Chapter 290

As they walked down the hallway, his eyes were fixed on her, his mind still filled with the image of his baby sister as a petite little girl. He couldn’t possibly imagine what his once fragile and tiny sister would look like all grown up now.noveldrama

Gazing at Ye Xingguang’s long, soft, and sleek black hair swinging with each step she took, his heart seemed to swing in rhythm with it.

Ye Xingguang knew Xia Ye Zhao was watching her all the while, but she did not meet his gaze. Her mind was in a mess. Her big brother was here all of a sudden, and she was utterly unprepared, let alone knowing how to react.

The two fetched water at the water house.

After the thermal flask was filled with hot water, Ye Xingguang grabbed the wooden stopper and capped the flask. Accidentally, a splash of scalding water hit her hand, and she gasped, giving her palm a quick shake.

“What happened, did you scald yourself?” Xia Ye Zhao immediately grabbed her hand in concern and led her to the sink, turning on the faucet to run cold water over her hand. Every move he made, oozed of his evident care and concern.

Ye Xingguang’s nose tingled, her heart ached and tears almost welled up in her eyes.

As a child, her brother used to care for her like this. The deep-rooted memories emerged all of a sudden.

Her heart warmed.

But when she thought about how her brother had helped Xia Yanyan but not her last time, she felt a surge of rivalry. She retracted her hand, feigning indifference: “Brother Xia, I’m fine.”

“How can you be fine? You used to be most afraid of being scalded!” Xia Ye Zhao’s voice had a trace of annoyance. Annoyance at himself for letting her hurt her hand while standing right in front of her, and even more annoyance at failing to recognize her at first sight.

Xia Ye Zhao could still remember their first meet at the swimming pool where she seemed to be having a dispute with Ye Junqing. She seemed upset, but he didn’t stand up for her. Although he felt a strange sense of familiarity, he couldn’t place that it was due to their sibling bond.

Xia Ye Zhao couldn’t forgive himself. His deep, choked voice whispered, “Qiongqiong…”

Ye Xingguang trembled, “…Brother Xia, who are you calling? My name is Ye Xingguang.”

“I know it’s you, Qiongqiong.”

Xia Ye Zhao’s gaze, cast downward from above, landed on her eyes blurry with mist. He held onto her wrist tightly and wouldn’t let go. “Qiongqiong, big brother knows it’s you, I’m sorry…”

Tears welled up in Ye Xingguang’s eyes. She tried hard to swallow them back, feeling a waves of pain and sourness in her heart. “You’ve really mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Xia Qiongqiong. I’m Ye Xingguang.”

Having said that, she yanked back her arm, picked up the thermal flask and headed towards the door.

As she turned around, she could no longer hold back her tears, which rolled down her cheeks.

She quickly wiped them away. She didn’t want to admit it, didn’t want to be Xia Qiongqiong.

Xia Ye Zhao looked at her stubborn back, taking a step forward, reached out for the thermal flask in her hand and took it over.

She didn’t resist when the flask was seized from her. She didn’t look at him, just kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead, quickening her pace. Coincidentally, a doctor was rolling a patient in a critical condition from one ward to another on a gurney, almost bumping into Ye Xingguang.

Xia Ye Zhao, with his quick reflexes, reached out his long arm to pull her towards him, avoiding the moving gurney and in the process, pulling her into his embrace. He longed to hold her tight, a tender embrace filled with love, signifying their heartwarming reunion after a long separation.

Ye Xingguang was taken aback.

When she was upset as a child, her brother used to console her in this manner, by hugging her in his arms. Following which, she would be exceptionally obedient, silently nestled in her brother’s arms.