These Dangerous Girls Placed Me Into Jeopardy-Chapter 55Vol 2. .5: In the Case of the [Cold-Type Brocon Sister (Fake)]

“I’m heading out now!”

Clang!

“......” x2 freeweɓnøvel.com

It was early morning on Qingming Festival, and my brother rushed out in a flurry. He was wearing something very formal, his hair still damp—he must’ve only wiped it briefly with a towel after showering, didn’t even bother with a hair dryer.

The reason he was in such a hurry must’ve been because he was late. I remember him saying yesterday that Lillian Ji’s birthday party started at eight. And now it was already close to seven-forty.

“Honestly... Brother, he just ran out like that in a panic—so eager to go see that girlfriend of his, huh... hmph!”

“He probably overslept. He didn’t even have time to make breakfast this morning. Must’ve slept really soundly last night... looks like he’s been accumulating a lot of fatigue lately.”

The night before last, he didn’t come home at all. Something must’ve happened. After he got back, the two of us ganged up on him and gave him a hard time—he must’ve been totally drained...

That’s why, last night, Cora and I didn’t sleep next to him—for the sake of letting him rest properly.

Because if we had, he would’ve forced himself to stay awake again...

Even though, if Brother just held us while sleeping, we wouldn’t have done anything overboard... Sure, we do have thoughts about pushing Brother down, but we’d still consider his physical condition.

Cora and I stood at the doorway for a long while. A breeze slipped through the not-quite-closed door. I walked over, shut it tight, and turned to Cora.

“Want some breakfast? I’ll make it.”

Cora pouted and shook her head.

“Mm... forget it, I’m not really hungry. You eat, Serena.”

“Okay then, I’m not hungry either.”

Neither of us had much of an appetite. Without Brother here, breakfast just feels flavorless.

“Let’s go back to bed then~ Hehe, I still wanna snuggle with you, Serena~”

Cora dropped her gloomy look and giggled as she lunged to wrap her arms around my waist. I stroked her head and said,

“I’ll grab a drink of water first. You go on ahead.”

“Okay~ But hurry back, alright? I’ll warm up the bed for you, teehee~”

“Mm.”

Her mood... looks like it’s finally stabilized.

All thanks to Brother comforting her the night before last. If he hadn’t, I really don’t know what kind of state Cora would be in right now.

Just knowing Brother has a girlfriend triggered such intense negative emotions in her. If she ever found out about that, the consequences would be unthinkable...

Just like Dad said, this is something best kept secret. Ideally, no one should ever find out—not even Brother. On April Fool’s Day, I almost let it slip during a moment of absentmindedness. I really need to be more careful from now on.

But how long can I keep hiding it...? Honestly, deep down, I think I want to tell Brother about it.

Even though I’ve warned myself over and over not to cross the line—that I already have so much, and asking for more would just be greedy...

But still, I want it.

“Greedy... really greedy.”

As if to swallow the feeling down, I drained the glass of water in one gulp, wiped my lips, and headed back to the bedroom.

Cora had wrapped herself in the blankets, looking like an adorable little caterpillar. She blinked at me playfully.

So cute... totally unlike me.

I remember being jealous of Cora long ago, but with time, that jealousy faded—and without realizing it, I started liking her.

Cora is exactly what her name suggests—a pitiful, lovable little sister. At home, she’s our center. Brother and I both orbit around her.

That’s why I’ve always felt that her being at Brother’s side was the most fitting arrangement...

But Brother chose someone else. A girl named Lillian Ji—a wealthy young lady.

I saw her once at school. She was stunning. And she wasn’t just playing around—her interest in Brother was serious.

The Brother who we thought would always stay by our side... he’s changing. He’s heading toward new places, and his world is no longer just us. And... that’s perfectly normal. Brother’s growing up.

But it scares me. That he’ll drift farther and farther away. Maybe Cora is even more afraid than I am. That’s probably why she’s been so agitated lately.

“Serena~ Come on up~”

“Mm, I’m coming.”

Last night, Cora and I slept in my room. The bed I used to share with Brother is still there, and we both squeezed onto the top bunk together.

Because that was Brother’s bed.

Even though the blankets are different now, and he’s long since moved to the attic, sleeping there just... feels like I can still sense his presence.

That’s why ever since he moved out, I’ve been sleeping on the top bunk.

Seeing how excited Cora looked, I knew we were thinking the same thing.

I climbed up the ladder. A single bed really isn’t meant for two people, so we had to press tightly together.

“Mmm, so jealous of you, Serena. Your boobs are huge~ They’re super nice to squeeze!”

“Yours aren’t small.”

“Yes, they are! Mine still fit in one hand, but yours overflow from between the fingers! Way better!”

Cora tugged my camisole strap aside and slipped her hand into my nightgown, fondling my chest.

I was used to it by now. She’d been groping me all night. I even fell asleep with her face buried between my breasts.

Seeing her look so happy made me want to hug her even tighter... Is this what they call maternal instinct?

“Mmm... I don’t think Brother would care about stuff like this...”

“Maybe not, but with boobs this big, you can wear more mature clothes. Then you can totally seduce Brother, hehe~”

“Really?”

“Of course! All guys instinctively stare at exposed skin. Brother’s no exception.”

“Hmph...”

I really don’t think Brother cares about that kind of thing. The first time I touched him, he didn’t react at all...

I’m getting sleepy...

Cora kept chattering away, but her voice was getting harder to make out.

I kissed her on the forehead, then gently tucked her face into my chest. She immediately understood and quieted down, holding me and closing her eyes.

“Brother really is an idiot... If he’d just accept us, he could fall asleep in this soft embrace every night...”

“......”

Maybe... what Brother’s afraid of... is getting addicted to our embrace...

...

By the time I woke up, it was already past one in the afternoon.

Mm, I can’t let myself indulge in this warmth any longer. Time to get ready.

I looked down at Cora, still sound asleep in my arms. Not wanting to wake her, I picked her up and jumped off the bed.

It wasn’t that high, and she’s not that heavy, so nothing bad happened.

After laying her on the sofa in the living room, I figured I’d tidy up her hair first. Lunch could wait.

I grabbed a comb and began brushing her hair. The afternoon sky had cleared up—sunlight poured in, warm on my skin.

“Mm... it’s so warm...”

This girl... she’s just too adorable.

After brushing her hair and tying it into a ponytail with a ribbon, the moment I finished, Cora opened her eyes, jumped up, and threw herself energetically into my arms.

“Thank you, Serena-jie~ I love you the most~”

“Heh, I thought your favorite person was our brother?”

“Gege is the one I love the most~ Heehee~”

Ah... so that’s how she distinguishes it.

Once we’d finished washing up and changing clothes, I cooked curry. We ate lunch together, rested a little... and before I knew it, it was already 2:30 PM.

Cora slumped on the table, rolling her cheek against the surface with a sulky look as she asked the same question for the twenty-second time.

“Is Ethan still not back?”

“...No.”

Why hasn’t he come back yet?

It’s nearly time already...

Today’s Qingming Festival. The whole family was supposed to go visit the graves together.

We usually went early in the morning, but this year we decided to go after three in the afternoon.

Partly because the funeral home’s been too crowded lately... and partly because it was overcast this morning, no sun at all.

We had already agreed yesterday to go after 3 PM.

But it’s already 2:30, and Ethan still hasn’t come back.

Someone like Ethan—so punctual and reliable—he always ranks things by priority. For something this important, he should have made it back no matter what.

Just then, the sound of the door unlocking came from the entrance. Cora and I immediately looked down the hallway toward the entryway.

“I’m home.”

“...Ah. It’s Dad.”

I really thought it was Ethan for a second...

“You two look so disappointed—makes me kinda sad, you know.”

“Ah! Sorry, that’s not what we meant at all...”

I quickly waved my hands in denial. Dad just smiled, waving it off like it didn’t matter.

Still standing at the entry without removing his shoes, Dad asked:

“If we’re ready, let’s head out. Where’s Ethan?”

“Gege had something to take care of. He said he’d definitely be back in the afternoon, but...”

“I ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) see... so Ethan still isn’t home.”

Dad didn’t get angry. In fact, I haven’t seen Dad angry in a long time.

He adjusted his glasses and, after thinking a bit, made a decision.

“Forget it. We won’t wait—let’s go ahead.”

“Is that really okay?”

“It’s fine. Honestly, it might be better if Ethan doesn’t come...”

...Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?

Dad’s always like this—he treats Ethan differently from how he treats Cora and me.

He’s strict with us but much softer with Ethan. We never complained about it, but... it’s a little strange. He never struck me as the patriarchal type.

He doesn’t demand much in terms of school or lifestyle, but when it comes to personal values and character, he teaches with absolute seriousness. That’s probably why Ethan grew up to be so honest—he literally can’t tell a lie.

Does Dad think that moral education matters more than anything else?

I really don’t know...

While I was still thinking, Dad drove us to the funeral home.

When we arrived, Mom was already waiting in the parking lot.

“Mom.”

“You finally made it. I’ve been waiting for a while. Where’s Ethan?”

“I don’t know. He left this morning and hasn’t come back since.”

“...Huh? Your brother actually stood us up? That’s rare... Do you think something happened to him? Honey, maybe we should call Ethan—”

Mom spoke with real concern in her voice.

“No need to worry too much. Ethan’s very mature—he understands what matters. If he hasn’t come back, it probably means something more important came up. Let’s not force him.”

“Mm... alright then. Let’s just go.”

“Oooh, look at you, Mom! Not busy today? You even had time to wait for us!”

“Who are you calling ‘Mom’ like that?! But yeah, I guess it’s been a bit less hectic lately...”

Mom narrowed her eyes and grabbed Cora by the ear, clearly annoyed.

“Wahhh! That hurts! Let go!”

That’s always how it is between Cora and Mom. Cora only acts bratty like this around her. They’ve had that kind of mother-daughter vibe for as long as I can remember.

“Ah, Dad’s heading in already. Let’s hurry up and catch up.”

“This is your fault for messing around! Grab the flowers!”

Inside the cemetery, Dad had already found the grave...

“Qian... I’ve come to see you again...”

An Qian. That was the name of my birth mother, who passed away.

Dad didn’t offer incense or flowers. He simply took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one... He doesn’t normally smoke. Only during Qingming and on New Year’s. And every time, he smokes through the whole pack without saying a single word.

He just stands there like a statue in front of the tombstone.

Mom walked over, placed the bouquet down, and then quietly moved to another grave nearby. She offered flowers there as well, then returned to our side.

“No matter how many years pass, he just can’t forget her... I can’t even remember her face anymore, and yet Yongkang still remembers her so clearly... Honestly, I do get jealous sometimes. Heh. Jealous of someone who’s been dead for over a decade...”

“Mom...”

I reached out and held her hand, hoping to offer a little comfort. She turned to me with a gentle smile.

“It’s alright. I’m just being sentimental, that’s all. It’s been more than ten years. And to be honest, getting to be part of his heart... becoming a family with you and Ethan... that’s the greatest blessing of my life.”

Cora came up between us, hooking one arm through mine and the other through Mom’s, and said cheerfully:

“That’s right! We’ll always be together!”

Yeah... we’ll always be together.

Because we’re a family...

...

“......”

“What’s wrong, Castellan? You suddenly held your forehead—are you feeling unwell?”

“No. I just... received some lingering emotion.”

“Ah, it’s Qingming Festival today, isn’t it? Still, it’s rare for anyone to come after three PM... For it to affect you like this, it must’ve been intense. Was it your husband? Or a child?”

“...My husband.”

“Are you not going to visit?”

“There’s no point. The living and the dead walk different paths. I have no right to disturb them.”

“Uh, but Castellan, you’re basically no different from a living person...”

“Of course there’s a difference. And you—don’t forget your own place. One careless slip and it could lead to disaster.”

“Geez, why the sudden lecture? I’m just worried about you! You’ve got this melancholy aura! It’s giving Nie Xiaoqian vibes! No wonder your name has ‘Qian’ in it too!”

“You brat—getting gutsy, huh?! I told you, when we’re on duty, you call me Castellan! Have you found any leads on the corpse theft case, or are you just slacking off again?!”

“Waaah! So mean! I even skipped the new ramen shop opening today! I was just worried about you!”

“Hmph... whatever. I’m not going because I don’t need to. I already understand.”

“...Understand what?”

“Not telling you~”

“Then can I go eat ramen?”

“No.”

“Ehhhhhhhhhh—”

“Do your damn job properly, or no dinner tonight!”

“Whaaa?! Noooo, Mamaaa!”

“Hehe~ Then work hard, you little gremlin!”