Under Liu Anran’s financial offensive, the school seemed to have yielded.
Oh, it should be the academy—after all, this event, just like the last sports meet, was organized within the academy. It was probably because the academy’s leadership couldn’t come up with anything else to do.
Zhu Niao was once again frustrated that someone had been swayed by money.
Maybe it was simply because it wasn’t her this time who had been bought over.
Liu Xie was still grumbling with Liu Anran.
“I don’t trust you to stay alone at school right now. I don’t think you can take good care of yourself,” Liu Anran said condescendingly, with an overwhelming aura of intimidation and pressure.
Compared to him, Liu Xie looked more like a rebellious child. “I still have my roommates around me, and besides, it’s just a small physiological period. I don’t think it’s necessary to make such a fuss.”
“I don’t think it’s making a fuss. If this isn’t properly taken care of, it might cause chronic problems later on.” Liu Anran clung to his point stubbornly.
Suddenly, Liu Xie noticed a highlight: “Wait, how come you, a guy, know more about this than I do as a girl? You don’t even need to know this kind of stuff, do you?”
“You need to, now that you’re in this condition,” Liu Anran said, crossing his arms.
“I feel like you’re treating me like a child. What can happen to me if I follow you? You’ll take care of me? At least I have roommates going through the same thing.” Liu Xie’s defiant spirit flared up again.
Normally, at this point, Liu Anran would start to back down, whether before or after Liu Xie became female. Once this stage was reached, he would relent.
But this time was different. Liu Anran still held firm.
“You said your roommates are going through the same thing. How can I believe that after taking care of themselves, they still have the time and energy to look after you?”
Yang Shuli, who was squatting nearby playing with a cat, felt like she was being mentioned and was about to turn around when Zhu Niao pressed her back down.
Liu Anran continued, “Besides, even if I can’t take care of you myself, I can hire someone to do it.”
No wonder rich people always attract resentment.
A slight displeasure appeared on Liu Xie’s face. “I think you’re still overreacting. Look, I’m fine right now.”
“It’ll be too late once something happens.” Liu Anran took a deep breath. “To me, nothing you go through is a small matter. If it’s because of my negligence, I won’t forgive myself.”
“Well, you don’t have to say it like that…” Liu Xie suddenly felt awkward.
She knew Liu Anran meant well, but it still felt uncomfortable. Maybe it was the lingering pressure of his older brother’s authority that made it hard for her to accept her younger brother treating her like a child.
“Putting that aside,” Liu Xie continued, “it’s only a few days. The house is at least an hour’s drive from school. I have to spend two hours going back and forth every day? And do this every month? Don’t you think that’s troublesome?”
This little problem didn’t seem to bother Liu Anran at all.
“You can stay with me at the branch office for now. I rented a place nearby, and it’s definitely enough for the two of us.” Liu Anran’s words sounded like he was about to take full responsibility for Liu Xie.
“Are you going to pamper me?” Liu Xie raised an eyebrow and said this aloud.
“If you want, anytime.” Liu Anran’s expression remained indifferent. “But don’t worry, I won’t keep doing this every month. Once I’m sure you’re capable of taking care of yourself, I’ll feel at ease and let you go back.”
Liu Xie moved closer and closer in front of Liu Anran, wearing a serious expression as if trying to find some trace of joking in his face.
But even when close enough to kiss, she saw none.
With her golden hair, Liu Xie scratched her head in a mixture of helplessness and rage.
“I still have classes this afternoon. If you want to pick me up, wait until after class.”
Liu Xie seemed to have given up resisting, sitting on the bench looking dejected and completely drained.
“I know you have class this afternoon, or else I would’ve just dragged you away earlier,” Liu Anran glanced at Zhu Niao and Yang Shuli, who were pretending to play with the cat but secretly watching them.
“When I’m not around, I’ll trouble you two to take care of her. If she needs anything, please come directly to me. I know she won’t ask me on her own.”
Liu Anran knew Liu Xie very well—he could almost read her like an open book.
“You don’t have to say that; I already know.” Zhu Niao said, eyeing the two red envelopes Liu Anran took out and handed to her and Yang Shuli.
So she changed her tune.
“Actually, I’ve long thought she’s not fully capable of taking care of herself. I wanted to ask you to pick her up a while ago but just never had the chance.” Zhu Niao waved off the thanks as she accepted the red envelope. “Don’t worry, the task will be completed.”
Liu Xie shot a sufficiently disdainful look their way.
Liu Anran nodded and turned to leave, carrying the bag of iced cola and iced coffee.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t give the drinks to Zhu Niao and Yang Shuli, or that he didn’t know they were also on their periods. He just simply feared that Liu Xie would greedily ask them for drinks.
“Alright, alright. To satisfy your basketball match, I’ve lost all my freedom.” Liu Xie complained, leaning on the bench, looking half-dead. “I’m doomed, it’s all your fault, come on.”
“Actually, I don’t think so. You stay by your brother’s side, aren’t you afraid he won’t take care of you? Didn’t he even lose his old verbal attack module now?” Zhu Niao pinched the thickness of the red envelope, her eyes shining.
She tore it open and glanced inside.
“Five hundred bucks! Second brother, you’re worth five hundred? How come I never knew you were that valuable before? I should’ve sold you off earlier!” Zhu Niao waved the money in her hand, a heavy scent of money filling her whole body.
And a sense of happiness.
“Back then when you were gaming, you sold me plenty of times.”
“That’s a different matter.”
Yang Shuli put the money away. She just thought she now had money to treat Xu Nian to a meal next time.
Liu Xie seemed about to say something more, but the bench suddenly shook. A familiar figure sat down in the spot Zhu Niao had just vacated while playing with the cat.
Ye Qingchang sat down gently but looked extremely heavy.
“I pulled him into the basketball team.”
She said the sentence but didn’t look at anyone. She only stared at the nearby leaves, golden and swaying precariously.
Her voice was full of exhaustion.
She seemed tired.
She suddenly didn’t want to care about so many things anymore—whether it was the members of the literature club or the virtual pets online, she didn’t want to manage any of it.
But she still forced out a smile toward her roommates.
“Haha, brothers, still couldn’t beat the White Moonlight.”
Competing with herself is going to driven her mad