Chapter 27 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 27 During the break, the classroom remained noisy, and the presence of the teacher at the front did not quiet things down. Xi Ning stiffly finished erasing the blackboard, and as she turned around, she was called out. The math teacher happily told her about clearing the preliminaries of the competition and mentioned the time of the next exam. He also asked her to prepare well and reminded her to pass on the message to Kong Nianxi. Xi Ning nodded obediently and as she turned to go back, her smile slowly faded. Since becoming desk mates with Kong Nianxi, it seemed as though a transparent bond had suddenly tightly connected them. She hadn't discussed the essay competition mentioned by Juān Máo in the morning. Xi Ning didn't like to daydream during class, and Kong Nianxi usually didn't stay in the classroom during break time. So, at the end of the day, she hadn't found a suitable time to talk to her about it. But in Xi Ning's opinion, with Kong Nianxi's casual attitude toward studying, she probably wouldn't want to spend extra time on these two matters either. Having already made a judgment about the other's attitude, Xi Ning looked around as she walked down from the podium, and as she glanced at the seats, she saw a male figure next to Kong Nianxi—her own seat. The male had a crew cut, a wide smile, and was sitting on her chair. He was chatting with Kong Nianxi, his arm pressing against her newly bought exercise book. As he spoke, he kept fidgeting, and his elbow brushed against the new cover of the exercise book, creasing it. Xi Ning's gaze sharpened as she focused on the boy's arm. She really didn't like it when her personal space was invaded by strangers. "Hahaha, let me tell you..." The male began bantering, but he suddenly felt a chill around him. His mouth stopped, and as he turned, he saw Xi Ning walking towards him with an expressionless face. The cold white light from the fluorescent tubes fell on her shoulder, giving her fair face an icy sheen, making her appear even colder. The boy shuddered inwardly and involuntarily stood up from the chair, making way for its owner, and as he left, he couldn't help but say reluctantly, "Let's chat another time." Xi Ning walked slowly to her seat, pulled the chair out, and sat down. Kong Nianxi was twirling a pen with her fingertips, tilting her head as she looked at Xi Ning. "Are you upset?" Xi Ning put the exercise book neatly on the bookshelf and paused in her movements. Kong Nianxi curved her lips. "If you don't like it, I'll be more restrained next time~" Her voice was soft, her tone compliant, like a cat's meow, which made people's hearts skip a beat. Xi Ning curled her fingers into a loose fist, suppressing the strange emotions in her heart and thought for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "...It's not a big deal, you don't have to change your habits just to accommodate me." After all, it was just a desk relationship that she didn't know how long it would last. She couldn’t expect others to restrain their social interactions just because of her slight cleanliness obsession. Kong Nianxi leaned back, sitting cross-legged, and placed a hand on the edge of the table, her eyes containing a bright smile. "But... I still need to consider your feelings." Honestly, she had never seen someone so particular yet proper. She had just changed her expression in an instant, exuding coldness, but now she pretended like nothing had happened. Did she hate to admit jealousy as well? Xi Ning was a little surprised that Kong Nianxi would be so considerate of her feelings, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond. She placed her fingers at her lips, coughed lightly, and proactively changed the topic, "The math teacher just told me to remind you to prepare for the second round of the math competition next Wednesday." Kong Nianxi adjusted her sitting position comfortably and keenly noticed the cat-shaped pen topper in Xi Ning's hand. Her eyes lit up, and she reached out, saying with a smile, "So cute! Where did you buy it?" Xi Ning pursed her lips. She knew the other didn't like to talk about studying. Kong Nianxi leaned in on the table, staring straight at her. "Then I'll prepare well. Do I get a reward?" Xi Ning pondered, "The math teacher didn't mention any, so I don't think so." Kong Nianxi smiled and said, "I meant your reward." "..." "My... reward?" Xi Ning frowned; meeting Kong Nianxi's half-serious, half-teasing gaze, she bit her lip. "I don't have a reward for you." "Haha..." Kong Nianxi suddenly leaned back on the table, shaking with laughter. Xi Ning narrowed her eyes, not understanding what she found so funny. Soon, the crisp laughter was drowned out by the ringing of the class bell. They had a math test paper to do in the evening self-study, which needed to be handed in at the end of the class for correction. Xi Ning finished the first half of the test paper during the class and when it was time to hand it in, she took the test and, as she glanced sideways, she saw Kong Nianxi leisurely filling out the multiple-choice questions from the back to the front. She put down her pen when only the first few remained. As their eyes met, Xi Ning pulled back her gaze, held the test paper, and left her seat to walk towards the front of the class. Kong Nianxi raised an eyebrow and smiled. What... caught in the act? ... When she came back after submitting the test paper, her seat was already empty. Xi Ning sat down at her place, ready to tidy up her desk and find Tu Xiao Yuan and the others. Suddenly, she heard someone outside the door calling her, "Xi Ning, someone is here for you~" Xi Ning looked up and saw a classmate waving at her from the back door; there was no one else around. Putting the pen in the pen holder, she got up and walked to the back door. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Xi Mu's tall figure standing outside, holding a large bag of snacks in his hand. "..." Xi Ning turned around and went back to the classroom. "Hey! Sis..." The word "sis" wasn't even fully pronounced when Xi Ning immediately stopped, turned, and glared at him. "Cough, cough." Xi Mu quickly stopped talking, cleared his throat a few times, and continued, "You never reply to my messages, so I had to come find you." He looked genuinely dismayed. Xi Ning took a deep breath, pulled him to a less crowded spot outside, and said in a low voice, "So what are we doing tonight that you've made me bring snacks for?" Xi Mu scratched his head, "Hehe... of course not, this is to show my filial piety to you." Looking down at the bag full of snacks, Xi Ning's eyes showed a hint of disdain. "No, you keep it for yourself." After saying that, she turned around to leave, but as she turned, she suddenly bumped into a soft body emitting a fragrance. She quickly stopped, and then her shoulder felt a weight as she was hugged from behind. Kong Nianxi had appeared behind her at some point, with her chin resting on Xi Ning's shoulder and a smile on her face. "Is he your friend?" Xi Ning: "..." "Called... Xi Mu, right?"