Bo Xin smiled and said nothing.
Jiang Yuxu had originally only wanted to take the candy, but it would seem like he intended to do what she said.
What a mean person, always deliberately teasing him.
Jiang Yuxu caught the candy with both hands, but one still fell and hit a photo frame.
This frame was the wedding photo he had seen in her room last time.
She still kept it by her bedside.
Even though he hadn't come back for so long.
"Was it him who sent money home this time?"
Bo Xin wasn't surprised Jiang Yuxu could tell—since he could also tell when they were short on money. "Yeah, I had to work really hard for it."
After giving the money, Jiang Yuxu left, his face dark. When asked, he just said 'nothing', as if his earlier candor had all been a dream.
Bo Xin rubbed her brow, then opened her eyes and looked at the photo.
Why had she taken it out in the first place? It seemed when Yuxu was in her room, if he didn't bring it up, she used this way to show him what his father looked like. For a moment, she forgot to put it back.
Bo Xin folded the stand on the back and placed the frame in the bottom drawer of the nightstand.
—
Elementary school results came quickly. The teacher arranged many self-study sessions under the pretext of grading papers.
Ji Yanyi kept yawning, but if the teacher had been teaching, he would probably have dozed off by now.
During recess, Ji Yanyi pulled his stool to the very front.
He had never been so close to the podium.
"Want to drink soda?"
Jiang Yuxu was learning to spin a pen, a trick he picked up from his deskmate. It looked simple and wasn't hard to do.
He effortlessly spun the pencil around his thumb.
"The money she gave you isn't for you to spend like that."
Ji Yanyi rested his head on his desk. "But I'm so thirsty."
Jiang Yuxu wasn't buying it. "I remember we both brought thermoses."
Both had hot water inside.
Because the insulation was good, the water from the morning still had residual warmth when he drank it now.
Someone outside said the results were out, so loud that the whole hallway could hear. With his long legs and long arms, Jiang Yuxu was the first to reach the teacher.
On the desk was a complete stack of graded papers.
Ji Yanyi's eyes widened, sincere. "Can I see first?"
"...Do you think that's okay?"
If she showed him, what about the other students?
How would order be maintained? The homeroom teacher's refusal was merciless.
But she could understand Ji Yanyi's feelings, so she gave him a little red flower. "You made great progress this time."
Ji Yanyi had a small red sticker on his tiger's mouth (the area between thumb and index finger). He had never felt that earning an honor was such a happy thing.
No, he had never earned one before.
Ji Yanyi hopped back to the classroom triumphantly.
A simple grade sheet had been posted near the blackboard. Ji Yanyi looked for his rank from the bottom up.
One, two, three... ten!
He was tenth from last!
And his score had improved even more, from a two-digit starting with two to a two-digit starting with six!
In his joy, Ji Yanyi didn't forget to look for his younger brother's rank. He was shocked to find his brother was second.
His smile froze on his face. How long had his brother been in school?!
He turned his gaze to Jiang Yuxu, who was also coming over. Jiang Yuxu was momentarily speechless. "What's with that look?"
"A look of envy and admiration."
The first layer of envy went without saying—he had only studied for a few days and easily surpassed him who had studied for years.
The second layer was envying that his brother was Mom and Dad's biological child, inheriting their extremely smart intelligence. If he were also their biological child, would he be this amazing too?
Ji Yanyi's lips pressed into a curve completely opposite to a smile.
Jiang Yuxu didn't quite understand, but he instinctively sensed danger.
"Don't think about unnecessary things."
Ji Yanyi still felt a bit guilty. He lowered his head. "There's no law against thinking."
Jiang Yuxu gave him a silent look and left. The class monitor sat beside him, with some durian candies to share.
The monitor took a bite and was silent for a moment.
Because it seemed his deskmate genuinely thought it was good and shared it with him.
He kindly pocketed the rest.
"What's your relationship with Yanyi?"
"Brothers."
The monitor's eyes shifted. Yanyi used to come to school alone, giving a strong sense of being an only child. Now suddenly having a brother easily suggested a blended family.
"Same father?"
Jiang Yuxu's eyes showed resistance. "Same mother."
'Same father'—was that man worthy? Setting aside not recognizing him earlier and not coming home later, even when it came to money, it was barely enough.
Mom said she had to work really hard for it.
She still kept his photo by the bedside, always thinking of him.
Jiang Yuxu closed his eyes to calm his emotions. When he opened them again and turned around, through the classroom window, he saw that person on the playground.
That person's features looked too much like his. Staring straight at him, who knew how long he had been watching.
This person's identity seemed obvious without needing to guess.
Author's note:
Next chapter enters VIP.
Seldom check the comments here, rest assured, will finish the story.
After VIP, will update 6k daily.