Over the weekend, Suchen came for their appointment, and Lika brought out the item she had been looking for the other day. It was a childhood photograph of Lika and her younger sister, their faces beaming with innocent, adorable expressions.
Lika's younger sister was named Riya. She was the second young lady of Lika's aristocratic family, and like Lika, she attended an ordinary school as a high school girl. With black hair and red eyes, she was petite and timid by nature. Her values clashed entirely with those of the family, which was why she had been neglected and ignored since childhood.
This had made Riya extremely reclusive, ill-informed, and afraid of getting hurt. Among everyone in the family, she cared the most about Lika. Note: Suchen did not know about this situation yet, so there should be no misunderstanding.
Lika sat down beside Suchen, leaning against him, and handed the photo to Suchen. "I actually... have another sister, Suchen. Her name is Riya. Would you like to know more about her? I can tell you all about her."
"I'd love to hear it," Suchen replied.
Lika slowly stood up, walked over to the table, picked up the photo, and continued, "My sister... she has never been favored by the family, and people always bully her."
Suchen took the photo and examined it closely. "Why? Aren't you biological sisters?"
Lika looked at the photo with a slight smile. "Yes, she's my real sister."
"Then how is your relationship?" Suchen asked.
Lika looked at Riya in the photograph with tender eyes. "We are very close. Even though she's timid and introverted, she's very kind."
"She shouldn't be bullied," Suchen remarked. "She's an aristocrat, just like you."
Lika sighed. "True. By rights, as an aristocratic young lady, she shouldn't be bullied at all."
Suchen looked puzzled. "Then why does she get bullied?"
Lika bit her lip, her voice dropping to a low murmur. "Because Riya... she's reclusive, quiet, and always hides away in a corner by herself."
"Oh, I see," Suchen said.
"That's why I look after her so much," Lika added.
"I think I know the reason," Suchen said.
Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Lika's eyes. "What reason?"
"Think about it first," Suchen prompted. "Why don't *you* ever get bullied?"
Lika tilted her head in thought. "Um... probably because I'm more strong-willed."
"Right, you hit the nail on the head immediately," Suchen said.
Lika seemed to understand. "So... Riya is just too weak, and that's why she gets bullied."
"Exactly," Suchen agreed. "In her situation, she probably wouldn't even dare to report it when she's bullied."
A flash of anger sparked in Lika's eyes as she clenched her fists. "That's awful!"
"Calm down for a second," Suchen advised.
Lika took a deep breath, trying hard to steady herself. "Alright, I'm calming down."
"How does her family treat her?" Suchen asked.
"My family has always treated Riya as my shadow, so they always ignore her," Lika said.
"She's very timid, right?" Suchen asked.
Lika nodded. "Yes, she's very timid."
"Where is she now?"
"In her room."
"Can we go see her?"
"Of course. Let's go."
The two of them walked over to the door of Riya's room, and Lika gently pushed it open. "Riya, your sister is here to see you."
Stepping inside and coming up beside Riya, Lika asked, "How have you been lately, Riya?"
When Riya saw Lika, a flicker of joy crossed her eyes, but she quickly lowered her head again. "Sister..."
Lika gently stroked her hair. "What's wrong, Riya? Are you unhappy?"
Riya shook her head and whispered, "No, Sister, I'm happy."
Looking at Riya, Lika felt a pang of heartache in her eyes. "If anything is bothering you, just tell Sister. Sister will help you solve it."
Riya noticed Suchen standing nearby. Noticing Riya's gaze, Lika smiled and made the introduction. "Riya, this is my new boyfriend."
Suchen tried greeting her. "Hello."
Lika asked, "Do you like him, Riya?"
A trace of hesitation flashed in Riya's eyes, but she ultimately nodded. "I like him."
"That's wonderful, Riya! You finally have a friend," Lika said happily.
Suchen leaned in and whispered to Lika, "Let's step outside for a moment. I've thought of a way."
Lika asked softly, "What way?"
"To help her overcome her fear, of course," Suchen replied.
"Alright, let's go outside and talk," Lika said.
Closing the door behind them, Lika urged, "Quickly tell me, what's your plan?"
"Does she suffer from depression or anything like that?" Suchen asked.
Lika thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"Does she usually come out of her room?"
"She usually stays inside her room and never comes out."
"Good. Then we need to get her to go out and play more often."
"Go out and play?"
"Right."
"That's a great idea."
Lika returned to the room and looked at Riya. "Riya, let's go out for a walk. The weather outside is lovely."
Riya hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, let's go for a walk."
Lika took her by the hand and led her out of the room. "Let's go."
The three of them arrived in the garden. Lika looked at Riya and smiled. "Look, Riya, isn't the garden beautiful?" She strolled through the garden with Riya, the two of them chatting and laughing.
"How are the results?" Suchen asked.
"Riya... she finally smiled," Lika answered.
"Sounds like it worked," Suchen said.
A flash of gratitude appeared in Lika's eyes as she whispered, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. This is only the first step, and we still have a long way to go."
"I'll stay by Riya's side until she makes a full recovery," Lika said.
"I will too."
Lika squeezed Suchen's hand tightly, her voice choking up. "Thank you."
"There, there, stop crying," Suchen comforted.
Lika wiped away her tears. "Mm, I won't cry."
The three of them spent a pleasant day in the garden.
Looking at Riya, Lika asked with a smile, "Did you have fun today, Riya?"
Riya nodded, her eyes full of joy as she said, "I had fun."
Lika took Riya's hand and said gently, "I'm glad. We'll come out to play often from now on."
Riya nodded with a smile and replied, "Okay."
Lika turned to look at Suchen, her eyes filled with affection. "Thank you, Suchen."
"No need to thank me, we're lovers after all," Suchen replied.
Lika leaned against his shoulder and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, Lika."
The two exchanged a smile, their eyes brimming with happiness.
"Next," Suchen said, "we need to deal with how Riya relates to other people."
With a resolute look in her eyes, Lika whispered, "Right, I'll be right by Riya's side."