"I suppose he has always been the center of attention."
“Yes, apart from being quiet, he is excellent in every other aspect. Being quiet has its advantages, for example, people who pursue him basically dare not get too close.” Xu Tiantian recalled, “And they always give up pursuing him because it’s too boring.”
Ying Qian lowered her eyes and smiled, "I'm quite lucky, I won him over without much effort."
"You pursued him?" Xu Tiantian shook her head. "I think the two of you just got together naturally. There was no question of who pursued whom. You just ended up together without really knowing what was going on."
Their relationship was immediately revealed.
Ying Qian chuckled twice, "This is fine too, at least we don't have to worry about who pursued whom."
"That makes sense!"
The New Year period went by exceptionally fast.
I saw Meng Beiyan again on the eve of the start of the semester, the night before the Lantern Festival.
Ying Qian felt bitter because the school always started on the Lantern Festival.
"Have you packed your things?" The tall, slender man walked over.
Meng Beiyan not only didn't gain weight over the New Year, but actually lost weight, probably due to drinking and socializing. His once bright and piercing eyes also became dull and lifeless.
I heard that he took on several tricky cases during the first few days of the Lunar New Year, and was so busy that he didn't even go home.
Ying Qian was still organizing books and stationery.
"That's about it."
An invisible barrier gradually formed between the siblings, one that neither dared to touch, for to touch it would cause excruciating pain.
"Okay." Meng Beiyan stood at the bedroom door. It was too dark inside, so he went in, turned on the light, and then silently came out. "I'll take you there tomorrow morning."
It is a declarative sentence, not a question.
Ying Qian seemed to have no reason to refuse.
"Okay," she agreed.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Meng Beiyan smiled, and his face finally showed some relief and vitality.
He didn't know if he was as prone to anxiety as his friends said; he simply wanted to protect and keep this sister who wasn't related to him by blood. That was all he did.
"Brother, we might need to find accommodation soon."
During dinner, Ying Qian suddenly brought it up.
Meng Beiyan paused, chopsticks in his hand. "How come I didn't know?"
Ying Qian was stunned for a few seconds, then calmly replied, "The teacher posted it in the group."
He opened his phone blankly and saw the most extreme parent group in his list. He had turned on Do Not Disturb, and only the bland gray Do Not Disturb icon told the whole story.
He lowered his eyes and subtly pinned the parent group chat to the top of his chat list.
“Okay, I understand. Don’t worry about your accommodation; I’ll take care of that.” He assured her, “I won’t let you have a hard time at school…”
"Yes, thanks..."
He hadn't finished saying thank you.
Meng Beiyan interrupted her, his expression slightly serious, "Actually, if you don't want to stay at the hotel, then we won't arrange it. It's fine to commute. I can pick you up when I have time."
He laid his sincerity bare before Ying Qian.
Their eyes met, and Ying Qian looked away, picking up a chicken wing and putting it in her bowl. "Everyone is staying at the hotel. If I'm the only one not staying at the hotel, it will seem like I'm being special."
Even knowing it was an excuse, Meng Beiyan could only helplessly say, "You're right, I really didn't consider that."
"And another thing, I don't want to emphasize it again," he said in a deep voice, "don't thank me, no matter what your role is. I don't want to hear you thank me."
Hearing this, Ying Qian nodded, not daring to look up at his expression, and softly replied, "Okay, I understand."
Meng Beiyan pursed his lips and said nothing more.
Is it really true that they can't even be siblings anymore? Meng Beiyan dared not think about the future...
Looking at the shy and bashful girl in front of him, he didn't know what to say for a moment. She would never again call him "brother" so casually.
The reason was simply a ridiculous confession.
“Ying Qian, I think we should have a good talk,” he suddenly said during their walk.
Ying Qian felt like she was going crazy for agreeing to his request to go for a walk. She frowned. "What's there to talk about? Should we talk about me, or about you?"
"...Is it possible to go back to the beginning?"
"No," Ying Qian immediately rejected.
"Why?"
“Brother, time cannot be reversed.” Ying Qian looked even more petite and helpless in the dim light. “You and I are like a blizzard. Even if it’s intense, in the end we’ll just melt into a puddle of water and leave nothing behind after it dries up.”
Meng Beiyan bent down and hugged her tightly, disregarding her feelings.
As if reluctant to let her leave his embrace, he said emotionally, "Whether you like it or not, Ying Qian, I love you, I really love you..."
Chen Wenzhi, standing not far away, watched quietly, clicked his tongue, and remained motionless. The wind and snow fell on the young man's temples, leaving streaks of water.
“I know you like me, but it doesn’t matter.” Ying Qian patted his back reassuringly. “Just treat me like a child, and you’re still that caring older brother.”
"Um."
Tears soaked through the clothes on her shoulders.
Ying Qian felt a lump in her throat and listened quietly to Meng Beiyan's sobs.
She often saw him cry, but no matter how many times she saw it, it still pained her. Regardless of anything else, she explained this phenomenon by saying: "I am a sentimental person."
Seeing that Meng Beiyan had released Ying Qian, Chen Wenzhi leisurely left.
The next day, the school opened, and the area in front of the Third Middle School was packed with cars and people, causing a major traffic jam.
Meng Beiyan pulled Ying Qian out of the car and squeezed into the crowd.
She walked into the campus without looking back or saying goodbye, leaving Meng Beiyan standing alone in the wind, gazing into the distance...
Meng Beiyan smiled bitterly, "Too cruel."
That's true, he didn't do anything to make Ying Qian happy.
Ying Qian walked aimlessly toward the teaching building.
Suddenly, someone patted her on the shoulder, and she turned around sharply to see Chen Wenzhi.
"Why are you always looking so gloomy?" He reached out and tugged at her cheek, trying to force a smile. "Ying Qian, cheer up."
Seeing his sorrowful face, Ying Qian burst into tears. She said pitifully, "I can't be happy... Chen Wenzhi, I can't be happy at all..."
Her voice was trembling with tears.
Chen Wenzhi felt as if something was poking at his heart, and he gently ruffled her soft hair.
"Try to focus on something new, like the entrance exams. Prepare well and forget about everything else," he said calmly. The rest of his words were, "Don't cry, or I won't like you anymore."
"If you don't like it, then forget it!" Ying Qian broke free from his embrace and strode forward angrily, wiping her tears with her sleeve as she walked. She couldn't let her classmates see her in this embarrassing state.
Chen Wenzhi laughed and followed behind her, "How could I not like it!"
Amidst the noise of the crowd, Chen Wenzhi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "How could I not like you, Ying Qian? I will always love you, forever and ever."
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