Chapter 39
"Qiu Li, what happened?" A knock came at the door.
"It's alright," Luo Qiuli replied, quickly hiding the poster on the table inside the cabinet.
The door opened, and Chen's mother immediately saw Luo Mingxiu with his head down, his schoolbag on the ground, and obvious red marks on his face.
"Oh dear, why did you hit the child?" Chen's mother walked over and looked at his face, her voice full of concern. She looked at Luo Qiuli, "You're still saying nothing happened? What's wrong?"
"I..." Luo Mingxiu moved his lips, but Luo Qiuli glared at him and interrupted, "You're having puppy love, I'm angry and I'll teach you a lesson."
"What?" Mother Shen was taken aback, perhaps not expecting this. "Have you figured it out? Could you have misunderstood the child?"
She hoped it was a misunderstanding. Luo Qiuli looked at Luo Mingxiu, then turned away in anger.
Thinking of the determined look in my son's eyes when he said he liked it, I instantly felt ashamed to stay here.
She owed the Shen couple a debt of gratitude, which allowed her to raise her child. Now, this little brat is actually eyeing his god-sister.
“It’s normal for kids this age to have puppy love. Just talk to them nicely. Mingxiu isn’t the disobedient type,” Chen’s mother advised Luo Qiuli for a couple of minutes, then asked Luo Mingxiu, “Is the other person also from school?”
no.
Luo Mingxiu tightened his lips, glanced at his mother, then at his godmother with a gentle smile, and finally said, "Yes, he is my classmate."
He had a premonition that telling the truth would mean leaving this family forever, so he lied against his will, which earned him an hour of persuasion from his godmother, and he temporarily reconciled with his mother in front of her.
After that man died, his mother never hit him again. He knew that liking Shen Li had crossed her bottom line.
But can he control his emotions?
Is it because he was taken in by this family and became her adopted brother that he doesn't even have the right to like her?
Afterwards, her mother took away the poster, and also deleted everything about Shen Li from her phone and computer.
His mother kept a closer eye on his every move, and Luo Mingxiu silently resisted her.
Throughout the winter break, the mother and son remained in this state. Shen's mother thought that Luo Mingxiu hadn't figured things out yet, so she told Shen Li about it on WeChat, asking her, as the older sister, to talk to her younger brother again.
At that time, Shen Li was working abroad. After the drama became a hit, it also created a sensation overseas, with various fashion weeks and red carpet invitations coming from overseas. Currently, she and her team have been working and living in the United States for a month.
Having just attended a photography exhibition, on her way back to the hotel, Shen Li was scrolling through WeChat replies when she saw a message from her mother.
Mom: Mingxiu is in a relationship. I found out about this half a month ago but didn't tell you. My attempts to persuade him haven't been very effective. He's still stubborn with Qiuli.
Mom: Oh, this happened right before the college entrance exam. I don't know what's wrong with my child all of a sudden. I'm really worried that he won't focus on his studies.
Mom: His phone has been confiscated now, why don't you call him when you have some free time?
Mom: He has always listened to you the most.
Shen Li immediately dialed the number. She was too surprised. Luo Mingxiu was in a relationship at such a young age. Given his usually quiet and reserved personality, how could that be?
But then she thought, although her younger brother wasn't very attractive to her, he was good at studying and good-looking, so he was probably the type of boy most admired by girls at school.
It's not impossible for him to be pursued by girls.
While I was thinking, the call was answered, and a deep male voice came from the other end: "Sister."
Instead of making wild guesses, it's better to ask the person involved. Shen Li asked him directly, "Are you dating that girl right now?"
“No,” Luo Mingxiu immediately denied, pausing before adding, “I didn’t have a puppy love relationship.”
"Is it unrequited love? Does that girl like you, or do you like her?"
"I like her, but she doesn't know it."
It turned out to be a crush. Shen Li had never experienced anything like this before, so she couldn't judge it. The feelings of young people were innocent and naive, and she didn't want to ruin that relationship.
“Mingxiu, do you know what kind of person she is? Are you sure you really like her? Just like I told you when we were kids, you only express your feelings when you have feelings for someone and your heart is fluttering.”
"She is beautiful and gentle, and she is very good to me. She can be a little temperamental at times, but I find it very cute... She is an outstanding person, loved by many people, and unattainable. I shouldn't have gotten close to her, but I couldn't control myself."
Luo Mingxiu's voice sounded a little hoarse, "I like her, I really like her."
Even though she couldn't see his face, Shen Li could sense the bitterness in his voice.
"Don't cry. I'm not here to lecture you. First of all, congratulations on having someone you truly like. That's precious and wonderful. But you and that girl will both be facing important hurdles in your lives."
If you truly like her, you need to be responsible for your future. Keeping your feelings to yourself for now is better for both of you. Get through the college entrance exam, and I'll support you no matter how you want to confess.
I support you in whatever way you want to express your feelings, but what about you?
Far away from her, Luo Mingxiu was sitting at his desk with an open box on it.
Tears streamed down his face, staining the exam paper. Through his blurred vision, he looked at the greeting card in the box: "Really, you'll support me no matter what I do?"
"Of course, would your sister lie to you? As long as it's not illegal, you can do whatever you want, but you have to wait until after the college entrance exam. Right now, the most important task is to prepare for the exam."
Think about it, since the girl you like is so outstanding, why not try to emulate her and catch up with her?
For example, if you get into the same university or the same city, you'll have more opportunities to meet her. Your grades aren't bad either, so be confident, okay? Don't underestimate yourself.
"Understood."
He kept these words in mind. The college entrance examination was indeed his only chance now. Chenli Company's main business resources were all in City B. He had to pass the exam so that his mother wouldn't be able to control him and he could live and work in the same place as her.
After that, Luo Mingxiu stopped arguing with his mother and threw himself into his intense review.
When the class conducted a college application survey, he tallied his mock exam scores and set his sights on a science and technology university in City B, continuing to focus wholeheartedly on his studies.
Whenever he studied late into the night and felt exhausted, he would open the box in the drawer.
Looking at the greeting cards his older sister had given him since he was little, and imagining how she wrote those encouraging words, he felt a warmth in his heart and was full of motivation.
Every day before the college entrance examination, Luo Mingxiu immersed himself in test papers, taking one test after another and summarizing each one. Day after day, time flew by.
On the eve of the exam, he received another call from Shen Li. He played the recording, and her gentle voice, filled with laughter, came through: "Come and cheer for my dear Mingxiu! You're going to the exam tomorrow, have you prepared everything?"
“It’s ready,” Luo Mingxiu checked the stationery bag one last time. “Everything is complete.”
Are you nervous?
"A little."
"That's normal. I couldn't sleep the night before my college entrance exam. Relax and I wish you all the best!"
After the call ended, Luo Mingxiu brought the phone closer to his ear, listening to the recording repeatedly, his chest heaving as if all the pressure had been relieved.
Sister, wait for me.
He thought to himself.
The following day, the boy, determined to win, headed to the examination hall and gave it his all. When the bell rang for the last subject, English, three years of study came to an end, and the students filed out.
Amidst the surging crowd, Luo Mingxiu stood at the school gate, looked up at the bright sun on the horizon, then looked down, took out his phone, and smiled.
Shen Li: I'm back.
Shen Li: I have good news! I'm waiting for my brother's triumphant return.
At the school gate, which was surrounded by media, passersby saw a handsome young man in a white T-shirt run past the reporters and through the crowd.
The day finally arrived, and he couldn't wait any longer. With a heart full of excitement, Luo Mingxiu got into the car, constantly imagining the scene of seeing his sister and rehearsing his confession in his mind.
A summer breeze blew in through the window, and he felt excited and expectant.
The car stopped outside the villa gate. Luo Mingxiu got out of the car quickly. Seeing a new car at the gate, he wondered if this was the good news his sister had told him.
He quickened his pace and ran into the yard.
"Mingxiu!" A familiar voice called from behind, and he stopped in his tracks.
Luo Mingxiu turned around and saw Shen Li emerge from the edge of the lawn. He rushed over to hug her, but saw a strange man behind her.
The man walked up to Shen Li and extended his hand to him: "Hello, little brother, I'm Shen Li's boyfriend."
Luo Mingxiu didn't know how he dragged his stiff body back into the house.
Watching his sister introduce him to her family, and linking arms with the man, her face radiated a joy he had never seen before.
During the six months he was preparing for the exam, he didn't pay attention to entertainment news. In just six months, she got a boyfriend, not any of the on-screen couples he had ever seen, but someone outside the entertainment industry. Why? What right did he have to do so?
"Mingxiu, why aren't you saying anything?" Shen Li looked at him, her gaze both gentle and cruel. "Your sister has met someone she likes, aren't you happy for me?"
Why? Didn't you say you didn't have anyone you liked?
Overwhelmed by grief, Luo Mingxiu stared at the two shadows pressed together on the floor, unable to utter a word of joy. With a sharp pain in his heart, he asked, "Did you meet abroad?"
"Yes, I met him at an international photography exhibition."
"After returning to China, I happened to be in charge of shooting the new issue of Shenli Magazine..."
The two chatted away, their words filled with affection, until Luo Mingxiu gradually lost track of what they were saying. He sat blankly in the living room, staring at Shen Li as if he had never known her before.
“Dad, Mom, Fang Wei is on a business trip here. I brought him back to meet you and he can stay for a few nights.”
"I apologize for disturbing you, Uncle and Aunt." The man stood up and bowed. He was dressed smartly and had a refined and approachable demeanor. The gift box he had brought was placed on the table, showing his impeccable manners.
During dinner, Fang Wei drank with Shen's father and talked eloquently in front of the elder. Even after drinking, he remained elegant and composed.
Luo Mingxiu observed his godparents' expressions; they maintained polite smiles, revealing no discernible attitude.
But look at Shen Li; she keeps looking at the man, and the emotion in her eyes is clearly a woman's admiration for him.
After dinner, Shen Li took Fang Wei for a walk in the courtyard. Luo Mingxiu returned to his room, lifted a corner of the curtain to look at her, just like when he first came to the Shen family.
He watched as she took the man's hand and walked down the steps to the tree where they used to play. The man said something, and she smiled, nestling in his arms.
After a while, the man lowered his head and kissed her. The moonlight shone on the two of them, coldly cutting into Luo Mingxiu's heart. He gripped the curtains tightly, almost tearing them apart.
His body was pierced by the suffocating feeling of drowning from the nightmare. His breathing was heavy. When the man's gaze fell on him, he quickly let go and lay down on the bed.
Tears flowed backward.
He stared intently at the ceiling, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. The college entrance exam was over, and it should have been the time for him to express his love, but she brought her boyfriend home, effectively silencing his hopes.
He could do nothing but watch from the sidelines as his younger brother, weeping softly under the covers in the darkness.
The man stayed at home for a few days, while Luo Mingxiu went out to stay for a few days, using the excuse that a classmate invited him, but actually he went to find people to hang out with, spending every day in internet cafes from dawn to dusk.
He didn't leave the internet cafe and turn on his phone until even his gaming buddy couldn't stay awake any longer.
He received a message from his mother on WeChat, and after he replied, a pinned message popped up.
Shen Li: You've been playing with your classmates for a week, aren't you coming home? I'm sorry, I suddenly brought people home and forgot you're shy. Did that make you uncomfortable?
Luo Mingxiu stared at the words on the screen for a long time, and for the first time, he had no desire to reply to her.
But his hand was still tapping the keyboard, and he typed two words: No.
When the college entrance examination results were released, Luo Mingxiu lived up to expectations and achieved a high score of 689 in science. When he was filling out his college application, his whole family surrounded him and gave him advice.
"Do you have a target university?" Shen Li asked, seeing him struggling in front of the computer, comparing two 985 universities. "Your score is more than enough for both the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Science and Technology of China. Both are good, but they are in different cities. Which city is the girl you like in?"
Where else could it be? City B, the target he had set long ago. Luo Mingxiu swiped the mouse towards the University of Science and Technology, then withdrew it, and finally filled in the University of Science and Technology of China as his first choice.
She is in City C.
He lied again, somewhat resigned to his fate. Shen Li already had a boyfriend she was talking about marrying, so what was the point of him living in the same city as her now?
He couldn't accept this reality, and he didn't want to watch her get married again under the guise of being her younger brother.
It's better to stay away.
Leave her.
When this thought crossed Luo Mingxiu's mind, his heart was filled with unbearable sorrow. He shut down his computer, quickly returned to his room, and, using sleep as an excuse, covered himself with the blanket and sobbed once again.
Just like when Shen Li took the college entrance exam, her family held a banquet to celebrate Luo Mingxiu's admission to university.
At the banquet, Luo Mingxiu wore a black suit, his face less childish and more stern.
As Shen Li watched him calmly and composedly chatting with his father and the guests, she realized with a start that the boy had truly grown up.
As the music began to play in the banquet hall, Mr. Shen led Luo Mingxiu onto the stage: "Thank you all for attending my godson Luo Mingxiu's college entrance celebration banquet. We have invited a band today, so please feel free to dance and have some fun."
After he finished speaking, everyone applauded and cheered, and invited others to dance to the music.
Shen Li was in such high spirits that she drank a few more glasses of wine, and her head was spinning and her face was a little hot. Just as she was about to go back to her room, she vaguely glanced at Luo Mingxiu and saw a girl inviting him to dance. He frowned, acted somewhat evasively, and said something before the girl walked away.
She smiled, lifted the hem of her dress, and approached, her tone teasing as she said, "Young master, would you do me the honor of...?"
Before she could finish speaking, Luo Mingxiu took her hand and looked at her flushed cheeks: "Sister, you're drunk."
"No!" Shen Li looked up and grabbed his tie. "I want to dance."
Luo Mingxiu forced a smile, then his eyes turned cold. He said nothing, but supported her unsteady body with one hand and walked forward.
Shen Li leaned against the person and took a few steps, then sat down by the wall and took off her high heels. With her feet flat on the cool floor, she relaxed her brows and slid down, already treating this place as her own bedroom.
This place is not far from the banquet hall, and guests keep coming out of the corridor to cool off and smoke.
Luo Mingxiu had intended to take her out to sober up, but he didn't expect her to be so drunk. He squatted down, picked up her high heels, and carried her in his arms.
However, he couldn't just openly carry her through the banquet hall and go upstairs under the watchful eyes of the guests.
He could only carry her into his room and put her on the bed, as it was nearby. Luo Mingxiu gently covered her with a blanket. Shen Li's forehead was covered in fine sweat, indicating that she was very hot. The blanket was kicked off as soon as it was put on her.
Luo Mingxiu lowered the air conditioner temperature, then took a tissue to wipe her sweat, tidied the hair at her temples, and finally gently covered her with a blanket.
Soon, the sound of the woman's even breathing could be heard, and the warm yellow light fell on her face, her sleeping face peaceful and gentle.
Looking at her beautiful and dazzling face, Luo Mingxiu thought of the day she and her boyfriend kissed under the tree, and his heart ached with a bittersweet feeling.
"Chen Li, I like you." He said in a voice only he could hear, leaning down and slowly approaching her.
"Can you break up with him?" He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips, tears streaming down his face.
"What are you doing?" A cold voice came from behind. Luo Mingxiu turned around and saw his mother standing by the door. She came over, grabbed him, and led him to the backyard.
When the slap landed as expected, Luo Mingxiu remained silent.
"What exactly do you want to do? Are you trying to make me angry to death? She already has a boyfriend. How can you do this to Shen Li, who has treated you like a younger brother since you were little? How can you do this to your godparents?"
Luo Qiuli wiped away her tears, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mom is too ashamed to stay in this house anymore, so I resigned. Before I take you away, please don't do anything wrong that will make me feel even more guilty, okay?"
"Leave?" Luo Mingxiu looked up. "What do you mean? Does that mean I can never come back?"
“You’ve been thinking about her all this time, how could I let you stay in this house? I’ve thought about it for a long time. You’re going to study at the University of Science and Technology of China, so I’ll move to City C to find another way out and take you far away. As long as you don’t give up on your dreams, I won’t let you come back.”
The day after the banquet, Fang Wei came to the Shen family again to pick up Shen Li. Luo Mingxiu watched her get into the car, unable to say any goodbye.
He stood there watching the car drive away, and this scene became his nightmare. In his dream, he grabbed her hand, only to have it cruelly pulled away.
He woke up with a start, got out of bed, took out the box, looked at the greeting cards inside, and tore them to shreds in a fit of rage.
He smashed all the gifts in the room, all the marks she had left for him on each of his birthdays, onto the floor.
Everything Shen Li gave away—Lego, watches, cell phones—was lost; only the wooden keychain he hadn't given away remained intact, lying in a corner.
The birthday gift he never gave that year, like his feelings, could never be expressed.
Luo Mingxiu picked up the keychain and buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
He finally understood that the graduation banquet was his farewell party.
Shen Li has a new life of her own, and he has no right to stand by her side except to be her younger brother.
He and she were from two different worlds from the very beginning.
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