You Must Be Good 55p2

Chapter 55 p2

The next day, when Yang Feitang came over for a free meal, she looked at Chu Xinrou’s food, clutched her chest, and looked at Qiao Xiaoxiao angrily. “My heart hurts so much. I thought you had come to your senses and had fallen in love with me… How come when it’s your Sister Chu, it’s fish soup and vegetable salad, so healthy? Ah…” she closed her eyes. “So there really is a big difference between love and not love. What a painful realization. I’ve been happy for nothing these past few days. I’m thinking of leaving.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao was about to speak with a smile when Chu Xinrou smiled gently. “Go ahead. I’ll help you cross over.”

Time flowed by quietly like a stream of water.

In fact, Chu Xinrou hadn’t noticed any obvious changes in Qiao Xiaoxiao. She had always trusted Xiaoxiao. She just vaguely felt that ever since that unspeakable incident had happened, this child seemed to have shed her youth overnight. The old Qiao Xiaoxiao was already considerate enough, but now, she took care of her life flawlessly.

Chu Xinrou’s stomach problem was an old one. Qiao Xiaoxiao had coaxed her, both hard and soft, to see a Chinese medicine doctor. From then on, every morning, as soon as the sky was light, she would tiptoe up to brew the medicine. When she came back from her morning run, she would definitely be holding a warm bowl of medicine and watching by Chu Xinrou’s bed, her bright eyes staring at her until she had finished drinking it. During those days, just the smell of Chinese medicine would make Chu Xinrou feel nauseous.

But the medicine did work. After persisting day after day, the frequency of her stomachaches had indeed decreased a lot.

Sometimes, Yang Feitang would watch Qiao Xiaoxiao chase after Chu Xinrou, making her take her Chinese medicine, and even coaxing her, “Jiejie, drink it. I’ll give you candy after you drink it. Don’t you want to eat pink sausages? I’ve learned how to make them. I’ll make them for you, okay?”

Chu Xinrou would look at Yang Feitang with difficulty. Yang Feitang would look at Qiao Xiaoxiao. “If it were me, I would pinch her nose and pour it down her throat. And she’s still eating candy?”

Chu Xinrou: …

Qiao Xiaoxiao turned to look at her sister. The frightened sister slowly held out her hand, the slight panic in her eyes as if she were really afraid that Qiao Xiaoxiao would pinch her nose and pour it down her throat. “Give it to me.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao: ^0^

The more they were together, the more Qiao Xiaoxiao discovered the unknown cute sides of Chu Xinrou.

She would unconsciously twirl her hair around her fingertips when she was painting, her eyes would light up slightly when she ate a dessert she liked, and the corners of her lips would lift when she saw her report card. She would pretend to ask casually, “When is the parent-teacher conference?”

Chu Xinrou really enjoyed sitting in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s seat, receiving the envious and admiring gazes from all directions, and the teacher’s endless praise.

These small moments were like pieces of candy, quietly melting in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s heart.

That secret love grew quietly, like a vine in spring, growing wildly in a corner that Chu Xinrou couldn’t see.

Chu Xinrou just felt that she was becoming more and more inseparable from Xiaoxiao. Her care was meticulous. In fact, after she found out that she would occasionally have menstrual cramps, not only did she strictly control the amount of cold drinks and popsicles, but every night, Xiaoxiao would also soak her feet in mugwort.

Because of her family environment since she was a child, Chu Xinrou lacked for nothing in terms of material things. But Xu Keqing and Chu Yunji had always used a “frustration-based” education on her and had rarely given her such warmth.

It was like a flower that had grown in a secluded valley and had finally touched the warmth of the sun. Those long-frozen emotions were slowly awakening and stretching in Qiao Xiaoxiao’s gentleness.

As the night deepened, Chu Xinrou rarely tossed and turned as before, let alone get up alone to drown her sorrows in alcohol. Now, whenever she was upset, there would always be a pair of warm hands holding hers to go for a slow run. Under the moonlight, they would run side by side, letting their worries evaporate with their sweat. The night wind brushed past the ends of their hair, and the sound of the person’s breathing beside her became the best lullaby.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s track and field talent gradually began to shine. From the school-level league to the provincial championships, her figure began to appear frequently on the podium.

Chu Xinrou would never forget that sunny afternoon when Qiao Xiaoxiao won her first gold medal. The moment she crossed the finish line, she raised her arms and cheered. She and Yang Feitang, who were in the stands, were so excited they almost jumped up. Yang Feitang’s eyes were red, and her voice was choked. “This little brat… has finally made it.”

That night, the three of them opened a bottle of champagne at home to celebrate. Qiao Xiaoxiao, with the joy of victory, solemnly hung her first gold medal around Chu Xinrou’s neck. Seeing Yang Feitang pouting aggrievedly on the side, she smiled and opened her arms, giving the other a solid hug.

Under the light, the gold medal glinted on Chu Xinrou’s collarbone, reflecting the unconcealable pride and tenderness in her eyes.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s fame also grew and grew. This time, it wasn’t just because of her academic performance and outstanding appearance that she became popular on the campus network. More and more people were paying attention to her.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s advantage in the 800 meters was her stable mentality, her long-lasting stamina, and her strong cornering technique. But her weakness was her slightly slow starting reaction and her relatively insufficient explosive power in the sprint phase, especially in the last 100 meters, where she was prone to losing steam.

Most importantly, in Lu Chen’s opinion, Qiao Xiaoxiao’s energy was too “scattered.” She had already achieved such results and was bound to go the professional route in the future. But she still went to study how to make money after school every day, rain or shine.

Xiaoxiao had personally designed the “Qingxin” logo. She had torn up no less than a hundred drafts. When Chu Xinrou was tidying up her desk, she saw a heart made of wavy lines. Qiao Xiaoxiao had drawn a cross next to it and had even written—bad!!!

That day, Chu Xinrou didn’t run out. After observing carefully, she picked up her pen.

When Qiao Xiaoxiao was reviewing at night and saw the logo her sister had modified on the paper, she rushed into the room and hugged her.

How romantic. They had designed it together. It had their souls.

After hearing about this, Yang Feitang touched her chin and thought for a moment, then asked Chu Xinrou, “Don’t you think the little brat did it on purpose?”

Chu Xinrou stared at her. “Are you jealous again?”

Yang Feitang: …

Alright, she could see that King Zhou of Chu had been blinded by Daji of Qiao and could no longer listen to the good advice of a loyal minister!

In her opinion, that brat had clearly done it on purpose!

When had Xiaoxiao ever not tidied up her own desk after studying? Why had she left a piece of paper with annotations, waiting for Chu Xinrou to discover it?!

In the meantime, Lu Chen had found Chu Xinrou and had a deep talk with her. “I probably know what Xiaoxiao’s family was like before, but…” she sighed. “Now, it’s already the second semester of her second year of high school. She’ll be in her third year soon. The pressure of her studies and the college entrance examination is about to come. She has to make a choice.” She looked at Chu Xinrou. “Coach Hu of the national team has already started to pay attention to her and is watching videos of her competitions.”

Chu Xinrou listened attentively and politely expressed her gratitude to Lu Chen.

When Qiao Xiaoxiao returned home that night, she didn’t scold her like other elders would have. Instead, she had an “adult” conversation with Xiaoxiao.

The current Xiaoxiao was already 1.72 meters tall, and Chu Xinrou even had to look up at her.

“Today, Coach Lu came to see me.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao, who was bending down to change her shoes, paused and turned to look at her sister. “What did she say?”

“She complained about you, saying that you still have energy after training to sell goods.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s business was amazing now. At that time, there were no live streaming rooms, but just by relying on her fame at school, the “Qingxin” main product she had designed herself, “Qingxin,” had already sold out.

Chu Xinrou looked at her. “Xiaoxiao, what are your plans for the future?”

This was the first time her sister had asked her this.

Qiao Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and answered seriously, “I want to be with my sister.”

Never to be separated.

This was her first priority.

Chu Xinrou smiled, not thinking too much about it. “I know. And then?”

Perhaps it was her experiences since she was a child that had given Qiao Xiaoxiao a deeper understanding of the world. Her words carried a trace of vicissitude.

“I don’t have too many desires. I’m working hard to make money now just to give myself and Nuonuo a guarantee in the future.”

She was always worried about Nuonuo. Nuonuo’s treatment was very slow. She had gone to see her many times in the meantime and had asked the teacher more than once what was wrong. The teacher had smiled and comforted her, “A noble person is slow to speak.” Nuonuo had also nodded in agreement.

Qiao Xiaoxiao almost jumped up and didn’t even give the teacher any face. “Then how noble must my sister be to be so slow?”

She was used to “burden” and endurance.

She had tied her sister’s future to her own.

Qiao Xiaoxiao had looked at the property prices in the surrounding cities. Not to mention Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, even in second-tier cities, there was not a single one she could afford. In the future, she would be with her sister. Wherever her sister went, she would go. But what about Nuonuo? She would always have to take root and have her own home. Didn’t she need a house? She already had more than ninety thousand yuan in her bankbook. This was all her hard-earned money, bit by bit. Xiaoxiao was just waiting for it to reach one hundred thousand before she saved it for her sister.

Of course, for the future, Qiao Xiaoxiao also wanted to be able to accompany her sister, hold her hand, and travel all over the great motherland.

Since she was a child, besides Wuliu Village, the surrounding towns where she had worked, the city where she went to school, and Yiwu where she got her stock, she had never been to any other city.

Before, she had no money. When she had money, she was reluctant to spend it. Now, she had no time.

There were so many romantic things she wanted to do with her sister one by one in the future.

Chu Xinrou stroked her hair. “Xiaoxiao, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You have to remember that no matter what happens, you have me.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao nodded, but she was the type of person who had a lot on her mind.

She was actually also anxious in her heart.

Outsiders watch the fun, insiders watch the door.

She knew that her running results were now in a “trough.”

After walking out of the school circle, when she looked at the whole country, Qiao Xiaoxiao realized that in the past, she had lost herself in the praises of “genius.” She was just a frog in a well. There were too many talented people, and the most terrifying was that those talented people were also particularly hard-working.

In the end, the athletes at the top of the pyramid all needed top-level talent and all their sweat. Neither could be lacking.

She couldn’t compete.

Coach Lu was right. She needed to put more time into her training.

Once a person is anxious, it’s easy to get “chaotic.” And in chaos, it’s easy to make mistakes.

Perhaps it was because everything had been going so smoothly for Qiao Xiaoxiao since she had started collecting trash. Perhaps there had been small setbacks, but they would quickly be overcome with the help of benefactors. But this time, it seemed that God had played a joke on her, catching her off guard and almost wiping out all her hard work from the past two years.