Before Xu Qingyan came to Yucheng, Lin Zhinuo took advantage of the summer vacation to practice dancing diligently and build a solid foundation.
In her previous life, she had barely managed to get into Yucheng’s best high school, Yucheng No. 1 High School.
But back then, Lin Zhinuo had devoted herself entirely to dancing and neglected her academic studies. In the end, she missed her chance to attend the dance academy she had dreamed of.
This time, she was determined to catch up academically.
At the very least, she didn’t want to fall short of even the basic admission score.
Holding Xu Qingyan’s past report cards, Lin Jingshan pulled some strings and invited the director of academic affairs at Yucheng No. 1 High School to dinner.
Yucheng No. 1 High School was a top-tier key high school and had always been a major source of students for prestigious universities such as Tsinghua and Peking University.
The teachers who could teach at such a prestigious school all carried an air of pride and superiority, let alone the director of academic affairs, who wielded real authority.
At the dinner table, the man put on quite the airs, practically holding his nose in the air.
Only after several rounds of drinks did the director of academic affairs finally relent.
“Bring the boy over. We’ll have him take one of our school’s entrance tests first, and then we’ll talk.”
The meaning was obvious.
The tests from Yucheng No. 1 High School were the true measure of whether the boy had what it took.
Xu Qingyan didn’t set out for Yucheng until the second month of summer vacation.
By then, she had just finished her dance practice and hadn’t even had time to change out of her dance dress.
“Zhizhi, Daddy brought your brother home.”
The moment Lin Jingshan entered the house, he called out cheerfully toward the living room.
“Coming!”
The girl came running down the stairs, her skirt fluttering around her legs. Her delicate features were bright and sweet, and her rosy cheeks reminded Xu Qingyan of the little tomato covered in dewdrops that he had seen that morning in Grandma Chen’s courtyard.
So tempting, he wanted to take a bite.
“Quick, say hello to your brother.” Lin Jingshan’s hearty laughter rang out as he carried the boy’s luggage in one hand.
“Hello, Brother.”
That soft, sweet “Brother” was like a crisp, juicy pear, its sweetness and juice overflowing into the boy’s heart.
The boy was still wearing that same black T-shirt, washed so many times that it had faded. His lips were pressed together, while a faint flush quietly spread across the tips of his ears.
Lin Zhinuo tilted her head up slightly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
“Brother, now it’s your turn to call me.”
The tips of the boy’s ears instantly turned completely red.
Lin Zhinuo vaguely remembered the last time she had seen Xu Qingyan’s ears turn red.
That day, the nanny had inexplicably gone out. She had soaked in the bathtub for a long time, supporting herself with one leg, but accidentally fell when she reached the doorway. Xu Qingyan, who had been in the room next door, heard the commotion and hurried over to pick her up.
She had instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. From where she was, she could clearly see his ears growing redder and redder, as though blood were about to drip from them.
Even though she had been wearing only a nightdress, he had still lost his composure.
At that moment, she had wanted to make him stay.
But her legs, which could no longer walk normally, had become an insurmountable barrier between them.
Now, she waited expectantly.
“Brother?”
The boy’s back stiffened slightly.
The name he had silently repeated countless times in his heart was suddenly so difficult to say aloud.
“Lin… Lin Zhinuo.”
Lin Zhinuo immediately frowned and pretended to be angry.
“Dad, look! Brother is calling me by my full name. It doesn’t sound affectionate at all.”
“Exactly, exactly!” Lin Jingshan happily chimed in. “Qingyan, from now on, we’re family. Calling her by her full name makes you sound like a stranger. You can call her ‘Little Sister’ or ‘Zhizhi.’”
“Call me Zhizhi.”
She no longer wanted to hear that cautious, tentative “Zhinuo” in this lifetime.
“Zhizhi.”
His voice was very soft.
But Lin Zhinuo heard it, and her heart filled with joy.
“Oh, Brother.”
Xu Qingyan lowered his eyes. When he met her soft, sweet expression as she answered him, his fingers curled slightly.
Suddenly, his wrist was tugged.
“Brother, I’ll take you to see your room.”
Lin Zhinuo pulled him upstairs.
“Your room is upstairs.”
“Brother, this bedroom is yours, and the one next door is mine. Our balconies are connected too!”
The girl’s eyes sparkled as she excitedly showed him every corner of the villa.
After they finished looking around, the nanny, Aunt Yang, had just finished preparing lunch.
Lin Zhinuo was still holding Xu Qingyan by the wrist.
“Brother, Aunt Yang’s cooking is really delicious.”
Hearing this, Aunt Yang beamed, her expression kind and warm.
“This child is much too skinny. Eat more. From now on, whatever you want to eat or whatever you like, just tell Aunt Yang. I’ll make it for you.”
“Aunt Yang, make more meat from now on. You have to eat more meat to put some weight on.”
“Okay, okay. You two are both at the age when your bodies are growing. It’s not just meat you need to eat more of don’t skip eggs and milk either.”
Only then did Lin Zhinuo suddenly remember that in her previous life, because she was a picky eater and constantly tried to lose weight, she had barely grown to 165 centimeters.
Fortunately, her well-proportioned figure and solid dance foundation had given her an advantage, allowing her to barely get into a dance academy.
This time, she was determined to grow a little taller.
“Okay, Aunt Yang. Brother and I will make sure to eat properly.”
Lin Jingshan was in the study making a phone call. When he came out, he heard lively laughter coming from the dining room.
In the past, he had been too busy, so his little princess had always eaten alone.
Every day, she would pout, either having no appetite or refusing to eat this or that.
Now, seeing his daughter happily shoveling food into her mouth with a smile in her eyes, his heart was filled with indescribable relief.
“Brother, have some fish.”
“Brother, eat some vegetables.”
Lin Zhinuo kept putting food into Xu Qingyan’s bowl until it quickly piled up like a little mountain.
Then she turned around and filled a bowl for Lin Jingshan too.
“Dad, you’re the biggest contributor to our family, so you need to eat more too.”
“Okay, okay. Zhizhi, you eat too.”
Halfway through the meal, Lin Zhinuo suddenly remembered something important.
“Oh, right, Dad. Didn’t you say that the extremely proud director of academic affairs at Yucheng No. 1 High School requires Brother to take an exam before he can enroll? When is the exam?”
The hand holding Xu Qingyan’s chopsticks paused slightly.
“Tomorrow.”
Lin Jingshan noticed the boy’s reaction and immediately reassured him.
“Qingyan, don’t be nervous. There are plenty of good high schools in Yucheng. It’s not like Yucheng No. 1 is the only one. If you don’t like it, we can just choose another school.”
Xu Qingyan’s fingers tightened around his chopsticks. After remaining silent for a long while, he finally nodded lightly.
“I want to take Brother shopping for clothes this afternoon,” Lin Zhinuo said.
Lin Jingshan readily agreed.
“Sure. Use Dad’s secondary card as much as you like.”
The boy lowered his head, his voice soft and restrained.
“There’s no need to spend so much. I have clothes to wear.”
Lin Zhinuo understood the sensitivity buried deep within him all too well, so she solemnly spun a ridiculous tale.
“Brother, we’re not going shopping for clothes. We’re getting you a set of battle armor. Tomorrow, when you step onto the battlefield of Yucheng No. 1, you can’t lose in terms of presence!”
The textbooks used in northern China were different from those used in Yucheng, so Lin Zhinuo couldn’t accurately gauge Xu Qingyan’s current academic level.
But she knew very well that the Xu Qingyan of the future was no ordinary person.
Not only would he eventually become a top student at Peking University, but he would also grow into an outstanding figure who would dominate the financial world.
Regardless, all she really wanted was to buy him a few new outfits.
It was nothing more than a simple placement exam for school admission.
Xu Qingyan remained calm and composed, but Lin Jingshan was fired up by his daughter’s grand declaration.
“Buy them! The moment we finish eating, we’re going shopping. Buy several outfits!”