You Must Be Good 63

Chapter 63

At 23:59 on the last day of her seventeenth year.

Chu Xinrou stood on her tiptoes, the pencil in her hand gently sliding across the wall. “Almost there.”

The same scene from three years ago appeared before her eyes—at that time, Xiaoxiao was not yet tall enough to reach such a high position and could only lower her head to carefully mark the lower scale line.

The dense pencil marks on the wall were like a silent poem of growth.

Qiao Xiaoxiao unconsciously straightened her back, her long neck leaning forward slightly, as if this could make the number jump up a little more. Finally, the pencil left a clear mark at “176cm.”

“Alright,” Chu Xinrou lowered her arm, a relieved smile on her lips. Fortunately, she hadn’t really grown into some “giant” as Yang Feitang had teased.

Qiao Xiaoxiao turned around, her fingertips gently stroking the scale lines of varying depths—155cm, 163cm, 170cm… each mark was a gift from time. When she looked at Chu Xinrou beside her, the sweetness and happiness welling up in her heart almost overflowed.

No matter how time changed her appearance, what remained constant was that her sister would always be by her side.

At exactly twelve o’clock, regardless of whether it would disturb the neighbors, Yang Feitang knocked on the door with a “thump, thump, thump,” rushed in, and hugged Qiao Xiaoxiao, craning her neck and, regardless of how the child struggled, kissed her on the cheek forcefully.

“Mwah~ Happy birthday!”

“Mwah~ Xiaoxiao, I love you!”

“Mwah~ Our brat is an adult now!”

…

The immersed Yang Feitang didn’t care that the brat in her arms was almost suffocated. Qiao Xiaoxiao held out a trembling hand, asking Chu Xinrou for help.

Chu Xinrou watched with a smile, and suddenly felt a little envious of Yang Feitang. She had also wished Xiaoxiao a happy birthday, but she hadn’t given her a kiss.

At a critical moment, it still had to be Sister Yang.

Yang Feitang grinned, not caring about anyone else’s life or death. “Xiaoxiao, look at your Sister Chu. She’s so envious, she wants to kiss you too!”

One sentence made both their faces turn red.

Yang Feitang pushed Xiaoxiao in Chu Xinrou’s direction. “Oh, hurry up. The brat is eighteen. In two years, you won’t be able to kiss her even if you want to.”

She really had the feeling of a mother whose daughter had just grown up.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was embarrassed and didn’t even dare to lift her head, her heart racing.

Just as Chu Xinrou was chiding Yang Feitang, thinking that she had made the child embarrassed, Qiao Xiaoxiao silently walked to Chu Xinrou’s side and tilted her face up with a “dua.”

Chu Xinrou: …

Yang Feitang: ^0^

The brat will never disappoint.

This time, it was Chu Xinrou’s turn to be embarrassed. She pressed her lips together, her gaze carefully tracing Qiao Xiaoxiao’s silhouette—the little girl who had once only reached her shoulder was now half a head taller than her. The warmth welling up in her heart made her unconsciously stand on her tiptoes and peck Qiao Xiaoxiao on the cheek.

With a click, Yang Feitang’s Polaroid camera accurately captured this moment.

This kiss, as light as a butterfly’s wing, was like a red-hot coal falling on Qiao Xiaoxiao’s heart. The blush spread rapidly from the spot that had been kissed, and in a flash, even the tips of her ears and her neck were dyed the color of the sunset.

Yang Feitang looked at her photo with satisfaction. “Oh my, so beautiful, so pleasing to the eye. But Xiaoxiao, why are you like a big shrimp? And, Xinrou, your face is red too?”

As she spoke, she looked at the photo. Some things are infinitely magnified under the camera.

Just as Yang Feitang’s brain was about to figure out why there was such a big “difference” between her kiss and Chu Xinrou’s kiss, Chu Xinrou reached out and pushed her. “Hey, you should go back and prepare your gift. What time is it?”

Yang Feitang, who hadn’t had enough fun, pouted and went home.

Xue Youyou was looking down at a document with a frown. When Yang Feitang saw her, she pattered over, kicked off her slippers, and curled up in her embrace, kissing her on the chin.

“Hm?” Xue Youyou looked down at Yang Feitang and kissed her on the mouth. “What’s wrong?”

Yang Feitang sighed with emotion. “Time flies. In the blink of an eye, the brat is eighteen.”

She remembered when she had first listened to Xinrou’s words and had gone to the sports field to “fish” for Qiao Xiaoxiao, and had been asked with a cold face if she was a scammer. It was as if it were yesterday.

The years had also left their mark on her and Chu Xinrou, but not as heavily as on Qiao Xiaoxiao.

Xiaoxiao’s experiences these past few years, it was no exaggeration to say, were more colorful than an adult’s.

From Class 10 to Class 1, from joining the team to getting injured and quitting, and also creating “Qingxin,” it was hard to imagine how that thin and weak shoulder had carried all this pressure.

Yang Feitang: “She’s really grown up. You don’t know, when she kissed Xinrou just now, her face was so red.”

Hearing this, Xue Youyou was thoughtful. I didn’t expect Qiao Xiaoxiao’s progress to be so fast. They’ve already kissed?

Yang Feitang touched her chin. “Tell me, why did she not react much when I kissed her, but reacted so strongly when Xinrou kissed her?”

Some truths are right in front of you, just one step away.

Xue Youyou knew Yang Feitang’s personality. If she found out now, she was afraid there would be a lot of trouble. She pinched her soft cheek and gave Yang Feitang the answer she liked the most. “You always kiss her and pinch her. Although she lives with Chu Xinrou, in her heart, she’s still closer to you.”

“I knew it!”

Getting a satisfactory answer, Yang Feitang was excited and cheered like a child. Xue Youyou looked at her carefree appearance and sighed softly.

In the future… not to mention Chu Xinrou’s hurdle, Xiaoxiao is afraid she won’t even be able to get past this simple-minded Sister Yang of hers.

That night.

Qiao Xiaoxiao tossed and turned until the latter half of the night before she fell asleep. Her hand repeatedly stroked the spot her sister had kissed, and the corners of her lips never came down.

My sister kissed her! And she blushed. Is this a major breakthrough?!

On the first day of her eighteenth year, Qiao Xiaoxiao fell into a dream with a heart full of sweetness.

She felt the gears of fate turning, and finally, it was willing to favor her.

The next morning, Qiao Xiaoxiao rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked out of her room, only to hear Yang Feitang’s exaggerated voice in the living room. “Oh my god! You didn’t sleep all night, did you?”

The scene before her made Qiao Xiaoxiao’s eyes widen instantly.

Chu Xinrou was carefully unfolding all the certificates she had received since her first year of high school and was neatly pasting them next to the photo wall. At the very top were three elegant, large characters she had written herself—”Wall of Honor.”

From the school-level progress award in her first year of high school to the later municipal-level long jump champion of the track and field team, the provincial 4x100m relay silver medal, and the provincial second prize in the Math Olympiad… every certificate was carefully preserved, with not a single crease on the corners.

These certificates, after Qiao Xiaoxiao had received them, she had not paid much attention to and had just thrown them aside. A couple of days later, she wouldn’t know where she had put them. It turned out that they had all been collected by Chu Xinrou.

Seeing Qiao Xiaoxiao come out, Chu Xinrou’s eyes were filled with a smile. “You’re up. Let’s eat.”

Qiao Xiaoxiao stared blankly at the photo wall. My sister… didn’t sleep all night, just to do this?

Yang Feitang couldn’t help but complain, “Look at your sister. If you hadn’t met her early enough, she would have probably hung your diapers on it.”

Just as Qiao Xiaoxiao grinned, Yang Feitang added, “Is the next one the graduation certificate and the marriage certificate?”

Eighteen is a subtle age. Many topics that were once avoided suddenly become a joke. But no one had expected that Qiao Xiaoxiao would put away her smile and shake her head decisively. “I’m not getting married.”

“What?”

Chu Xinrou, who was about to go to the kitchen to get the soup dumplings, suddenly stopped, her face full of astonishment. Yang Feitang was also stunned, and the photo in her hand fell to the floor with a clatter.

It was just that sudden.

Who made her young?

That morning, Qiao Xiaoxiao sat at the dining table and formally announced to her two elders.

“I will never get married in my life, and I will never have my own children in the future.”

The dumbfounded Mama Chu and Papa Yang beside her stared at each other.

Chu Xinrou winked at Yang Feitang. Yang Feitang was the first to charge into battle. “Why do you have such a thought? I’ve never heard you say it before.”

These past few years, she had only known that Qiao Xiaoxiao liked old people, which was a shocking piece of news.

Qiao Xiaoxiao glanced at her, her expression profound.

Chu Xinrou nudged Yang Feitang with her mouth—go on.

Yang Feitang took a sip of coffee and said earnestly, “Of course, your thoughts are not uncommon among young people today. I’ve heard it more or less, but—”

“Sister Yang,” Qiao Xiaoxiao, who had just finished her soup dumpling, elegantly wiped her mouth. She looked at Yang Feitang and asked, “Are you married?”

Yang Feitang looked at her with her mouth open.

Qiao Xiaoxiao tilted her head and asked again, “Then will you have children in your life?”

Yang Feitang was choked. She looked at Chu Xinrou with teary eyes.

The warrior has charged so fiercely, and Chu Xinrou has no choice but to go into battle. She smiled slightly. “You’re still young. It’s normal to have such thoughts. In the future, you will—”

“Jiejie,” Qiao Xiaoxiao interrupted her. With the same curve of a smile as her, she smiled brightly at her. “You’re not married and don’t have children either. So may I ask—” she pouted, so pure, so tea-like, “how old are you?”

Double kill!

That morning, Qiao Xiaoxiao, who had gotten a double kill, went out for a run with satisfaction, leaving only the two people at the dining table in a mess in the wind.

Yang Feitang stared at Chu Xinrou in a daze. “She… she said you’re old.”

Chu Xinrou looked at Yang Feitang. “She said you don’t even have the right to lecture.”

The two of them: …

They had started to hurt each other.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s official rebellious phase had begun.

Her life was hers to control, and no one could decide for her.

When she got to the school for her run, it was not yet seven. But the classroom was already full of people, their faces red as they memorized English words, classical Chinese… everyone was making a final push for tomorrow.

It was now the final sprint stage. Not to mention Class 1, even the students of Class 10 knew to work hard.

The teacher had repeatedly reminded them that in the last few months, the grades would change a lot. The ones at the top should not be complacent, as they could be surpassed at any time. And the ones at the back should not be discouraged. It was most common for people to make a comeback in their third year of high school.

These were not the words that attracted the children the most. What attracted everyone the most was the teacher’s sentence.

—When you get to university, there won’t be so many restrictions. You can do whatever you want.

Although Qiao Xiaoxiao had never been under anyone’s control, she was still moved when she heard this.

She was finally grown up.

She could do what she wanted to do.

That morning, several people were waiting for Qiao Xiaoxiao in the hallway. When they saw her come in, they all stood up.

“The class president is here.”

“Xiaoxiao is here!”

“She’s here, she’s here…”

Xiaoxiao was already used to it. Recently, every morning, she would help the students of Class 10 with their problems. After all, it was her “old base.” These past two years, she had been steadily advancing and had gone to several classes, but she had the most affection for Class 10.

At the beginning, it was only limited to a small group of people. Qiao Xiaoxiao didn’t talk much when she explained problems, but her thinking was clear. Later, more and more people came to listen, so she simply went to the blackboard in the classroom to write.

In her first year of high school, she would even lower her head when she spoke. Now, standing on the podium, she was as dazzling as a star.

Besides thanks and praise, there were also rumors. Many had even reached the teachers’ ears. What “Qiao Xiaoxiao is getting arrogant, she’s even on the podium,” what “after going to Class 1, she’s starting to help the former slum Class 10,” “she’s not a teacher, what’s she so proud of? What if she explains it wrong?”…

There were many such words.

Some students of Class 10 were so angry they wanted to make a scene, but they were all held back by Qiao Xiaoxiao. She said lightly, “Don’t bother.”

She was clearly still young, clearly still a child.

But she had that kind of convincing aura and charisma.

She was only eighteen.

She had already been through wind and rain. That firm mentality, besides Chu Xinrou who could shake it a little, who else would she care about?

After explaining the problems today, Qiao Xiaoxiao had just closed her eyes to rest for a while when she was called to the office by the teacher.

She was still a famous person at school. Even when she appeared in the hallway, there would be first and second-year juniors who would blush and peek at her.

Qiao Xiaoxiao looked straight ahead, not taking it to heart. She thought she had done something wrong and had been caught by the teacher.

She suddenly remembered the first time Chu Xinrou had been called to the parent-teacher conference, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.

But when she went in today, there were quite a few people inside. Song Yang, the director of studies, and the head teacher of the general class, Wang Chen, were all there. The few of them were all smiling at her.

For a moment, Qiao Xiaoxiao was under a lot of pressure and quickly reviewed the “bad things” she had done recently. What had she done that was worthy of such a “big fuss” from the leaders?