Ruan Bei asked Bai Miaomiao to back up the recording, and then they each made a copy.

Zeng Peng said he wouldn't need it; he wouldn't use the recording anyway, and it would feel awkward to keep it on his phone.

Ruan Bei nodded in agreement: "My phone got dirty."

This was a back-to-school gift his dad bought for him, the same one as Kunkun's. His dad didn't show any favoritism.

Zeng Peng: "..."

That's not what I meant... but it doesn't seem to make any mistake.

"Let's buy a voice recorder," Qin Gu suggested. "Since this guy likes to play dirty tricks, we can't argue with him, so we just write him down. We can't keep secretly slipping him our phones every time."

He seemed to be suggesting something to Bai Miaomiao, but he was actually talking about Ruan Bei. If the Lu family was destined to discover that the children had been switched at birth, he and Lu Sibai would inevitably have some interaction.

Since we can't just stab Lu Sibai, let's peel off his skin, beat him until he's terrified of Xiao Bei, and then we'll consider this person dealt with.

"Great idea!" Ruan Bei and Bai Miaomiao cheered in unison, "Let's do it that way."

Ruan Bei asked Bai Miaomiao, "How do you plan to use the recording?"

Bai Miaomiao thought for a moment and said, "I'll find a banquet and let him get away with it."

There are many people at the banquet, and they are all from Jincheng's high society. He doesn't need to bother spreading rumors; he can make Lu Sibai lose face directly.

“Okay, you can discuss it with your brother first,” Ruan Bei suggested. “Perhaps your brother will have some suggestions.”

Bai Sen and Bai Miaomiao are not on the same level in terms of methods. If Bai Miaomiao plays the recording, and something unexpected happens on Lu Sibai's side, Bai Miaomiao may not be able to handle it.

Bai Miaomiao hesitated for a moment: "This...maybe we should just forget about it. I can manage on my own, so I don't want to bother my brother. He's very busy..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, which actually revealed a slight lack of confidence.

When he had a conflict with Lu Sibai, his brother would naturally side with him. But this time, he wanted to do something big, in case his brother didn't approve.

After all, he used to retaliate, but this time he took the initiative to cause trouble, and he caused a big one at that.

He's not stupid. By releasing the recording, he offended the Qin, Lu, and Chu families. If he hadn't been so angry that he couldn't swallow his anger, he wouldn't have acted so recklessly.

Ruan Bei paused, thought back carefully, and realized that... a few years after his previous life, Bai Miaomiao and Bai Sen's relationship seemed to have become less close.

At least it won't be like it is now, where Bai Miaomiao talks about his brother all the time. In his eyes, his brother is omnipotent and the best brother in the world.

Rumors about a strained relationship between the Bai brothers were rampant during that period, but neither Bai Sen nor Bai Miaomiao came forward to explain. Bai Sen, being a calm and reserved person, simply remained silent.

Bai Miaomiao is a true fan of her brother. She can't stand hearing anyone say anything bad about him and has even gotten into fights with people who speak ill of Bai Sen several times.

His silence led many outsiders to believe that he was tacitly agreeing.

Moreover, during that period, it was photographed that Bosen had left the Bo family's old house and moved to another apartment, which further confirmed the rumors that the brothers had fallen out.

It was precisely because of the estrangement between the two brothers that they gave an opportunity to exploit the situation. Bai Miaomiao inexplicably became addicted to drugs, and the blame was directly placed on Bai Sen.

If I didn't know how crazy Bai Sen went after Bai Miaomiao's death, just looking at the situation and rumors at that time, Bai Sen really seemed like the most suspicious one.

What happened back then that caused such a drastic change in the relationship between the two brothers?

"Do you have any concerns?" Ruan Bei asked.

He felt that this matter could not be ignored. In fact, the root cause of Bai Miaomiao's fate in her previous life was indeed the culprit, but if there had been no problems between the two brothers, and Bai Sen had been under his protection, the possibility of Bai Miaomiao being successfully framed would have been greatly reduced.

Even if something really happened, if Bai Sen had been home at the time, he would have definitely noticed Bai Miaomiao's problem beforehand, and things wouldn't have turned out the way they did, with Bai Miaomiao losing her life.

Bai Miaomiao hesitated for a moment, but finally told him her little thoughts.

Although Bai Miaomiao had only known his three new roommates for a short time, he liked them very much. After what happened today, he felt that Ruan Bei's personality was very compatible with his! They should become good friends!

Bai Miaomiao's words were vague, and her reasons were all scattered ideas, but Ruan Bei immediately grasped the central point.

He just didn't want to ruin his image in his brother's eyes! Bai Miaomiao didn't want his brother to think of him as a bullying bad kid.

Don't be fooled by how he acts like a cat whose tail has been stepped on when he's with Lu Sibai, ready to scratch him at any moment. In front of Bai Sen, he's incredibly well-behaved.

Moreover, although Bai Sen always stood firmly on Bai Miaomiao's side whenever she clashed with Lu Sibai, Lu Sibai was too good at pretending, and everyone else thought it was his fault.

Forced by circumstances, especially after he hit Lu Sibai, his brother had to clean up the mess for him. Bai Miaomiao pretended not to care on the surface, but she was still annoyed in her heart.

But he didn't know what his brother was thinking. Bosen was introverted and did more than he said.

Because of her impulsiveness, Bai Miaomiao had caused Bai Sen a lot of trouble. She felt guilty and embarrassed to ask Bai Sen what he was thinking, or if he... found her annoying.

"It's not that I don't trust my brother, it's just... it's just that Lu Sibai is too good at pretending. You all heard it, I'm always the bad guy. Others don't believe me, but my brother definitely does..."

Bai Miaomiao rambled on and on, repeatedly emphasizing things, which only revealed his inner lack of confidence.

Ruan Bei seemed to see his past life, suffering countless losses at Lu Sibai's hands, witnessing the blindness and delusion of those admirers, and gradually began to doubt everyone, no longer believing in their resistance to Lu Sibai.

Bai Miaomiao is currently in this initial stage as well. Because Bai Sen has always been on his side, he feels that his brother trusts him and is reliable and trustworthy.

But at the same time, the reactions of others were shaking his confidence, and he began to have doubts in his heart. Once or twice, if this continued, would one day even his brother stop believing him?

This was a deep-seated fear within him, which fueled his growing hatred for Lu Sibai, and the conflict between the two intensified day by day.

“So you should play this recording for your brother,” Ruan Bei said. “That way, your brother will know what kind of two-faced person Lu Sibai is.”

Bai Miaomiao nodded blankly: "Oh right."

"Furthermore, I think you should talk to your brother about your thoughts," Ruan Beizhen earnestly advised. "Just like what you just told us, I suggest you talk to your brother about it. I believe he will be willing to listen."

Ruan Bei analyzed the situation and concluded that the problems that arose between the two brothers were most likely due to a lack of communication.

Bosen was too quiet, but that was just his personality; it would be strange if he were to openly dissect his inner thoughts.

Bai Miaomiao is cheerful and outgoing, like a little sun. When the two brothers get along, he definitely talks the most.

Once he becomes hesitant and unwilling to reveal his true thoughts, if someone with ulterior motives stirs things up, trouble could easily ensue.

"I'm so embarrassed..." Bai Miaomiao's face turned red. He could only confide these little thoughts to his friends, how could he possibly tell his brother?

"My brother is very busy, he doesn't have time to listen to me talk about these things..." Bai Miaomiao made up an excuse for herself.

Ruan Bei sighed, "They only had a hint of something, but they refused to tell Bai Sen. No wonder they couldn't bring themselves to speak up later."

The more things you keep to yourself, the harder it is to speak up.

“I believe that in your brother’s eyes, you are definitely more important than work. No matter how busy he is, he still has time to talk to you, right?”

"Of course." Bai Miaomiao tried hard to suppress the smugness in her eyes, but she couldn't hide it. "Although my brother is a workaholic, if I need anything, he'll definitely be there for me first. Let me tell you, the year I turned twelfth..."

Bai Miaomiao recounted several instances of how her brother always put her first, to prove that Bai Sen truly valued her.

Ruan Bei remained expressionless. He had come to persuade Bai Miaomiao, so why was he suddenly showing off?

He subconsciously looked at Qin Gu, who shrugged, made a helpless expression, and secretly gave him a mint.

Ruan Bei, with the candy in his mouth, suddenly felt no longer sour. His family member, Kunkun, was also very good to him; she treated him no worse than Bai Sen treated Bai Miaomiao.

They're just half-brothers, who hasn't had that before?

Of the three, only Zeng Peng was an honest kid, constantly agreeing: "Your brother is so good. Really? He really did that? Your brother is so good. He's so good to you..."

Poor thing, even his compliments are so lacking. No wonder he gets so distracted by Lu Sibai's flattery.

By the time Bai Miaomiao had finally finished showing off, Ruan Bei had finished all the mints.

He said quietly, "Your brother is such a good person, what can't you tell him?"

Bai Miaomiao: "...Of course I can say it, I definitely will."

He just finished praising his brother, so he can't backfire now.

"Then you have to tell your brother everything you want to say. You can't be perfunctory. Lying is unacceptable." Ruan Bei felt that he was worrying too much. He had sacrificed too much for the relationship between the Bai brothers.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Bai Miaomiao couldn't stand being provoked: "If I don't tell you, I'm a dog!"

Ruan Bei was satisfied, and Bai Miaomiao finally realized: "Why did you want me to say those things to my brother?"

Ruan Bei: "..." Let me think of a reason.

Qin Gu stepped in to help Ruan Bei out of the predicament: "Because Xiao Bei was grateful for the air conditioner your brother gave him, he didn't want there to be any estrangement between you brothers. Only by being honest with each other can your relationship last."

“Yes, that’s right, that’s exactly it.” Ruan Bei gave Qin Gu a grateful look, realizing that his own Kunkun was still the most reliable person.

Zeng Peng quickly chimed in, "Yes, that's right. Your brother is so good to you, we can't afford to have any conflicts."

He also enjoyed the air conditioner that Bai Miaomiao's brother gave him, and he was grateful, so he wanted to help the two brothers.

Qin Gu spoke with a serious and calm tone, which was very persuasive.

Bai Miaomiao believed it, grabbed Ruan Bei's hand, and said with deep emotion, "Xiao Bei, you are so kind."

It was clearly his brother who gave him the air conditioner, and his roommates would have given it to him even if they didn't use it. But Xiao Bei remembered such a small thing and wanted to repay him. Not only did he help him get revenge on Lu Sibai, but he also worried about the relationship between him and his brother. He's such a good person.

"From now on, we're good friends, good brothers!" Bai Miaomiao said excitedly to the others, "And you all are too."

"Good brother, good brother." Qin Gu replied casually while pulling Bai Miaomiao's hand away.

How come you pulled it up again when I didn't even look at you for a second?

Bai Miaomiao looked at her hands that had been pulled apart and pouted angrily: "We're all good brothers, what's wrong with pulling each other apart?"

Qin Gu held Ruan Bei's hand tightly, and said with a half-smile, "Xiao Bei hurt her hand when she was making those little things before. You used too much force."

"Really?" Bai Miaomiao asked Ruan Bei.

Ruan Bei was stunned for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "Really."

Regardless of whether it's true or not, we shouldn't undermine his family's hardship.

"Oh, I see." Bai Miaomiao accepted this explanation.

Qin Gu thought for a moment and realized that this excuse was only temporary. He needed to correct Bai Miaomiao's bad habit of always holding hands with him.

So he said, "The way you express your feelings is like a girl's."

Bai Miaomiao retorted angrily, "How do I look like a girl? You're talking nonsense!"

Qin Gu feigned disdain: "What boy would hold hands so easily? Go outside and see if it's only girls holding hands."

Bai Miaomiao tried hard to recall, and it really was true.

"Then... then I won't hold your hand anymore." Bai Miaomiao said, "I see that boys like to put their arms around each other's shoulders, and Xiao Bei and I are about the same height."

He didn't have many friends before, but now that he finally does, he's eager to try all the things that happen between friends.

When it came to height, Ruan Bei couldn't hold back: "We're not about the same height, I'm taller than you."

Bai Miaomiao retorted, "It's only one centimeter taller!"

Ruan Bei remained adamant: "Even a centimeter higher is still higher."

Bai Miaomiao: "I'll grow taller than you in no time!"

Ruan Bei: "You're getting taller, and so am I. Let's talk again when you surpass me."

Bai Miaomiao: "..."

Ugh—I'm so annoyed!

The little boat of friendship is on the verge of capsizing under the battering of towering waves.

Zeng Peng chuckled sheepishly, "What's there to argue about? It's just one centimeter. I was already 1.8 meters tall in junior high."

Ruan Bei: "..."

Bai Miaomiao: "..."

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly changed the subject.

"Actually, being that tall is not very useful."

"That's right, and it's said that boys who develop late do so because all the nutrients are used to nourish their brains and increase their intelligence."

"Really?"

"Of course, aren't we both smart? This is proof."

"That makes sense..."

Zeng Peng: "..." Something just doesn't feel right.

The two elementary school students had made up after arguing, but Qin Gu was still bothered by what Bai Miaomiao had just said: "...It's not appropriate."

The thought of Bai Miaomiao and Xiao Bei with their arms around each other made Qin Gu feel uneasy.

It's better to hold hands; at least the contact area is smaller!

"What's inappropriate?" Ruan Bei asked.

Qin Gu glanced at Bai Miaomiao and said, "Do you know how a real man celebrates?"

Bai Miaomiao really wanted to say he knew, otherwise it would seem like he wasn't manly enough, but he genuinely didn't know...

"Let me show you." Qin Gu made Zeng Peng clench his fist and bump it against the bowl-sized fist: "That's how a man celebrates. You can ask Zeng Peng if you don't believe me."

Zeng Peng nodded seriously: "Yes, that's how my former high school basketball teammates celebrated."

Of course, there are other things like bumping shoulders, hugging and patting each other on the back, stacking on top of each other, and tossing teammates into the air.

Of his roommates, Qin Gu looked to be in decent shape with all the necessary muscles, while the other two were as soft as tofu. He didn't dare to move too roughly, afraid of hurting them.

"Like this?" Bai Miaomiao also clenched her fist, ready to clash with Zeng Peng.

Before she could even touch it, she noticed a white ball of fluff and a big, black one, a stark contrast. Bai Miaomiao silently withdrew her hand and looked at Ruan Bei without saying a word.

Ruan Bei smiled and bumped fists with him. They were both boys, so their hands wouldn't be that different.

His hand is about the same size as Kunkun's... maybe just a little smaller.

But Bai Miaomiao's fingers are clearly not short, and they are fair and slender, so why do they look so delicate when she makes a fist?

"I've got it!" Bai Miaomiao proudly announced.

"Remember to apply what you've learned," Qin Gu said earnestly. "Don't hold hands so easily anymore, and don't even think about putting your arm around someone's shoulder."

The four chatted idly until they finished, then went about their own business.

Bai Miaomiao grabbed Zeng Peng and made him fulfill his promise. Zeng Peng, having accepted the apprenticeship gift, could only turn on the computer and play games with Bai Miaomiao.

Ruan Bei tugged at Qin Gu and whispered, "Where am I hurt?"

He spread his hands out; his hands were a perfect match for his face, both were handsome.

The fingers are slender but not overly thin; on the contrary, the bones and flesh are well-proportioned, and the knuckles transition naturally, making them perfect from any angle.

Qin Gu smiled and tapped his fingertip: "Here, didn't Bai Miaomiao get pricked on the day she reported for duty?"

Ruan Bei: "..."

I had completely forgotten that I was pricked by a needle before you mentioned it; now I can't even find the needle mark.

Are you jealous?

Ruan Bei chuckled, seeing Bai Miaomiao and Zeng Peng wearing headphones and playing games, and whispered, "Bai Miaomiao is just a child, why are you arguing with him?"

Qin Gu was quite frank: "Yes, I'm jealous."

When he said that, Ruan Bei didn't know how to respond.

Qin Gu pressed on: "What, shouldn't I be jealous?"

Ruan Bei's ears burned, and he turned his head away from him. Qin Gu also stopped talking and just sat next to him, staring at him.

Ruan Bei silently reached out his hand, took Qin Gu's hand, and shook it: "Is it alright now?"

Qin Gu followed his hand and touched it. Their palms were pressed tightly together, their fingers interlaced, inseparable. It was impossible to describe it as a handshake between brothers or friends.

"That's more like it," Qin Gu smugly hummed.

Ruan Bei felt like his hand was on fire. The heat spread from his left hand, making half of his body go numb.

Clearly... clearly, the two of them had bathed together when they were little, slept in the same bed when they grew up, and had done more intimate things before.

But this time, just holding hands was so exciting that it was almost unbearable.

Ruan Bei sat there stiffly, not knowing how much time had passed, when he heard Bai Miaomiao take off her headphones and talk to Zeng Peng. He suddenly snapped out of it, abruptly pulling his hand back, his cheeks flushed red.

Qin Gu chuckled softly. His voice was clear and pleasant, and his laughter sounded like someone tickling someone's ear with a feather.

Ruan Bei unconsciously rubbed his itchy earlobe, only to realize with a start that his ears were burning hot and incredibly red.

"Get out of here, don't sit here, it's so hot." Ruan Bei was furious and pushed Qin Gu to leave.

"Alright, alright, I'll be going now." Qin Gu was pleased with himself after getting the benefits and didn't want to push Ruan Bei too far, so he obediently dragged the stool back to his desk.

The next day was September 30th. The school probably felt it was inappropriate to give the freshmen a holiday right after their military training, so they arranged two general education classes before the National Day holiday.

Ruan Bei and the other three were in the same major, Literature and Literature, which was an extremely unpopular major. Even a comprehensive key university like Jinda didn't offer it every year.

For example, Ruan Bei's class had a total of 21 students, just one class, which is quite a lot.

Their seniors are already in their third year. This major didn't even start recruiting last year, and the previous year only had a dozen or so students, not even twenty.

Since we're in the same major and the same class, we naturally take the same general education courses together.

The reason why the four of them chose this major was naturally discussed during their late-night chats.

Ruan Bei and Qin Gu both said the same thing: they liked this kind of thing, it was their interest.

Zeng Peng chose this major because he had a relative who was the curator of a museum in his hometown. When he applied for the major, his relative said he could help him find a job later.

It is well known that the employment situation for college graduates has been tense in recent years, and Zeng Peng is quite worried that he will be unemployed after graduation.

In addition, Zeng's mother felt that her son was too strong and looked a bit wild, so she suggested that he study a more literary major so that he wouldn't have trouble finding a girlfriend in the future—a mother who thinks very far ahead.

As for Bai Miaomiao, his situation is somewhat similar to Ruan Bei's in his previous life, except one was proactive and the other was passive.

He had heard too many rumors about brothers fighting over inheritance, so when choosing a major, he ruled out anything even remotely related to his family's company.

After much deliberation, I finally chose literature and education. It sounded very cultured and prestigious, and it had absolutely nothing to do with management. Many people had never even heard of this major.

Anyway, he doesn't need to worry about employment. As for his interests, with money, how could he not cultivate them?

That being said, it's fate that we ended up sharing a dorm room. What's even more fortunate is that, despite our different personalities, the four of us got along quite well.

After attending two large classes combined with other classes, the National Day holiday started the next day, which included the weekend, making it a total of eight days off.

Ruan Beiqin, Gu Baimiao, and Miao Miao, the three locals, will definitely go home, so Zeng Peng will have to stay at school.

Originally, Ruan Bei invited him to his home, but Zeng Peng said he had invited his former high school classmates and fellow townsmen to an event, and he wanted to go and see.

As for the promised trip to try Mr. Ruan's cooking, they can all get together when they come back from their holidays.

Since they were going home, Ruan Bei definitely had to take Niu Niu back with her so she could meet her mother.

The night before their departure, Qin Gu used magic to summon Niu Niu back, and the little girl quickly ran back.

Ruan Bei hid on the balcony and pretended to make a phone call, talking to Niu Niu through a Bluetooth headset.

Hearing that school was out for break and she would see her mother soon, Niu Niu cheered and then asked how many days off there would be.

When Ruan Bei told her that the holiday would last for more than a week, the little girl counted on her fingers and thought the holiday was really long. Kindergarten only gives two days off on weekends.

“Brother, I want to say goodbye to my friends,” Niu Niu said.

Niu Niu's friends are naturally not normal human children. As for those local ghosts, they are all very old and spend their days playing cards and board games. They don't like to play with little ghosts like Niu Niu.

"Is he a new friend that my brother doesn't know?" Ruan Bei asked.

Niu Niu is young and innocent. Ruan Bei, who now considers himself her guardian, naturally wants to ask her more questions when he discovers that his child has made friends with people of unknown origin.

"Yes, yes!" Niu Niu laughed happily, revealing a mouthful of tiny teeth. "My new friend is called Pudding, isn't she cute?"

"Pudding?" Ruan Bei exclaimed in surprise, "Is she a child like Niu Niu?"

“No,” Niu Niu shook her head and said, “Pudding is a dog.”

Author's Note:

In her past life, Miao Miao and her brother had a conflict because of their relationship.

Miao Miao: My brother is so good to me, how could I have those kinds of thoughts about him? I'm such a beast!

Brother: I watched Miao Miao grow up, and I actually wanted to do that to him? I'm worse than an animal!

Then, feeling guilty, the two dared not meet. Before they could resolve their misunderstandings, their relationship ended tragically.