"Brother Jie, don't ignore us! I know you can hear us right now!" Li Chunhua was practically banging the door at this point.
It baffled Li Caiyi to see how courageous she was. Li Chunhua must also be aware that Li Junjie's birthday was around the corner, which was the period where he usually secluded himself the most.
"Xiaohua, if you keep doing that, Brother Jie will get angry at you…."
Li Chunhua snorted. "So what? Does your happiness matter less compared to his gloomy mood? It's about time for our brother to come out of his shell, anyway."
The older twin didn't know whether she should feel moved because her sister was standing up for her or if she should feel dreadful at the thought of receiving Li Junjie's silent wrath.
"Fine, if you insist on staying in your room, you would lose your chance to read Xiaoyi's next work! I will read it by myself!"
That was when there was a sound of footsteps slowly coming closer. Li Caiyi held her breath when the door was opened with a clicking sound, and Li Junjie went out of his room with a frown.
Unlike his usual neat appearance, he looked sloppy right now, with messy hair and dark circles under his eyes. He still looked handsome, but his slight frown decreased the effect slightly.
"What is it? Why are you yapping in front of someone else's door?" Li Junjie asked hoarsely.
Li Chunhua quickly changed her gears as she jumped on him and hugged his arm. There was no sign of her previous annoyance and impatience before.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"You finally came out! Xiaoyi has something important to tell you."
Li Junjie shifted his annoyed gaze from Li Chunhua to Li Caiyi this time, making the last gulp nervously.
"Brother, if you stare at her like that, she won't be able to tell you the news." Li Chunhua protested in a spoiled manner.
Li Junjie sighed in exasperation. He pulled out his arm from Li Chunhua's grasp and tucked his hand into his training pants pocket instead.
"You can tell me what you need now."
Li Caiyi felt even more pressured now that he stared at her with that 'this-better-be-important-or-you-are-dead' look on his face. They clearly pissed him off!
"U-Uhm, it's actually not really important…." Li Caiyi said hesitantly.
Li Junjie's eyes narrowed down dangerously, and Li Caiyi, who felt threatened, quickly filled him in before he killed her.
"Actually, it's very important! I just got the news that my next work has already gotten its first print. Since you said you like my work before, I thought I should tell you about this."
Li Junjie: "...."
Since he said nothing, Li Caiyi, who became even more scared, hurriedly added, "Oh, and I heard I can get the first sample tomorrow. Would you like to read it, Brother Jie?"
Li Junjie's frosty look gradually regained its original calmness before answering, "You want me to be the first to read it?"
"Yes! I want you to become the first one to read it," Li Caiyi replied in reflex.
Meanwhile, Li Chunhua had a crestfallen look as if she had just got betrayed.
"Xiaoyi, how could you? Shouldn't I be the first one to read it? I'm the first one you told about this, after all!"
"Uh, you can still read it after Brother Jie."
Li Caiyi didn't understand why she even argued about this. It wasn't like she wouldn't have a chance to read it afterward.
"But-but… I have already lost my chance to be your first fan. I want to be your first reader this time…" Li Chunhua said dejectedly.
Technically, Shao Jingfei would always be her book's first reader, so Li Chunhua wouldn't be the first reader even if Li Junjie wasn't counted. However, Li Chunhua looked so saddened that Li Caiyi couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Bring it to me as soon as you have gotten it in your hand." Li Junjie suddenly interjected.
"Brother, no! Aren't you supposed to be magnanimous and let your little sister read it first?" Li Chunhua looked up at him with pleading eyes, but Li Junjie only gave her a brief glance.
"No mercy for a person who talked bad about me behind my door."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Aah, Brother Jie! Please don't take it to heart. I know you are the most generous and magnanimous person on earth!"
"Look how easy you change. I can't trust you at all," Li Junjie scoffed.
"Noo! I'm serious! Xiaoyi, say something to him!"
"Don't drag her into this. I'm the chosen one, and you are not. Deal with it."
"Grrr!"
Li Caiyi blinked her eyes a few times in disbelief as she slowly registered the scene in front of her. When was the last time the three of them were joking around like this? The freshest memory she had in mind was when they were still children, more than 10 years ago.
The Li siblings used to be close, but they slowly grew apart until they crashed and burned in their own circumstances. That was why seeing this scene brought a nostalgic feeling to Li Caiyi. It felt like they had returned to the past, where they were still free from Li Jirong's influence.
Li Caiyi felt warmth spreading all over her body. If this was also the butterfly effect of changing the past, she wanted to thank the deity who had granted her this second chance. At least she could experience this joy again.
"There's no need to fight over it. If you don't mind reading the digital version, I have the original file with me," Li Caiyi giggled.
Li Junjie and Li Chunhua immediately stopped bickering before they stared at her blankly and wondered why they hadn't thought of that option before.
Li Chunhua was the first to break the ice by clearing her throat. "Well, I guess I should give the book to my brother and opt for the digital version here."
Li Junjie: "...."
Li Caiyi laughed, seeing the funny interactions between them. She was convinced once again that her family still had a chance. As long as she could get rid of the source of trouble, everyone could finally be free and happier.
"Oh? What are you doing here? You look like you are having fun."
Su Suyin slowly walked over from behind her with a smile plastered on her face.