Chapter 75 (Second Update)

When the brother and sister arrived at the car dealership, Zhou Weifang was heating up his food.

He had a guest arrive halfway through his dinner, and then he didn't have time to eat anymore. When he finally had a chance to touch the food, it was already cold.

There was only one stove for boiling water in the shop, and he had a small pot. To save time, he would just pour two dishes into it and even break up the steamed buns and cook them all together.

Luo Yan leaned closer curiously, her expression betraying her curiosity: "Is this edible?"

Zhou Weifang: "Yes, I'm not a picky eater."

He realized he didn't look very presentable, so he stepped to the right to block her view and said, "Please sit down."

"Don't sit down," Luo Hong said. "We're just here to deliver a book to you and then we'll leave."

"What's the rush?" Luo Yan asked, feigning concern. "I heard you want to get first place?"

Zhou Weifang was better at putting on an act than she was, and said, "Yes, it's me."

Luo Yan put the book on the table and said matter-of-factly, "If you finish reading these, you'll definitely be able to."

Her words were encouraging, and Zhou Weifang, steeling himself, said, "I'll try."

We can't push people too hard. Luo Yan said, "Good luck, we're off."

The brother and sister came and went in a hurry, leaving behind a wealth of knowledge.

Zhou Weifang ate his stew while reading, and after flipping through a few pages, he suddenly felt that the road ahead was bleak. But he didn't want to disappoint Luo Yan, so he had no choice but to adopt a determined attitude, like someone who had studied diligently and painstakingly.

These six words were something Yu Luoyan was used to. She hadn't done much homework today, and she stayed up until midnight after getting home.

Luo Hong got up in the middle of the night and saw that his sister's light was still on. He knocked on the door and asked, "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

Luo Yan had just finished drinking water when she whispered, "Go."

The brother and sister hurried back. The sister kept yawning the whole way, and Luo Hong couldn't help but say to her, "I should have brought you back first after dinner."

Luo Yan knew she was in the wrong, but she still pleaded, "I want to play outside for a while too."

Luo Hong seized the opportunity: "I see you don't have enough time either, so why don't we put the three-party agreement on hold for now?"

"That won't do," Luo Yan said. "I just said I wanted him to get first place. We can always find the time if we squeeze it in."

She knew her brother too well and suddenly realized, "I feel like you don't want me to go to the car dealership."

Luo Hong turned the tables and said, "You're overthinking it. I'm going to sleep."

Luo Yan was too tired and her mind couldn't process the information. She didn't think about it carefully and went back to her room to lie down and sleep. She continued writing at school the next day, making the most of every break between classes.

Zhou Xiuhe spent the whole day walking back and forth in the corridor hoping to bump into her, but he only saw her profile, which she never looked up at. When he saw her off that evening, he asked, "What were you busy with today?"

Luo Yan has always been a good student, and it's rare for her to cram at the last minute. She even feels it's a mistake when she thinks about it, saying, "I'm writing the short paper that's due tomorrow."

Zhou Xiuhe knew how much she valued her studies and regretted it, saying, "I wish I hadn't dragged you to see the play yesterday."

Luo Yan shook her head slightly: "I wanted to go myself. I thought I would have enough time, but it turned out to be so difficult."

She drew out the last two words, as if she were being coquettish.

The two majors have many similarities in their courses, and the curriculum for the first year is also quite similar. Zhou Xiuhe: "Have you finished writing? Do you need any help?"

Luo Yan: "I've finished writing."

Then we discussed the topic of my short paper with him.

They always had a lot in common when it came to studying. Unusually, Luo Yan wasn't in a hurry to go home; she held the brakes and talked to him at the intersection.

Halfway through the conversation, a bicycle stopped beside them, and the person on it said, "Yanyan."

Luo Yan turned her head to see that it was her brother and called out to him.

Zhou Xiuhe subconsciously straightened his collar and greeted him, "Brother Luo."

Luo Hong nodded politely to him: "Thank you for taking Yan Yan."

Zhou Xiuhe: "No trouble at all, it's nothing."

Those were just a few words; anyone would do that with their sister. Luo Hong wouldn't think he was particularly kind because of it. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he turned to his sister and asked, "Are you going back?"

Luo Yan nodded and waved goodbye to Zhou Xiuhe.

The place where Luo Hong had just met them was very close to Fengshou Hutong. As soon as they left, he suggested, "Let's find another place to talk."

In this world, girls are often treated harshly; no one will openly show them off unless they are a marriage prospect.

Luo Yan: "Okay."

The brother and sister entered the house one after the other. Liu Yinfeng asked, "Was your brother going to pick you up tonight?"

Luo Hong joked, "Others are so eager to please, why would I get a chance?"

Luo Yan blushed, punched her brother in the back, and then quickly hid in the room. Luo Hong threatened her a few times outside, then sat down to chat with his parents.

Not knowing what to say, Luo Yan heard the laughter coming from the living room and turned her book upside down to join in the fun.

Luo Hong was talking about everyday news.

He has many friends and knows everything about the slightest thing happening in the alley; he can talk about them as if they were his own family.

Liu Yinfeng usually talks more with her son, the two of them chatting away. The father and daughter, on the other hand, sit quietly and listen, exchanging glances when they hear an unfamiliar name, and then inexplicably burst out laughing.

The next second, a clap of thunder startled Luo Yan, who clung to her mother's arm. Liu Yinfeng held her daughter's hand and sighed, "This rain means spring is coming."

A spring rain fell intermittently for about a month, finally stopping at the end of April.

Spring in Beijing is always so short that it's hard to hold onto it. Soon, it feels like summer, and you can see the sun shining brightly when you wake up early.

When Luo Yan left for school, it wasn't too sunny yet, so she started walking in the shade when she ate lunch.

Zhou Xiuhe saw her hiding from the sun from afar, and casually approached her, coughing to remind her.

They're getting better and better at pretending not to know each other at school, and they don't even bother to talk to each other in broad daylight, so Luo Yan asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Zhou Xiuhe did have something to do, and asked, "Do you want to go see a movie during the May Day holiday? It's a new one."

There's a day off for Labor Day, but Luo Yan already had plans, saying, "I'm going to see my brother's award ceremony in the morning, and I've made plans with friends in the afternoon."

Zhou Xiuhe knew about the commendation ceremony, but he had never heard of it before, as it involved a friend. He asked, "With whom?"

Luo Yan: "I'll tell you tonight."

This is definitely not the place to talk, so Zhou Xiu nodded and left.

He was on his way back to the dormitory when he happened to run into Luo Yan, so he will continue with his original plan.

There were a bunch of people in the dormitory, each talking about their own things. Suddenly someone brought up where to go for the May Day holiday, and everyone joined in the discussion. Zhou Xiuhe also chimed in.

My roommate asked curiously, "Don't you go on dates?"

Although his roommates didn't know who he was close to, they lived in the same room and saw each other all the time, so they vaguely knew that he was dating someone and went to see the girl every Sunday.

Zhou Xiuhe: "She has something to do."

Well, his roommates all teased him, saying "No wonder," and some even said, "You can't help but feel like you've missed someone for three autumns if you don't see them for a day."

Zhou Xiuhe and Luo Yan actually see each other every day, but he didn't explain, instead changing the subject: "Where do you want to go?"

Everyone was more willing to discuss this, contributing their ideas in a lively manner, but ultimately no decision was made.

That evening, Zhou Xiu asked Luo Yan if she had any good suggestions.

The two of them were walking down the road pushing their bicycles when Luo Yan thought for a moment and said, "I really can't say right now, but didn't you want to see a movie?"

What's the point of a bunch of men watching a movie? Zhou Xiuhe: "I want to save it and watch it with you."

Luo Yan smiled sweetly: "I want to watch it with you too."

He added, "But Yingying called me yesterday and said we haven't seen each other in a long time."

She had few friends, and Zhou Xiuhe had heard of the few names she did have, but he still confirmed: "The one who goes to medical school?"

"right."

Zhou Xiuhe: "Alright then, have fun."

She added with a hint of grievance, "But you have to spend the week after May Day with me."

Luo Yan touched her face, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I'm a pretty fair person."

She has two friends, and every time she finishes meeting one of them, she feels she should also connect with the other one, saying, "I'm going to see Huifang this week, can I hang out with you this afternoon?"

She blinked her big eyes, with a hint of coquettishness in them. What could Zhou Xiuhe say? He just couldn't bring himself to laugh.

Seeing this, Luo Yan carefully hooked her little finger around his: "Okay."

Zhou Xiuhe took the opportunity to interlock his fingers with hers: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

They were almost at the alley entrance when Luo Yan pulled her hand away and gently patted the back of his hand: "Let's go."

Zhou Xiuhe, still smiling, stopped in his tracks and said, "See you tomorrow."

Luo Yan was also smiling; her expression hadn't faded when she entered the house.

Liu Yinfeng teased her daughter, "Did you find money?"

Luo Yan called out "Mom" with a grin, picked up the washbasin, and headed to take a bath. She had just stepped out of the hospital gate when she saw her brother: "You're back! Are you going to the public bathhouse?"

Luo Hong forced a smile onto his otherwise stern face: "No, I have to go out for a bit."

Luo Yan knew her brother very well and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Luo Hong hadn't expected her to be so perceptive; she had already put on a facade in an instant: "I won't tell you about other people's business."

Luo Yan still respected other people's privacy. She said "Oh" and continued forward, but after a few steps she turned back and said, "I'm always available to help."

Luo Hong smiled and said, "Don't worry, would I be afraid of troubling you?"

Luo Yan thought so too. This time, she finally strode forward, and judging from her back view, she seemed to be in a good mood, her braid swinging back and forth.

Luo Hong, relieved that he had gotten away with it, turned into the courtyard. Once home, he went into his room and started rummaging through things, then immediately prepared to go out again.

The parents, who were watching TV in the living room, saw their son rushing in and out and asked, "Where are you going so late?"

Luo Hong: "If you need anything, just leave the door open for me."

The couple never questioned what was going on with their son running around all day, nor did they notice Luo Hong unconsciously frowning behind his parents' backs.

He clutched the money in his pocket, looking out at the dark night, his heart sinking as well.

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Author's note: Goodnight~