Only Wen Shaoyu remained calm throughout.
So calm that it seemed the person they were talking about wasn't him at all.
At that moment, Ji Shuhe even felt that Wen Shaoyu was like her.
Living in this place called home, but still feeling like a dependent, lonely to the point of despair.
...
"I was scared then, holding my sister's arm and crying. It was Ji Shulang... your brother, who pushed Jiang Hao to the ground and beat him. But who knew his mother would see it? Then it was over. The trouble shifted to your brother, and he got scolded at home."
Speaking of this, An Qing suddenly gritted her teeth: "My mom and Jiang Hao's mom were former colleagues. When she went grocery shopping a couple of days ago, she ran into that gossip, and I heard she talked for a long time about how her precious son was beaten up by Wen Shaoyu again."
"She came home and complained to me and my sister. We were thrilled! Serves him right! Why didn't that fat guy lose his teeth? It's a pity Wen Shaoyu hadn't moved into Yong'anli before we left. If he had come earlier, we could have teamed up to knock out all of Jiang Hao's teeth, preventing even his permanent teeth from growing!"
Ji Shuhe was speechless. She pressed down An Qing's raised fist and said softly, "We don't advocate violence to solve problems."
"Wow, Xiao Shu, you speak so gently~"
An Qing got distracted and immediately changed track, hugging Ji Shuhe's arm and nestling into her embrace: "You're nothing like your brother. Ji Shulang has a hot temper. When he was a kid, he ran around with a runny nose, his pants always dirty or torn. He seemed so sloppy..."
That was true.
But considering their sibling bond, Ji Shuhe was about to defend Ji Shulang when she noticed An Qing's voice trailing off.
She looked down at An Qing in confusion, and saw An Qing's eyes suddenly light up: "Oh! I forgot about Ji Shulang!"
"Ji Shulang is familiar with Wen Shaoyu. If you can find an excuse to ask your brother about him, it would be natural and reasonable, and it wouldn't expose my sister!" An Qing sat up straight, clapping her hands together. "Perfect!"
Ji Shuhe blinked, trying to play dumb. "Do I have to..."
"Xiao Shu~"
"I'm begging you. If you can help me with this, for the next three years... my whole life! I'll be your slave!" An Qing saw the opportunity and quickly hugged Ji Shuhe's arm, using her head to press against her shoulder while acting spoiled and avoiding eye contact. "You don't know, my sister is fierce. If this doesn't work out, I won't even be able to go home!"
Ji Shuhe knew An Qing's words were exaggerated. After all, the An Yao she had seen showed none of the domineering attitude An Qing described.
But being begged so earnestly, her ever-soft heart had already made the decision for her.
So she sighed and agreed, "I'll... give it a try."
"Xiao Shu, you're the best!"
An Qing hugged Ji Shuhe tightly, spilling sweet words like they were free. But Ji Shuhe, held in her arms, smiled faintly, her eyes showing not joy but deep concern.
She was prone to overthinking and liked to pre-plan everything. For a new environment, for everything she had to do, she would imagine countless possibilities in her mind.
For example, although Ji Shulang was easygoing, he was also very curious and talkative. If she suddenly asked for Wen Shaoyu's contact information, he would definitely question her about the reason.
And she couldn't reveal An Qing and An Yao, nor could she let Ji Shulang misunderstand that she had feelings for Wen Shaoyu.
After much thought, Ji Shuhe decided to wait for Ji Shulang after school to go home together. The house was small; words spoken upstairs could be heard downstairs. To avoid Wen Shaoyu sensing anything, she would have to trick her brother on the way home.
Guangming Middle School, where the siblings studied, was a top municipal key school in Xinhai. However, except for senior three, the other grades had no evening classes. After a day of classes, there were supplementary lessons in Chinese, math, and English, usually ending before seven o'clock.
That day, Ji Shuhe took over a classmate's duty, dawdling until around the time senior two let out before going to the school gate to wait for someone.
As the weather turned colder, the nights grew longer. Streetlights lit up early, their cool-toned light seeming to reach farther, stretching Ji Shuhe's shadow long as she stood under a lamp.
Ji Shuhe was studying her shoes when she felt someone pass by. She looked up, but it wasn't Ji Shulang, so she lowered her head again without emotion.
She was always good at waiting.
Everyone said it was because she had a good temper, but she thought that besides waiting, there was no other way.
"Who are you waiting for? Ji Shulang?"
The person came from behind Ji Shuhe, and she didn't notice until the voice appeared right in front of her.
Wen Shaoyu stood with his back to the light. His prominent brow bone blocked the falling light, casting a shadow over his eyes, making them look deeper.
Only a fading bruise remained at the corner of his mouth, looking out of place on that handsome face.
Ji Shuhe looked away, nodded, and said, "I... I have something to talk to my brother about."
Wen Shaoyu couldn't help but laugh. This brother and sister lived under the same roof, ate from the same pot every day, and yet they had something to say outside specially.
But the laugh pulled at the corner of his mouth, spreading pain. He immediately stopped, raised his hand to press the spot, but still answered Ji Shuhe, "Let out early today. Your brother already went to play games with someone."
Ji Shuhe wanted to facepalm. She hadn't expected things to change so quickly; her brother was unreliable, but... her gaze honestly drifted to Wen Shaoyu. Her main goal wasn't really Ji Shulang anyway.
"Alright, go home early." Seeing Ji Shuhe in a daze, Wen Shaoyu suddenly reminded her.
Perhaps because he was in a bad mood recently, Wen Shaoyu didn't seem inclined to talk more. He hoisted his school bag strap over his shoulder with one hand and started to walk away.
But he had barely taken a step when he unexpectedly had a sudden burst of kindness and turned back to remind her, "Oh, and don't let it slip when you get home. Remember to keep it secret."
That was natural.
Ji Shulang had always wanted to build a desktop computer for gaming, but there was no space at home, so he occasionally went to small internet cafes that didn't check ID.
Ji Shuhe knew all this, but to avoid conflict, she pretended not to know on both ends. She didn't need Wen Shaoyu's reminder.
Wen Shaoyu saw Ji Shuhe open her mouth, but in the end, no rebuttal came.
How strange.
He raised an eyebrow, his gaze growing more curious.
Ji Shuhe fidgeted and said nothing more. Wen Shaoyu pretended not to notice and turned to leave.
He didn't even need to look back; he could feel the little shadow behind him hesitating for barely a moment before quickly catching up, following him at a short distance.
Wen Shaoyu thought to himself, something's up. Knowing she was timid and afraid of him, he'd been trying to keep his distance lately. What was wrong with her today, following him all the way?
Walk and follow, and soon the alley entrance was in sight.
Ji Shuhe had missed the opportunity and was even more conflicted. She thought, screw it, I'll just be direct.
Forget about everything—someone has a crush on him. She's just passing along a message, asking for contact info. Even if Wen Shaoyu presses, she'll just absolutely refuse to reveal An Qing and An Yao.
But unexpectedly, Wen Shaoyu suddenly stopped. His shadow fell on the ground, one hand in his pocket, bag slung over one shoulder, standing in front of her with a cocky posture.
"Be honest, did you get into trouble?"
—
Author's note: The true god of staying up late is salted cheese black tea latte. Staying up until two or three in the morning and then going to work, I feel like my soul is detached. [Please have mercy.]