When My Sister Was Bound to a Love Quest System - Chapter 4

I pursued He Ling exactly the way my sister pursued He Yuan. Every day, rain or shine, I brought him breakfast and wrote him love letters.

He was a little better than his brother. When he was in a good mood, he would occasionally accept what I gave him. Sometimes, he even responded.

“Oh.”

“Mm.”

“Stay away from me.”

Rumors spread quickly around the school.

While taking me to the cafeteria one day, my sister kept starting to say something and stopping herself. At last, she leaned close and asked, “Do you like He Ling?”

I nodded.

I had to admit that liking He Ling was indeed a very challenging undertaking.

She stroked my head with tender pity. “What crime did our family commit in a past life?”

“But you can’t keep throwing yourself at someone who treats you like dirt, you silly girl.”

I looked up in confusion. “But isn’t that what you do?”

Then I lowered my head and continued sadly, “You even do homework for He Yuan and his friends. I’m not as smart as you, and He Ling’s grades are better than mine, so I can’t do that for him.”

My sister’s hand stopped.

It was as though something had just occurred to her. Her expression slowly stiffened.

After we got home, she started arguing with empty air again.

“I’m going to report this morally bankrupt system of yours. You’re setting a terrible example for children.”

“Of course I have a problem with it!”

“Have you forgotten why I accepted this quest in the first place?!”

He Ling seemed to find me even more irritating after that.

One day, I was trailing close behind him past the basketball court, walking just to his right, when a stray ball struck me in the head.

I clutched my nose. Blood streamed between my fingers as the world spun around me. Through the haze, I saw him stop.

Fighting the dizziness, I reached into my pocket with my clean hand and hurriedly held out a chocolate bar.

“He Ling… here.”

Your stomach will start hurting again otherwise.

I never got the rest of the sentence out.

My vision went black.

He Ling didn’t move. He merely looked down at me with that same cool expression.

When I woke, I was lying in the infirmary.

The boy sitting beside the bed looked familiar. I remembered that he was He Ling’s deskmate. His name was Wangyuan.

He was staring absently at the IV catheter taped to the back of my hand. When my eyes opened, he immediately came back to himself and smiled.

“You’re awake?”

“Thank you for bringing me here.” I was deeply touched.

He hesitated, then nodded. “Mm. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

I glanced around and couldn’t help asking softly, “Where’s He Ling?”

“He already went home.”

“Oh.”

I couldn’t call it disappointment. I had known it would turn out like this.

Right before I fainted, I had vaguely heard He Ling click his tongue and mutter, “What a pain.”

The chocolate was still safe in my pocket.

He disliked me. He refused to take anything I gave him.

The blood I got on him must have disgusted him too.

Why else would he have sounded so repulsed?

Every student who had been on the court came to apologize sincerely.

I didn’t hold it against them.

“It’s all right. Just be more careful next time.”

Wangyuan couldn’t help saying, “You were hit out of nowhere, and you’re still this cheerful and forgiving.”

I smiled, embarrassed.

News of the accident quickly reached my sister.

When she stormed in, Wangyuan had only just left. My IV was finished, and I felt much better, but my sister was still furious.

“You practically took that ball for He Ling. That bastard didn’t show a shred of gratitude—he ran faster than a rabbit!”

“It’s okay, Sis. It wasn’t his fault.”

That only made her angrier.

She flew into a rage, hauled me up, and marched me straight to the He residence. Nothing I said could stop her from demanding an explanation.

Night had already fallen. Music thundered from the He family’s living room, where their entire crowd had gathered to play games.

Someone sharp-eyed nodded toward us. “Who leaked the news? The Yu sisters are here again, throwing themselves at us.”

Lin Wei was there too.

Ignoring my sister, she fixed her eyes on me. “Some people may look sickly and harmless, but they’re quite calculating.”

I nervously tugged on my sister’s sleeve.

She drew a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm. Looking at He Yuan, she asked, “Where’s your brother?”

“No matter how you look at it, my sister took a hit for him today. Asking for a thank-you isn’t unreasonable, is it?”

He Yuan sat in the center of the sofa and glanced over without interest.

“He Ling can’t stand blood.”

“So?”

“Her blood got on his clothes. He was so disgusted he disappeared, and no one’s seen him since.”

Silence.

“And you want him to thank her?” He Yuan laughed as if the idea were absurd. “If anything, your sister should apologize to him.”

“You two barged in here tonight and ruined my mood too. What are you going to do about that?”

Everyone else watched us with leisurely anticipation, apparently waiting for my sister to deliver one of her practiced apologies.

She tightened her grip on my hand, her expression perfectly calm.

I knew she must be arguing with that thing called the system again.

The silence dragged on.

Finally, someone tried to smooth things over. “Yu Zhi, just apologize. You spoil the mood every time you show up.”

My sister said, “I’ll apologize to your grandpa, you pack of worthless assholes.”

Her voice rang through the room, forceful and clear.

He Yuan went still.

“What did you say?”