Chapter 25

"Xiaoling, how did you spend Christmas?"

"Guess~"

The school bell rang and students in uniform streamed out of the school gate.

"I can't guess~ I only know that you spent Christmas with Nan Gege..."

Roxie Lin said, kicking a small stone by the roadside.

"Hehe, there were many people! And it was a seaside villa, very big!"

"Is it bigger than your house?"

"It's about the same~"

"That's great..."

Roxie Lin looked at her with envy and seemed a little disappointed.

"I invited you, it's your own fault if you didn't come..."

Bell Tong chewed on bubble gum, blew a big bubble, stuck it on her face, and pouted.

"So dirty!"

Roxie Lin wiped the bubble gum off her face, while Bell Tong giggled beside her.

"I also wanted to go, but my dad wouldn't let me..."

"I wonder why your dad insists on keeping you at home..."

"To study."

"My god...!"

Bell Tong sighed. If someone forced her to study all the time, she would probably go crazy.

"Xiao Xi, what's the point of being good at studying? It's just a sacrifice for the exam-oriented education~"

As a devout supporter of the "studying is useless" theory, Bell Tong always looked down upon the top students.

"That's because you don't study hard, Xiaoling..."

"Tsk..."

Bell Tong clicked her tongue.

"To have two top students around me, I feel so inferior~~"

The other top student she mentioned was probably Raina Nan.

Who would have thought that during the most beautiful stage of her life, the heavens had arranged for a rebellious girl like her to be accompanied by two top students, as if they were her guardians, always by her side. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad about it.

After Christmas, another week passed. Bell Tong was still staying at Samson Nan's house, even though the agreed time had already passed. But her father still hadn't come to get her, and Samson Nan didn't seem to have any intention of asking her to leave. He didn't mention this matter at all.

...

"Xiaoling!"

"What's wrong? You scared me..."

Roxie Lin tugged at Bell Tong's slightly oversized school uniform.

Bell Tong turned her head.

"Feng Gege?"

It had been a long time since this slim and tall figure appeared at the school gate. The girls who always hoped to catch a glimpse of him when they went home after school had once thought that he had disappeared.

He wore a gray scarf, hands in his pockets, leaning against the lamppost at the school gate.

When he heard Bell Tong's voice, he walked over.

"Are you here to pick up Yu Yu?"

"Ah"

His answer was still brief.

"That's a pity~ She's already left!"

"Left? So soon?"

Samson Nan frowned and hesitated for a moment.

Usually, Raina Nan would stay in the classroom for a few minutes before leaving after school, but this time she didn't. He found it a bit strange.

"She said she didn't want to see a certain dead dog as soon as she left school~ well... it seems like she said that~"

"..."

His tight cheek twitched slightly.

"Poor thing, your owner doesn't want you anymore, Wang Cai~"

"What else did she tell you?"

This time, he unexpectedly remained calm. If it were any other time, Bell Tong would not escape being reprimanded.

"What did she say...?"

Bell Tong paused for a moment. She really wanted to tell him that Raina Nan didn't say anything to her, and that she had made it all up...

"Forget it, where's your phone?"

Samson Nan asked her.

"Phone? Why?"

Bell Tong took out her phone from her school bag and handed it to him.

He took the phone and dialed Raina Nan's number. It had been almost a week, and it seemed like Raina Nan had disappeared from his world. She didn't even send a single text message, which made him inexplicably anxious.I have already called her several times before, but she didn't answer. He suspected that she intentionally did not answer his calls, so he used Bell Tong's phone to call her.

Ring, ring, ring.

"Hello?"

A familiar voice instantly filled his ears.

"...''

He fell silent, swallowed his saliva, and his suspicion was proved to be correct, but he couldn't be happy about it.

"Xiaoling? Is that you?"

"It's me."

"Huh?!"

The sound of her bumping into something came from the other end of the phone, and in a moment, it quieted down again.

"Ge...gege?"

She spoke with a timid voice, testing the waters.

"You still remember me as your gege?!"

He suddenly raised his voice, and the veins on his hand holding the phone seemed to bulge.

Bell Tong and Roxie Lin were startled by his anger and had never seen Samson Nan lose his temper like this before.

"..."

After he shouted like that, there was suddenly no sound on the other end of the phone.

"...''

"Yuyu?"

"...''

Still no sound.

He became a little anxious, pacing back and forth, and moved the phone to his other ear.

"Oh no~ someone messed up~ hehe~"

Bell Tong whispered maliciously in his ear.

"Cough, cough!"

He coughed twice, warning Bell Tong to stay away from him.

He looked to the side and saw the two girls still staring at him. He covered his mouth with his hand to prevent them from hearing and then spoke softly into the phone.

"Um...I was too harsh just now, sorry..."

...

Still no response.

"Cough...I...I was wrong, okay?"

He lowered his voice again.

He didn't know if it was too late to mend the damage, but one thing he was sure of was that if Bell Tong heard such a loss of dignity as an older brother, he would never be able to turn things around in his whole life...

"Really?"

A voice came from behind him, so familiar and so close.

He turned around, and Raina Nan was standing in front of him with her sparkling eyes slightly red, as if she had just cried.

"Yuyu?"

He looked surprised.

"Get out of the way..."

She pushed Samson Nan away, her voice filled with a hint of crying.

"Where are you going?"

"Home!"

She glared at him and continued walking forward.

Roxie Lin looked at Samson Nan, then at Raina Nan, and couldn't understand what was happening.

As for Bell Tong, she wished she could buy a bag of popcorn, find a small stool, and enjoy the movie about to unfold.

"I thought you had already gone home."

Samson Nan reached out and grabbed her hand.

"How can I go home if you don't let go?"

She tried to break free, but her strength was too weak.

"Raina Nan."

He paused.

"Are you avoiding me?"

"No..."

She hesitated for a moment.

"Then why didn't you answer my calls?"

"I didn't hear, okay?"

She shouted back at him, like a rebellious child.

"You didn't hear?!!"

"Wu."

Raina Nan thought he was going to hit her, so she instinctively raised her hand to block.

...

The two of them remained silent for a moment.

"It's because I was waiting for you..."

She spoke first, her voice as small as an ant.

"Waiting for me?"

He calmed down halfway.

"Waiting for me to do what?"

"Hmph!"

She kicked his shin, "Waiting for you to pick me up." She couldn't bring herself to say such words. For the past week, she had been waiting by the window after school every day. It had been a week, and he had never shown up.

"It hurts! The company had basketball matches with other units recently, and I had to train after work every day. I didn't have much time. If you don't believe me, ask Bell Tong. What time do I come home every day!"He rubbed his ankle with a puzzled look on his face and explained, "Basketball, basketball, all you know is basketball! Can I make it to the national team?!"

"No," she replied.

"Can I play in the NBA?!"

"No," she replied again.

"If that's the case, then why do you still play?!"

She finished speaking in one breath, tears already swirling in her eyes.

"Um..."

"It's not this, it's not that, then what do you want me to do?!" He had no way of dealing with his sister's unreasonable behavior.

"Oh my goodness, are you stupid? Raina's intention is for you to spend more time with her!"

"Xiao Ling!!!"

Raina Nan's face turned red, she stomped her feet fiercely and glared at her.

Meanwhile, Bell Tong, who had revealed the truth, secretly chuckled.

"Is it true...?"

"..."

She remained silent, her face flushed.

"Hey, why didn't you just say it directly? It's not a big deal!" He scratched his head and smiled, realizing that his little sister actually cherished him. He felt quite pleased.

"..."

She simply didn't say anything anymore, as her face had already lost all dignity.

"Little one~ Actually, I came to pick you up with a purpose~" He chuckled and took her backpack, put it on his back, and then casually put his hand on her shoulder.

"Come with me to buy something~"

"What is it..."

"A dog~"

"Huh?!"