Previous Chapter λ Table of Content λ Next Chapter

Chapter 7: This Time, Ling Chao’s Face Is Coming Closer And Closer…

---

From then on, Ling Chao began to attend self-study at night. This way, after self-studying ended, he could go pick up Xiao Tu at her martial arts school. Of course, if you were to ask him, he would say he wasn’t going out of his way for Xiao Tu, but rather, she was just on the way home.

Ling Chao’s “on the way” attitude made Xiao Tu endlessly happy. The three hours of practice already made her really tired, and she still would’ve needed to bike home. It was simply torture. Ling Chao made things simple. She didn’t have to worry about going through the dark alley or have to bike that long way home anymore. It was so good that she could even lean on him and sleep for a bit, this was clearly VIP treatment.

Like this, a month had passed and the junior martial arts competition would soon begin.

The final weekend before the competition, teacher Wu selected the members who would participate in the competition. There was also Xiao Tu who was originally a substitute among those selected.

After practice that night, Xiao Tu walked downstairs while humming. Downstairs, she saw Ling Chao on his bike, one foot on a pedal and one on the ground, waiting for her.

Xiao Tu quickly ran over, and in high spirits said before even stopping, “Let me tell you some good news.”

“What is it?”

“My senior apprentice sister in the class has appendicitis, and she’s  hospitalized.”

Ling Chao stared at her, “How is this good news?”

“No, let me finish!” Xiao Tu continued without taking in more air, “This senior apprentice sister was one of the main members for this competition, since she can’t go anymore, teacher is having me replace her.”

“You’re participating in the competition?” Ling Chao’s eyebrows raised slightly.  

“Yup!” Xiao Tu happily nodded. “This time, most of the participants are high-schoolers, and the only middle-schooler is me. Teacher said that I had potential. Who knows if I will get a good placement! A few days ago, my mother was saying that if I bring a reward back, then during the high school entrance exam I might get extra points…”

While Xiao Tu spoke nonstop, Ling Chao’s expression sank further and further. When she finished, he asked, “When is your competition?”

“Next Wednesday, I think they said it was for three days.”  

“Next Wednesday, I am going to A-High.” ^[1]

A-High? When he suddenly said this, Xiao Tu was a little dazed. “What are you doing going to do  at A-High?” Speaking of A-High, it is the best high school in the city. It’s reported that the number of people from that school who are accepted to prestigious national universities each year is astonishing. Many celebrities have also graduated from this high school. Ling Chao says he wants to go to A-High, could it be…  

Xiao Tu shook herself and returned to reality. “The school isn’t sending you to study at A-High, right?”

Ling Chao glanced meaningfully at her and nodded his head.

“That’s great!” Xiao Tu was so excited that she jumped up. “Godmother would definitely be excited that you want to go to A-High. A few days ago she had mentioned to me that A-High is a very good school…”

“What about you? Ling Chao suddenly asked.

Xiao Tu didn’t understand. “Me? What about me?”

“Do you want me to go to A-High?”

Xiao Tu didn’t understand why he would ask this. Pausing for a moment, then said, “Of course, I wish for you go! A-High is a very famous school. In the future when I tell others that my little god brother is studying at A-High, how impressive you’d be…” Speaking about it, she felt so self-satisfied. After finishing and coming back to reality, only then did she realize that Ling Chao’s expression wasn’t quite right.

Ah! Xiao Tu realized, she had said those three words again!

Ling Chao hated the three words “little god brother” that Xiao Tu said, but it still happened. He was definitely a month younger than her, and his mother was obviously also her godmother, then what was wrong with him being the little god brother? Yet he wasn’t willing. Every time she mentioned those three words, he would shoot her a look, moreover, it’d be a very ugly kind of look.

From the beginning, Xiao Tu didn’t want to accept it. Wasn’t it only due to  Ling Chao’s brain being better that he was a grade higher than her? Why is it so petty that she couldn’t even call him little god brother? Even though I, this older sister here, isn’t as smart as you, you still can’t “ignore seniority” right?

Because of this issue, Xiao Tu specifically talked to Mrs. Ling about it. After her godmother had heard about it, she had unexpectedly smiled. She touched Xiao Tu’s head and said, “Tu Tu, although Chaochao was born a month after you, it was actually you who was born prematurely by a month. So to speak, he was born a month late, but in reality, he should be older than you by one month.

At that time, Xiao Tu hadn’t known that children couldn’t be born late, and still thought that her godmother was telling the truth. Therefore she became especially gloomy. How could it be that she was born a month before Ling Chao, but was still actually the younger one?

From this, Ling Chao’s mother was really a woman with good vision. She used a small white lie and had changed the notion of the girl being older and the boy being younger to become the boy being older and girl being younger. From now on, every time that Xiao Tu saw Ling Chao, she would not only be a grade lower but also younger by a month.

Although she had accepted that Ling Chao was older, in her heart, she still possessed the spirit of Ah Q. Whenever she spoke to other people, she would say “my little god brother”. Having always felt that this saying was rather refreshing. After a long time, it had become a habit, if she wasn’t careful she’d slip and accidentally let Ling Chao hear it.  

Looks like his bad attitude is appearing again.

Unfortunately this time Xiao Tu predicted wrong. Ling Chao wasn’t mad, and only indifferently said one phrase. “Get on.” His tone wasn’t very good, but it wasn’t bad, unlike when he was angry.

Xiao Tu let out a sigh and jumped onto the bike in her usual fashion.

It was springtime with a light breeze, riding a bike in the wind made one feel carefree and relaxed. It left people feeling enchanted. Xiao Tu really liked this feeling, so when she got on the bike she closed her eyes and whistled.

Ling Chao suddenly stopped the bike.

Xiao Tu opened her eyes and noticed they still hadn’t reached home.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Get off, we’re walking.”

Walk? Xiao Tu a little puzzled and hopped off the bike. Two eyes staring at Ling Chao. This guy really has something wrong with him today, why does he keep saying these things that make no sense?  

Ling Chao got off his bike and parked it on the side. He then walked towards the park. While Xiao Tu was coming back to reality, she hurriedly followed after him.

Two people walking in this way, one in the front, another in the back, all the while running along silently.Suddenly Ling Chao stopped up front, then turned his head and waited for Xiao Tu. At that moment Xiao Tu had her head down thinking about what was up with Ling Chao today, and in a moment of carelessness, the two of them collided.

Two exclamations of “Ouch!”  echoed out. Xiao Tu rubbed her head, and said,  “Sorry, I didn’t see…” Speaking up to there she suddenly paused.

Why does the mood feel kind of weird?

She gave a careful look, becoming motionless as an uneasiness began to envelop her. Because Ling Chao was holding her shoulders with no intentions of releasing them. He also stared at her with a burning gaze, his pitch black pupils reflected the setting sun from the river. It appeared especially translucent.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Tu asked, her throat being a little sore.

“Do you still remember what this place is?”

Here? Xiao Tu looked around, suddenly realizing. “This is the place when we used to go to nursery school…”

“Correct.” Ling Chao nodded. This is the road we used to take when we went to nursery school, except the gravel embankment from the past has already become a pretty park. And currently, the two of them were standing on the embankment that they used to frequently pass by.

“Tu Tu.” Ling Chao suddenly spoke, his voice having already matured, it was a deep and low tone. “Do you still remember, that we used to come and play here often in the past.”

“Yeah.” Xiao Tu absent-mindedly nodded. She felt that that the posture Ling Chao was using was kind of strange, making others feel uneasy.

“If I went to A-High, we won’t be able to come here frequently anymore.” He said.

“You could come back on the weekend…” Xiao Tu continued absent-mindedly while thinking of a way to smoothly get out of this position.

“If you don’t like it, I can continue to study here.”

This question quickly brought Xiao Tu out of her absent-minded state. She quickly shook her head. “I didn’t, I didn’t say I didn’t want it…”

“Tu Tu! “Ling Chao suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her closer. “You didn’t understand what I meant.”

What meaning? At this moment Xiao Tu’s brain started to crash. While standing on the embankment, within the fragrance of flowers she could smell a particular scent coming from Ling Chao’s body. It smelled like sunflowers.

“Tu Tu…”

This time, Ling Chao’s face was very close to hers. The hands on her shoulders tightened quite a bit.

Not knowing how, Xiao Tu suddenly remembered a certain move her teacher had taught them this afternoon. Use your hands to grab the opponent’s arm, pull them forward with full force, then sidestep and move to press the opponent’s chest behind your shoulders. Finally, straighten your waist, pull, bend your body down, and throw with the shoulder!

Thinking this, Xiao Tu acted.

“fúck——”

A splash sound was heard, Ling Chao… was thrown into the river.

---

Footnotes:

[1]This is how Chinese tend to shorten names of schools, to one letter

---

Previous Chapter λ Table of Content λ Next Chapter