Chapter 297: Chapter 298: Coming Clean

In the evening, while resting, Lin Youning was noticeably a bit embarrassed. After all, she had been headstrong with her big brother earlier, and realized that this was her first time being so willful since her rebirth.

In her previous life, her heart had long grown cold, and she couldn’t muster the energy for anything, living only in self-pity and resentment, hating fate for not being kind, hating her aunt for not protecting her, and most afraid of her own foolishness.

Now, everything was in the past, and she could start anew. Although many things were still beyond her control, it was already much better than her previous life.

She had family, and surprisingly, she even had someone she was fond of in her heart.

Even if this feeling couldn’t be expressed, it was so much better compared to her previous life.

After Gu Yifeng finished his bath and came out, he saw Sister Ning lying on the bed giggling. A smile also rose at the corner of his lips, “What are you thinking about?”

Lin Youning’s face got warm, “Thinking about having dinner, and that they will soon arrive in town.”

Gu Yifeng knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but didn’t press further. He pulled back the covers and got into bed, “It’s getting colder in the border city, and there are movements from the foreigners. In these days, I have to stay at the camp to issue orders whenever necessary. If you’re bored in the mansion, you can go out for a walk. Didn’t you say the old lady at that restaurant was nice? You can go visit her.”

Gu Yifeng turned his body, propping his head up with one hand, lying casually and lazily on the bed, looking down at Sister Ning, “It’s rare for you to have someone you can talk to, and I saw you were happy when you mentioned her.”

Lin Youning looked up at her big brother, feeling the warmth from his breath on her face. Her ears felt hot, not noticing that her cheeks had also reddened.

Gu Yifeng noticed Sister Ning’s shy expression, his heart slightly tightened and even excited. He realized that as long as he took his time, Sister Ning’s view would change their relationship, just like now, she was like a girl first discovering her feelings, showing a shy look when being watched by a young man.

Gu Yifeng resisted the urge to hold her in his arms, even wanted to kiss those red lips, suppressing the boiling blood, “Originally, I wanted to take you hunting, but it seems we’ll have to wait until your brother and the others come to town, then we’ll go together. People here don’t take New Year as seriously; since we’re not in the Capital, we don’t need to adhere to those rules. When the time comes, we’ll take people out to hunt in the wild and roast meat for New Year.”

Lin Youning’s attention was diverted, so she responded, “We’ll buy some fruit wine; roasting meat on a snowy night couldn’t be better.”

Last time at the restaurant, Lin Youning, being outside, only drank a small cup. The taste was much richer than the fruit wines brewed in the Capital, very pure.

Seeing the little girl relaxed, Gu Yifeng’s smile deepened, “I know an elder who brews good fruit wine. I’ll have Li Si buy some tomorrow; as for gifts being sent to the Capital, we’ll send some fruit wine back to Mother.”

“Aunt must know it’s me who loves drinking it.” Lin Youning quickly thought of this, her smile bright, “She’ll surely write back to scold me then.”

“Then I’ll write a letter at the same time, saying it was me who found it good, and that’s why I sent it back.” Gu Yifeng raised a hand to pull up the sliding quilt, “First time coming here, the weather outside is cold; it must be a bit uncomfortable at first, right?”

“It’s fine. Aunt had the seamstresses in the mansion rush to make thick cloaks with fur, and the rooms have heated floors, so it feels no different from the Capital.” Lin Youning liked snow, so naturally, that also plays a part.

Gu Yifeng lay down but still faced Sister Ning, “From now on, let Aunt Wu know she doesn’t need to come greet us.”

Lin Youning was taken aback hearing her big brother mention this suddenly, then realized why, feeling sweet inside. Surely, it was because Li Si and the others had told him, and he returned without even having his meal.

Lin Youning felt warm and sweet inside, but thinking that her big brother only saw her as his little sister, she also felt a bit bitter.

The feelings inside were difficult to describe.

Seeing her helpless expression again, Gu Yifeng raised his hand to hold her in his arms, resting his chin on her head, “Sister Ning, is there anything you can’t tell your big brother?”

Feeling her body stiffen in his arms, Gu Yifeng sighed but didn’t plan to let go, “I don’t know what kind of troubles you have, or if you’re still thinking about that dream. No matter how much we’ve dealt with, the truth is we’re together now.”

Gu Yifeng wished he could directly express his feelings for her.

The thought of Mrs. Dong and her unborn child, along with Sister Ning in his arms, kept spinning in his mind. Never before did he feel so strongly at this moment the desire to discard everything just to be together with one person for life and death.

Lin Youning felt her big brother’s heaviness, tried to get out of his embrace, but he held on too tight. Even with the quilt between them, she could still feel his strength, tight enough to make breathing difficult.

“Big brother…”

Gu Yifeng finally came to his senses and released her. Lin Youning took a deep breath, “I’m okay, everything is good now; I stopped taking that dream seriously long ago.”

After all, the ending had been changed.

And she wasn’t the person she was in her previous life.

Gu Yifeng gazed into those eyes looking up at him, watery eyes seemingly able to melt a person entirely, and those soft lips parted and closed.

The whole world went silent, as if only the little mouth was speaking. But Gu Yifeng didn’t hear what was being said, only instinctively drew closer, from a soft touch to probing, to passionately savoring.

Lin Youning was shocked by her big brother’s action, forgetting how to react, even forgetting to push him away, her mind blank, only aware of the burning heat all over and chest tightness suffocating her, until she finally breathed fresh air again.

She gasped for air, staring blankly at the face before her; it was indeed her big brother.

But her big brother just kissed her.

Lin Youning was filled with disbelief; everything happened so suddenly, leaving her mind unable to process what just happened.

Gu Yifeng’s blood was boiling, telling him he wanted Sister Ning.

However, he held back; he had already lost his composure earlier and couldn’t control himself. Looking at the stunned Sister Ning, Gu Yifeng turned and lay back on the bed, “It’s late, let’s sleep.”

Everything was quiet, Lin Youning slowly turned over, facing away from her big brother, hands clutching the blanket, her mind constantly asking why?

But in the end, what she kept thinking about was that moment just now.

Gu Yifeng didn’t move either, observing Sister Ning’s behavior. Her silence left him feeling a bit disappointed and uncertain, realizing that Sister Ning still hadn’t moved past the ’sibling’ relationship between them.

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