After Kiana and Cecilia left, the dorm returned to quiet.
Sirin seemed to sigh in relief, but still clung tightly to Kael, as if the "skirmish" just now had exhausted her courage.
Kael could feel the slight tremor in her small hand.
"It's alright, Sirin," Kael comforted softly, leading her to sit on the sofa, "Kiana is just a little mischievous; she doesn't mean any harm."
Sirin lowered her head, her small hand still gripping his clothes, and quietly asked, "...Brother...do you like...that little sister?"
There was a hint of imperceptible tension in her voice.
Kael was stunned for a moment, then chuckled.
This child is quite sensitive.
He ruffled her hair and said honestly, "Kiana is very cute, like a little sun, of course, Brother likes her. But," he paused, looking at Sirin's raised little face, and said seriously, "Brother also likes Sirin. Sirin is Sirin, she is unique and doesn't need to be compared to anyone."
Sirin's golden eyes blinked, seemingly processing his words.
After a while, she softly hummed, resting her small head on Kael's arm, like a small animal seeking comfort. This gesture was full of trust, melting Kael's heart.
In the evening, the dorm door was unceremoniously pushed open again, and Theresa burst in boisterously, holding a bag with a bitter melon pattern on it.
"Kael! I brought the new bitter melon flavored energy bars! Come and try..."
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Sirin nestled beside Kael, her voice suddenly caught, and the smile on her face faded a bit.
When Sirin saw Theresa, her body instinctively tensed up again, and she shrunk back behind Kael, but this time she didn't hide completely like when she saw Kiana, only watching Theresa with wary eyes.
Theresa huffed inwardly but tried her best to act like a "mature big sister," placing the bag on the table: "Oh, Sirin is here too. Here, these are new snacks, though you probably won't be used to them."
She specifically emphasized "won't be used to them."
Kael looked at Theresa's feigned magnanimity with a hidden edge and secretly groaned.
He took the bag, pulled out an energy bar, and offered one to Sirin first: "Sirin, want to try? It's bitter melon flavored."
Sirin looked at the greenish energy bar, hesitated for a moment, but still took it. She took a small bite, and her little face immediately crinkled from the extreme bitterness, but she endured it without spitting it out.
Theresa looked at her reaction, a little smug: "See, I told you kids wouldn't be used to this." She picked up one herself and ate it with relish, as if showing off her "privilege."
Kael sighed helplessly and tried to smooth things over: "Alright, it's just different tastes. Theresa, aren't you busy today?"
"Temporarily done!" Theresa plopped down on the sofa on Kael's other side, naturally wanting to lean towards him, but seeing Sirin clinging tightly to Kael, she held back, only looking at Kael with a resentful gaze, "Kael, you haven't spent time with me in ages! Play games with me today!"
Although Sirin didn't understand what "play games" meant, she could sense that Theresa wanted to steal Kael's attention. She immediately said softly, "...Brother...promised...to teach me to read tonight..."
Kael: "..." When did he promise that? But looking at Sirin's expectant yet slightly uneasy eyes, he really couldn't bear to refuse.
Theresa immediately protested: "Learning to read can be done anytime! I even brought the game console!" She pointed to the game console box she had brought by the door.
So, the evening's activity turned into a strange "three-way talk."
Kael sat in the middle, with Sirin on his left, clinging to him and asking to learn to read, and Theresa on his right, holding a game controller and insisting he play with her.
Kael had no choice but to adopt a compromise—first, he would spend some time teaching Sirin to read, then play a round of the game with Theresa, and so on.
He held up the flashcards and taught Sirin: "This is 'sky' (tiān), the 'tian' of sky."
Sirin followed along: "Tiān..."
Theresa, impatient from waiting, poked Kael with the controller: "Kael! Hurry up! I can't get past this level without you!"
Kael had to speed up: "This is 'life' (mìng), the 'ming' of destiny."
Sirin: "Mìng..."
"Kael! The enemies are rushing over! Help!" Theresa yelled in the game.
Kael's head ached, feeling like a stretched rubber band.
Sirin, though quiet, her silent reliance and occasional glances with a hint of grievance, were incredibly impactful.
Theresa, needless to say, was boisterous and had a strong presence.
Finally, he simply handed the flashcards to Theresa: "Theresa, you know more characters, why don't you teach Sirin for a bit?" Then he said to Sirin, "Sirin, let Sister Theresa teach you to read, Brother will play a game with her first, he'll be back soon, okay?"
This suggestion left both girls stunned.
Theresa's eyes widened: "Me teach her?!" She looked at Sirin's "do not approach strangers" demeanor, a hundred times unwilling in her heart.
Sirin, even more directly, grabbed Kael's arm and shook her head vigorously, her golden eyes filled with refusal.
Kael sighed, having to give up. The final result was that he half-heartedly played games with Theresa while also having to distract himself to pay attention to Sirin's emotions, occasionally turning back to smile at her or hand her a piece of fruit.
Theresa watched Kael's "body in Cao camp, heart in Han" demeanor, grinding her teeth in frustration, and the game also became tasteless.
Sirin sat silently beside them, not participating, but making sure Kael was within her line of sight, like a little guardian deity.
What should have been a relaxing entertainment activity ended in a subtle and tense atmosphere.
Theresa walked away huffily, hugging the game console, glaring fiercely at Sirin before she left.
Sirin, after she left, visibly relaxed, even proactively helping Kael pick up the scattered flashcards.
Kael looked at the silently helping Sirin, a mix of emotions in his heart.
He knew Theresa meant no harm, it was just her personality, and Sirin was too sensitive.
For them to coexist peacefully would probably take a long time.
He patted Sirin's head: "Sirin worked hard today."
Sirin looked up at him and suddenly asked softly, "...Brother...do you...prefer to play with that white-haired big sister?"
Kael squatted down, looking into her eyes at eye level, and said seriously: "Brother likes being with Sirin, and also likes being with Theresa; these are different kinds of liking. It's like...Brother likes reading quietly, and also likes lively sports, there's no one I like more. You are both very important people to Brother."
Sirin looked at him, half-understanding, but Kael's serious tone reassured her greatly. She nodded gently and rested her head on Kael's shoulder.
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