Chapter 55 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 55 On the side of the road, there was a small shop with a very clean front. Kong Nianxi walked in and went to the counter to order. She turned her head and asked, "What flavor do you want? The corn sausage and lean pork here are both good." Xi Ning looked at the menu, which had a variety of options, including various pastries, and softly said, "I'll have the same as you." After she finished speaking, she met Kong Nianxi's meaningful gaze and paused for two seconds before awkwardly turning her head. Kong Nianxi smiled, "Okay, then we'll each get one." After ordering, they found a seat by the window on the same side. There weren't many customers in the shop, and there was a chubby boy sitting diagonally across from them. When he looked up, he glanced in their direction. Their hands had been intertwined without letting go, and Xi Ning tried to pull away. She pursed her lips and softly said, "You can let go now." "I don't want to~" Lazy and languid, each word drawn out, his fingers clung even tighter. "..." The rice noodle rolls were quickly made, and the shop owner personally brought them over, smiling warmly at Kong Nianxi. "Is today the weekend? You're up so early to have breakfast here, Auntie?" "Yes, because I really wanted to eat the rice noodle rolls made by Auntie," Kong Nianxi replied politely, and the shop owner even gave them two cups of freshly ground soy milk. "Children need to eat more for breakfast to grow." As a result, Xi Ning also received a cup of loving soy milk from the shop owner, staring at the fragrant paper cup with a slight daze. In her understanding of life, the connections between people were not very close. Even in a shop she frequented, she would never consider establishing a relationship with the owner. But Kong Nianxi was different. She was beautiful, enthusiastic, and outgoing, always the attention-grabbing shining star. As long as she was willing, no one would dislike her. "Try it quickly, I especially like the ones from this place," Kong Nianxi said, handing her a pair of chopsticks. The rice noodle rolls on the plate were topped with a thick and savory sauce, and they smelled delicious when Xi Ning picked up a chopstick and put it into her mouth. It was indeed very good. "How is it?" Kong Nianxi looked at her expectantly. Xi Ning nodded in agreement, "Delicious." "Really? In that case, I want to try yours." She naturally knew the taste of the one she recommended, having eaten here many times, but ordering two different flavors was a careful ploy that needed to be executed. Xi Ning slowly put down her chopsticks and pushed her portion towards the middle, but instead of taking her own, Kong Nianxi leaned in and whispered softly to her, "Feed me." "..." Xi Ning's slender fingers held the chopsticks, and she visibly hesitated, not moving. Kong Nianxi reached into her pocket and unexpectedly pulled out a folded piece of paper. Pouting, she complained, "It's written on there, along with your signature." Xi Ning raised her eyebrows and saw that it was the paper with "Novice Couple" written on it from last night, with the words "feed each other" clearly written in the second line. After presenting it, Kong Nianxi carefully folded it back up and put it away. With a slight tilt of her chin, she stared straight at Xi Ning. Xi Ning bit her thin lip and glanced around, inadvertently meeting the gaze of the chubby boy sitting opposite. "Click." The chubby boy finished his soy milk and got up, walking away with a slightly embarrassed look. "..." Now, there were only the two of them at the table. After a moment's hesitation, Xi Ning, with slightly reddened ear tips, stiffly turned her head and focused on Kong Nianxi's slightly parted lips. She moved the chopsticks carefully and sent the food to her mouth. Kong Nianxi had beautiful lips, naturally rosy and glossy, cute with a hint of sensuality. Her pinkish tongue swept over the chopsticks, obediently consuming the food Xi Ning had fed her. Kong Nianxi squinted her long and narrow eyes, and her dark, bright eyes continued to stare unwaveringly at Xi Ning, her red lips slowly chewing and swallowing. Xi Ning inexplicably felt a burning sensation in her ears. As new people arrived outside, she suddenly lowered her head and focused on eating. When they finished their meal, Kong Nianxi intentionally slowed down, letting Xi Ning drag her forward. She gazed at Xi Ning's tall and slim figure walking in front of her, briefly passing through her slightly red ear tips, unable to help but raise the corner of her lips. The street gradually grew crowded with pedestrians as they reached the crossroads, and traffic filled the intersection. Seeing Xi Ning stop at the intersection and hail a cab, Kong Nianxi repressed her smile. "You're not going to stay with me a little longer?" They had confessed their feelings for each other, and their attitudes were clear. Although there was still a step to be taken, according to common sense, they should be spending all their time together, but Xi Ning was a bit of an abnormal person. And as a good student who had treated school discipline as "behavioral norms" since kindergarten, the word "puppy love" had been drummed into her ears by countless teachers and was regarded as a ferocious beast. It still had some influence on Xi Ning. Perhaps it was a bit difficult to date a well-behaved student? "I have quite a bit of homework due this week..." Xi Ning hesitated for a moment. Not completing her homework would indeed make her feel uneasy, but it wasn't the most important factor. Since last night, she had been feeling strangely adrift. She needed time to sort out her emotions, but she couldn't calm down next to Kong Nianxi. Kong Nianxi pursed her lips and interrupted her, "Am I important, or is your homework important? Choose one now." "..." After a moment, Xi Ning looked at the delicate face in front of her, and suddenly couldn't help but laugh softly. "You have..." Kong Nianxi asked, "What?" It was probably from the stains during the meal earlier. Xi Ning took out a tissue from her bag, raised her hand, then stopped and handed it to Kong Nianxi, pointing at the corner of her lips. "Here, wipe it off." Kong Nianxi blinked in realization and suddenly felt both angry and amused. She pushed away Xi Ning's hand. "You are really... It seems I should schedule a few more romance movies for you?" Then she took Xi Ning's hand and scolded, "Where is it?" Xi Ning moved her wrist and wiped away the inconspicuous stain at the corner of her lips with the tissue. Standing by the noisy roadside, they parted as Xi Ning's taxi arrived. Kong Nianxi tucked the tissue into her pocket and said softly, "Next week, then." Kong Nianxi's eyes lit up. "Next week for what?" "..." Xi Ning walked towards the car door. "Next weekend, I can... accompany you." The phrase "accompany you" exploded in Kong Nianxi's ears like fireworks, and she couldn't help but raise the corner of her lips. "This is what you said. Next weekend, you have a date with me." The driver started the car, and before driving away, Xi Ning rolled down the window, meeting Kong Nianxi's gaze. It was the perfect atmosphere for parting, and Kong Nianxi thought she was about to hear something deep and affectionate from Xi Ning. Looking at her, Xi Ning said softly, "Remember to do your homework." "..." * The trip back took at least an hour, but Xi Ning felt like she had just zoned out for a bit. When she got out of the car and walked to her front door, she still felt somewhat dazed. "You rushed off somewhere last night and didn't come back home all night. Where did you go?" Xi Mu chewed on his yogurt straw and opened the door for her, immediately curious when she walked in. "To a friend's place." Xi Ning changed into slippers and walked inside, casually saying, "A friend?" Xi Mu stared at her, looking her up and down, feeling more and more uneasy. He even squinted his eyes. "Which friend? Why are you so happy even after getting home?" Xi Ning stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. "Did I smile?" Xi Mu was taken aback by her gaze. He then pointed to the corners of his own lips and gestured, "Yes, you almost smiled from ear to ear. Didn't you realize it?" "..." Xi Ning didn't say anything. She turned and quickly walked into her room, slamming the door shut. "Huh... What's wrong with her?" Xi Mu scratched his head in bewilderment, couldn't figure it out, and then returned to his room to resume gaming. Xi Ning went back to her room, changed into comfortable clothes, and then spread out her test papers on the desk to start her homework. The pen tip wrote and sketched on the paper. These questions weren't difficult for Xi Ning, and she should have finished them quickly. But several times she found herself lost in thought without noticing, causing her to not finish a single paper in an hour. Images from last night kept involuntarily appearing in her mind, and although she sat upright at her desk, her heart was absent, drifting aimlessly. Putting down her pen, Xi Ning turned around and saw her room, where she had lived for over a decade. If she didn't have plans to hang out with Tu Xiaoyuan and the others next weekend, she didn't have many other social engagements. Usually, she would stay in her bedroom to study or read on the weekends, and sometimes she would stay there for the whole day. But now, looking at her quiet room, she felt a bit... bored for the first time. She had always been accustomed to being alone. The tranquility that had made her feel at ease now, unexpectedly made her feel a bit boring. But why was that? When she thought about it, her mind involuntarily drifted to... She gently rubbed her face, knowing that when her efficiency was low, it was best to take a break. She stood up, left her room, and went to the fridge to get a piece of fruit. But she found Xi Mu busy in the kitchen. A man was busy preparing food in the kitchen, the overalls wrapped around her body matching her apron. Though her movements were not that efficient, it was still clear that this was a master in the kitchen. She turned around and saw Xi Ning, giving her a warm smile. "What are you doing?" Xi Ning asked in confusion. Xi Mu tugged at his apron and flipped the fried egg in the pan. "I'm obviously cooking." "Oh, by the way, Mom and Dad won't be home for lunch, so they've left us to fend for ourselves," he added. Looking at the time, Xi Ning couldn't help but ask, "So you're making lunch now?" It seemed inconceivable, unless the sun rose from the west, she didn't think someone like Xi Mu, who never did any housework, would be so proactive. Xi Mu chuckled, "Don't be ridiculous, of course, I'm making this for my girlfriend. It's a lovingly prepared lunch box." "..." Alright, without saying anything else, in some ways, Xi Mu did seem to be putting in a lot of effort when he was in a relationship. Glancing at him and seeing what he was doing, Xi Ning couldn't help but think of the scene from the first night when he was caught making cookies for Kong Nianxi by her. A sense of relief flashed through her heart, as well as an inexplicable feeling. "Well, you continue then." Xi Ning casually left a sentence and didn't hinder him, taking an apple from the fridge and preparing to leave. However, after taking a few steps, she stopped and pondered for a moment before turning back and asking, "Are these necessary?" Xi Mu: "Huh?" Having some difficulty bringing it up, Xi Ning thought for a moment and then, with a blush on her face, asked softly, "I mean, the things you're doing now, for your relationship." Author's Note: This is just a sweet campus romance story~ The next book should have been "The Beautiful Bodyguard". I've been itching to write a bodyguard story, with that kind of tension between a restrained attacker and a coquettish sentinel, it's just so full of power! But, is the name a little... plain?