Chapter 12 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 12 The dimming bell outside was still echoing when Xi Ning lay in bed, took out her phone, checked the alarm for the next morning, and was about to switch to flight mode to go to sleep when Xi Mu sent her a few pictures of cats-- 【Remember the basketball game on Wednesday~】 "..." The straightforward tone and the implicit subtext in his words were a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn from the somewhat servile tone in their previous chat records. In the dim glow of the screen, Xi Ning raised an eyebrow, hummed softly, directly pulled down the notification bar, turned on the airplane mode, shut off the screen, and tossed the phone to the side of the bed. She closed her eyes and lay flat. Initially, she was indeed very excited about the conditions Xi Mu had proposed when they were downstairs in the laboratory building. But now, upon careful consideration, it seemed quite forced to have her help him please a girl, especially when the target was Kong Nianxi. At first, she didn't think much about it, after all, Kong Nianxi was the type who was very popular at school, had a rich and busy daily life, and was surrounded by people who gave her gifts. She just happened to place the bubble tea on the table for him, and she did have some other motives for the umbrella, but it was still just helping that wimp send an umbrella. Among the crowd of people vying for attention, she was inconspicuous and insignificant, and there was no reason for the other party to take notice of her. However, the current situation was somewhat different from what she had anticipated. In fact, it wasn't just somewhat different, because in just a few days, the interaction between her and Kong Nianxi had undergone a "qualitative change" from 0 to 1. She didn't know if Xi Mu had achieved his goal of leaving an impression on his "goddess", but as a result of the initial cup of bubble tea, Xi Ning, inexplicably, had grown closer to Kong Nianxi. Even today, when they met face to face in the restroom, she greeted her first, breaking the ice for the first time since the start of the school year! Actually, she had no choice, because when the other party fixed her cat-like eyes that could naturally charm anyone unreservedly on her, even if she tried to be deliberate, she couldn't help but interact with her like before, which would seem very unfriendly. … Wednesday, afternoon PE class. On the playground, the sports committee members were lining up, and Xi Ning naturally stood in the last row of girls, her gaze skimming over the heads of the girls in front, looking distractedly at the basketball court in the distance. At this moment, for some reason, the girl in front suddenly changed positions with someone else. She gathered her thoughts and looked at the figure in front of her, which seemed taller and more graceful, and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. Then, a familiar fragrance drifted into her nose. "..." The fragrance, accompanied by a hint of coldness, had lingered around Xi Ning for almost half a day the day before yesterday. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that she could tell a person by the scent. "Shall we play a game in today's PE class?" The PE teacher, a tall and thin young man, proposed as he clapped his hands. There was an immediate protest from below: "Come on, teacher, we're all at that age." "Come on, teacher, let's just run a few laps for free activities." But obviously, the protests were to no avail. "Alright, it's been over a month since the start of the new semester, and it's time for some team building to get to know each other. Come on, pair up, one in front and one behind in the lines, and, um… do you all know the rules of that… that pushing game?" There was a burst of excitement below. "Wow, that flirty game? We know!" "Hey, that's not bad, but can the teacher not pair me with a guy?" The PE teacher clapped his hands again and said, "Okay, stop the noise. The boys are matched with boys and the girls with girls, now find your matching partner and whoever wins won't have to run later." As soon as they heard they didn't have to run, the disorganized group immediately became eager and soon found their respective partners, ready to compete. Xi Ning was nailed to the spot like a nail, her body involuntarily stiff, her whole body showing resistance to this game. Sei No High School required all students in school to wear school uniforms, and for the convenience of PE classes, the school had similarly ordered a set of uniform sportswear. So at the moment, the students on the playground were a mix of green and white. Kong Nianxi slowly turned around, a white single-shirt draped over her slender shoulders, making her figure appear exceptionally delicate. Her long hair was loosely tied up, and the exposed skin at the collar looked as white as jade. She stood quietly, with a faint smile on her face, and showed no intention of speaking first. Xi Ning moved her lips, but was also motionless for a while. The two of them stood facing each other motionless, feeling out of place in the noisy and playful crowd. "Ah... why am I not the one standing behind Sister Xi?" "Come on, even if you're a guy, what difference does it make if you stand behind her?" "Is it Xi Ning who's teamed up with Nianxi? Tsk, the two faces together make quite an attractive sight." Xi Ning stood rigidly in place, but could hear the occasional comments around her, and gradually felt unstable. Finally, before the PE teacher approached, she took a step closer, raised her hands, and spoke, "Then… shall we start?" "Okay~" Kong Nianxi smiled brightly. Most people who have watched some variety shows probably know the rules of this so-called pushing game. It's a game where two people stand face to face at close range and can only touch each other's palms. The first person to be pushed down loses. Xi Ning usually had a strong desire to win, but now, facing Kong Nianxi… for some reason, she didn't have that competitive desire. "Is the distance between us a bit too far?" Xi Ning had already assumed the position and then heard Kong Nianxi speak suddenly, and she looked down at their distance and compared it with other pairs, feeling that it was appropriate, so she said, "There should be no problem…" She had just finished speaking when she saw Kong Nianxi suddenly take a step forward, startling her to strain her neck backward, intending to step back, but her arm was held. "Don't move, this distance is just right." "…" Watching Kong Nianxi who was almost face to face with her, Xi Ning paused, and those smiling eyes were too bright and charming, after just a few seconds of eye contact, she involuntarily averted her gaze. She raised her hand again and said softly, "Shall we start?" After about a second or two, she saw the other party raise her hand and correspond with her in the air. Xi Ning, who wanted to finish quickly, tentatively touched her, but there wasn't any strength in the other party's palm, it was soft and weak to the touch. After a brief touch, Xi Ning withdrew and seriously prepared for the next attack, but at this moment, Kong Nianxi's warm palm proactively reached out, and she quickly relaxed her grip and leaned back, unexpectedly, being pursued by her. The delicate palm of her hand touched hers, and her fingertips rubbed against it, then suddenly hooked down and intertwined with hers! Suddenly, Xi Ning's heart collided, and she could even feel the clear pulse in the intertwined palm of her hand, a rush of heat surged to her cheeks, and her ears turned pink. Her brain seemed to short-circuit suddenly, and her body involuntarily leaned backward, wanting to shake off her hand, but her center of gravity was unstable, causing both her and Kong Nianxi to fall onto the lawn. Author's Note: We're playing the game seriously!