I Give Half of My Life to You

Lin Miao was still a tad bit shy when she presented the red packet to her older brother. She might even have to act like her mother with her aunties, pushing gifts back and forth.

Fortunately, the Young Master took it diligently. Lin Miao was relieved and her shyness burst into joy.

But most importantly, her older brother also looked happy.

Seeing her unable to close her mouth due to her smile, he led her to the dining room for dinner. Then, he saw a bruise on her wrist. Lin Miao was a lot less tanned, so bruises became very distinctive.

“How’d you get this?” The Young Master frowned.

“Accidentally bumped into something during practice.” Lin Miao wasn’t paying attention and had swung her arm on a guardrail.

Lin Miao didn’t care much about it. It wasn’t very severe, her skin didn’t even turn red. However, a blue bruise somehow appeared overnight. Lin Miao expected for it to slowly go away in the next few days. It was normal for her: she had bumped into many things when she was little.

However, the Young Master immediately pulled her inside the car and told the driver to go to the hospital.

The driver was agitated after hearing this. He had thought that the Young Master hurt himself somewhere. He then let out a breath of relief seeing that it was just a small bruise on Lin Miao’s hand.

Lin Miao paused. when the Young Master had led her all over the place. But then, her heart immediately warmed when she heard that the Young Master was taking her to the hospital. Her older brother was so nice as to take her to the hospital even for such small injuries.

Lin Miao became happier the more she thought about it. It was irresistible; she couldn’t help but hug the Young Master, “Gege’s so nice!”

The Young Master was rambling about how she doesn’t have to push herself so hard to catch the birdies as to risk falling, when the person beside him warmly embraced him.

Her voice was sugary sweet and was mixed with excited leaps.

The Young Master’s ears reddened. He felt as if his heart was submerged in a sugary mixture when she spoke. Then, in an overly serious tone, he said, “Don’t change topics, did you ever trip and fall during practice at school?”

He recalled that during her competitions, she would reach for every shot, low and high, even if it meant for her to leap upwards or crouch down.

Lin Miao gave the Young Master a bear hug and then lifted her head up toward the Young Master, “Never, my coach complimented my good balance.”

At school, Lin Miao really wanted to brag about how she carried pumpkins through slippery paths that almost made her slip and fall flat on her face. It often rained during winter and summer back in the mountains. The path back home was muddy and slippery, but never once did she slip, even with her carrying a backpack. Nowadays, she didn’t have to carry anything and the ground wasn’t lubricious, so it was almost impossible for her to slip and fall.

At the hospital, Lin Miao obediently let the doctor check her bruise. Then, they all headed out to pick up the medicine the doctor prescribed.

The prescribed medications were all creams. Back in the car, the Young Master tore the package open and started applying some onto Lin Miao’s bruise.

The Young Master was focused on rubbing the cream. Since his head was lowered, Lin Miao irresistibly patted his head, promising, “Gege, I’ll be really really good to you in the future.”

The Young Master lifted his head, looking at Lin Miao and her expression that appeared as if she was giving off an oath. He smiled and replied, “How would you be nice to me?”

“I’ll carry your backpack for you during my breaks,” Lin Miao thought and then added, “I’ll massage your shoulder and back!”

She had expressed her kindness by massaging her grandmother’s back and shoulders before.

The Young Master was applying cream to her left arm so she used her right to massage the Young Master’s shoulder.

The Young Master – defeated by her – rubbed his head against hers, “Just don’t get hurt in the future, that’s the best thing you can do for me.”

Lin Miao immediately promised, “Yes, I’ll never get myself injured again.”

The Young Master brushed her hair straight. Lin Miao still kept her hair short. The hair over her forehead was a bit messy from the hug.

The two returned to Lin Miao’s apartment for dinner, and then the Young Master accompanied her back to her school.

Naturally, Lin Miao’s mother packed her more food for her to eat at school.

Seeing that Lin Miao had brought another bag back, Tan Jing asked, “Did your brother visit you again?”

“Mhm.”

“How come I don’t have an older brother.” Tan Jing sighed.

Lin Miao stopped to think. If it was before, she would probably comfort her and say that her brother would be hers as well...

But then an idea came to her mind, “I’ll be your older brother, you’re two years younger than me anyway.”

Tan Jing thought over the idea, “Brother Shui?”

Lin Miao felt it to be quite pleasant, “Sister Jing!”

As she spoke, she patted Tan Jing’s head, and in a voice similar to her own older brother’s, she said, “Sister is so obedient!”

Lin Miao was the sweetest in her group. Her eyes were big, her face round, and her nose petite. She was filled with joy everyday.

However, she was also the scariest opponent to face in practice. No one knows how she collected all her strength. It felt like fighting a battle every time they played against her.

So, everyone followed Tan Jing and called Lin Miao Brother Shui.

Lin Miao became increasingly involved with Tan Jing after becoming her “brother”.

She even asked for the coach to participate in Tan Jing’s tournament, but the coach didn’t permit her.

Tan Jing comforted her and said that her parents would be there. She also promised Lin Miao to tell her the results after she returned.

Yep, the coach didn’t allow Lin Miao and Tan Jing to be in the same tournament.

So, Lin Miao continued to train in the school while Tan Jing was at the tournament. During the night, Tan Jing returned, crying. She had lost by one point in the finals.

Lin Miao didn’t know how to comfort her but she was very sympathetic towards her. “Don’t worry, just keep participating in these tournaments. We can’t win all the games, we just need to make sure we win the most important ones…”

Tan Jing lifted her head, her eyes red. She said, swallowing, “I started when I was five… And I just lost the first tournament I participated in. My dad said that I should just go study instead… hic… He said I wasn’t fit for this...”

Lin Miao was very irritated by the comment, “Don’t listen to their nonsense. Sister Jin, you are fit for this!”

The coach brought along some good news when he came to see them. He said that they had agreed with Tan Jing’s father to let her stay at the school.

Lin Miao was relieved. Those adults are so short-sighted. She just lost a game, seriously?

During the evening, Lin Miao shared some of her pork jerky with Tan Jing. Their diets were restricted due to excessive hormones and steroids.

When Lin Miao’s mother heard of this, she paid a family back in the village to help raise two pigs. All the livestock in the mountains were fed grass and grains. When they were butchered during the Lunar New Year, Lin Miao’s mother dried some of the pork during the visit back and baked them into lean meat snacks for Lin Miao.

Lin Miao and Tan Jing lay in the same bed again. Lin Miao patted her head, “We can’t be like those adults when we grow up.

Tan Jing’s eyes were still watery, she was still thinking about the competition.

“Brother Shui, I told them to not come to my competitions from now on.” Tan Jing told Lin Miao while she ate.

Lin Miao nodded, “Mm, don’t let them see!”

Tan Jing had learned and grown much from this.

Lin Miao also realized that sometimes adults could spew out nonsense. They said that Jingjing wasn’t born for badminton. If that’s not nonsense, I don’t know what is.

She had always thought that the adults were always true and reasonable.

Days flew by and soon, the New Year was around the corner.

Lin Miao hadn't been keeping track.

She saw Tan Jing’s mother for the first time.

Her dorm was girls-only, so Tan Jing’s mother was the only one permitted to come.

Lin Miao hurriedly left their dorm room, not letting Tan Jing’s mother see her.

She saw the Young Master outside. He waved at her.

Lin Miao rushed towards him.

The Young Master took her backpack, “You seemed to have gotten skinnier, have you been practicing harder?”

Drinking her milk, she replied, “No. This is apparently called a spurt. My mom told me that all girls my age will get taller and skinnier…”

As she continued, she remembered something else. Pulling onto the Young Master, she said, “Wait Gege, can you help me with something?”

The Young Master was a bit surprised, “Yes?”

Tan Jing’s mother kept on urging, “I heard that the provincial badminton team is going to choose people from you guys. If you don’t get in, your dad will definitely continue yelling at you. Don’t slack off in school, practice harder.”

Tan Jing was very uncomfortable; how was she slacking off?

“I’m doing this for your own good.”

Tan Jing walked downstairs with her belongings. She hated the New Year.

She was immediately met with her impatient father, “Come.”

Tan Jing walked towards him, “Dad.”

The three silently walked through the school.

Suddenly, they heard a male voice behind them, “Sis, you’ll definitely be fine, you’re so good at badminton.”

“Not really.” A sad voice answered, “There’s a really talented girl in my group. The coach often compliments her and says that she was born for badminton. She also tries so hard…”

Tan Jing wanted to look back and ask: ‘Brother Shui, are you talking about yourself?’

Of course, Tan Jing resisted her urge.

Her mother added to the conversation, “See, those people with talent even try harder than you do.”

The male voice behind them asked again, “Really? Is she the Tan Jing girl you often talked about?”

“Yeah, it’s her…”

Tan Jing’s parents both stopped in awkwardness. They had not expected them to be referring to their daughter.

Lin Miao pretended as if she had just noticed that Tan Jing was in front of her. She awkwardly waved at her, “Tan Jing, uh, I… I was just…”

She spoke as if she was caught yet speechless, so Lin Miao arrogantly added, “Don’t think that I’m afraid of you just because the coach always compliments your talent. I’ll try my best and beat you!”

Tan Jing: “...” I never knew that brother Shui loved to act this much.

So she speechlessly watched Lin Miao – someone she always viewed as calm but playful – finish her sentence and walk away like a stuck-up kid.

Tan Jing: “...”

Immediately after, Tan Jing heard her mother say, “This classmate of yours seems a bit impetuous and too proud, don’t be like her.”

Tan Jing had always looked up to Lin Miao, who seemed to know anything and everything. She was also exceptional at badminton, destroying the girl she lost against during her finals in another tournament. So, Tan Jing responded, “She’s really good and talented, I can’t win against her.”

Tan Jing’s father didn’t think his daughter would be so unconfident in herself. He thought she might have developed a psychological scar from her loss during the finals of the last tournament, “You’re also talented, don’t be afraid of her.”

Tan Jing stopped and recalled Lin Miao’s words. Adults do spew out a lot of nonsense. Her dad seemed to have completely forgotten his comments about how she wasn’t fit for badminton and would be better off studying.

Meanwhile, the two actors had returned to the car.

“Gege, how did I do just now?” Lin Miao asked excitedly, hugging her older brother’s arm.

“Perfect!” The Young Master complimented.

“Sigh, I’d definitely compliment my kid every day if I were to have one.” Lin Miao contemplated.

She was only a twelve-year-old little girl yet she was thinking so far into the future already. This maturity made the Young Master laugh. Rubbing her head, he said, “Yes, I’ll help you and compliment them, too.”