You Must Be Good 10

Chapter 10

◎You must be good.◎

Watching that small, thin figure lower her head with reddened eyes, Chu Xinrou’s heart suddenly trembled, as if pricked by a fine silver needle.

The feeling came out of nowhere.

A sourness wrapped in a fine, sharp pain, swelling slightly in her chest.

Qiao Xiaoxiao lost the courage to walk towards Chu Xinrou.

Although they had only known each other for a few days… Chu Xinrou was just too good to her. Since her mother had left with her sister, apart from her uncle, no one had ever given her such warmth. She couldn’t forget the source of this kindness. Song Qiu had said that every student Chu Xinrou sponsored was from a poor family but excelled in both character and academics.

Excels in both character and academics… Did she, who had been placed in Class 10, still deserve those words?

But Chu Xinrou’s gaze was firm. Stepping through the scattered sunlight, she walked without a trace of hesitation towards that shrinking figure. A few strands of her long, dark hair were lifted by the gentle breeze, making her skin look as white as snow. The hem of her beige windbreaker swayed gently with her steps, tracing an elegant arc. The noisy chatter around them seemed to automatically part a path for her.

Chu Xinrou’s voice was like a stream in early spring, carrying a reassuring gentleness. “Tired?”

She didn’t ask about the placement results.

She didn’t even ask why Qiao Xiaoxiao was sad.

The faint scent of sandalwood lingered between them, calming and reassuring.

“Come on, I’ll take you for some ice cream.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao was stunned. She slowly raised her head. The tip of her red nose and her tear-filled eyes looked particularly fragile in the sunlight.

A gentle smile bloomed on Chu Xinrou’s lips. The afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the parasol tree leaves, plating her in a fuzzy golden light. Tiny specks of light danced in her hair, and every strand seemed to glow with a warm halo.

Qiao Xiaoxiao blinked her moist eyes, watching. The scene was like a slow-motion movie clip, etched frame by frame into the deepest part of her memory. Finally, as she nodded gently, a tear rolled down uncontrollably. “Okay.”

This was the first time in her life she had stepped into a dessert shop.

The glass display case was filled with all sorts of exquisite desserts, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of cream and fruit. Qiao Xiaoxiao clutched the hem of her clothes awkwardly until the pink strawberry ice cream was pushed in front of her. The crystal-clear shaved ice was dotted with bright red strawberry bits, like rubies scattered in the snow.

Chu Xinrou ordered a coffee for herself, a dark liquid with a bitter taste. Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at it curiously. Chu Xinrou smiled and asked, “Want to try?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao immediately shook her head.

Chu Xinrou smiled, seeing that she wasn’t so sad anymore. Her gaze was softer than the sunlight outside the window.

When the first cold touch hit her tongue, Qiao Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but flinch. The sweet and sour taste melted in her mouth, and the soft shaved ice gently smoothed out the wrinkles in her heart. At first, she licked it in small bites, but slowly, that ferocious eating energy of hers returned. She didn’t even notice the cream on the corner of her mouth.

Chu Xinrou watched her, a doting look in her eyes that she herself hadn’t noticed.

The sweetness melted on her tongue, and the bitterness in her heart gradually dissipated along with it.

Qiao Xiaoxiao relaxed, and the tightly clutched hem of her clothes also loosened.

When Chu Xinrou got up to pay, Qiao Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but crane her neck to look at the counter. The names of the exquisite desserts in the glass case were too foreign to her, but the price tag she had glimpsed when she entered had made her heart jump. The number was equivalent to a week’s worth of her food expenses.

Chu Xinrou could have elegantly gestured for the waiter to come over, but she deliberately got up and walked to the counter.

When they walked out of the dessert shop, Qiao Xiaoxiao found that even the sunlight seemed different. It was no longer a harsh glare but a warm embrace, and the weight on her chest also lightened a little.

Chu Xinrou didn’t rush her home but led her to a nearby park. The sun was warm, and the lake’s surface shimmered with fine ripples, as if a handful of crushed silver had been scattered on it. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would bring a faint floral scent.

In the central square, Chu Xinrou took out a small bag of corn kernels from her purse. She said softly, “Hold out your hand.”

Although confused, Qiao Xiaoxiao still opened her palm. Her hand, calloused from years of labor, was full of old calluses. Chu Xinrou saw it, pressed her lips together, and poured the corn kernels onto it.

The first to notice was a gray-feathered pigeon. It tilted its head and observed for a moment, then suddenly flapped its wings and landed at Qiao Xiaoxiao’s feet. Immediately after, more and more white pigeons gathered from all over the square, their white wings almost transparent in the sunlight. A bold pigeon suddenly took flight and landed gently on Qiao Xiaoxiao’s slightly trembling shoulder.

Qiao Xiaoxiao instantly held her breath, her body as stiff as a little mummy, not daring to move. This made Chu Xinrou, who was standing beside her, laugh.

The real touch of the pigeon’s small claws, the warm scent of sun-baked feathers—Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at the smiling Chu Xinrou and started to laugh too.

On the way home, Chu Xinrou slowed her pace, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself. “When I first came to this city, I couldn’t eat or sleep. I would always come here alone to feed the pigeons.”

Back then, the sky always seemed gray.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was stunned. She looked at Chu Xinrou’s delicate profile and couldn’t imagine that this always composed and elegant woman could have such a vulnerable moment.

Chu Xinrou didn’t look back, letting the wind lift the hem of her windbreaker. She looked down at her own shadow, her voice as light as a falling leaf. “At that time, I thought I wouldn’t get through it.”

She didn’t have to reveal these old scars to a child.

“So—” Chu Xinrou turned, her fingertips gently brushing a parasol leaf from Qiao Xiaoxiao’s hair, her eyes filled with a gentle light. “Give yourself some time.”

It wasn’t condescending comfort, but an understanding born from empathy.

The weight of these words settled heavily in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s heart, giving her endless comfort. She inexplicably believed Chu Xinrou’s words, believed every word she said.

This trust put her at ease, so much so that when she got home and finished cleaning, she wrapped herself in a blanket and fell into a deep sleep.

And this time, her dream was no longer of dark alleys and piercing scoldings, but of the lingering sweet scent of strawberries and the white feather that had landed on her shoulder.

She slept exceptionally soundly. When she woke up, Qiao Xiaoxiao stared blankly at the ceiling. The twilight outside the window had turned a deep blue. She sat up with a start. It was almost six o’clock! She frantically put on her slippers and ran out. Dinner wasn’t made yet.

When she pushed open the door, the warm yellow light from the living room streamed in.

She thought Chu Xinrou was already resting, but she was leaning against the sofa, gold-rimmed glasses perched on her high nose bridge, the lenses reflecting the blue light of the computer screen. Her brows were slightly furrowed as her slender fingers tapped on the keyboard, her other hand unconsciously twirling a lock of her hair. Hearing the movement, she looked up. “Awake?”

Under the orange light, Chu Xinrou’s gold-rimmed glasses gleamed. Different from her usual gentle and watery appearance, she now exuded an intellectual charm. Qiao Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment and just stared blankly, nodding.

“Come here.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao shuffled closer, and Chu Xinrou naturally moved to one side of the sofa. She sat down cautiously, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She didn’t know why Chu Xinrou had called her over. Was it… because she had behaved so badly today, and had disappointed her? Was it—

“Here.” Before Qiao Xiaoxiao could finish her wild thoughts, Chu Xinrou took out a phone box from her side and gently pushed it in front of Qiao Xiaoxiao.

Qiao Xiaoxiao froze, her fingers trembling slightly, but she didn’t reach for it.

“You promised to be in charge of cooking and housework.”

Chu Xinrou’s voice was tinged with a smile, and the eyes behind her glasses curved into gentle crescents.

Qiao Xiaoxiao nodded mechanically. She had promised.

Chu Xinrou pushed the phone box forward a little more. “I’m a picky eater. I want to eat different things every day.” She tapped the screen and brought up a memo. “This lists the dishes I like. After school today, the park I took you to is right next to the wet market. In the future, if I suddenly crave something, I’ll send you a message, and you can go buy it, okay?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s eyes grew hot.

“This is a phone I retired.” Chu Xinrou said lightly, her fingertips sliding across the screen. “Although it’s a bit slow, it has all the basic software. QQ, and my favorite, Bubble Bobble, and a music app—” She paused, her tone softening. “And a few English learning apps. But I don’t really understand these electronic gadgets. You should be able to figure them out at a glance.”

Chu Xinrou had even remembered the English book she had sensitively closed. Qiao Xiaoxiao’s shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She had just thought Chu Xinrou found her insensible…

Thinking about it now, she really wanted to slap herself.

How could someone like her deserve to be treated so well by Jiejie…

Qiao Xiaoxiao choked back a sob and shook her head. “No, Jiejie, I’ve already troubled you so much… I—”

Chu Xinrou sighed softly, interrupting her. She said gently, “You must be good.”

These simple words were like a key, instantly unlocking the strength Qiao Xiaoxiao had been forcing herself to maintain. The tears she had held back all day finally broke free, falling drop by drop onto the phone box.

【Author’s Note】

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s path to growth was not a smooth one.

Because of her impoverished childhood, after coming to the city, the temptations from various people and things were immense for a young child who lacked parental guidance.

But Qiao Xiaoxiao endured it all, for no other reason than Chu Xinrou’s words: “You must be good.”

And so she truly remained good.

Except for everything that happened between them later.