Chapter 29 When did you start liking your brother...?

What are you so excited about?

"That's strange," Cong Yi couldn't help but say after hanging up the phone.

After the call ended, Lin Yu felt a surge of inexplicable excitement. Having known each other for nearly twenty years, they were so familiar with one another that sometimes a single glance or a simple conversation was enough for them to clearly perceive each other's emotional changes.

She knew perfectly well that Zhou Ke was angry, and quite angry at that. But then again, was he angry at her for not coming home all night, or at the person who was not coming home?

Lin Yu was silent for a moment, then turned to Cong Yi and said, "My brother is coming over later."

These words sounded like commands to enter a state of high alert. Cong Yi's eyes widened instantly, and his voice suddenly rose: "What! He's not planning to come here himself to 'catch them in the act,' is he?"

Um.....

"Cong Yi." Lin Yu sighed helplessly, reminding him, "Use polite language. You and I are completely innocent."

Lin Yu: "You don't need to do anything. Just cooperate by showing up in this room. As for the rest, leave it to me."

"Alright, you'll guarantee my personal safety, right?" This situation was clearly more serious than the last one. Cong Yi looked at Lin Yu solemnly. He could never forget the look Zhou Ke gave him that day, and the innocent fish that died unjustly. Just thinking about it now made his back shudder.

Lin Yu took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and reminded him once again: "Don't worry, this is a society governed by the rule of law."

Cong Yi stared in astonishment, then said logically and with evidence, "In a society governed by the rule of law, crimes of passion are the most common. Haven't you seen the news?"

Lin Yu sighed and chose to remain silent.

Seeing that she didn't seem to want to talk, Cong Yi pursed his lips, walked over, and sat down on the other side of the sofa.

After spending so many days together, Cong Yi had come to understand her character. He admitted that he couldn't be as familiar with her as his cousin Jia Yi, but the working relationship was still there. He had agreed too readily and knew nothing about the matter between Lin Yu and her brother, so he couldn't very well bypass Lin Yu, who was directly involved, and ask her sister.

It takes at least forty minutes to get here from Lin Yu's house. Since he had nothing better to do, Cong Yi glanced at the calm woman opposite him, who seemed completely unaware of the impending storm, and stammered, "Um...may I ask you something?"

Lin Yu lifted her eyelids and glanced at him: "What are you asking?"

Cong Yi pursed her lips and asked cautiously, "When did you start liking your brother?"

Unexpectedly, this was the question. Lin Yu was stunned for a moment. People's memories can be restarted with words. Regarding her feelings for Zhou Ke, what Lin Yu remembered most was still that heavy rain that summer that had never been surpassed.

"It's been a long time," Lin Yu said softly, her arm resting on the armrest of the chair behind her.

When Lin Yu was in her senior year of high school, Zhou Ke had already entered the workforce and was working for a company with good prospects, earning a salary that was considered high at the time.

He solved the family's 'financial crisis', so that he no longer had to juggle his studies and earning money at the same time.

It was a Friday in April, the weather was still chilly despite the warming trend, and all the students at No. 1 Middle School were still wearing their school uniform jackets. When school was over, Zhou Ke suddenly appeared at the school gate to pick her up.

The moment Lin Yu saw him, her eyes lit up. She hadn't seen her brother for four days since he went on a business trip to Beicheng on Monday. He stood tall and imposing at the school gate, wearing a simple dark hoodie and black cargo pants. The collar of his hoodie was slightly open, revealing his pale neck. His lips were upturned, and his eyes shone with a soft light. Although it had only been four days, Lin Yu felt as if a whole quarter had passed, to the point that she thought her brother's bangs had grown longer.

In private, Zhou Ke always prefers to wear casual clothes, which makes him look like a college student standing here.

Lin Yu walked towards him, her eyes still sparkling. Because she was walking so fast, the thin bangs on both sides of her forehead fluttered up. She excitedly said, "Brother, why did you suddenly come to school?"

Zhou Ke reached out and tidied her messy hair, saying with a smile in his eyes, "I've been away on business for too long, and I wanted to see you as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu quickly asked, "Have you been waiting here for a long time?"

"Not long," Zhou Ke gently tapped her forehead, "I arrived right on time."

As we were talking, the aroma of braised pork wafted through the air. These days, if you're wondering where the best place to set up a stall is, the area near schools is definitely a top contender, especially around dismissal time. Long lines of food carts stretch along the streets on both sides of the street, offering all sorts of snacks and fast food.

Lin Yu looked around and saw that at this moment, almost every food cart was surrounded by students.

Zhou Ke understood, raised his wrist to check the time, and asked, "Hungry?"

Hearing this, Lin Yu blinked and tugged at Zhou Ke's sleeve, "You must be tired from coming back from Beicheng today. Don't go back to cook tonight, let's eat out."

Zhou Ke had no objections, and looked down at Lin Yu, seeking her opinion: "What would you like to eat?"

Lin Yu: "A new fermented bean curd chicken wing shop just opened on the back street of the school. I heard it's really delicious. Do you want to try it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ke refused without hesitation: "No way."

"Why?"

Zhou Ke lowered his eyes and looked at her quietly: "Have you forgotten that you have a bad stomach? You should eat less of these unhealthy snacks."

Lin Yu does indeed suffer from stomach problems, but they are not serious. This type of illness cannot be completely cured; it can only be managed by paying more attention to her diet. Therefore, Zhou Ke has been extremely strict with her over the years, forbidding her from eating fried snacks or similar foods. Fortunately, Lin Yu herself is not a person with a particularly strong appetite, so she can tolerate not eating them.

But today she was with her brother, and on a whim, she made this suggestion. As expected, it was rejected. Lin Yu kicked a pebble by the roadside and said, "If you want to be healthy, just keep walking along this road. There's a congee hot pot restaurant after the traffic light. It's light and nutritious. Let's go eat there."

“Sure, no problem.” Zhou Ke smiled, glanced at the backpack on her shoulder, and took it off.

Suddenly feeling a lightness on her shoulder, Lin Yu turned around and saw her beige backpack already on his right shoulder. She blinked and said, "I can carry it myself."

Zhou Ke ignored her and only said, "Isn't a brother just someone to be used?"

In that instant, Lin Yu couldn't explain why, but she felt her heart suddenly beating very fast.

...

The base is plain congee, supplemented with shrimp, dried scallops, oysters, and green vegetables, and simmered into a thick congee base.

When it was served, the casserole still emitted wisps of fragrance.

Lin Yu picked up the bowl in front of her and used a spoon to divide a small portion into two portions.

Because the store is located near the school, most of the people sitting in the restaurant at this time are wearing the school uniform of No. 1 Middle School.

The porridge was still very hot. Lin Yu was blowing on it with a spoon when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. She looked up and saw that it was Kong Sha from her class. With her were two girls from the next class and a boy she didn't recognize.

The other person had obviously noticed her too. Their eyes met briefly, but neither of them went up to greet her nor acted particularly warmly. However, when she noticed the person sitting opposite Lin Yu, her eyes suddenly flickered.

Kong Sha and her friends were sitting at the table diagonally opposite Lin Yu, and she could see that face as soon as she looked up.

Zhou Ke noticed her gaze and asked, "Do you know her?"

Lin Yu gave a soft "hmm" and continued drinking the porridge at the bottom of her bowl, saying truthfully, "I know them, but we're not close."

The relationship between classmates is like a small society. Everyone has their own close friends with whom they get along well. Lin Yu and Kong Sha are obviously not the same kind of people. Even though they are in the same class, they can probably count the number of times they have spoken on their fingers.

But Lin Yu obviously didn't expect that this unexpected encounter would break down this barrier between them.

The weekend flew by, and on Monday morning, Lin Yu arrived at the classroom as usual with her schoolbag. However, she was met with several meaningful gazes. Even after she passed by them, Lin Yu could still feel those gazes lingering on her back.

At first, she didn't take it seriously, until during the long break, Zhang Hao stormed into the classroom and, without asking any questions, immediately confronted her: "Lin Yu, I heard you have a boyfriend?"

"What did you say?" Lin Yu frowned, looking at Zhang Hao with confusion.

"Stop pretending. I've liked you for so long and you've been unmoved. I didn't expect you to be secretly dating someone outside of school. You're really something, so capable. I didn't know you were so clever."

Lin Yu looked at his angry and embarrassed expression, and listened to his rapid-fire words, still not understanding what was going on. She asked with a straight face, "What are you saying? I don't understand."

Seeing that she was still pretending, Zhang Hao gritted his teeth, took out his phone from his pocket, opened the album, and held the photos up to Lin Yu's eyes. "Look for yourself! You have the photos, still pretending to be stupid."

Lin Yu's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked at Zhang Hao's phone screen. In the photo, she and a boy were sitting opposite each other. She was eating with her head down, while the boy looked at her with gentle eyes.

The scene then shifts to another image showing the two people laughing and talking.

Zhang Hao held his phone, swiping his fingertips across the screen one photo at a time. In each photo, they looked extremely intimate, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them a couple.

"See? Now a lot of people know that you have a boyfriend from outside of school."

After his outburst, those who didn't know before now know.

Lin Yu listened to him repeatedly calling someone his boyfriend, a completely fabricated definition that she found utterly absurd.

Her face turned cold instantly, and she retorted to Zhang Hao in a clear and firm voice: "I don't know who took this photo, nor do I know if this rumor is true, but I can tell you for sure that I am not in a relationship, and he is not my boyfriend."

"Yes, we're all students, who would be stupid enough to admit it?" Zhang Hao sneered. "I thought you were so innocent and focused on studying the classics, but appearances can be deceiving."

As the saying goes, seeing is believing. No matter how Lin Yu explains, he won't believe it. The only way to convince everyone is to find the person who took the photo.

Thinking about it, Lin Yu suddenly realized that the photos on Zhang Hao's phone were exceptionally clear, as if they were taken at close range, and the angles were just right to capture the faces of both people. Thinking of this, a name immediately popped into her mind, and this person happened to be in the classroom at that moment.

She turned around and stared expressionlessly at Kong Sha, who was sitting in the corner, through the faces of onlookers. Kong Sha was casually admiring her freshly manicured nails, seemingly oblivious to everything.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yu immediately let out a cold laugh.

No matter when, rumors always spread exceptionally fast, especially when such a novel event suddenly appears in the midst of this monotonous academic life. For a time, wherever Lin Yu went, people looked at her with those ambiguous gazes.

Very few people believed her; only Jiayi stood up for her.

Lin Yu was also determined to find Kong Sha. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone had gone to the cafeteria at noon, she followed Kong Sha to the restroom.

When Kong Sha came out, she saw Lin Yu standing in front of the sink, her face gloomy and her eyes cold, staring at her. She walked over calmly and asked, "What do you want?"

Lin Yu didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "Did you post the photos?"

It is not a question, but an affirmative statement.

Kong Sha raised her chin and chuckled, "Just because you say it's me doesn't mean it's me."

Lin Yu: "Is this interesting? Posting these kinds of photos, unilaterally spreading rumors about a girl, making her face all the unkind looks and the ridicule and sarcasm hidden in the shadows. You are also a girl, you should know what the consequences of doing this will be."

The faucet was turned on, and the sound of running water gushed out. After washing her hands, Kong Sha turned around and looked at Lin Yu with a provocative expression: "Say what you will."

Seeing Kong Sha's stubborn resistance, Lin Yu couldn't help but recall that no matter where she went today, she felt like countless eyes were watching her from behind, and even when she was far away, she could still hear several mocking remarks mixed with laughter.

'I never would have guessed she was this kind of person.'

Do good students also fall in love early?

This fictitious relationship subjected her to a lot of unwarranted malice.

They are unaware of the facts, yet they excel at following the crowd.

Lin Yu stared at Kong Sha, who stood on the sink with her arms crossed, showing no remorse for spreading rumors. Of course, someone like her wouldn't do such a thing if she really cared about other people's feelings.

Should she be hurt for no reason?

Thinking of this, Lin Yu stepped forward and approached her. Without warning, he grabbed her collar and pushed her backward while she was off guard. Then he pressed down on her waist, forcing half of her body to hang over the edge of the sink.

"Lin Yu!" Kong Sha hadn't expected Lin Yu to dare to do such a thing. The feeling of being suspended in mid-air terrified her. She felt like a fish on a chopping board, no matter how much she struggled, it was useless. "Let me go!!"

Seeing this, Lin Yu's lips curled into a meaningful smile, but her eyes remained calm and cold, like ice blocks in winter. Her face was divided into two completely contradictory expressions: a smile on her lips, but her eyes were frighteningly cold, staring straight at him with icy intent. "Now you know fear?"

Kong Sha braced herself firmly on the sink beneath her, her eyes wide with shock, and shouted angrily, "Are you crazy! What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think?" Lin Yu grabbed her collar and pressed her down forcefully, her tone indifferent: "Weren't you quite happy when you were spreading rumors?"

Kongsha's face flushed red, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it: "What did I say? What proof do you have that I said those words? Let me go!"

Lin Yu: "There are only the two of us here, so you don't need to pretend. We both know whether it's you or not."

Do you have any evidence?

Lin Yu tilted her head and stared coldly at her: "That's not how it works. Now I'm convinced that you're the one spreading rumors. If anyone should provide evidence, it's you who should prove yourself and show that you didn't say those things before I can believe you."

Kong Sha felt a chill in her heart. Her lower back ached from the hard, cold countertop. Lin Yu was too crazy. There was no point in saying anything now, so she might as well just give up. She scoffed and met Lin Yu's eyes, her smile alluring: "You're so angry. Could it be that those rumors weren't just rumors, but the truth? Are you acting like this to protect your boyfriend? I didn't realize that the model student in the teacher's eyes not only has a puppy love affair but also bullies classmates in the bathroom."

Those three words pierced her heart completely. The coldness in Lin Yu's eyes intensified, and even the smile on her lips slowly faded. She looked at Kong Sha expressionlessly, raised her arm, and turned on the faucet in front of Kong Sha's frightened eyes.

In April, the water wasn't too cold, but it was still cold when poured on your scalp.

The icy water cascaded down her hairline, soaking her entire head of black hair. Kong Sha screamed in terror, "Ah! Help! Lin Yu, you're a madman! I'm going to kill you! Let me go! Help! Is anyone there?!"

"Try talking nonsense again, and I'll go even crazier," Lin Yu leaned down and whispered coldly in her ear. Then, she released Kong Sha's collar.

Having been suspended in mid-air for so long, her hair was completely soaked. Kong Sha squatted on the ground in a disheveled state, gasping for air. When she came to her senses, she cowered and looked at Lin Yu as if she had seen a ghost, tears streaming down her face, making her eyes red. She gritted her teeth and roared fiercely, "Teacher! I need to find the teacher, Lin Yu! I won't let you get away with this, ah!!"

Inside the office, the teacher frowned, looking at Kong Sha who was wailing beside her with a headache. Her hair was still wet and stuck to her scalp, and her school uniform jacket was soaked.

She knew about Lin Yu's situation; her parents were gone, and she was the only person listed on her household registration. She was usually quiet and well-behaved, and her grades were excellent. How could she not have expected that the other party would do such a thing? The teacher sighed, "Lin Yu, tell me, why did you bully Kong Sha?"

"She started spreading rumors in class first," Lin Yu replied matter-of-factly, standing across the desk.

Upon hearing this, the teacher immediately looked at Kong Sha and asked, "Is that so?"

Kong Sha raised her voice and retorted, "Teacher, I didn't! She slandered me without even knowing the facts, and then pinned me to the sink and poured cold water on me."

One of them refused to admit it, while the other was convinced it was the other. This involved a matter of the students' character. The homeroom teacher sighed, glanced at the two of them, and then made a decision: "Bullying classmates is no small matter. You both have your reasons. In that case, let's call your parents."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu, who had been looking down, suddenly raised her head and hurriedly said, "Teacher." Her hands, which had been hanging at her sides, curled up little by little, tightly gripping the hem of her school uniform. Her face turned pale instantly, and she pleaded, "Can you not call my parents? I'll accept either writing a self-criticism or going home to reflect."

Her voice trailed off, only repeating, "Don't call the parents."

From childhood to adulthood, she had never had her parents called in for anything before. This was the first time. If it were just a matter of fighting back when she was bullied, she wouldn't care. But this incident was caused by those photos and those comments that misunderstood her and her brother as a couple.

She didn't want her brother to know. She remembered what Kong Sha had said in the bathroom: "Whose brother and sister are so intimate, pouring you tea, handing you tissues, and even making a point of drinking the porridge you can't finish?"

Kong Sha said this because she also has an older brother, but their relationship is completely different from that of Lin Yu and Zhou Ke. She is convinced that the two of them are a couple.

close?

Lin Yu silently repeated these two words in her heart. Was this why Kong Sha misunderstood her? But before this, she had never felt that there was anything wrong with her relationship with her brother.

On her way to the office, Lin Yu couldn't help but think about why she had attacked Kong Sha. Was it because she wanted to vent her anger? Perhaps that was only a small part of it. More importantly, the person who spread the rumors was her brother. Lin Yu wouldn't have been so angry if it were anyone else, but it was her brother.

How could he be so unjustly afflicted and slandered?

Hearing her plea, the homeroom teacher showed no mercy. "According to school rules, in your case, I have to bring both of your parents here."

Knowing there was no way to avoid it, Lin Yu didn't say anything more.

When Zhou Ke arrived at the school, this was the scene he saw: the little girl was standing alone and helpless on the other side, while her parent was holding her daughter with heartache. Seeing her daughter crying incessantly, the parent glared angrily at Lin Yu, pointing her index finger directly at her and cursing as if she were some kind of viper.

Seeing this, Zhou Ke's face immediately turned cold. Even if her beloved younger sister had done something terribly wrong, it was none of anyone else's place to point fingers at her and scold her.

He strode over, grabbed Lin Yu's arm, and pulled her behind him. "I'm Lin Yu's parent. If you have anything to say, talk to me."

Kong Sha looked up and was stunned when she saw that Lin Yu's parent was the man she had seen that day.

Because Zhou Ke was protecting her, Lin Yu couldn't see Kong Sha's face or her mother's expression.

She could only see her brother's tall figure, like a city wall, shielding her from all harm and blame. She stood blankly behind her brother, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

Seeing her mother sitting right next to her, Kong Sha became even more emboldened and vehemently denied Lin Yu's claims. Zhou Ke then asked her to take out her phone, but Kong Sha simply said that her phone was at home. Zhou Ke didn't want to waste time arguing with her about this, so he suggested calling the police and having them check the store's surveillance footage. If Lin Yu had truly misunderstood, he would apologize and compensate her on her behalf for what happened today. However, if Kong Sha was the one who released the photos and spread the rumors, he would hire a lawyer to pursue legal action against her.

Upon hearing this, Kong Sha turned pale and could only stammer that she had done it.

When the truth came out, the homeroom teacher was furious. In front of Kong Sha's mother, he demanded that she apologize to Lin Yu and make a profound self-criticism in front of the whole school during the long break on Monday.

...

"You were pretty brave when you pinned your classmate down on the sink and poured cold water over her head, but now you're acting like a quail when you see your brother." Zhou Ke stood beside her, staring down at her.

After this incident, the homeroom teacher ordered the two to go home and reflect on their actions. Lin Yu followed Zhou Ke toward the school gate.

The rain fell heavily, like pearls, and the two walked in the rain, each holding an umbrella.

Lin Yu lowered her head, and thinking of how Zhou Ke had defended her in the office, her heart suddenly ached. She bit her lip and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Zhou Ke glanced at her and asked, "Who are you sorry to? Are you sorry to me, or to your classmates?"

Lin Yu pursed her lips, a slight soreness slowly welling up in her nose: "I'm sorry."

Zhou Ke: "What are you sorry for?"

"Have I disappointed you?" Lin Yu slowly raised her eyes, and at the same time, she raised her umbrella slightly. Through the torrential rain, she saw Zhou Ke's expressionless face.

Her eyes gradually became sore, and she blinked rapidly to cover up this physical reaction.

The atmosphere froze instantly. In the silent gaze, only the dull thud of raindrops hitting the umbrella could be heard. Zhou Ke looked at her with complicated eyes: "I'm truly disappointed when I see you being bullied for no reason. Haven't I told you that when faced with bullying, you should fight back bravely, and that no matter what happens, your brother will always be there for you?"

"But if one day I really make a mistake and do something I shouldn't have done, will you still not blame me like you do today?" For some reason, Lin Yu suddenly had this thought.

The rain was pouring down harder and harder, as if it were going to smash a hole in the concrete. She heard Zhou Ke say calmly, "I won't hold you accountable emotionally, but rationally, I hope you're a good child." He looked at her with a solemn expression, just like a patriarch, patiently guiding her, "As long as you don't do anything that breaks the law or goes against morality, your brother will always be on your side."

The umbrella was too small, and the rain was too heavy. Large raindrops fell from mid-air, one or two at a time, hitting her thin shoulders.

Lin Yu murmured softly, "Is it something immoral?"

Zhou Ke couldn't hear her voice, but he could see the slight opening and closing of her lips through his eyes.

The umbrella tilted slowly, once again obscuring the brother's face.

Growing up is as painful as being pulled apart, but in this painful process, she realized a truth that she could not tell anyone.

She seems to be...

They really broke a taboo that shouldn't have been there.

Kong Sha said she was fickle and that her reluctance to agree to Zhang Hao's proposal was just her way of stringing him along. She also said that her cold demeanor every day was just a facade.

This is a classic case of someone who acts like a prostitute but pretends to be virtuous.

But she thought...

She really hadn't thought about having a relationship with anyone that was more suited to youth.

In this early summer of torrential rain, she realized for the first time that she had feelings for Zhou Ke that went beyond familial affection.

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Author's Note: Bonus chapter today! There's one more chapter! [Sneaking a peek while covering face]