“Look out, Kai-chan!”

Rinka’s alarmed shout rang out. My danger radar blared to life as I dove to the right in a tactical roll, somehow weirdly fluid as if practiced.

I’d just been standing dead center at the publisher’s booth, where they had previously stacked a small mountain of books. Those had been cleared out to make room for Miyanaga Kohime’s signing session.

And now, dangling directly above me, was the publisher’s big 3D ceiling sign. Each character of Li·Li·M·Pub·lish·ing (莉莉姆出版社) was mounted individually, linked together by a chain, with their company logo hanging out in front.

Sure enough, the strange sound earlier had been the chain slipping—right from that sign.

The very first thing to fall? The logo. It broke free and came crashing down—smashing to pieces right where I’d been standing just moments ago.

The stupid thing was made of some kind of brittle plaster-like material, and when it hit the ground, it exploded into a cloud of white dust.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Since the entire sign was strung together like beads on a necklace, once one “bead” fell, the rest were bound to follow.

And unfortunately, despite my well-timed roll, I hadn’t quite cleared the drop zone—and my tactical roll was still on cooldown. I hadn’t even gotten back on my feet yet.

Barely a second after the logo shattered, the first “Li” character crashed down just an arm’s length in front of me. I broke into a cold sweat—but there was no time to panic. The second “Li” was already falling.

I saw it coming, but there was no time to dodge. That plaster-like chunk of signage came down square on my leg.

“AAARGH!”

I’d braced myself, but that didn’t help—it hurt even worse than I imagined. My leg went numb from the burning pain. It had to be broken.

Unable to move, there was no dodging the next piece—“M.” I didn’t know if it would hit me, but I curled up into a ball, shielding my head and bracing for impact.

Was this how I was gonna go? What did I even do to deserve this?

I squeezed my eyes shut, like a prisoner awaiting the executioner’s blade. But instead of a guillotine to the skull, I heard a dull thud—and suddenly, a familiar scent tickled my nose...

“Captain! What the hell are you doing?!”

Marika’s frantic voice broke through the haze.

When I opened my eyes, the air was thick with chalky white dust. The first thing I saw was a pair of arms braced against the ground... then a gaudy Hawaiian shirt in yellow and green... and finally, that long, foxlike face.

My pain-addled brain froze. Wu Qinglan had thrown himself over me, shielding me with his back from the falling “M.”

“Sorry, little Kai… I’m too late.”

His sunglasses fell off and smacked me right in the face, the now revealed half-lidded eyes shimmered with moisture.

“Hah… so you do cry when it hurts. Stop trying to act cool…”

Tears welled up in my eyes—whether from the pain or the sudden rush of emotion, I couldn’t say. My vision blurred.

Once the remaining three characters fell harmlessly to the side, Qinglan finally let out a sigh of relief and tried to stand. He managed to push himself halfway up... then his arms gave out and he collapsed right onto my head.

The nose-shattering impact I braced for never came. Instead...

What... what is this soft, fragrant sensation?

Wait a second—

Crap, I can't breathe!

It wasn’t until Miss Marika came over and helped Wu Qinglan off me that I finally noticed the suspicious flush on his face—no, I should say her face.

Brother Qinglan, the infuriating, flirty troll… was actually Sister Qinglan?! That explained the constant slouching—was she trying to hide her chest this whole time?

As Sayocho offered frantic apologies, I got bundled into Blue Destiny and got rushed to the nearest ER along with Qinglan. The car couldn’t fit everyone, so only Marika and Crow came with us.

Later on, they told us the signage wasn’t actual plaster but a lightweight molding compound—brittle, but not heavy, and prone to shattering on impact.

After an x-ray and some cleanup, Qinglan was diagnosed with nothing more than some scrapes and bruises on her back. Disinfect, bandage, done.

Me, though? The moment the doctor showed me the scans, I hit a knowledge wall.

Same signage, same fall… yet my right leg was broken. Clean fracture of the lower tibia. Not severe enough for surgery, but recovery would take at least three months.

Am I made of tofu?!

Marika tried to comfort me. “It did fall from several meters up. Even light materials can cause a fracture if they hit just right. Don’t be too discouraged, kiddo. At least it didn’t hit your head.”

Yeah… if Rinka hadn’t shouted when she did, the logo might’ve already crushed my skull.

With her help, I finished the hospital paperwork, popped a barely-effective painkiller, and lay on the bed staring blankly at the ceiling.

This was a catastrophe. If I was stuck like this for three months, how the hell was I supposed to complete my assessment quotas?

A knock came at the door.

Qinglan entered silently, with Marika supporting her. Her whole vibe had shifted—gone was the cocky rogue; she looked serious, maybe even… elegant. Her sharp, foxy eyes seemed softer now. Prettier.

It was like some scrappy trickster fox had suddenly evolved into a stunning fox spirit.

Marika gave me a small nod before quietly stepping out, leaving the two of us alone.

“Little Kai… you’ve found out, haven’t you?”

I gave a small nod, my face heating up at the memory of that strangely effective painkiller of being buried in her softness.

She rubbed her temples with a pained expression.

“I really did plan to keep this secret from you a while longer… but since you know, I’ll just say it.”

She locked eyes with me, deadly serious.

“Little Kai… I want to become your stepmother. Can you accept that?”

…

“…I think I misheard you. What did you say, …Sis Qinglan?”

“I like your dad. Seriously. With marriage in mind. Will you support me?” She repeated her sentence, blushing furiously.

Nope. I didn’t mishear. But that only raised more questions.

“Why? You know what kind of guy he is, with the situation he has too. And there’s the age difference—”

“If Uncle Chang could get past that, wouldn’t he be close to the ideal man?”

Ideal man?

Far as I could tell, aside from being kinda good-looking, Dad had nothing going for him. At home, he walked around in a tank top and boxers, annihilating whatever dignity he had left.

Or maybe I’d just lived with him too long and all his flaws were magnified. Was I overlooking his good points?

“And besides, 14 years apart isn’t that bad.”

Fourteen?! You literally call him Uncle! You Uncle-con!

Dad’s 42, so Qinglan’s… only 28?! Even if she’s okay with it, and I somehow come to terms with it, would Dad be okay with it? Would her parents?

“…I think you should seriously think this through, Sis Qinglan.”

She looked a little embarrassed, so I quickly added, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Dad. You did save my life today, after all.”

“That’s enough for now. I will get your approval eventually!”

You really wanna be called "Mom" by someone only eleven years younger than you?!

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Qinglan straightened up and slouched her back again, wincing from the pain.

“Kai-chan, you nearly scared me to death!”

Crow brought Rinka, Xiao Yao, Mai-chan, and Sayocho, who’d just finished cleaning up the scene. Lei Meow Meow and Tian Xi had also taken a cab over. Before long, I was surrounded by chattering friends—and scolded by a passing nurse for being too loud.

“I’ll go call your dad… ugh, how am I supposed to explain this?”

Amid all the commotion, Qinglan quietly slipped out of the room.

“Young man! I’m so sorry. This is totally the publisher’s fault. We’ll take full responsibility for all your expenses!”

Sayocho looked utterly crushed, even her ahoge drooping like a wilting flower.

“It seems the air conditioning made the sign sway constantly. Over time, the internal chain loosened until the whole thing came apart,” Mai-chan explained. “Mostly a result of cutting corners during construction. The booth contractor will be liable.”

Honestly, we were lucky. If the sign had fallen an hour earlier—during the autograph session—it would’ve crashed straight into the crowd. The Lilim Publishing name would've been literally ruined.

Even now, this mess likely meant the end of Sayocho’s bonus.

“Get some rest, Kai-chan. We’ll come visit again tomorrow.”

After sunset, the summer night settled in. Everyone except Qinglan left. Even Rinka, who wanted to stay overnight, got shooed away to rest by me.

“…Sis Qinglan, is your back okay?”

“Still stings a bit, but I’ll live. I’m tougher than you... And hey, maybe keep calling me ‘Brother Qinglan’ for now. Helps me keep the act going.”

Calling her "brother" after knowing the truth just felt wrong.

“I mean… I don’t need to be hospitalized. Want me to stay the night? You sure you’re okay alone?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got this cane. Plus, I’ve still got one working leg.”

“Well, call me if anything happens.”

Midnight came. I didn’t forget to erase the names Feng Wu and Yan Liuzhuan from the notebook.

Still couldn’t sleep. My leg was killing me.

But worse than the pain was the storm of problems this injury had just unleashed.

不幸だ！(How unlucky!)