A Beautiful Older Sister Came Home

At the end of July, Jinghuai City was wrapped in lingering rain.

This season was always rainy, with a dense, pervasive drizzle that stretched out like an endless, overwhelming sorrow.

The morning exercises at Jinghuai No. 1 High School were canceled due to the rain, so the students were taking a short break inside their classrooms.

At this very moment, in front of Class 1, Grade 12.

Ding Yebai stood in the corridor, his hand resting on the silver railing, his gaze drifting toward the distance.

The rain falling from the eaves looked like a beaded curtain, like hanging threads of light, trickling down in a continuous, rhythmic patter.

This boy, just by standing there, drew the eyes of countless passing students.

He was lean and tall, with fair skin and a cool, detached expression.

His temperament was unique; the indifference and aloofness inherent in his bones gave outsiders the illusion that he was uninterested in everything.

"Ding Yebai?"

Teacher Zhang Wei walked over from a distance, holding four certificates.

Hearing his name, Ding Yebai turned his head, naturally dropping his hand and standing up straight, looking at him calmly. "Teacher?"

Zhang Wei: "These are the awards you won in the city competition last time. First place in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. Four certificates, take them."

Ding Yebai took them with both hands: "Thank you, Teacher."

"Mm. No problem. Congratulations." With that, Zhang Wei walked past him, his hurried, bustling manner kicking up a small gust of wind.

He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he suddenly thought of something, turned around, and stood in front of Ding Yebai once again.

Ding Yebai: "?"

Zhang Wei: "I still want to ask you, have you properly analyzed your scores from the last exam?"

Ding Yebai raised his eyes, looking at Teacher Zhang's dark, somewhat weathered face, and said slowly: "Mm, I have. There are still many shortcomings in math and the science comprehensive subjects."

Zhang Wei frowned as he listened, feeling both helpless and exasperated.

This kid was so excellent in math and science that he nearly got a perfect score every time; what on earth was there left to analyze?

"Tsk. Ding Yebai, your math and science scores are already excellent; you can put those aside for now."

"My science comprehensive is still a bit weak."

"You're quite humble, kid."

Zhang Wei said speechlessly, rubbing his throbbing temples. He silently lamented how terrifying the level of academic competition was these days, thinking about how it had pushed their students to this point.

"Ahem! Ding Yebai, you still don't understand what I mean. I want you to analyze your English and Chinese."

Ding Yebai remained calm; even when these two subjects were mentioned, he kept that same icy, misty, indifferent demeanor.

"English 90, Chinese 112. Both improved by one point compared to last time."

"Ding Yebai, I don't think this is your true level."

Ding Yebai was stunned for a moment. He seemed to see the message in his teacher's eyes: Teacher believes your potential is limitless! You can score even higher! Believe in yourself!

However, he did not choose to follow the teacher's lead. After closing his eyes to ponder for a moment, he slowly looked up: "It is indeed not my true level."

"Oh?" Zhang Wei stared at Ding Yebai's cold face, feeling a little excited.

The truth was that the teacher had been reading a novel late into the night a few days ago, and the protagonist in the book was a fake underachiever, a master of controlling his scores.

Could Ding Yebai be that type of student? He wondered quietly.

"Ahem, Teacher?"

"Uh... hm?!" Startled back to reality after being called by his student, Teacher Zhang Wei looked visibly embarrassed.

"Teacher, a difference of one or two points in Chinese is very common, and for English, the paper was just too simple this time. I got a lucky score, that's all."

Ding Yebai used a tone so flat it was impossible to argue with, shattering his beautiful, chuunibyou, and very brief fantasy.

Zhang Wei: "..."

Fine, he would just have to change his approach to educating this child.

He tucked away the smile that had been hanging awkwardly on his face, switching in a second to his usual serious expression, and said earnestly: "Let's put Chinese aside for now. As for your English, not only am I worried, but the English teacher is even more so. She keeps asking me in the office if she isn't teaching well. Otherwise, why would such a smart kid like you be so bad at her subject? If you have any problems, go talk to her early."

"No. The teacher is very good. It's my own problem." Ding Yebai quickly explained.

Zhang Wei: "Yebai, don't think I'm nagging. This year, you really need to properly improve your English. You don't have to put down math and science! Just spare a little energy for your weak subjects. It's best if we blossom in all areas, right?"

Ding Yebai's eyes darkened, and he nodded slightly.

In truth, he had never really paid attention to English before.

He was also surprised that he could always manage to score right on the edge of passing.

Previously, he had relied on math, physics, and chemistry to pull up his average, which was enough to keep him in the top ranks, but the Gaokao was different. If there was even one weak subject, the probability of getting into the country's top universities was almost zero.

To realize his dream, he had to develop in all areas.

Zhang Wei: "After the parent-teacher meeting yesterday, I actually talked a lot with your Mom. She said she would also help you with your studies."

Ding Yebai: "My mom... she's going to help me?"

His brow smoothed, the hazy gloom in his eyes swept away in an instant, and he suddenly felt energized.

How exactly would she help?

It couldn't be that she was buying a mountain of prep books, could it? That would be worse than no help at all.

The teacher hadn't explained it clearly, and his mom, Feng Pingping, hadn't mentioned a word about it to him either.

Everything was so mysterious, which only made him more curious.

Time ticked by until past six in the evening.

The more Ding Yebai thought about it, the more wrong it felt; he couldn't shake the feeling that something unpleasant was waiting for him.

As a day student, Ding Yebai didn't have to attend evening study sessions, so he could head straight home after school.

After an unobstructed bike ride to his front door, he looked up at the brightly lit second floor and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion: "Someone's home?"

The place he lived in was a courtyard house his family had built themselves.

The villas in this area all featured a very antique, traditional aesthetic, giving off a distinct scholarly vibe.

His Older Sister, Ding Yuerong, had been out of college for three years and was the founder of the Kankan Manhua app. The woman had been busy with work lately, often sleeping right at the office.

His engineer dad, Ding Dahai, was frequently away for work, and his return times were unpredictable.

As for his mom, Feng Pingping, she was a professor at Jinghuai University. The university offered great benefits and provided housing specifically for senior professors; for convenience, she always stayed there after work.

So, logically speaking, if Ding Yebai hadn't returned home, there was no way the lights would be on.

Ding Yebai pushed his bike into the courtyard, kicked the kickstand down to steady it, and opened the door with his black schoolbag slung over one shoulder.

Once inside, he turned on the lights, took off his rain-dampened jacket to hang it on the rack, and dashed toward the second floor.

Could it be that Mom had come home specially? He might actually get to eat Mom's cooking today!

At the thought, Ding Yebai's lips curled up, revealing a faint glimmer of joy.

He didn't even bother wiping the rainwater from his hair and face as he ran straight for the second floor.

As he neared the top, he made a conscious effort to slow his rapid breathing.

He childishly reined in the smile on his lips, but the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

A moment later.

He stepped onto the final stair of the second floor and said toward the front, "Mom—cough, cough... Older Sister, why are you here?"

Seeing Ding Yuerong sitting in the second-floor living room drinking coffee, the smile on Ding Yebai's face froze instantly.

Ding Yuerong sat with her legs crossed, back straight, dressed in a professional business suit. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, smoothed her sharp, short black hair, and deliberately took a slow sip of her coffee.

Ding Yebai: "Ugh..."

As expected, he'd overthought it.

"Hmm? Is that Ding Yebai back?"

Just as Ding Yebai was drooping his eyelids in frustration, a voice as gentle as water drifted over from afar.

He looked up to see a young woman he didn't recognize standing up from beside Ding Yuerong.

She wore a polite smile, waved her hand, and greeted him in a bright, cheerful tone.

"Hello, my name is Yang Zhi."

Ding Yebai was stunned.

Ding Yuerong had been blocking his view of her entirely.

He hadn't even realized they had a guest.

"Hello," Ding Yebai said, lifting the corners of his mouth in a slight smile.

The smile was shallow and vanished in an instant, as if water had left no trace, and he quickly returned to his usual expressionless self.

He knew deep down that after that first glance at Yang Zhi, his dark, indifferent pupils had clearly betrayed a different emotion.

This woman's temperament perfectly embodied the words dignified, intellectual, and elegant.

She was very young, looking only a few years older than him.

She was tall with straight, slender legs, dressed in a white shirt and light blue jeans—neat and refined.

Her skin was fair and delicate, and her long black hair cascaded down naturally. With side-swept bangs framing her forehead, she looked even more tranquil and gentle.

At first glance, she was like a spring breeze; looking closer, her features were even more harmonious and exquisite. She was more than just pretty; she had a lingering charm. Her eyes were as clear as autumn water, and her natural double eyelids and slightly drooping outer corners added a touch of pure innocence. Her facial lines were smooth, leaving absolutely no room for criticism.

A beauty like a painting, as gentle as an orchid.

Ding Yuerong turned to look at Ding Yebai, noticing for the first time that his cold, icy face held a different kind of emotion.

Although this emotional fluctuation was extremely subtle, she still managed to catch it.

Heh heh, well played, Ding Yebai.

You've looked at your sister's face with that same icy expression for all these years, but the moment you see Yang Zhi, you're a completely different person, huh?

"Yebai."

She curled the corners of her lips slightly and continued, "Isn't your English just average? Look, my junior sister, Yang Zhi, is going to come over and tutor you."

"Tutor me at home?" Ding Yebai was thoroughly confused, his eyebrows knitting together naturally.

"Mm... that's right!"

"..."