Chapter 7 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 7 It was unexpected that Tu Xiaoyuan, who had always been lacking in IQ when it came to playing room escape games, had such keen observational skills. Xí Níng buried her head in her book, pretending not to hear, and continued to stare blankly at the textbook. But once Tu Xiaoyuan got excited, she could gossip for hours even while eating sunflower seeds. "The beauty shared her breakfast with the students in the front and back rows." "But she only ate the toast you bought and said she wasn't familiar with it. When did you two get close?" "However, she is really good-looking. No wonder when she first started high school, even a simple and plain ID photo could amaze the whole school." "Ah, why does her lipstick look even better today? I always feel like I've seen it before... What's going on?" Tu Xiaoyuan patted her own head, looking as if she were deep in thought. Xí Níng glanced at her and reached into her pocket, pulling out a box of Pocky and pushing it towards her, speaking up, "A new café just opened on Binhai Road, let's go for a drink this weekend." "Great, great! Let's also go play escape room together, it's been so long since the three of us had a team building session!" Tu Xiaoyuan, who had been chattering non-stop, immediately threw aside what she was about to say and opened the Pocky, joyfully taking a stick. "Is it going to be Saturday or Sunday?" After confirming the time, Tu Xiaoyuan happily left. Xí Níng breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, this method never failed. Once the person was gone, Xí Níng finally relaxed, and the content of the book, which she had been unable to focus on, became easier to understand, and her attention returned to it. However, within two minutes, another shadow loomed over her. Thinking it was Tu Xiaoyuan again, she completed a paragraph of reading absentmindedly and casually looked towards the hands resting on her desk. Instead of Tu Xiaoyuan's cute round face, she saw Kǒng Niàn Xī bend down and pull out a chair to sit face to face with her. She then leaned slightly, propped her chin on her hand, the buttons of her school uniform sleeves undone, revealing skin as fair as jade, and slid her phone towards Xí Níng. "Phone number~" Xí Níng was taken aback, "What?" Kǒng Niàn Xī smiled, "You haven't paid for breakfast yet, and I've just realized that even though we're in the same class, we still haven't added each other as friends." "..." Naturally and reasonably, it seemed like there was no reason to refuse or it was necessary. But... Xí Níng bit her lip, and a black ink mark started to seep around the tip of the pen on the paper. This turn of events actually left her a little bewildered. Regardless of her outstanding beauty or her personality, Kǒng Niàn Xī was definitely a focal point. She was high-profile at school, and every move of hers could attract attention, which contrasted with Xí Níng's preference for a quiet and low-profile demeanor. Up until yesterday afternoon, they were like two parallel lines that would never intersect, and there would be no interaction between them even after finishing their studies. But now... it seemed like the transformation had occurred too quickly. Was it because of that cup of milk tea last night? It was just a cup of milk tea, and even if Kǒng Niàn Xī mistook it for being from her, based on Kǒng Niàn Xī's daily behavior, it wasn't the first time she received items from unfamiliar students, so she shouldn't be bothered by it. "Ah... Am I being rejected?" The slightly disappointed voice sounded in her ears, and as Xí Níng raised her head, she saw Kǒng Niàn Xī lightly biting her lower lip, her eyes gazing at her with a deep and affectionate look. With a hint of gentle grievance and seemingly coquettish complaints, it might be effective when dealing with boys, but it might raise some suspicion when it came to less familiar girls. However, Kǒng Niàn Xī had found a comfortable balance, and her approach didn't make one feel uncomfortable at all. Perhaps no one would be able to reject her while looking at that face. Quickly regaining her composure, Xí Níng smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I was a bit distracted just now." She took out her phone and quickly added her as a friend, saving each other's phone numbers as well. Kǒng Niàn Xī blinked, "Distracted?" Xí Níng responded and didn't notice the meaningful curve at the corner of Kǒng Niàn Xī's lips. The bell rang just in time, and Kǒng Niàn Xī stood up, waving her phone at Xí Níng. The radiant smile in her eyes conveyed her obvious delight. Before leaving, Xí Níng had considered explaining about the milk tea from last night, but then thought that bringing it up abruptly might make it even more awkward, so she abandoned the thought. "Open the textbook to page..." Xí Níng opened her textbook and notebook, focusing her mind. Oh well, perhaps Kǒng Niàn Xī simply wanted to have one more casual acquaintance of a different type, considering she didn't lack various types of friends and was good at socializing. Thinking this way, she felt that her tension was a bit unnecessary. But the continuous bombardment of sugar-coated missives from Xí Mù served as a constant reminder that this was not unnecessary. After finishing the last experimental class in the morning, Xí Níng waited for Sū Yù Qī and the others at the restroom door, about to open her phone to check the food delivery information, but she opened the screen to see a barrage of messages from Xí Mù. [Xí Mù: Image.JPG Sister~ Didn't you say you liked a pair of shoes last month? I have some extra funds this month, should I order them for you?] [Xí Mù: We have a basketball game with Class 14 on Wednesday. Your class also has a physical education class, would you like to come and watch your little brother play?] [Xí Mù: Also... call Nian Xī to come. Shy.jpg] [Xí Mù: Reply to my messages~] [Xí Mù: Oh, it's pouring rain all of a sudden! Sister, did you bring an umbrella? I happen to be in Building 1. If you don't have one, come find me.] Standing in the corridor on the second floor, Xí Níng glanced at the pouring rain outside and took out the umbrella she had prepared in the morning from her bag. She had a habit of checking the weather forecast, and combined with the gloomy weather all day, it seemed like rain was imminent, so she brought the umbrella when she came for the experimental class. She did not expect Xí Mù to be so attentive, even knowing the class schedules of the others. Xí Níng tapped the screen with her slender finger a few times and replied indifferently, "Brought one." Xí Mù instantly replied. [Xí Mù: You actually brought an umbrella... Do your friends also have one? One umbrella won’t be enough for you all.] His tone seemed to indicate that he didn't want her to bring an umbrella? Slightly guessing his little trick, Xí Níng's reply remained indifferent, "We can squeeze under one umbrella." At this moment, Tu Xiaoyuan and Sū Yù Qī came out of the restroom, and the three of them went downstairs together. When they reached the first floor, they realized that the rain was even heavier than expected. With only Xí Níng's umbrella, there was no way they could all fit under it, and because they had ordered takeout, they still needed to go to the main entrance to pick it up. Tu Xiaoyuan was afraid of getting splashed by the rain under the eaves and hugged her arms, "Is our takeout about to arrive?" Xí Níng looked at her phone, "200 meters away, it's almost here." Sū Yù Qī furrowed her brows, "How about one person goes to the entrance to get the food with the umbrella, then brings the umbrella back to the classroom before coming to pick us up?" Xí Níng pursed her lips, considering that this might be the only option. "Sisters, didn't you bring an umbrella?" At this moment, Xí Mù unexpectedly appeared from somewhere, standing next to them and interjecting. As one of their few good friends, the other two naturally knew Xí Mù. Just as they solved their urgent problem, Tu Xiaoyuan happily took the umbrella Xí Mù handed over, "Nice, your little brother is finally useful~" Xí Níng looked at her own "shy" little brother, her eyebrows furrowed, just about to speak, but Xí Mù beat her to it, "Sisters, you go get the takeout, and I'll walk with my real sister under the umbrella." "A dutiful little brother. OK then, we’ll be leaving," Tu Xiaoyuan readily agreed without much thought, and pulled Sū Yù Qī to leave with her, not giving it another thought, and Xí Mù suddenly called out to stop her, taking the umbrella from Xí Níng's hand, and exchanged it with the one Tu Xiaoyuan had, "This umbrella is a bit small, so I'll share it with my actual sister. Sisters, use the bigger umbrella, and watch out for the puddles on the way." "..." Xí Níng's mouth twitched a few times. She did not believe Xí Mù was such a considerate person. Sū Yù Qī turned around and glanced at Xí Níng, asking for her opinion. Glancing at the pouring rain outside and checking the food delivery information, Xí Níng nodded, indicating that they should go first. When the two of them were gone, Xí Níng asked while folding her arms and looking at the tall figure next to her, "So, what little schemes have you been hatching?" Xí Mù scratched his head, turned his body slightly to the side, and pretended to cough a few times. Following his direction, Xí Níng quickly found Kǒng Niàn Xī standing under the eaves at the entrance. "..." She knew. Kǒng Niàn Xī evidently didn't bring an umbrella and was unusually alone, and though people around her occasionally offered umbrellas, she politely declined each time. Xí Níng was inexplicably perplexed, "So, why did you leave me behind?" Xí Mù: "Ahem, so many people have tried to offer her an umbrella without success, I'm definitely not going to succeed, but you're different, sis." Author's note: It seems like I forgot to mention my ranking, ah...