Xu JiaNing couldn't stop thinking about what Xiao Qian had said.
During the days she had spent with Xiao Yan recently, she did feel like there was something odd about him.
At the same time, she never felt that the guy who all the girls in school looked up to but couldn't get close to would really see her, a nobody, as a goddess.
If what Xiao Qian said was true, then dad...
Lin ChuSui couldn't sit still. She wanted to get to the bottom of this.
At 9pm, she changed into a comfy tracksuit for easy movement, tied her hair in a ponytail, and sneaked out of her room, ready to head out.
Xiao Qian was reciting ancient poems on the balcony. Seeing her sneak downstairs, he called out to her, "Where are you going? Your stepfather told me to supervise your studying."
"The homework today is too difficult. I'm going to find Xiao Yan to explain the problems to me."
Xiao Qian grabbed her schoolbag and dragged her into the study room, "I'll explain them to you."
"No, no, no, don't bother. I'm going to the shop to buy some late-night snacks anyway, I'm hungry."
Xiao Qian thought for a moment and asked, "Didn't you say earlier that he and his sister live together and run a hot pot shop?"
"Yeah, they seem to take turns running it... Business is pretty good, there's always a long line whenever I go."
"Let's go then." Xiao Qian said as he changed into shoes at the door and squatted down, "I'll go with you."
"Hey, why do you want to come with me?"
"I'm hungry and want a late-night snack."
Xiao Qian drove Lin ChuSui to the night market street. Xiao Yan didn't seem to be at the shop today, only Xiao Qian's busy figure could be seen.
With Xiao Yan not around, business didn't seem as good either.
"Sis, where's Xiao Yan?"
Seeing Lin ChuSui, Xiao Qian smiled, "He was here until midnight yesterday, so I let him go back and rest today."
"Oh, I came to ask him about homework. I'll go find him at home then?"
"Go ahead, he's probably studying at this time too."
Xiao Qian's gaze fell on Xiao Qian, as if glued there and unable to move away.
Lin ChuSui tugged at him, "Let's go, cheap brother, go find the study god to ask about homework."
Xiao Qian said, "I don't need to consult him. I came out for late-night snacks, go yourself."
"But didn't you accept father's order to supervise my studying?"
"Isn't the study god supervision enough?"
It was good that he wasn't coming. Lin ChuSui rode away on his bike.
Xiao Qian walked to the shop entrance, scratched his head, and said to Xiao Qian, "I want to buy hot pot."
"Sure, what do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."
"Anything you make is fine. I'll eat it all."
"Okay." Xiao Qian happily selected food for him and turned to parboil it in the hot pot soup.
Watching her, Xiao Qian looked completely different from when he first saw her at the entrance of the bar. That night, Xiao Qian was dressed in mature nightclub style, exuding sex appeal.
But today, with her hair tied neatly in a ponytail, wearing a knitted sweater that clung to her shapely figure for the autumn weather, she looked casual yet elegant, full of feminine charm.
He took out his phone and sneakily snapped a picture of her. But he forgot to mute it, and the phone made a crisp "click" sound.
Xiao Qian: ......
Annual idiot moment.
Xiao Qian's busy hands also paused for a moment. She turned around, looking at him with glistening eyes.
Xiao Qian was instantly so embarrassed his whole face turned red. He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into right then.
"You took a picture of me?"
"I... I heard that after buying 50, you can take pictures."
Even when giving speeches in front of thousands of students in London, Xiao Qian was always calm and composed, never blushing. But now he was stuttering.
"The one who can take pictures after buying 50 is my brother Xiao Yan."
Xiao Qian explained, "I don't have that service here."
"Oh, sor...sorry."
Seeing him in the milky white home clothes, dressed obediently, clearly a child with good family upbringing, not the sort to casually harass girls. His blushing look was rather cute.
She laughed and said, "And you haven't bought enough anyway. Or I could add it up to fifty for you, so you can take a proper nice picture."
Xiao Qian nodded forcefully, "Then add it to fifty."
"Can you finish eating all that?"
"I can... finish it."
Xiao Qian added more dishes for him, "Don't just stand around outside, come in and sit."
Xiao Qian went inside and sat on the small wooden stool for a while. Seeing Xiao Qian busy, he wanted to go over to help her.
Xiao Qian didn't stand on ceremony at all, treating him completely like a younger brother to order around: "Help me wash the bowls on the table."
Xiao Qian nodded and brought the bowls to the sink to rinse.
"Have you washed dishes before?" Seeing his posture, Xiao Qian could tell he wasn't used to such work. "You need detergent to wash dishes, or else the oil won't come off."
"Oh, okay."
Xiao Qian squeezed some detergent and smeared it haphazardly before rinsing under running water.
"Don't you help your parents with housework at home?"
"At our home, my dad said I should just focus on studying, and not waste time on such things. He said as long as I make something of myself in the future, there will be people to do these chores for me. Or I could even hire people if needed."
Xiao Qian gave a faint laugh, "Being a boy really is blessed huh." She could sense the deeper meaning behind his smile, and Xiao Qian felt a little uncomfortable inside.
He had never doubted the correctness of old Xu's words before. Of course his time was precious, and should be spent on more meaningful things, studying, gaining knowledge... Not wasting time on trivial daily matters.
He had always been a proud and arrogant person, but at this moment, he felt truly foolish.
Utterly foolish.
As if to prove a point to himself, Xiao Qian picked up another bowl, applied detergent, and rinsed forcefully under the tap, scrubbing until his skin turned white.
Seeing this, Xiao Qian quickly snatched the bowl from his hands, "Child, didn't I tell you to put it down? What restaurant makes their customers work."
"I want to do it." Xiao Qian gritted his teeth and said earnestly, "I can't do it well now, but I can learn. If I don't do well the first time, I will definitely get better after the second and third time."
Xiao Qian looked at the youth before her, behind his seemingly gentle gaze, hid an obstinate spirit.
It was like he was trying to prove a point to himself.
Quite interesting.
She didn't try to stop him anymore and passed him the ready hot pot.
"Thank you, little Qian." Xiao Qian placed the bowl down and sat on the small stool, "Can I call you little Qian?"
"No! How impolite, you should call me sister like Xiao Yan and little ChuSui."
"Then I'll call you QianQian."
Xiao Qian threw the rag on the chopping board, "Little ChuSui said you're from overseas. Don't they teach how to address older sister there?"
"I don't want to call you sister."
"Afraid I'd take advantage of you?" She chuckled, "Do you even know how old I am?"
"I know, you said you're thirty."
"Silly boy." Xiao Qian laughed, "I'm turning 25 soon. Still a good few years older than you."
"Only six years. Rounded off, we're peers."
"How much younger is little ChuSui than you?"
"One year and three months."
"She's a bit younger yet calls you brother, no?"
"Lin ChuSui prefers to call me... fake foreign devil."
"That nickname is quite unique." Xiao Qian's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled at him, "Spicy?"
Xiao Qian's cheeks were flushed red, but he still shook his head, "No... not spicy."
Xiao Qian turned and took a can of coke from the fridge, passing it to him, "No need to force yourself, who's laughing at you?"
Xiao Qian quickly popped the can open and chugged nearly half the can.
The coke trickled down his chiseled jaw, his throat moving as he swallowed.
Watching him, Xiao Qian's gaze grew increasingly affectionate. She really was treating him like another younger brother like Xiao Yan.
"Child, why did you come looking for sister?"
"I..." Xiao Qian put down the coke, wiped his mouth with a tissue, suppressed a burp, calmed himself and said, "I wanted to see you."
"Why did you want to see me?"
"I don't know. Lin ChuSui said to come find Xiao Yan, and I thought... maybe I could see you too, so I came along."
Xiao Qian's crescent eyes were fixed on him, and he didn't know where to rest his gaze.
"Boy, could it be... you like sister?"
Xiao Qian had never been shy. On the contrary, having grown up abroad, he was very open about such matters. If he liked someone, he would openly admit it. He wasn't afraid to profess his feelings.
Xu Jia Ning put down his chopsticks, his eyes stared at her sincerely and earnestly: "Sister, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Yes, I do."
Xu Jia Ning coughed hard a few times. The next sentence "Can I be your boyfriend?" was abruptly swallowed back by him.
His face turned red all over.
Xiao Qian saw through his thoughts, but she didn't take it to heart.
She knew too well about these young boys.
She was quite attractive. Over the years, she was never short of pursuers, including boys from night school, older and younger, poor and rich...too numerous to count.
And most of these pursuers were just a passing interest, coming on a whim and leaving on a whim.
As an orphan raised in an orphanage, she was extremely insecure and planning for her future all the time.
She needed to find a safe and stable home for herself.
"Kid, do you know me?"
"Give me a chance to get to know all of you."
Xiao Qian smiled faintly, fully revealing her charm. A woman's allure was never about age, but her most unique temperament.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you a chance because you are still too young."
Xu Jia Ning was different from her other pursuers. If it was someone else, Xiao Qian, who lacked security since childhood, might still leave some room for maneuver.
But Xu Jia Ning was like Xiao Yan, a dear younger brother. She rejected him outright without mercy.
"You are so handsome and have such a clean-cut temperament. You must be quite popular with girls. If you want to date, go out with girls your age. Young love at this age will be very sweet."
Xu Jia Ning knew he would definitely fail at first try. He also knew there was an age gap between them that would be hard to bridge.
"Sister Xiao, I will do my best to get into a very good university and make a future for myself without relying on my father. This will take some time. You don't need to wait for me."
He scratched his fingernails and lowered his eyes, sincerely saying: "I don't know what it means to like someone, and I've never liked anyone before, but whenever I think of you..."
"Stop." Xiao Qian stopped the sincere and ardent confession of the young man: "Did I allow you to confess to me?"
Xu Jia Ning looked at her fiercely, seeming determined not to look back until hitting the wall: "You can choose not to listen, but I want to say it."
Xiao Qian knew that boys this age, driven by the raging hormones in their bodies, were inevitably uncontrolled at times.
She reached out and pinched Xu Jia Ning's jaw, lifted it up gently, and leaned in close to him.
Xu Jia Ning smelled her unique feminine scent, light and fruity, lingering.
He looked at her face, unable to move his eyes even an inch away, and couldn't help swallowing hard.
"We've only met once, so kid, do you actually like me or do you just want me?"
The woman's voice was low and sexy. Xu Jia Ning couldn't stand such teasing. His soul was almost gone.
He steadied his mind and said honestly: "Like you and want you too."
Xiao Qian's mouth corner twitched coldly and she pushed his face away unkindly: "Then hold back, because sister doesn't like kids."
Lin ChuSui knocked on the door of Xiao Yan's home.
The door opened soon.
The light was very dim, seemingly only a night light was on. He was bare-chested, wearing only a white towel below. His bangs were still dripping wet, drops of water falling on his fair skin.
In the soft light, he looked sexy to no end.
Lin ChuSui's face flushed red, her eyes staring straight at Xiao Yan's upper body.
Seeing the girl outside the door, Xiao Yan was slightly surprised. Then with a "bang" he shut her outside.
A few minutes later, the door opened again. He had changed into a daily black T-shirt and pants. His hair was still damp and he was wiping it with a white towel―
"Why did you come?"
Having heard Xu Jia Ning's words, Lin ChuSui couldn't wait until tomorrow to see him.
"It's still early. I came to do homework." Lin ChuSui raised her exercise book in her hand.
Xiao Yan glanced at the clock on the wall: "Miss, it's 10 o'clock now. Are you sure you want to do homework with me?"
"What, is it inconvenient?" Seeing that Xiao Yan was reluctant to let her in, Lin ChuSui peeked into the room twice: "Don't tell me you took your girlfriend home to 'play' while your sister is not around?"
Since she was already here, Xiao Yan naturally didn't have reason to shut her out. He let her in.
"I'll explain to you the questions you don't understand. After explaining, go back and sleep."
Lin ChuSui sat on the sofa and opened her workbook, pointing out the questions she didn't understand: "This one, this one, and this one."
Xiao Yan looked through the workbook and started working them out on scrap paper.
Lin ChuSui's eyes shifted sideways and saw that the trash can was full of paper balls. Curiously she asked: "Why are there so many tissues in the trash can? Were you cleaning?"
Xiao Yan's pen paused noticeably and he made an unnatural "hmm" sound.
"You use paper towels to clean? That's too wasteful! Don't you know to use a mop or a rag?"
"Personal preference."
"It's full. I'll take it out with me when I leave later."
"No need!" Xiao Yan impatiently tugged at her braid: "Concentrate on listening to me explain."
"Go ahead please."
Xiao Yan patiently explained the steps and reasoning behind the questions to her twice. Even an idiot could understand it.
Lin ChuSui had always thought that getting tutored by the study-god at his level, she definitely wouldn't understand a word.
But later she discovered that the reason why he was the study-god was that he could use the most basic and simple thinking to explain even the most complex problems clearly.
At least when Xu Jia Ning explained questions to her, he would go on about complicated theories, talking in circles that she couldn't understand a word.
So Xiao Yan's tutoring fees were sky-high, even higher than some teachers' tutoring rates, yet so many students were still willing to get tutored by him.
Lin ChuSui dawdled for forty minutes before finally finishing all the questions. Xiao Yan looked at the time and directly ordered her to leave: "It's late."
Lin ChuSui took out a bag of pistachios from her pocket and put it on the coffee table, saying to Xiao Yan: "Thank you, please have these."
Xiao Yan looked at the girl's tender cherry lips, strongly suppressing the continuously expanding feeling, and said: "No, leave now."
"Have one, I brought them specially from home." Saying so, Lin ChuSui cracked open a pistachio shell and held out the kernel to him: "Try it."
"If I eat one, you'll leave?"
"Why do you keep rushing me to leave?"
"Because you came at a very..."
Inappropriate time, not the right time.
Xiao Yan suppressed his desires with great effort. His head leaned over to take the kernel from her fingertips: "Done?"
Lin ChuSui felt her fingertips turn cool where his lips had touched, and she froze.
She was just... handing it to him, did he think she was feeding him?
The key was he actually obediently ate it!
For a moment Lin ChuSui's mind raced and was in turmoil. She absentmindedly cracked another pistachio and held it out to his mouth.
Xiao Yan was too lazy to say more to her. He ate it.
He just wanted her to leave as soon as possible. Every extra minute was endless "torture" for his body.
Seeing that he was really willing to obediently eat her hand-fed snacks, like a proud cat accepting food from its owner's hand.
She felt flattered and honored.
...Were they this close now?
Lin ChuSui silently cracked open a third pistachio.
"Lin ChuSui, is there an end to this?"
"Eat it."
Xiao Yan silently peeled and ate all the pistachios on the table: "Can you leave now?"
Lin ChuSui felt somewhat doubtful in her heart. She believed in Xu Jia Ning's nonsense that after the spirit writing that night, Xiao Yan might have been possessed by old Lin's ghost, so she specially came to test it out.
Old Lin hated eating pine nuts the most, and it was a physiological dislike. He especially hated cashews. When they were young, Lin ChuSui played a trick on him by throwing cashews into his mouth. Old Lin ran straight to the bathroom and vomited violently.
If Xiao Yan was really Old Lin, after eating so many cashews, it would be impossible for him to behave as if nothing had happened.
Could it be that she was overthinking this?
Xiao Yan had no relationship whatsoever with Old Lin.
That's right, Xiao Yan was nothing like Old Lin. Xiao Yan was a penny pinching iron rooster who loved money more than his life. But Old Lin was very generous, probably because he came from a well-off family and money was unimportant to him.
In the past, Grandpa and Grandma wanted Old Lin to study business management well so that he could inherit the family business in the future, but Old Lin insisted on becoming a firefighter because that was what he really wanted to do.
Old Lin and Xiao Yan were worlds apart and absolutely not the same person.
However, Lin ChuSui was still a little reluctant to let this go. Xu Jia Ning did not seem like the kind of person who would joke around lightly, so she probably wouldn't use something Lin ChuSui cared deeply about to joke around.
Since this matter arose from the spirit writing game, Lin ChuSui wanted to try it again to see if a miracle would happen.
"Scholar God, are you free this weekend?"
"Got something going on?"
"Yeah, it's my birthday. I want you to come celebrate with me."
Xiao Yan blinked, his long eyelashes fluttering slowly: "Your birthday is December 14th. Still early."
Lin ChuSui exclaimed, "How do you know! You're not my dad!"
He explained calmly: "I've seen your ID."
When Lin ChuSui thought of the gloomy and ugly photo on her ID, she was instantly drained of energy.
"I remembered wrong. It's Lu Chi's birthday. We're planning a good celebration for her."
"We just celebrated Lu TianBai's birthday at the Xiting Club last time. I still remember. You forgot?"
Lin ChuSui righteously said, "That's right. But next week is Lu Chi's birthday."
"As far as I know, they're twins."
"Yeah."
The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched: "In your family, twins are born two months apart?"
"......"
After being exposed, Lin ChuSui was mortified and angrily said, "If you don't want to come just say so, why make excuses."
Xiao Yan smiled faintly: "It's because you're so bad at lying your excuses are full of holes."
"I just can't lie well, so what!"
"You want to lie yourself but get angry when exposed. Could your temper be any worse?"
Lin ChuSui looked at him angrily, like an angry little frog, her cheeks flushed red.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan couldn't help but reach out and poke her puffy little cheeks.
She took the opportunity to grab his collar: "Xiao Yan, is it fun to bully people?"
Xiao Yan grasped her snowy white and smooth wrist, pulling her close to himself. His low voice was filled with suppressed desire and restraint―
"You call this bullying? You haven't seen real bullying yet."
Looking at his handsome features up close, those fathomless black eyes were filled with dangerous allure.
The little girl had acted tough for over ten years. Suddenly she felt a little cowardly, like a little bunny, blinking her long lashes at him.
She suddenly felt wronged, her eyes turning a little red.
Only in front of this boy would she truly feel embarrassed, flustered, and sad...
Lin ChuSui broke free of his hand, took her schoolbag, and walked away, muttering angrily: "Then forget it if you don't want to go."
Seeing her dejected back, Xiao Yan called out lightly: "Didn't say I wasn't going. Just one condition."
Lin ChuSui stopped and looked back at him: "What?"
"You have to participate in the school-wide essay contest next month."
"Essay contest?" Lin ChuSui was puzzled. "Why do I have to participate? Is there prize money?"
"No prize money, but if you win, there's honor."
"Didn't you say honor without prize money is worthless?"
Xiao Yan stood up. The light illuminated his handsome features even more dazzlingly―black hair, black eyes, fair skin, red lips―peerless.
"For me, honor is unimportant because it's easily obtained. But for you it's very important, because you're a failing student."
"......"
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of his mouth, Lin ChuSui's fists tightened again.
He looked at her and said, "Failing deskmate, don't you want the homeroom teacher to stop looking down on you?"
Lin ChuSui lowered her head to think. It was indeed so.
Whenever Mr. Qin mentioned her, it was with contempt, as if she would be mired in failure her whole life.
Lin ChuSui didn't use to care, but now she wanted to care a little.
"Fine, I promise I'll participate, and you have to come this weekend too."
"Deal."
...
On her way home, Lin ChuSui asked Lu TianBai for a notice about participating in the essay contest.
The theme was to write about someone very important to you. After writing, submit it to the Chinese class representative before next month.
It would be simple to casually write something perfunctory, but it probably wouldn't be easy to win a prize.
She sent Xiao Yan a message―
"Scholar God, what should I write about for the essay contest?"
Xiao Yan picked up a tissue box and went into his room to continue what he had interrupted earlier. He casually replied:
"You have to write something meaningful in order to win a prize."
"Do you have any good ideas for a topic?"
When it came to the Scholar God's opinions, Lin ChuSui was all ears.
Xiao Yan: "For example, 'My Helpful Deskmate', 'Beacon in Life―My Deskmate', or 'Foolish Me, Fortunate to Have Met My Scholar God Deskmate'."
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