After Muyang sternly scolded Liuxiaoxiao,
Liuxiaoxiao did become much more obedient, but she still shot Liushuning a smug glance.
The short drama continued playing.
On the screen, a monster crawled out of a dark corridor. Its purple-gray skin was almost rotten through, and limbs sprouted all over its body as it raced forward at terrifying speed.
The camera suddenly zoomed in on the monster’s face. Its twisted, rotting visage nearly filled the entire screen.
Muyang shuddered in fright and instinctively hugged Xiaoxiao even tighter.
“Ah!”
Xiaoxiao cooperated by letting out a scream as well, burrowing her entire body into Muyang’s chest.
The top of her head rubbed against Muyang’s chin, while Muyang’s warm breath puffed against the side of her neck.
Without even realizing it, Muyang slowly shrank beneath the blanket, leaving only his head exposed.
Xiaoxiao’s heart was so sweet it nearly bubbled over.
Muyang’s arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, tightening slightly every time something frightened him.
Xiaoxiao turned her head slightly and secretly kissed the sleeve of Muyang’s clothes.
She felt that she could die without regrets.
Liushuning, sitting beside them, was pressed just as closely against Muyang. She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing lightly and slowly.
Muyang’s left arm was accidentally squeezed against her chest. The soft sensation made his entire body stiffen.
But then another monster’s roar came from the television. How could he still spare any thought for that? He immediately continued focusing on the show.
The three of them huddled together as the terrifying scenes on the television continued.
Whenever Muyang became nervous, his fingers unconsciously clenched the blanket, his palms growing slick with sweat.
Xiaoxiao’s face grew hotter and hotter.
Biting her lip, she slowly sank lower.
She held her breath, her heart pounding loudly, and bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from making a sound.
From the corner of her eye, she glanced toward Liushuning on her right. Second Sister had her eyes closed, her face resting on Muyang’s arm.
Xiaoxiao gave a cold snort inwardly.
【Putting on an act. You’re really good at pretending.】
【But right now, I’m the one being held in Big Brother’s arms. You’re nothing more than an arm ornament.】
At that thought, she could no longer restrain herself and narrowed her eyes slightly.
On the television, the protagonist finally found a safe room, and Muyang temporarily relaxed.
Only then did Muyang poke his head out from beneath the blanket and exhale. “That scared me to death…”
He lowered his head and realized that he had been squeezing Xiaoxiao tightly, practically stuffing her entire body beneath the blanket. He hurriedly loosened his hold and lifted her slightly.
“Sorry, Xiaoxiao. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Xiaoxiao jumped in fright. Her face flushed bright red as she quickly pulled her hand out from beneath the blanket and shook her head.
“It doesn’t hurt! Being hugged by Big Brother is really comfortable.”
Muyang smiled. “You’re such a sweet talker.”
Little did he know that Xiaoxiao had not been lying. She had been telling the truth.
Liushuning opened her eyes as well and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Big Brother, I’m scared too. Why didn’t you ask me?”
Muyang turned to look at her and saw a faint smile on Shuning’s face, though her gaze was completely serious.
“You… Aren’t you usually very brave?”
Liushuning gently shook her head. “When Shuning is with Big Brother, I become less brave.”
Muyang felt a little embarrassed and did not quite dare look at her,
because Liushuning was currently holding onto his arm, and her chest was accidentally pressing against it.
Muyang also understood that he was not nearly as strong as Shuning. There was no way he could pull his arm free.
But Shuning certainly had not done it on purpose. If he pointed it out, Second Sister would definitely feel awkward.
Helpless, Muyang could only maintain the situation as it was.
The three of them quietly finished watching the rest of the show like that.
By the time the entire film ended, it was already past midnight.
Muyang let out a long breath and reached for the remote on the bedside table.
Instead, he froze on the bed.
His left arm was being hugged tightly by Shuning, her entire body leaning against his shoulder, the fresh fragrance from her body filling his nose.
As for his right arm, there was even less to say. Xiaoxiao was hugging it to her chest as though it were a stuffed doll, and the soft sensation made him flush.
Muyang tried moving it.
Heh. Just as he had expected.
He could not move at all.
“Um…”
He cleared his throat.
“The show’s over. You two can get up now.”
Neither of them moved.
Xiaoxiao kept her eyes closed and mumbled,
“Let me hug you a little longer, Big Brother…”
Shuning did not say anything either. She merely tightened her arms, refusing to let Muyang leave.
Helpless, Muyang used the fingers of the only hand he could move to poke Xiaoxiao in the stomach.
“Xiaoxiao, let go. Big Brother needs to get the remote.”
Only then did Xiaoxiao reluctantly loosen her arms a little.
Muyang quickly grabbed the remote and switched off the television.
The bedroom immediately grew dark, with only a little light from the streetlamps outside filtering through the window.
He set down the remote and turned his head toward his two sisters.
“All right, the television’s off too. Shouldn’t you two go back to bed now?”
The instant he finished speaking, both sisters hugged Muyang’s arms tighter.
“Nooo~”
A combined assault of softness descended upon him.
Xiaoxiao spoke first, her voice soft and clingy. “I don’t want to go back, Big Brother.”
Liushuning chimed in gently. “Big Brother, it’s still early…”
Muyang’s eyes widened. “It’s past midnight, and you still call that early? I have to work tomorrow. Since you two don’t have to get up for work, are you going to torment me all night?”
“Then we’ll just lie here quietly. We promise we won’t disturb you.”
Shuning lifted her head to look at Muyang.
“Big Brother, it’s been a long time since we slept together.”
It was true. Ever since their parents had left, he had never allowed his two sisters into his room again.
“And in another month, we’ll be going to school.”
Shuning’s voice grew even softer. “After that, we’ll only be able to come home once a week…”
Xiaoxiao immediately joined in.
“Exactly, exactly! Then we won’t be able to see Big Brother! Can you really bear it? Xiaoxiao will be all alone at school, with no one to cherish me or love me…”
“All right, all right!”
Muyang was helpless.
He looked at his two sisters—one gazing up at him, the other tilting her head to the side, both pairs of eyes staring at him pitifully.
Those two had truly mastered the art of shamelessly pestering people.
He sighed, his tone softening slightly.
“Then… all right.”
The two sisters’ eyes lit up at the same time.
“But!”
Muyang abruptly changed his tone and raised three fingers.
“We’re going to establish three rules.”
“First, neither of you is allowed to move around.”
“Second, both of you have to go back and bring your own blankets over.”
“Third, and most importantly, neither of you is allowed to crawl into my bed!”
“Okay, okay!”
“We’ll do whatever Big Brother says.”
Xiaoxiao and Shuning nodded obediently like pecking chicks.
Then,
the two of them sprang up from the bed almost simultaneously and dashed back to their rooms to fetch their blankets.
In less than thirty seconds, the bedroom door was slammed open with a bang.
Xiaoxiao rushed in clutching her pink blanket, with Shuning right behind her, carrying a light-blue air-conditioning blanket.
The sound of the door startled Muyang.
“You two idiots, slow down! Why are you always so reckless? Do you know how much it’ll cost to repair the door if you break it?”
Neither of them paid him any attention.
Xiaoxiao bounded onto the bed in one leap, lay down against his right side, shook out her blanket, and covered herself with it.
Shuning climbed onto the bed from the left. Her movements were much more elegant, but she was no less swift as she settled down beside Muyang.
Both of them pressed tightly against the edges of his blanket. Through the two thin air-conditioning blankets, their body heat was almost palpable.
Muyang was helpless. If they wanted to snuggle up against him, then they could go ahead.
He reached over and switched off the bedside lamp.
The instant darkness descended,
two pairs of warm arms simultaneously wrapped around his waist.
Muyang’s eyes flew open, and he immediately switched the lamp back on.
Under the light, both sisters had already burrowed into his blanket.
Muyang’s entire body instantly stiffened, and he did not dare move.
He could feel the two delicate bodies beneath the blanket,
their wildly curving figures.
The next moment,
a pair of jade-white hands reached out,
and the light suddenly went out.