Chapter 2 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 2 It was as if Kong Nianxi was encircled by a halo of beauty in the midst of the bustling crowd. She was accompanied by two girls, with two tall boys standing in front of them. Despite being engulfed in the crowd, they were eye-catching. Even in the ordinary school uniform, she exuded the unique sweetness of a young girl in her adolescence. Xi Ning took a quick glance before retracting her gaze. When she turned around, she noticed Xi Mu's eyes staring directly at the girl next to her, almost emitting a green light. She couldn't help but twitch at the sight. Seriously? He was quite popular in the school. If it weren't for the fact that his face was fairly good-looking, and even his infatuation seemed less lecherous, she would have wanted to splash some water on him to snap out of it. "Hey, cut it out," she impatiently reminded him. But this guy seemed to be lost in a daze, standing still. Xi Mu's towering figure was just too conspicuous, and it was evident that Kong Nianxi's group was also about to enter through this side. As the laughter from behind grew closer, Xi Ning inexplicably felt a sense of embarrassment. Not intending to bother with this infatuated person any longer, she lifted her leg to walk away, only to be stopped as her backpack was yanked. "..." What was this fool suddenly doing? Unable to contain herself any longer, she turned around and lightly kicked Xi Mu's shoe, hoping he would let go. However, he reacted as if abruptly waking from a dream, emitting a startled "Ah." Thankfully, the sound wasn't too loud, as the noise at the school gate drowned it out, avoiding too much attention. But... Coincidentally, Kong Nianxi and her group happened to pass by at that moment. Seemingly alarmed by the "wail," Xi Ning raised her eyes slightly and suddenly saw Kong Nianxi looking back in their direction. The sudden gaze caught both Xi Ning and Kong Nianxi off guard, leaving Xi Ning slightly stunned. The girl in front of her had lightly applied eye makeup. Her eyes were beautifully slender and slightly upturned at the corners, giving off a naturally charming allure, especially when she smiled, exuding a natural coyness. Her eyes were inherently captivating. Xi Ning usually didn't pay much attention to other people's features, but her gaze involuntarily lingered on Kong Nianxi's eyes for a couple of seconds, and, truthfully, they were quite beautiful. No wonder those boys would blush when they made eye contact with her. At the same time, Kong Nianxi's gaze swept over Xi Ning's face, and she gently blinked before the corners of her lips curved up. As they passed each other, the group quickly moved away. Letting out a sigh, Xi Mu finally released the tightly held backpack in his hand and gazed absentmindedly at the girl as she walked away, murmuring, "Isn't she beautiful?" Xi Ning could hardly stand it. "You should discuss this with your group of fawning friends." But it seemed like he hadn't heard her, as his tall figure shyly twisted into a knot, suddenly covering his chest. "Wu... How can there be such a beautifully smiling girl? Is this what is meant by 'heart fluttering'?" "She just smiled at me a moment ago, does that mean I have a chance!?" Xi Ning: "..." Heh heh. The school gate was bustling with people, and spending even a second standing next to this suddenly dimwitted fool was an ordeal for Xi Ning. She almost twitched her eyes with disdain as she jumped away from his side, pulling her luggage and striding away. The wheels at the bottom of the luggage made a clicking sound as it rolled along the smooth cement ground, passing through the flag-raising square. She walked along the familiar shady path. Lush greenery lined both sides of the road, and at the end of the path was a vast expanse of green—beyond the school's stone wall and iron fence lay boundless fields. Three schools were clustered along a road, with Qingye Private School located at the outermost position. Adjacent to it were undeveloped fields, offering ample geographic space and abundant financial resources, resulting in the school campus being exceptionally spacious. The school's hardware facilities were comprehensive, with everything one would or wouldn't expect. Several activity buildings were built but found to be of little use and were left vacant. Many vacant lands were planted with trees and flowers, and at times, the wild grass grew as high as half a person. Consequently, the campus had the highest vegetation coverage in the entire city. Walking along the secluded path in the school, one would occasionally encounter various wild animals strolling about. If one wandered around the unilluminated areas of the campus at night, they would hear unfamiliar eerie birdcalls, even to the point of feeling a little scared. It was said that a student once sneaked out of the dormitory for a midnight adventure and live-streamed their exploration, attracting a significant number of viewers. However, the school eventually found out about it and banned such behavior. After trekking with her luggage for a considerable distance, Xi Ning finally stood under the girls' dormitory building. It was the time for Sunday return and depositing luggage at the dormitory. The entrance of the dormitory was bustling with students, and the first-floor convenience store was packed with people. She took a deep breath, steadying her luggage, preparing to enter the building and go upstairs. Her gaze swept past the convenience store's entrance, where a familiar graceful figure caught her attention. Under the tree, a girl was tilting her head, engaged in a conversation with a boy facing her. Her smooth long hair was pinned behind her ear, revealing a graceful and fair swan-like neck. Beneath her school skirt were a pair of elegantly straight legs that even a girl couldn't resist turning back for a second glance. Whether it was a psychological factor or not, she had already encountered her twice within half an hour of entering the school. This "good luck" should probably be attributed to Xi Mu. It was all his, she thought, with a teasing attitude. "Wow, it's Han, the broadcasting station's senior. Has Kong Nianxi changed her entourage again?" Someone suddenly approached and spoke softly from behind. Xi Ning was quick to turn around and saw Tu Xiaoyuan, with her signature airy bangs beneath her almond-shaped eyes. "Tu Xiaoyuan... can you focus less on meaningless gossip?" Xi Ning helplessly stared at her. —Tu Xiaoyuan, Xi Ning's friend, a low-key rich second-generation heiress with an appetite for eating and gossip. Her biggest wish was to slim down and achieve good grades. Tu Xiaoyuan was a sweet-faced girl standing close, looking up to meet Xi Ning's eyes. "But, aren't you curious to eavesdrop as well?" Xi Ning almost couldn't bear it. "Nonsense, I was just passing by, okay!" "Okay, that's not important." Tu Xiaoyuan waved her hand, dropping the topic. She then lifted her pink pig-patterned bag and smiled, "I brought self-heating hot pot—let's have it together tonight in the dorm!" Xi Ning peeked at the chubby pig-patterned bag, then looked back at Tu Xiaoyuan's fair round face, and couldn't help but remind her, "Weren't you talking about controlling diabetes and losing weight last Friday?" In reality, Tu Xiaoyuan could only be regarded as slightly plump at most. However, with the current trend of inner-beauty competitions among high school girls, being slim remained the aesthetic standard for most people. Which young girl wouldn't wish to look a bit more beautiful? Tu Xiaoyuan was a big talker but a small doer. "Oh, really?" Tu Xiaoyuan looked surprised. Xi Ning: "..." Tu Xiaoyuan: "It's okay, my mom said I looked much thinner this weekend, so I need to celebrate. That's why we should have a good meal! I'll go buy a few sausages at the convenience store and cook them tonight. Wait for me, okay?" After finishing her words, she stuffed the pig-patterned bag into Xi Ning's arms and walked into the convenience store. Feeling the weight of the bag in her hand, Xi Ning sighed and waited for her. When Tu Xiaoyuan emerged from the store, she not only had sausages but also a box of opened chocolate sandwich cookies in her hand. "Want some?" She extended her fair and delicate palm, holding the box of chocolate sandwich cookies that had been opened. "Thank you, but you should enjoy them yourself. Don't come to me for repentance after stepping on the scale tonight." This girl couldn't control her own diet and insisted on weighing herself every time she ate, then she would drag Xi Ning into her vows and nagging about it, almost making her ear tired of it. So, Xi Ning had to take preventive measures. Dragging her luggage into the dormitory building, she passed by the tree outside the convenience store, where no one was around. The school dormitory had a total of six floors and no elevators. They had to climb the stairs through the safe passage to move up and down. As the fortunate class, Xi Ning and her classmates were all assigned to the sixth floor of the girls' dormitory. It was fine usually, but every time they needed to carry their luggage on weekends, it was truly a nightmare. Fortunately, since Mr. Xi was a fitness enthusiast, Xi Ning and her brother were not subjected to much "torture," even though it was a bit strenuous. Nevertheless, there were many benefits. The whole family seemed to maintain good physical shapes. Xi Mu had developed abs and always intentionally showed off like a peacock during basketball matches, causing cheers from the sidelines. As for Xi Ning, at least carrying the luggage to the sixth floor was no problem. "Are you tired? Shall I help you?" Tu Xiaoyuan, feeling light, only had snacks in her hands, and she carried only a small backpack. Her luggage had already been carried up by the driver sister earlier, and it was also because of this that Tu Xiaoyuan's mother specially arranged for a more convenient driver sister to take her to school. Upon reaching the sixth floor, Xi Ning set down her luggage and paused at the turnaround, intending to talk to Tu Xiaoyuan. However, she heard voices coming from above. "Nianxi, do you need help?" "Thanks, but it's okay. These items aren't that heavy." Her eyes unwittingly looked upward before her awareness caught up. At the top of the staircase, Kong Nianxi was standing, facing the lower steps. She had a beige shoulder bag on her left shoulder and was holding a few branded shopping bags. Darn it... The third time. Xi Ning swore she didn't have a strange habit of eavesdropping on others’ conversations. It was just that at this moment, aside from her and Tu Xiaoyuan, the only other people on this staircase were these two. Kong Nianxi lowered her head to open her shoulder bag, seemingly searching for something. Suddenly, a round object fell out of the bag, rolling down the stairs step by step, until it came to a stop at Xi Ning's feet.