You Must Be Good 40

Chapter 40

◎Comrade Xiaoxiao’s first act of rebellion in her life.◎

In the face of strength, everything must give way.

Coach Xue, who had just been feeling that there were no promising talents to select, took off his sunglasses, walked over to Wang Tiantian, and extended his hand. “I think I don’t need to introduce myself.”

…

From a distance, Qiao Xiaoxiao watched as Coach Xue excitedly patted Tiantian’s shoulder. The two of them said a few words, and Wang Tiantian turned around, her eyes red, and ran towards Qiao Xiaoxiao, hugging her tightly.

The huge impact made Qiao Xiaoxiao take two steps back, her hands on her waist to steady herself. “…Tiantian, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but since you’re going to do sports again, you should at least lose some weight, right?”

Wang Tiantian’s tears streamed down her face. “Sob, sob, Xiaoxiao, how did you know I could high jump?”

She was still in a daze, as if in a dream. Coach Xue was simple and direct, asking her if she still wanted to continue practicing sports and saying that he would visit her home tonight.

The corners of Qiao Xiaoxiao’s lips lifted. “The first time we met, you insisted on racing me. You were shouting and warming up in front of me. At that time, I already thought you had talent.”

Her words back then, “Why didn’t the high jump team come to poach you?” were not a joke.

Perhaps because of her life experiences of making a living since she was a child, Qiao Xiaoxiao was particularly good at observing, especially the subtle details that others couldn’t see. Her decision to bring her to the high jump tryouts this time was not a rash one made after scouting the place yesterday, but a gradual focus that had begun after the first time Wang Tiantian had walked home with her from school and Qiao Xiaoxiao had considered her a friend in her heart.

The sun rose from its highest point, the sunlight like molten gold, plating the two girls’ figures in a warm color. Wang Tiantian was so happy that she cried in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s arms and refused to get up. Xiaoxiao frowned. “Hey, don’t take the opportunity to wipe your snot on me.”

Wang Tiantian wiped it hard. “You’re indeed good at observing.”

Not far away, Yang Feitang, who was observing, looked on with emotion. “Oh my, they’re such a good match.”

Chu Xinrou turned to look at her. “How are they a good match?”

Yang Feitang’s eyes widened. “They’re both so youthful and vibrant, so full of heroic spirit.”

Chu Xinrou shook her head and looked at Qiao Xiaoxiao. “The type Xiaoxiao likes is not this type.”

“Then what type is it?” Yang Feitang was curious. Chu Xinrou looked at her and smiled slightly. “Anyway, it’s not the type of a big-mouthed parrot who asks questions all day.”

Yang Feitang: …

Why the sudden temper tantrum? And the sudden personal attack?

On second thought, Yang Feitang smiled, understanding. “Xinrou, don’t tell me you’re that old-fashioned. It’s very normal for kids these days to have puppy love. Besides, our Xiaoxiao is as sharp as a tack. How could she be at a disadvantage?”

…

Whether she was at a disadvantage or not, Chu Xinrou didn’t know. She only knew that for the first time in a long time, Qiao Xiaoxiao didn’t come home for dinner, not because she was out working or had practice with the team, but because she was hanging out with a friend.

Wang Tiantian had insisted on treating Qiao Xiaoxiao to a meal and had taken her for barbecue. Coincidentally, they were seen by the gossipy Yang Feitang, who came back and chattered to Chu Xinrou, “Amazing. The two brats even had some beer and sunflower seeds. From the looks of it, they’re about to become sworn sisters. Hey, Xinrou, why do you look so upset? Hahaha, don’t tell me you’re feeling lonely and cold because Xiaoxiao didn’t come back to have dinner with you? It’s okay, come on, your Sister Yang will warm you up. Tell me, how do you want to be warmed up?”

Chu Xinrou said seriously, “I want you to leave.”

Yang Feitang: …

Chu Xinrou had been in a low mood recently, not just because of Xiaoxiao’s matter, but more because of that call from Xu Keqing. She hadn’t been in contact with her mother for a long time.

The moment the call connected, Xu Keqing’s voice was clearly questioning. “You’ve been gone for so long and suddenly contacted me. Are you planning to come back?”

Chu Xinrou’s fingertips unconsciously dug into her palm. That voice was both familiar and strange, like a dull knife, slowly cutting open her scabbed wound.

On the other end of the phone, Xu Keqing sighed heavily. “It’s not that Mommy doesn’t want you to come back…” her tone suddenly became cautious. “It’s just that now that Fengyi has finally stopped crying and knows to work hard and get on the right track, the family has also gradually stabilized. I’m afraid…”

Chu Xinrou stared at the falling parasol leaves outside the window and suddenly found it hard to breathe.

“You don’t want to go back to that kind of life, right?” Xu Keqing’s voice suddenly became cheerful. “If you’re not used to it outside, Mom can open an art studio for you. If it doesn’t work out in the country, we can go abroad. The United States, Japan, Spain, Australia are all fine…”

“Mom,” Chu Xinrou interrupted softly, her voice terrifyingly calm. “I won’t fight with my sister for the inheritance. You can rest assured.”

Xu Keqing was silent.

Rest assured?

She wished she could.

Recently, Chu Yunji had asked her more than once, “Is Xinrou coming back or not?” Each time, it made Xu Keqing, who would always say with a smile, “That child, you don’t know her? She’s extremely stubborn. Once she’s made up her mind, no one can change it,” feel uneasy. Fengyi was, after all, a child who had lost a leg, and Chu Xinrou had once been the heir recognized by so many people within the group. How could she rest assured?

With Chu Xinrou’s understanding of Xu Keqing, her mother would definitely come to see her in person.

In the past, whenever this happened, Chu Xinrou would leave again.

But this time, she chose to stay.

Not just because she was tired of “running,” but also because…

That night, after Qiao Xiaoxiao came back, she started to study. She didn’t have much of a tolerance for alcohol and had only had one sip. The rest had been poured down Wang Tiantian’s throat.

On the surface, she was cold, but in her heart, she was also happy for Tiantian that she didn’t have to leave the sport she loved.

Chu Xinrou sized up Qiao Xiaoxiao, seeing the faint joy in her eyes and brows. “So happy?”

Xiaoxiao had a habit of furrowing her brow when she studied. It was a habit from her childhood. At that time, when she studied at her uncle’s house, she would be scolded by Huang Sulan for using the lamp at night. She could only study by the moonlight and had to listen nervously to the sounds from inside the house. Over time, she got used to frowning. But at this moment, Qiao Xiaoxiao’s brows were relaxed, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised.

“It’s okay,” Qiao Xiaoxiao twirled her pen. “Jiejie, is something on your mind?”

The two of them had, without realizing it, come to know each other so well. Chu Xinrou shook her head, clearly not wanting to talk about this topic. She gently placed the warm milk on Qiao Xiaoxiao’s desk and, as she turned, mentioned casually, “By the way, your Sister Yang said she hasn’t received your little cards recently and suspects you’re in a puppy love.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s pen paused, and a small dot of ink spread on the paper.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to send the cards. It was just that the group of art students at the music room were too enthusiastic. Every time she went, someone would ask for her social media account, both men and women. And after adding her, it wasn’t to buy flowers, but to talk about love. Qiao Xiaoxiao didn’t have the time for that.

After solving the last math problem, Qiao Xiaoxiao rubbed her sore shoulders. The night wind was cool. She changed into her sneakers and walked towards the music room. The timing was just right. Yang Feitang’s class should be ending soon.

Just as she reached the door of the music room, a stormy rendition of the “Super Mario” theme song hit her ears. Qiao Xiaoxiao’s hand, which was about to push the door, hung in mid-air. Through the glass window, she saw a scene that left her dumbfounded.

Yang Feitang was conducting today’s final performance with her “happy teaching method.” Her ten fingers flew across the piano keys, her long hair dancing wildly in the air with her exaggerated head movements. Her whole being was like a pianist version of Sadako crawling out of “The Ring,” and even the piano bench was trembling slightly with the rhythm.

The piece was over.

With the students’ whistles and thunderous applause, Yang Feitang tossed her hair, stood up, and bowed like an artist. “Thank you, thank you all for your patronage.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao leaned against the doorframe, unable to hold back her laughter. After the last student left, she walked into the music room with ease and tidied up the scattered sheet music.

Yang Feitang glanced at her sideways. “Oh, busybody, what brings you to see me today?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao said with a smile, “It’s not really a visit. I heard someone was spreading rumors about me being in a puppy love.”

Yang Feitang’s hand, which was wiping the piano keys, paused. She cursed Chu Xinrou eight hundred times in her heart. This traitor was now completely on Qiao Xiaoxiao’s side.

“Spit it out. You’re being so high and mighty. What do you want to find out about your Sister Xinrou from me this time?”

She had figured it out now. Qiao Xiaoxiao was practically treating her as a tool to extract secrets.

Seeing that her Sister Yang had let her guard down, Qiao Xiaoxiao quickly walked over and massaged her shoulders. “Sister Yang, how’s my new technique?”

If you want to ask questions clearly, you can’t skimp on the flattery.

Xiaoxiao was really good at everything she did. After a few massages, Yang Feitang was so comfortable she closed her eyes. She snorted coldly. “Don’t tell me you’re going to open a blind massage parlor now.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao: …

Seeing the brat’s dejected look, Yang Feitang was in a good mood. “What’s wrong? Is your Sister Chu worried again?”

After all, they had known each other for many years. She had hit the nail on the head. Qiao Xiaoxiao sighed. “I just don’t want her to always keep everything to herself.”

“That’s impossible,” Yang Feitang shook her head, her mouth running away with her. “How many times has it been like this? Isn’t it because she’s worried about you? It’s a good thing she hasn’t moved.”

“What?” Qiao Xiaoxiao’s fingertips turned cold, as if a chill were crawling up her spine. Yang Feitang quickly said, “Hey, hey, hey, I was just talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart.”

She had only said that one sentence. The little brat wouldn’t overthink it, right? If Xinrou found out, she would definitely skin her alive.

Facts proved it.

Qiao Xiaoxiao did overthink it.

The words “Isn’t it because she’s worried about you? It’s a good thing she hasn’t moved” kept replaying in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s mind, like a broken record that she couldn’t get rid of.

The moonlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains. Qiao Xiaoxiao stared at the ceiling in a daze. She had always valued sleep the most, knowing the preciousness of time and that she needed a lot of physical strength for both her studies and her business. So, no matter what was on her mind during the day, she would try her best not to let it affect her sleep at night.

The fears she had deliberately suppressed now surged in like a tide—the fear of loss, the anxiety of uncertainty, forcing her to find it hard to even breathe.

Will… will my sister really leave?

The next morning, when Qiao Xiaoxiao got up to make breakfast, she was so distracted that she mistook salt for sugar. That mouthful of soy milk almost sent Yang Feitang to the afterlife. “Holy sh…”

She spat it out. “Xiaoxiao, did you mistake salt for sugar? It’s so salty!”

Qiao Xiaoxiao walked over with a blank expression and wiped Yang Feitang’s mouth with a used rag. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

Yang Feitang: !!!

She’s dirty! She’s dirty!

Chu Xinrou, who was drinking coffee, looked up at Qiao Xiaoxiao. “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao shook her head and stared at her sister in a daze, tears welling up in her eyes. Chu Xinrou frowned. Seeing that her old habit was acting up again, not saying what was on her mind, she thought for a moment, and her expression softened a little. “Is it because of the placement test? Are you nervous?”

The placement test was the day after tomorrow. Although Qiao Xiaoxiao was confident, it was, after all, a major exam that would determine half a semester. It was normal to feel a little pressure. She still remembered the red-rimmed, aggrieved look in Xiaoxiao’s eyes when her first placement test results were not good. But this time, it was completely unnecessary. With her strength, she would improve a lot from last time even if she used her feet to take the test.

Qiao Xiaoxiao didn’t speak, her gaze light and airy.

Chu Xinrou comforted her, “It’s okay. Just perform as you normally would.”

She knew Xiaoxiao’s grades. She conservatively estimated in her heart that not to mention the top five classes, it was not impossible for her to get into the first or second class.

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at her, her voice weak. “Jiejie, if I do well in the test, will you be at ease?”

Yang Feitang, who had “gotten” the keyword, understood in a second. She immediately buried her head in the salty soy milk and drank it like a little pig, not daring to make a sound even though it was so salty.

Chu Xinrou felt a little strange but still nodded. “Of course.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao understood. She turned to the kitchen to get the tea eggs, her old habit of moving her arms and legs in sync acting up again.

Chu Xinrou stared for a while, then turned to look at Yang Feitang, squinting. “No, what did you say to her?”

Yang Feitang coughed and craned her neck. “What could I have said? What would I have said!”

…

Qiao Xiaoxiao had been sleepless for two consecutive days. The two large dark circles under her eyes couldn’t be hidden. It even affected her training during the day. When she was running, her legs went weak and she almost fell. It was Chu Ge who caught her. “What are you thinking about?!”

A fall like that during a sprint was extremely dangerous.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was covered in sweat. She looked at Chu Ge in a daze. After a long while, her chest heaved. “Captain… did you help me get into the team back then because of Sister Xinrou?”

Chu Ge’s brain suddenly froze. She stood there in a daze. Seeing her like this, Qiao Xiaoxiao understood everything even more. She broke free and continued to run.

She looked at the distant sky, the blue clouds, her mind full of Chu Xinrou.

No one knew what a dark and sunless life she had lived before, starving and freezing every day, waiting in fear to be beaten. In that house, she had lived a life worse than a dog’s.

It was her sister who had pulled her out of that hellish home with her warm hands. It was her sister who had, time and time again, carefully picked up her shattered self-esteem and patiently pieced it back together. It was her sister who had let her know that there was always someone watching over her from behind.

Whenever Qiao Xiaoxiao looked back in fear, she would always see Chu Xinrou standing there, looking at her with a gentle gaze.

Her sister would always smile at her like that, the corners of her eyes would first curve slightly, and then the corners of her lips would slowly rise, letting Qiao Xiaoxiao know that she also deserved to be a “child.”

Now, was her sister going to abandon her…

Fearing loss, fearing uncertainty, suffering from loss…

Under all sorts of pressure, Qiao Xiaoxiao did the most “rebellious” thing she had ever done in her life.

When Chu Xinrou heard this news, her head was buzzing. She shot up from her drawing board. “What? Say that again?!”

Chu Ge sighed. “I also saw it on the school’s class assignment announcement.”

At that time, everyone on the track and field team was laughing and saying they were going to see what rank the team’s talented girl had gotten, and if she had gone straight to the first class.

But no one had expected it.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had made everyone’s jaws drop.

In the last placement test, out of 442 students in the whole school, she had ranked 402nd. This time, she had ranked 419th, a drop of nearly twenty places.

Everyone else thought that Qiao Xiaoxiao was too nervous and had made a mistake. Even the teachers thought so, discussing in the office, “This child’s psychological quality is not good. With this kind of attitude, she probably won’t be able to train in sports in the future.”

But Chu Xinrou knew and was certain that Qiao Xiaoxiao had done it on purpose.

That night, Chu Xinrou didn’t go anywhere. She just sat on the sofa at home, waiting for Xiaoxiao to come home from school.

On the way, Qiao Xiaoxiao had already received a tip-off call from Yang Feitang. “Oh my, ancestor, what are you doing?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao seriously talked nonsense. “In the past, I was too optimistic and overestimated my grades.”

Yang Feitang: “Alright, alright, you continue to treat me like a fool. Hey, you… don’t go home yet? How about you say you’re going to Yiwu to wholesale keychains and will be back tomorrow?”

Yang Feitang had never seen Xinrou’s ashen face before. She was even scared.

Qiao Xiaoxiao shook her head, hung up the phone, and continued to walk home. As she was about to reach the door, her heart was racing, and her palms were sweaty. Just then, she received a video call from Nuonuo.

It seemed that her sister had grown up and had her in her heart. She probably got the news from Yang Feitang and was calling to comfort her.

After answering the video call, Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at the sunny Nuonuo on the other side of the screen. Her eyes were shining, and she excitedly signed to her sister, giving her comfort.

—Sister, I heard you got one of the last few places in the whole school?

It’s okay. I’m often like this too. You’ll get used to it.

She had never felt so close to her sister in terms of academics!

Qiao Xiaoxiao: …

She hung up on her sister’s call fiercely.

Qiao Xiaoxiao stood in front of the door, her fingertips trembling slightly. She took a deep breath, and the cold air filled her lungs and was slowly exhaled. The key hovered in front of the keyhole for a moment before finally turning with a click.

—The door opened.