Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 224 A Sweet Night

Chapter 224: Chapter 224 A Sweet Night

Cao Qiuhua fell asleep quickly, having drunk far too much and had not at all considered that there were still two other people here; she virtually occupied half of the bed, leaving only a tiny half for Song Xiaoru and Song Xiaodong.

For two adults to lie in such a cramped space was obviously quite a squeeze.

To avoid falling off, Song Xiaodong had no choice but to cling to Song Xiaoru, wrapping his arms around her little belly. Holding Song Xiaoru like this, Song Xiaodong didn’t have any other thoughts. In his heart, he naturally treated Song Xiaoru as his own sister.

He adored her, loved her, and would often tease and play tricks on her, but he had never had any improper thoughts about Song Xiaoru. Holding her now, he just felt especially warm inside and very content.

That was how he felt, but Song Xiaoru could no longer feel as relaxed about it as she used to. It would have been one thing if Song Xiaodong were her real little brother, but he wasn’t, and they had no blood relation at all.

Plus, with the aunts’ intermittent prodding these days, Song Xiaoru’s mind really began to waver. Now, with Song Xiaodong holding her, and the effects of the alcohol as well, she felt her body heating up and her mind was a complete mess, not knowing what she was thinking anymore.

Song Xiaodong suddenly removed his hand from her body and moved slightly outward, creating a small distance between them. This made Song Xiaoru sigh with relief. Being so close to Song Xiaodong now made her feel certainly not as comfortable as before.

But a rustling sound reached their ears, and turning her head to glance over, she discovered that Song Xiaodong was undressing.

"What are you doing?" Song Xiaoru asked in a panicked whisper.

Song Xiaodong whispered in her ear, "The fabric of my clothes is a bit rough. It must be uncomfortable pressing against you like this."

"I think it’s more like you find it uncomfortable," Song Xiaoru retorted with a hint of reproach.

"Neither of us is comfortable, so of course I’d take them off," Song Xiaodong chuckled, sat up with a stretch, and quickly removed both his shirt and pants, tossing them onto the chair beside the bed.

Lying down again, Song Xiaodong immediately reached out and embraced Song Xiaoru’s waist once more.

"Don’t cling so close to me," said Song Xiaoru weakly, lightly nudging Song Xiaodong’s chest with her elbow.

"You’re my sister. What’s there to be afraid of?" Song Xiaodong was quite nonchalant.

"Even if I were your sister, it wouldn’t be good if Qiuhua saw us. After all, we’re both grown up now, no longer kids."

"Our hearts are clear, so why fear others gossiping?"

These words from Song Xiaodong did make Song Xiaoru feel somewhat ashamed. She realized she wasn’t quite like Song Xiaodong in this respect, and she also felt quite guilty. How could she have so many messy thoughts? He was, after all, the brother with whom she had shared lives through thick and thin for so many years.

As a result, Song Xiaoru’s mood gradually calmed down. Feeling Song Xiaodong’s physical contact, she no longer found it odd, and she closed her eyes and whispered, "Move in a bit more, so you don’t fall off while sleeping."

"Okay," Song Xiaodong responded, holding her a little tighter.

At that moment, Song Xiaoru felt no embarrassment, only a sweet sensation enveloped in love’s warmth—a kind of unselfish familial love, unrelated to romance, yet natural and intense.

Just like Song Xiaodong always said, wives can be replaced, but there’s only one sister, irreplaceable, and being Song Xiaodong’s sister for a lifetime might indeed be the happiest thing.

Feeling this sweetness in her heart, sleepiness quickly overwhelmed her, and before long, Song Xiaoru was asleep.

When she woke up again, the sky had already started to brighten, but Song Xiaoru felt something was off, and in an instant, she knew what it was.

"This kid..."

If she hadn’t come to terms with it the night before, Song Xiaoru would have been mortified, but although she felt a bit awkward and embarrassed now, it wasn’t nearly as severe because she was very clear that Song Xiaodong absolutely didn’t mean to take advantage of her slyly.

"Mmm..."

When she was young and just starting to develop, Song Xiaodong, not knowing any better, had playfully touched her, and she had scolded him soundly; since then, Song Xiaodong had behaved, and as they grew older and even if they slept in the same bed, they never had such close contact as they did in this confined space today.

Even though it was summer, the early morning still carried a chill, and the only thin blanket had long been wrapped around Cao Qiuhua. Song Xiaoru hesitated for a moment before slowly turning and snuggling into Song Xiaodong’s arms.

Resting her head on Song Xiaodong’s arm, listening to his heartbeat, a warmth enveloped her completely. Song Xiaoru let out a little yawn and, closing her eyes once again, happily fell asleep for a catnap.

When Song Xiaodong woke up, he found himself holding Song Xiaoru and thought nothing of it, though his arm was slightly numb, and he also remembered he needed to use the bathroom. So he cautiously tried to extract his arm.

Song Xiaoru instantly woke up, and Song Xiaodong immediately apologized, "Sis, I didn’t mean to wake you."

"It’s okay. Are you getting up this early?" Song Xiaoru lifted her head slightly to let Song Xiaodong free his arm.

"I need to use the restroom. Plus, there’s Sister Qiuhua. If she woke up and saw us like this, it would be quite embarrassing."

"Then quickly put on your clothes. Otherwise, it really isn’t too good, especially after drinking too much last night," urged Song Xiaoru.

"Okay," Song Xiaodong agreed, rapidly slipping his clothes on before slipping out of the room.

With Song Xiaodong gone, Song Xiaoru suddenly felt an emptiness beside her and a chill sweeping over her body, which made her rather miss the feeling of Song Xiaodong’s embrace.

Shaking her head lightly, Song Xiaoru found it somewhat absurd. Even for actual siblings, it wasn’t right to always sleep together. For certain special circumstances, the occasional exception was barely acceptable.

Feeling rather confused, she decided not to sleep anymore, got dressed, and got out of bed.