Chapter 128

Ding-dong—

The doorbell rang, and Yu Yi heard her mother’s footsteps as she went to answer it. Soon after, her mother’s cheerful laughter followed, saying, “Chenjing, are you here to ask Yu Yi for help with your homework? Go on in, she’s in the study.”

Immediately, unfamiliar footsteps approached the study.

The study door was knocked three times, and Xue Chenjing pushed it open a crack, poking his head in and calling out, “Yu Yi.”

Yu Yi crooked a finger at him, “Come in.”

Xue Chenjing’s eyes lit up instantly, and he happily entered, clutching a stack of papers. Before sitting down beside her, he fumbled in his pockets for a moment, pulling out a handful of chocolates and candies to place on the table.

“So many sweets,” Yu Yi couldn’t help but laugh, teasing, “If this were back in our childhood, this would’ve cost you a week’s pocket money, wouldn’t it?”

Yu Yi never let Xue Chenjing copy her homework for free. Every time he came to her for help, he had to bring something to bribe her.

Back in elementary school, when everyone’s pocket money was limited, Xue Chenjing had to scrape together most of his allowance to bribe Yu Yi. Every time he pulled out a little snack, he’d do it reluctantly, bargaining with her over how many problems one candy could buy.

Yu Yi, annoyed by his penny-pinching, would simply press him down and empty all his pockets. When Xue Chenjing’s eyes turned red with frustration, she’d dangle a spicy strip in front of him and say, “If you don’t want to, I’ll give these back to you. Go copy your brother’s homework instead. He wouldn’t ask for snacks.”

Xue Chenjing would hold back his tears, puffing up his cheeks and retorting, “I’m not copying his! I’m only copying yours!”

Even back then, this guy would rather go out of his way to copy her homework than his brother’s. And now, after all these years, he still preferred coming to her for help rather than asking Xue Mingyuan.

Now, Yu Yi didn’t have to press him to empty his pockets anymore. Xue Chenjing would voluntarily turn out all his pockets, piling up candies, peanuts, beef jerky, and other snacks on the table.

Yu Yi picked up a chocolate, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. “Should we set a price now? How many problems does this chocolate get you?”

Xue Chenjing dragged his chair closer to her, staring at her intently, and said with a flattering smile, “You decide. Whatever you say goes.”

Yu Yi turned her head and met his dark eyes, which reflected the golden sunlight streaming through the window. They looked like melted caramel, exuding a warmth that was almost overwhelming.

Yu Yi glanced back at the test papers on the table, feigning annoyance. “Don’t sit so close. It’s hot.”

Xue Chenjing blinked, then scooted his chair back just a tiny bit, making a sharp scraping sound against the floor. He pouted, “Is this okay? Any further and I won’t be able to see the problems.”

Yu Yi glanced at the strands of hair falling over his forehead and said, “Your hair’s too long. It’s blocking your eyes. Boys at our school aren’t allowed to have this kind of hairstyle.”

Besides, it looked like he’d even used hair wax. What was with this idol drama look just to do homework?

Xue Chenjing reached up and rubbed the ends of his hair, which he’d spent half the day styling. Reluctantly, he said, “Alright, I’ll get it cut tomorrow.” As if afraid Yu Yi might reject him further, he quickly grabbed a notebook from the table and said with a playful grin, “I’ll fan you. Then it won’t be so hot.”

True to his word, Xue Chenjing got his hair cut the next day and even took off his earrings and rings, making him look much more proper. He started coming to Yu Yi every day with his homework, using her explanations to solidify his own understanding.

After Xue Chenjing had been diligently visiting for two days, on the third day, Xue Mingyuan also showed up to join in.

Yu Yi welcomed him, as Xue Mingyuan was indeed a math whiz. Some problems she wasn’t sure about could be discussed with him, and Xue Mingyuan often came up with simpler and more intuitive solutions.

Xue Chenjing, a self-proclaimed math dunce, sat between them, listening to their discussions about the first, second, and third solutions to the final math problem. It was like listening to a foreign language, but he couldn’t complain—Xue Mingyuan really was that good.

Xue Chenjing stole a glance at the admiration in Yu Yi’s eyes as she looked at his brother, and he felt like grinding his teeth to dust.

It was always like this. Even when they were kids, it was the same.

Back then, when he felt neglected, he could throw a tantrum or bring in some bugs to scare them and get their attention. But now… he glanced at the floor. Though it was clean, he couldn’t bring himself to roll around on it.

In the evening, as the summer heat gradually dissipated with the night breeze, the adults all went out for a walk. Xue Chenjing seized the moment while his brother was in the shower, dashed out the door, and stood in the hallway to call Yu Yi.

Yu Yi opened the door, exasperated. “You could’ve just knocked. Why call?”

“No way. If my brother hears, he’ll definitely tag along again,” Xue Chenjing said, stepping on his skateboard to flip it up into his hand. Excitedly, he added, “You were interested in skateboarding before, right? Come on, I’ll teach you.”

Yu Yi hesitated, “It’s so hot.”

“It’s not,” Xue Chenjing insisted, afraid Xue Mingyuan would finish his shower and catch them. He grabbed Yu Yi’s wrist, trying to pull her out. “It rained earlier today. There’s a breeze outside now. It’s not hot at all.”

Yu Yi protested, “Wait, let me change my shoes.”

Xue Chenjing finally let go and watched as she pulled out a pair of sneakers. As Yu Yi sat on a small stool tying her left shoe, Xue Chenjing couldn’t wait. He crouched in front of her, reaching for her right shoe to help her put it on.

His long fingers suddenly wrapped around her ankle, his warm body heat pressing against her skin. Yu Yi was startled, her whole body jerking as she tried to pull her foot back. “What are you doing? I can do it myself.”

“It’ll be quick,” Xue Chenjing said, oblivious. He pressed her heel down, adjusted the tongue of the shoe, and deftly tied the laces. Looking up, he urged, “Let’s go, hurry, or my brother will come out.”

Only then did he notice Yu Yi’s uncomfortable expression and her reddened ears. Xue Chenjing quickly withdrew his hand, stammering, “Sorry, I was in a rush and just…”

Yu Yi’s face burned as she stood up and tapped her shoes, avoiding his gaze. “Alright, let’s go.”

The two of them walked down the hallway one after the other. Xue Chenjing stole glances at Yu Yi out of the corner of his eye, quietly rubbing his fingertips as he belatedly recalled the sensation of her skin. Under the dim yellow light, his face flushed red.

Thankfully, the lighting wasn’t too bright.

An intangible, restless atmosphere hung between them, and even the evening breeze felt stifling.

Stupid weather forecast. Didn’t they say it was supposed to cool down? Why was it still so hot?

At this hour, the park was crowded, so Xue Chenjing led Yu Yi to a quiet open space in the neighborhood. Surrounded by trees, the sound of cicadas filled the air, and two streetlights cast a warm glow on the smooth ground—perfect for them to practice.

Xue Chenjing set down his skateboard, strutting around Yu Yi like a peacock showing off its feathers. He demonstrated some cool tricks, whizzing past her like the wind, leaping into the air, flipping the skateboard, and landing smoothly.

After completing a difficult move, he turned to her with a proud smirk, the light above him casting a halo-like glow. He looked like a completely different person from the one who’d been biting his pencil in frustration earlier.

Xue Chenjing skated over to Yu Yi, stopping smoothly in front of her. He moved the skateboard to her feet and held out his hand. “Come on, hold onto me. I’ll teach you how to stand and balance first.”

Yu Yi took his hand and stepped onto the skateboard, listening as he explained where to place her feet and how to distribute her weight. Even with Xue Chenjing holding her, the board wobbled beneath her feet, making her heart race.

Yu Yi was sharp-minded, but her athletic skills were lacking—the complete opposite of Xue Chenjing.

Seeing her as stiff as a board, Xue Chenjing sighed, “Relax a little. Don’t be so tense.”

Yu Yi didn’t even dare to move her neck, gripping Xue Chenjing’s hand tightly. “I am relaxed.”

Xue Chenjing retorted, “A lamppost is more relaxed than you.”

Yu Yi turned her head to glare at him, but Xue Chenjing wasn't the least bit annoyed by her glare. Instead, he grinned like a blooming flower. "Yu Yi, there's finally something you're not good at," he teased.

Yu Yi, being guided by him to slide forward, didn't dare to move a muscle. She said nervously, "What kind of superhuman filter do you have for me? There are plenty of things I'm not good at."

"Ha, it just so happens that I'm pretty good at this. I'll teach you well and turn you into a skateboard master, captivating countless young men," Xue Chenjing said gleefully, then quickly added, "Forget that last part."

Yu Yi, her attention completely on the skateboard, didn't even register what he meant by "the last part." Without thinking, she retorted, "Why forget it? I can do it."

Xue Chenjing immediately shot back, "No, you can't!"

Yu Yi glared at him indignantly. To prove she could do it, she stubbornly spent hours skating around the open space with him, not returning until it was time to sleep.

The latter half of the summer vacation flew by in a blur of "studying during the day, skateboarding at night." With the combined tutoring of Xue Mingyuan and Yu Yi, Xue Chenjing managed to finish that dreaded pile of homework just before school started.

Thanks to Xue Chenjing's efforts, Yu Yi finally learned to skateboard on her own.

Though reluctantly, Xue Chenjing also ended up teaching his ever-intrusive older brother how to skateboard.

Xue Mingyuan was the kind of popular figure in their school who was well-liked by both teachers and students. That year, he was the one who gave the outstanding student speech at the opening ceremony.

As a result, as soon as Xue Chenjing made an appearance at the ceremony, he was swarmed by a crowd of people, who gawked at him as if he were a rare panda, chattering away.

"You're Xue Mingyuan's twin? You really do look alike."

"Are you the younger brother? I thought you were the older one."

"Wow, Xue Mingyuan is insanely talented. Since you're his twin, you must be really smart too."

Xue Chenjing's face darkened. He was utterly annoyed by the crowd but couldn't lash out. Instead, he scanned the playground, searching for someone.

Yu Yi stood outside the crowd, chatting with her girlfriends. One of them was so envious she wanted to chew on her sleeve. "You never told me Xue Mingyuan has a twin brother! And he's got a completely different vibe. Oh my gosh, Yu Yi, did you save the galaxy in your past life to have two such handsome childhood friends?"

Yu Yi followed her gaze and snorted, "What are you talking about? It's their good fortune to have someone like me as their childhood friend."

As soon as she finished speaking, the transfer student at the center of the crowd spotted her and started striding toward her.

Yu Yi: "..." Ugh, she hated being the center of attention.

Yu Yi turned to avoid him, but Xue Chenjing, unlike the considerate Xue Mingyuan who knew to keep his distance at school to avoid crowding her, had no such awareness.

She tried to dodge him, but Xue Chenjing kept his eyes locked on her, following her like a persistent shadow.

Yu Yi couldn't outrun him and finally stopped, exasperated. "Why are you following me?"

Xue Chenjing looked at her innocently. "You're the only one I know here."

Yu Yi snapped, "Go find your brother."

Xue Chenjing, even more annoyed, replied, "No, I hate my brother!"