14 Peugeot
Before the start of school, freshmen at the city's No. 1 Middle School undergo a two-week military training program, primarily focused on standing at attention, running, and marching. The school attempts to instill a sense of time in the freshmen through a military-style routine and training.
The summer heat was still scorching. After standing in military posture for over ten minutes under the blazing sun, Yang Xiao felt a throbbing pain in her heels. Sweat trickled down her neck and back, like insects crawling through her hair. She didn't dare move, partly for fear of the instructor noticing, and partly because she wanted to be recognized as an outstanding student. She wanted to show Zhou Daye the honors after training, and he would surely be delighted.
As they gritted their teeth and persevered day after day, a rare downpour descended upon the city, unpredictable and unrelenting. The entire class, engaged in formation training on the playground, was struck by the rain. By the time they had even begun to return to the classroom, their camouflage uniforms and shoes and socks were soaked. The air was thick with the scent of rain, blinding Yang Xiao.
She subconsciously thought of Lu Zhen, Mao Qiu, Uncle Zhou and Zhou Qi.
The rain was so heavy that evening training was canceled and replaced with housekeeping. After cleaning and folding the tofu blocks, the dormitory was inspected by the dormitory manager and allowed to rest. After waiting for the remaining two roommates, Liu Zhiyang and Fang Ke, to finish their calls, Yang Xiao asked Wang Ruopeng if he wanted to call. Ruopeng shook his head and said, "You can call. I go home every week, so there's no need."
Yang Xiao finally dialed Zhou Dashe's number. While waiting for him to answer, she repeatedly touched the phone line on the other end of the receiver, feeling a little guilty. She had been in the city for almost half a month and hadn't called Uncle Zhou yet. Zhou Qi, for now, was in the city. He would sometimes visit Yang Xiao every Wednesday during Parents' Open Day, bringing fruit and milk.
After a beep, Zhou Daye answered the phone: "Who...who is it?"
"Uncle Zhou, it's me, Yang Xiao. This is my dormitory phone number, please write it down. Zhou Qi and I haven't been home for the past few days. I think you've been drinking secretly for a while, so you haven't answered my calls for so long. Before I left, Zhou Qi told me that your liver is not in good condition, so you're not allowed to drink anymore, and you should smoke less."
"Okay, I...I know. Are you getting used to it in the city?" Zhou Daye's voice was quiet, his voice aside, and the occasional barking of dogs and chirping of crickets. Yang Xiao suddenly felt reassured and replied, "I'm used to it. Absolutely used to it. The high school buildings in the city are so huge, and the playgrounds are huge too. Running around them is like circling a river."
Zhou Dashe chuckled after hearing this. "That's good. When you have time... come back and I'll stew a goose for you."
Yang Xiao quickly agreed, saying she had been craving it for a long time. After the two chatted for a few more words, Zhou Daye said he was a little tired, asked Yang Xiao to rest early, and hung up the phone.
Yang Xiao called Zhou Qi again. Unlike Zhou Daye, Zhou Qi answered the phone quickly. Barely half a minute later, a voice came from the other end: "Yang Xiao?" Yang Xiao nodded and said, "I called Uncle Zhou today. As a routine family call, I'm calling you too." Zhou Qi couldn't help laughing. "Okay, Zhou Qi, you're honored to join this family."
Miao Yue watched Zhou Qi in the distance, a smile on his face as he held up his phone. She felt a pang of displeasure. In all their time together, he'd never truly smiled at her. He always wore a polite, fake smile, something Miao Yue disliked. She especially disliked his insincere expressions. She wanted to see Zhou Qi's emotions unfold; even if he cried or got angry in front of her, she would feel happy, even excited.
So, with the intention of making Zhou Qi angry, she walked over again, approached the phone he was holding and said, "Zhou Qi, why haven't you finished your call yet?" Zhou Qi turned his head to look at her, his face slightly displeased but he immediately returned to normal and said to the other end of the phone, "I have something to do here. I'll hang up first. I'll call you back later."
After hanging up, he slipped his phone into his trouser pocket and looked at Miao Yue in silence. Miao Yue's heart lit up with small fireworks, celebrating her victory because she saw Zhou Qi's unusual expression. When he was unhappy, the corners of his mouth drooped, and even the slight irritation in his eyes didn't escape her notice.
Zhou Qi knew Miao Yue was doing this on purpose. She always treated him like a toy, watching him get embarrassed, lose his composure, even bow his head because of her pranks, as if his loss of self-esteem was the perfect circus for her. But self-esteem is like clothing; without it, one walks around naked.
He suddenly didn't want to pretend anymore. He loved to see him angry, loved to see him lower his head and be embarrassed, so just watch.
The more she can't get what she wants, the more desperately she wants it. Miao Yue is an extremely impatient hunter. She wouldn't even consider a dead rabbit delivered to her door. She only enjoys the thrill of hunting living things, and she loves to see her prey struggle to death under the sharp blade.
He felt uncomfortable watching Miao Yue's eyes, filled with curiosity and longing. But Miao Yue didn't care. She knew how to soothe an angry young man. Without hesitation, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him, but she didn't meet the warm and soft lips she had imagined.
Zhou Qi turned and left expressionlessly, leaving her with only his back blending into the moonlight.
Yang Xiao, on the other end of the line, was still dazed after hanging up the phone. She and Uncle Zhou had never heard that Zhou Qi had a girlfriend. He, on the other hand, would have kept them in the dark until the truth came out today. But that sister sounded a little unhappy. Could it be because of me? If I could see her again in the future, I would definitely explain it to her. Zhou Qi was a good man and would not do anything to let her down.
Wang Ruopeng saw Yang Xiao standing by the phone in a daze, so he walked over and put his hand on Yang Xiao's shoulder: "What's wrong?"
Yang Xiao then told Wang Ruopeng about her family's situation and what had just happened, repeatedly asking her if she had caused trouble for Zhou Qi and if he would be beaten by his sister. Wang Ruopeng covered her mouth with her hands and laughed so hard that her shoulders shook violently, tears of laughter hanging in the corners of her eyes, sparkling. After laughing, Wang Ruopeng saw that Yang Xiao was still worried, so he secretly stuffed a "good thing" into her bed, asking her to keep it safe and return it to him after reading it.
As soon as the dorm manager turned off the lights, Yang Xiao fetched her small flashlight, tucked it under the covers, and flipped open Wang Ruopeng's "treasure." As soon as she opened the first page, she saw the words written prominently in the center: "He is my brother, and the one I can never have." Yang Xiao slammed the book shut, and the flashlight slipped from her hand, tumbling through the mosquito net and onto the ground with a thud.
The voice of the dormitory manager could be heard from the end of the corridor, calling out to students who didn't go to sleep to come out and register for violations.
What the hell is that? What is the cat reading under the covers all day? Yang Xiao's cheeks began to burn uncontrollably. She repeatedly pressed the back of her hand against her face, but it didn't help. She felt so embarrassed that she was about to burst into flames, and her heart was pounding. By the time she tiptoed to retrieve the flashlight, her hand had already opened to the third page of the book.
The next day, during a break in military training, Wang Ruopeng leaned close to Yang Xiao's ear and asked her in a mosquito-like voice, "Is the book interesting?" Yang Xiao didn't say anything. Her face and neck flushed red. She slapped the back of Wang Ruopeng's hand hard and turned away, ignoring her.
"Xiaoxiao, your broken palm hit me so hard, don't you like it? Then give it back to me tonight?" Yang Xiao turned around immediately after hearing this, "No, you can't give up halfway through anything. I haven't finished watching it yet."
"That means I like it. Is it good? I'm being nice to you. I haven't even finished reading it yet, but I'm showing it to you."
"Many of the descriptions in it are very delicate, which is perfect for writing an essay." Yang Xiao tried hard to get back to the topic that had gone off track.
"Oh, you're so funny, treating a romance novel like an essay." Wang Ruopeng grinned at her, tilting his head left and right, just enough to see Yang Xiao's uncontrollable smile. "Okay, I admit, it's good. But isn't the subject matter a little too socially unconventional? That's her brother." Yang Xiao waved her hands, then, unable to withstand Wang Ruopeng's glare, confessed everything.
"Hahaha, Xiaoxiao, you really talk like an old lady. What era is this? Why can't brothers who are not related by blood be together? If you want, you and Zhou Qi can be together." Wang Ruopeng became more and more excited as he spoke, and even talked about her and Zhou Qi.
Yang Xiao was stunned. "Don't talk nonsense."
Seeing her dazed look, Wang Ruopeng added, "I'm just using an analogy to help you understand, to help you understand."
By the time Yang Xiao finished looking at Wang Ruopeng's "good stuff," military training was almost over. After military training, the students at No. 1 Middle School in the city were given a week off to rest and adjust before school resumed. Yang Xiao and Zhou Qi discussed returning to Luzhen to visit Zhou Daye. The shop where Zhou Qi worked part-time was being renovated and upgraded, so he could take advantage of the break to go home and pick up some clothes for the fall semester.
The day Zhou Qi came to pick Yang Xiao up at the school gate, she was walking arm in arm with Wang Ruopeng. Seeing Zhou Qi from a distance, Yang Xiao tiptoed to wave. Zhou Qi immediately saw Yang Xiao, tanned from military training.
Following Yang Xiao's gaze and the direction of her wave, Wang Ruopeng also saw Zhou Qi, and all the plots in "Good Things" suddenly came to her mind. She leaned close to Yang Xiao's ear and said, "Why didn't you tell me that your fake brother is so handsome?" Yang Xiao turned around and looked at Wang Ruopeng, whose eyes were rolling, "Cat, please stop joking."
After the crowd at the school gate thinned out, Zhou Qi went to join them.
Seeing the real person up close, Wang Ruopeng stared at Zhou Qi while tightly gripping Yang Xiao's fingers and occasionally scratching her palm. Yang Xiao shook her hand back and then pulled her to introduce her to Zhou Qi, "This is my roommate and classmate, Wang Ruopeng." Then she looked at Wang Ruopeng and said, "Cat, this is Zhou Qi."
Wang Ruopeng nodded a little embarrassedly and glanced at Zhou Qi: "Hello." Zhou Qi also responded politely, smiled and said: "Hello, if Yang Xiao needs anything at school, I'd like to trouble you to help her." After that, he handed a cup of warm milk tea to Wang Ruopeng and Yang Xiao respectively.
Back then, milk tea was made with tea bags and coloring, and the pearls were hard, like the edges of leather shoes. But it was Yang Xiao's first time drinking milk tea, and she thought it was the best thing in the world, bar none.
Wang Ruopeng, who never accepted rewards without merit, insisted on asking her chef father to drive the two to the train station to repay the favor. He watched them arrive before getting on the train and leaving. On the way home, Wang Ruopeng seemed like a different person, chattering about Yang Xiao and Zhou Qi to her father. Just as she was about to turn around and reach for her water cup to moisten her throat, she heard her chef father leisurely comment, "What good genes this family has."
Wang Ruopeng laughed even louder. Her father, who had no idea about the situation, should just focus on cooking.
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