Jinhai took a deep breath.
This was fine.
Everything was completely fine.
Except it absolutely wasn't.
"Lily, give me a minute, okay? I'll be right back."
Lily nodded, completely unaware of the impending disaster, and returned to her pasta.
"Take your time," she said between bites. "I'm busy having a spiritual experience with this pasta."
Jinhai smiled despite himself.
"Glad my cooking is changing lives."
"It is. I might forgive you for all the annoying things you've done today."
"Only might?"
"Don't push your luck."
Jinhai shook his head as he cut his sister Meilin's call and opened the door.
The moment he opened it—
Meilin stood outside.
Arms crossed.
Eyebrows raised.
And a look on her face that immediately told Jinhai she had come prepared to cause problems.
"Took you long enou—"
Jinhai lunged.
"MMMPH!"
His palm immediately covered her mouth.
Meilin's eyes widened.
She bit him.
Hard.
Jinhai's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"MMPH—!"
He refused to scream.
He had neighbours.
Dignity mattered.
Barely.
He wrestled his sister backward into the hallway, shut the apartment door behind them and finally released her.
"What the hell is WRONG with you?" he whisper-yelled, shaking his bitten hand.
Meilin rubbed her mouth.
"You attacked me first!"
"You were about to yell!"
"I was saying hello!"
"You were yelling my name like the police were chasing you!"
"I missed you!"
"You bit me!"
"You cupped my mouth!"
"You bit me FIRST!"
They glared at each other.
A beat passed.
Meilin grinned.
"So…"
Jinhai immediately knew that tone.
"No."
"Is there someone inside?"
"No."
"A girl?"
"No."
"Your girlfriend?"
"Meilin."
Her grin widened.
"Oh my God."
Jinhai covered his face.
"It is NOT what you think."
"I haven't even said what I think."
"You're thinking it very loudly."
She folded her arms.
"So there IS a girl."
Jinhai sighed.
"I promise you, I will explain everything later. Just… please don't come inside right now."
Meilin stared at him.
Then her eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because…"
He struggled to find an answer that wouldn't destroy his entire life.
"…because I said so?"
Meilin's eyebrows shot up.
"Wow. Convincing."
"Please."
She tilted her head.
"Is she pretty?"
Jinhai blinked.
"That is completely irrelevant."
"That means yes."
"I didn't say yes."
"You didn't say no."
"Because I don't know what you're talking about!"
Meilin gasped dramatically.
"Gege has a girlfriend!"
"She is NOT my girlfriend."
"Then what is she?"
Jinhai hesitated.
Meilin's eyes lit up.
"Aha!"
"She's a friend."
"A female friend."
"Yes."
"A pretty female friend."
"Meilin."
"Who is currently eating dinner in your apartment."
Jinhai pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I am begging you to stop talking."
Meilin looked delighted.
"I knew something was suspicious when you suddenly became impossible to reach."
"I've always been impossible to reach. Plus I had an incident at the studio."
"No. Usually you ignore me because you're annoying. Today you're ignoring me because you're HIDING A WOMAN."
"I am not hiding anyone!"
He paused.
"…technically."
Meilin's jaw dropped.
"TECHNICALLY?!"
"Keep your voice down!"
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"Gege…"
"What?"
"I need to use the washroom."
Jinhai stared at her.
She stared back.
"No."
"I really need to."
"Go somewhere else."
"There is literally a washroom inside your apartment."
"And there are approximately nine thousand other bathrooms in this city."
"I'm not going to make it to the ninth thousand."
"Meilin—"
She clutched her stomach dramatically.
"Gege…"
Jinhai closed his eyes.
"Shit."
"Exactly."
He looked toward the apartment door.
Then back at her.
There was no way.
Absolutely no way.
" You can't come in."
Meilin's expression changed.
"Okay."
She smiled sweetly.
Far too sweetly.
"But I've been craving hot pot."
Jinhai stared at her.
"You're unbelievable."
She extended her hand.
"I accept cash."
"You are blackmailing your own brother."
"I'm negotiating."
"You're extorting me."
"Family discount."
Jinhai sighed and pulled out his wallet.
He shoved some cash into her hand.
Meilin's eyes sparkled.
"YAY!"
She immediately threw her arms around him.
"Thank you, Gege! You're my favourite brother!"
"Im telling this to Lihyun."
"Over my dead body."
Jinhai rolled his eyes, laughing as he ruffled her hair.
"Brat."
"Idiot."
"Greedy brat."
"Rich idiot."
He was about to respond when—
Muffled Footsteps.
Jinhai froze.
His smile vanished.
Oh no.
Those were Lily's footsteps from inside the apartment.
She must have finished eating.
He looked toward the apartment.
Then at Meilin.
Then back at the apartment.
His brain entered emergency mode.
"Meilin."
"Hm?"
"Don't say a word."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Not. One. Word."
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
"Gege, you're acting weird."
"I'm always weird."
"Not this weird."
The footsteps grew louder.
Jinhai grabbed her shoulders.
"Please."
Meilin barely had time to react before he marched her toward the elevator.
"Hey! What are you—"
"Inside."
He pushed her into the elevator.
"Wait—"
"Stay here."
"You're insane."
"I know."
He shoved another handful of cash into her palm.
Meilin looked down.
Then up.
Her expression immediately softened.
"…I suddenly respect your decision."
"Good."
Jinhai pressed absolutely nothing.
He simply shut the elevator doors.
The doors closed.
Silence.
Jinhai stared at them.
Then realized,
He hadn't pressed a floor.
"…Oh, for God's sake."
Behind him,
Click.
His apartment door opened.
Jinhai spun around.
Lily stepped out, looking around.
"Jinhai?"
He immediately leaned casually against the elevator like he'd been standing there doing absolutely nothing suspicious.
"Hey."
Lily frowned.
"I thought you had a guest."
"She left."
"Oh."
She looked toward the closed elevator doors.
"Who was it?"
Jinhai's brain screamed.
Lie.
"Uh…"
He scratched the back of his neck.
"My sister."
The words left his mouth.
Jinhai immediately regretted every life choice that had brought him to this moment.
Lily's eyes widened.
"Your SISTER?!"
"Yes."
"You have a sister?"
"Yes."
"Jinhai!"
"What?"
"You should've told me!"
She looked genuinely disappointed.
"I would've loved to meet her."
Jinhai gave an awkward smile.
"She just came to ask for money."
A loud—
THUMP.
came from inside the elevator. Lily definitely didn't like what she heard.
Both of them froze.
Jinhai's eyes widened.
Lily slowly turned toward the elevator.
"…Did the elevator just…"
"Old elevator."
Lily's lips twitched.
"Your elevator sounds angry."
"It has emotional issues."
She burst out laughing.
Jinhai smiled nervously.
Then her expression softened.
"Actually, I should go."
Jinhai's smile faded slightly.
"Already?"
"It's getting late."
She nodded toward the apartment.
"And I've already eaten enough of your food and I left some, for you."
He looked at her.
"Thanks."
"Make sure you eat it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And get some rest."
"Yes, ma'am."
"And don't stay up all night."
"Yes, ma—"
She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"Would I ever?"
"Yes."
"Fair."
Lily shook her head, smiling.
Jinhai couldn't help smiling back.
"Thanks again, Liang Princess."
Her smile disappeared.
"Don't call me that."
"Why?"
"Because it's annoying."
"I think it suits you."
"It makes me sound spoiled."
"You are spoiled."
She stared at him.
"You are one sentence away from being abandoned in this hallway."
Jinhai laughed.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop."
"You won't."
"Nope."
She rolled her eyes and headed toward the elevator behind him.
Jinhai's entire body stiffened.
"Wait!"
Lily stopped.
"What?"
He quickly stepped between her and the elevator.
"Use the other one."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Why?"
"This one is…"
He glanced at the doors.
"…broken."
"Okay…" Lily mouthed.
Jinhai immediately guided her toward the other elevator.
"Come on."
"You're acting suspicious."
"I'm always suspicious."
"You're terrible at lying."
"I prefer mysterious."
"You prefer stupid."
"That too."
He pressed the button.
The doors opened.
Lily stepped inside.
Before the doors closed, he looked back at her.
"Text me when you get home."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I will."
"Goodnight, Jinhai."
"Goodnight, Lily."
The doors slid shut.
Jinhai stood there until they disappeared.
Then—
Silence.
He slowly leaned his back against the wall.
Closed his eyes.
And exhaled like a man who had just survived a natural disaster. He didn't even know that he had been holding his breath this whole time.
"Meilin…"
He looked toward the other elevator.
"You can come out now."
Nothing.
Jinhai frowned.
"Meilin?"
The elevator doors opened.
Meilin stepped out.
Slowly.
Silently.
She turned to look at him.
Jinhai looked at her.
Her expression was terrifyingly calm.
Her lips were pressed into a thin line.
Her eyebrows were furrowed.
It was the exact expression their mother wore before delivering a lecture.
Jinhai swallowed.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Meilin pointed toward the apartment.
"Inside."
Jinhai blinked.
"What?"
"Inside."
"Meilin—"
"JINHAI SHULONG!."
His soul left his body.
"We need to talk."
He slowly followed her.
"About?"
Meilin turned around.
Her eyes narrowed.
"SINCE WHEN," she asked slowly, "HAVE YOU BEEN SECRETLY MEETING LILY LIANG?"