I rubbed my eyes. After not reading for so long, they felt uncomfortable from such engrossed studying.
"Why didn't you answer the phone?"
His words contained a hint of questioning and suppressed anger.
I didn't understand. I just didn't answer the phone. He used to ignore my calls and messages constantly.
"I was busy, I guess I didn't hear it."
This was the excuse he had given me countless times, now returned unchanged.
I propped myself up with one leg, finding my phone buried under books - several missed calls.
Only then did he seem to notice something amiss.
"Your leg..."
I glanced at my right leg with the steel plate, not wanting to elaborate.
"I've already finished the surgery. It's not a problem."
A trace of guilt flashed across Chandler's face, and he awkwardly stepped forward to help me.
I had already grabbed the cane from the table, avoiding his hand as I headed for the door.
"Lily was injured that day. She has hemophobia and said she couldn't breathe. I wanted to take her to get checked out first and then come back... "
Meeting my gaze, he couldn't continue.
Lily's "injury" was just a scrape on her right hand, covered by a large bandaid.
The idea of returning was a joke.
He turned away, coughing dryly to cover his embarrassment.
"Cockroaches were found at Lily's today. She's been terrified of them since childhood. I could only clean and disinfect for her..."
I stopped at the guest room door and looked back quietly.
Of course. She is your junior sister.
He seemed stunned, as if not expecting me to say that.
After all, I used to hysterically question my importance to him.
"Yasmine, could you please stop with the sarcasm? Lily and I are..."
"Innocent. If you wanted to be together, you would have long ago. You've said it many times. I know."
"My legs hurt and wake me up at night. In order not to disturb your rest, I will sleep in the guest bedroom."
"You've had a busy day, you must be exhausted, so you should go to bed early!"
I pushed open the guest room door, got into bed, closed my eyes.
"Shit!"
I heard his muffled curse through the door.
I guess he felt he had humbly explained himself, but I ignorantly didn't follow suit.
It's wrong for me to be hysterical, and wrong to be calm.
In his eyes, whatever I did was wrong.
Life is too tiring.
The next morning, I was woken by Lily's shouts as soon as she entered.
Liu Yin came and started shouting as soon as she entered the door.