CH 11
The Younger Brother Next Door is a School Grass
Lu Xi and Pan De found a USB flash drive on the way to class from the snack bar, with the name, grade, and subjects written on it.
No one was willing to take a trip in order to hand it to the teacher as they shirk at each other. Finally, they decided to go together.
While listening to Pan Deâs actions of killing the shooter last night with Ah Ke, Lu Xi caught a glimpse of an acquaintance.
âcoughâ¦â¦â
How could she pretend not to see him?
Lu Xi raised his eyebrows and called out her name.
âHuh?â Zhou Sisi turned her eyes.
The cool breeze in the late spring blew up a few strands of her long ponytail hair and brushed it softly around the magnolia-like cheeks.
âI wonât be going to dinner tonight.â Lu Xi said quickly.
Zhou Sisiâs long eyelashes, which were immersed in sunlight, fluttered, âDoesnât Auntie get off work at nine oâclock tonight?â
âI have something to do, and Iâll eat out.â Lu Xi walked up and brushed past her.
Climbing the next floor, Pan De, who could no longer look at Zhou Sisi, put his hand around Lu Xiâs shoulders, âMr. Huang said that the relationship between you and sister Sisi is very unusual, it seems to be true.â
âThe relationship is normal.â He didnât realize that the answer he gave was a bit different than last time.
Pan De didnât believe his words very much, and he didnât tear up. Thinking of the coincidental meeting, he was a little emotional: âThe close-up look also felt very refreshing. The sophomore year school flower should be Sisi-sister, right?â
âWhy are you gossiping like Huang Zhou?â Lu Xiâs lips twitched.
âItâs a manâs nature to appreciate beautiful things and people. Itâs normal to have a discussion.â
âNot afraid of being caught late by Lao Zhuang?âLu Xi pointed to the sports band on his wrist, âclasses will start in two minutes. Why donât you move a little faster?â
âDad! So fast.â
In the fleeting moments between a next step lift-off and landing, Lu Xiâs brain spun.
Why should you stop her if you can send text messages?
He couldnât figure it out.
On Saturday afternoon, the preliminaries of the Ideal Cup English Speech Contest started smoothly.
Perhaps Zhou Sisi was too nervous during preparation, but when she actually stood on the stage, she did not panic unexpectedly.
The more she spoke, the calmer she became. She was even comfortable with her performance.
That night, dinner was a little late.
At the dinner table, Chen Cui asked Sisi where she had been this afternoon.
Zhou Sisi swallowed the food in her mouth, âEnglish speech contest.â
âAny classmates participated? Was it exciting?â Chen Cui asked.
Zhou Si Si said, âI was participating.â
âOh, my daughter, you participated in the speech contest?â Chen Chui put her phone down. âHow was it?â
Zhou Si Siâs tone was straight: âWell.â
âWhy didnât I hear you mention it before? Whatâs the ranking?â Itâs okayâ¦..â âToday was the preliminary round.â Zhou Sisi said, âI was third.â
âCan the one at the third-place make it to the final?â
âYeah.â
âAwesome! Come on, here is your reward, a chicken wing.â
She didnât look up and just put down her chopstick.
The position under her second rib was stuffy and swollen.
âWhen is the final? Hey Sisi, why are you leaving?â
Zhou Sisi turned on the TV and clicked the remote control several times to find the videos in the favorites.
âAre you going to play the video of todayâs game?â Chen Chui looked at the TV screen. âWhatâs this?â
Zhou Si Si returned to her seat and whispered, âThe teacher told me to broadcast it at home⦠and watch it together with my parents.â
After the solemn soundtrack, the host on the screen said, âDear viewers, welcome to the Legal Sunshine section.â
A new text message came. Chen Cui murmured casually: âWhatâs there to watch on this program?â
âThe teacher asked me to write a review about our point of view. You have to write your thoughts and sign them.â Zhou Sisi lowered her eyes.
The host said in a deep voice: âWife is gambling, family debt is highâ¦â
Chen Cui had planned to respond to the news, âOkay, look.â
âCasinos are the fuse for many families to break up. There are many crimes⦠â¦â
She actually lied, the video has nothing to do with the teacher. She intentionally picked this video for her. It all revolved around the harm caused by gambling.
The excuse for using the teacher was to deceive Chen Cui.
Having been a mother and daughter for many years, Zhou Sisi knew that it was impossible to completely change Chen Cui through some videos, but it may have some impact.
However, she couldnât sit still and do nothing while saving money and hoping to become strong.
Lu Xi opened the door and said lazily, âWhy are you here so early?â
The time was only a few minutes past 8:30.
âEat breakfast first.â Zhou Sisi lifted the things in her hands.
Halfway through the yawn, Lu Xi closed his mouth, ââ¦â
Taking the breakfast from the doorknob was one thing, but to actually take it in personâ¦. it seemed to be different and a bit embarrassing.
The hot aroma of steamed dumplings with unknown breakfast wafted out of the bag and seduced the hungry Lu Xi.
ââ¦â¦ thanks.â Within three seconds, Lu Xi gave up any ounce of resistance.
~Anyway, I even had dinner with her.
Lu Xi opened the package, âYou didnât eat it?â Wasnât the portion too much?
âIâve had breakfast.â Zhou Sisi said, âIs Aunty here?â
Lu Xi understood immediately that his mother had a share in this breakfast. âShe didnât get up. I guess she stayed up all night working on her thesis.â
âAuntie is very dedicated and hardworking.â Zhou Sisi sincerely admired her.
Lu Xi put his elbow on the table and took a bite of hot dumpling.
The skin was thin and packed with delicious fillings, the shiitake mushrooms with the diced bamboo shoots burst out between the teeth with a fresh fragrance, and the soft and salty texture of glutinous rice was just right.
There were ten dumplings in total, and he ate four in a row.
âI have advanced to the finals of the speech contest.â Zhou Sisiâs eyes were clear and moist. âThank you.â
Lu Xi did not care. âThank you for what, I didnât help you much.â His chopsticks pointed to another unopened bag as he asked, âWhat kind of cake is this?â
Zhou Sisi: âRed bean and horseshoe cake.â
Lu Xi: âOh.â It was not that he hated red date cake.
Opening the bag, Lu Xi took out a piece of red bean cake, which looked very good and sweet.
He calmly glanced at Zhou Sisi, who sat diagonally and was reading.
Not to mention anything else, she was really good at cooking skills, which was much better than his parents and grandma.
It was nice to have a delicious breakfast often.
In the meantime, time passed slowly.
When the phone vibrated in her pocket, Zhou Sisi raised her delicate eyelashes, âItâs 8:55.â
After hearing this, Lu Xiâs eating speed slowed down even more.
âYou must be at the desk by 8:58.â Zhou Sisi frowned as she nudged him, âHurry up.â
Lu Xi dragged his feet. âWhy donât you let me have breakfast?â
Zhou Si Si: âIf you want to start the class later, then it will end later too, as much as you drag it, I will double the time.â
Lu Xi: ââ¦is it necessary?â
Zhou Sisi: âYes.â
âAre you that idle?â Lu Xi reluctantly arrived at his room. âWhy are you pressuring me to have my make-up classes?â
Zhou Sisi sat down as she replied, âIn order to improve your grades.â
âShit,â Lu Xi lazily thumbed the phoneâs home button. âWhat do my grades have to do with you?â
It did matter, she wanted to repay him, and she wanted to help him as much as she could. Zhou Sisi was silent for a moment. âDo you have any plans to go to university? What career do you want to pursue in the future?â
He erased the game push message from the mobile notification center. âYes.â He did not answer the second question.
âIf you want to get into a good university, you have to get into a good high school.â Zhou Sisi squinted.
The boy in front of her had short, crisp hair with natural curls, brown pupils, and moist reddish lips. Along with a small pale mole on his left cheek, it often brought out a little bit of childish innocence.
He flicked his finger across the screen of his cell phone, and his face covered with irritation.
Zhou Sisi sighed in her heart.
He was indeed a child.
A wayward rebellious teenager.
âTake out the pen and paperâ¦â
âI hate studying.â
Lu Xi leaned back in his chair happily, his finger swiping out the apps one by one as if the general was reviewing the soldiers.
Zhou Sisi reasoned: âStudy can increase knowledge, broaden your horizons, make you have new ideas about things, and enable you to master new ways to solve problems. From a practical point of view, learning can bring you good gradesâ¦â
âStop.â The general was too impatient to listen. âItâs annoying.â
âYou have to learn whether you hate it or not, donât you?â Zhou Sisi said calmly.
Lu Xiâs eyes were filled with annoyance, âHuh.â
~At a young age, what kind of principles are you talking about, youâre just turning yourself into a staid, old-fashioned person?
He just didnât like to study but was interested in games. If she hadnât sued Ms. Xu Xuelin, why would he put his good weekend on⦠wait a minuteâ
It seems that she didnât complain to Ms. Xu.
Not cooperating with make-up classes, didnât remembering the words, being late for school, overturning the wall, going to Internet cafes, etc. Anything that fell into Ms. Xuâs ears leads to, âeducatingâ him for an hour was light.
How could she havenât cursed at him so far?
His finger inadvertently poked at a game app, and the start-up sound effect suddenly arrived, which was simply deafening.
ââ¦â¦â poisonous.
âNo mobile phones.â Zhou Sisi stopped him from using the phone in class.
After exiting from the game, he turned off and threw the phone into the keyboard drawer.
Zhou Sisi: âAs usual, first take dictation, take out pen and paper.â
âThe first one, wrong.â
âWrong.â
âSecondââ She was absorbed in reading while supervising Lu Xiâs writing.
She felt something moving around her ankle, and it was itchy, so she looked down.
âYikes.â She let out a low cry of fright, closed her eyes anxiously, and lifted her legs off the ground.
Her upper body tilted to the side due to imbalance.
âWhyâ¦â Lu Xi fell silent when he was caught off guard by getting hit in the chest.
It was not heavy but a little soft.
Half of Zhou Sisiâs body fell into his arms.