Rebirth: The Comeback of the Girl
Chapter 78: Past the Clear Path

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Past the Clear Path

Zhen Yan turned his head with his chest heaving and fixed his gaze on his sister.

The four of them stood silently, none of them in the mood to speak.

Eventually, it was Zhen Yan who moved first. He took a deep breath, stepped forward to gently roll down his sister’s sleeve, then pulled her back home without a word.

Zhen Yu didn’t pay much attention to what happened today. In her mind, what child doesn’t throw a tantrum?

Not to mention that no one actually got physical today—if they did, they’d make up in a minute anyway!

After the siblings left, only the Han Family Brothers remained, facing each other in the kitchen.

Han Jiayang glanced at his brother’s expression and lightly called out, "Bro~"

Han Mingyue didn’t even blink, remaining silent.

His gaze seemed distant as if looking through the walls to a place far beyond.

If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he’d look just like a statue.

Han Jiayang swallowed and bravely asked, "Bro~ you like Zhen Yu, don’t you?"

He immediately waited tensely for an answer, but Han Mingyue still ignored him.

Seeing that his brother wasn’t annoyed, Han Jiayang grew bolder and teased, "If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as you admitting it~ Looks like Dad wasn’t wrong calling her his daughter-in-law."

-

As if suddenly coming back to his senses, Han Mingyue withdrew his distant gaze, turned, and walked away.

"Hey~ Bro, where are you going?" Han Jiayang quickly followed.

"Put away the medicine, I’ll give it to Xiao Yu tomorrow," said Han Mingyue as he walked.

"Bro~ you’re already starting to dote on your little wife~~"

Han Mingyue glanced at his brother and warned, "Don’t talk nonsense outside!"

"Heh~" Han Jiayang couldn’t help but laugh, "I get it! Are you afraid the teacher will find out you’re in puppy love? You’re way ahead of Dad’s... what do you call it... enlightened path."

"What thing is ahead of my enlightened path?" As Mr. Han entered the room, he caught the last few words and joined in the questioning.

It scared both sons half to death; they knew their father was okay with jokes, but if it were really about puppy love, they would definitely get a beating!

Han Jiayang rolled his eyes, threw himself on Mr. Han, and asked, "I’m going to buy a gun tomorrow! That’s what you meant by your enlightened path! You promised me days ago! Give me the money!"

"All you know is to ask for money!" Mr. Han laughed and scolded, pushing his second son’s hand away, "Buying toys every day, when can you be like your brother and study properly?"

Han Jiayang acted petulantly, "If I get the gun, I’ll study~"

"You said it~"

-

Zhen Yan dragged his sister all the way into the bedroom, closed the door tightly, and set himself up like he was about to interrogate her.

"Little sister!" Zhen Yan sat down face to face with his sister and asked seriously, "What were you thinking?"

Zhen Yu blinked and played dumb.

"What do you mean? I wasn’t really thinking about anything~"

"Don’t play dumb!" Zhen Yan wasn’t fooled, "Why do you always protect Han Mingyue?"

Zhen Yu almost blurted out ’Should I be protecting you instead?’

But seeing the concern on her brother’s face, she forcibly changed her response, simply saying, "I’m protective of you, too."

Zhen Yan: "..."

He scratched his ear; this issue with his sister was indeed difficult to address directly, especially since girls tend to be sensitive.

Zhen Yan ventured tentatively, "I’m your real brother! Han Mingyue is not."

"But he’s been really nice to me," Zhen Yu deliberately misinterpreted her brother’s concern.

Zhen Yan thought it over carefully, "...it seems, he has been quite nice."

But he immediately added, "That doesn’t mean you should just think about his well-being and not your own!"

Now that it was just the two of them talking privately, Zhen Yu spoke the truth.

"It was just a reflex; if I didn’t help him, he would have hit the back of his head on the ground and might have become silly!"

Zhen Yan considered for a moment and reluctantly nodded, "I understand."

Zhen Yu seized the moment to sweet-talk her brother again: "Besides, we exercise every day! How could that bookworm Han Mingyue compare with us? If I fall, it’s no big deal, but if he falls, it could be tragic~"

Zhen Yan’s anger subsided, and he agreed to cover for his sister in front of Mrs. Zhen.

Early on Saturday, the Han Family Brothers arrived.

Zhen Yan knew it wasn’t their fault, so he didn’t pick a fight.

Han Jiayang, with his carefree nature, had already put yesterday’s quarrel behind him and chatted with Zhen Yan now and then.

Han Mingyue carefully helped Zhen Yu apply ointment to her wound.

Just as he finished applying the medicine, Bai Xue arrived with her two ’little brothers’.

Since Grandpa Fu was busy today, Bai Xue had to bring her brother Bai Yong with her.

As soon as she entered, she brought up last night’s topic, "It finally snowed, and my little brother has been itching to see a snowman~ Let’s go make one!"

Zhen Yan and the others agreed. Han Mingyue looked at Zhen Yu, who quietly put on her cotton-padded coat.

"Let’s get this straight first~ I’m not helping."

"You’re injured, how can you help! We’ll build it, and you and Xiao Yong can watch!" Bai Xue rolled her eyes at Zhen Yu and said.

Zhen Yu was startled, uh~ such a perfect excuse, and she hadn’t thought to use it!

Outside the Zhen Family’s courtyard, Zhen Yu held Little Bun Xiao Yong’s hand. The two of them stood not too close but not too far from where the snowman was being built, watching four boys and a girl busily at work.

Their silhouettes, one big and one small, both dressed in puffy, heavy clothes, looked like a pair of bears from a distance.

"Sugar-coated hawthorns~~ Candied hawthorns~" came a distant vendor’s cry, and Xiao Yong’s little head ’whooshed’ in the direction of the voice.

He glanced and then turned back, shouting towards Bai Xue, "Sis! I want some!"

Bai Xue heard him and replied, "Okay! I’ll buy some for you!" she said, walking over to Xiao Yong and reaching for her money.

Zhen Yu stood still, as she had never liked hawthorns since she was little, finding them too sour.

Bai Xue felt around but couldn’t find any money, "Xiao Yu~ lend me one yuan, I forgot to bring money today."

Zhen Yu nodded and agreed, reaching her right hand to feel for her money, also finding none.

"Call him over here first, I’ll go inside to get money." With that, she walked back toward the house.

The clear call from Bai Xue followed behind her, "Hey~~~ I want to buy candied hawthorns~"

"Coming~"

Zhen Yu, with money in hand, stepped out the door and inquired amongst the boys, and in the end, everyone wanted one except her.

She delivered the candied hawthorns to the boys, turned around, and saw the man was chatting with Xiao Baiyong.

"Little friend, here are your candied hawthorns~"

Xiao Yong thanked him in a soft, childlike voice.

The man bent over with a smile, "You really love candied hawthorns, huh?"

"Yes~"

Bai Xue, munching on the sweet and sour treat, mumbled to Zhen Yu, "Candied hawthorns are so delicious~ Why don’t you ever eat them?! They’re not sour at all! Really! Want to try one?"

Zhen Yu shook her head, "No, thank you."

"Ah~~ You don’t know what you’re missing." Bai Xue commented.

Imitating her, Little Bun Xiao Yong repeated, "Um~ missing out."

The man, seeing that he was being ignored, turned and pushed his bike away.

Bai Xue glanced at her brother and suddenly bent down to ask him, "Xiao Yong~ do you want to go sledding?"

"Yes!" Xiao Yong’s eyes sparkled, he loved those little benches that you could sit on and slide around. Too bad it was a winter-only treat.

Pleased, Bai Xue looked up at the boys and shouted, "Let’s go sledding this afternoon?"

"Sure!" Fu Yu was the first to respond.

Han Jiayang also immediately called out, "Yeah! We can sled~ Let’s go in the afternoon!"