He broke the defense
When Zhuang Yu'an returned to the first floor again, the two girls were cuddling on the sofa.
"Teacher, my fingers hurt... Look, they're all red..."
"It's normal to feel pain. Once you develop calluses on your fingers, the pain will go away."
"Ah? How long will that take..."
"That depends on how hard you practice. If you follow my advice and practice for at least an hour every day, you should be fine in about half a month."
"Ah? Another half month?!"
"...Are you trying to be lazy? Or are you trying to give up halfway?"
"No, no! I...I will persist!"
Zhuang Yu'an suddenly felt a little envious of his sister's outgoing nature. As long as she wanted to, no matter who the person was, she could quickly get along with them.
"Brother!" Zhuang Jinghao spotted him, jumped off the sofa, and rushed over with his left hand raised to show him, "Look at my fingers, they're all red!"
My eyes drifted to my sister's delicate fingers, their tips red and etched with marks from the strings. Her guitar teacher's fingers must have been even more calloused, right?
"Why do you suddenly want to learn guitar?" Zhuang Yu'an was really curious: Is this the "suprise" his sister mentioned last night?
"It's not sudden... I just envy others who can play and sing their favorite songs! When I learn it, I'll be the first to play Happy Birthday for you!"
Zhuang Yu'an was amused: "So what his sister meant by 'surprise' was playing and singing a birthday song for him." However, spoiling the surprise before his birthday, wouldn't that be considered a surprise?
"Then you have to practice hard." He said with a smile.
"No problem!" My sister's face was full of "so easy". "The teacher said that playing Happy Birthday is extremely simple! As long as I don't slack off, I will definitely master it in half a month!"
"Okay, I'll wait and see."
"By the way, brother..." Zhuang Jinghao lowered his voice, "I want to invite Teacher Zuo to have dinner, is that okay?"
Zhuang Yu'an was slightly stunned, and in an instant, countless "yes" rushed into his chest like cola bubbles. His heart was pounding and his throat felt like it was being pinched by a hand.
After a long silence, he said, "Will this take up too much of my time?"
Normally, since she came all the way to teach, it was only natural to treat her to a meal. But she came at 3 o'clock, and it was almost 6 o'clock now. By the time the meal was ready and eaten, it would be at least 8 o'clock. What if she lived far away and didn't get home until late at night? Wouldn't that be too much trouble?
Zhuang Yu'an was still struggling, but Zhuang Jinghao thought that her brother was politely declining.
She had made an appointment with Teacher Zuo at 3 o'clock, dawdling during the first few minutes and then pestering her to chat after class, her real intention being to keep her for dinner so they could strengthen their relationship. Furthermore, she truly was reluctant to see the teacher go.
But I didn't expect that my brother would be so ruthless...
"Okay then..." she said angrily, "I'll take the teacher out to eat..."
Zhuang Yu'an's expression froze, and he blurted out, "It's okay, just eat at home." Zhuang Jinghao's eyes widened immediately, and he hugged him tightly: "Brother, you're the best!"
The brother and sister were talking back and forth, and Zuo Xiao heard every word they said.
When Zhuang Jinghao came back, she smiled slightly and said, "It's getting late. I should go home."
The other party was stunned: "Go back after dinner! I'll take you there!"
Zuo Xiao shook his head: "I don't dare ride in a car you drive anymore."
"Then I'll take a taxi to take you there!" Zhuang Jinghao pulled her hand. "Let's eat here. I've already told my brother! His cooking is super delicious! Didn't I tell you that?"
It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned him. As soon as he did, Zuo Xiao became very unhappy. He politely declined with a "I have something else to do tonight."
"Okay then..." Zhuang Jinghao's eyes were filled with disappointment, but then his expression changed in an instant, and he said expectantly, "The day after tomorrow! Can you come over the day after tomorrow?"
Zuo Xiao didn't have any plans for the day after tomorrow, but he shook his head: "No, it's not possible the day after tomorrow! Let's make an appointment on WeChat for the next class time."
Zhuang Jinghao pouted, clearly unhappy. After hesitating for a long time, she reluctantly said, "Okay..."
Zuo Xiao smiled slightly, stood up and picked up her bag: "Then I'll go, see you later!"
"I'll take you there!" Zhuang Jinghao hooked his arm around hers, as if afraid that she would leave alone.
The two walked to the door and changed their shoes. Zuo Xiao hesitated for a second: Should he say hello to the man?
Forget it, I won’t pay any attention to him!
"Brother, I'm going out to see Teacher Zuo off. I'll be back soon!" Zhuang Jinghao turned around and waved to her brother, who was still standing at the stairs. Suddenly, a "woof" sounded. It was Peter Pan, who had gotten enough sleep. Upon hearing the word "out," he happily jumped out and circled around her feet, his little paws making a clattering sound.
Zhuang Yu'an was originally immersed in the deep feeling of loss that someone could not stay for dinner, but now his eyes lit up, he strode to the door, and grabbed the dog leash without saying a word.
But his sister was tactful for once: "Brother, just focus on cooking. I'll go for a walk. It's just on my way." Before he could say anything, the dog leash was taken away.
The door was closed. Zhuang Yu'an sat on the sofa, feeling uneasy.
He always prided himself on being emotionally stable, but his mood had been fluctuating like a roller coaster for the past half day. When he thought about how he'd been so obsessed with a girl he knew nothing about, he felt like he'd lost his mind, and a wave of shame washed over him.
"Brother, is there no salt in this beef?" Zhuang Jinghao said with a frown.
Zhuang Yu'an was stunned for a moment, then picked up a piece of boiled beef: Uh... so bland...
Zhuang Jinghao looked at him worriedly and put down his chopsticks. "Brother, you really don't look right today... Is there something wrong with the company's IPO?"
Zhuang Yu'an shook his head: "Don't think too much. I just looked at too much data these past two days, and my mind is a little confused."
"Oh..." Zhuang Jing tactfully stopped asking. As she ate, she thought: Brother seems tired. Otherwise, why not take care of the little author's matter and talk to him another day?
Unexpectedly, my brother brought up this matter on his own initiative after dinner.
He asked, "Where did you find the guitar teacher who came today?"
Zhuang Jinghao chuckled and said proudly, "Brother, you also think Teacher Zuo is great, right?"
Zhuang Yu'an was slightly startled, and before he could answer, his sister continued:
"Teacher Zuo is the surprise I mentioned!"
Zhuang Yu'an was completely dumbfounded, his brain struggling to process:
My sister prepared a surprise...
This surprise is related to him...
Then, the surprise was a wonderful girl...
Could it be that my sister...
Want to be his matchmaker? !
"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Zhuang Jinghao was startled when he saw his brother's face turn red. "Did you get heatstroke again? I told you it was hot these past two days and asked you to use the air conditioner, but you didn't listen..."
Zhuang Yu'an didn't want to hear anything at the moment. He just wanted to hear his sister say what he wanted to hear. His throat was dry, so he took a sip of water and said calmly:
"What does the surprise you mentioned have to do with your teacher?"
At this moment, his heart was pounding wildly, and every second seemed to stretch endlessly. His sister, however, deliberately kept him in suspense, giggling for a long while before speaking with a wink.
"Teacher Zuo, full name Zuo Xiao."
Zuo Xiao? What a good name. Should it be the Xiao from "Spring sleep does not wake up until dawn"? Or maybe the Xiao from "Green Xiao, charming green ripples"?
"No way! Don't you have any associations? Zuo Xiao, Zuo Xiao!"
Zhuang Yu'an was puzzled and kept pondering the name in his mind.
Suddenly, his expression changed drastically: "She is..."
"Bingo!" Zhuang Jing laughed heartily. "Haha! She's the author of my little story!"
Zhuang Yu'an's mind was buzzing:
Zuo Xiao is not afraid of curses...
Zuo Xiao...
It’s her!
"Ahaha!" Zhuang Jinghao was getting more and more proud. "I said it was a big, big, big surprise! Brother, am I super awesome? One day! It only took me one day! I finished the little author in one day! Wow, I'm a genius, a genius among geniuses! Let me tell you..."
His sister's voice gradually faded away. Zhuang Yu'an's emotions were in turmoil.
That night, he clicked on the serialized novel "Zuo Xiao is Not Afraid of Curses" and found that the garbage created by this guy was even more outrageous than he had imagined!
In her novel, she portrays a self-indulgent, love-obsessed heroine, while the hero is a scum of the scum, a coward of the cowards! Furthermore, she invents an extremely controlling brother who repeatedly uses extreme means to restrict his sister's personal freedom and exert mental control... There isn't a single normal person in the entire novel, and the brother is a complete psychopath! He was so enraged just reading the synopsis that he threw his phone away without even opening the full text, fearing it would irritate him. Even more so, he feared reading too much would drive him crazy and lead to arguments with his sister, thus destroying their relationship and the harmony of their family.
He had originally thought that this kind of cultural dregs, this kind of spiritual garbage—no, this kind of spiritual pollution!—must have come from some dark and corrupt woman, or perhaps even some dark and despicable man trying to corrupt innocent girls with it. After all, how could a normal, mentally healthy person come up with such poison?
But I never expected that the poisoner who made my sister addicted to drugs would have such a bright and beautiful appearance... All that glitters is a rotten thing inside. It really shows that you can't judge a book by its cover!
Damn it! It’s really damned!
The funny thing was, he'd only encountered her three times, and yet he'd been blinded by her good looks and had already lost his heart. Not long ago, he'd described her as demure and beautiful like a lotus, and as pure and unworldly as a divine bird...
God! He is completely blind and blind!
Shame! This is a huge shame!
Zhuang Yu'an was so angry that he was shaking.
Zhuang Jinghao was still immersed in his pride, boasting endlessly about how he had conquered the young author in a lightning speed, completely unaware that his brother had already experienced mental torture and personality baptism.
When she finally said the last word, Zhuang Yu'an had completed a difficult struggle for self-identity and made a decision.
"So, you invited a stranger you only met once to your home just for a piece of rubbish novel?" Zhuang Yu'an suppressed the sharp negative emotions in his heart and spoke as calmly as possible.
"Uh..." Zhuang Jing was dumbfounded. Hadn't her brother said he'd help her find the young author? He was responsible for finding the person, and she was responsible for catering to his needs. The brother and sister played together perfectly... With victory so close, shouldn't they celebrate properly? Shouldn't they praise her?
"Brother, have you forgotten?" Zhuang Jing said aggrievedly, "It was you who said you would support me in dealing with the young author! Know yourself and your enemy, and cater to his preferences. This is what you taught me! Am I not doing well? How can you turn against me so suddenly..." She felt more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and her nose was sore.
"Getting her is one thing, but how you do it is another." Zhuang Yu'an said, "You can choose a smarter and safer way instead of bringing a stranger home. Do you know that this is very dangerous?"
"But Brother Chen Quan has already done the research for me!" Zhuang Jinghao argued. "I know where Teacher Zuo graduated from, where she worked, and who's in her family! She's not dangerous at all! And you've seen her in person. Do you think she looks like a bad person?!"
"Don't judge a person by appearance!" Zhuang Yu'an unconsciously raised his voice, almost losing control of his expression and tone. Realizing his own loss of composure, he took a deep breath before continuing:
"I've been telling you since you were little that you shouldn't judge a person by their appearance. You should at least get to know her for a while before deciding whether to establish a real-life connection with her, and definitely not just bring her home rashly. If she doesn't have any bad intentions, that's fine, but what if she does?"
Zhuang Jinghao felt aggrieved, but her brother's words left her unable to refute him. Thinking carefully, she realized that bringing him home the next day after just their first meeting was indeed a bit rash. Furthermore, this home belonged to both her and her brother; she couldn't ignore his wishes...
Seeing that she was wavering, Zhuang Yu'an continued to persuade her: "What's done is done. Be careful in the future and don't bring anyone home again, okay?"
The younger sister nodded. The older brother pressed on, "Also, I don't think Zuo Xiao is as simple as you think. I suggest you stop having any contact with her. If you really want her to continue updating her novel, I'll have Chen Quan talk to her, okay?"
"No!" Zhuang Jinghao refused to give in. "I can choose not to bring Teacher Zuo home, but you have no right to restrict me from making friends! I like her, and I want to play with her! Let's play our own games and go play outside. It won't bother you!"
Zhuang Yu'an felt his temples pounding: his sister had grown up and was becoming rebellious. No matter how much he tried to persuade her, she probably wouldn't listen...
But he still had to say it.
"Jinghao, you're not a child anymore. You're 23 this year, and you'll soon be 25, then 30. Life goes by so fast. How long are you going to indulge in those garbage online novels? When you look back on your youth, won't you find those stupid stories you were obsessed with ridiculous? Won't you regret wasting so much time on drugs? No..."
Zhuang Jinghao was furious at what she heard, and forcefully interrupted his rhetoric: "You're exaggerating! I haven't committed murder or arson, and I haven't stolen or kidnapped anyone, so what's wrong with me reading a couple of novels?! Oh, you think reading those success stories is progressive and meaningful, but me reading novels is stupid and a waste of youth? Why is that?"
"I'm not reading about success, I'm reading serious economics and management!" Zhuang Yu'an argued. "I'm not boasting about my progress because of the books I read. I just don't want to see you continue to be polluted by that messy content. If you like reading novels, you can read serious novels! There are so many high-quality literature both at home and abroad. Why do you have to choose dregs produced by inferior authors?"
"I don't want to talk to you anymore! It's like talking to a cow!" Zhuang Jinghao stood up angrily, "I'm going to sleep! Bye!"
More than ten kilometers away, Zuo Xiao was sitting at his desk.
She stared at the screen, carefully considering whether there was room for improvement in her resume. Her phone was placed next to her computer, and every word coming through the speaker was unpleasant.
"I'm telling you that private companies are unreliable. If you had listened to me and joined No. 3 Primary School as a teacher, why would you be looking for a job now?"
"...This happened eight hundred years ago. Why are you still bringing it up?"
"You think I want to mention it? I'm free? I'm worried about you. If I don't mention it, will you remember it?"
"Okay, okay, I can handle my own work, don't worry about it."
"If I don't worry about it, who will? Your mother who's not on her way? Or your grandmother who's in her seventies?"
"Just worry about yourself. Have you made the senior rank? You only have a few more years left. If you don't make it, there's no hope of a pension increase!"
"...I'll give you one month. If you still can't find a job, come back to Nanjing! I'll find a way for you! Also, remember this: no matter what, you must not let yourself go. Don't become an internet celebrity like your cousin! You're always showing up in public begging for tips. I can't afford to lose face like her!"
"Okay, okay, I get it! I'm going to sleep now, Dad, you should go to bed early too!"
After hanging up the phone, Zuo Xiao muttered to himself:
"As expected of my dad... He's such a strong dad!"
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