Love You Till the End Chapter 1213 - 1211: Shi Mei vs. Shi Keke (58)

"That's perfect," Shi Keke declared, extricating her shoe from the sewer grate. As she attempted to reattach the heel, it snapped off with a distinct 'click.' It seemed her misfortune had truly begun. With a nonchalant shrug, Shi Keke discarded the broken footwear and, removing her other shoe, stood with bare feet. "Let's go," she announced, her free spirit evident in her complete disregard for being barefoot. She lacked the typical airs of a young lady and the delicate demeanor of a refined girl. Shi Mei observed her bare feet, his brow furrowed, noting her fair and tender skin. His mind drifted back to a distant memory of her insistence that they go fishing in the countryside. She was twelve then, just beginning seventh grade, far more childlike than her peers. Initially, he had resisted, as such frivolous pastimes were alien to him, but her persistence wore him down. Though she could swim from the age of three, she feigned inability, clinging to him like a koala, feigning terror at the stream. She wanted him to carry her into the water to fish. She was a pampered little princess; her cheers of "Brother, you're amazing!" erupted when he caught a fish, but a pout and a complaint, "Brother, you're not awesome at all," followed any miss. He indulged her every whim, carrying her to deeper waters when she complained about the shallow conditions and scarcity of fish. In the deeper water, she deliberately let go, falling in and holding her breath, causing him considerable worry. He eventually dove in, pulling his little sister from beneath the water where she had been sitting on a rock. Once ashore, he ignored her, but she clung to him, tumbling to the ground, her small feet playfully kicking at him, even reaching for his face. At that moment, he seized her feet, issuing a stern warning: he would not be kind if she ever dared to bare her feet before him again. She had remembered his words, refraining from such overt displays of wildness in his presence for over a decade. Later, when he departed, the opportunity to show her feet to him vanished. Shi Mei slowly raised his sword-like eyebrows, his formerly stern gaze softening, infused with nostalgia and profound tenderness. He approached Shi Keke and knelt before her. "Get on," he instructed. His voice remained deep, yet significantly gentler than before. "What?" Shi Keke, though understanding his intent, could not resist asking. "I'll carry you," he replied. There was no hint of impatience or boredom; his patience seemed boundless. Shi Keke's heart warmed, filling her with a happiness and contentment exceeding anything she had felt in over twenty years. It felt as though nothing else mattered – not wealth, not fame, not status, not glory, nor any other pursuit. None of it compared to this seemingly simple, yet deeply resonant bond. She felt fortunate, fortunate to have been given away by her birth parents, fortunate to be adopted by the Shi Family, fortunate to have him by her side, and fortunate to be the one cherished in his heart.