Su Qingwan's heart hammered wildly in her chest, a storm of immense worry threatening to overwhelm her.
She could hear Su Chen's voice clearly, yet she couldn't see him at all. Her mind went completely blank. Had Su Chen really died and become a ghost?
Or perhaps some kind of earthbound spirit, like the ones in comics?
For a moment, her heart was a chaotic mess of emotions. Should she be happy that he was back by her side? Or sad and distraught over this strange circumstance?
"You're shaking me to death. Don't move. Absolutely do not move. Let me recover for a second."
Su Chen's voice sounded in her ear again, but this time it seemed faint and weak.
"Okay, I won't move. Where exactly are you? What happened? Brother, you... have you turned into a ghost?"
By the time she finished speaking, she was on the verge of tears. She believed that even if Su Chen had become a ghost, he wouldn't hurt her. But humans and ghosts belonged to different realms. Wouldn't all the plans she'd laid over the years be utterly ruined?
"Relax, relax, I'm not dead. If I died, who would take care of you for a lifetime? Also, speak a bit softer. You're hurting my ears."
Su Chen rubbed his head, only now recovering from the dizziness.
Hearing he was still alive, Su Qingwan's heart settled somewhat, but her confusion only grew. If Su Chen wasn't dead, why couldn't she see him, even in broad daylight?
"Then... brother, where are you?"
She asked cautiously, no longer in any hurry to get to class. Compared to a lecture or two, Su Chen was infinitely more important.
"Me? I'm currently in your ear."
Su Chen answered truthfully. He was indeed in her ear right now—how else could she hear him so clearly?
"Ah!"
His words startled her. Instinctively, she covered her ears with both hands, thinking her cheap brother had gone mad. How could a full-grown person possibly be in her ear? Her ears were so small.
"Qingwan, softer. Your voice is way too loud for me right now."
The moment Su Qingwan shouted, Su Chen, nestled in her ear canal, felt the space around him shudder. A massive sound reverberated back and forth, making his chest feel tight.
"Oh, okay, okay."
Su Qingwan quickly reined in her emotions, one small hand patting her well-developed chest as she pondered what to ask next.
She simply couldn't believe Su Chen was really in her ear. She wasn't Sun Wukong; how could she hide a whole person there? Besides, all Sun Wukong hid was a golden hoop staff.
"Brother, what on earth—"
Before her question was fully out, Su Chen interrupted. He didn't dare move recklessly now. He knew Su Qingwan wouldn't easily believe something like this. He had to explain everything clearly first, and only then could he make a proper appearance.
"I know what you want to ask. Let me explain my current situation first. You can ask any questions afterward."
Hearing this, Su Qingwan fell silent and waited.
"My current situation is very strange. For some unknown reason, I shrank. And I mean shrank—the very, very tiny kind. Right now, I'm probably about three or four millimeters tall."
Su Chen had only said this much when Su Qingwan's jaw dropped, and she nearly cried out again.
She hurriedly covered her mouth, not daring to make a sound, afraid of interrupting what he would say next.
If what Su Chen said was true—if he really was only three or four millimeters tall—then him being in her ear was entirely possible.
"This happened three days ago. I woke up that morning, and my body was already like this. At the time, I was even smaller, less than two millimeters. Before I could even react, you barged into my room. You were probably coming to wake me up."
Su Qingwan subconsciously nodded, then quickly stopped the motion, remembering he might be in her ear.
Su Chen waited for her movement to cease before continuing.
"At that time, I called out to you for help, but I was too small. You simply didn't see me. Then you pounced onto the bed... and I was sent flying instantly. It was thrilling, just like a meteor hitting Earth. I was almost flattened..."
When Su Chen reached this point, a trace of laughter entered his voice. This made Su Qingwan, who was listening quietly, blush a bright red. Annoyance filled her heart. How could a petite, cute girl like her be compared to a meteor crashing into Earth?
But then she thought, if Su Chen really was less than two millimeters tall back then... the description was probably accurate.
Su Chen certainly knew better than to anger this sister of his, especially given his current precarious situation and his dependence on her care.
Half an hour later, Su Chen had roughly explained the events of the past two days to Su Qingwan.
He emphasized his suspicions about the sudden shrinking and recounted some of his experiences.
Of course, things like falling into Su Qingwan's shoe, getting tangled in the threads of her nightgown, or being pinched by her toes—Su Chen would not be mentioning those.
Why?
Because if Su Qingwan found out about those incidents, it would utterly destroy his image as her older brother. Even though he currently had little claim to dignity, wanting to save face needed no reason.
After Su Chen finally finished his account, the room fell into silence.
Su Qingwan said nothing, her mind racing as she tried to accept these unbelievable facts as quickly as possible. Even now, she struggled to fully believe that Su Chen had shrunk. It wasn't that she doubted his word—it was simply too incredible.
Su Qingwan understood Su Chen; one could say she understood him better than he understood himself. From his tone alone, she knew he wasn't joking.
But the more that was true, the less she knew what to say.
"You still don't believe me, do you?"
When Su Chen asked this, his heart was uneasy. After all, Su Qingwan was his only hope for help right now.
"Idiot, of course I believe you."
Su Qingwan rolled her eyes, a faint, amused smile touching her lips.
"Mmm. Okay, Idiot, move around a little. Let me feel if you're really in my ear."
Su Qingwan wanted to confirm his location. Hearing this, Su Chen knew she truly believed him. Without hesitation, he struggled to stand and gingerly moved a few steps along the inner wall of her ear.
Suddenly, Su Qingwan felt a distinct, tickling sensation deep inside her ear. Her body shuddered, and she barely restrained the urge to move, hurriedly saying, "Okay, okay, I believe you! Stop moving!"
Su Qingwan was extremely ticklish. Su Chen's actions had nearly made her want to shake whatever was in her ear right out.
Though she resisted moving, her fair neck had already flushed a delicate shade of pink.