Chapter 6

After taking on the task of looking after Cheng Ying, Song Qiuxuan quickly finished the remaining half of her ice cream and sat down next to Cheng Ying.

Cheng Ying glanced at the suddenly appearing older sister several times, seemingly both curious and uneasy. She noticed that the older sister had a crossbody bag slung over her left shoulder, had a petite and gentle appearance, and a soft temperament, which lowered Cheng Ying's guard.

Song Qiuxuan goes to the library to study after lunch and goes home at five o'clock. Her bag contains several exercise books and a notebook. Because Xiou Park is quite close to her home, she often visits the ice cream truck there in the summer.

A gust of sultry wind blew by, and Song Qiuxuan brushed aside her messy hair. She noticed that Cheng Ying had been secretly looking at her. She introduced herself: "I'm your brother's classmate, my name is Song Qiuxuan. Don't be afraid, your brother will be back soon."

Cheng Ying kicked her toes forward and muttered, "It's better if they don't come back." As she spoke, her eyes kept looking in the direction of the ice cream truck, and she swallowed a few times, her mouth watering.

Cheng Xun was a quiet and low-key person at school, and got along well with her classmates without any conflicts. I don't know why the relationship between the siblings seemed a bit strange.

Song Qiuxuan was puzzled, so she turned her head to look in the direction of her gaze. She said knowingly, "You want to eat ice cream?"

Cheng Ying shook her head shyly, but Song Qiuxuan could see what she was thinking. Since Cheng Ying looked sullen, he offered to treat her to ice cream.

Cheng Ying was still somewhat hesitant: "But... this isn't a good idea, I don't even know you."

"It's okay, I know your brother. What kind of flavor do you want?"

Song Qiuxuan saw Cheng Ying show a hint of joy, but she suppressed it and bit her lip shyly. Song Qiuxuan understood her embarrassment, stood up and walked towards the ice cream truck, intending to buy her the vanilla flavor that she often ate.

However, Song Qiuxuan had only taken two steps when she heard Cheng Ying weakly say behind her, "I want chocolate flavor."

Cheng Xun retrieved his phone from the driver and, as he approached the ice cream RV, he saw two figures, one large and one small, standing beside it from afar.

The RV was parked under a big tree, the golden leaves reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun swaying in the wind. In such a short time, they seemed to have become much more familiar with each other. Cheng Ying smiled and ate ice cream while talking to Song Qiuxuan.

Cheng Xun walked over, and Cheng Ying saw him first. She immediately closed her mouth and began eating her ice cream cautiously, licking it slowly, one bite at a time. Cheng Xun glanced at her indifferently, not taking her emotional change to heart.

He looked at Song Qiuxuan with his dark eyes, took out his phone, and said, "Thank you for keeping an eye on her for me. How much is the ice cream? I'll transfer it to you."

Hearing Cheng Xun's resolute tone, Song Qiuxuan knew that even if she said she didn't need to transfer the money, he would still transfer it to her. So she said, "Transferring money is too much trouble. Why don't you bring it back from school next time?"

Cheng Xun raised a slight brow. Without considering whether transferring money or getting something back from her was more troublesome, he said indifferently, "Okay."

When Song Qiuxuan saw Cheng Xun today, she remembered that she had forgotten to explain the math problem to him again. She gripped the strap of her handbag and said with a hint of shame, "I forgot that we agreed to explain the math problem to you when we got home on Friday. How about I explain it to you tonight?"

Song Qiuxuan has always valued promises highly. Even if she only promised something very small, she felt that it should not be taken lightly.

Cheng Xun, who had already figured out the problem back in school, paused for a moment. He couldn't understand his past motives for pretending not to understand. The early autumn wind ruffled his short black hair. He lowered his eyes and said calmly, "Okay."

Neither Song Qiuxuan nor Cheng Xun were talkative by nature, and since they weren't very familiar with each other, the conversation had run out of things to say, and the atmosphere became awkward. So Song Qiuxuan said goodbye to the brother and sister and left the park.

Back in the apartment complex, as they got on the elevator, Cheng Ying, who had been quiet the whole way, seemed to have made up her mind and awkwardly reached out her little hand to grab the hem of Cheng Xun's short-sleeved shirt.

Cheng Xun leaned against the corner of the elevator, glanced down, and heard Cheng Ying say very softly, "Second Brother, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Cheng Xun didn't immediately realize what she was referring to.

Did she forget to leave her phone in the taxi? Or was she sulking and ignoring him?

Cheng Ying looked like she was seriously organizing her thoughts. After a long silence, she said in her still-childish voice, "When I said I hated you and that you were not as good as my older brother in the park, it was all nonsense. I was just being impulsive. That's not what I really thought."

Just as he finished speaking, the elevator doors opened, and Cheng Xun gently pressed Cheng Ying's head with his pale hand, pushing her out. Cheng Ying obediently followed him.

After Cheng Xun stepped out of the elevator, he let go of her hand. Upon hearing the apology, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. Cheng Ying was used to being spoiled and arrogant, and she didn't seem like the type of person who would feel remorseful and then repent and apologize afterward.

Just as Cheng Xun was a little confused, Cheng Ying, who was walking beside her, explained, "Sister Qiuxuan said that the more intimate the relationship, the more hurtful the words spoken between relatives."

An indescribable expression appeared on Cheng Xun's indifferent and handsome face. After a moment of silence, he slightly tugged at the corner of his lips: "You believe everything she says? How come you're so obedient in front of others?"

Shouldn't the focus be on the apology? But it seems to have veered off to another level. Cheng Ying blinked in confusion.

At her age, Cheng Ying's thinking was not yet mature and complete. She was unaware that she actually harbored "prejudice" against her second brother. She overheard the neighbors' discussions about Cheng Xun and sensed her parents' attitude towards him, which subtly influenced her thinking. Therefore, Cheng Ying subconsciously categorized certain behaviors of his, even a single glance, as factors that made her fearful.

When Cheng Xun arrived home, he pressed his finger on the electronic lock, and the door opened with a "click." His parents were still at get off work, and the house was quiet inside.

Cheng Xun took off his baseball cap and casually tossed it in the entryway. Cheng Ying followed his movements closely, and when she saw Cheng Xun walk to the sofa and sit down, she followed him closely and sat down beside him at a distance.

"Second brother, I've already apologized. Have you forgiven me?"

Cheng Xun leaned back comfortably on the sofa chair. He didn't know when he had taken out a lighter from his pocket, and he twirled it in his fingers. He knew he shouldn't take his sister's thoughtless words to heart. In fact, he hadn't really taken them to heart. Perhaps a hint of sarcasm flashed through his mind for a moment when he heard them, but it was only for a split second.

But as if to confirm his image in Cheng Ying's mind, he smiled and said in a very unsympathetic way, "Your second brother is a very petty person, he won't forget what you said for a while."

Cheng Ying: "..."

...

After Song Qiuxuan returned to her bedroom and put down her handbag, she went to the kitchen to help Xu Yanzhen prepare dinner. Xu Yanzhen liked to tell Song Qiuxuan gossip she had heard from the neighbor aunt at such times, and the kitchen was filled with chattering sounds.

"Aunt Song said that this year's top science student is from Lianyan High School, which is your senior. I heard that the school gave that student a considerable scholarship. Xuanxuan, do you know how much money the school awarded that student?"

Song Qiuxuan had heard about this. The homeroom teacher had probably praised Cheng Ting, the top science student, several times to encourage the students to study hard, and had also mentioned the scholarships he had received.

"I know, our homeroom teacher mentioned it. I even saw his photo on the honor roll. Oh, and his younger brother is in our class."

Several dishes were laid out on the table. Song Qiuxuan bent down to take out bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and placed them on the table. Then she heard Xu Yanzhen say, "Really? Is his academic performance also excellent? You should learn from him and his experience."

Song Qiuxuan thought about how Cheng Xun often slept at school, often did his homework perfunctorily or even didn't hand it in, and also thought about the hurtful words Cheng Xun's sister said by the park bench. Considering all these factors, Song Qiuxuan could guess that Cheng Xun was not a student with outstanding grades.

A hint of unease flashed across Song Qiuxuan's face as she changed the subject, asking, "Does Dad have another social engagement tonight?"

“Yes.” Xu Yanzhen pulled out a chair and sat down, her tone puzzled. “Didn’t I tell you that already?”

The mother and daughter sat facing each other at the dining table. Song Qiuxuan thought that her mother had been led astray and quietly buried her head in her food.

"By the way, how much is the scholarship you mentioned earlier?" Xu Yanzhen asked casually, clearly interested in the matter, perhaps stemming from a hidden envy.

Song Qiuxuan poked at the rice with her chopsticks, looking dejected and as if she didn't want to continue the conversation. "Why are you eyeing their scholarship? They probably don't care as much as you do."

Perhaps his family really doesn't care about the scholarship; they only care about the honor itself. I heard from classmates that Cheng Xun's father is a company manager, and his mother's family was already well-off, so tens of thousands of yuan is not worth their concern.

These words displeased Xu Yanzhen: "How can you talk like that? I was just asking a question, how did it become that you're eyeing the scholarship?"

Song Qiuxuan lowered her eyes. She noticed her mother's mood and realized that her words hadn't been very pleasant. It might have been her mother's flattering tone, or it might have been because Xu Yanzhen always took the opportunity to nag her after they finished talking about other people's children, telling her to learn from them. In any case, Song Qiuxuan felt uncomfortable, as if a stone was stuck in her heart, and she wasn't too keen on continuing the conversation.

Normally, Song Qiuxuan eats slowly and deliberately, but today she was uncharacteristically quick. She ate her rice bowl a few times, stuffed her cheeks full, and quickly finished her dinner before retreating to her bedroom.

Xu Yanzhen gave her a strange look several times, but didn't say anything. She lay down on the sofa, picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and continued watching her idol drama.

After taking a shower at nine o'clock in the evening, Song Qiuxuan sat at her desk and sent Cheng Xun a message with the simple words "Are you there?" After all, she had already told him about the tutoring session at the park, and he should understand immediately when he saw the message.

Cheng Xun was standing in front of the refrigerator when he received the message, holding a can of Coke in one hand. As he turned to walk back to the bedroom, he looked down at his phone and typed "Mm" in reply.

Passing through the living room, he lifted his eyelids to look over. The three of them were sitting on a sofa. Mr. Cheng was dressed in a suit and tie, looking composed and solemn. His smile was faint, but it was still clear that he was in a good mood. Mrs. Cheng had changed into her home clothes, holding her phone, looking at the screen with an undisguised smile, and muttering some everyday things.

They were video chatting with Cheng Ting. Cheng Ying's request for forgiveness was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. At this moment, she had already put what happened in the park out of her mind, snuggled into Cheng's mother's arms, and tried to say a few more words to Cheng Ting. The phone screen was turned around and around, and the three of them chatted back and forth.

The scene was quite harmonious, but Cheng Xun, who was passing through the living room and them, seemed like an outsider who didn't fit in. He turned his gaze away without any emotion.

Perhaps due to excessive excitement, the conversation in the living room was quite loud, especially Cheng Ying's voice, which had a childlike shrillness. She would occasionally giggle, and even after closing the door and returning to her bedroom, the sounds from outside could still be faintly heard.

Cheng Xun lounged casually in his gaming chair, flicking out a cigarette from his pack. Just then, his phone rang, showing a video call from his WeChat friend Xuan.

Do we need to make a video call to discuss the topic? Cheng Xun placed the cigarette on the table. He didn't quite understand, but he answered the call anyway, just a second before Song Qiuxuan hung up.

Song Qiuxuan made the video call simply because her hand was shaking and she pressed the wrong button. Just as she was about to hang up in a fluster, Cheng Xun answered unexpectedly. Looking at the cold-faced, pale-skinned boy on the phone, Song Qiuxuan smiled awkwardly, then stiffly suppressed her smile.

Song Qiuxuan explained, "Uh, I pressed the wrong button. If you don't want to video chat, I'll hang up now."

Cheng Xun paused for two seconds, looking at Song Qiuxuan in the video on his phone, who was wearing summer pajamas. Her wet long hair fell to her chest, and the camera lens made it look as if it was coated with a warm yellow light, which made her face look fair and soft.

Cheng Xun propped his phone up on a glass and said nonchalantly, "It's okay, go ahead and talk."

The explanation was finished in two minutes. During the process, Cheng Xun was not paying attention. He pretended to be writing something on the draft paper, but in fact, he would look up at Song Qiuxuan while she was explaining the problem. Song Qiuxuan did not notice his inattentiveness because she asked Cheng Xun questions to test whether he knew the answer, and Cheng Xun was able to answer them.

Cheng Xun stared at her phone screen, a subtle feeling stirring within her. A girl's voice came through the phone; her tone was soft and gentle, unable to mask the sounds outside the door. Yet, Cheng Xun's attention was entirely focused on her voice, as if she had automatically blocked out everything else.

He even developed a naive idea that while everyone else was having a lively time, his world was not quiet either.

Song Qiuxuan stopped speaking, and Cheng Xun's mind calmed down.

"I understood, you explained it very clearly." Cheng Xun paused for a moment, then praised in a calm tone, "You are the most patient person I have ever met when explaining problems."

"Oh, really?" Song Qiuxuan put down her pen, her eyes crinkling with a mixture of surprise and restraint. She felt a small sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. In this mood, she said without any shame, "If you have any questions in the future, just ask me. Our seats are so close, it'll be easy to communicate."

Song Qiuxuan saw Cheng Xun slightly stunned, her eyelashes drooping. Did he think she was too proud? He didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The bedroom was air-conditioned, but Song Qiuxuan still felt hot and bothered. She frantically tried to explain, "Of course, I don't know the answers to every question either. You can ask someone else if you want."

Song Qiuxuan seemed to have something urgent to attend to, and her tone was hurried: "Good night, I'll hang up now."

When Cheng Xun looked at his phone screen, he could only see the moment her finger pressed the hang-up button. Before he could say a word, she suddenly hung up.

Actually, Cheng Xun's sudden silence was only because he had said that Song Qiuxuan was patient. After saying it, he was somewhat incredulous, surprised that he would say something praising someone.

Cheng Xun picked up his phone awkwardly, looked down at the few words in the chat, and a few seconds later threw it on the table as if it were burning his hand. He coughed twice, put on his headphones, and started playing games on his computer.