You Must Be Good 73

Chapter 73

—The person she might like is Sister Yang, that’s why she’s so secretive.

Xiaohua’s words made Chu Xinrou freeze on the spot. Wait, what?

Yuan Lu nodded in deep agreement from the side. “Isn’t that right? Big sister is usually such an open person. To be so secretive about liking someone, there must be some unspeakable reason.”

As she spoke, Yuan Lu and Xiaohua exchanged a look, both impressed by their own cleverness.

Chu Xinrou muttered to herself from the side, “Unspeakable reason…”

Yuan Lu quickly said, “That’s right, Sister Chu. Although… what Big Sister is doing is not right, please don’t discriminate against her.”

As they spoke, the two of them bowed to Chu Xinrou in unison.

Chu Xinrou: …

At noon, Yang Feitang came in with two bags of crayfish and greeted them warmly, “Come, come, come and eat!”

She had made them all herself. Recently, it was Sister Yang’s 360-day-a-year diet period again. She had seen online that seafood was good for weight loss, so she had been making spicy crayfish for herself every day.

She washed her hands, put on her gloves, and started to work.

Chu Xinrou glanced at her. “Seafood is good for weight loss, but if you eat three jin at a time, I don’t think you’ll lose any weight.”

Yang Feitang was peeling a shell and glanced at Chu Xinrou. “Oh, who made you angry this time?”

Chu Xinrou crossed her arms and squinted, her tone tinged with a hint of danger. “Take a guess.”

Is she testing her?

How could this stump the clever Sister Yang?

She chewed on the chewy shrimp meat, thought for a moment, and said, “Is it because Xiaoxiao is rumored to be with some big sister again, and that’s making you unhappy?”

Besides this, who else could make the cold and indifferent Miss Chu angry?

Chu Xinrou snorted coldly and nodded, praising her sincerely, “You’re so smart.”

Yang Feitang wiped her mouth shyly. “Just so-so.” As she spoke, she blinked her big eyes curiously and asked, “Which big sister is it this time?”

Now that the little brat’s youthful aura was becoming more and more charming, who knows how many big sisters she had charmed!

Chu Xinrou was silent. She stared at Yang Feitang without speaking. After Yang Feitang had eaten three crayfish and still hadn’t seen Chu Xinrou speak, she was stunned. She pointed at herself and asked hesitantly, “Is it this big… sister of mine?”

Chu Xinrou nodded firmly.

Yang Feitang: …

Oh my god! Oh my god!

What kind of world is this!

How could such a kind person like her be “framed” like this? Oh heavens, the injustice of Dou E! It’s going to snow!!!

Chu Xinrou knew Yang Feitang all too well. Seeing her so shocked that her entire face was about to shatter, her eyes were profound. “Yang Feitang, are you hiding something from me?”

Yang Feitang immediately lowered her head to eat her shrimp, her head covered in sweat. “How could I, how could I? How would I dare to hide anything from you?”

Chu Xinrou stared at her, her sharp eyes shining brightly. “Why are you sweating so much?”

Yang Feitang: “It’s the spiciness.”

“Isn’t it five-spice flavor?”

…

That day, Yang Feitang ran home, her heart pounding. She buried her head in Xue Youyou’s embrace and refused to look up.

CEO Xue, who was working remotely, was stunned for a moment. She said to the several dumbfounded department managers in suits on the screen, “Sorry, everyone. Let’s adjourn the meeting for now. I have some private matters to attend to.”

As she spoke, she hung up the video conference, lowered her head, and smoothed her hair.

“What’s wrong?”

What had made her so flustered that she had rushed into her embrace with the smell of crayfish without even taking a shower?

This made CEO Xue feel as if she were hugging a big shrimp. Yang Feitang was trembling with fear. “Oh my god, I feel like Xinrou has found out… she… she was questioning me…”

Xue Youyou thought for a moment and asked, “Then did you keep the secret?”

Yang Feitang looked up and said firmly, “Of course. How could I let the brat down! Oh my, what should I do? Should I tell the brat in advance?”

Xue Youyou stared into her eyes. “Are you sure Xinrou really knows?”

Sure?

Yang Feitang shook her head. She wasn’t sure. It was just that based on their years of tacit understanding and a woman’s sixth sense, she always felt that Chu Xinrou seemed to have sensed it. The way she looked at her was like a police officer.

Xue Youyou asked again, “You’re so flustered. If you rashly tell Xiaoxiao, what will happen to her?”

…

As the night deepened, Qiao Xiaoxiao dragged her tired body home. She didn’t even have the strength to speak. She just mechanically changed her clothes, washed her hands, and then curled up on the sofa like an exhausted little cat, pressing herself tightly against her sister.

Chu Xinrou’s back was straight, and the worries of the afternoon had made her shoulders a little stiff. She watched as Xiaoxiao, just like when she was a child, first leaned on her shoulder, and then after a short while, slid down and rested her head on her lap. Xiaoxiao closed her eyes, her thick eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes.

“So tired…” Xiaoxiao suddenly cursed. “I really don’t want to go to this B-class anymore.”

Chu Xinrou’s fingers trembled slightly. This was the first time she had heard Xiaoxiao swear. She lowered her head, her fingertips gently combing through the hair on her forehead. “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Xiaoxiao still had her eyes closed, her voice muffled. “Watching my classmates enjoy their university life without a care in the world, sometimes I really… am so envious.” She suddenly turned over, her arms wrapped around Chu Xinrou’s waist, her warm breath ironing her skin through the thin fabric. “I really want to sleep for a day and a night…”

Sleeping in was indeed a luxury for Qiao Xiaoxiao. Chu Xinrou felt the warmth from her waist. Ever since the seed of suspicion had been planted in her heart, this kind of intimate contact had made it impossible for her to be as calm as before. She nonchalantly tensed her waistline.

“I told you to have a balance between work and rest,” Chu Xinrou’s voice was a few shades lower than usual. “University is a rare and relaxing time in life. Qingxin is very stable now. You can also be like other classmates…”

She paused, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a lock of Xiaoxiao’s hair. In the end, she still said softly, “…or find a suitable classmate and have a relationship.”

“People of the same age always have more in common.”

She didn’t know why.

When she said this, her heart would inexplicably feel a little bitter.

After Chu Xinrou finished speaking, she waited for Qiao Xiaoxiao’s reply. After a long while, there was no sound. When she looked down again, she helplessly saw that Xiaoxiao was already pouting, sound asleep.

Just like when she was a child, so trusting and dependent on her.

Chu Xinrou stared for a long time, her fingertips gently brushing away the hair on Xiaoxiao’s forehead, and finally let out a heavy sigh.

Hopefully… it was all just her overthinking.

The next morning, when Chu Xinrou woke up, Qiao Xiaoxiao was already gone. She looked at the shoe cabinet. Her running shoes were gone. She had probably gone for a run with her friends.

Shaking her head, Chu Xinrou walked to the dining room. On the table was a still-steaming sandwich.

Underneath was a note from Xiaoxiao.

—Jiejie, I’m going to the school. Remember to eat breakfast.

These past few years, Qiao Xiaoxiao had left countless such notes. Chu Xinrou chewed on the sandwich alone, with no taste.

Her mind had been blank these past few days, and her body felt light, as if it were not on the ground.

After half an hour of awkwardness, Chu Xinrou really couldn’t stay at home anymore. She remembered that it had been a long time since she had walked around the campus. She had also made an appointment with a worker to fix the bed in the afternoon. She might as well take this opportunity to go out and relax.

The university Xiaoxiao was attending was not far from home. Chu Xinrou had no energy today and was too lazy to drive, so she just called a taxi.

She didn’t tell Xiaoxiao that she was coming. She was just thinking of taking a casual walk around the campus and then going back, not to disturb her.

The university campus was indeed much more lively than high school.

This university was known for its gardens. In the middle of summer, students would sit or stand in twos and threes under the shade of the parasol trees, the air filled with a youthful atmosphere.

Chu Xinrou had specially chosen a lake-blue linen long dress, wanting to be low-key. But with her temperament, she was like a walking ink wash painting wherever she went. How could she not attract attention? After only a short walk, a few boys had come up to her with red faces, asking for her contact information.

She declined with a wry smile, lamenting that the children these days were really bold. She turned and walked into a coffee shop by the roadside. When she was ordering, looking at the young face of the staff, Chu Xinrou suddenly had a whim. “Do you know Qiao Xiaoxiao?”

The moment the words came out, she found it funny. The university was so big, with so many departments. Asking like this was no different from looking for a needle in a haystack.

But to her surprise, the girl looked up, her eyes lighting up. “Six hundred thousand?”

Chu Xinrou was stunned.

“Is the sister asking about Qiao Xiaoxiao from the management department, first year?” the little girl explained with a smile. “Almost no one in our school doesn’t know her. And…” her face was a little red, “I’m also a little fan of hers.”

The little girl’s name was Tian Manrui. She was from a single-parent family and was not well-off. She was working and studying at the same time.

A fan’s passion for their idol is unstoppable.

Tian Manrui not only gave Chu Xinrou a 20% discount on her coffee but also chatted with her about Qiao Xiaoxiao’s “six hundred thousand” incident that had scared away her suitor, and also opened up her heart.

“She seems to have been in sports before. I often see her bringing a few sports students here for bubble tea.”

“She’s always very polite and smiles at me. Sometimes, she even chats with me about the process of making bubble tea.”

“She told me that she used to work hard outside too and had even won a ‘Little Golden Hand’ award for her skills.”

Chu Xinrou drank her coffee, the corners of her lips lifting slightly. That’s right. Her Xiaoxiao is good at everything she does.

Tian Manrui had a look of longing on her face. “I know she was teasing me. How could such an outstanding person work at a bubble tea shop? Everyone says she has a company outside, a big one, with many employees.”

That’s why she had dared to ask for six hundred thousand.

Chu Xinrou just smiled faintly.

It had only been a short time, but when she told others about her past, they no longer believed her.

Xiaoxiao must be shining at university.

“She saw that I didn’t believe her and just smiled without saying anything. But I know she’s very kind. After that, she would often bring her friends to patronize my business. Oh, by the way, she’s also the president of our ‘Self-Reliance Club.'”

“Self-Reliance Club?”

Chu Xinrou savored this “chuunibyou” name. Tian Manrui also couldn’t help but laugh. “This is the name left by our previous president. It’s just a gathering of students who are working and studying at the same time, working hard together. She’s provided a lot of job opportunities for the students in the club, and she doesn’t take a single cent of commission.”

“She’s my idol.”

“Although I’m still too insignificant now… but what she does, I want to do in the future too.”

“Jiejie, do you know her?”

…

When Chu Xinrou came out of the coffee shop, her heart was full of pride.

She really wanted to tell Tian Manrui that not only did she know her, but she knew her very well.

It’s her Xiaoxiao.

In the blink of an eye, she had become so dazzling.

Chu Xinrou bit her straw and wandered around the school. She was thinking of walking for another ten minutes and then going back, but she accidentally found the person on the sports field.

This, perhaps, was fate.

The person she wanted to see, even if she didn’t deliberately go to see her, would appear before her eyes.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was wearing a pink tracksuit and was warming up. When her high ponytail was thrown back, the arc of the ends of her hair startled a few sparrows by the track. She bent down to stretch, and the pink tracksuit folded into a neat crease at her waist. The hem of her clothes lifted with her movement, revealing an alluring waistline.

Beside her was a short girl. What Xiaoxiao was saying was a little too far away to hear, but the girl was shouting at the top of her lungs, “Qiao Xiaoxiao, I’m telling you, don’t be so arrogant! I’m a seeded player on the track and field team. You’re just a freshman, and you’re thinking of competing with me?! We’ll do what we said today. If you win, not to mention the track and field team, even the shot put team next door, all the bottles, I’ll give them to you!”

“If you lose, you’ll kneel down and call me ‘mom’!”

Chu Xinrou: …

Kids these days, do they all play so big?

Qiao Xiaoxiao was stretching her wrists, the corners of her lips lifted, her face full of disdain.

And beside her stood a very thin, dark-skinned girl. She had her head down, clearly scared, and was looking at Qiao Xiaoxiao with worry.

Qiao Xiaoxiao glanced at her, signaling her not to worry.

They didn’t have a starting gun.

A student who was watching the fun raised his hand and shouted, “Ready—go!”

A cheer erupted from the crowd of onlookers. The girl opposite her shot out like an arrow from a bow, clearly very confident in her explosive power. But Qiao Xiaoxiao was not in a hurry. Her steps were steady and precise, each one as if it had been calculated, so that her old injury would not be under too much pressure, and she could still maintain a very high speed.

In the first fifty meters, the other party was far ahead and even turned back to taunt Qiao Xiaoxiao with a smile. “Is that all? Freshmen should go home and drink milk!”

Qiao Xiaoxiao ignored her and just adjusted her breathing, suddenly accelerating on the bend. Her running form was extremely standard, and her steps had a unique rhythm, as if each one was stepping on the opponent’s breathing gap.

In the last thirty meters, Qiao Xiaoxiao’s speed suddenly increased. Her figure was like a pink flash of lightning, instantly closing the distance. The other party panicked, and her steps began to get messy. But Qiao Xiaoxiao ran more and more steadily, and finally overtook her before the finish line, crossing the line first with a half-body advantage!

“Ah—” the whole stadium was in an uproar.

The arrogant girl sat on the ground, her face full of disbelief. “No-impossible! How could you…”

Qiao Xiaoxiao panted, bent down to rub her ankle, and then straightened up, looking down at her, her smile flamboyant. “Call me ‘mom.'”

The other party’s face was flushed, and she gritted her teeth, but she couldn’t say a word.

Qiao Xiaoxiao was full of disdain. “If you don’t, remember what you said. Don’t always bully people in the future.”

The dark-skinned, thin girl rushed over, her eyes red. She didn’t say anything, just looked at her foot.

Qiao Xiaoxiao’s ankle was indeed a little tight now, and a faint pain had shot through her old injury at the moment of the sprint. But she didn’t show it. She smiled and patted the girl’s shoulder, picked up her water, and turned to leave.

…

When Chu Xinrou got home.

Her mind was full of Xiaoxiao’s arrogant and unrestrained smile.

In front of her, she had always been obedient, well-behaved, and sensible.

But now…

Chu Xinrou sighed in her heart. Her girl has really grown up.

Perhaps in the near future, she would have to look up at Xiaoxiao.

Being hit by that dazzling scene, Chu Xinrou felt much better, and that strange feeling had also been suppressed.

At a little past four, the repairman came to the door on time to fix the bed. Chu Xinrou took him to Xiaoxiao’s room to watch.

In fact, this bed was not difficult to fix. If Xiaoxiao hadn’t been so busy these past few days, with her hands-on ability, she could have fixed it herself. The repairman was deft and fixed it in a few moves. Before he left, he took out a crumpled piece of paper from the crack of the bed and handed it to Chu Xinrou. “This fell inside. I picked it out for you.”

Chu Xinrou didn’t pay much attention and took it casually. She politely handed the repairman a bottle of water and saw him out. When she returned to the living room, she looked down at the paper. She had originally thought it was a calculation draft or a practice paper that Xiaoxiao had casually thrown away. But this piece of paper was already yellowed and wrinkled, and the edges even had some signs of being damp.

She unfolded it and saw that the blurry ballpoint pen handwriting was still faintly discernible.

—How could I have such an outrageous thought?

She’s my sister!

Qiao Xiaoxiao, wake up!