domineering siblings
The aroma of steaming buns, carried by the heat, wafted through the cafeteria window.
Tingyue swiped her student card deftly, picked up three baskets of freshly steamed buns, carefully placed them on the table, and pushed one basket each to Qixu and Tingxubai.
"Here, eat it while it's hot."
Qi Xu picked up a plump, white bun and took a bite. The scalding hot meat filling made her gasp slightly.
After swallowing, she seemed to suddenly remember something, looking at the brother and sister who were engrossed in eating: "Actually... we can try to get along with them peacefully, there's no need for such hostility. Tingyue, Tingxubai, did you hear that?"
Tingyue pouted, paused in her hand movements, and looked unconvinced.
Ting Xubai merely snorted in response. Both of them clearly showed their rejection in their expressions.
"Having more friends means having more options," Qi Xu patiently advised. "We're all classmates; we might be able to help each other out in the future."
Tingyue slammed down her chopsticks, her brows furrowed. "Why do we have to rely on others? If we work hard to climb the ladder ourselves, others will naturally become irrelevant. Having you as a close friend is enough," she said resolutely.
“Exactly,” Xu Bai immediately echoed, his voice carrying a lazy, cold tone. “It’s better to rely on yourself than on others.”
"Having more friends means having more trouble. I saw a post on my phone where someone told their friends all about their novel ideas, pen name, and publishing platform, and what happened? The novel was inexplicably reported and banned."
"When people around you see that you're doing better than her, and they get jealous, what wouldn't they do?"
Qi Xu understood these principles perfectly well. Her father had repeatedly warned her since childhood: dependence is poison, and trust must be approached with caution. She was caught in the middle, simply not wanting the atmosphere to become too tense.
"Sigh..." Qi Xu sighed silently, looking at the two equally stubborn faces in front of him, knowing that there was no point in saying more.
The bell for the end of morning exercises had already rung, and the cafeteria was instantly filled with a surging crowd, with noise rising and falling.
Qi got up to go to the restroom, and when he came back, the passageway was completely blocked.
She carefully sidestepped to avoid it, but still bumped into someone unexpectedly.
"Don't get distracted while you're walking, keep your eyes open." A cheerful voice came from above; it was Hao Nan.
Qi Xu steadied herself, looked up at him, and said, "Can I reasonably suspect that you did this on purpose?"
“Of course,” Hao Nan raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening, “but you have to give an explanation.”
"The explanation is that I was careful enough, but I still bumped into you, and it just so happens to be you." Qi Xu bluntly stated, "You need something from me?"
Hao Nan shrugged: "It's nothing serious. I just noticed you didn't go to morning exercises and thought something had happened to you."
Standing and talking was too tiring, so Qi Xu gestured for him to find an empty seat.
"Did the teacher say anything during morning exercises?" Qi Xu asked somewhat nervously.
Hao Nan deliberately put on a stern face: "The teacher said that those who are absent will have to run two laps around the playground alone in a little while."
"Huh?!" Qi Xu's face immediately fell. Just thinking about running laps under the scorching sun made him feel dizzy.
Hao Nan couldn't help but laugh when he saw that she was serious: "Just kidding! The class monitor has already asked for leave for you."
"That joke was..." Qi Xu breathed a sigh of relief, then rolled her eyes at him, "Don't scare people next time."
Hao Nan laughed even harder, then reminded him, "By the way, how's my birthday present coming along?"
Qi Xu's heart skipped a beat; she had completely forgotten about it! But she tried her best to remain calm: "Your birthday...is next Monday, right?"
She quickly searched her mind for a suitable gift, and then a brilliant idea struck her: the comic book she had drawn herself in the drawer—if she could go back and refine it, that should work.
Hao Nan caught her momentary hesitation, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes: "You...you haven't forgotten, have you?"
Qi Xu was about to honestly admit it when he looked up and met his expectant gaze, and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
She flashed a bright smile: "How could that be? I remember your birthday perfectly well."
"That's good," Hao Nan's smile immediately became genuine and bright, like a lamp that had been lit. "I'm looking forward to your gift."
That sincere smile also touched Qi Xu, causing her to involuntarily curl the corners of her mouth.
The two chatted for a few more minutes, and after Hao Nan finished eating, they left the cafeteria together, chatting and laughing as they walked towards the classroom.
Qi Xu completely forgot that there were two friends waiting for her to return in the corner of the cafeteria.
The people in the cafeteria gradually dispersed, and Tingyue and Tingxubai had already finished their steamed buns.
"She...did she go back to the classroom by herself?" Tingyue asked uncertainly, looking at the empty space opposite her.
“It’s very likely.” Ting Xubai stood up. “Let’s go back too.”
The two had just reached the classroom door when they were stopped by a figure—Jiang Hui, Tingyue's deskmate.
Tingyue frowned: "Who are you? Why are you stopping us?"
Hearing Xu Bai whisper a reminder: "Your deskmate is Jiang Hui."
“My name is Jiang Hui,” the boy said in a low, slightly nervous voice, “You offended Ms. Liu, the English teacher, this morning. She’s teaching the first class. She’s waiting in the classroom to ‘deal with’ you… Be careful.”
Upon hearing this, Tingyue laughed and patted Jiang Hui's shoulder forcefully: "Thanks, deskmate! But we're not afraid of her." This sudden closeness startled Jiang Hui.
Following her sister's example, Bai patted Jiang Hui's other shoulder, and the two of them pushed the door open and went inside.
Jiang Hui quickly slipped back to his seat through the back door, watching the backs of the brother and sister, his palms sweating. Teacher Liu's authority was no joke.
There were some hushed conversations outside the classroom, but they stopped abruptly when Ms. Liu, who was standing on the podium, entered the classroom.
On the platform, Teacher Liu held a smooth, long wooden ruler in her hand, tapping it intermittently on the edge of the platform, producing a dull "thud." Her gaze was piercing, coldly fixed on the doorway.
"Halt!" The authoritative voice carried a chilling tone.
Tingyue and Tingxubai acted as if they hadn't heard anything, walking straight to their seats without looking to the side, treating Teacher Liu as if she were invisible.
Teacher Liu's face turned ashen. She gripped the ruler tightly and strode down from the podium, taking a few steps to Tingyue's seat. "Thump! Thump! Thump!" The ruler slammed heavily on the table, startling Jiang Hui, who was sitting next to her, who shrank back in fright.
"Hands out! Hold them out!" Teacher Liu commanded, raising her voice.
"Why?!" Tingyue suddenly looked up, her eyes sharp as knives.
"I'll teach students like you who have no respect for their elders a lesson." Teacher Liu tapped the table a few more times, the ruler almost poking Tingyue's face.
Jiang Hui was so nervous that his whole body was trembling slightly. Ting Yue did not back down and retorted clearly, "Bullying students and abusing your power! How dare you be a teacher? You are a disgrace to the teaching profession!"
"You!" Teacher Liu was so angry that she trembled all over. She was completely enraged and raised the ruler in her hand, about to bring it down on Tingyue!
A slender hand firmly grasped the other end of the ruler—it was the narrator.
His face was expressionless, but his hand remained motionless like an iron clamp. Teacher Liu tried to pull the ruler back, but Ting Xubai suddenly yanked it, and the ruler flew out of his hand and landed steadily in his palm.
Enraged, Teacher Liu grabbed Tingyue's arms with both hands, her long nails digging deep into her flesh!
"Hiss—!" Tingyue cried out in pain, suddenly swung her arm to break free, and slapped Teacher Liu hard across the face!
"Smack!"
The sharp sound exploded like thunder in the silent classroom, and all the students turned around in astonishment.
Teacher Liu covered her face, staring at Tingyue in disbelief, before bursting into a hysterical roar: "What are you looking at! Read your books!"
As Xu Bai toyed with the ruler he had snatched, his tone languid yet chillingly cold: "Aren't eyes meant for seeing? What, you're not even allowed to look?"
"Get out! You two get out of here! You're not allowed to attend my class anymore!" Teacher Liu pointed to the door, her voice trembling with anger.
"Tch, who cares?" Tingyue scoffed, stood up, grabbed her brother, and walked out of the classroom without looking back.
Ms. Liu was furious. Her gaze swept over Jiang Hui, who was still frozen in his seat with a pale face, and she snapped, "You! Get out of here too! You're an eyesore!"
Jiang Hui seemed to have anticipated this outcome and silently walked out. He was used to Teacher Liu's unpredictable temper, and to her unwarranted insults and punishments.
In the corridor, Tingyue saw him come out as well, somewhat surprised: "Why are you here too..."
"I'm sorry," Ting Xubai said sincerely, "I've dragged you into this."
Jiang Hui shook his head and said in a low voice, "It's nothing... Actually, I don't like her classes either. It's just the same old stuff: memorizing vocabulary, reciting texts, and translating. It's boring." He paused, looked at the audacious brother and sister in front of him, and couldn't help but ask, "But... why did you make such a scene on your first day here?"
Instead of answering directly, Tingyue stepped forward and unexpectedly lifted up Jiang Hui's school uniform sleeve.
Several old and new bluish-purple marks were clearly exposed to the light.
"Was it that bad woman who did it?" Tingyue asked, staring into his eyes.
As if burned, Jiang Hui jerked his hand back, hurriedly pulled down his sleeve to cover the wound, and lowered his head even further.
"What are you afraid of?" Tingyue's tone was filled with exasperation. "Isn't anyone brave enough to stand up to her? A grown man, cowering like a coward?"
These words pierced Jiang Hui's heart like a needle.
His lips moved, but he didn't refute, his eyes were dark and gloomy.
She's right, I'm a coward who only knows how to swallow my anger.
Just then, the homeroom teacher appeared at the end of the corridor with a stern face: "Tingyue! Tingxubai! Come to my office!"
The brother and sister exchanged a glance and silently followed. When they pushed open the office door, they were taken aback; Qi Xu was standing inside, holding a large stack of homework books.
"You guys... have gotten into trouble again?" Qi Xu looked at them, lowered his voice, and looked helpless.
Tingyue and Tingxubai also awkwardly tugged at the corners of their mouths.
The homeroom teacher slammed down, still furious: "First day! Only your first day! And you've already caused such a huge mess! You better behave yourself from now on!"
He paused, then pointed to a stack of papers in the corner, "Go to the library and copy the school rules three times! Hand them in to me first thing tomorrow morning!"
The two understood immediately: top-performing students, as long as they didn't cause any serious problems, would usually be given leeway by the teachers. They picked up their pens and paper and quietly left the office.
As I passed the classroom door, I saw Jiang Hui still standing alone in the corridor.
Tingyue's eyes darted around, and she quickly walked to Jiang Hui's side, lowering her voice: "The homeroom teacher said that the three of us should go to the library to copy the school rules."
Jiang Hui looked at the closed classroom door with some doubt, and hesitated before going in to get a pen.
"Stop dawdling!" Tingyue pushed him forward gently without waiting for a reply. "Go get it, we'll wait for you at the bottom of the stairs!"
Jiang Hui stumbled from the push, glanced back at Tingyue's encouraging gesture, then looked at the classroom door, took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.
He pushed open the door, and under Ms. Liu's cold gaze, quickly walked back to his seat, grabbed three pens, and then swiftly retreated.
Ting Xubai naturally put his arm around his shoulder: "That's right, what's there to be afraid of?"
The library was so quiet that only the sound of turning pages could be heard. Jiang Hui unfolded the school rules, picked up a pen to copy them, and suddenly remembered something: "How many times should I copy them?"
Without even looking up, Tingyue blurted out, "Six times."
"Six times?" Jiang Hui paused, looking at her suspiciously. Didn't the homeroom teacher always make us copy it three times?
Tingyue looked up, her face full of "sincerity": "Why would I lie to you? It's six times!"
Jiang Hui silently gave two of the three pens he had brought to them, and calmly said, "Write your own."
"Why are you carrying so many pens?" Tingyue asked curiously.
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Jiang Hui's lips as he slowly said, "Three times three equals nine. So, why is it six?"
Tingyue was taken aback, her "sincere" expression instantly crumbling—she'd been seen through! Sullenly, she grabbed her pen and began copying, muttering to herself as she wrote, "I thought she was an easy target… but she's so cunning… Humph, what a waste of my time…"
Jiang Hui heard her complaint, but didn't look up; instead, the smile on his lips deepened.
He opened a thick English novel, picked up a pen, and began writing something fluently in the notebook beside him.
Tingyue's hand ached from copying, so she couldn't help but steal a glance and discovered that Jiang Hui wasn't copying school rules at all, but was translating a novel! She couldn't help but complain, "Hey! You're reading an English novel here? And translating it?"
"Okay, practice as you read." Jiang Hui pushed the notebook full of translations toward her.
Looking at the neat handwriting and fluent translation, Tingyue was completely speechless.
She shoved the notebook back at her impatiently: "I think this is none of your business. You can leave now."
Jiang Hui put away his notebook, reopened his novel, and said without looking up, "Wait until after class."
Watching the two of them go back and forth, Ting Xubai couldn't help but chuckle softly. He was also tired of copying, so he put down his pen, got up, and walked to the bookshelf, intending to find a book to relax with.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
