Chapter 977 - Feelings
Once all of the lights in the room were shut off, Yuan and Yu Rou entered the bed together.
"How long has it been since we slept together? It's only been several months since you left the Yu Family, but it feels like much longer has passed." Yu Rou suddenly said.
Yuan turned his head sideways to look at her delicate face and smiled, "You have matured a lot since the last time I saw you."
"I had to grow up fast now that I am living alone. Living by yourself isn't easy. I thought that I was ready because I had been able to take care of you for years without much trouble, but I underestimated it. It's actually a lot harder to take care of yourself than to take care of others. Fortunately, Jingyi is there with me, so I am not truly alone."
"And brother, I can also say the same to you. You've changed a lot."
"Well, just like you, I also had to grow up fast."
"I know, but you also seem like a different person." Yu Rou said.
"In a bad sense?" Yuan raised his eyebrows.
"No, not in a bad sense. Before, even though you are older than me, it kind of felt like I was the older one. However, after spending a day with you, I can finally experience being a little sister again."
"Do you prefer the way I am now, or would you rather the old and naive me?"
Yu Rou pondered for a moment before speaking, "Honestly, I like both versions of you. However, if I had to choose, I would definitely choose the current you."
"Can I ask why?"
However, Yu Rou shook her head in silence.
"That's a secret," she mumbled in a bashful voice.
Due to the darkness in the room, Yu Rou's red face remained hidden.
"I guess everyone has their own secrets." Yuan smiled, not minding it.
After a moment of silence, Yu Rou turned to stare at Yuan's face with a serious expression.
"Brother… I have been wanting to ask you this, but I never got the chance."
"Meixiu… How are things between you and Meixiu right now?"
"Eh?" Yuan was taken aback by this sudden question.
"I mean, the two of you have been living together for a while now, and you even got to spend a few months living together inside a small apartment. As two young adults, you must have made some progress in your relationships, right?!"
"I-I don't get what you're trying to ask…" Yuan pretended to be oblivious.
However, Yu Rou wasn't having any of it and continued, "Don't lie to me, brother."
"Meixiu is a very attractive and beautiful woman, and she has been taking care of you ever since you left the Yu Family. The two of you are even around the same age. There's no way that you don't have any feelings for her."
"There's really nothing between us, Yu Rou." Yuan showed her a bittersweet smile.
"Brother! I might have believed you if you were still as naive as before, but you're different now! I am also different! I have matured as your sister and as a woman! I can tell that there's something between the two of you!"
Seeing the expression on Yu Rou's face at this moment, Yuan released a low sigh.
"All right, I will tell you the truth. Indeed, Meixiu is an attractive woman. After all, she's managed to charm me."
"I knew it!" Yu Rou exclaimed.
"How far have you gotten with her? Have you confessed yet?!"
Yuan responded with a stiff smile on his face, "Actually… We're already way past that point."
"Huh?" Yu Rou's eyes widened.
"S-So you're already partners? Like the 'boyfriend and girlfriend' kind?"
"Yes." Yuan nodded.
"I-I see… I have to admit… I truly didn't expect this…" she muttered in a dazed voice.
After a long moment of silence, she asked him, "W-What about Lulu? She likes you too, right? What are you going to do about her?"
"A-About that… She's also my partner…"
"WHAT?!" Yu Rou jumped off the bed after hearing this shocking information.
"How can Lulu be your partner when you already have Meixiu as your partner?! D-Don't tell me… You're two-timing them?!"
"What? No! I am not two-timing anyone!" Yuan quickly said.
Not wanting the misunderstanding to deepen any further, he explained to Yu Rou the whole situation.
"Meixiu and Lulu are both my partners, and they are both aware of it. I couldn't just accept one of them and abandon the other, so I decided to accept both of them. They also agreed to this."
Yu Rou's jaw dropped to the floor after learning the truth.
"M-My brother has a harem…" Yu Rou fell to the ground on her knees.
"Yu Rou?! Are you okay?"
"I-I thought I was mature enough to handle the truth, but alas, I have overestimated myself once again…" Yu Rou said to herself in a dispirited voice.
The room fell completely silent afterward.
Many moments later, Yu Rou stood up and said to Yuan, "Brother! I will be right back! Don't you dare leave this room until I come back!"
And without explaining any further, Yu Rou left the room.
Yuan had an idea where Yu Rou went, so he didn't bother chasing after her.
Sometime later, Yu Rou knocked on the door to Meixiu's room.
"Yu Rou? What's the matter? I thought you were going to sleep with Yuan." Meixiu asked her.
"We need to talk!" Yu Rou said as she entered the room.
Meixiu was puzzled by the situation, but she could tell that Yu Rou seemed frustrated at something.
Once she closed the door, Meixiu approached Yu Rou and asked, "What's wrong?"
Yu Rou did not immediately respond and merely silently stared at Meixiu's confused face.
After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "Meixiu, I know everything. Brother told me the truth about your relationship with him… and Lulu."
"Eh?" Meixiu's eyes widened.