Chapter 59 - What Should I Do if My Younger Brother’s Crush Has Taken a Liking to Me?

Chapter 59 The video call had been connecting all along. Kong Nian Xi held her phone and live-streamed the scenery along the way to Xi Ning. The camera captured her vibrant smile and lively sharing of her feelings, brimming with the unique energy and vitality of a high school girl. Nian Xi waded through the crowd and stepped onto the stairs. She looked at the screen and asked Xi Ning, "Do you know why people won't fall into the same ditch twice?" Xi Ning, noticing that she had already entered the teaching building, furrowed her brows slightly and warned, "Be careful when using your phone while going up and down the stairs. It's dangerous." Nian Xi moved the phone away. "Come on, answer me." "…Because a fall into a pit, gains a wit," Xi Ning could only replied. Nian Xi laughed, "No, it's because the ditch is too deep for him to climb out." Xi Ning said, "…" "Ha, isn't that funny?" Nian Xi asked cheerfully. Xi Ning's lip twitched. "…As long as you're happy." As they talked and laughed, the screen showed Nian Xi had arrived at the back door of the classroom. Xi Ning hesitated on whether to end the call. Suddenly, from her earphones came a stranger's male voice, "Kong Nian Xi, can we talk alone?" Nian Xi's cold voice replied, "What's the matter?" The boy grinned and said, "I like you. Can I have a chance?" Xi Ning remained silent. The video call was then cut off. Xi Ning lifted her head and heard the commotion from the corridor. When she turned around, she saw a group of people gathered by the back door. "What's going on? What's the excitement about?" "What else could it be? Another guy confessing to Nian Xi. Looks like he's not bad looking." "Huh? Let me see… just like that? It's definitely a no-go. Nian Xi's level-10 face-reading ability can't be fooled." "And the way he confessed is too cheesy…" Faint comments could be heard inside the classroom. Through the windows and door, they could see the crowded corridor outside, with the slender figure of Nian Xi being blocked at the entrance. However, it was too far to hear the noise from there. Xi Ning gazed for several seconds, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. Suddenly, a curly-haired boy leaned in and squinted at her, "Study genius, why don’t you seem very happy?" Xi Ning paused and looked at him, "Why should I be happy?" The curly-haired boy raised an eyebrow, scrutinized her boldly, looking like a sharp-witted person. Xi Ning felt a bit flustered under his gaze. Finally, he flashed a row of white teeth and said, "It's okay, Nian Xi gets confessed to every now and then. You'll get used to it." "…." Xi Ning felt even worse. Seemingly noticing her expression and realizing what he said, the curly-haired boy hurriedly added, "Don't worry, they are all passing clouds. From my observations, Nian Xi is most interested in you, she can't wait to open up her heart to you!" "…." Xi Ning didn't know where he suddenly got all these weird things from. In just a few sentences, the corridor buzzed again with Nian Xi extricating herself from the crowd and walking in through the back door. The crowd outside quickly dispersed. Facing the gaze of everyone in the classroom, Nian Xi strolled over as if nothing had happened. She put the fried dumplings she had bought directly on Xi Ning's desk and brushed past her to sit at the adjacent seat. "I mean it, you promised to feed them to me one at a time." Nian Xi pulled her chair closer, tapped the table lightly, and then looked at her with gleaming eyes, like a cat waiting to be fed. Still there, the curly-haired boy hadn't left yet, and with a smirk, he said, "You two are such a great show. I'm feeling envious." Nian Xi, sitting next to Xi Ning, turned and teased him, "What's there to envy? Find someone your own age." Curly-haired boy said, "Well, that’s not the same. I have a really pure male-to-male relationship with him." "…." Xi Ning's eyebrows twitched and she didn't know if he was joking or if he really had such insight. Meanwhile, Nian Xi, looking amused, propped up her chin and squinted, "Oh? Tell us where we look impure. If you're right, I'll treat you to candy tomorrow." Xi Ning said, "…" "Open your mouth," Xi Ning lowered her head, opened the food box, skewered a dumpling, and offered it to Nian Xi, trying to shut her up. The individual dumplings were small, juicy, and just enough to be eaten in one bite. Nian Xi opened her mouth and charmingly chewed on it, evidently too preoccupied to care about the curly-haired boy. "Well, well, well," the curly-haired boy added theatrics to the situation as no one paid attention to him, feigning a toothache by covering his cheek, then saying "I’m off" before leaving. This was the first time that Xi Ning had personally fed someone, and she was teased, her face involuntarily flushed with warmth. After feeding one dumpling, she stopped. Nian Xi gazed at her, parted her lips, and lightly tugged at her sleeve, "More." Xi Ning had no choice but to continue feeding her. It wasn't strange for girls to feed each other, but constantly doing so from start to finish felt overly affectionate, especially between these two people who were hard to ignore in the class. The classroom was not large, and people passing by would occasionally glance over. Xi Ning's palms felt a bit sweaty. Finally, after feeding half of the dumplings, Nian Xi asked to stop. "I'm full. Aren't you going to have some? You ordered this dinner, after all." This small food stall's fried dumplings were exquisite. They were coated with a special sauce that smelled delightful. Seeing Nian Xi enjoying them earlier, Xi Ning also felt an appetite rising within her. She hesitated for a moment, suppressed the warmth in her cheeks, and skewered a dumpling with a burnt crispy skin. However, after swallowing it, Nian Xi snatched the dumpling skewer and food box from her hand, "I'll feed you too." "…" As the feeding session went on, Xi Ning began to sense a progressively saccharine romantic atmosphere, making her feel a bit embarrassed. "I can manage it myself," she declined. "But the agreement says we should feed each other. You have to obey," Nian Xi said as she held the food box, offering it to Xi Ning's lips. "Good baby, have to eat three meals a day on time. Ah~" Xi Ning was full of resistance and couldn't help but smile, "Don't be so childish." Nian Xi stared straight at her, "I'm only childish with you~" "…" Xi Ning was on the verge of crumbling under her ability to spout cheesy phrases at will. Although… she didn't dislike it, but it also felt too much. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Do you know, doing this is actually a bit—" "Cheesy?" "…" "Fine, so you’re starting to find my cheesiness annoying. Tonight, I'll make you say fifty cheesy lines as a punishment." "…" After the intimate feeding, Xi Ning disposed of the garbage, returned to throw it in the bin, and when she came back, Tian Jiabao walked in through the front door, which immediately quieted the classroom. Tian Jiabao stood at the platform with a cup in his hand. He tapped the desktop twice with the bottom of the cup and cleared his throat. "Next Thursday and Friday is the joint examination. Everyone should get nervous and make full use of the evening self-study time to review. After all, the joint examination will determine your ranking in the city. Don't end up being among the last, as it will affect your enthusiasm for studying in the future." After scolding, he discussed the exam schedule and then left after a few rounds. As soon as he left, the nervous atmosphere in the classroom dissipated, replaced by a mix of excitement and concern. "I don't want to take the exam!" "Well, I actually quite enjoy exams. I can play for two days." "It's just a joint exam. If I really become the city's bottom, wouldn't that make me famous? Haha." "Tch, you guys are not ambitious at all." The surrounding discussions were all about the upcoming exam. However, Xi Ning had no additional thoughts. For her, it was just a matter of spending more time doing a few sets of test papers. However, this time, she had other concerns. She glanced at Nian Xi’s desk and saw that she had spread a book out strategically. Nian Xi pressed her wrist on the side of the book and scrolled her phone unabashedly. Xi Ning reached out and closed the book Nian Xi was looking at, and said softly, "Shouldn't you fulfill my condition as well?" "Oh?" Nian Xi turned her head, looking at Xi Ning with confusion. Xi Ning almost fell for her act and said, "An extra hour of studying together every day." "…" Nian Xi indeed had good grades, but she wasn't outstanding in every subject. While her exceptional understanding and memorization helped her excel overall, without additional practice, getting high scores in specific subjects was challenging. Xi Ning had noticed this when she paid attention to Nian Xi's grades. Xi Ning had prepared a set of diagnostic math papers for her. She turned her head to see that Nian Xi was blinking, not saying a word. Xi Ning raised an eyebrow and imitated her tone, "Don't tell me you want to back out now?" "Of course not, but—" Nian Xi smirked, closed the distance, and motioned for Xi Ning to come closer. Her dark sparkling eyes reflected a glimpse of her in them, "Come here." "…" Xi Ning paused and then awkwardly turned her head away after two seconds. She glanced around and after a while, she pursed her lips and said softly, "Class is still in session." "Pfft~" Nian Xi suddenly chuckled, her slender shoulders shaking, and she reached under the desk to grab the cuff of Xi Ning's sleeve. Xi Ning remained still. However, the next moment, she felt something moist on her lips. She turned her head abruptly to see Nian Xi tilting her head with a wet tissue between her fingertips. "There's sauce on your lips. I just want to help you clean it up," Nian Xi said, leaning in close to Xi Ning's ear, "You're not thinking of anything unhealthy, are you?" "In that case, endure it for a bit, and I'll give you a kiss after school."