So what?

The air in the room seemed to freeze suddenly. Bai Yixia's egg fell into the bowl with a thud. Her mouth was slightly open, and her gaze was somewhat unfocused.

"ah?"

After Zhou Qingyan finished speaking, he stood still and Bai Yixia watched as his face turned red from his neck.

"Pfft." Bai Yixia couldn't help but laugh. "Why did you suddenly bring this up?"

Zhou Qingyan fidgeted with his hands, his eyes darting around nervously.

Actually, he hadn't thought of it at first. After all, his older brother had always treated Xiaxia this way since they were little, so it was just a smokescreen.

A male high school student whose mind is currently only focused on grades and class ranking has absolutely no thoughts of love or romance!

But he couldn't resist his deskmate's romantic thoughts. Zhou Qingyan applied the scenarios his deskmate described to his brother and Xiaxia, and they all came true without the slightest deviation.

Zhou Qingyan was stunned. Now, thinking back to the scene he saw when he couldn't sleep the night of the parent-teacher conference, he realized that he was in a daze.

In the dead of night, a lone man and woman are embracing and hugging.

Zhou Qingyan's head exploded.

"I just..." Zhou Qingyan stammered, unable to explain why, but then blushed and asked again in a low voice, "Sister Xiaxia, do you really like my brother?"

Bai Yixia tilted her head and thought for a moment. She had originally planned to confess today anyway, so there seemed to be no need to hide it. Besides, telling Zhou Qingyan might even get her some help.

After all, the games I've played with Xiao Yan over the past few years haven't been for nothing, so he should still be on my side.

So she nodded, "Yes."

After receiving her reply, Zhou Qingyan was stunned for several seconds, and finally murmured incredulously, "My God..."

Although Bai Yixia chose to be open-minded and tell him, she couldn't help but feel tense. Who knew that the kid's next sentence would be...

"What kind of incredible luck did my brother have?"

Bai Yixia: "Hmm?"

Zhou Qingyan seemed relieved. "Well, after the last parent-teacher conference, for a while, quite a few classmates asked me about you." Sister Xiaxia is very popular, and not just among the boys.

“They thought you were my sister and were trying to get your contact information from me.” He shrugged. “It’s impossible.”

Bai Yixia hummed in response, "You think I'm great?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Yixia saw Zhou Qingyan suddenly look at her, his eyes wide open, with an expression that said, "What are you saying?"

"Of course, Sister Xiaxia, can't you feel how good you are?" Zhou Qingyan started counting on his fingers, "You have a good personality, you never argue with anyone, you're kind-hearted, you've been feeding the stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood and getting them spayed/neutered, and you usually play with the elderly people and children downstairs..."

After pressing the last finger, Zhou Qingyan chuckled. "Xiaxia, do you really not know how popular you are? It even makes me get treated a little better by the older folks." For example, when they run into me downstairs, they'll give me cookies and fruit, and ask about my recent situation.

Bai Yixia fell silent after listening. These were indeed things she would do, but she had never intended to gain anything from them. Therefore, she hadn't paid much attention to them. Besides, some people disapproved of her seemingly kind attitude towards everyone.

Flattery, acting.

Bai Yixia chuckled lightly, looked at Zhou Qingyan, and asked jokingly, "Then doesn't anyone say anything bad about me?"

Zhou Qingyan paused for a moment, without much reaction or hiding anything, and said, "Of course."

Bai Yixia was somewhat prepared, but she was still momentarily stunned upon hearing these words. She blinked and lowered her head.

"But—" Zhou Qingyan drawled, frowning indifferently, "Is there a problem with that?"

Bai Yixia looked at him blankly.

Zhou Qingyan fiddled with the fruit on the counter. "Does Sister Xiaxia know why I said 'my brother got lucky' before?"

“I asked you earlier, but you didn’t seem to answer the question correctly,” Bai Yixia said helplessly.

"Actually, only everyone here thinks my brother is a good-tempered and kind person." Zhou Qingyan smiled, but seemed a little confused.

“My own brother, of course I know what he’s like. Even if he has a bad temper, it’s not a problem.” He showed a resentment that was not in line with his age. “Some of the things he said were things I heard from other people, so I find them ridiculous.”

Zhou Qingyan looked at Bai Yixia, "Sister Xiaxia knows that we don't actually visit our maternal grandparents very often, right?"

Although Bai Yixia was puzzled as to why the topic had veered to this point again, she still nodded in agreement, "Yes."

After Zhou Sheng and Jiang Yinghua divorced, Zhou Qingchi and Zhou Qingyan lost contact with their relatives in the Zhou family. Logically, they should have been closer to their maternal grandparents.

However, during holidays, Bai Yixia rarely saw Zhou Qingchi and the others go out; they either stayed at home or played outside.

Zhou Qingyan chuckled bitterly, "Because they don't like my brother."

Bai Yixia was now genuinely puzzled.

"Why?"

To Bai Yixia, Zhou Qingchi was practically flawless. Whether in her early kindergarten years or later, Zhou Qingchi had always acted as an older brother, taking care of her. Beyond that, he was also a friend, rescuing her when she was lost and confused, sharing her joy when she was jubilant, and offering comfort when she was sad and disappointed…

For at least a decade or so since Bai Yixia could remember, she had never heard anyone say they "hated" Zhou Qingchi.

"Brother Zhou's problem-solving approach is a shortcut; you can understand it after listening to it just once. It's a lifesaver."

"Zhou Qingchi is a really nice guy. This morning I was carrying a huge stack of books and almost fell over, and he helped me out."

"Qingchi came to change our water again yesterday. It's kind of him to remember us two old folks, haha."

"..."

In my memory, Zhou Qingchi was always the most reliable one.

Bai Yixia was kneading dough while talking to Zhou Qingyan when she heard this, and her mood suddenly soured. The sticky dough on her hands was a perfect representation of her current mood.

"Why?" she asked again.

Zhou Qingyan was also a little confused. He shrugged and said, "Because they don't like Zhou Sheng, they don't like my brother."

When Zhou Qingchi was a child, Jiang Yinghua was very busy, while Zhou Sheng, with greater ambitions, chose to resign. Unfortunately, his abilities couldn't keep up with his ambitions, and he failed to build the career he wanted. In his disappointment, he could only stay at home taking care of his child.

So he vented his emotions on the children, without saying a word or smiling.

Zhou Qingchi grew up in this kind of environment.

“My maternal grandparents disliked my brother because he always had a stern face and didn’t say a word. After my mother’s divorce, she disliked that he looked like Zhou Sheng,” Zhou Qingyan said. “This is what my cousin from my maternal uncle’s side told me.”

Bai Yixia felt as if someone had squeezed her heart hard.

Zhou Qingyan added, "It's not just that. When I went to the senior high school to find you guys back in junior high, I would occasionally hear people saying bad things about him."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Sister Xiaxia, it seems like you're the only one who always thinks my brother is great. Even I sometimes complain that he's unreasonable and has double standards."

"You're really nice too, that's why you like him and say he got lucky."

Bai Yixia smiled slightly, then lowered her head to knead the dough.

Love is always mutual.

When Bai Yixia thought Zhou Qingchi was good, Zhou Qingchi always stood behind Bai Yixia.

People aren't gold; how can they be liked by everyone?

It's enough that the person you care about likes you back.

The kitchen was quiet for a while. Zhou Qingyan suddenly spoke up, "Sister Xiaxia, shall we make bread?"

"Huh?" Bai Yixia suddenly snapped back to reality, looking down at the dough in her hand. "No, I was going to make a cake."

Zhou Qingyan: "..."

Bai Yixia: "..." It's over.

The two looked at each other and suddenly burst into laughter.

Bai Yixia thought: There will always be people who say I'm not good, but so what?

I've done enough. The people I like like me, the people I care about like me, and I don't need to please everyone.

"Xiao Yan, can you help me?" Bai Yixia perked up and looked at Zhou Qingyan.

Zhou Qingyan rolled up his sleeves. "Sure, but I can't make cakes."

Bai Yixia returned a bowl of cherries to him, saying, "It's okay, can you remove the pit from this for me?"

Zhou Qingyan accepted the task and stood beside her, starting to work diligently.

There were many cherries in the bowl, and Zhou Qingyan got hungry after only getting half of them. Bai Yixia looked at him amusedly and said, "You can have them. I don't need that many."

Zhou Qingyan readily popped one into his mouth. "Is this for my brother? To celebrate his birthday?"

Bai Yixia was much more serious this time, mixing the batter. "Yes," she thought for a moment, then added, "I also need to confess my feelings."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, hiss!" Zhou Qingyan was so startled that he bit into a fruit pit, which made half of his face go numb.

"Wow, so fast?" Zhou Qingyan was shocked and excited at the same time.

My brother is a good person, but he's too hypocritical. It would be good if my sister-in-law took him away sooner rather than later.

"Hmm~" Bai Yixia winked at him, "You have to keep this a secret for me, Xiao Yan. I specially asked Jiajia to send him away today."

Zhou Qingyan then realized, "No wonder Jiajia came to see my brother this morning. I was wondering when their relationship had improved to the point where they could go shopping together."

Confessing one's feelings is a big deal, especially since the protagonist is one of his own brothers. Zhou Qingyan was incredibly excited. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Sister Xiaxia?"

Bai Yixia didn't make too many arrangements. Tomorrow is mainly for Zhou Qingchi's birthday celebration, so there's no need to make special preparations for the confession scene.

Although winter has arrived, Zhou Qingchi's balcony is still full of life and is perfect for making use of.

"It's okay, just wait to eat the cake." Bai Yixia thought for a moment, "There are balloons and ribbons in the box over there, go pop the balloons, and we'll put them at your house later."

Zhou Qingchi could guess that there would be some decorations for his birthday every year, so there was no need to hide anything.

The two of them were peacefully preparing the cake at home, but things weren't so quiet when they were outside.

For the ten thousandth time, Zhou Qingchi asked himself why he was accompanying Nie Jiayuan shopping.

Watching Nie Jiayuan dash from one store to another, then rush out and run into yet another, he desperately wanted to go straight home.

But considering that I needed their help, I held back.

"Sigh... I can't think of anything to buy." Nie Jiayuan acted cheerfully. "Do you think Xiaxia would like this?"

Nie Jiayuan held a cashmere scarf, turning it over and over to examine it.

Zhou Qingchi had a blank expression. "Xia picked out all my clothes. You're asking me for some fancy advice?"

"..." Nie Jiayuan was speechless. She had never seen such a self-aware person before.

Zhou Qingchi ignored her and walked into a store. Looking at the dazzling array of jigsaw puzzles, he humbly asked, "Wouldn't it be too monotonous if I kept giving away these?"

Nie Jiayuan pouted. "You didn't give me any advice, but you picked something for yourself."

She glanced at it and said, "Xiaxia loves jigsaw puzzles. She probably has five or six at home."

Nie Jiayuan had a sudden inspiration and retorted to Zhou Qingchi, "Believe in yourself, Xiaxia would like even a piece of wood."

"..." Zhou Qingchi dodged her hand, but still chose a jigsaw puzzle, a thousand-piece set, so at least he would have a reason to spend time alone with her this winter break.

After all, it's hard for Nie Jiayuan to calm down and play this game with them.

Nie Jiayuan: "I give up. Weren't you here to accompany me shopping? You?"

Zhou Qingchi paid the bill decisively, glanced at her, and said, "It's three o'clock in the afternoon. Are you so blind? Didn't you find a single one you liked?"

Nie Jiayuan: "..." So annoying, Bai Yixia, pay me for emotional distress!