Back home.
As they entered the elevator, Jiang Ran couldn’t wait to throw her backpack at her brother.
After opening the door, she practically teleported to the kitchen and opened the fridge, but then started picking flaws when she saw a blue package, “Bro~~ Why did you buy Pepsi? I want Coca-Cola!”
“Is there a difference?”
Xu Huo was speechless; he couldn’t tell the difference himself.
“No difference? The taste is way off!”
“Then don’t drink it.”
“Drink, drink, drink.”
Jiang Ran popped open the can and gulped down a big mouthful.
“Ha~~ burp! So refreshing! On days like these, you just have to drink ice-cold cola! When I’m out, I have to be demure and only drink juice, it’s no fun at all!”
“Careful, you’ll get fat.”
Watching her so content, Xu Huo couldn’t help but nag her again.
“You talk too much!”
Jiang Ran stuck out her tongue at him, “Even if your sister gets as fat as a ball, would her brother really dislike her?”
Xu Huo pursed his lips, “No, not necessarily. Why wait until you get fat to dislike you? I dislike you now.”
“Tch! Can’t drink any more!”
Jiang Ran pretended not to hear and handed the remaining large half to Xu Huo.
With ice-cold cola, only the first sip is valuable – it’s happiness, joy, the culmination of all good things in the world.
As for the rest, it’s calories, fat, a synonym for all the evil in the world.
Xu Huo wasn’t polite either. He took his sister’s “kindness,” gulped down the rest, and then the siblings looked at each other, a shared understanding between them.
They both let out a long, loud burp in unison, laughing like children who were over two hundred months old.
Jiang Ran twisted her body, acting spoiled, “Bro! I’ve been eating boxed lunches these past few days. You really need to treat me well…”
“Didn’t you stay in five-star hotels for the competition?”
Xu Huo finished his cola and threw it towards the trash can. But he missed, so he sheepishly went to pick it up and dutifully put it in.
“Are boxed lunches from five-star hotels not still boxed lunches?”
“Alright, then, have you told Mom and Dad about winning the prize?”
“Not yet.”
“Then why are you still dawdling? Call them quickly. As for Grandma Qin… tomorrow’s Friday, we can make time to visit her. It’s up to you whether you call or tell her in person.”
“Okay!”
Jiang Ran “meowed” as she lay on the sofa. Only then did she feel sore all over.
“Riding the car back and forth really kills you! If only someone could massage my legs, and then a hot bath, I’ll definitely get a good night’s sleep tonight…”
Xu Huo eyed her suspiciously.
Was there anyone else in this room besides him?
Was she hinting that she wanted him to massage her?
Truly, an ugly person with beautiful thoughts.
So he ignored her and walked to the kitchen to open the fridge.
Given their situation, relying on takeout all the time was clearly unrealistic, but if they were self-reliant, thinking about what to cook every day was a headache.
If it were just Xu Huo eating, he could make anything.
But his sister was different.
An occasional meal was fine, but constantly relying on takeout would definitely turn her into a demanding little imp, who would look at him pitifully with her big eyes.
So, by the time Jiang Ran finished her phone call, Xu Huo was bustling in the kitchen.
Jiang Ran boredly stared at the TV in the living room.
Vaguely, she could hear the sizzling of stir-frying from the kitchen, and the gurgling of something stewing in a pot.
Bubbles floated to the surface of the soup, popping with a “pop,” releasing an enticing aroma…
So she quietly slipped into the kitchen, appearing cutely in front of Xu Huo, “Bro, is there anything I can do?”
“Get out! You’re in the way here.”
Jiang Ran sheepishly went out, leaning against the doorframe, looking up, lost in her own little thoughts, an indescribable sense of loneliness and dejection.
In the room, Xu Huo turned and glanced at her, frowning slightly, “…Come in and peel garlic, I’ll make you garlic shrimp.”
“Yay! But if we make so much, can we finish it?”
“You just don’t eat rice, then, right? Otherwise, with only two normal dishes, how can I treat you?”
“Good point! Then don’t stew the chicken soup, it’s too greasy!”
The little girl immediately brightened up, picked up two large garlic cloves, and stood by the sink, helping him, “By the way, Brother, I kept thinking that woman looked familiar, and now I finally remember. She’s Han Xiao!”
“You know her?”
“Duh! There are only a few people in our school who don’t know her, right?”
“…I don’t know her well.”
“It’s normal that you don’t know her well. She’s in the entertainment industry and hardly ever shows up at school. When she occasionally comes to do paperwork, everyone talks about it. A few art students I know are really envious. They still have to take exams, but Han Xiao already has resources directly.”
“Why? Does her family have connections or a mine?”
“She’s gorgeous! Didn’t you notice she’s super pretty?”
“She’s alright… So why did she want to jump? Was she forced onto a casting couch?”
“I don’t know, but anyway, I heard from others that her reputation isn’t very good. I’m not clear on the specifics, maybe she’s got a screw loose. There were no safety measures on the rooftop at all. No matter the reason, sitting up there is really asking for death!”
“Hmm?”
Xu Huo glanced at her, and Jiang Ran immediately pursed her lips, giving her brother a silly smile…
She wasn’t implying anything at all~~
“I think you’re getting too bold. I already said it was a misunderstanding, and you’re still clinging to it?”
“Hmph! Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, that’s just what you’re saying. All I know is you were sitting on the rooftop without any safety measures. I advise you to be gentle with me, otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
“Otherwise, I’ll tell Mom and Dad, and they’ll definitely fly back to beat you up!”
“You dare?!”
“What’s there to not dare?”
Xu Huo wasn’t backing down, and Jiang Ran certainly wouldn’t either.
In this situation, whoever yielded first was the one with a guilty conscience.
The kitchen wasn’t big.
On the surface, they looked calm, but their legs were fiercely battling each other underneath.
Jiang Ran hooked Xu Huo’s leg with all her might.
They say when God closes a door, he opens a window.
Although Jiang Ran’s chest was rather “youthfully vibrant,” her legs were very beautiful, well-proportioned and slender.
However, such legs were definitely at a disadvantage when sparring with Xu Huo.
Xu Huo still had enough strength to wash vegetables, while Jiang Ran’s small face was flushed.
She held onto the table, put strength into her body, and tried her best to push his leg away.
“Young!”
With a forceful move from Xu Huo, Jiang Ran immediately lost.
But she still wouldn’t admit defeat, feeling incredibly embarrassed and angry, and stomped hard on his left foot.
“A good man doesn’t fight with women. I’m going to stir-fry now; there’ll be cooking fumes, go wait outside.”
Xu Huo comforted himself, achieving a temporary peace agreement.
***
~ Another part of the city ~
When Han Xiao dragged her exhausted body out of the psychological counseling room, it was already completely dark.
She couldn’t imagine that she had been force-fed two hours of “life advice” by a group of people before finally believing it was truly a misunderstanding.
No, she was going to throw up.
Breathe in!
Breathe out~~
Breathe in!
Breathe out~~
Her expression was a mix of anger, grievance, and pity.
“Xu! Huo!!”