Chapter 25 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 25 　　Approaching the first morning class, a pleasant and refreshing cool breeze flowed into the crowded classroom through the front door. The smooth ceramic tiles made a slight sound as the chairs scraped against them, drawing some glances around. Xi Ning set down her cup, leaned her body to the side, and used two fingers to press a tissue against the corner of her mouth, wiping away the water stains. 　　A crisp, light laughter came from her left, "Chuckling... why are you so flustered, didn't you choke?" 　　Kong Nianxi pursed her lips and saw a rare range of emotions in Xi Ning's eyes. With a sweep of her thick eyelashes, she mused, covering her lips with a smile, "Sometimes, you are particularly obvious." 　　She wasn't very straightforward. 　　Xi Ning didn't hear the murmured words clearly and turned to look at her as she collected the crumpled paper in her hand. 　　Kong Nianxi glanced meaningfully at her and then turned back to her own business. 　　Xi Ning, holding the crumpled paper in her hand, hesitated and said, "…" 　　The bell for class soon rang. 　　Halfway through the lesson, the math teacher turned to write on the blackboard. Xi Ning lowered her gaze and, during the wait, her eyes unintentionally swept past the figure beside her. 　　The slender and delicate fingers holding the pen, the red nail polish casting the fingertips white as snow, and the graceful and neat handwriting left on the notebook as the pen tip danced. Kong Nianxi's head was slightly bowed, her gaze focused on the paper, and her slightly long lower eyelashes slightly raised. The alluring eyes, which were captivating when she smiled, were now showing a touch of cold and sharpness. 　　After a few classes, Xi Ning noticed that she paid great attention during class, took notes diligently, and listened attentively to important parts. However, during less important sections, she would… blatantly slack off. 　　In the last morning class, the English teacher strode in with high heels and fiery curly hair. 　　Standing at the podium, Zhuang Dai reached out and tapped the desk, "We will continue discussing the paper in this class, starting with the cloze test from last time. Take a look first. I will pick someone to explain it later." 　　There was a murmur in the class, and immediately the sound of flipping papers echoed. 　　Zhuang Dai's personality was probably as "explosive" as her chestnut curly hair. She spoke her mind, occasionally came out with a few clever sayings, and her class was never boring. But sometimes, she was too straightforward, and her shocking remarks had caused quite a few jokes. 　　Xi Ning pulled out the papers from the neat file and found the place where they left off last time. She glanced at it casually, knowing that she didn't need to listen to the explanation for the already completed test paper, and then pulled out her exercise book. 　　When she raised her head, she saw Kong Nianxi leaning on the table, using a book to shield her while she played with her phone. 　　"…" Xi Ning withdrew her gaze. 　　A few minutes later. 　　"Is everyone ready? We will start from the first question of this column, and each person will take a turn." 　　…The column where Kong Nianxi happened to be seated. 　　Xi Ning concentrated on the test, and the tip of her pen paused suddenly. Her ear felt a rush of warmth, and a warm and humid breath sprayed onto her earlobe. 　　Kong Nianxi leaned over and whispered in a low voice, "Which question are you going to explain?" 　　Xi Ning's waist tensed, and she suddenly moved to the side a bit. Her eyes flickered, and she pointed to the paper in front of her before quickly retracting her hand. 　　Kong Nianxi stared at Xi Ning's expressionless profile. When her gaze shifted and fell on the slightly red ear, a playful smile appeared on her lips as she once again exhaled near Xi Ning's ear, "Oh, which question are we explaining now?" 　　Xi Ning straightened up and met Kong Nianxi's eyes for two seconds. Then she barely averted her gaze and looked at the girl standing up in the second row. In a low, slightly hoarse voice, she said, "The second question." 　　"Ah? I didn't hear clearly," Kong Nianxi leaned her ear closer. 　　"…" Xi Ning's lips moved, and she took a deep breath. 　　But the air around her was filled with Kong Nianxi's cold and elegant fragrance… 　　As she was about to repeat herself, she hesitated. When she stared at Kong Nianxi's crystal-clear earlobe nearby, the words at the corner of her lips suddenly stopped. 　　Her exquisite profile was only a few centimeters away from Xi Ning. It was so close that she could even smell the fragrance from Kong Nianxi's hair. 　　Xi Ning quickly averted her gaze. 　　This feeling… was very abnormal. 　　She originally thought that she only felt this way because of her aversion to physical contact with others, but as it happened more frequently, that strange feeling became increasingly clear, forcing her to take notice. 　　Carefully recollecting, this feeling was completely different from the discomfort she felt when others deliberately approached her before. Strangely, there was no trace of aversion in this feeling, just… a sense of unfamiliarity. 　　Almost involuntarily, several descriptions of the heroine's inner thoughts from a manga she read suddenly flashed through Xi Ning's mind. 　　Xi Ning's pupils flickered slightly, and she tightened her grip on the pen. Then, she firmly shook her head, forcefully banishing those jumbled thoughts. 　　In an instant, she suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. As if to prove something, she bit her lip, pushing aside all the disarray in her mind and leaned closer to Kong Nianxi's profile, repeating the question clearly. 　　Her clear, almost icy voice reached Kong Nianxi's eardrums directly. However, Kong Nianxi felt her ear heating up, and a warm flow spread from the base of her ear to her cheeks, adding a faint blush that was almost imperceptible. 　　Kong Nianxi straightened up, not asking any further. 　　Xi Ning breathed a sigh of relief, lowered her head, and continued to work on the test. 　　"Cough, cough." From the podium, Zhuang Dai cleared her throat and knocked on the desk, "No chatting during class, no whispering sweet nothings, deep sisterly affection is also not allowed, especially for students who excel in their studies." 　　The classroom fell silent, followed by a moment of muffled laughter and many inquiring voices. 　　The student with curly hair in the front row turned around with a smile. 　　Xi Ning froze her breath. 　　… 　　After dinner, the sky was burning with the glow of the evening sun. 　　After finishing cleaning the classroom, just as Xi Ning had put away the broom and stood by the water dispenser against the back wall, her phone in her pocket vibrated a few times. She absentmindedly picked it up and saw a long-awaited message from Xi Mu. 　　【Xi Mu: Sister! I've made up my mind. I shouldn't be weak. I should face challenges head-on!】 　　【Xi Mu: [Image][Image][Image]】 　　【Xi Mu: There are too many people pursuing Kong Nianxi. Every time I see her, she is always surrounded by a group of people. It's too difficult to get close to her. Sister, can you help me?】 　　【Xi Mu: By the way, after you gave her the umbrella last time, has your relationship improved a little? You must be friends now, right? Can you ask her if she will... add me on WeChat?】 　　"…" After reading the message and seeing the several cat photos used as "enticement," Xi Ning narrowed her eyes deeply, her expression turning colder. 　　【Xi Ning: Don't bother me with this in the future. I refuse.】 　　【Xi Mu: ! Why! Don't you want to keep a cat!?】 　　Seeing that he was using this to threaten her, Xi Ning raised an eyebrow, her expression becoming even more displeased. 　　【Xi Ning: I don't want to. So, don't bring this up with me again.】 　　He then initiated a voice call, but after hesitating for a few seconds, Xi Ning firmly pressed the end call button. 　　At that moment, Tu Xiaoyuan arrived, linking arms with Su Yuqi, from the back door. 　　"Xiao Ning, have you finished cleaning? Shall we go to the school field to play badminton for a while? The light is still good now." 　　The break after dinner was relatively long, seemingly intended to give the students some time for recreational activities. Therefore, after dinner, Xi Ning and her friends would sometimes go to the library or the school field for sports. 　　"Sure, let's go." Xi Ning stowed her phone away and followed the two out of the classroom. 　　The corridor was crowded and noisy, full of laughter and playfulness, with students everywhere engaged in various activities and chatting by the railing. 　　"Hey, I heard that an extremely beautiful girl from the Provincial Experimental School transferred to our Class 11 last week. Do you guys know about it?" 　　Tu Xiaoyuan stood in the center, one hand linked with Su Yuqi's arm, the other resting on Xi Ning's shoulder. She spoke gossip as they walked, and as they passed by the door of Class 11, she said, "She seems to be called… Wen Yao?" 　　"…" Xi Ning blinked unnaturally and looked towards Su Yuqi, only to see her complexion change and remain silent for a while. 　　It seemed that Tu Xiaoyuan was still unaware of it. 　　However, right after her words, a tall, long-haired girl emerged from Class 11's back door. 　　"Did you just mention my name?" 　　Wen Yao stood at the door, holding her arms as she looked at the three, her gaze finally fixed firmly on Su Yuqi. 　　"…Er…" Tu Xiaoyuan widened her round eyes and was momentarily stunned. 　　The four of them stood hesitatingly in the doorway, and Wen Yao's gaze swept over Xi Ning's face before she said with a smile, "I knew it. It was you who sent her to find me that night, wasn't it?" 　　Tu Xiaoyuan blinked her eyes a couple of times, looking around, "You... know each other?" 　　Wen Yao chuckled and fixed her gaze directly on Su Yuqi as she said, "Not only do we know each other, but our relationship is quite special…" 　　"You guys go first. I'll find you later." 　　Su Yuqi suddenly spoke and pulled Wen Yao's arm, dragging her over to the adjacent staircase. Wen Yao seemed somewhat unwilling, but did not completely refuse. She was dragged forward reluctantly. The towering, beautiful women attracting attention as they tugged and pulled in the crowd. Tu Xiaoyuan gazed inexplicably at the two figures' backs, "What? They... actually know each other? And their relationship is unusual? Why haven't I heard anything from Zhangzhang?" Xi Ning's hands were in the pockets of her top, and she looked at Tu Xiaoyuan's puzzled and bewildered eyes. Finally, she reached out and tugged at her sleeve, "Okay, let's go to the playground first." Su Yuqi would bring up what she wanted to say herself. So, they walked down, heading towards the playground. The evening breeze was gentle, and the sunset today was exceptionally beautiful. While Tu Xiaoyuan took pictures with her phone, Xi Ning slowed her pace and waited for her, gazing aimlessly into the distance. Passing by a small grove behind the laboratory building, she faintly saw a few figures standing by the back wall. A glance told her that they were probably up to their old tricks again, climbing over the wall to leave the school. She didn't pay much attention. Clearfield's graduation rate was quite impressive in the city. As a private school, it was not inferior to some reputable public schools, but it was also not the most prestigious high school, with several top schools ahead of it. With Xi Ning's grades, she had many better options initially, but for some reason, she chose to come here with Xi Mu. There was a reason why Clearfield was referred to as a "noble private school." It had good physical facilities and teaching staff, but the tuition was also high. In order to ensure a constant intake of students, the school offered generous scholarships to attract academically excellent students, and at the same time, it would admit students who could afford the fees even with lower scores. So, encountering students climbing over the wall on their way out after evening study was something Xi Ning was already used to. Moreover, that area was a blind spot for surveillance, so many repeat offenders climbed out from there. As a model student who had internalized the school rules, Xi Ning naturally disliked such behavior. However, she wasn't interested in paying attention to others' actions, and as usual, she walked past without glancing sideways, until she unintentionally heard a voice floating over — "Sis Xi, step on me!" "Step on my shoulder, it's more convenient." "…" Xi Ning narrowed her eyes and turned her gaze towards the corner of the wall.