Chapter 48 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 48 Xí Níng: "......" The sound of people conversing became louder. Two or three students passed by, running and laughing, their voices brushing past her ears. Instinctively, she took a step back, only to find herself pushed against the handrail. Momentarily at a loss, she turned her head, her fingertips brushing awkwardly against her earlobe. "You... could you tone it down a bit?" Kǒng Niàn Xī still had a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. Her gaze fell on Xí Níng's clean and beautiful profile. Despite her apparent indifference, Kǒng Niàn Xī's actions and tone were awkward. She neither rejected nor pushed her away, just asking her to tone it down a bit. Kǒng Niàn Xī's lips curved upward, her innocent gaze meeting Xí Níng's. "You hugged me so suddenly just now. It almost hurt me. Is that how you usually hug people? And now you want me to tone it down..." Her voice, tender and perfectly modulated, seemed to imply that she was truly wronged. She bit her lip and took half a step closer. Their clothes nearly touched, and the final syllables she uttered were loaded with meaning: "Tone what down?" "......" Her heartbeat was in disarray, overwhelmed by the other's effortless provocations. Xí Níng knew she couldn't win in this kind of situation. Each time, it seemed like she ended up losing, so she had to suppress her emotions. Stepping aside, she gave room for Kǒng Niàn Xī. She then heard Kǒng Niàn Xī's light and airy comment: "But you fit my taste quite well. It would be even better if it lasted a bit longer." "......" Xí Níng paused, her gaze falling on the lovely face beside her. Kǒng Niàn Xī didn't look at her, her delicate wrist resting on the handrail in front of her. She casually lifted the corner of her lips and said, "Where are you with your digestion?" When Xí Níng thought about last night's confession, she avoided eye contact for a moment. Before she could gather her thoughts and consider it properly, she could only reply earnestly, "I'm sorry, I haven't yet." "Alright." Kǒng Niàn Xī's tone was nonchalant, as if it were expected. The atmosphere became subtly tense. Xí Níng had been confessed to before. Due to her cold attitude, she had often exacerbated conflicts. She understood that kind of emotion to some extent. She used to be unfazed, but now... Looking at the bustling basketball court, she licked her lips and initiated a new topic, "Are you here to watch your friend's game?" Kǒng Niàn Xī raised her eyebrows slightly, turning to Xí Níng with a smile, "I specifically came to watch you." When the list of players was released, Kǒng Niàn Xī paid special attention to Xí Níng's name. She had even intentionally asked about the schedule that morning, but when she turned to speak to someone else, the person had already left on their own. "Me?" Xí Níng asked. "Yes." Kǒng Niàn Xī stared at her as she turned to face her, amused. "Who else would I come to watch? Although I'm not entirely resigned to it, I'm—shall we say—singularly focused on you?" "......" For a brief moment, Xí Níng's eyes flickered, and just as she did, a captivating and alluring fragrance wafted into her nose. Suddenly, Kǒng Niàn Xī took a step forward and placed her hands around Xí Níng's waist. "That hug just now lasted less than a second. How can I pass on my good luck to you? Besides, you need to hug me back for it to count as a hug." The voice by her ear was soft and gentle, and the warmth spread from her open collar to her neck, tickling her. Xí Níng moved her neck slightly, and as Kǒng Niàn Xī let go of her wrist, she placed it on her waist. The unfamiliar touch on her fingertips was exceedingly soft, making Xí Níng subconsciously tighten her grip. Her wrist was partially lifted up. "Do you remember our first meeting?" The low murmuring voice reached her ears, and as Xí Níng attempted to let go of her arm, Kǒng Niàn Xī pulled back. She nestled against Xí Níng's embrace and openly confessed her feelings. When she liked something, she was never stingy in expressing it. "So, don't doubt my feelings for you." It was not a fleeting impulse; she genuinely and wholeheartedly liked Xí Níng. Her affection was genuine, and that was her own business. Xí Níng was taken aback for a few seconds, and just as Kǒng Niàn Xī stepped back, she felt a sudden void. "Alright, take your time. I can wait." Standing upright, Kǒng Niàn Xī toyed with her fingertip over the smooth fabric. She started by embracing and then pushing herself away from Xí Níng. "But it's best not to take too long, or else I will charge interest." She tilted her head back, her face still displaying her usual radiant and captivating smile before she turned and walked away. Not long after that, Tú Xiǎo Yuán and the others rushed back, carrying their drinks. "Phew... it took a bit longer because it's still early in the morning, and the milk tea shop had just opened." Tú Xiǎo Yuán panted, handing over a large cup of freshly squeezed pear juice. She looked up and noticed Xí Níng's flushed cheeks. "... "Ni Ning, what's wrong with you?" "Mm?" Xí Níng eyed her, and Tú Xiǎo Yuán carefully scrutinized her. She searched for a suitable phrase, "How can I put this... Is it the stirrings of spring in your heart, or pure infatuation?" "......" Xí Níng grabbed the pear juice and took a sip. With the straw in her mouth, she turned her face away, trying to conceal her emotions. Sū Yùqī also noticed something was amiss and asked curiously, "We were only away for a short while. Did something good happen to you?" Xí Níng gave it some thought, quelling her initial panic. She then replied, "Actually, something good did happen." "Hey!?" Tú Xiǎo Yuán's tone perked up. "Congratulations! You're definitely going to win the championship! Does this mean we can have a big celebration dinner this week?" Shifting the conversation, Xí Níng silently breathed a sigh of relief and added, "There might be a second round though." As it turned out, Kǒng Niàn Xī's lucky embrace did indeed work. The scheduled basketball shooting competition didn't proceed to the second round. Among the tens of participants, Xí Níng scored the most, easily claiming the championship. The prize money for the school's "rich and generous" award was handed out on the spot. After receiving her award at the podium, Xí Níng also had to attend to various details of the sports day. By the time everything was over, it was already lunchtime. Xí Níng accompanied Tú Xiǎo Yuán back to their classroom to get their meal cards and made a brief stop at the restroom. The teaching building was deserted, with most of the students either still at the sports field or heading straight to the cafeteria to eat. Walking through the vacant corridors, Xí Níng encountered two girls standing in front of the washbasin. "The sports day is ending today, and we have the joint exams next week. What should we do?" "What to do? Just take it easy." "Aren't you worried at all? I heard you ranked in the top 20 in the previous year's exams. Do you really think you're at that level?" "Tch, so what? I've already scouted the examination hall. According to the S-shaped seating arrangement, I'll be next to a top student." "Oh, really? Who is it?" "Xí Níng." "......" Hearing her name mentioned in this context, Xí Níng furrowed her brows. The curly-haired girl who spoke noticed someone entering. When she looked at Xí Níng, she visibly hesitated. Xí Níng walked directly to the empty space next to them and turned the tap. Just as she was about to do so, she heard someone call her name from behind. The curly-haired girl grinned and said, "It's quite a coincidence. You're Xí Níng from Class 11, right? This is our first meeting, but I know who you are." Xí Níng's eyes narrowed, and her usually expressionless face seemed particularly aloof. "Do you need something?" The girl was quite adept, "It's nothing much. We'll have the joint exams next week, and it turns out we'll be sitting quite close to each other. So... I'd like to ask for a small favor. Two hundred for one subject. What do you think?" "......" Xí Níng remained emotionless, and after a long silence, the curly-haired girl began to feel the weight of Xí Níng's presence. She felt a bit uneasy. "How about... three hundred?" "Are you sure?" After a long pause, Xí Níng finally spoke, and the girl was momentarily taken aback. She had simply tried her luck and hadn't expected Xí Níng to agree. In the end, as long as the money was enough, there was almost nothing that couldn't be accomplished. "Absolutely sure, I can pay you half as an advance..." "Then you'll soon hear your punishment being broadcasted over the school's speakers." Without looking back at her, Xí Níng left the restroom. "......" "Who does she think she is, some kind of righteous little cop?" Once she left, the curly-haired girl regained her composure and started muttering angrily. "Well, isn't it because she achieved her grades solely through her own abilities?" The girl beside her continued the conversation. The curly-haired girl scornfully chuckled, "Since when does being good at studying mean everything? Who is she pretending to be? I've heard about her past. It's completely different from her current upright and vigorous image." "Oh, there's a story?" “Exactly, I heard she was a two-faced white lotus in junior high. On the surface, she's elegant and aloof, but behind closed doors, she plays with people's emotions, flirts with multiple people, and even steals others' partners, including girls!” "Wow, for real?" "Of course..." "Bang!" Suddenly, the sound of a side room door being kicked open echoed through the air, and the girls' conversation abruptly ceased. They turned to look, surprised by the disruption. The tall figure of Kǒng Niàn Xī leisurely emerged from the room. The curly-haired girl let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, it's you, Niàn Xī. You scared me. Why did you have to be so rude opening the door like that?" Kǒng Niàn Xī stooped to wash her hands, giving her a mocking glance and a lazy tone, "Instead of gossiping in the bathroom, you might want to consider the school's punishments for cheating and whether your dad can handle the shame." The curly-haired girl was left dumbfounded, staring at her as she walked nonchalantly out of the door. "Ugh, why did I say that? She really is a hypocrite! Just shamelessly relying on senior admirers to pursue her! Ugh!" Her companion reminded her, "But, you and the two of them are in the same exam hall, so you still need to be cautious about cheating." The curly-haired girl: "..." - After reuniting with Tú Xiǎo Yuán, Xí Níng and Tú Xiǎo Yuán lined up to get their meals at the cafeteria. It was almost time for the end of school, and the seniors from the third year hadn't come down yet, so the cafeteria wasn't too crowded. However, there were long queues in front of the popular food counters. As they stood at the end of the line, Tú Xiǎo Yuán was mulling over the fried prawns she had been craving. Unfortunately, when her turn finally came, the kitchen had run out. Xí Níng idly looked at the empty space between the people in front of her and the floor of the cafeteria, lost in thought. Unexpectedly, she heard Tú Xiǎo Yuán calling out, "Niàn Xī~." Roused from her reverie, she suddenly looked up and saw Kǒng Niàn Xī making her way with a tray from the adjacent queue. Even amidst the noisy crowd, it was impossible to ignore her beautiful face. Xí Níng dropped her gaze. Kǒng Niàn Xī walked over, exchanged greetings politely with Tú Xiǎo Yuán, and stopped by Xí Níng. She halted until Xí Níng looked up, flashed her a smile, and then continued past her. "Ni Ning, touch your turn now!" Tú Xiǎo Yuán bumped into Xí Níng's arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. She then queued up at the cafeteria. After a brief pause, Xí Níng reluctantly followed and placed her tray in the seat opposite Kǒng Niàn Xī. "You're quite talkative?" Kǒng Niàn Xī raised her chin, tilting her head playfully at the curly-haired girl, smiling nonchalantly. But there was no hint of anger in her words. The three of them sat at a table of four, with Shi Min and Kǒng Niàn Xī sitting side by side, leaving two seats on the other side empty, while the curly-haired girl sat at a neighboring table. ...It was somewhat odd. The table wasn't large, and Kǒng Niàn Xī's tray was placed right next to Xí Níng's. She could see everything on the other tray with just a slight lift of her gaze. Kǒng Niàn Xī's balanced meal consisted of both vegetables and meat, a healthy combination. On the other hand, besides the fried prawns, Xí Níng had mostly green vegetables. Feeling Kǒng Niàn Xī's gaze on her, Xí Níng diverted her eyes, maintaining an attentive and upright posture as she quietly enjoyed her meal, focusing only on the dishes in front of her. After a while, she heard Tú Xiǎo Yuán grumble, "Mmm... the prawns are all gone. We had to wait so long and I only got three. That uncle is so stingy!" Xí Níng lifted her eyelids at the sound, noticing her plate was still full of prawns. She had yet to eat a single one. "This, you just wouldn't understand. He's certainly stingy, but being in his good books works wonders." "Huh?" Raising her eyebrows, the curly-haired girl chuckled, "Just look at the scholar; she's got four, hasn't she?" "..." Tú Xiǎo Yuán lamented, then suddenly had a realization, "Right! From now on, whenever we have prawns, you can get two servings. That way, I'll have two extra prawns!" "..." Distracted by her thoughts, Xí Níng raised her head and pinched the end of her chopsticks, staying silent. In the end, she picked up Tú Xiǎo Yuán's chopsticks, picked up two prawns from her own plate, and tried to use food to stifle the other's words. As she moved to offer the prawns, there was a slight clinking of chopsticks on the plate. A golden, crispy tempura prawn landed in her plate next to the remaining two. She was forced to look up to meet Kǒng Niàn Xī's eyes. With her fingers clamping onto the long chopsticks, she placed another two into Xí Níng's plate. After doing so, Kǒng Niàn Xī placed her chopsticks down. Her slightly upturned eyes carried a hint of tenderness as she smiled, "Eat more meat. I still have plenty here." Xí Níng moved her gaze down and saw Kǒng Niàn Xī's plate piled high with crispy tempura prawns. The curly-haired girl chirped, "I told you, every time I eat with Niàn Xī, I get to experience the cafeteria uncle's varied love for students." Tú Xiǎo Yuán happily ate her prawns, nonchalantly chiming in, "Then you should go stand next to Aunty and get some universal love." Suddenly, she remembered something and turned her head. Upon noticing Xí Níng chewing on the prawns Kǒng Niàn Xī had given her, she paused, confused. She clearly remembered that Xí Níng meticulously debated on the table and strict about others using her chopsticks for her food, and vice versa. Yet, now she was nonchalantly eating the prawns Kǒng Niàn Xī had given her and seemed to be enjoying them. The weirdest thing was, she knew Xí Níng didn't even like eating prawns that much. How could she eat the ones Kǒng Niàn Xī gave her without any aversion? In truth, Xí Níng didn't particularly enjoy seafood and only decided to eat prawns today because Tú Xiǎo Yuán had persistently demanded it. She had also ordered them on a whim. However, today, the chefs' skills seemed particularly exceptional, making her feel like they were surprisingly delicious. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she looked down to read the message. "Kǒng Niàn Xī: Now that you've eaten my prawns, you're responsible for me." Xí Níng: "..." She didn't expect a girl like Kǒng Niàn Xī to enjoy... rustic things like that. Lifting her head, her gaze seemed to convey a sense of helplessness and difficulty. Kǒng Niàn Xī, on the other hand, maintained her beguiling smile. The atmosphere between the two of them was subtly changing. - After the sports day, it was suddenly Saturday. With only a day off this week, the onset of rain in the afternoon gave a slight melancholic touch to the single day holiday. Even the cheers of leaving school were muted by the sound of the rain outside. As Xí Níng gathered her things to leave, she noticed Kǒng Niàn Xī remained seated, showing no intention of getting up. She slowed her pace, finally putting on her bag and picking up an umbrella, unable to help herself from asking, "Do you have an umbrella?" The regal and aloof Kǒng Niàn Xī had an instant change of expression, pouting stubbornly like a child as she looked at Xí Níng, "I was thinking, if you just left like this, then I...!" Startled by the sudden shift in Kǒng Niàn Xī's demeanor, Xí Níng lifted her lips, and her serene eyes were filled with a faint smile, "What about me?" "I'll have to charge you interest." Xí Níng lowered her head and chuckled softly. When she lifted her gaze, she was met with Kǒng Niàn Xī's meaning deepened and inquisitive gaze. Her smile froze for a moment, then she turned, picked up her bag, and stood up, "Let's go." Kǒng Niàn Xī narrowed her eyes, watching Xí Níng stiffly walk away while licking her lips. She then lifted her bag and followed after her, "So, you don't even wait for me?"