Chapter 116
Among all Jiang Yunu's preconceived ideas, the one she was most unsure of was actually Qiao Daisi's reaction.
So the notice to Aunt Daisy should be given first.
Qiao Daisi was a woman who had lived in the run-down street for countless years, and she carried the usual sense of boundaries of a regular resident. She didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs, didn't ask about their backgrounds, and had never even insisted on entering the small building across the street, setting foot in Jiang Yunu's "private territory."
But this is a woman with a strong sense of boundaries. She looks strong and bold when you first meet her. In fact, she is very cold-hearted but warm-hearted. Her heart is just like her hair color, like a fire burning in a fireplace in winter, and she will generously share the light with "wild children" of unknown origin.
Qiao Daisi was the first adult that Jiang Yunu had close contact with in this world. She was the one who gave her legal household registration and a foster care relationship certificate.
She meant something extra to her.
"I thought..." Jiang Yunu suddenly spoke on the phone. She hesitated briefly, but continued, "I thought Aunt Daisy wouldn't agree to let me go so readily."
Many negative thoughts flashed through the white-haired girl's mind: for example, she was not Aunt Daisy's biological daughter after all, but was suddenly picked up and raised by her, so the other party felt that she could not take care of her.
But the red-haired woman was watching her through the video window. She carefully discerned her expression and discovered that Jodaith didn't seem to have the intentions she thought.
"If I agree to let you go, the most I can do is miss you when you go to senior high school, and worry about whether it will be inconvenient for you to live away from home alone," Jodaisi said calmly. "But if I disagree with you right now out of reluctance or other selfish reasons, I might regret it for many years to come—regret why I didn't let you make that decision on your own."
Whether it was Aunt Daisy or Teacher Lei, they both seemed to emphasize to Jiang Yunu the concept of "making your own decisions."
Jiang Yunu then asked, "Is 'making your own decisions' a very important thing?"
"It's very important." Jodie not only answered without hesitation, she also smiled.
"Little girl," Aunt Daisy said, "making your own decisions and taking responsibility for the consequences is a very cool thing that many adults can't do."
Jiang Yunu thought about it.
She said, "Then I'm going to be the cool 'unprecedented' one."
Aunt Daisy's true mood was by no means as rational and calm as when she talked to Jiang Yunuo, but no matter what, she and Jiang Yunuo had a video call in which they shared the same views and the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious as time went on.
Qiao Daisi took the initiative to say, "It's getting late. Even if you don't rest, you should have other things to do tonight, right?"
Jiang Yunu understood that this was her cue to hang up. She nodded and said, "There's something else. I need to make a list of people to inform about my skipping-level exam."
"Um?"
The red-haired woman raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on her face.
"Is this the first thing I know about this?" asked Jodie.
Jiang Yunu: "Besides sending the notice to my two teachers, I only told Aunt Dai Si about this matter first."
The surprise on the red-haired lady's face turned into a thoughtful look, and then, the thoughtful look turned into an epiphany - in just two sentences, Qiao Daisi suddenly understood why the little girl had such an expression when she mentioned Joyceon and asked Jiang Yunu why she caused trouble as soon as she returned to school and left Joyce behind.
"I was just joking," Aunt Daisy apologized to the child. "I suggest you make Joyson the next person to be notified. He'll need a little more time to process this news, but don't worry, he won't complain about being left behind."
Jiang Yunu almost blurted out "Really?", but that would reveal too much that she was also worried about her friends' reactions.
People are like this: once they truly consider someone their elder, they'll have their own "little thoughts" around them. Especially if they've just had an "adult-style" conversation with the other person, they don't want to be discovered right away and worry about maintaining their friendship.
"I'm not worried." Jiang Yunu said stubbornly, "Then I'll hang up first. I'll go find Joyson next. Good night, Aunt Daisy."
After saying good night, the phone hung up.
With the remaining momentum after his tough talk, Jiang Yunu immediately sent a message to Qiao Yisen, asking him to remember to have breakfast together in the South Canteen tomorrow morning.
Joyson is still awake; it's "nightlife" time for Engel students.
The red-haired boy seemed particularly puzzled by Jiang Yunu's special notice. He sent a message to Jiang Yunu, "Does this require a special notice? You've only been at the joint school competition for over a month, and you've already disavowed our right to eat together at school?"
Joyson's personal terminal user ID has not been changed. It is the "Phantom of the Red Attic" that once made him embarrassed.
"The Phantom of the Red Attic" continued to bombard Jiang Yunu online: [How does that saying go? Sigh! I'm most afraid of people's fickleness!]
[Just because we're out for a while, are we no longer the best dining companions? ]
If you don't invite me to dinner, who are you going to invite? The young master who rolled his eyes at me when we met in the dormitory tonight because we didn't take his private car back to Chat?
Jiang Yunu didn't know how Xie Shi appeared in the chat window between her and Qiao Yisen, but she also didn't know that when Qiao Yisen separated from her this evening and returned to the boys' dormitory, he actually had such a coincidence that he was given a cold look by Young Master Xie in the dormitory area.
User 2024071523 replied to "Phantom of the Red Loft": [Don't slander others' innocence out of thin air. Why would I call Master Xie for breakfast?]
She had been at Songnan School for more than a month and had never had a meal alone with Xie Shi - the temporary two-person team during the half-day practice match did not count, when they squatted together at the practice field on the back mountain of Songnan and ate portable energy packs.
Joyson was very satisfied with the fact that his status as a "regular dining partner" remained stable. He finally stopped attacking Jiang Yunu and asked her to say less things that would make it seem as if they were suddenly not close anymore.
Jiang Yunu stared blankly at the screen of his personal terminal.
She had originally planned to tell Joyson in a more natural manner when she met him for breakfast the next morning that she might graduate directly in six months.
As a result, time flew by and it was the next morning... She couldn't say it out loud.
Jiang Yunu thought it was okay to talk about it at noon.
In the end, nothing was said at noon.
Then she shifted her gaze to night, feeling that night would be okay as well.
And then at night...of course...that wasn't possible either.
Jiang Yunu's "plan to notify everyone one by one to take the skipped-level exam" was stuck at the step of informing the second person on the list, and it was stuck for nearly half a week.
"There's something wrong with you."
After the theoretical class on Thursday afternoon, Joyson intercepted Jiang Yunu in the corridor outside the classroom.
Today's lectures ended early, leaving two hours before the cafeteria opened for dinner. Since it's finals month, these periods without classes are usually used by Engel students for independent study.
Jiang Yunu blinked as Qiao Yisen blocked his way. "Didn't we say we're going to the multi-purpose building to find a soundproof room to study in? And you've cornered me here and are interrogating me?"
"Of course you have to go to study hall," Joyson said, "but first you have to tell me if you have anything to do these days."
"What can I do?"
"You're definitely in trouble," the red-haired boy said firmly. He cast a cautious gaze on Jiang Yunu's face, then raised a hand and placed his fingers down one by one. "The day before yesterday, we had celery for dinner, which you hated, and you ate it without even picking out a single bite. Yesterday at noon, we went to buy bread for a snack, and there were two flavors: one you liked and one you thought was just average. You took the average one without even looking at it, and only realized you had picked the wrong one at the end of the meal. Then you told me you didn't realize it at first."
“…”
Joyson was still folding his fingers. "Then this morning, the cafeteria's food delivery robot had a programming malfunction. The first three servings of pumpkin porridge were all laced with salt, spices, and sugar. It had such a devilishly sweet and spicy taste. You were the only one in the entire Nan cafeteria who drank half a bowl. The robot was so scared that it asked three times if it wanted to call the medical cabin for you—but you didn't notice anything, thinking the pumpkin porridge was just like usual!"
Jiang Yunu said: "...This is just a low-probability event. You know I always cherish food."
"That's right, you're the most food-conscious girl of your age that I've ever met," Joyson said firmly. "But because you prioritize eating so much, and you keep making small mistakes, I'm sure something's wrong with you."
“…”
Jiang Yunu never imagined that someone could judge her thoughts and emotions from the details of her eating.
She thought she behaved normally every day and had done a good job of hiding the fact that she had some important news from her friends.
Who would have thought that someone was watching her eat every day.
"...You really are my brother." Jiang Yunu was a little speechless, and a little shocked, "Why do you still keep an eye on me every day to see if there are any mistakes when I eat?"
"I only watch because he's my biological brother." Qiao Yisen directly added a non-substantial blood relationship between him and Jiang Yunu. He said, "Last weekend, when I got home, my mom was complaining about how thin you were. Eating is very important during puberty. Besides me, who else can watch you eat at school?"
Jiang Yunu suddenly fell silent.
Joyson soon became concerned that he was paying too much attention, and his attitude softened.
"What's on your mind?" the red-haired boy asked cautiously.
Jiang Yunu suddenly felt that this was the best time. She turned her head to look at the corridor of the teaching building where most people had left. The sunlight at four o'clock in the afternoon shone obliquely in from the corridor windows.
She said: "I have been given the opportunity to take the skip-level exam and will be able to take the entrance exam directly in half a year. I may graduate super fast."
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