Chapter 11
A deep rosy glow, like elongated maltose candy, was reflected on the beige tiles.
Jiang Jiayi was doing her homework at a table near the shop entrance on the first floor.
The curtain was lifted.
The person who entered cast a long shadow. "Jiang Jiayi," Mu Zhengxi called out to him.
"Brother Xi! You're back!"
"uh-huh."
Jiang Weichao came down from the second floor. "Zhengxi is back."
Mu Zhengxi instantly transformed into a well-behaved child and greeted, "Hello, Uncle."
Have you had dinner yet?
"I've already eaten." Mu Zhengxi raised his chin and asked Jiang Jiayi, "Want to go play basketball?"
Jiang Jia turned around and looked at Jiang Weichao, who smiled and nodded at him. "Brother Xi, wait for me."
"good."
Just as the person who had finished collecting his homework was about to fly out, he was stopped again. Jiang Weichao took out 5 yuan from his pocket and gave it to him, saying, "Buy some water later, and treat Zhengxi to some too."
"good."
"Don't come back too late."
"knew."
Mu Zhengxi, who was waiting at the door, saw the person come out and reached out to put his hand on the thin shoulder and massage it. "Have you played basketball lately?"
"No."
Why not fight?
Jiang Jiayi pursed her lips.
Mu Zhengxi understood.
Fair-skinned, beautiful, slender, and obedient—these are the adjectives society uses to frame and discipline girls. But conversely, if such characteristics are applied to men, it is tantamount to betraying and weakening the solidified image of men under patriarchy. And any punishment for such a betrayer requires no permission or remorse.
Jiang Wenqing used to mercilessly criticize his many ideas as superficial. Mu Zhengxi didn't understand and was unconvinced. He was just like everyone else. Admittedly, his upbringing would not allow him to bully others, but it was undeniable that in the past, when he saw a boy like Jiang Jiayi, he would despise him and associate him with effeminate men, and making friends with him would be out of the question.
Now, he understands a little, but it's too difficult for a high school student to condemn himself as superficial; "immature" is a more appropriate word.
Human growth is a process, and it is always inevitable to have immature thoughts.
At this moment, Mu Zhengxi was willing to admit that he was actually just a sixteen-year-old child, and children are allowed to make mistakes and then be corrected.
Mu Zhengxi said to Jiang Jiayi, "They don't play with you because they're shallow. Hyenas come in packs, lions are solitary."
The stubborn and sensitive child responded, "I don't care."
He understood her pride. Mu Zhengxi smiled, then asked casually, "Hey, where's your sister?"
"She went to celebrate their class monitor's birthday."
"Squad leader?"
"yes."
"Oh, is it a man or a woman?"
"A man."
Mu Zhengxi immediately raised his voice, "She went to someone's birthday party alone???"
Jiang Jiayi looked at Mu Zhengxi strangely, her eyes conveying a sense of "Is there something wrong with you asking this question?" "No, it's definitely everyone together."
Realizing he had overreacted, Mu Zhengxi coughed lightly, put his fist to his lips, put his hands in his pockets, and casually changed the subject, "Hey Jiang Jiayi, how tall are you?"
The other person replied, "When did you get back? Don't you have class today?"
"Open Day for Parents and Schools, No Classes."
"We also have a parent-teacher conference next week."
Speaking of school, Mu Zhengxi suddenly remembered, "Jiang Jiayi, how are your sister's grades?"
The person kicking pebbles as they walked said, "It's alright."
What range is "okay"?
"They're probably in the top 30 of their grade."
Mu Zhengxi silently estimated in his mind that No. 3 Middle School was a bit short of being a top-tier high school in Changqing County, but it wasn't too bad either. However, Jiang Jiawei was studying humanities, so if this was her score, it was indeed just average, but it was still barely at the level of a top-tier second-tier university. So, could it be that she started to decline in her second year of high school?
That won't do. He needs to keep a close eye on Jiang Jiawei's studies. He can't let the media find another opportunity to mock her for her low educational background.
"Brother Xi???"
"ah?"
"what's on your mind??"
Mu Zhengxi said seriously, "I think it's necessary for your sister to study hard."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Jiayi frowned, dissatisfied with the statement, and immediately retorted, "My sister studies very hard!"
Mu Zhengxi does not argue with those who are obsessed with their sister.
"Then keep it up, keep it up."
“She has already worked very hard and made a lot of progress. Don’t say she’s not serious in front of her.” Jiang Jia said this with a sense of sympathy for Jiang Jiawei and dissatisfaction with Mu Zhengxi’s wording.
Did I hear that right? A lot of progress???
"You mean her grades were even worse before??"
Jiang Jiayi did not answer directly, but only defended her, saying, "She just wasn't serious before!"
The language skills of top students.
Mu Zhengxi looked at Jiang Jiayi speechlessly. This was truly Jiang Jiawei's number one bodyguard, no doubt. He suddenly remembered that the company Jiang Jiayi founded was named Jiawei, with Jia as in Jiayi and Wei as in Jiawei.
Jiang Jiawei, you really have an amazing younger brother.
So it wasn't a Cinderella rescue plan. Jiang Jiawei didn't bully her stepmother and sister; she only had a father and brother who loved her very much. This realization made Mu Zhengxi much happier.
Jiang Jiayi looked at the person beside her who was smiling silently with pursed lips, and was somewhat annoyed. "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at how cute you are."
Mu Zhengxi reached out and patted his head.
"cut."
Jiang Jiayi rolled her eyes.
"Hey Jiang Jiayi, you can be my little brother too." After saying that, Mu Zhengxi realized that he was indeed her little brother, and his mood suddenly improved. "Come on, I'll introduce you to some new friends. When I'm not back, you can play basketball with them."
Who is it??
"You'll know when you see me, Yi Yi."
"Hey, don't call me Yi Yi!!"
"Isn't that what your dad calls you?"
"That was when I was a kid!! People don't call me that anymore."
"Who did you just call to feed, you brat!" Mu Zhengxi grabbed Jiang Jiayi by the back of the neck, but she broke free and ran away.
After attending the class monitor's birthday party, Jiang Jiawei was walking uphill from under the overpass when she looked up and saw two figures walking side by side. She called out to them.
"Jiayi."
"Hey, don't let your sister know that I know Zhang Chao."
"Why?"
"Just don't let your sister know."
What will happen if my sister finds out?
"Nothing will happen."
"Then why not let her know?"
Young man, there's really no need to use that inquisitive, inquisitive spirit on this.
Mu Zhengxi said, "Just don't let her know."
One lie leads to countless more to cover it up; it's better to avoid trouble, especially since Zhang Chao has a special identity.
"Hey, don't mention going to the internet cafe either."
Jiang Jiayi said nonchalantly, "My sister knows I've been to internet cafes; we've even gone together. But she's not interested in playing games." Her sly eyes darted closer to him, "You really don't like my sister?"
Mu Zhengxi pushed the head away, denying it firmly and with an upright expression, "I didn't."
Jiang Jiayi, mimicking his hand-in-pockets walk, snorted, her expression full of disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, she was patted on the shoulder and turned her head.
"Sis, you're back?"
Jiang Jiawei breathed heavily, "I've called you several times."
"I didn't hear you."
Mu Zhengxi glanced at the person, and Zhang Chao's words from that afternoon flashed through his mind: "Our class monitor is often with her. I heard my deskmate gossip that the class monitor seems to like her." He then said sarcastically, "Oh, you're back from your escapades, Jiang Jiawei."
Jiang Jia glared at him, and he defiantly raised an eyebrow in response.
Perhaps she didn't hear the phrase "fooling around," Jiang Jiawei was simply surprised, "What are you doing here???"
So she didn't even notice him, a grown man like him? Mu Zhengxi was a little annoyed. "Why can't I be here? Why can't I go home?" He was unusually natural in immersing himself in the self-assigned identity.
Jiang Jiawei wasn't annoyed by his angry attitude. Instead, she excitedly suggested the idea she had been thinking about all the way, "Jiayi, let's go eat some spicy strips."
"OK!"
"Then I'll go home and tell my dad that you wait for me here."
"good."
"Hello!"
Jiang Jiawei looked up at Mu Zhengxi, "Want to come along?"
That's more like it.
After returning home safely and announcing her next destination, Jiang Jiawei jogged out. Jiang Weichao, standing at the shop entrance, called after her, "Don't eat anything else you shouldn't, and come back soon!"
"Okay, I understand."
Jiang Jiawei called to the two people waiting under the tree by the roadside, "Let's go, let's go."
Mu Zhengxi asked, puzzled, "Why is your sister so excited about eating a spicy snack??"
"My dad won't let me eat it."
Mu Zhengxi pursed his lips. Okay, so this counts as a girl's little act of rebellion? He noticed that Jiang Jiawei's braid seemed a bit loose, and the stray hairs under the light were fluffy, like cactus thorns. He wondered if they would prick his hand if he touched them.
Mu Zhengxi whispered to Jiang Jiayi, "We just agreed not to tell your sister."
The words had barely left his mouth.
The rebellious teenager immediately raised his voice and defied him.
"Sis!! I have something to tell you!"
"Jiang Jiayi!!"
"Sis, let me tell you, I—um."
Jiang Jiawei, who was walking ahead, stopped. "Huh? What did you say?"
Mu Zhengxi: "He said he's terrible at basketball and needs to learn from me in the future."
"*&HS"
Mu Zhengxi thoughtfully translated, "Brother Zhengxi is such a nice and handsome person, I admire him so much."
"！！！！！！！"
Jiang Jiawei shook her head with a smile and said, "Narcissistic."
Jiang Jiayi, who had been liberated, echoed this sentiment.
"that is!!!"
"How am I narcissistic? Am I not handsome? Isn't that a fact?! Jiang Jiawei, you tell me—"
"Watch out, there are steps."
"oh."
Where did you go last night?
Jiang Jiayi: "I went to the community activity center to play basketball."
Mu Zhengxi: "It's just playing basketball."
Jiang Jiawei blinked. "What else can we do?"
"Nothing much," Mu Zhengxi said, his gaze unfocused, changing the subject, "Where are we going?"
The owner of the convenience store next to the Seventh Primary School often stays open very late because he watches football games.
You can enter the basketball court through the back door of the now-defunct printing factory next to the school. Judging from the siblings' practiced movements, Mu Zhengxi must do this often, pretending to comply while secretly sneaking here to eat junk food.
No one would believe it if I told them.
Well, even Mu Zhengxi himself didn't believe it.
At this moment, he was eating spicy snacks on the playground of an elementary school a thousand miles away from Hanyang with the person he was supposed to meet eight years later. Mu Zhengxi was so dreamy and dazed that he didn't know whether he was dreaming or dreaming.
My head is spinning a little. Is this supposed to be a date? But why is there a third wheel on a date?
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