet he would make ‘Ah Ah’ sounds and Li Shinian was the first person to know he had health problems that needed to be solved.

So, what she said right now about how she knew Li Muyang needed to go to the toilet before his butt even protrudes—was a shameful fact for Li Muyang that he could not face.

From a small age till now, most of the time he had to rely on his two years younger sister to take care of him.

“Hurry, hurry and say it.” Li Shinian once again stuffed slices of potato chips into Li Muyang’s mouth. She always liked to stuff lots and lots of chips into his mouth, not caring at all if his mouth was not able to contain anymore.

“I think she’s a good girl. ”

“And? ”

“And—-there’s no ‘and’? She has been helping me with my schoolwork, I am very grateful to her.”

“There are no other feelings? ”

“Li Shinian-we are still students, the vocation of a student is to study well, just what are you thinking? Your mind is not pure. ”

Li Shinian showed a look of disdain, stared at her brother Li Muyang and said: “Li Muyang, are you not too childish? You take a look at yourself in the mirror, first let’s not talk about the face of yours that’s older than your age by ten years. Nursery children already knows how to look for girlfriends and boyfriends, but yet you tell me that the vocation of a student is to learn? You do that again I’ll tell mum that you’re gay.”

“—–”

“Are you going to tell me or not? ”

“I have a little feeling towards her. “Li Muyang’s face was dyed in red, as he said these words embarrassingly. Li Shinian was the closest person to him, and also his sister. In the past, he told her anything that was on his mind. But this time there’s a feeling that’s not the same as before, a kind of emotion that he had never encountered before, a feeling he would he would never touch upon.

“That means you like her? ”

“If you say it is, then it is. ”

“It’s not if I say it is then it is, you tell me if it is or not. If you don’t like her, how can I help you with Xiaoxin sister and make her be your girlfriend? “Li Shinian said with a look of frustration.

Li Muyang’s eyes lit up and said, “Really? You’re able to help me court Xiaoxin? ”

“Can’t. “Li Shinian answer was brutally blunt.

“—-”

“Brother–” Li Shinian took a handful of chips and stuffed them into Li Muyang’s mouth again, Li Muyang shook his head in refusal.

“Eat this for me.” Without any explanation, she simply loaded Li Muyang’s mouth with chips.

“Why—Kacha Kacha—force me to eat this? “Li Muyang said with pain as he continued crunching the potato chips in his mouth. “It’s you who told me that eating fried foods at night will make me gain weight easily. ”

“Yes.” Li Muyang nodded seriously. ” That’s what the TV also says. ”

“I’m accompany you out of kindness by eating a little bit while you’re eating.” Li Shinian displayed a face of doing this act completely because of their deep bond between brother and sister. “Even if I really grow fat, if there’s someone who will grow fat along with me, the guilt in my heart will lessen. ”

“—–”

“Brother, I just want to talk to you about Xiaoxin sister. ” Li Shinina placed the potato chips on the bedside table and leant her head against Li Muyang’s shoulder. She said: “In your opinion, what kind of person is Xiaoxin sister?”

“Did I not say already? She’s a very good person. ”

“Yes. She’s a very good person, but unfortunately, she’s too good. ” Li Shinian said with a sigh.

“——–” Li Muyang understood what Li Shinian meant. Cui Xiaoxin was a very nice person, but unfortunately she’s too good.

“First, let’s not talk about her appearance and temperament, but her conversation style and manner alone. She occasionally displays manners and characteristics associated with the aristocracy. From this, we can largely guess what kind of person she is–she and us are not people of the same world. Furthermore when I was talking to her, I found out that she’s not from Jiangnan, but someone from the Capital. After the university entrance examinations have finished, she’ll need to return to Tiandu, and return to the place where she really belongs to.”

“Brother, I know you like Xiaoxin sister, because I am able to see it. During this time, it is the period that you’re the happiest and also the period where you smiled the most in tens years. In the past I had drained my mind to help you with your school work, every time you were always drowsy, but Xiaoxin sister was able to raise your grades rapidly—”

“Shinian, actually things are not what you think–”

“Brother, I know. “Shinian interrupted Li Muyang and said,” I know you don’t want to hurt me; you don’t want to say that I’m inferior to Xiaoxin sister. The truth is I really don’t care about this, Xiaoxin sister was able to help you, I can see that your grades has improved drastically. I’m just happy for you and there is no jealousy at all towards Xiaoxin sister. I have heard about the reason why you have left school. The few words that you said then has became the pet phrase of students in the school—”

“What?” “Li Muyang had a bewildered look on his face. “What did I say? ”

“I don’t accept.” Li Shinian’s eyes stared at his brother. She didn’t think that the guy being bullied constantly could have such a strong and stubborn side to him. Hearing the incident and his brother way of dealing with the situation, Li Shinian was moved to tears. Afterwards she sneaked into the teacher’s office during lunch break and threw a Croton seed[1] into Zhao Mingzhu’s tea cup.

[1] A strong purgative.