kvmb Chapter 179 Brother
Chapter 179 Brother
Soon the two entered high school, which was one of the top high schools in the area and close to each other. Every time, Zhong Yan would drop off Qiao Xiao first, then Zhong Huanli; on their way back, he would pick up Zhong Huanli first, then Qiao Xiao.
After entering high school, Zhong Huanli's popularity skyrocketed. In this beautiful age of budding romance, a boy with outstanding looks, exceptional talent, and irresistible charisma like him naturally became the "white moonlight" in the hearts of countless girls.
So, every now and then, brave girls would confess their feelings to him and pursue him ardently. But no matter what, with his well-planned route to and from school, Qiao Xiao would never discover this.
Because Zhong Huanli had excellent grades, the school specially arranged weekend classes for their group of students, which meant that Qiao Xiao couldn't spend time with Zhong Huanli for a period of time.
"How boring." Qiao Xiao listlessly twirled the pen in her hand, her eyes somewhat dull and lifeless. She stared blankly out the window, as if a piece of her heart was missing. Her eyes flickered, devoid of any emotion.
Her high school was much better than her junior high school. There were far fewer people who bullied her, and many people who showed her kindness appeared. But she knew that no one would be like Zhong Huanli, so she ignored their kindness and couldn't feel grateful. However, she knew what she should do, as Zhong Huanli had taught her.
Zhong Huanli had been tirelessly guiding Qiao Xiao, teaching her how to become a normal person. Qiao Xiao naturally didn't want to let him down.
At the other end of the classroom, Zhong Huanli was listening absentmindedly to the teacher on the podium lecturing on lessons that were of no use to him. His purpose in coming here was Qiao Xiao, and the only variable was his father, Zhong Yan.
The teacher and principal had mentioned it to Zhong Yan in advance, and Zhong Yan did not object, so he came to school at the same time as his father went to work.
Zhong Huanli: "Never mind, after all, he's the one who helped Qiao Xiao, I can't openly oppose him."
Zhong Yan has always had extremely high standards for Zhong Huanli, so high that it can be suffocating. But now that the object of his affections has changed, Zhong Yan has not realized this due to Zhong Huanli's cooperation and adaptation.
“Zhong Huanli…” Someone poked him from behind. Zhong Huanli first swayed slightly to indicate his refusal, but the person did not seem to understand his meaning or did not care at all, and continued to poke him again with the pen in his hand.
Zhong Huanli was clearly getting impatient. He raised his hand and said, "Teacher, I have something to do at home this afternoon, so I'd like to ask for leave."
After a series of steps—writing a leave request and getting permission from her parents via phone—Zhong Huanli quickly packed her schoolbag, picked it up, and walked out of the classroom. The moment she stepped out of the classroom, a sense of relief welled up inside her.
Then, Zhong Huanli strode towards the school gate, but as soon as he reached the gate, his pace suddenly slowed down.
"It was Qiao Xiao. How did she know I had finished class? Did my father tell her?"
She was all alone, surrounded by dappled leaves and interplay of light and shadow, creating a scene as captivating as a medieval portrait of a goddess.
The wind rose, and the green leaves on the branches swayed with it. The raging wind accompanied the prelude to time. She gently brushed her flowing hair and gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
Why is my heart beating so erratically?
Zhong Huanli walked towards her with a smile and asked, "Why are you here?"
Qiao Xiao said with a smile, "It was Zhong's father who told me. Zhong Huanli, I never thought you would have a day when you didn't like going to class."
Chung Huan-li: "What made you misunderstand that I love learning?"
Qiao Xiao: "Is it a misunderstanding? You're always so diligent in tutoring me."
Zhong Huanli smiled, puzzled, and gently touched her hair affectionately. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."
Qiao Xiao: "Okay." She responded quickly.
They walked into their usual restaurant with practiced ease, only to find it packed with people. They finally found an empty table in a corner, where a young couple was sitting.
The couple were inseparable, clinging tightly to each other as if they were each other's whole world. Judging from their affectionate appearance, they must be quite young, probably only in their early twenties.
Qiao Xiao's gaze inadvertently swept over the couple, and seeing how affectionate they were, she couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort.
Standing to the side, Zhong Huanli seemed to notice her change in mood and suggested softly, "Why don't we go to another store? There are too many people here."
Qiao Xiao didn't seem to care. She shook her head and said, "Why change it? It's not like the food is disgusting." With that, she walked straight to the only empty table and sat down.
Seeing this, Zhong Huanli had no choice but to quickly go to the counter to order. Just then, Qiao Xiao got up and walked towards the restroom. Shortly after she left, the atmosphere between the couple became increasingly ambiguous.
All that could be heard was the boy gently coaxing the girl, "Baby, be good, call me brother, okay?"
The girl replied coquettishly, "Oh dear, it would be so embarrassing if someone heard us!"
The boy persisted in his pleading: "Just say it once, please, baby."
Finally, the girl couldn't resist her boyfriend's persistent pleading and softly said, "Okay, brother." Before she finished speaking, the boy couldn't wait to kiss her.
Just then, Qiao Xiao came out of the restroom. She had just approached her seat when she only heard the word "brother," and missed everything that happened afterward. She then casually sat back down, and immediately heard Zhong Huanli next to her say with disgust, "Disgusting, shameless."
Qiao Xiao shuddered. This was the harshest he had ever cursed at someone in the year they had been together. Was it because that woman called her boyfriend "brother"? Had this crossed his line, causing him to feel disgust? Did he not accept couples calling each other brother and sister?
Qiao Xiao felt a chill in her heart. But they were siblings, even if they weren't related by blood. They were siblings in name only. If he knew that she loved him, would he hate her?
Qiao Xiao immediately pictured Zhong Huanli's disgusted gaze. She was terrified of such a scene; it was tantamount to killing her.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She instinctively clutched her abdomen, her face turning deathly pale. Zhong Huanli, noticing her distress, immediately put down her chopsticks and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"My stomach...it hurts so much," Qiao Xiao replied in a weak voice.
Upon seeing this, Zhong Huanli did not hesitate at all. She immediately picked her up and carried her to the hospital as fast as she could.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor diagnosed acute gastritis and gave some dietary advice. Zhong Huanli stayed by Qiao Xiao's bedside, his brow furrowed. When Qiao Xiao woke up and saw his worried expression, she felt a mix of emotions.
The next morning, Zhong Huanli sat at the dining table early, waiting for Qiao Xiao. Soon after, Qiao Xiao entered the dining room. She glanced at Zhong Huanli quickly, but instead of sitting next to him as usual, she unexpectedly sat opposite him. Zhong Huanli's previously calm expression froze instantly at her action.
In the past, Qiao Xiao would always hang her schoolbag on the chair, and Zhong Huanli would always help her take it down. Today, as soon as Zhong Huanli's hand touched the schoolbag, Qiao Xiao quickly snatched it away.
Zhong Huanli was taken aback, only to see Qiao Xiao say, "Thank you for your help before, I'll do it myself from now on."
Her words revealed an indescribable sense of alienation, which caused Zhong Huanli's heart to ache sharply.
He stared at Qiao Xiao in disbelief. Although her face was expressionless, Zhong Huanli felt as if he had gone blind, unable to see her true feelings. His expression was unusual, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a single word: "Okay."
Qiao Xiao: "Brother, let's go."
Her calling him "brother" sounded so natural, as if they were born siblings. Zhong Huanli had always hoped that Qiao Xiao would call him "brother" and acknowledge his identity, but now it sounded so jarring.
"Okay," he replied simply.
Qiao Xiao always walked side by side with Zhong Huanli, but today she walked unusually fast, without any intention of waiting for Zhong Huanli.
Zhong Huanli remained silent, simply following behind her, her eyes revealing a resentment she herself was unaware of.
Qiao Xiao got into the car first. When Zhong Huanli entered, he noticed she was sitting in the seat closest to the door, clearly deliberately creating distance between them. Zhong Huanli seemed a little flustered. He chose a seat slightly closer to the middle, and Qiao Xiao simply placed her backpack between them.