They all want to control me!

Chapter 13 Are you asleep? Have a good night's sleep.

When Lin Ran got home in the evening, he first reviewed his professional courses from the morning, ate dinner, took a shower, and then sat on the sofa with his guitar, playing the melody that Jiang Qiaoqiao had taught him in the afternoon.

Jiang Qiaoqiao is a bit crazy, but she knows a lot. I just looked through some tutorial videos on Bilibili, and they don't seem to be as good as hers.

Before we knew it, it was late at night.

ding dong~

Jiang Qiaoqiao: Are you asleep?

Lin Ran: I'm going to sleep.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: It's fine as long as you're not asleep. I'll tell you how to go on a date with a girl. You can do whatever you want with me, but don't do it in front of Tao Zhiyao, it'll make you look bad.

Lin Ran: Why are you so concerned about me?

Jiang Qiaoqiao: You've already called me "sister," so you're practically my adopted brother. It's normal for a sister to help her brother out.

Jiang Qiaoqiao bit her nails, worried that her lie would be exposed.

The sibling relationship was fake; her real purpose was to test whether the speed at which her legs gradually recovered was related to the progress of Lin Ran and Tao Zhiyao's relationship.

Yesterday, I pinned Tao Zhiyao against the wall, and my feet regained feeling. Today, I asked Tao Zhiyao out for dinner, and the recovered feeling increased by another three centimeters.

Science can no longer explain it; we can only try using metaphysics.

"That's outrageous. I'm a cripple who's never been in a relationship, and I'm supposed to help a male college student find a partner."

Jiang Qiaoqiao scratched her cheek, picked up a book from above the bed, and turned to the page with the bookmark.

ding dong~

Lin Ran: Have you ever been in a relationship? Teach me how to be in a relationship.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: Oh ho, so according to you, those who write dragon-themed web novels have to be a dragon themselves before they can write them?

Lin Ran: I don't really trust you.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: I'm a girl too, so I definitely understand girls' little thoughts better than you do. Oh well... just listen to me obediently.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: Most girls are actually very emotional. They like emotional value rather than a person or thing in reality.

"Jiang Qiaoqiao: Let me give you an example. Why do some girls want guys to buy them this and that on dates? Do they really like those things? No, we need to look beyond the surface. What girls like is the feeling of being pampered by guys—that's emotional value."

Lin Ran: Hmm, what you said... seems to make some sense.

Lin Ran stroked his chin, strummed the guitar a couple of times, and pondered the point Jiang Qiaoqiao had raised.

On the other side, Jiang Qiaoqiao put down "108 Ways to Win Friends and Influence People"—a book that Aunt Zhao had just bought for her at the bookstore. When it was delivered, Aunt Zhao's ambiguous look made Jiang Qiaoqiao extremely embarrassed, but she just couldn't explain why she bought the book.

What kind of romance could a little girl like her possibly have? At most, she's watched some romance anime and experienced the feeling of being moved, like "Tsuki ga Kirei," a top-tier romance anime and her favorite.

What exactly does love feel like?

No, why am I thinking about these things now? I need to hurry up and help Lin Ran win over Tao Zhiyao.

Lin Ran: (Image) I found it online, here's my comment.

?

Jiang Qiaoqiao clicked on the picture and silently read the content on it.

I believe a good boyfriend should encourage and tolerate me regardless of whether I'm right or wrong. If I'm wrong, he should comfort me first. Even if I'm truly wrong, he shouldn't argue with me because I'm a good girl, and if my perception is wrong, it's because I've been misled by incorrect opinions, not because of me.

Jiang Qiaoqiao was silent for a few seconds before typing a reply.

"Jiang Qiaoqiao: My opinion is that she's an idiot. Relationships are mutual. Why should the other person have to accommodate your emotions? This creates inequality in terms of status. This isn't dating; it's training a dog."

Lin Ran: Qiaozi, there are very few girls as sensible as you these days.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: It can't be that bad, right? I only deal with high-level executives and elite adults, so I don't really understand the current situation of people my age. But don't worry, your Xiaozhi isn't that kind of person.

Jiang Qiaoqiao: Ahem, little brother, listen up, I'm about to teach you the secrets of love. First of all…

As Jiang Qiaoqiao typed, her hand went numb, so she simply sent a voice message, reading aloud from "108 Ways to Win Friends and Influence People" word by word.

His mouth was dry from reading, so he asked his nanny, Aunt Zhao, to bring him a glass of lemon water, which he drank through a straw while continuing to read.

It's 11:30 p.m.

"Ahem, that's enough for today. That should be enough for you. Go to sleep early and be in the best condition to face Tao Zhiyao tomorrow."

After sending the last voice message, Jiang Qiaoqiao yawned and rubbed her swollen eye bags.

For more than a decade, she had maintained a regular sleep schedule, but after meeting Lin Ran, she stayed up for two consecutive nights.

"The little cripple's body can't take much better care of him..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao lay in bed, covered with a thin blanket. The window was open a crack, and a cool breeze occasionally blew in.

"I don't know if my leg has anything to do with their relationship. If it really is a variable, I'll have to try my best to bring them together..."

ding dong~

Message notification sound.

Jiang Qiaoqiao rolled over in a flash, quickly picked up her phone, and checked the messages.

Lin Ran: I practiced guitar again, would you like to listen and give me your feedback, Teacher Jiang?

Jiang Qiaoqiao: Ahem, this student, please begin your performance!

A crisp cell phone ringtone sounded.

It's a voice call.

Jiang Qiaoqiao breathed a sigh of relief; she would have hung up if it had been a video call.

She was only wearing two pieces of clothing, pajamas and underwear. Her bra was too tight and she wasn't wearing one. Lying on the bed, her private parts were exposed, and she couldn't let Lin Ran see them and take advantage of her.

"Hello?" A magnetic, slightly deep voice.

"I'm here," Jiang Qiaoqiao said. "My voice sounds a little different from when I spoke through the earpiece last time."

"What's different?"

"You can record your own voice and compare it with the sound you hear when you speak; it will definitely be different."

"Can you still listen to me play the guitar?" Lin Ran played a simple tune. "If not, I'm hanging up."

"I think the guitar sound might be distorted, but the melody isn't," Jiang Qiaoqiao quickly stopped him from hanging up the phone.

This was the first time someone other than family members had called Jiang Qiaoqiao late at night.

Her chest felt warm, but she couldn't quite place the sensation.

"Okay, I'll start playing now."

After Lin Ran finished speaking, the sound of a guitar began to play.

This is a guitar arrangement of a Nordic lullaby. Because of its simple melody, Jiang Qiaoqiao used this piece to start learning guitar, and now she is teaching it to Lin Ran.

The moonlight, as bright as jade, streamed into the empty and quiet bedroom. In the pitch-black night, the phone screen glowed faintly, a small, fair hand held the phone, and eyes were clear and bright in the moonlight.

The girl buried half her face under the blanket—she didn't know why she was doing it, but she just wanted to.

As the lullaby was entering its second half and was about to end, the girl suddenly didn't want him to stop.

"How is it?"

"Play it again, I think I can hear something wrong."

"Alright."

"..."

Jiang Qiaoqiao pursed her lips.

She lied. The piece was played perfectly, without a single flaw; she just didn't want the music to stop.

After a long time, she recalled some past events.

Ten years ago, she was just a child, and the family was still very lively. Her father, who was busy every day, would come home complaining about the infighting among the executives, while her mother, a university music professor, would quietly listen to her complaints.

Back then, she would always pretend to be asleep, but actually stay up all night, forcing herself to stay awake. As soon as she heard her father come home, she would hide by the crack in the door and listen to her parents' conversation.

They argued, and she got scared.

She gets shy when they kiss.

When they were bullied, she would secretly write down the names of those who bullied them, vowing to take revenge when she grew up.

I, Jiang Qiaoqiao, am a petty and vengeful woman! I must protect this family!

When she was eight years old, she saw on TV and thought it was cool for girls to play guitar, so she asked her mother to enroll her in guitar lessons. Her happiest time of the day was when she played guitar for her parents after her lessons. Even though she played terribly, they would always applaud and say, "Qiaoqiao is great!"

Once, Dad accidentally told the truth and was beaten by Mom. He was scolded for not discouraging the child's enthusiasm.

She sniffled and said in a cocky tone, "So-so, third in the world. I'm a beginner, so I'm not that good yet. I'll play for you guys when I'm a better guitarist!"

but……

I've grown up, where are you now?

Under the thin blanket, her delicate body was slightly curled up, her legs stretched out weakly, as they had lost their ability to move.

"Takumi?"

"..."

"No sound, looks like they're asleep. Is my guitar playing that hypnotic? Oh well... Goodnight, sweet dreams..."

Two streams of tears flowed down her cheeks, wetting the pillow. In the empty bedroom, the girl, pretending to be asleep, murmured softly:

"Mom and Dad, I miss you..."