No One Loves Me (GL) - Chapter 18

With a great effort, Xin Geling pushed the food stall into the stairwell. Afraid the meat inside would spoil overnight, she had to carry the boxes one by one back home.

“Do you want to put them in the refrigerator?” Xie Zhitang asked after washing her hands. She saw what Xin Geling was doing and realized she wanted to freeze the meat to keep it fresh.

“Mhm.”

“I’ll help you put them in,” Xie Zhitang said, pulling the foam cooler from the table. The cooler was too big to fit in the refrigerator. Xie Zhitang put on a pair of disposable gloves and carefully arranged the skewers in the freezer section of the refrigerator.

Xin Geling carried up the last box, and Xie Zhitang was still arranging the skewers. Xin Geling went to wash her hands, ready to put on a pair of gloves to help, but Xie Zhitang refused.

“There’s only a little left. I’ll do it,” Xie Zhitang said, standing in front of her with her back to her, not letting her help.

So Xin Geling could only watch her constantly take things out and put them in.

After she was done, Xie Zhitang closed the refrigerator door. “I’m going to wash my hands.”

“Mhm.” Xin Geling poured her a glass of water.

Xie Zhitang turned around and saw that the back of Xin Geling’s shirt was soaked with sweat. “Sister, your back is wet.”

With that, Xie Zhitang reached out and touched the back of her shirt below her collar. Her fingertips touched the sweat-soaked fabric, which felt cold and damp.

Xin Geling’s long hair was casually tied into a low bun, and a few strands had come loose.

Xie Zhitang’s fingers slid down her back, lightly tracing her spine. She touched her sister’s tightly-tied hair, her eyes gleaming as she bit her lower lip.

Xin Geling held the glass of water in one hand and touched her back with the other. It was indeed wet.

She also smelled herself and frowned. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Xie Zhitang took the water. Her eyes followed her as she went into her room to get a change of clothes and then into the bathroom to take a shower.

She took a small sip of water.

After a while, Xin Geling came out of the shower, feeling clean and dry. “I’m going to the hospital to be with her. Do you want to rest here? Or do you want to go home?”

Xie Zhitang thought for a moment. “I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t you have to work tomorrow?” Xin Geling asked.

“I can go back in the morning,” Xie Zhitang said.

Xin Geling thought this was too much for her. “You don’t have to come with me.”

But Xie Zhitang grabbed her bag, looking like she was ready to go. “Don’t say anything else. I’ll go with you and take care of your aunt.”

Xin Geling was speechless but didn’t say anything more.

When they arrived at the hospital, Lin Huilan was still resting in her room, her breathing even. She hadn’t woken up yet.

Xin Geling could only sit by her bed and watch her. She glanced at Lin Huilan’s weathered hands and couldn’t help but reach out to touch them. When she felt the calluses on her fingertips, she felt sad.

She slowly held her mother’s hand, feeling the hardship she had endured all these years.

Xie Zhitang had just come in from outside and saw her. Her sister had been absent for seven years because of prison, and her aunt had endured seven years of suffering.

And the person who was responsible for this family’s current situation was her, Xie Zhitang.

If her sister hadn’t saved her back then, their family would have had a different life.

They wouldn’t be struggling to make a living at the bottom of society.

Xin Geling’s fingers traced the area between Lin Huilan’s thumb and index finger. Suddenly, a jacket was draped over her shoulders.

She froze for a moment and looked up.

“I just got it from the car. It’s going to get cold tonight,” Xie Zhitang explained.

Xin Geling looked at her thinly-dressed body. “What about you?”

Xie Zhitang smiled gently. “Me? I’m fine.”

With that, Xie Zhitang pulled up a chair and sat next to her, looking at the unconscious Lin Huilan on the bed. “Your aunt will get better.”

“Thank you for tonight,” Xin Geling said.

Xie Zhitang turned to look at her but didn’t expect them to be so close. Her face was right in front of her.

Her eyes slowly moved from Xin Geling’s calm black eyes to her slightly pursed lips.

She was momentarily lost in thought.

Xin Geling was the first to realize they were too close and moved back.

Xie Zhitang saw what she did, and an indescribable sense of loss washed over her. She didn’t change her expression and looked up, her voice a little colder. “What are you thanking me for?”

“For helping me pack up the barbecue,” Xin Geling said.

“That’s nothing…” Xie Zhitang said, self-deprecatingly.

She had ruined their family, and her sister was still thanking her.

Xin Geling straightened her face. “Regardless, I still have to thank you.”

Xie Zhitang didn’t respond. Xin Geling didn’t get a response, so she didn’t continue.

They were silent for a while.

Time passed slowly. In the middle of the night, Xie Zhitang was leaning on her chair, dozing off.

Xin Geling was also tired, her eyelids drooping. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder. She woke up and realized that Xie Zhitang had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

She looked around. There were no other beds for her to rest on.

Xin Geling thought for a moment. Without moving her shoulder, she took off the jacket she had given her and gently draped it over Xie Zhitang.

A few strands of her slightly curly hair brushed against her arm, tickling her.

Xin Geling reached out and carefully pinched them, but she didn’t know where to put them. After a few seconds, she decided against it.

She put her hand down and let them be.

“Sister…”

A barely audible whisper fell into her ears. Xin Geling paused and looked down, seeing her closed eyes and long eyelashes like small fans, creating a beautiful curve.

It was just sleep-talking.

But why was she calling her?

Or maybe she had an older sister?

Xin Geling didn’t know. She didn’t seem to know much about Xie Zhitang, even though they had occasionally met on the way to school seven years ago.

She was a very quiet and gentle girl.

She carried a schoolbag, had a slender build, and fair skin. She was quiet and beautiful, even in a school uniform.

Xin Geling couldn’t help but yawn. Before she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the lingering word “beautiful.”

The next day, as dawn broke.

Xie Zhitang opened her eyes, her body aching all over. But a hand on her shoulder immediately caught her attention.

This hand was not hers…

Xie Zhitang wanted to stand up, but she realized that her and her sister’s position was a little too close.

At some point, Xin Geling had tilted her body toward her. As a result, her head was now resting on her sister’s chest, and her hand was around her shoulder.

“Are you awake?” Xin Geling’s voice came from above her.

Xie Zhitang had to break free from her embrace. She nodded. “Yeah, last night…”

She trailed off.

Xin Geling understood what she meant and explained, “You were resting on my shoulder, but you didn’t look comfortable, so I took it upon myself to hold you while you slept. Don’t mind it.”

Xie Zhitang looked relieved and smiled. “Why would I mind? I just have a bad sleeping posture.”

She took the jacket that had fallen on the floor. “Sister, you even gave me your jacket.”

Xin Geling looked at the time and reminded her, “It’s seven in the morning. Don’t you have to go to work?”

“Yes,” Xie Zhitang said, immediately standing up. She glanced at her still-sleeping aunt. “I have to get going.”

Even if she didn’t have to go to work, she would have found an excuse to leave.

Her aunt didn’t want to see her.

Xie Zhitang was worried her aunt would see her. She took her jacket and hurried out of the hospital.

Only after she was sure Xie Zhitang was gone did Xin Geling reach up and rub the area below her collarbone, trying to ease the pain from having her head rested on it all night.