Chapter 20: Still Can’t Accept It
After discovering the answer, Xia Ling left Xia Yu’s room, and Xia Yu, feeling drained, flopped back onto her bed. She had been so anxious just now; thank goodness her sister promised to keep the secret.
Back in her own room, Xia Ling’s heart was still in a tizzy. She never imagined her second brother would go through something like this. Should she view Xia Yu through the eyes of the world? Xia Ling didn’t know; all she felt was… poor second brother.
And just like that, the night slipped quietly away.
The next day was New Year’s Eve, so early in the morning, Xia Le, Xia Yu, and Xia Ling were all dragged out of bed to put up couplets.
Before putting up the new couplets, they had to tear down the old ones. Maybe last year’s couplets were just too good, because inevitably, some bits remained stuck no matter how hard they yanked.
This was where the trio of Xia siblings came into play, because those stubborn remnants needed to be dampened and scraped off. That’s what Father instructed, so they had no choice but to follow along.
Maybe due to yesterday’s conversation, Xia Ling and Xia Yu were at a loss on how to face each other, especially Xia Yu, who couldn’t shake the thought that her sister now knew her biggest secret. Xia Yu couldn’t help but wonder if her sister found her disgusting.
And why wouldn’t she? After all, she was a freak. Xia Yu tried to self-deprecate but didn’t regret telling her sister; sharing the secret felt great.
Thus, Xia Yu assumed her sister must be repulsed by her, so she started to distance herself from Xia Ling. After all, the fact that Xia Ling could keep her secret was already such a big deal. What more could she ask for?
Xia Feng had never learned about things like menstrual cycles, such as avoiding cold water. So, while cleaning up those shreds of paper, she used a damp cloth with cold water…
Seeing this, Xia Ling wanted to remind Xia Yu, but when the words reached her throat, they just wouldn’t come out. Maybe she hadn’t gotten over that hurdle yet.
So, Xia Ling could only watch her clueless sister mistreat herself, knowing the consequences would follow.
Sure enough, after they finished hanging the couplets, the consequences of Xia Yu’s thoughtlessness hit her. Suddenly, her lower abdomen twisted in pain, forcing her to retreat to her room to lie down and rest.
Thank goodness nothing else happened afterward; otherwise, Xia Yu had no idea how she’d manage to push through the pain while helping out.
On the bed, Xia Yu could only curl up and endure the pain all alone—no one there to share the burden.
…
Just a while ago, watching Xia Yu clutch her belly as she went upstairs, Xia Ling immediately guessed that Xia Yu had started her period. Mom had taught her a few ways to alleviate cramps, but… in that moment, Xia Ling hesitated on whether to help second brother.
He was a freak, and that thought echoed endlessly in Xia Ling’s mind, making it hard to jump over that hurdle.
She was just a fifth-grade girl, without any grand thoughts. Influenced by her surroundings, she and her little friends all viewed freaks as gross, but she never imagined her second brother was one of them…
So, Xia Ling’s acceptance of Xia Yu would take time. At that moment, Xia Yu was all alone, the outside bustling with New Year’s joy while she suffered in the quiet of her room.
