The afternoon before the National Day holiday, just before school let out
"Seven math worksheets! Check and make sure none are missing!!!"
"Five Chinese worksheets, plus composition paper!! Check whether you've got everything!"
"Three English worksheets!!"
"Remember to finish the physics workbook through page 56, and there are four more worksheets!!!"
The class representatives for each subject practically wished they had megaphones as they shouted across the chaotic classroom. As they yelled, they also pounded on their desks to make sure everyone noticed them.
The students themselves had no interest in paying attention to them right now. The worksheets on their desks had already piled up into little hills, and if they weren't careful, they might take the wrong worksheets from their deskmates, leading to the awkward situation of staring blankly at each other.
Everyone was quite anxious, after all. It was a seven-day holiday.
Ding Yebai, on the other hand, was no different from usual. He calmly and methodically organized his worksheets. His deskmate was quite confident in him. He was careful and orderly, and would never carelessly mix up the worksheets.
His female deskmate said, "Ding Yebai, there's so much homework."
She let out her usual sigh.
Ding Yebai organized the worksheets as he replied, "Yeah. But it's just doing homework in a different place."
His female deskmate said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Who told us we're in our final year of high school? How could there be any holidays in senior year? By the way, do you still have to go find that older sister for tutoring during the holiday?"
Ding Yebai froze for a moment and stopped what he was doing. He slowly blinked a few times before saying, "No, there won't be classes during the holiday. She has things of her own to do, too."
His female deskmate said, "That makes sense. Graduate students have to attend classes at school, right?"
Ding Yebai said, "Mm."
His female deskmate said, "She should have a boyfriend by now, right?"
Thump—
Ding Yebai froze again.
"..."
That's true... I don't think I've ever asked her that clearly. She's never mentioned it, either.
That makes sense. She doesn't have any reason to tell me about that.
"I'll ask her when I get home."
"What? You're really going to ask? Isn't that a little rude?"
"Mm... I'm pretty curious. I'll ask my sister when I get home."
With that, he put the last worksheet into his schoolbag, pulled the zipper shut, waited a few seconds, and then dashed out as soon as the bell rang.
His female deskmate was left standing there in confusion.
After returning home, Ding Yebai didn't choose to study.
He had just gotten out of school, so he would do something else first to relax.
In his view, being a senior in high school didn't mean studying day and night every single day.
A little after seven that evening, Ding Yuerong returned with dinner, and the siblings sat at the dining table to eat.
Ding Yuerong ate while looking at her phone, seemingly having no intention of speaking to Ding Yebai.
Ding Yebai glanced at her and asked directly, "Sis, does Sister Yang Zhi have a boyfriend?"
"Pfft..." The enoki mushroom in Ding Yuerong's mouth got stuck between her teeth again.
"What did you say?"
At that moment, she almost couldn't believe her ears. What was going on? Ding Yebai was asking something like that????
Ding Yebai, however, was completely serious, and continued asking firmly, "Does Sister Yang Zhi have a boyfriend?"
His gaze made it absolutely clear that he wanted to know the answer.
Ding Yuerong raised an eyebrow, touched her short hair, and scratched her cheek. After a long while, she set down her phone and chopsticks, looked at Ding Yebai just as seriously, and said, "Why are you asking that?"
Ding Yebai's gaze remained deadly serious. "Curiosity."
Ding Yuerong said, "Is that all?"
Ding Yebai said, "What else would there be?"
Ding Yuerong said, "That's true. Uh... she doesn't."
At those words, Ding Yebai's dark, indifferent eyes instantly lit up.
Ding Yuerong found this even harder to understand. She didn't beat around the bush and directly patted Ding Yebai on the shoulder. "You don't happen to like Yang Zhi, do you?"
"Impossible."
Ding Yebai deliberately took a bite of food to hide the tremor in his voice.
Ding Yuerong said, "Come on, I'm your older sister. I watched you grow up, okay? How could I not understand you?"
Ding Yebai lowered his head and ate in silence.
Ding Yuerong propped up her chin and lazily watched him. She knew her little brother was nervous now. His unnatural behavior made it painfully obvious, didn't it?
"She's a dead end, little bro."
"Huh?"
"Yang Zhi only dates people she really, really likes. Do you understand?"
"Who doesn't?" Ding Yebai said lightly. "Someone who casually toys with other people's feelings isn't human. They're just a dumbass."
Ding Yuerong laughed at that and began eating normally as well.
"You haven't understood what I mean. She's well-read and knows a lot. She has a somewhat romantic, scholarly air about her, so she looks like the type who yearns for love... But I still think the person who could make Yang Zhi really, really like them might not even exist."
"Hmm?"
"Your Sister Yang Zhi is polite and gentle toward almost everyone. She always wears a smile—beautiful, fair, and proper. But in reality, she isn't like that at all."
"What do you mean?"
"For example, if you asked me to say she's simply cheerful, I'd honestly have some reservations. She isn't genuinely cheerful... She's more indifferent. Is 'indifferent' the right word? Ah... forget it. I can't really describe it. Anyway, sometimes the way she thinks about things is incredibly rational and calm, completely unlike her appearance..."
"??? Why are you being so roundabout... What are you even talking about? At least put your words in order."
"Maybe it's because she wasn't like this before. Back then, she had nothing to do with the word 'gentle.' I never met her, but supposedly she used to be extremely introverted and withdrawn."
Ding Yebai was confused. Perhaps he could never have connected those words with Yang Zhi.
"She wouldn't smile at all, let alone say nice things to other people."
"Then... how did she become like this? How did she become so gentle?"
"Hmm?" The moment Ding Yuerong heard Ding Yebai praise Yang Zhi, she immediately leaned toward him, narrowed her eyes, and looked at him suspiciously. "You think pretty highly of her, don't you?"
Ding Yebai closed his eyes and furrowed his brows, pretending to remain calm. "I'm just stating the truth."
Ding Yuerong returned to her seat and picked up a piece of meat, placing it in her bowl.
"She's the type who personally experienced all kinds of pain, then decided that other people shouldn't have to suffer the way she did. After a long time, she became considerate and gentle."
"I see..." Ding Yebai said, suddenly understanding.
Isn't that what it means? She's been caught in the rain herself, so she wants to hold an umbrella for others, too.
Ding Yuerong said, "Yang Zhi's homeroom teacher in elementary school targeted her somewhat. For example, even though she scored the highest in the entire class, she was viciously scolded and accused of cheating. When someone falsely accused her of stealing, the teacher cursed and hit her in front of the class without bothering to distinguish right from wrong... There were quite a lot of things like that. After the earthquake, she lost both her parents and came to Jinghuai, where her grandma took her in. During that time, her grandfather died, and she suddenly became poor again..."
Ding Yebai listened and felt that Yang Zhi was far too pitiful. He didn't know whether the feeling in his heart was sympathy, affection, or something else.
Ding Yuerong said, "She really did become so withdrawn because of those things that she stopped communicating with people. Was she close to developing depression? I'm not sure, either. In any case, she was truly bullied terribly by her teachers. She still had her parents' protection and comfort before, but after the earthquake... Tsk, in my opinion, she was really pitiful."
Ding Yebai said, "..."
"As she grew older, she resolved to become a good teacher who would bring warmth and healing to her students. Then she went to teach in remote mountain regions, donated money every year, and helped with post-disaster reconstruction. During university, she started her own business, became a wealthy woman, and gave Grandma a better life, too."
"Don't be fooled by how she seems on the outside. Inside, she's covered in scars. To keep from being hurt, she probably sealed her heart off completely a long time ago. That's why I said she isn't truly cheerful. Do you understand now?"
Ding Yebai nodded.
Ding Yuerong said, "She hasn't looked for a partner all these years, and as far as I can tell, she's never liked or missed anyone. I've almost started wondering if she went up a mountain to practice Taoism and become detached from worldly desires."
She glanced at Ding Yebai, said no more, and shoveled a couple more bites of rice into her mouth.
"Especially a kid like you. At most, she sees you as a little brother. If she could ever fall for you, I'd eat that basin in the house."
At that moment, Ding Yebai, sitting beside her, sank into deep thought after hearing everything.
She's so pitiful. I have to treat her just a little better than before.
Thanks to Little E for the 200 Origin Point Coins, Six-Hua Meng for the 500 Origin Point Coins, and An Zhi Su_100 for the reward.
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