Xu Huo frowned, explaining, “Don’t look at me like that, I just met this classmate for the first time too.”
Seeing that everyone still looked skeptical, Xu Huo added, “She was probably tricked down by me and has some resentment.”
“No! I never intended to jump! It was…”
“See! She’s still denying it!”
Xu Huo shouted loudly.
Han Xiao was furious, grinding her teeth secretly.
The teachers exchanged glances, thinking, What the boy said must be true.
The current situation indeed looked more like Han Xiao was embarrassed and angry.
If she had truly been bullied, her emotions should be more shattered.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now. Teachers, please do some psychological counseling for this classmate.”
“Xu Huo! Stop right there!”
Xu Huo completely ignored her, pulling Jiang Ran and turning to leave.
Brushing off his clothes after the deed, deeply hiding his accomplishments and fame.
As they walked downstairs, Jiang Ran hadn’t fully recovered from her recent fear and despair.
Her small mouth was pouted, on the verge of tears, and she complained with a wronged look,
“Brother! You don’t know, I was almost scared to death when I saw you! Can you please not do that?”
The little girl looked tense, incredibly serious.
Most sisters wouldn’t speak to their brothers with such an attitude.
Unless their relationship was extremely good, or extremely bad.
Jiang Ran was naturally the former.
She didn’t know how much courage it took to say something so reproachful.
Her hands were clenched into small fists in front of her, making her look nervous.
Xu Huo paused, glanced at Jiang Ran a few times, and looked down at her head.
Her legs looked long, but in front of him, at 1.8 meters, she was actually quite short.
She was seriously worried about him, and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sorry! Sorry! I originally wanted to film a video after school to edit in later, but then that girl came and sat on the rooftop edge, then pulled out her phone to take selfies, constantly muttering to herself. How could that not look like a final goodbye before jumping? If I had suddenly shouted, I might have startled her into falling. If I didn’t intervene, and then checked the surveillance later, I’d definitely be implicated. So, I had to wait for her to notice me, then trick her into thinking I was also going to jump, and finally get close enough to find an opportunity to pull her down… Isn’t your brother pretty clever?”
He patiently apologized to Jiang Ran.
Jiang Ran didn’t seem truly angry, just serious.
That expression didn’t fade until she and Xu Huo started walking again; it even deepened a bit.
She walked with her head down behind Xu Huo the whole way.
Her already petite body seemed to shrink even more due to the silence.
Xu Huo helplessly pursed his lips, then turned back to comfort her, “What’s wrong? Still mad?”
Before Xu Huo could finish speaking, he saw Jiang Ran’s shoulders slump, her small mouth pout, and tears stream from her eyes like broken pearls.
Things seemed quite serious…
Xu Huo was stunned, then softened his voice, “…What’s wrong, really?”
“I thought you were going to commit a lovers’ suicide!”
Jiang Ran’s shoulders trembled, she wiped her tears, and her sobs grew even louder.
Xu Huo watched her for a long time.
He had thought this little girl had been sulking about his jumping hoax the whole way, but who knew she was feeling wronged because of this misunderstanding?
He then couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Just because of that?”
“You don’t care about me!”
“How could I not care about you?”
“W-w-w-…”
The little girl’s choked words were cut short.
It turned out Xu Huo had suddenly reached out his hands and squeezed her cheeks, pulling her face into a wide pancake.
Now it was Jiang Ran’s turn to be stunned, her eyes wide and blinking blankly twice.
Xu Huo released her face and gently patted her shoulder.
“Let’s go, time to go home.”
He turned and walked away.
A moment later, Jiang Ran, flushed and puffed up with anger, rushed after him, wanting to protest Xu Huo’s earlier actions.
Between siblings, this matter could be big or small, especially since they weren’t like ordinary siblings.
“Brother! You’re bullying me!”
Xu Huo nodded, “Hmm, I am bullying you. Want to bite me?”
“You think I wouldn’t dare to bite?”
Jiang Ran was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, relentlessly badgering him.
Xu Huo found it irritating.
He stretched out his large hand and pinched her upper and lower lips.
Honestly, Jiang Ran’s skin on her cheeks was like the softest, whitest tofu.
After he pinched her mouth, her small face quickly turned red, and she wriggled in front of him like a slippery little loach.
“No manners!”
Xu Huo smiled with a hint of pleasure, and Jiang Ran didn’t dare to act so brazenly anymore.
As they walked home, Xu Huo added a few more details about his deception.
She still looked angry, as if she wasn’t listening, but in reality, her soft, delicate little ears were perked up, not missing a single word he said.
The best way to deal with a foolish girl is to introduce an even more foolish one, and then “mock” the other person together with her.
That way, she won’t be the most foolish one.
As Jiang Ran listened, she skipped along behind him, laughing and joking, “No wonder you said you tricked her! That’s too miserable!”
Truly a young girl, light and graceful in her movements.
A “heavy woman” like Han Xiao would have made him lose his balance when falling on him.
But soon, Jiang Ran felt that she shouldn’t be so happy, or at least not so quickly happy…
Easily placated, with no bottom line.
Xu Huo heard the sound cease, and looked back.
Jiang Ran immediately pursed her lips, making her expression more reserved, her eyes blinking innocently.
“Next time you encounter something like this, you can’t do that. What if something unexpected happens? It’s so high up, after all… The worst that can happen if you ignore it is being misunderstood, and if your conscience is clear, you’re not afraid of trouble… You’re different from others, don’t forget you have a sister at home! If I didn’t have a brother, what would I do?!”
If it were an ordinary person, facing such “coquettish words,” their mind would probably crash on the spot.
A normal person would also feel awkward, constrained, and helpless.
But Xu Huo was different.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, reaching out and putting his arm around Jiang Ran’s shoulder.
Jiang Ran froze, only feeling the hand on her shoulder hot and strong.
A tingling chill shot through her heart, her face instantly turned red, and she sprang away like a startled rabbit.
“You, you…”
She was speechless for a moment, her eyes wide and watery, staring at Xu Huo.
“Only good at being fierce with your mouth.”
Xu Huo pouted, “Didn’t you go to the competition?”
“It’s over! First prize!”
Jiang Ran’s eyes sparkled, filled with a desire for recognition.
Xu Huo didn’t disappoint, reaching out and rubbing her head, “Really amazing.”
“Just so-so~~ just got direct admission, hehe!”
“Called you fat and you’re still puffing out your chest?”
Xu Huo slightly increased the pressure on his hand, immediately pulling down her hair tie.
Her neat ponytail fell over her shoulders.
Jiang Ran pouted with grievance, reaching out to grab it, but Xu Huo held it high, and she couldn’t reach it even if she jumped, making her even more aggrieved.
“Brother~~”
“Still gloating?”
“I’m going to hit you!”
Jiang Ran waved her small fists.
Xu Huo crooked a finger at her, “You’re capable now, come here.”
Jiang Ran instantly retracted her fists.
“Brother~”
Docile, cute, harmless.
“Hmm?”
Xu Huo deepened his tone.
“Mm-hmm!!”
Jiang Ran puffed out her cheeks, reluctantly shuffling over to her brother, her pretty face clearly showing the words “giving in.”
When she got closer, Xu Huo held her hair and tied it into a lively ponytail.
The girl lowered her head, fidgeting with the corner of her clothes, her pretty face flushed.
“Doesn’t that look much better? Such a pretty girl, dressed so casually… Both are ponytails, but the high and low styles feel completely different.”
“Why do I need to look good outside? No one’s looking anyway…”
Jiang Ran mumbled softly, then touched her ponytail, her face full of admiration, “Brother is truly amazing.”
“That’s right.”
“Here, this is my prize money!”
Jiang Ran pulled a thick envelope from her backpack.
Xu Huo didn’t even look, “Keep it yourself.”
“To help with the family’s daily expenses.”
“You get living expenses every month, we don’t lack your bit.”
“You’re so annoying!”
Jiang Ran forcefully stuffed the envelope into Xu Huo’s pocket, pinching the soft flesh around his waist and twisting, “If you think it’s not appropriate, then sing me a song. I’ve been exhausted these past few days outside…”
“Which one?”
“Which one else?”
“You’ve been listening to it for so many years, aren’t you tired of it?”
“Because it’s really good! No one else knows how amazing my brother is! He could write songs when he was just a few years old.”
Jiang Ran whimpered, like a young swallow returning to its nest, gently hooking her arm through Xu Huo’s.
When she was abducted by human traffickers back then, it was her brother, who was also abducted, who, while they weren’t paying attention, bit off a trafficker’s finger, which attracted the attention of those around them.
Though she didn’t know why a little boy who had just been crying hysterically, after being slapped hard and fainting, could suddenly become fierce upon waking.
But whether it was at the police station afterward, or the orphanage after that, there was always a calm little boy embracing and humming softly to a crying little girl.
Until her brother’s parents came to pick him up and take him home, and saw her, left uncared for, they had a moment of softness.
So from that day on, she gained a set of parents, and also a brother who found new ways to make her happy every day.