Chapter 24 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 24 "What's going on with Ji Lao's speech?" Da Mao impulsively shouted, drawing many gazes around. She retracted her chin in surprise and said, "Although... but Xi Ning doesn't seem like the type of girl who would like other girls, right, Nianxi?" She turned to seek agreement, and Kong Nianxi raised her eyebrows and glanced at her indifferently. "..." Da Mao corrected herself, "Ah, no, it's just that she probably isn't interested in anyone, male or female." Wen Yao leaned back against the chair and smiled, "So I guess I misunderstood. But why did she come to the dorm to find me late at night and still not clearly explain the reason?" A nearby girl expressed disappointment, "Is that it? I thought there would be some juicy gossip." Wen Yao raised her hand and tousled her long hair. A silver bracelet slid down her fair wrist as she casually glanced at Da Mao and said, "Probably because I have a lot of Ji Lao friends. Based on a certain intuition, I can be quite sensitive." The table fell silent for a few seconds. Wen Yao nonchalantly stirred her porridge. Her gaze involuntarily swept over the crowd and spotted Su Yuqi and others leaving the building with packed cups of porridge. She paused for a moment, then picked up her tray and said, "I've finished eating. I have something to do, so I'll leave you to enjoy your meal~" After watching her leave, Da Mao blinked curiously and muttered, "But they don't even know each other. Why did Xi Ning go to find Wen Yao that night?" As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, "Ah, how come I feel like I've hit a sore spot?" "Wasn't it Nianxi who helped call the person that night?" the girl opposite her reminded. "Right! Nianxi, do you happen to know what she—" Turning to face Kong Nianxi's chilly gaze, Da Mao faltered, "..." Suddenly feeling that the soup dumplings in her bowl didn't taste as good, Kong Nianxi lifted the spoon with two fingers and said, "Eat properly." Her voice was light and clear, enunciating every word. Da Mao felt a chill down her spine and didn't dare to ask further, obediently lowering her head to eat. After breakfast, they returned to the classroom. The classroom cleaning duty was assigned to different groups on a rotational basis. Today, it was Xi Ning's team's turn. Kong Nianxi stood at the back with a broom, about to head out. As she passed by, she saw Xi Ning entering from outside with a mop, but neither of them made eye contact. "..." Feeling a little itchy inside, she suddenly became a little annoyed. While focusing on mopping the floor, Xi Ning accidentally bumped into Kong Nianxi's resentful gaze when she stood up, leaving her momentarily stunned. This gaze... somehow reminded her of the stray cats she was used to feeding in the neighborhood. Occasionally, when she forgot to bring cat food, they would disdainfully and resentfully scratch her. What a jumble of thoughts... She bit her lip and immediately dismissed these inexplicable and strange ideas. Bending down to continue mopping, she suddenly noticed a pair of spotlessly white shoes intruding into her line of sight, lightly stepping on her mop as Kong Nianxi passed by. Uncertainly tilting her head, she couldn't unravel the enigma. When she looked down again, she saw several damp but clean footprints. "..." Back at her seat, Kong Nianxi caught a glimpse of an unopened bottle of yogurt in Xi Ning's desk compartment – the same one she had given her that morning. Not touching the yogurt she had gifted could indicate two things: either Xi Ning cherished it and didn't want to consume it, or she simply had no intention of having it. As the thought of the second possibility flashed through Kong Nianxi's mind, she furrowed her brow slightly. She was confident, and her upbringing and experiences had never given her a reason to lack confidence. However... Could it be that Xi Ning had lost interest in her? Or perhaps, her interest had waned? For someone she didn't know, why did she go to find her so late at night and keep staring at her... Was she simply fond of admiring beautiful women, a connoisseur of beauty? Then, did she really... like girls? Initially, she had thought Xi Ning was either somewhat straight or unaware of her own inclinations, but now doubts began to creep in – whether Xi Ning's feelings towards her were just a fleeting infatuation between straight girls, or if it was something else entirely. In the whirl of her thoughts, all sorts of strange ideas bubbled up. "Oh, Nian Nian isn't here?" Tu Xiaoyuan appeared next to Xi Ning's desk with a book in her arms. Kong Nianxi looked up at the sound, "She is probably outside." "I see, I'm here to return the book," Tu Xiaoyuan responded. It was the manga book Xi Ning had casually translated for her. Unable to wait, she had taken it to read and planned to return it to her later. She left it on Xi Ning's desk as if she was following a serialized story, then left. After Tu Xiaoyuan left, Kong Nianxi curiously glanced at the manga on Xi Ning's desk. Upon seeing the cover of the manga, her narrow eyes widened slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, the corners of her lips curled into a deeper smile. So, this book belonged to Xi Ning? Noting down the string of English letters on the cover, Kong Nianxi used her phone to conduct a search. The screen instantly filled with various information – numerous images, videos, synopses, fanfiction, and even a related forum. She randomly clicked on a post, with most being about seeking resources or physical copies of the book. Her slender fingers slowly scrolled down and paused on one post. ["As a straight girl, I feel like I'm getting a little interested in this manga. Am I leaning to the other side?"] ["A straight girl with broad interests probably wouldn't."] ["Don't doubt it. I naturally didn't like reading works of other orientations. It wasn't until I delved deep into yuri manga that I found out I'm inclined that way."] ["If you like all kinds of manga genres, you're overthinking it. If you only like genuine yuri manga, then... it's hard to say."] ["Girls who are not interested in other girls mostly won't be interested in yuri manga~ So you know~"] ... So, does Xi Ning have broad interests? Clearly not. Kong Nianxi unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Then, as another thought crossed her mind, she furrowed her brow. Setting down her phone, she retrieved a small mirror from her desk compartment and took a glance at her own face. ... Xi Ning and the other female student in her group went downstairs to clean up the trash, washed their hands at the sink, and returned to the classroom. As Xi Ning walked back to her seat, she noticed the yuri manga left carelessly on her desk. She walked over and shoved it into her desk compartment, silently scolding Tu Xiaoyuan in her mind. Noticing the gaze from the side, she took a quick glance and saw Kong Nianxi sitting sideways, biting the straw of her yogurt drink, looking at her intently with a half-smile and a row of neat, white teeth. "What manga is that? It's been on your desk for a while," Kong Nianxi said, narrowing her eyes and smiling. Her tone was casual and intimate, and before she knew it, a closeness seemed to have unexpectedly developed between her and Kong Nianxi. After a brief pause, Xi Ning had no choice but to reach out and take the cup, then walked to the water dispenser at the back. There were many people lining up at the water dispenser at the back. Xi Ning held two cups of water while waiting in line. "Tong Tong, I want cold water~" Jiang Tong said from the front, helping Song Wei collect water. "Drinking cold water in the early morning isn't good. Half warm, half cold is just right." "Oh... but I really want cold water." "Be good~" "..." When it was Xi Ning's turn, she hesitated for a moment, then got two cups of warm water. After twisting the lids securely at the back, Xi Ning was about to return when Juán Máo, who had just walked in through the back door, noticed it. He took a few steps and said in a laid-back manner, "Hey, Daisy, you even helped Nianxi get water. The progress between you two seems to be catching up to that of a new couple in love, hahaha..." "..." Xi Ning frowned at him, opened her mouth, but eventually chose to give up talking to him and turned around to leave. "Hey, Ning Ning, can you help me with something?" Juán Máo blocked her way, clasping his hands together as if begging. Xi Ning, unable to move, asked, "What's up?" "Isn't the school organizing a writing contest recently? Baboo wants to aim for first place and said to mobilize the class. You've got the highest scores for writing in our class, along with Nianxi, so..." Juán Máo usually had a carefree smile, but as the English representative, he was considered a "popular figure" around the campus. "I have no problem with that," Xi Ning said nonchalantly. "Can you talk to Nianxi about it too?" Juán Máo added. Xi Ning raised her eyebrows, feeling a little confused. "Why me?" "Because she listens to you," Juán Máo replied. Xi Ning glared, her eyes almost shouting the words "What are you talking about?" This is the first time Juán Máo had seen such an "intense" expression on Xi Ning's face. He tugged at his hair, "I can't believe it either, but last night she was scolded and acted so obedient. Just ask her to write an essay, and she does it." "..." "I heard that if a class gets first place, the whole class gets extra points, which is related to the class's honor..." Juán Máo rambled on, and at this point, Xi Ning had no choice but to agree. "But whether she agrees or not is her own choice." "I have confidence; as long as it's you asking, she will definitely agree." "..." Xi Ning didn't know who gave him that confidence. Back at her seat, Kong Nianxi cheerfully took the cup, her luscious lips biting the rim as she took a small sip. "It's warm," she remarked. She usually preferred cold water in this weather. "It's better to drink warm water in the morning," Xi Ning blurted out. After a moment, the area next to her suddenly fell silent. Feeling something amiss, Xi Ning stopped drinking and turned to look, only to find Kong Nianxi resting her chin in one hand, leaning in so close with her notoriously captivating cat-like eyes, causing a panic within her. Reflexively, Xi Ning raised her chin higher and leaned back. The water in the cup rippled, almost spilling. "Xi Ning." ∞Exclusive in Source Text Only∞ Kong Nianxi suddenly lowered her gaze, pressing her lips, and softly asked, "Are you very close with Wen Yao?" Unable to understand why she suddenly asked, Xi Ning shook her head. Not only were they not close, they were basically complete strangers. "Do you think she's very beautiful?" Kong Nianxi inquired. Xi Ning: "...?" Kong Nianxi: "What about me?" Spitting out the water she was holding in her mouth, Xi Ning nearly choked in surprise.