Since he needed a favor, Lu Yubai made a rare effort to soften his tone. Though he still sounded a little stiff, it was a world of difference from his usual prickly manner.
Lu Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows, amused.
"What trouble did you get into? Aren't you a little old to be having your parents called in?"
Lu Yubai grew a little annoyed. "I didn't get into trouble. I just... I was falsely accused! But I can't get them to understand. Anyway... anyway, you'll know when you get here!"
"Oh?" Lu Xiaoxiao didn't agree right away. She drew out the word, then asked, "What's in it for me?"
"What's in it for you? What do you want?" Lu Yubai grew irritated on the other end, his voice rising. "Is there really no one else home? You're not lying to me, are you?"
Lu Xiaoxiao replied leisurely, "There is. Your third brother's here too. Want me to get him on the phone?"
Lu Yubai: "..."
If she actually did that, whether Lu Bochen would even speak to him was another question entirely.
Of everyone in the Lu Family, Lu Yubai knew Lu Bochen the least. Though he and Lu Xiaoxiao had never gotten along, they still interacted often.
But Lu Bochen was completely different. If he wasn't willing, getting even a couple of words out of him was next to impossible.
Uh... when was the last time I talked to my third brother, anyway?
It seemed like ages ago. Three months back? I can't really remember.
In any case, asking Lu Bochen for help at a time like this was absolutely out of the question.
Hearing him fall silent, Lu Xiaoxiao smiled and named her condition. "I'm not asking for anything unreasonable. Just call me sis."
Lu Yubai: "??!?!"
Lu Yubai's face turned red, and for a long while, he couldn't get the word out.
This is so embarrassing! In all these years, I've never called Lu Xiaoxiao sis!
Damn it, damn it! Do I really have to bow to the forces of evil today?
While he was still locked in a fierce internal struggle, Lu Xiaoxiao was already starting to lose interest in waiting.
"Forget it. I'm hanging up. Call your dad instead."
"Sis!!!!!!"
Hearing that Lu Xiaoxiao was about to hang up, Lu Yubai panicked and blurted it out without worrying about anything else.
Aaah, fine, I'll call her sis! Just don't let Dad find out. He'll definitely beat me!
Lu Yubai still remembered how much it had hurt the last time Lu Yuan had whipped his backside with a belt!
Lu Xiaoxiao had already moved the receiver away from her ear. Hearing that deafening shout of "sis," she curled her lips into a triumphant smile.
"Aww, good boy. I didn't quite catch that, though. Say it again?"
"S-sis..."
Lu Yubai could tell she was doing it on purpose, but by now he had lost all his temper. After saying it with a flushed face, he hurried her along. "Get over here! I said it, so you can't go back on your word!"
Lu Xiaoxiao didn't intend to keep teasing him. She was actually a little curious about what had happened to him at school, too. Saying, "I'll be right there," she got ready to leave.
After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly remembered she hadn't eaten yet. She turned back and grabbed two slices of bread before heading out.
Lu Yubai's school wasn't far from home. It only took a little over ten minutes to drive there.
When she reached his homeroom teacher's office, Lu Xiaoxiao found a whole crowd packed inside.
There were teachers, parents, and several students with their heads lowered.
The room was filled with noisy voices. A few parents had arrived before Lu Xiaoxiao and were already arguing with the teacher.
"Teacher Zhu, you can't blame this entirely on my child! That boy was already in poor health, and my child didn't know beforehand! Surely this doesn't warrant disciplinary action?"
"Exactly, Teacher Zhu. My child is usually so well-behaved and kind. He would never bully a classmate. Someone must have put him up to it. You need to investigate this properly!"
Lu Yubai had been standing alone off to one side, looking rather lost. His eyes immediately lit up when he saw Lu Xiaoxiao, as though his savior had arrived.
He called to the bespectacled female teacher beside him, "Teacher Zhu! My sister's here. She's my sister!"
Oh? He was so awkward about calling me sis just now, and now it rolls right off his tongue?
Lu Xiaoxiao couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips, but given the atmosphere, she forced it back down.
After Lu Yubai's shout, the entire office fell silent. A dozen pairs of eyes turned toward Lu Xiaoxiao, sizing her up in different ways.
The bespectacled Teacher Zhu stepped forward, her expression unsmiling, and greeted Lu Xiaoxiao. "You're Lu Yubai's sister, correct? Hello."
Lu Xiaoxiao nodded and smiled. "Hello, Teacher Zhu. I've only just arrived, so I'm not familiar with the situation yet. What happened?"
"Here's the situation. A very serious bullying incident occurred in our class today."
Teacher Zhu pushed her glasses up her nose and explained, "A boy named Fan Chiran was locked in the sports equipment room by other students for over four hours. By the time the PE teacher found him while going to fetch some equipment, he had gone into shock, so he was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment."
"This is a crucial period, with the education bureau sending inspectors to check the school's conduct and discipline. The principal has made it clear that this incident cannot be brushed aside. It must be dealt with seriously."
"Fortunately, the hospital just called and said that Fan Chiran is out of danger."
She paused, then added, "The diagnosis showed that Fan Chiran went into shock due to severe gastric bleeding. Had they not locked him up, he could have been taken to the hospital sooner."
As Teacher Zhu said "they," her stern gaze swept over the boys one by one, heavy with reproach.
This was a matter of life and death. After hearing her out, Lu Xiaoxiao's expression grew serious too.
She noticed that, apart from Lu Yubai, the other three boys present all had shifty eyes and plainly guilty expressions.
"I see." Lu Xiaoxiao put away her smile and turned to Lu Yubai. "So what does this have to do with you? Were you the one who locked Fan Chiran in the sports equipment room? When you called me, you said you'd been falsely accused. I'd like to hear your explanation first."
Lu Yubai shook his head anxiously. "No! It wasn't me! I never locked him up!"
Before he had even finished speaking, a boy beside him with a buzz cut interrupted:
"You didn't lock him up yourself, sure, but we did it for you! This morning, you said you suspected him of stealing your stuff and wanted a chance to teach him a lesson. We were only acting on your behalf!"
Another, slightly shorter boy chimed in, "Yeah, exactly! How can you just wash your hands of this and act like you're innocent? What happened to having your buddies' backs?"
Before you continue