Chapter 70

Chapter 70 They stayed up late last night, especially for Xi Ning. The unfamiliar environment made it difficult for her to fall asleep, and she ended up getting only a few hours of rest. The next day when she drowsily lifted her heavy eyelids, Kong Nianxi was already awake, her eyes bright and energetic, looking well-rested. By the time they finished getting ready and went downstairs, it was almost ten in the morning. The first floor was quiet, a few people who had pulled an all-nighter were still sleeping on the couch. Their senior sister, with dark circles under her eyes, came out to get some water and ran into Kong Nianxi and Xi Ning. She was momentarily surprised, then smiled knowingly, "Up so early? Are you leaving already? Let me change and see you off." Kong Nianxi politely declined, not wanting to trouble someone who had stayed up all night. After saying their goodbyes, she and Xi Ning left together. The morning sunlight was good, but lacked warmth. The air was dry and chilly, and the street outside the community was quite deserted. They walked shoulder to shoulder along the road, with the rustling of the green and yellow leaves falling with the wind. Kong Nianxi playfully hooked Xi Ning's little finger and swayed it back and forth as they walked. She also occasionally took a few small steps, accidentally crushing a piece of dry yellow leaf, making a crisp sound. She tilted her head and asked with a smile, "Didn't have time for breakfast, are you hungry?" Xi Ning adjusted her long hair that was tousled by the wind. Her coat was zipped up to the top, the collar standing up, revealing a slender neck. "I'm okay, how about you?" She pulled the backpack strap from slipping down. The backpack contained both her and Kong Nianxi's books. Kong Nianxi didn't have the habit of bringing her school bag home over the weekend, so Xi Ning put both of their assignments in her own bag to take back home. Shaking her head, Kong Nianxi pointed to the nearby subway entrance, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's take the subway back. Lunch at my house, and the afternoon will be just the two of us." Yesterday, she already informed Mrs. Xu that she wouldn't be going home for the weekend. Xi Ning, holding onto the backpack strap, smiled, "Sure, we can finish our assignments in the afternoon." "…" Kong Nianxi's eyes flickered, and she stared at Xi Ning with a hint of complaint, raising her eyebrows and pouting slightly. Looking at the slightly pouting face in front of her, Xi Ning couldn't help but smile. After looking at it for a moment, she inexplicably reached out and lightly poked the round and chubby cheek, as if to let out some air. "?!" Kong Nianxi widened her eyes and looked up at her chin. Xi Ning only realized a moment later, and restrained her expression, pretending nothing happened, and walked toward the subway entrance. But the next second, her collar was hooked and pulled down by Kong Nianxi. She suddenly smiled and leaned to Xi Ning's ear, "Poke my cheek a few more times and I'll do what you say." "…" Xi Ning coughed lightly and turned her head away, gripping her wrist and pulling her forward, changing the subject. "Let's head back first." The steps leading down to the subway entrance were long. On the escalator, Kong Nianxi leaned on Xi Ning's shoulder and told her many things about her past, her family, her preferences, and interesting anecdotes she had experienced, including some stories about the friends they had met today. After passing through the security check and scanning to enter the station, they stood outside the yellow line and Kong Nianxi whispered, "Were you not feeling happy last night?" "I just wanted to introduce you to my senior sister, I didn't expect so many people to show up. It was a bit overwhelming…" Xi Ning understood Kong Nianxi's intention and patted her hand with a soft voice, "But as long as you're here, I won't be unhappy." The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Sensing the burning gaze next to her, Xi Ning turned her head and met Kong Nianxi's meaningful gaze for a few seconds. After receiving the meaningful look from the other side, she acted as if nothing happened and turned her head away, then her cheeks turned red. Xi Ning didn't really know how to speak sweet nothings, she was just not good at hiding her emotions. When she realized what she had said, she felt embarrassed and nervously pressed her fingertips against her nose. But what she thought was embarrassing was sweet and heartfelt words to Kong Nianxi. "My Xi Ning is much better at speaking sweet nothings than I am." Kong Nianxi narrowed her eyes and hugged Xi Ning, rubbing her forehead against her shoulder, like a cat. The two figures entwined and leaned against each other in the reflection of the glass. Xi Ning moved her lips, but didn't say anything. She just reached behind and gently supported Kong Nianxi's waist, to avoid accidentally knocking into the hard pillar behind her. With a rumble, the subway arrived at the station. The carriage wasn't too crowded, but there were no seats available. Xi Ning, standing tall, held onto the hanging handrail, while Kong Nianxi leaned on the handrail next to her, playing with her phone. Xi Ning glanced at it and then looked away, not scrutinizing. But her arm was then touched. Kong Nianxi handed her phone to Xi Ning and gestured for her to look. She had changed Xi Ning's contact name to: "My Darling Xi Xi~" Seeing Xi Ning's fleeting expression of embarrassment, Kong Nianxi couldn't help but chuckle, "Who made you so good at saying sweet things? By the way, I still don't know what name you've set for me." Kong Nianxi took Xi Ning's phone and saw that her name was just "Kong Nianxi" with a dry tone, which made her a little amused. But then she noticed that apart from her parents, even others didn't have a special name, which made her feel a bit relieved. She then instructed Xi Ning to change her contact name to: "Forever in love with Kong Xixi~" "…" Xi Ning took back her phone, stared at the few words, and felt her cheeks heat up from the childish and straightforward words. It was the first time she exchanged such a name with someone, and it was still such a cheesy name. The big letters made her feel shy, but at the same time, a strange warmth surged in her heart. Childish, but… quite cute. After getting off the subway, they took a few bus stops before reaching the station near their school. The time spent on public transport was much longer than expected, and Kong Nianxi felt hungry along the way. They managed to satisfy their hunger with a few dishes at a nearby restaurant before heading back to the apartment. "Baby~" "…" At home, Xi Ning tidied up the desk, spread out the two of their test papers, and after some "sacrifice," managed to get Kong Nianxi to sit next to her to do the math homework. Sitting side by side, Xi Ning, who heard a sound next to her, looked up to see that Kong Nianxi had only answered one multiple-choice question on her paper. Kong Nianxi propped her head with one hand and rubbed Xi Ning's head with the other. "Not bad, you adapt to this name quite quickly." "…" Turning her face away, Xi Ning paused for a moment, then turned back and sighed, "Concentrate a bit, we agreed that only when this paper is finished will there be a reward." "I also want to concentrate, but…" Kong Nianxi complained and pointed to her chair, "this chair is too hard and uncomfortable to sit on." Xi Ning glanced at the soft cushion on the chair and raised an eyebrow, "How about we switch chairs?" "No need for the trouble." Kong Nianxi got up, supported herself on the table, put her hand on Xi Ning's shoulder, lightly turned her body, and sat on her lap. "I find studying this way more comfortable~"