Chapter 41: The Grand Finale (Part 2)
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Song Yang quickly pulled his clothes back up and asked again, "So, do you two have an answer?"
Although Shen Yi said she didn't care, Song Yang didn't completely believe her.
He risked getting beaten up by Shen Yi to tell them this, so they had better come up with something practical and useful!
Wen Que, as if struck by a sudden thought, said, "I understand, she feels guilty towards you."
Song Yang looked puzzled.
Wen Que continued to explain, "Your wound looks quite serious. She is very kind and feels guilty for biting you, which is why she has been so considerate to you lately."
A very reasonable explanation.
Song Yang immediately believed it, exclaiming in surprise, "So that's how it is!"
Xu Qingzhe said, "Now that you've figured it out, let's study. Look at this question."
Song Yang: "?"
Are you kidding me? You're really going to learn?
Xu Qingzhe handed him the pen, his words brooking no argument: "This is what Shen Yi instructed me to do."
Wen Que added softly, "It's us."
＊
Forced to study for an hour, Song Yang felt as if his brain had been crammed with a lot of knowledge, leaving him feeling drowsy.
Finally, Jiang Yue called out, "Come out for dinner!" Song Yang saw a savior and dashed out.
At the dinner table.
As always, Shen Yi sat next to Song Yang, taking care of him and occasionally serving him food, asking if his dinner was nutritionally balanced.
Jiang Jiabao looked up at the scene in confusion, thinking to himself, "Isn't this how I used to be treated?"
Song Yang put down his chopsticks and coughed.
Shen Yi: "?"
Knowing Song Yang as she did, she knew he was up to no good with his pretentious attitude.
But it's okay.
Now she will spoil Song Yang.
Song Yang looked directly at Shen Yi and pointed to the bowl of chicken soup not far away: "I want to eat chicken wings, both of them."
In the past, any chicken that appeared on this table would have at least one wing that was bent; this was a consensus among everyone.
But Shen Yi didn't seem to care at all. After asking around to see if anyone else wanted to eat chicken wings, she switched to clean serving chopsticks, tore off both chicken wings, and put them into Song Yang's bowl.
Song Yang was still dissatisfied: "How am I supposed to eat this with bones still in it? Help me tear the meat off."
He did as instructed.
Song Yang still looked dissatisfied, blaming Shen Yi for tearing the chicken into too small pieces, nitpicking over the eggs. But Shen Yi wasn't angry, only saying that she would pay attention next time.
Everyone: "..."
Jiang Yue looked at Song Yang in confusion and whispered to her brother, "What is he doing?"
Shen Yu shook his head: "He might be insane."
Xu Qingzhe was also surprised.
He didn't actually want to talk to Wen Que, but he had no choice but to stay by Wen Que's side or Jiang Jiabao's.
So Xu Qingzhe lowered his voice and asked, "Are you sure that's the reason?"
Wen Que chuckled lightly: "I was just talking nonsense."
That's the truth.
How could Wen Que possibly understand why Shen Yi seemed like a different person? But he was certain that Song Yang was pushing his luck, and Shen Yi's patience was definitely limited.
If he tells Song Yang this, Song Yang will definitely become arrogant.
So, it's only a matter of time before Shen Yi can't bear it anymore.
But Wen Que hadn't expected this—
Shen Yi couldn't take it anymore, so she did it tonight.
No matter how much Song Yang tormented her, Shen Yi always did as he asked, until she started tutoring Song Yang in English.
Song Yang had been studying for a long time, but he felt dizzy and lightheaded whenever he saw a book. An hour had passed, and he hadn't learned anything.
When a very basic and simple choice was repeated eight times, the clarity and stupidity in Song Yang's eyes remained the same as before, as if he were the only one who had reloaded the save file eight times. Shen Yi was completely enraged.
She grabbed Song Yang's head and shook it violently: "What is it that you can't understand? Is your brain just filled with water?"
at the same time.
Shen Yi thought to himself: When Meng Zihan created Song Yang, she overlooked the most important thing! That was intelligence!
With Song Yang's brain, how could Meng Zihan entrust herself to him? If something really happened, they'd both die!
I really can't understand it.
However, after enduring such torment, Song Yang's original bitter and resentful expression disappeared, replaced by a bright smile.
The boy took her hands and pressed them firmly against his cheeks, staring intently into her eyes: "Great, you're finally back to normal. Please, just keep bullying me like before."
Shen Yi: "?"
When did she become abnormal?
Oh, you mean her attitude?
But is there something wrong with Song Yang?
She's good to him, and he's still unhappy?
Also, what do you mean by "continue to bully him as before"? When has she ever bullied him?
Shen Yi really wanted to complain, but when the words reached her lips, she unconsciously fell silent because of the boy's overly devout gaze.
Um……
Their actions were now somewhat intimate, reminding Shen Yi of a shoujo manga she had read, in which the male protagonist made up his mind to confess his feelings the moment the female protagonist cupped his cheeks.
Shen Yi awkwardly pulled her hand away from Song Yang's and said, "Fine, finish this test paper and bring it to me tomorrow night. I'll pinch you for every question you get wrong."
Although Song Yang said he should go abroad to study at university, that's something for after high school. Right now, he still has to be a good student who excels in all aspects of morality, intelligence, and physical fitness for her!
Song Yang retorted, "On what grounds?"
Shen Yi smiled and said, "You said it, that I should bully you."
Her smile was so beautiful that Song Yang stared at her face in a daze and forgot to refute her.
...
The next evening.
At the same time and in the same place.
Song Yang's wails echoed from inside the room, one after another, without stopping.
Everyone: "..."
Shen Yu was confused: "She only went over an English test paper with Song Yang, how did she change back?"
Jiang Yue slowly shook her head: "You don't understand the terror of lecturing to people."
Jiang Yue was like this when she first started tutoring Jiang Jiabao with his homework.
Every moment Jiang Jiabao told her that the bus stop needed to run 7.151515 cycles before it was full of passengers, that Xiao Mei's father was three years old, and that Xiao Ming's salary was -7200, Jiang Yue was able to empathize with Shen Yi.
after all……
Teaching is terrifying!
Shen Yu looked at Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe, who were also silent, and asked, "How could you two tolerate this?"
Aren't these two supposed to be teaching Song Yang math? They seem perfectly normal, not affected by Song Yang at all.
Wen Que replied calmly, "Teach him however you like, he won't understand anyway."
Xu Qingzhe's focus wasn't on Song Yang at all: "I found five ways to solve that problem last night."
Wen Que chuckled lightly: "Sorry, I won by a narrow margin this time. I have six methods."
Everyone: "..."
So, is Song Yang just a part of your genius competitive play?
Even the simplest things Song Yang couldn't understand, so why are you giving him such difficult material?
Jiang Yue asked with interest, "What's the topic?"
Xu Qingzhe took out an exercise book and draft paper and handed them to her.
Jiang Yue glanced at it, then quickly wrote down several solutions on a blank sheet of paper. A little embarrassed, she said, "I wrote down seven, but I'm not sure about the last one. Could you help me check if it's correct?"
Wen Que: "?"
Xu Qingzhe: "?"
The two men took the manuscript and glanced at it in turn, then looked at each other.
Xu Qingzhe opened his schoolbag again and took out a new workbook.
Wen Que snatched it from his hand, turned to a page from memory, and handed it to Jiang Yue: "Take another look at this question, see if there is a second way to solve it."
Jiang Yue was a little confused, but under these circumstances, she had no choice but to accept the task and began to calculate carefully on the draft paper.
inside the house.
Song Yang's wails continued unabated, accompanied by a deep roar of anger.
outside the house.
The three heads were close together. Jiang Yue was calculating on the draft paper, while Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe were staring intently at her problem-solving approach.
final.
Jiang Yue put down her pen, somewhat dejected: "Sorry, the answer is wrong."
"Your line of thinking is correct."
After Wen Que finished speaking, he unceremoniously tore a page from Xu Qingzhe's draft paper, picked up a pen, and began to calculate.
Xu Qingzhe simply took a red pen and, instead of calculating, circled a step Jiang Yue had written down: "This is wrong."
Meeting Wen Que's slightly surprised gaze, his expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned, yet he said, word by word, "A close call, a victory."
"So that's how it is!" Jiang Yue exclaimed in surprise, then immediately corrected her mistake and took out her workbook to ask about a problem that had been bothering her for a long time.
Shen Yu looked into the inner room and then out: "...?"
What?! What is all this?! Are Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe really that close? Or is this some kind of study center they live in?! Have they all gone mad?!
So, does he have to wash all these dishes by himself?
What a bunch of beasts!
Shen Yu's mournful gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Jiang Jiabao, the only one still secretly drinking another bowl of soup at the table.
Jiang Jiabao shuddered, obediently put down the bowl, and gave a fawning smile: "Brother, I'll help you wash the dishes."
Shen Yu was finally satisfied.
That's more like it! At least one of them has a conscience!
＊
These ordinary days continued, and before they knew it, the final exams arrived, followed by the long-awaited winter vacation.
She and Jiang Yue agreed to work part-time at the dessert shop owned by the boss they knew, so they could earn some extra money on the side.
As luck would have it, it was the dessert shop where Shen Yi and Wen Que broke up.
The moment the shop owner saw Shen Yi, he recognized her too: "Hey...aren't you the one from the shop last time..."
At this point, the boss hesitated, unsure of what to say next.
Shen Yi had never expected that the boss would still remember her. She said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you last time. I even knocked over a chair in your shop."
Shen Yi vaguely remembered that she accidentally knocked over a chair when she ran out, but she was too upset at the time to care about such details. She only remembered it later.
"It's nothing, it's nothing, it's all minor."
The boss waved his hand generously and asked with a hint of gossip, "Young lady, did you and your boyfriend make up later? After you left crying, he seemed very sad too."
Jiang immediately stepped between the two.
Although neither Shen Yi nor the boss explicitly stated it, she could guess what had probably happened.
To avoid embarrassing Shen Yi, Jiang Yue quickly changed the subject: "Boss, what are our responsibilities, and how many hours do we work each day?"
The boss understood that Jiang Yue didn't want him to keep asking questions, and smiled knowingly, "Come with me."
After two weeks at the coffee shop, Shen Yi followed Jiang Yue's lead every day, working diligently and earning her first paycheck from her part-time job before the Lunar New Year.
Each person received 6,000 yuan, and there was also a separate red envelope containing 800 yuan.
Shen Yi stared wide-eyed at Jiang Yue with some suspicion.
so much?
This is not what we agreed on.
Jiang Yue was clearly startled and asked, "Boss, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
The boss waved to them with a friendly smile: "No mistake, isn't it almost Chinese New Year? We should give you a little more anyway. Besides, you've done a great job. I know many of your classmates came here specifically because of you. My business is good every day. If you need part-time work in the future, come to me anytime. Alright, you can leave now."
Since the boss said so, the two looked at each other and accepted the money without further hesitation.
After the two left.
The boss hummed a song as he swept the floor, preparing to go home for a good New Year.
The door was pushed open from the outside.
A noblewoman dressed in a black fur coat walked in and asked, "Have you done what I asked you to do?"
"You've arrived!"
The boss quickly greeted her and reported, "I've already given all the wages to those two girls, and they didn't suspect anything."
Ever since those two girls started working part-time at his shop, this wealthy woman came to his door, gave him a sum of money, and told him to take good care of them and to pay them extra wages.
The lady still frowned, her gentle and beautiful face showing distress: "This little bit of money is hardly enough. I'm so afraid they'll suffer outside. I really don't understand why you're stopping me."
The boss wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, which was dripping with speechlessness: "It's already double the market price... Your two daughters are both so smart. If we give each of them 50,000 as you said, they'll definitely be suspicious."
"All right."
The lady was somewhat disappointed, but she still accepted his explanation and turned to walk towards the door, but suddenly froze.
At the entrance.
Two heads peeked out from the left and right, staring straight at her.
"Mother!"
It was Shenyi who exclaimed first out of surprise.
"I knew it."
Jiang Yue revealed a knowing expression, looked at Shen Yi, stretched out a hand, and said triumphantly, "I won."
Shen Yi, true to his word, handed Jiang Yue a red envelope containing 800 yuan.
Just as Shen Yi was about to leave, Jiang Yue stopped her, her expression serious: "I think there's a problem."
First of all, the money is wrong.
This wasn't Jiang Yue's first time working part-time for this boss. It was true that he was a good person who often helped her and gave her red envelopes during holidays, but giving her double the amount was just too much.
Secondly.
The boss is lazy; every time he comes to the store, he just sits and plays on his phone. Why is he rushing them to leave before the floor is even finished mopping? That means he doesn't want them to see what's going on next.
So Jiang Yue pulled Shen Yi to squat behind the bushes and made a bet. Sure enough, they soon saw Shen's mother appear there.
Seeing that her presence had been discovered, Mother Shen said helplessly, "It's all your fault, you two girls, and that child Shen Yu. I wanted to move you to a different place, but you refused. I wanted to arrange a nanny to take care of you, but you refused. I wanted to give you more money to spend, but you didn't want it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to resort to this tactic."
Jiang Yue put on a serious face and said very earnestly, "Mom, we have enough money."
Mother Shen gently patted Jiang Yue's head. She knew how sensible her daughter was. Then she looked at Shen Yi and asked, "What about Yi Yi? Do you have enough money too?"
"certainly!"
At this point, Shen Yi proudly puffed out his chest and raised his head: "Under normal circumstances, there's absolutely nothing that requires spending money."
Although she also gave up some of her previous hobbies.
For example, buying expensive cosmetics (the expired version that only suffered minor damage), a complete set of comic books (the unopened version thrown into the bookcase), and all kinds of designer clothes.
These things don't seem to be necessities of life. Sometimes they're nice, but not having them doesn't really matter. When I'm with friends, I don't even remember that I have these things.
Moreover, Shen Yi had also heard from Song Yang's mother that his mother was now managing several companies on her own and needed money.
Shen's mother knew that her children were worried about her, and said, "Although I'm a little tighter on money than before, I still have enough to buy you the things you like."
Shen Yi suggested, "Then Mom, why don't you come and have New Year's Eve dinner with us too?"
A hint of difficulty appeared on Shen's mother's face.
Jiang Yue immediately replied, "Yes! If you come too, our dad will agree!"
This "father" naturally refers to Jiang's father.
"Feel sorry."
Although she couldn't bear to disappoint her two daughters, Chen's mother still hugged them tightly: "Mom wants to go home this year to celebrate the New Year with Grandpa and Grandma. How about next time? At the latest, in three years, Mom will definitely be able to live with you."
＊
The New Year is approaching, and the air is getting colder.
On New Year's Eve.
Shen Yi, bundled up tightly, rushed into Shen Yu and Jiang Yue's residence, holding a few candied hawthorns in her hand, and shouted, "Come and eat candied hawthorns! Dad told me to tell you that dinner will be served in an hour!"
Jiang Jiabao was doing his winter vacation homework here when his eyes lit up the moment he saw Shen Yi walk in with a candied hawthorn.
As always, Shen Yi wanted to give the smallest one to Jiang Jiabao, but her gaze fell on him and she looked him over carefully. He really had lost a lot of weight.
At this moment, Jiang Jiabao was no longer thin, but when he walked down the street, no one would give him strange looks anymore. He was just an ordinary, slightly chubby child, and it didn't seem to affect his health much.
Let's make an exception this time.
Shen Yi finally handed over his large candied strawberry stick, saying, "Here, this is for you today, as a reward."
"yeah--!"
Jiang Jiabao jumped up from the sofa with joy and took it, saying, "Thank you, sister!"
Surprisingly, he didn't call out "Chenyi" or "Sister Chenyi".
Shen Yi paused for a moment, then reached out and patted his head: "You don't have to do homework today either, go play somewhere else, and you're allowed to eat as much as you want tonight."
Jiang Jiabao was even happier and hugged Shen Yi, cheering, "Long live sister!"
"What?"
Jiang Yue walked in from the doorway, arms crossed, and looked at Jiang Jiabao: "You wish! You're not going anywhere until you completely understand this problem today!"
Shen Yi looked at Jiang Yue with some difficulty and advised, "Today is New Year's Eve, how about tomorrow?"
Jiang Jiabao nodded repeatedly, then hid behind Shen Yi and parroted, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!"
Jiang Yue raised one hand high: "I didn't beat you up just now, did I? Come here!"
江家宝“哇”的一声就哭了，抱住了沉意的腰：“我不过去！你怎么总揍我？你根本不爱我……我不要你了！我要沉意姐姐呜呜呜……”
Shen Yi: "..."
This scene looks familiar.
Jiang Yue scoffed, yelling, "You've really gone too far!" as she pulled Jiang Jiabao off Shen Yi and pressed him back down at the desk. "I'm staying here with you today! If you still can't understand such a simple problem, then we're all skipping our New Year's Eve dinner!"
Jiang Jiabao sat at the table, looking up at Shen Yi pitifully, his face pleading for help.
Seeing that Jiang Yue was furious, Shen Yi didn't dare to persuade her anymore. Instead, he sat down next to her and comforted her, "It's okay. Let me see which question it is, and I'll teach you."
Ten minutes later.
With a tremor of his lips, Shen Yi read the question and answer: "Xiao Zhang ate a piece of chocolate, and he needs to climb... 9,426 floors to burn off all the calories?"
What is all this nonsense? How could such an answer be derived?
Jiang Yue simply got up, rummaged through drawers and cupboards, found a piece of chocolate, unwrapped it, and forcefully stuffed it into Jiang Jiabao's mouth: "Eat! After you finish eating, you're going to climb 9,426 floors!!!"
Shen Yi completely ignored Jiang Jiabao's pleading eyes, and this time even she was speechless.
This is outrageous.
Jiang Jiabao sat down on the ground and wailed, "I don't have a sister... I don't want a sister, not a single one... You guys are so mean, waaaaaah—Brother! I want a brother!"
now.
Shen Yu was drawn to Jiang Jiabao's crying and stood at the door. After hearing the whole story, he wiped away Jiang Jiabao's tears and said, "Don't cry."
Jiang Jiabao sniffed and looked at Shen Yu with expectant eyes, hoping that he could save her from this hellish room.
Shen Yu patted his head and comforted him, "It's no big deal, your brother will climb with you!"
Shen Yi: "..."
Jiang Yue: "?"
Is this the key point?
Jiang Jiabao: "!"
This statement will only have the opposite effect.
The next second.
Jiang Jiabao cried out to the heavens, "I don't want my brother anymore either... Waaaaah... I don't want anything..."
Shen Yu didn't understand why Jiang Jiabao was crying, and kept comforting him, saying that a real man bleeds but doesn't cry, and that as his older brother, he would definitely stay with him the whole time. Jiang Yue, on the other hand, angrily grabbed Jiang Jiabao's collar and dragged him back to his desk: "You dared not listen to the lesson? Will you dare to do it again next time?"
The scene before me was noisy and chaotic.
To protect her eardrums, Chen Yi covered her ears, but a faint smile, which she called happiness, was on her face.
She likes this kind of life.
The premise is that the person being scolded is not her.
For the next while, although Jiang Jiabao cried loudly, he still listened attentively to Jiang Yue explain the key points and finally wrote down the correct answer. The group then got up and went to the Jiang family home.
Jiang's father was busy in the kitchen and invited them all to sit down first.
As always, Jiang's mother's face showed a hint of reproach, especially when she saw her precious son's red eyes and face. She immediately looked at Jiang Yue and accused her: "How are you taking care of your younger brother?"
Shen Yi immediately grabbed Jiang Yue's hand, and despite her grievances, she took the blame: "I... I did it! Jiang Yue had no obligation to care about him! Why are you blaming her..."
Jiang's mother clearly didn't believe it. She frowned for a long time, wanting to say something, but in the end, she lovingly held her precious son's face and took out the snacks that others had brought in advance for the New Year to coax him.
Jiang Jiabao, holding the food, hesitated for a moment, then ran over to Shen Yi and Jiang Yue in front of her mother and handed them the food.
Shen Yi naturally accepted the candy, unwrapped it, and shared it with everyone.
Jiang Yue simply patted Jiang Jiabao's head with one hand to block his view, then looked up and met Jiang's mother's gaze directly.
Although they are not biological mother and daughter, they have been together for so many years and are like biological mother and daughter.
For example, right now, they can even understand what the other is thinking.
Jiang Yue didn't speak, but glanced at Jiang Jiabao and Shen Yi, then looked towards the kitchen, and finally gave her mother a faint smile.
Jiang Yue's meaning was clearly a warning to her.
Whether it's Jiang Jiabao, the father, or Shen Yi, they are all on the same side.
Mother.
Do you really want to continue like this until one day you're on the opposite side of everyone?
She had tolerated it all those years because she was used to that way of life and didn't want to cause any more trouble; it was pointless.
But things are different now.
She also has people she truly wants to protect.
She didn't want Shen Yi to suffer the same humiliation and subservience in front of her mother as she had before.
Jiang's mother's breathing became rapid.
She understood Jiang Yue's meaning and was even more angry at her current helplessness. In the end, she could only remain silent, turn around and walk into the kitchen, scolding Jiang's father for not being quick enough.
The New Year's Eve dinner has begun.
Everyone was sitting at the table, except for Jiang Jiabao.
The group just discussed it and decided to send him to the Xu family to invite Xu Qingzhe to have New Year's Eve dinner together.
Soon after Xu Qingzhe arrived, another head peeked in through the door. Song Yang held up gifts with both hands: "I knew you'd be here! Happy New Year!"
Shen Yi asked in surprise, "Shouldn't you be staying home at a time like this? Why are you here?"
"My parents made a last-minute decision to go abroad for a romantic New Year, and I didn't want to be a third wheel, so I didn't go."
Song Yang then looked at Jiang's parents and said, "Uncle and Aunt, these are some small tokens of my mother's appreciation!"
The gifts Song Yang was carrying were clearly very valuable. Jiang's father hurriedly declined, but Shen Yi took them and put them aside, saying, "Alright, don't be so polite with him."
Then Shen Yi noticed that Xu Qingzhe beside her frowned slightly, and there seemed to be some regret in his expression.
Shen Yi pretended not to see it and loudly added to her father, "Of course, someone who comes to our house for a free meal shouldn't come empty-handed."
The implication is...
Xu Qingzhe is different from him; he doesn't need to feel annoyed for not bringing a gift when he visits.
Xu Qingzhe naturally knew that Shen Yi said this because of him. His gaze briefly fell on her, and because he saw her smiling face, he did not notice that his own brows also relaxed.
I don't know why.
Jiang's mother looked at Song Yang with more affection, and even took the initiative to serve him food.
Song Yang felt flattered and thanked him repeatedly.
until--
She began to inquire about Song Yang's family situation.
She has become a tool for measuring value.
This is true in both rich and poor families.
Shen Yi lowered her eyes and gave a sarcastic twitch at the corner of her lips.
She lost her appetite and said nothing, at least not wanting to break the seemingly cheerful atmosphere at this moment.
until--
Warmth was applied to the back of my hand.
Jiang Yue winked at her, then shook her head.
She silently said: Don't worry about it.
At any time.
Don't let unworthy people or things affect your mood.
Just as the New Year's Eve dinner was coming to an end, there was a knock on the door.
Shen Yi, who was sitting closest to the door, was the first to get up and open it. He was even more surprised when he saw who it was: "...Wen Que?"
Wen Que, dressed in a black woolen overcoat and wearing a light-colored scarf, said with a gentle expression, "Excuse me."
Before Shen Yi could ask Wen Que why he was there, Song Yang popped out of the house and said, "I called Wen Que. We're going to the mountain to watch the fireworks later and we'll stay there tonight. My car isn't big enough to fit all the people and stuff, so I called Wen Que to help."
Shen Yi looked at Song Yang with some surprise.
In her memory, among the people around her... Song Yang and Wen Que had the worst relationship, right?
Needless to say, Shen Yu and Wen Que were friends. Jiang Yue and Xu Qingzhe could now chat with Wen Que about those competition questions. Only Song Yang and Wen Que had never gotten along since childhood, and the two had barely spoken a few words to each other despite knowing each other for so many years.
With a smile on his face, Song Yang put one hand on Shen Yi's shoulder and pulled her closer to him, lowering his voice to whisper in her ear, "My mom said that his parents have been arguing quite a bit lately for some reason. I know you don't want him to spend the New Year alone, right? So let's reluctantly bring him along too."
As he spoke.
Song Yang let go of her hand and turned around to call out to everyone, "Are you full? If you are, let's set off!"
Everyone: "?"
Now? So casually? Song Yang didn't even consult with anyone!
No.
If we must say... he discussed it with Wen Que?
He met with a stern, condemning gaze.
Song Yang scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "Didn't you say so beforehand? Then I forgot. Oh well, it's not important, let's go!"
Fortunately, Song Yang had arranged everything in advance, and they didn't need to bring any personal items; all they had to do was go.
The group got into the Wen family's car and drove to the location Song Yang had mentioned.
Shen Yi recognized the familiar scenery along the way, and upon arriving at her destination, she was even more certain that this was the mountain Song Yang had taken her to last time to comfort her.
Song Yang had already rented a small courtyard halfway up the mountain and began asking everyone, "There are five rooms in total, how should they be allocated?"
Jiang Yue raised her hand: "Yi Yi and I will share a room!"
Even if there were plenty of rooms, that's what she thought.
Shen Yu also said, "Then I can sleep with Jiang Jiabao."
He can also take on some of the responsibilities of an older brother.
"Okay, then I'll pick out two larger rooms for you."
Song Yang was also satisfied with this arrangement, and then looked to the other side: "Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe, the three of us will each have a room."
Everyone agreed with this result.
Song Yang continued, "They're still setting up over there. Everyone can rest in their rooms for an hour, and we'll head to the mountaintop a little later."
Everything was arranged by Song Yang, and everyone naturally obeyed, except for Shen Yi.
As soon as Shen Yi put down her luggage, she noticed Song Yang sneaking away and called out, "Song Yang! Where are you going!"
Song Yang was startled by her shout, turned around and pretended to be calm, saying, "I'm just going out for a stroll!"
Shen Yi immediately skipped and hopped after him: "Then I'll go with you!"
Jiang Yue thought it was cold outside and didn't come out with her. Everyone was probably chatting, and she felt bored staying in the room, so she thought it would be better to go out for a walk with Song Yang.
A conflicted look appeared on Song Yang's face as he asked loudly, "Chen Yi! What do you think you're trying to do?"
Shen Yi: "?"
Is he sick in the head?
They were less than two meters apart, why was he shouting so loudly?
Although I don't understand, I respect and cooperate.
Shen Yi also cupped her hands around her lips like a megaphone and shouted just as loudly, "I—say—! I want to go out for a walk with you—!!!"
"Bang--"
The three doors behind him were opened simultaneously.
Shen Yi: "???"
What are they doing?
Shen Yi turned to look at Shen Yuwenque and Xu Qingzhe standing at the door, and asked in confusion, "...Would you like to take a walk together too?"
Xu Qingzhe's expression was complicated, and he did not speak.
Wen Que had a faint smile on his face and said, "This place is quite big, we can certainly take a look around."
Shen Yu immediately chimed in, "That's right! Come on! Let's take a look around my room first!"
Shen Yi: "..."
Is there something wrong with them?
Didn't we already check all the rooms when we were choosing them?
Shen Yi waved her hand to indicate that she had no interest in admiring these similar rooms again, and turned back to look for Song Yang, only to find that he was gone.
Shen Yi asked them curiously, "Have you seen Song Yang?"
Shen Yu immediately put on a fierce expression: "Why are you so interested in that kid? Are you trying to start a relationship too early? I will absolutely not allow you to be with him!"
Shen Yi: "?"
What's the connection between these two things? What is Shen Yu talking about? Has she gone mad?
Before Shen Yi could react, Shen Yu supported her shoulder and led her into the house, saying, "Come on, let's have a good chat, brother and sister! Wen Que! Close the door for me!"
Shen Yi was speechless: "Shen Yu, I think you're really sick."
...
The door was closed from the outside by the kind-hearted Wen Que.
Shen Yi sat at the foot of the bed, glanced at Jiang Jiabao watching cartoons on the sofa, and then at Shen Yu, who was guarding the door and clearly not allowing her to leave, and asked, "What are you doing?"
It's inexplicable.
Shen Yu glanced around, then quietly took a red envelope from his pocket and slipped it into Shen Yi's hand, whispering, "Take this."
It's obvious.
He was afraid that Jiang Jiabao would see him, and he was also afraid of being discovered by outsiders.
Fortunately, Jiang Jiabao was only focused on cartoons, and the doors and windows were all tightly closed, so it was impossible for anyone to see him.
Shen Yi looked at the red envelope in her hand with some confusion, wondering what kind of "secret mission" this was. She opened it with suspicion and found that it contained eight hundred-yuan bills, which was normal. At the same time, Shen Yu lowered his voice and said in her ear: "This is only for you. Don't tell anyone else."
Shen Yi: "..."
She was touched, but also had mixed feelings.
But before Shen Yi could say anything, Shen Yu put his hands on her shoulders again and pushed her away: "It's okay, go play somewhere else!"
"Bang--"
Shen Yi stood at the door, watching it close from the inside this time.
Shen Yi stuffed the red envelope into his pocket.
Looking around, he finally decided to squat down and play with yesterday's snow.
It's not too thick, but it's far from enough for everyone to have a snowball fight and build a snowman. I really hope it snows heavily.
With that thought in mind, Shen Yi tried her best to pile up all the snow on the flower bed, hoping to use it to make a snowman that was as big as possible.
But soon, before I could even settle down, I felt my hands getting icy cold. I kept rubbing them against my lips and breathing on them, hoping they would warm up.
It's really cold today, haha.
Shen Yi sniffed, just about to continue piling up the water in one go, when a cup of steaming water suddenly appeared in front of him.
Shen Yi raised his head to look.
Wen Que appeared behind her at some point, his eyes as gentle as ever, and said, "Warm yourself up."
Chen Yi was somewhat dazed.
Although she had met Wen Que quite a few times during this period, the number of times they spent alone together could be counted on one hand, even if counted in minutes.
She didn't refuse. She got up, took the water glass, and held it in her hands. Her cold hands were instantly warmed up as she felt the warmth. She took a small sip, and her body warmed up a bit as well.
And then.
The scarf that originally belonged to Wen Que was lightly draped around her neck. Shen Yi looked at Wen Que as if she wanted to say something, but he quickly wrapped it around her twice more.
The scarf is very warm.
It carried a faint scent of his own body.
Wen Que didn't give Shen Yi a chance to refuse or return it. This time, he squatted down in front of the flower bed and asked Shen Yi without turning his head, "What do you want to build? A little rabbit or a little duck?"
Shen Yi pursed her lips: "...A regular snowman will do."
soon.
A row of seven mini snowmen, each slightly larger than a fist, appeared on the flower bed. One of them was made to be shorter to represent Jiang Jiabao. Although this was not quite what Shen Yi had expected, she had to admit that it was indeed better this way.
A smile appeared on Shen Yi's face as she praised, "Wen Que, you have such skillful hands."
Wen Que's gaze searched around until he found a blackened leaf, which he tore off and rolled around the head of one of the snowmen. He looked up and asked Shen Yi, "Doesn't it look like the hat Song Yang wore today?"
Shen Yi's eyes curved into a smile: "It's similar."
Even Chen Yi was instantly intrigued.
He broke off two small twigs and stuck them on either side of one of the snowmen: "This is Shen Yu, just like his usual flamboyant and arrogant manner."
The two people looked at each other.
The smiles on their faces hadn't yet faded.
Wen Que then said, "Then let's fill in the rest of the positions, everyone is here now."
Shen Yi paused slightly, put down her water glass, and together with Wen Que, found some "decorations" to create some unique features on each snowman.
Just as Wen Que raised his phone to take a picture of her with the snowmen, Shen Yi called out, "Wait a minute!"
Shen Yi scooped up a handful of snow from another corner, squatted down, and despite the cold, carefully built a snowman that was much taller than all the other snowmen.
She carefully drew a smiley face on the snowman's face with her finger, and then gently pressed her cheek against it.
The snow was very, very cold.
Ice made half of Chen Yi's cheek feel stiff, but there was no other way. Only with such intense stimulation could she hold back her tears when she suddenly thought of that person.
Wen Que's expression turned to Shen Yi with a hint of heartache.
He didn't know why she was sad, but he could see the desolation in her eyes and the way she was trying so hard to hold back her tears.
That must be very tiring.
He didn't ask any further questions, but instead bent down and pulled up the loose scarf around Shen Yi's neck, covering most of her face.
Shenyi lowered her eyelashes.
A few tears rolled down her cheeks, but she raised the corners of her lips and made a simple peace sign in Wen Que's direction: "Take a picture for me."
That way everyone is there.
She is really doing very well.
I wonder what Meng Zihan is doing now, whether she is also about to enter the New Year, and whether she is missing her too.
"Crack—"
The camera freezes on this moment.
The girl's eyes were clearly red-rimmed, revealing only her eyes, yet paradoxically, you could feel how warm her smile was.
Wen Que quickly sent the photo to himself, then casually returned the phone to Shen Yi.
Shen Yi was very satisfied with the photo and didn't want to stay out in the cold any longer. She said to Wen Que, "Let's go inside and warm up first. See you later."
I entered the room.
Shen Yi then remembered what had just happened and decided to give half of the red envelope Shen Yu had given her to Jiang Yue.
Before Shen Yi could speak, Jiang Yue took a red envelope from the table and handed it to her: "Yi Yi, Shen Yu asked me to give this to you."
Chen Yi, with his arm and brain reacting faster, took it and opened it—
Sure enough, there were four hundred yuan inside.
Shen Yi looked at Jiang Yue, her expression complex: "This wasn't given to me by Shen Yu, was it?"
really.
A hint of guilt flashed across Jiang Yue's face as she asked, "Why would you ask that?"
Speechless, Shen Yi took out a red envelope from her pocket and said, "Because this was given to me by Shen Yu, and he said he would only give it to me."
Jiang Yue: "..."
The two women looked at each other, speechless, and then put away their red envelopes.
The next second.
The door was rudely pushed open from the outside.
Jiang Jiabao walked in, and as was his habit, stuffed his red envelope into Jiang Yue's hand before turning around and walking out.
My steps suddenly stopped.
Jiang Jiabao turned around, took his red envelope back from Jiang Yue, pulled out three bills and stuffed them into Chen Yi's hand, saying, "...you two each get half."
Jiang Yue glanced down at the three hundred-yuan bills remaining in the red envelope and said with a forced smile, "Jiang Pangbao, stop right there."
Jiang Jiabao turned around, puzzled.
Jiang Yue held out her hand: "There are still two hundred left, give them to me."
Jiang Jiabao looked terrified.
How did your sister know he secretly hid two hundred yuan?
Even though he was unwilling, he still silently reached into... uh, his sock, and took out two hundred yuan to hand to Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue took three steps back in disgust.
Shen Yi quickly offered her a way out: "Let's leave him some pocket money."
Jiang Yue waved her hand to indicate that she didn't want it, and Jiang Jiabao immediately beamed with joy.
Shen Yi looked at Jiang Jiabao with amusement and asked him, "Didn't your brother say that this money was only for you? He also told you not to tell anyone else. How could you just take it and let us know?"
Jiang Jiabao's face turned ashen.
Yes, that happened... but he forgot about it after watching TV.
With his limited understanding, he couldn't comprehend why Shen Yi knew about the secret conversation between Shen Yu and him.
Jiang Yue smiled and patted Jiang Jiabao on the shoulder: "...Alright, go play somewhere else."
Shen Yi clicked her tongue, her face showing disdain: "Why do you say the same thing as Shen Yu?"
It makes it seem like she and Jiang Jiabao are both stupid.
Jiang Yue was a beat slow to realize that this was Shen Yu's recent catchphrase, and laughed, "Unconsciously."
Another half hour passed.
When Song Yang called to tell them to come out, Shen Yi and Jiang Yue found that there was no one else in the courtyard except for them; only the driver was waiting for them at the gate.
Jiang Yue asked curiously, "Where did they go?"
The driver replied, "The young master and the others have already gone ahead."
Jiang Yue looked at Shen Yi.
Shen Yi patted the back of her hand and said, "Let's go and see what kind of trouble they're up to."
Thinking about it this way, Song Yang's reaction just now was indeed very strange.
Not only did he prevent her from following, but he also spoke to her so loudly, probably trying to signal others to come out and stop her. However, Shen Yu's behavior became even more inexplicable afterward, leaving her no time to think about it.
Since we're already here...
Shen Yi thought to himself.
＊
Even from a distance, you can see the observation deck adorned with colorful lights, making it look like a dazzling and attractive theme park in the dark.
The car sent by the Song family to pick them up stopped some distance from the viewing platform. The driver reminded them, "Miss Chen and Miss Jiang, you may get out of the car now."
Shen Yi jumped out of the car first, jogged a few steps forward, and began to examine the colored lights on the trees by the roadside.
really--
There is something.
Seeing his childhood photo of himself at one month old strung together and hung on a tree by the roadside, Shen Yi's lips twitched violently, and he wanted to slap the person who planned this event.
She looked up and gazed at the other side of the road.
Sure enough, there were many photos hanging over there as well. Jiang Yue, like her, stood in front of one of them and clenched her fist.
The rest is pretty much the same.
As a child, she crawled on the bed wearing diapers. As she grew older, she learned to walk with the help of a maid. She wore her elementary school uniform for the first time, and one memorable photo after another was hung on the roadside.
As I walked and looked around, it was like seeing the traces of my own growth.
Shen Yi's initial speechless frustration subsided after seeing herself in the photos growing up and becoming more beautiful, no longer a source of embarrassment.
All right.
It's a bit old-fashioned...
But I was still a little touched.
As Shen Yi was thinking this, she saw Jiang Yue on the other side stop and turn her back to her, secretly wiping away tears.
Shen Yi moved even faster. When she was only two pages away from reaching the end of the corner, she thought for a moment, turned around and ran back, walking through Jiang Yue's path again.
So this is what Jiang Yue looked like when she was a child.
She was very thin from a young age, with a small face and head, and even in her graduation photo, she stood out in the crowd.
She had indeed studied dance, and she looked exceptionally beautiful and dazzling in her dance dress, like a white swan.
After Jiang Yue finished reading everything, she wanted to find Chen Yi, but when she turned around, she found Chen Yi standing right behind her, looking somewhat helpless.
When the two of them reached the end together.
It was pretty much as I had imagined.
The ground was piled with all sorts of tables, chairs and equipment that might be needed for camping, creating a lively scene. Everyone was busy, and the air was filled with the aroma of barbecue. On the table in the center were two very beautiful birthday cakes.
They arrived.
The mastermind behind this birthday party, Song Yang, who considered himself exceptionally clever, immediately waved and winked at them smugly: "Happy birthday to you all."
Because of that farce.
Neither of them truly enjoyed their birthdays.
Song Yang always remembered this incident, remembering Shen Yi's pitiful appearance that night, and how she had said a long time ago that she hoped to spend her birthday with him, Wen Que, and... uh, who else was it? Shen Yu? Probably.
Anyway, I want to spend time with them, instead of being all alone with only his company.
When Song Yang told Shen Yu about this idea, Shen Yu immediately clapped his hands and cheered, and suggested that he should also celebrate Jiang Yue's birthday together.
Although Jiang Yue held a birthday banquet after returning to the Shen family, he, as her older brother, could tell that she was under a lot of stress that day and didn't enjoy herself at all.
So the two of them secretly pulled this stunt, and informed Wen Que and Xu Qingzhe in advance that they would be working together today.
I don't know who started it.
The candles were lit, and everyone sang "Happy Birthday," with Shen Yi and Jiang Yue surrounded in the center.
The cakes are pink and blue.
May she be happy, may she be free.
Shen Yi clasped his hands together, a faint smile on his face.
Shenyi did not actually make a wish.
Because the wish she made last time has now come true.
None of the bad things she feared happened.
No one disliked her, no one distanced themselves from her, and she could still live openly under their care and concern. Whether she acted coquettishly or acted shamelessly, it didn't matter. As long as it was her, she seemed to be favored as a matter of course.
＊
"A New Year's wish? Let me think."
"I want to be with everyone forever and ever, please... no, please let the whole world love me forever!!!"
"...Huh? What narcissistic stuff are you saying?"
"I can't stand it anymore, even I, as the older brother, can't stand it. He's too narcissistic!"
Yes, it will.
"……Um."
"Great! The whole world should love our Yiyi!"
Suddenly.
It's snowing again.
Tiny snowflakes gently drifted down and landed on Su Yi's brow.
It was as if someone in another world was gently responding to her: "Of course, I like Yiyi the most, I like her the most."
—End of main text
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