You Must Be Good 52

Chapter 52 

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s pupils suddenly contracted. She stared at Chu Xinrou, not even blinking.

Chu Xinrou’s heart skipped a beat at her gaze. She subconsciously touched her face. “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s gaze was as if glued to Chu Xinrou, and she could still hear her own heartbeat.

Seeing her face so red, Chu Xinrou thought she had gotten sick from the past few days of running around. She walked towards Qiao Xiaoxiao.

But the faint scent of jasmine wafted over, stirring the spring water in her dream again.

Qiao Xiaoxiao suddenly dodged backwards but accidentally tripped on the edge of the bed and fell into the messy bedding. Her loose black hair was spread on the snow-white bedsheet, making the flush on her cheeks even more vivid.

“Be careful!” Chu Xinrou quickly reached out to help her but was stunned the moment she touched Xiaoxiao’s wrist. Her skin was astonishingly hot, and her pulse was beating wildly under her fingertips, as if it would break through her thin skin.

Qiao Xiaoxiao lowered her head and hurriedly tidied up the bed, not daring to look at her sister again.

…

“So you’re saying that the little brat’s behavior this morning was very abnormal?”

Yang Feitang leaned lazily against the sofa, her fingertips holding an almond cookie, slowly twirling it. After listening to Chu Xinrou’s description, the corners of her lips lifted into a meaningful smile. “And she was frantically tidying up the bed?”

Xinrou frowned, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the coffee cup. “Do you think this child has a shadow from not doing well in the two placement tests?”

Hearing this, Yang Feitang laughed. “Is our brat that small-minded? I think it’s not about her studies this time.”

Chu Xinrou pressed her lips together, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “Then is it because the pressure of the brand design is too great?”

Yang Feitang shook her head again, grinning foolishly to herself.

Chu Xinrou was not happy and snatched the little cookie from her hand. “Stop showing off and just say it.”

“You, you get anxious whenever it’s about her,” Yang Feitang crossed her legs and continued to show off. “It’s not that I’m criticizing you, Xinrou, but you might be a big shot in other aspects, but when it comes to relationships, you’re a Hello Kitty compared to me.”

Chu Xinrou stared at her coldly for two seconds, then suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek, squeezing slightly. “Yang Feitang, you’d better make yourself clear.”

Yang Feitang’s face was kneaded into various shapes, but it couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes. She smugly announced the answer, “That brat must have had a wet dream.”

We’re all experienced people. Who doesn’t know?

Chu Xinrou was stunned for a moment. “Impossible.”

How is it impossible?

A playful curve appeared on Yang Feitang’s red lips. “Food and sex are human nature. Our little wolf cub is at that age—” she deliberately dragged out her tone, “when she’s full of vigor.”

Her tone was quite gloating.

Raising a child is really not easy.

Even if Chu Xinrou didn’t believe it, she had to pay attention.

Once she started to pay attention, she found that Qiao Xiaoxiao was indeed not right. Recently, she was like she had done something bad, coming home every day with a furtive look, not daring to look her in the eye. Every time their eyes met, Qiao Xiaoxiao would immediately look away.

Chu Xinrou asked her, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao would always shake her head, her body as stiff as a wooden stick, staring out the window.

And, she no longer shared her day’s experiences with Chu Xinrou when she came back every day. She would always say she was tired and sleepy and would go to her room to rest. She didn’t even study in the living room at night anymore.

This was really too abnormal.

While Chu Xinrou was puzzled, a little fire was also burning in her heart.

What on earth could make her avoid me like this? No child has come to the house this time. She shouldn’t be throwing a tantrum.

Chu Xinrou was at a loss, and Qiao Xiaoxiao’s days were no better.

Every night when it was quiet, she would curl up in her blanket and silently hate herself, biting the corner of the blanket. Chu Xinrou was her salvation, the light that had pulled her out of the mud, the sister who had shown her all the beauty in the world. How could she… how could she have such a filthy thought?

Qiao Xiaoxiao had tried countless methods to kill the throbbing in her heart. During the day at school, she could still convince herself to return to the sisterly mode. But the moment she pushed open the door to her home and saw Chu Xinrou’s gentle smile, all her self-control would crumble.

This recurring torment was almost driving her crazy—anxiety, reassurance, suppression, conflict, like an endless Möbius strip, trapping her with no escape.

On the track, Qiao Xiaoxiao sprinted like a madman until her calf muscles cramped and she had to stop, gasping for breath.

“Hey!” Wang Tiantian trotted over from the high jump area and leaned on the railing, tilting her head to look at her. “You’re working so hard. Are you trying to be the captain?” She had a beautiful thought. “Just right, I see that the high jump team is also selecting a new captain. If I get selected, my dad might let me not go abroad. Then, we can form a double captain combination.” She had even thought of a name. “How about the Xiao (Little) Tiantian (Sweet) combination?”

Sweat dripped from her chin onto the track. Qiao Xiaoxiao straightened up, her eyes under her messy hair as cold as a wolf’s. She raised her fist. “Do you think this is sweet?”

Wang Tiantian took a step back.

What’s wrong with her? Such a big temper!

How can her temper not be big?

It was just the unvented emotions that had turned into thorns, pricking her heart day and night.

From the initial forbearance and restraint to the current self-abandonment, Qiao Xiaoxiao had whipped herself a million times in her heart, an ungrateful wretch, a filthy bastard… but no amount of self-loathing was of any use. When she returned home, she would still fall into that black vortex.

She had even seriously considered whether to move out. If this continued, she would go crazy.

Qiao Xiaoxiao knew what Chu Xinrou’s feelings for her were. It was just the clean concern and care of an older sister for a younger sister.

It was impossible for her sister to accept her, and Xiaoxiao herself didn’t dare to hope for it.

What she feared most was that one day, her feelings could no longer be hidden. When her sister found out, what kind of shock, anger, and disappointment would Chu Xinrou face?

Just the thought of it made her heart feel as if it were being torn apart, bleeding profusely.

Ten days after the alluring dream, Qiao Xiaoxiao could finally barely control her gaze. In the early morning sunlight, she sat at the dining table, no longer avoiding Chu Xinrou’s concerned gaze.

“Xiaoxiao…” Chu Xinrou handed her a cup of hot milk, her fingertips gently stroking the rim of the cup. “You’ve lost a lot of weight recently.” She hesitated, not even daring to ask about the results of the placement test.

“Are you tired from studying?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao shook her head.

Chu Xinrou asked again, “Then are you too tired from making money?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao suddenly rested her forehead on Chu Xinrou’s shoulder, as if she had exhausted all her strength. The faint scent of her body wash mixed with the drowsiness of the morning, her voice as soft as a sigh. “Jiejie, when I grow up, I will definitely repay you well.”

Chu Xinrou’s hand hung in mid-air, her heart suddenly softening. This child had always been stubborn and rarely said such emotional words.

Two handmade ceramic cups snuggled together in the center of the dining table, the glaze flowing in the morning light. It was her sister who had taught her hand-in-hand, and the two of them had made them together. At that time, Xiaoxiao, whose face was half-covered in paint, had smiled like a little kitten.

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked at them, her eyelashes lowered. “I want to be with my sister forever…”

The last few words lingered between her lips and teeth and were finally swallowed back—to be with you, to see you… have a happy family, and be happy and healthy.

For some reason, her eyes grew moist. Qiao Xiaoxiao smelled the fragrance on her sister and told herself, that’s it, Xiaoxiao. Don’t continue. It’s already very good to be with my sister like this.

Chu Xinrou could see the tears on Xiaoxiao’s eyelashes when she tilted her head slightly, but she considerately didn’t point it out, just gently stroked the ends of her hair, preserving the last bit of dignity for this stubborn child.

The morning light filtered through the gauze curtains, plating the two of them, who were leaning against each other, in a gentle golden light.

Chu Xinrou looked at the swaying shadows of the parasol trees outside the window and replied softly in her heart, Xiaoxiao, I also hope you will be happy and joyful.

During that time, Qiao Xiaoxiao’s smiles became much less frequent. Even when Yang Feitang saw her, she would look at her cautiously. In fact, she had the worst guess in her heart. Could it be that her Xiaoxiao has fallen in love with someone she can’t love?

She would also talk about this with Xue Youyou at night. Xue Youyou was straddling her waist, her slender fingers unconsciously twirling the ends of her hair. After listening, she frowned slightly.

Yang Feitang muttered, “Who could it be? To make our Xiaoxiao so head over heels. But—” she was naked but still protective, “no matter who it is, they will regret missing out on Xiaoxiao.”

A faint smile appeared on Xue Youyou’s lips. She leaned forward lazily, her slender fingers gently tapping Yang Feitang’s lips. The dim yellow light flowed on her porcelain-white skin, as if plating the fine suet jade with a honey-colored glow.

“Oh?” her voice lifted at the end. Under the light, the lines of her bare neck and shoulders were astonishingly beautiful, the shadows in her collarbones appearing and disappearing with her breathing. That skin was so white it was almost transparent. Against the dark bedsheets, it was even more breathtakingly beautiful.

In fact, she had a guess in her heart, but it was too bold.

A beauty like jade.

Yang Feitang’s eyes were straight. She couldn’t help but move forward, wanting to destroy her, to make her whimper and break in her palm.

The truth is sometimes only a step away from a guess.

During that time, Qiao Xiaoxiao put all her thoughts into her studies and training.

The matter of the wet dream had more or less affected her, but on the day the results were posted, Qiao Xiaoxiao’s name was prominently displayed at the top of the Class 2 list. The leap from Class 10 to Class 2, her grades skyrocketing like a rocket, added a legendary color to her, who was already in the spotlight.

On the day of registration, the classroom was surrounded by fans who had come to see her. Some were on their tiptoes, looking in, and some were holding up their phones, ready to take pictures.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was wearing a black hoodie, the brim of the hood pulled low, but it couldn’t hide the cold aura she exuded. As she quickly walked through the crowd, a photo someone had secretly taken had already spread throughout the campus forum.

[Hot Post] Qiao Xiaoxiao’s Class 2 Registration Live

1L: Has she grown taller again? Those long legs are amazing!

2L: Help, I’m dying of her handsomeness! That profile of her walking with her head down is killing me.

3L: Class 2 is barely worthy of my goddess.

4L: How did she get so thin? You can keep fish in her collarbones.

5L: That “stay away” aura… I’m just going to slide on my knees.

In the classroom, Qiao Xiaoxiao sat alone by the window. The sunlight filtered through the glass, outlining a hazy silhouette around her, isolating her from the surrounding noise. She lowered her head and flipped through a new textbook, her long fingers stroking the pages, oblivious to the commotion outside the window.

She was no longer the cautious, humble, and timid girl from a year ago, when the classes had just been assigned. But when the autumn wind blew, she would unconsciously think of this time last year—the image of Chu Xinrou in a white dress, waiting for her at the school gate.

In her memory, her sister was incredibly gentle. The hem of her dress was gently lifted by the wind, and that gentle smile had healed all her anxiety and confusion.

The more beautiful the memory.

The more Qiao Xiaoxiao’s mood sank. Even when Wang Tiantian and Yuan Lu came to find her, all they got were a few brief replies. Compared to socializing, she was more willing to exhaust her last bit of strength on the track until she collapsed on the lawn, gasping for breath. Only in such moments of exhaustion could she temporarily escape those lingering thoughts.

The lights of the training ground were always the last to be lit for her alone. When the other team members had long since left, she was still running tirelessly, lap after lap. Often, by the time she had finished her shower and returned home, it was already late at night.

“Qingxin” was already on the agenda. Even the manager of the buffet restaurant that the track and field team frequented had taken the initiative to order a hundred bracelets to warm up for her and give her a good start.

In the past, the “money-grubbing” Qiao Xiaoxiao would have cheered. She would have chattered nonstop in front of Chu Xinrou all night. But now, she just nodded numbly, as if all her joy, anger, and sorrow had been drained away. The things that used to make her eyes light up were now like small stones thrown into a pool of stagnant water, not causing the slightest ripple.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had suspected more than once that she was sick.

The things that used to make her happy—the fragrance of the grass after the rain, the clear blue sky, even the growing numbers in her account—were now as if seen through a layer of mist, blurry and dim. She tried to smile at the sunset as before but found that the corners of her mouth were too heavy to lift.

She forcefully wrote the word “give up” in her diary, the ink soaking through the paper. But the wound in her heart was like a festering sore, scabbed over on the surface, but still festering inside.

On the training ground, she ran harder and harder each time, until her lungs burned with pain. Sweat mixed with tears fell on the track and was quickly evaporated by the harsh sun. She ignored the worried gazes of Lu Chen and the hesitant expressions of her teammates. It was as if only in this self-abusive exhaustion could she temporarily numb her broken heart.

Sometimes, when she was showering, the hot water would fall on her bruised knees, and Qiao Xiaoxiao would be in a daze, realizing: it turns out that this body can still feel pain.

Chu Xinrou was so anxious that she wanted to talk to Qiao Xiaoxiao more than once, but Xiaoxiao was always listless. After a few words, she would lower her head.

Yang Feitang comforted her, saying that this might be a sign of adolescence, and it would get better when she was a little older.

But Chu Xinrou’s intuition told her that this was not the case.

On a late autumn evening, Chu Xinrou finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. She grabbed Xiaoxiao’s wrist as she was about to hide in her room. “Xiaoxiao,” her voice trembled. “Did I… make you sad?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s whole body stiffened. She slowly turned her head, her eyes reflecting a light of disbelief. She saw the corners of Chu Xinrou’s eyes tinged with a rouge-like red.

Chu Xinrou’s voice was choked as she repeated, “Xiaoxiao, did I make you sad?”

The sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, weaving a hazy net between them.

Qiao Xiaoxiao saw her own reflection in her sister’s eyes, so small, so pathetic.

The air froze for a moment.

Her Adam’s apple bobbed, her voice as dry as sandpaper. “I’m just… a little tired.”

What a clumsy lie.

Of course, Chu Xinrou didn’t believe her. Her gaze was like a torch, burning Qiao Xiaoxiao so that she had nowhere to hide.

Qiao Xiaoxiao stared at the floor, forcing herself not to look at Chu Xinrou.

After a long while, the warmth on her wrist gradually faded.

Chu Xinrou didn’t press further. She tilted her head up, letting the unshed tears flow back into her heart. The white incandescent light on the ceiling blurred into a hazy halo in her eyes. During these sleepless nights, she had thought more than once that if Xiaoxiao was really unhappy living here, she would agree to let her move out.

Such a bright and sunny flower could not wither by her side.

Perhaps, a person like her was just destined to not be able to hold onto even a little bit of warmth.

The days seemed to be on slow motion. Qiao Xiaoxiao gradually became numb in her gray daily life. She thought that her entire second year of high school would be so dim and dull.

But the things in this world are unpredictable. The change that “broke the ice” for Xiaoxiao came so unexpectedly.