Chapter 13 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 13 Fortunately, the group nearby was far enough when they fell, so no one was hit, and the embarrassment was avoided. The whole process only took a few seconds, and no one even saw clearly what happened before the two of them fell to the lawn together. The grass underneath was relatively soft, so when Xi Ning landed on her back, she didn't feel any pain. Their entwined palms separated in mid-air, and when she came to her senses, Kong Nianxi was already on top of her, supporting herself with both hands by her ears. Her breath, when it hit her face, was cold and sweet, yet as it brushed against her cheeks, it became warm. Xi Ning subconsciously clenched her hands, trying to move her body to get up, but she wasn't sure where to exert her force just yet. This "embarrassing" posture was hard to miss in the crowd, and amidst the laughter, Kong Nianxi calmly got off her, sitting half-leaning on the grass as Xi Ning quickly got up and straightened her body. "Can you help me up?" Kong Nianxi sat on the ground, reaching out her hand to Xi Ning with a gentle smile. Xi Ning's ears turned slightly pink as she quickly bent down to help her up, saying, "I'm sorry." It was originally just a game, and it was her sudden overreaction that caused someone to fall. Kong Nianxi let her disheveled hair down and re-tied it with a slight chuckle. She ran her slender fingers through the strands and said with a hint of amusement, "Why apologize to me? If anyone should apologize, it should be me, but..." She finished tying her hair and walked to Xi Ning's side, speaking softly, "Next time, don't be so nervous. I might get the wrong idea~" "..." Wrong...idea? What...wrong idea? The fleeting sweet and cold fragrance vanished in an instant as Kong Nianxi left behind a perplexing remark and walked away, leaving Xi Ning with a furrowed brow lost in thought. "All right, it's all over, right? The losers should come over and run laps!" The PE teacher's command prompted the game's losers to slowly gather at the track. According to the rules, Xi Ning was considered the loser, so she followed the crowd to the track. As the whistle blew on the rubber track, the crowd started running around, everyone taking it easy as it wasn't a test. After the people in front dispersed, Xi Ning increased her pace, maintaining a light and graceful posture, leaving the others far behind. On the side of the track, Kong Nianxi was standing in the shadows with another girl, waiting for someone. When she noticed a figure about to pass by, the girl couldn't help but take a few more glances, admiringly exclaiming, "Xi Ning runs so beautifully." But even without the reminder, Kong Nianxi had already noticed Xi Ning approaching from that direction. Under the hot afternoon sun, with the temperature high, Xi Ning tied her long hair back, revealing her slender and fair neck. A light sheen of sweat covered her pale skin, and her collarbones, faintly visible, turned pink in the sunlight. Her fair cheeks were also touched by the rising heat, adding a hint of enticing beauty to her otherwise cool countenance. As Xi Ning ran past the track, Kong Nianxi licked her lips, choosing to remain silent. "Let me tell you, we were in the same class in our freshman year, and during the sports meeting, she not only won the long-distance race but also broke the school's high jump record! I remember at the finish line when everyone else was exhausted, she opened a bottle of water so gracefully and coolly, she looked so handsome that I shouted, 'My husband!'" Kong Nianxi raised an eyebrow, saying, "Oh?" The girl corrected herself, "Ah no, I mean wife." "..." Unaware of the subtle change in Kong Nianxi's expression, the girl continued, "If I could, I'd like to bend for Xi Ning." "No, you don't." "Huh?" The girl failed to grasp the situation. Before she could react, Kong Nianxi dropped a comment with an unreadable expression, then turned and walked away. Scratching her head in confusion, the girl caught up with Kong Nianxi, laughing and teasing, "What's up? Even using such an old pick-up line..." Xi Ning arrived at the finish line, where Tu Xiaoyuan and the others were already waiting with water bottles. The three of them found a shady spot under a tree and sat down. Su Yuqi had been staring at her phone, typing non-stop, seemingly engrossed in a conversation with someone. Xi Ning finished running and, feeling thirsty, started to drink from her bottle, while Tu Xiaoyuan kept her eyes fixed on her face, appearing hesitant to speak. After a while, Xi Ning couldn't help but sigh, "What's up?" Tu Xiaoyuan seemed to have finally unlocked her words, speaking rapidly as if afraid of being interrupted, "When did you guys become so close? It escalated so quickly, and you're already at the stage of tumbling each other?" Xi Ning paused with the water bottle in her hand, and Tu Xiaoyuan hastily placed a wet tissue underneath it, saying, "Hey, don't spit water again." "..." Putting down the water bottle, Xi Ning sighed and prepared to speak, but Tu Xiaoyuan interrupted, "Although, Ning Ning, you may have a poker face, it's still quite obvious when you're not being natural." Xi Ning said, "So?" Tu Xiaoyuan continued, "Haha, isn't it clear that every time the name Kong Nianxi comes up, you act particularly unnatural?" Xi Ning sighed again. This online novel is provided by Sito Network. Tu Xiaoyuan said, "Haha, I knew it!" Seemingly amused by the revelation, Tu Xiaoyuan suddenly burst into laughter, repeating those three words victoriously and observing Xi Ning's reaction with a teasing look. She stopped only when Xi Ning, unable to bear it any longer, narrowed her eyes at her. Of course, Xi Ning couldn't answer. The sudden closeness between her and Kong Nianxi had been due to her cowardly brother, Xi Mu, secretly admiring Kong Nianxi. This development was completely unexpected. Also, she and her brother had agreed upon some sort of "private deal". Although nothing had happened, she had already decided not to interfere in her brother's matters. However, to be honest, prying into the matter did make her feel a bit guilty. After answering Tu Xiaoyuan's curious questions perfunctorily, she realized the other party had lost interest and dropped the subject. "Hey, it seems lively over there. Let's go check it out!" Tu Xiaoyuan was quiet for less than two seconds, then suddenly pointed to the basketball court ahead. Xi Ning glanced up and saw that the basketball court was crowded for every PE class, but on this day, there seemed to be a particularly large number of onlookers in front of a certain court. Not fond of crowds, but thinking it might help distract Tu Xiaoyuan's attention, she reluctantly got up. "Tu Xiaoyuan, come on." "No thanks, I'm not interested. I haven't shown off my skills yet. You guys go." Su Yuqi, gripping her phone, lazily raised her sleepy eyes, revealing heavy dark circles under her eyes. Xi Ning furrowed her brow. "You didn't sleep well again, did you?" Recently, Su Yuqi had become much quieter and narrowly avoided being late for several days in a row, suggesting something was on her mind, but she wouldn't talk about it when asked. Tu Xiaoyuan also approached to inquire, and Su Yuqi laughed and waved her hand, saying, "It's nothing, I'm just tired. It's too noisy over there; I'll rest here for a while. Call me when you're done." Seeing that she had no interest, Xi Ning and the others went to the basketball court first. "Yi Zhe, I love you! Ahhh!" "Yi Zhe, go for it! Yi Zhe, you're the handsomest!" "Mumu, go for it, beat them!" As they got closer, they realized that it wasn't just a simple gathering; the opposing sides even had cheerleaders and flashy banners. Tu Xiaoyuan eagerly pushed through the crowd, and within moments, she was at the very front of the court. "Sisters, could you hold this for a moment?" A girl next to her handed Tu Xiaoyuan a cardboard sign. She took it excitedly and handed it to Xi Ning as she passed it over. Xi Ning was forced to take it and, as she lowered her head to look at it, she saw that it had been colorfully painted with the word "Mu" in an ornate font. It seemed somewhat familiar, and just as she stepped further to the other side, she noticed a girl holding a sign with the word "Xi". "..." In an instant, she remembered something. Two days ago, the last message from Xi Mu had mentioned something about a basketball game on Wednesday, right? ... Today? "Ah— he's so handsome!" Tu Xiaoyuan's loud scream was piercing, and Xi Ning turned to look at the court where a tall, handsome guy executed an impressive basket shot, flipping his hair in a particularly flashy manner upon landing, thereby causing an uproar. Xi Ning winced from the noise, scanning the scene and finding Xi Mu, wearing a different color jersey, lying nearby. In the next moment, Xi Mu noticed her and quickly lit up with joy. He then searched the area swiftly, as if looking for someone, and when he didn't find the person he was looking for, he returned and made some gestures to her. Of course, Xi Ning understood his message. The way he acted might as well have spelled "Kong Nianxi, where are you?" all over his face. "Dear, aren't you standing in the wrong place?" Tu Xiaoyuan's deafening shout had caught the attention of the members of the "cheerleading team", and the girl who passed the sign to Xi Ning must have regretted doing so, giving her a look that said, "You're cheering for the opposing team with that." Tu Xiaoyuan had no choice but to turn around and pat Xi Ning's shoulder, saying helplessly and quietly, "I can't support your brother; I'm going over there." After speaking, she left, showing no mercy. Startled, Xi Ning considered following Tu Xiaoyuan and leaving, but she was stopped by someone. The girl holding the sign with the character "Xi" patted the "Mu" sign in Xi Ning's hand and said with a serious tone, "Sisters, since we're holding support signs, we should genuinely cheer for Mu Mu. How can we be fickle? Do you not like him anymore?" "..." Xi Ning suddenly felt like she had a lot to say, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out. As she struggled to find something to say, the sign in her hand was suddenly taken away. "Who don't you like?" Kong Nianxi appeared in the crowd, her beautiful eyes crescent-shaped.