She buried her face in the pillow, mumbling: “How do you know everything…”
“General Shen was wandering around the doorway, looking quite dejected,” I said, watching her reaction. The little girl stiffened, revealing one eye, blinking.
“He came?” She pondered for a moment before emerging from under the pillow. “Second sister, I don’t understand my feelings. I’ve always felt I disliked him, but when I see him, my heart feels blocked, and I need to make a fuss to feel comfortable. When I can’t see him, my heart feels empty. Yesterday, when he spoke in front of Princess Qinghe, I felt uncomfortable; my heart almost jumped out. Second sister, what’s wrong with me?”
I let her lean on my lap and helped her comb her hair. “Are you sure that feeling is dislike?”
She frowned and remained silent. I hinted, “Ancient sages said when you fall in love with someone you originally disliked, that’s the most fatal kind of love.”
“Which sage?” she asked in confusion.
I was stunned. It was just a random saying. “I forgot, probably some enlightened master. Anyway, when you see him with the princess, do you feel uncomfortable?”
She nodded.
“That’s it,” I felt relieved. “You like him and care about him, which is why you feel uncomfortable. If you truly disliked him, you would want him to run far away and never appear.”
“That makes sense,” she said, conflicted. “But I’ve liked others before, and this time feels different.”
“That means you’ve grown up,” I comfortingly stroked her hair. “Those unreliable men you met before taught you to protect yourself.”
Her previous dislike was a defense mechanism. Having been hurt before, she hesitated to give her emotions easily. When meeting a man who moved her heart, her subconscious associated it with disgust, allowing her to retreat. This was probably a form of self-protection, like someone burned by fire instinctively associating flames with pain.
“I… actually like him?” My little sister murmured, blinking her slightly swollen apricot eyes. “Seems to make sense.”
“General Shen is a reliable man,” I smiled and gently patted her face. “Since you know your feelings, don’t be awkward like before. Good men should be held onto tightly.”
She burst out laughing, hugging my arm playfully: “Second sister, you’re just like mother…”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
