By the time Qin Huizhu drove home, it was already past 10 p.m. As soon as she stepped through the door and changed into her slippers, she saw her mother, Ding Pingli, looking at her with a face full of worry.
“How did it go, Huizhu? Did Xiao Yi go to school today?” she asked.
Hearing her mother’s question, Qin Huizhu, who had already been frustrated after being coldly rejected by Qin Yi, rubbed her temples and said in a low voice, “He went to school today.”
“Then where is he? Why didn’t he come back with you?” Ding Pingli asked again.
“He doesn’t plan on coming back.”
“This child, why is he so stubborn? It was just a little argument with his father. What’s so great about being out there? Where is he staying now? I’ll go talk to him.” Ding Pingli said, already starting to rise.
But Qin Guojing, sitting on the sofa, immediately scolded, “Why go looking for that ungrateful brat? If he likes being outside, let him die out there. I’ll just act like I never had that son!”
Ding Pingli looked troubled. “Old Qin, no matter what, Xiao Yi is still my own flesh and blood. He’s not even an adult yet. If anything happens to him while he’s outside, we as his parents are still responsible.”
Qin Guojing snorted coldly. “What responsibility? Was it me who begged him not to come home? Even if he came back, what then? Wouldn’t it just stir up trouble in this house again?”
Ding Pingli pursed her lips. “But still…”
“Enough! Don’t bring up that ungrateful kid again! Without him around, at least this house is peaceful! If you’re so concerned, why not spend more time caring for Xiaofeng? Having such a well-behaved son is enough for us!”
“Do you really want a household filled with constant trouble just to feel satisfied?”
Qin Guojing’s forceful attitude left Ding Pingli speechless. She had so much she wanted to say, but in the end, it all turned into a long sigh.
Xiaofeng was indeed far more sensible than Qin Yi.
If only Xiaofeng were her biological son…
She couldn’t help but think.
“Dad, Mom, I’m going to bed.”
After being rejected and drained all day, Qin Huizhu felt mentally and physically exhausted. She didn’t want to stay in the living room and watch her parents argue over Qin Yi anymore, so she said that and headed upstairs to her room.
She turned off the lights and lay down in bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, and all she wanted was a good night’s sleep to forget everything that had happened today. From now on, this family only had one younger brother—Xiaofeng. As for Qin Yi…
Heh.
She hoped he would keep his word and never have anything to do with the Qin family again.
Time passed slowly.
The large Qin family villa sank into complete silence.
Everyone had fallen asleep—except Qin Huizhu, who had been lying in bed the whole time but still couldn’t fall asleep.
“Damn it…” she cursed under her breath.
Her insomnia was acting up again.
Instinctively, she wanted to go find Qin Xiaofeng and ask him to play a piano piece to help her sleep, like always.
But she suddenly remembered that he was in the final stretch of preparing for the college entrance exams. He probably came home and studied all night. He must be fast asleep by now.
If she went to him now, wouldn’t she be disturbing him?
With that thought, Qin Huizhu took a deep breath and gave up the idea. She closed her eyes again, trying to sleep.
But after tossing and turning for what felt like an eternity, her body remained desperately tired while her mind refused to settle. She felt like she was going crazy.
“I can’t take this anymore!”
Unable to bear the torment of wanting to sleep but being unable to, and thinking about the important art exhibition tomorrow, she quickly got up, dressed, and left her room, heading straight for Qin Xiaofeng’s.
“Xiaofeng, are you asleep?” she asked softly, tapping gently on the door.
A few minutes later, with a soft click, the door opened. Qin Xiaofeng appeared in his pajamas, groggily scratching his head. “Second Sis? It’s so late. What’s up?”
Qin Huizhu hesitated a little. “Xiaofeng, I’m sorry for waking you. It’s just… my old problem’s acting up again. Can you help me out?”
The moment he heard that, the sleepiness in Qin Xiaofeng’s eyes vanished.
Qin Huizhu wasn’t sure if it was because she was too tired, but she thought she saw a flicker of panic in his expression.
But she didn’t dwell on it and continued, “You know my insomnia only gets better when I hear you play. I’ve got something important tomorrow. Just help me this once. I’ll buy you that watch you’ve been wanting for so long.” This story is hosted at g.com.
“Well… okay, I guess.”
Unable to resist her plea, Qin Xiaofeng gave in and followed her to her study.
“Same as usual,” Qin Huizhu said as she pulled out her sleep mask and lay down on the small bed in the study.
This had been an agreement between them for a long time.
Every time she used piano music to fall asleep, she would wear a sleep mask. The reason was that it helped her fall asleep better.
Qin Huizhu had never doubted this.
As long as she could hear Xiaofeng’s playing, she didn’t care.
Besides, Xiaofeng needed the lights on to play, and with the mask on, she could block out the light. It really did help her sleep more easily.
“Sis, I’m starting now.”
As soon as he spoke, the familiar sound of piano music filled the room.
Qin Huizhu lay quietly, her breathing rising and falling with the melody. The music held a strange, almost magical rhythm. Drowsiness began to wash over her like a tide.
But as the piece neared its end, that expected sleep never came. The drowsiness felt like a mischievous spirit, toying with her but never fully taking her into dreamland.
Restlessness, born from insomnia, started to overwhelm her again.
Why wasn’t she falling asleep?
Had her insomnia gotten worse?
It used to take only a short while of Xiaofeng’s playing before she drifted off.
And something else… the music today felt… different.
She couldn’t explain it, but it lacked something. It didn’t feel like it was being played live—it felt more like it was being played from a recording on a phone.
Suspicious, Qin Huizhu lifted her sleep mask.
The scene before her stunned her completely.
“Xiaofeng! You…”