Eight o’clock, dinner was over.
The children, full and content, put down their bowls and left. Xu Huo and Han Xiao helped clean up the dining room.
“Old man… what should we do with the leftover cake?”
“Put it in the fridge; they can have it for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“Won’t it be too rich?”
“They’re not that delicate.”
Jiang Ran, idle nearby, munched on her after-dinner cucumber, generously offering half to Han Xiao.
Xu Huo glanced at her, “Like a mouse, don’t you know to come and help?”
Jiang Ran pouted, and with an “awoo” sound, took another big bite in front of him.
A hundred pounds of weight, ninety-nine pounds of rebelliousness.
When out and about, with an older brother present, what reason would a younger sister have to lift a finger?
If the sister has a need, the brother has a task.
Besides, if she helped, how would she find an excuse to give her brother a massage when they got home?
Plan successful!
When everything was done, Xu Huo pushed Grandma Qin over to the old man and said, “Then we’ll be heading off now… You two should also get some rest early.”
Grandma Qin nodded, looked at Han Xiao, and asked, “Xiao girl, is someone picking you up?”
“I’ll just take the subway.”
The air in the dining hall felt stuffy.
The blush on Han Xiao’s face hadn’t faded yet.
The night breeze was cool, feeling very pleasant on her face.
The old man quickly spoke up, “Then let that rascal take you. There aren’t many people around here; it’s not very safe for a girl alone.”
“It’s fine, we’ll definitely be going the same way on the subway. You two do whatever you need to do. Don’t stay up too late at your age. We’ll come see you again in a few days when we’re free.”
“No! Ranran got a recommendation, but you didn’t. Wait until after the college entrance exam… Ranran, you shouldn’t come either. Tutor your brother. Right now, nothing is more important than the college entrance exam.”
“We’ll see then.”
Xu Huo didn’t rashly agree and turned to leave.
Jiang Ran was wearing a short skirt, and when the wind blew, she felt a bit chilly, so she secretly moved closer to her brother.
She always felt particularly warm when she was near him.
Her feet stepped on the stone path; occasionally, a few stones were loose, making a creaking sound when she stepped on them.
Jiang Ran complained, “Brother, I ate so much tonight, I feel like I’ve gotten fat…”
Xu Huo turned his head and scrutinized her.
Jiang Ran’s body proportions were perfect.
Although she was only 1.6 meters tall, she looked slender and tall.
And because her waist was particularly thin, certain areas looked more well-endowed.
But it was only “looked.”
He, who had washed her underwear and bras for years, knew best.
“Where did you get fat?”
Jiang Ran patted her stomach and said, “I feel like my belly got a little bit fatter. I need to start losing weight.”
Xu Huo sneered, “Every time you finish eating, you say you’ll lose weight, then when you wake up, it’s forgotten… Count how many times this has happened? Don’t even get me started on counting on my fingers; a centipede couldn’t count them all.”
“This time I’m serious! Anyway, no classes tomorrow, so when we get home, let’s go for a walk in the nearby park. Studying can wait for a bit.”
“Too much free time?”
“You accompany me~~”
Jiang Ran had a subtly manipulative air about her.
She didn’t like running, but with her brother accompanying her, she loved it.
“Rejected.”
“Hmph! You don’t spoil me at all!”
Han Xiao chuckled, “You two siblings have such a good relationship…”
Due to her knee, she wasn’t walking smoothly, but both Xu Huo and Jiang Ran instinctively slowed their pace to match hers.
“Mom and Dad are rarely home, so don’t I have to be both a father and a mother?”
Jiang Ran tilted her head, her eyes suspicious, “Why do you sound so wronged?”
“Isn’t it true?”
Xu Huo glared at her.
“Nyah, nyah, nyah!!”
When crossing the street, Jiang Ran waited for the traffic light beside Xu Huo.
Seeing that Han Xiao was struggling to stand, she leaned towards Han Xiao’s direction, eventually pressing against her through their clothes.
“Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you.”
“It was nothing.”
“But I’m still very grateful to you.”
Jiang Ran’s attitude was firm, staring intently at Han Xiao, her tone leaving no room for argument.
But precisely because she focused too much on Han Xiao’s face, she didn’t watch her step.
When the green light came on, she accidentally tripped.
Fortunately, her reaction was quick enough to steady herself on the nearby iron railing, preventing her from falling and dragging Han Xiao down with her.
However, she still let out an “Ah,” having scraped herself on the rough surface.
Hiss… that hurts a bit.
Jiang Ran wasn’t being dramatic; she just pinched her finger without making a sound.
Han Xiao, however, noticed.
She grabbed her hand and asked, “Did you hurt your hand?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Let me see.”
Han Xiao took her hand and opened her palm, seeing a small scrape on her palm with a tiny bit of blood.
“It’s really nothing.”
Before Han Xiao could get a good look, Jiang Ran pulled her hand back, feeling that she was too clumsy and had embarrassed herself.
“Xu Huo! Your sister got hurt!”
“Huh?”
Xu Huo, who was walking ahead, stopped and quickly walked back.
“Where?”
“It’s nothing, just tripped and scraped it a little.”
“Let me see, make me happy.”
Jiang Ran glared at him huffily; scraping her palm really hurt, okay? Xu Huo followed Han Xiao’s gaze, took Jiang Ran’s hand from behind her back, pinched her delicate wrist, looked at her small wound, and only relaxed after confirming it was nothing serious.
“No big deal.”
“I didn’t see clearly, just make sure there’s no rust. A prop master I knew once died of tetanus because he didn’t pay attention after being scraped by a rusty nail, so now I get very nervous whenever I see someone injured by iron. Better safe than sorry.”
“Ah?”
Jiang Ran seemed to suddenly think of something, “So online…”
Before she could finish, Han Xiao’s phone rang.
She took out her phone, glanced at the caller, frowned slightly, then hung up.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“An annoying person, just ignore him.”
After saying that, the three continued walking towards the subway station.
But they hadn’t gone far when they suddenly heard the roar of a car engine behind them, followed by a sudden brake, and then a surprised voice, “Xiao Xiao!”
Ran into an acquaintance?!
The siblings looked back in confusion, seeing a handsome young man in a casual suit get out of the driver’s seat, his face flushed.
He nearly stumbled several times as he ran over.
If Song Jian was a round ball of flesh, this one was a flashy bee.
Smelling the strong alcohol on him, Jiang Ran was shocked and covered her nose with a hint of disgust.
“Why is this person drunk driving?”
“Let’s go!”
Han Xiao became anxious, her face showing undisguised disgust, and she turned to leave.
“What’s wrong? Is he an acquaintance?”
Han Xiao’s reaction startled both siblings.
The address “Xiao Xiao” sounded quite familiar, but Han Xiao’s expression of disdain couldn’t be faked at all.
He guessed that guy must be one of Han Xiao’s admirers.
A fair lady, a gentleman’s good pursuit.
It was quite normal, nothing to be surprised about.
But no matter what, when encountering an unwelcome admirer, one either rejects them directly or subtly.
Why such panic?
He looked more like a creditor.
“It’s a long story.”
Han Xiao’s expression was urgent, but due to her knee injury, she still couldn’t shake him off.
The guy, reeking of alcohol, ran over in big strides, blocking their way.
His eyes were unfocused, and he could barely speak clearly.
“Xiao Xiao! Why do you leave as soon as you see me?”