Archrivals Become Brothers

Lu Xiaoxiao picked a restaurant that wasn't too crowded and treated Shao Enci to a meal.

She kept looking around, afraid that students from their school might see the two of them sitting together and eating peacefully, then secretly take photos and post them on the forum, causing more unnecessary trouble.

Shao Enci sat opposite her, listlessly propping his head up on his arm. He lifted his eyelids to look at her, the corners of his thin lips curving slightly in something between a smile and a smirk. "Why are you so nervous? Never had a meal with a handsome guy before?"

"Can you be serious for once?" Lu Xiaoxiao raised her eyes to look directly at Shao Enci's handsome face, and her voice suddenly softened a little. "Haven't you seen the forum? Everyone's been gossiping about us lately. If our schoolmates spot us, it'll be even harder to explain."

He gave a soft snort and said casually, "If you're so afraid of their gossip, how did you dare ask me out to eat alone?"

Seeing that the server had brought all the dishes, Lu Xiaoxiao handed Shao Enci a pair of sanitized chopsticks with both hands. Her attitude took a complete one-eighty, and a radiant smile appeared at the corners of her eyes. "Isn't that why I'm making amends? I sincerely apologize for what happened yesterday."

The young man accepted the chopsticks with some skepticism. His gaze shifted from her face to her soft pink lips, and his deep eyes lingered there for a few seconds. His Adam's apple bobbed several times before his low voice rang out. "The sun must have risen in the west. I never thought I'd see the day when you'd apologize to me, Little Lu."

Still smiling, she held out her right hand and said earnestly, with the highest international courtesy, "From now on, let's shake hands and make peace."

After all, there were still ninety-seven tasks that required his willing cooperation. Being archrivals would only make them harder.

Shao Enci put down his chopsticks and wrapped his long, broad hand tightly around her soft little one. His thick lashes trembled slightly, and a strange feeling arose in his heart, though she didn't notice.

In all the time he'd known her, this was the first time he could openly touch her hand. It felt as though he were still caught in a dream.

Of course, Lu Xiaoxiao had no idea what Shao Enci was thinking. Seeing that he remained silent, she tightened her grip a little and said, "From now on, we're good friends and good brothers."

With that, she withdrew her hand, stood up, and left the table.

"Where are you going?" Shao Enci tilted his head slightly and asked in confusion.

"To get some liquor. Wait for me."

"?"

Lu Xiaoxiao brought back two bottles of peach-flavored Jiangxiaobai and set them on the table. With a light laugh, she said, "We still have class this afternoon, so let's try this low-alcohol stuff for now. When the May Day holiday comes, we won't go home until we're drunk."

"..."

Shao Enci hesitated to speak. Watching her struggle to twist open the first bottle of Jiangxiaobai, he stood up to help open the second one. "Let me."

A guy was naturally several times stronger than a girl, and he opened the bottle with ease.

Lu Xiaoxiao sat back down and raised the Jiangxiaobai in her hand. Her pretty, charming dimples appeared as she smiled. "Come on, let me propose a toast first. All our past grievances are in this bottle. I'll drain mine; drink as much as you like."

With that, she drank it all in one go.

Shao Enci had wanted to stop her, but before he knew it, she'd finished it in a few gulps. His eyes showed a hint of surprise. Then he sat back down and stared at the Jiangxiaobai in his hand. After hesitating for a few seconds, he drained it too.

Not long into the meal, Lu Xiaoxiao noticed that his fair, handsome face and neck had turned red. It didn't occur to her that he was allergic to alcohol. Thinking he couldn't hold his liquor, she even teased him. "Shao Enci, I never thought your alcohol tolerance would be so bad."

The young man was quiet and said little. His skin burned all over, and his fingers gripped his chopsticks tightly, several veins standing out on the back of his hand. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples as he kept bearing the discomfort.

Seeing that something was wrong with him, Lu Xiaoxiao immediately put down her chopsticks and got up to go to him. She touched his burning forehead and said in a panic, "Shao Enci, what's wrong?!"

On the taxi ride to the hospital, she let Shao Enci lean against her shoulder and gently patted his back, reassuring him. "We're almost at the hospital. Hang in there. Don't scare me."

If anything happened to him, she wouldn't be able to complete her tasks either.

Shao Enci forced his eyelids open, the outer corners of his eyes damp and red, and stared intently at her cheek.

The girl's eyes were clear, and her rosy lips were alluring, giving off a lychee-and-rose fragrance.

The young man pressed his lips into a straight line. This was the first time he had looked at her from so close.

It suddenly seemed worthwhile to have an alcohol allergy in exchange for her special concern.

His voice was low and husky. "I'm fine. I'm just allergic to alcohol. I won't die."

"Are you stupid? If you're allergic to alcohol, you shouldn't drink it," Lu Xiaoxiao said, frowning deeply.

Shao Enci clenched both hands into fists, his eyes shifting as he restrained himself. "That's different."

That was the first time you'd asked me to drink with you. Even though I'm allergic, I drank it without hesitation.

Lu Xiaoxiao snapped at him, baffled. "What's different? Which matters more, your life or your pride?"

Shao Enci said, "..."

After they reached the hospital, the emergency doctor said it was a mild allergic reaction. He didn't need an IV; some medication would do.

Only after they left the hospital did Lu Xiaoxiao breathe a sigh of relief. It was good that he was all right, and even better that he didn't need an IV. Otherwise, she'd be in trouble if it delayed her task progress that afternoon.

Of course, Shao Enci didn't know she was worried because of the system tasks. Instead, he thought, She's so worried about me. Does that mean she likes me just a little?

The two sat in the taxi, each lost in their own thoughts.

The air suddenly grew a little awkward.

Lu Xiaoxiao rubbed her hands together and spoke up first. "Are you free this afternoon?"

Shao Enci tightened his grip on his phone at her words, though his expression showed no discernible change. "What's up?"

While she'd run off to get his medicine, He Jiran had sent a message in the project group: [@Shao Enci, a new set of performance tests was added at noon. Run them sometime this afternoon. I wrote the data volume and boundary conditions in the comments.]

Shao Enci had replied in the group: [Okay.]

"There's a biology open class. My dad's teaching it." Lu Xiaoxiao pressed her lips together. "Can you come with me?"

Shao Enci's handsome brows drew together.

Her dad's open class...

If not for what had happened yesterday, he might have been able to agree without any fear.

But they'd only just kissed yesterday. If her dad found out, wouldn't going to meet his future father-in-law so unprepared be no different from asking to die faster?

Forget it. I'll take it one step at a time.

"What time?"

Lu Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up. "Two thirty this afternoon, zone C of teaching building six."

"Okay."

The laboratory in the FIT Building.

When Shao Enci returned to the laboratory, He Jiran was already inside.

He sat by the window with the project code on the screen in front of him. Without so much as looking at Shao Enci, he said softly, "Hurry up and finish running this set of tests."

Shao Enci didn't answer. He walked over expressionlessly and sat down at the computer.

When the screen lit up, he opened the project repository and saw the "new tests" branch that He Jiran had pushed at noon. He clicked it open and glanced at the commit message:

[test: add boundary performance test cases to cover more scenarios]

Shao Enci leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the newly added lines of test code.

Three times the data volume, five new boundary conditions, and double the performance requirements.

His finger paused on the touchpad for a second, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

"That set of tests added at noon," He Jiran said, turning his head, "has to be finished this afternoon."

He had gone to great lengths to change the parameters, and an ordinary person wouldn't have noticed, but he had underestimated Shao Enci.

"He Jiran, I'm not running these tests. You made the mistake, so you can fill in the hole yourself." Shao Enci shut down the computer, stood up, and spoke with disdain.

"Shao Enci, what do you mean?" He Jiran said, his expression cold and hard.

"The changes you pushed to these tests might fool other people, but you're a little naive if you think you can trip me up with them." As Shao Enci spoke, he walked over to He Jiran, his eyes full of unbridled defiance. "You want to use the project to pressure me? You're so petty—what makes you worthy of competing with me for Lu Xiaoxiao?"

He Jiran's eyelid twitched. His fingers rubbed the rim of his cup, and a hostile look settled between his brows. "So you finally admit you like Lu Xiaoxiao."

"Anyone who isn't blind knows I like her."

"..."

After leaving the laboratory, Shao Enci was walking toward the stairs when he received a message from Lu Xiaoxiao:

[Are you still coming to biology class this afternoon?]

He checked the time. It was 2:16. He typed a reply: [On my way.]