Shang Yan went to Class 1.
She was going to have dessert with Xia Wen in the afternoon, so she wouldn’t be going home with him.
Originally, she hadn’t planned to come to the class to look for him, but Shang Yi hadn’t replied to her messages, so just to be on the safe side, she went to the class herself.
When the students in Class 1 saw that it was Shang Yan, they didn’t even need her to call out; they took the initiative to call out to Shang Yi. Hearing the call, the well-behaved boy looked in the direction of the sound, and when he saw Shang Yan’s smiling face, he put down his book and got up to go over.
“You top students are really helpful, thank you.”
Shang Yan took out a few candies from her pocket and stuffed them into the hands of the girl who helped call out to him.
The girl exclaimed, saying that Shang Yan was too polite. She should thank Shang Yan for letting them have some gossip. It was rare for this top student, who rarely uttered a word a day, to be so close to Shang Yan!
Soon, Shang Yi stood before Shang Yan, his head still slightly bowed. His mind was racing, his hands unsure where to go, so they clasped together loosely. Compared to before, there was a newfound anticipation in his heart.
Shang Yan took a bite of a strawberry tip and leaned casually against the wall. “Go back by yourself this afternoon.”
The girl’s clear, cold voice was like a thread piercing his ear. The wind that brushed her hair around Shang Yi’s back was chillingly cold, like ice taken from a freezer, emitting white steam under the scorching sun.
The anticipation in Shang Yi’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable bitterness that filled his heart, making it hard to breathe.
Sure enough, after only a few days, he was driven away again. The glimmer of hope that had finally risen in his heart was extinguished, leaving only ashes mocking his foolishness. It was always the
same. The moment Shang Yan showed him a kind look, he wanted to cling to her immediately; the moment she turned cold, he was pushed away, looking utterly pathetic.
He was already used to it, he was already trying so hard to suppress his emotions, so why did it still hurt so much?
He hadn’t called Shang Yan “sister” in a long time. The last time he heard Shang Yan scold Ning Wanyun, he thought he was dreaming. He wondered if Shang Yan had finally seen Ning Wanyun’s true colors and couldn’t help but tentatively call her “sister.”
To his slight surprise, Shang Yan didn’t show the expected disgust on her face. Instead, she explained things to him and even allowed him to get on the bus to school in the morning.
The image of Shang Yan coldly telling him to get off the bus a few years ago was still vivid in his mind. During the scuffle, he injured his ankle, for which Shang Yan was scolded by Shang Yuanlin. After that, Shang Yan disliked him even more.
At school, Shang Yan drew clear boundaries, forbidding him from frequently appearing in front of her, from making eye contact in the corridor, and from letting others know about their relationship.
Shang Yi silently followed these rules because only in this way would Shang Yan be less disgusted with him when she was in a good mood at home.
Lately, her unusual behavior has made every appearance and every word she utters feel like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, leaving him unable to predict whether the ripples will be gentle waves or a whirlpool that will engulf him.
Is she being nice to him so that he can rise higher, and then she will push him down and enjoy watching his painful struggle?
Shang Yan was unaware of Shang Yi’s inner thoughts. She only noticed that Shang Yi hadn’t responded, and impatiently shook his arm.
“Did you hear me? My classmate asked me to go for dessert this afternoon. You go back by yourself first, don’t wait for me.”
The venting in his heart came to an abrupt halt. Shang Yi suddenly looked up, his pupils widening as if pierced by a bright light.
Just going for dessert…?
Shang Yi’s condition was too strange. His face was as white as rice paper. Shang Yan thought he was unwell and reached out to touch his forehead. Shang Yi shuddered at the touch, his breathing stopping instantly.
He didn’t have a fever. Could it be a stomachache?
“Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
Shang Yan withdrew her hand, her eyes filled with resentment. Her cherry-red lips curled upwards, as if blaming the other for making her make an extra trip, even though the distance between Class 13 and Class 1 was only two corridors.
“I handed in my phone.”
Shang Yi’s voice was very soft, his palms sweating as he clenched his fists under his sleeves. He almost reached out to stop her as she withdrew her hand…
“You handed it in?” Shang Yan’s eyes widened. Where did this honest kid come from? “Why are you so honest?”
Tsk tsk tsk, unlike her. She brought three phones to school and didn’t hand in any of them. They were all backup plans. As long as you have more phones, you’re not afraid of the teachers confiscating them.
Oh wait, she’s the top student in the grade. Okay, the world of academic geniuses is different from that of ordinary people, especially for chemistry geniuses.
She secretly looked at Shang Yi’s chemistry score. It was a perfect score! How could it be a perfect score? How could there be someone in this world who gets a perfect score in chemistry?
Shang Yi carefully observed her expression and cautiously said, “I won’t hand it in next time.”
“No, please hand it in. Otherwise, if your grades drop, your father will say I’m a bad influence on you.”
Shang Yi’s eyes hardened, and he shook his head seriously. “My grades won’t drop.”
…
Alright, Shang Yan shut up. She had accidentally wandered into the Heavenly Palace.
She reached out, and the box of strawberries was in Shang Yi’s hands. A few strawberries, still wet with water, were bright red and looked very pretty.
A younger brother is naturally meant to help his older sister with uneaten food, and she dared to do this mainly because she found Shang Yi quite easy to talk to, just not very talkative.
Every time she came to see him, he would obediently come out, showing no resistance to her presence. After class, he would even stand at the classroom door waiting for her to leave together.
The relationship between the siblings wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. With such a smart younger brother, her future plans for a peaceful life could be put into practice immediately.
Shang Yan patted Shang Yi’s shoulder with satisfaction, seemingly seeing a bright future in his face, her smile becoming much more gentle.
Good younger brother, follow your sister, and I guarantee you won’t die. At worst, you’ll get a government job—compared to death, it’s a much better life!
“Tiramisu or matcha mille-feuille, which do you want?”
Shang Yan was in a good mood and decided to show her sisterly love for her brother. There weren’t many good sisters like her who would bring back food for their brothers even when they went out to play.
Shang Yi was so overwhelmed with happiness that he was a little slow on the uptake. After a while, seeing that Shang Yan was about to lose patience, he quickly said, “Matcha mille-feuille.”
“Okay.” Shang Yan turned and waved. “Wait until I come back from hunting for you.”
Sister…
Shang Yi silently savored the word in his heart. The first-year high school class was on the second floor. The building wasn’t tall, and the older trees planted downstairs would grow up to the second floor. There was one right outside the classroom.
The green was so lush it seemed to melt away. A few gentle breezes blew, and the mature green leaves rustled against each other, making a soft, pleasant sound. It was mid-October, and the sunlight was clear and full. Through the rough branches and the glossy leaves, he glimpsed a faint smile.
It was his sister.