Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Noah and my relationship got better and better—anyone could see it.

Noah was like a cactus. He looked covered in thorns, but inside that tough exterior was a heart softer than anyone else's.

I no longer saw him as a replacement for Ayu, but my possessiveness toward him only grew stronger. I couldn't help it—I was a total "little brother fan" now.

And even though Noah always frowned and said things like "you're annoying," he never actually pushed away my affection.

We kept getting along like this until I was in my third year of high school.

Then I noticed something—Noah started avoiding me. At home, he always stayed cooped up in his room. Whenever our eyes met, he looked away. He also refused to get close to me.

At first, I thought I was just imagining things. But then, one night after self-study, I went to his classroom door to wait for him—like I always did—so we could go home together.

In the past two years, he'd grown like a bamboo shoot. He was now almost half a head taller than me.

I had to stand on my tiptoes to loop my arm around his neck, over his shoulders.

Because of my action, Noah was forced to bend down.

I ruffled his hair hard, my tone filled with envy. "It feels like you've grown even taller again? Can't you share some of that height with me, you little rascal?"

That sentence had practically become my catchphrase.

Before, Noah would always frown—but he never resisted.

This time, though, he reacted like he'd been electrocuted. He grabbed my hand and 甩开 it immediately, stepping three feet away from me. His tone was harsh. "Stop hanging all over me."

I didn't understand. "What's wrong?"

Noah didn't explain. He just scowled, refusing to look at me. He turned his head away and said: "Just don't say that kind of stuff to me anymore."

His sudden distance hurt my feelings. I racked my brain—could it be that he was going through a rebellious phase?

I hadn't even figured that out when another bombshell dropped—my mom was getting a divorce from my stepdad.

My mom and stepdad had gotten married just a year after they started dating. It had definitely been hasty. After getting married, conflicts had started to surface, and they fought more and more.

Even though they never fought in front of Noah and me, both of us could tell their relationship was falling apart.

I thought that breakups and makeups were normal, and I didn't want to meddle in their marriage.

But now, I couldn't help wondering—was Noah avoiding me because of this?

Did he think that if my mom divorced his dad, our relationship would fall apart too?

Was the bond between step-siblings—without blood ties—really that fragile?

I knew I needed to have a serious talk with Noah.

So, on a weekend afternoon when my mom and stepdad were both out, I knocked on Noah's door.

After a few symbolic knocks, I pushed the door open directly.

Noah was wearing headphones. He panicked and switched his computer screen back to the desktop, then turned to glare at me. "Why didn't you knock before coming in?"

I looked innocent. "I did knock—you just didn't hear me."

Seeing how flustered he was, I immediately figured out what was going on. I looked at him meaningfully. "Xingye's all grown up now, huh? Starting to watch 'educational videos'? Though watching that kind of thing in broad daylight is a bit bold, don't you think?"

Noah froze for a moment, then his face slowly turned red. "It's not what you think! I was just looking up something!"

I feigned curiosity. "Oh? What were you looking up?"

Noah bowed his head and didn't speak.

It wasn't that he couldn't answer—it was that he absolutely couldn't say.

What he'd been looking up was how to stop having those kinds of dreams. Lately, he'd been having all sorts of inappropriate dreams—and the person in those dreams was standing right in front of him now. How could he possibly say that?

Seeing that Noah still wasn't speaking, I took it as a confession. I clasped my hands together, earnest. "Don't worry, I won't tell Mom and Dad."

Noah's face was almost as red as a cooked shrimp. His tone was even more urgent. "Linda Zhong, can't you have purer thoughts?!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you," I said, dropping the smile when I saw he was so angry he'd called me by my full name. "I actually came to talk to you about something serious."

Noah: "What is it?"

I asked: "Have you been avoiding me lately?"

At my question, Noah immediately avoided my gaze. "N-No, I haven't."

I could tell he was lying at a glance. I sighed. "Is it because of Mom and Dad?"

Noah froze.

I went on: "Mom and Dad have been giving each other the silent treatment lately. I think they might be getting a divorce."

I didn't directly say that my mom had already made up her mind to divorce—afraid it would upset him too much.

To my surprise, Noah said: "I know."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. "You knew already?"

"Yeah," Noah's expression was blank. "When my dad divorced my mom, he hid it from me for half a year. That's why I was mad at them for so long. He told me about this on his own a while ago."

I watched him subtly, but his tone was calm as he spoke—no hint of joy or anger.

I chose my words carefully before speaking. "Divorce and marriage are both normal things. Mom and Dad didn't do anything wrong—they just don't get along because of their personalities. It has nothing to do with us, right?"

I was really afraid he'd start resenting me because of this. That would be so unfair.

Noah bowed his head. His voice was so soft it was almost a murmur. "If they get divorced... does that mean we won't be siblings anymore?"

Those words sent a shockwave through my heart.

I grabbed his hand, anxious. "What are you saying? Their fight is their business—it has nothing to do with us! Haven't we always gotten along well?"

Noah looked up at me. His dark eyes were like a pool of ink—deep and bottomless, with no way to tell what emotions lay within.

I held his hand tightly, making a promise like I was taking an oath. "No matter what decision the adults make, you'll always be my favorite little brother. I've long since seen you as my real brother!"

His dark eyes darkened instantly. Noah pressed his lips together, then pulled his hand out of mine—firmly, without a word.