“Xiao Zhe... You really don’t blame me?”

“I’d need a reason to blame you first.”

Su Yuzhe shrugged as if it didn’t matter.

“A car accident isn’t something we can control. And as for getting hurt, I chose to protect you. That had nothing to do with you, Sister Ye.”

Qi Xinye wore an expression that said she’d known it all along.

She’d figured Yuzhe probably felt that way too. The look he’d given her at the hospital all those years ago had already said as much.

Qi Xinye’s biggest demon was that person...

The person whose gaze had made her feel like she was standing on the edge of an abyss. Because of that, Qi Xinye had truly been afraid to approach Su Yuzhe all these years.

But she just couldn’t take it anymore, which was why she’d come here.

With that in mind, she explained why she’d come to this apartment.

“Actually, my father told me about this place. He’d heard from Uncle Su that you and Zixiao had moved to East City, and I thought I’d finally have a chance to sit down and talk properly with you, Xiao Zhe.”

Yuzhe was quick to catch the important part.

“Because Yuche isn’t here? Are you avoiding her?”

“Yeah...”

When Qi Xinye confirmed it, Yuzhe knew what advice to give her.

“I agree. Yuche can be a little extreme sometimes, but she’s a good kid. As long as you talk things through, she’ll understand and forgive you.”

Then he added,

“And there’s no way she doesn’t know it was a misunderstanding. Maybe she’s just sulking. Yuche’s coming over this Saturday... I mean, tomorrow. I’ll message you, Sister Ye. You two should sit down and talk it out.”

When Qi Xinye heard she’d have to face off with Yuche tomorrow, she was a little intimidated at first.

But it’d been so many years. She’d have to face it sooner or later!

I’m doing this!

“Okay!” Qi Xinye suddenly seemed to make up her mind. “Don’t worry, Xiao Zhe. I’ll work hard all day tomorrow. I’ll make Yuche accept me again!”

“You don’t have to be quite that determined... We’re just getting everyone together for a meal.”

.......................

“See you tomorrow, Sister Ye!”

“Okay... See you tomorrow, Xiao Zhe...”

After closing the door behind Qi Xinye, Su Yuzhe still felt pretty muddled. After all... Sister Ye was one of his childhood friends. It made him happy that someone who’d shared so many childhood memories with him still cared about him so much.

Yeah! He had to make sure everyone made up. Friends were too precious to lose!

“Well... time to make lunch for Zixiao...”

He walked into the kitchen. It was fully stocked with every kind of utensil.

It’d been a few years since he’d cooked. At home, either the maid or Zixiao usually took care of it. Even though his own cooking was pretty good...

As he walked over to the sink, something completely out of place in the kitchen caught Su Yuzhe’s eye.

It was a Grade 11 physics workbook, with Su Zixiao’s name written on it in elegant handwriting.

Did she... forget to bring it? But why was it in the kitchen?

And if Yuzhe remembered right, he’d helped his little sister with her physics homework last night, and this was the very workbook they’d used! She’d said it was due this morning, too!

Yuzhe instinctively pulled out his phone to check the time. It was ten thirty. According to his sister, she had to turn the workbook in to her teacher before noon.

But why? Zixiao wasn’t the kind of person who forgot things.

And why hadn’t she called him to bring it over after she realized she’d left it behind?

Wait...

Su Yuzhe was a genius, after all.

In the very next instant, he’d pretty much figured out the whole thing.

Last night, Zixiao had deliberately brought out this workbook and asked him to help her with it. She’d wanted him to remember it, and had made a point of saying it was due that morning so he’d know it was important.

She’d even made a point of telling him the exact deadline.

While making breakfast, she’d deliberately left the workbook by the kitchen sink. But he probably wouldn’t have noticed it just sitting there, since he rarely went into the kitchen.

So she’d taken the next step: at the school gate, she’d prompted him to say he’d make lunch today. That would ensure he found the workbook.

The only possible outcome was that he’d figure out he should take it to school himself.

So the whole point really was to get him to go to school... She didn’t have to go to all this trouble. She could’ve just said so...

Yuzhe had also noticed a blind spot in her plan. If she wanted to cover her tracks and make it look like she’d forgotten her homework, why leave it in the kitchen? That only made it more obvious! Who forgets their homework in the kitchen? The whole thing was way too deliberate.

So the final conclusion was: Zixiao had predicted that no matter what, he’d figure out she’d predicted he’d figure out her prediction. So she’d just thrown caution to the wind and made it obvious—her brother just had to bring the workbook over himself!

This little sister was terrifying!

Well... time to go deliver some homework to his amazing little sister.

Oh, no. To be precise, he was delivering himself.

........................

Meanwhile, in the Grade 11 Excellence Class at Fenghai No. 1 High School, the class with the best grades in the entire year, every student was among the best of the best.

While everyone else worked furiously between classes, Su Zixiao—the top student in the grade and the school’s number-one beauty—couldn’t sit still at her desk.

“Seriously... why isn’t my brother here yet? He should be here by now. He definitely saw through me predicting that he’d predict my prediction... I mean, leaving it in the kitchen was so obvious, and my brother’s so smart...”

She muttered to herself so softly that only she could hear.

Ever since she’d started school, Zixiao had given off such a cool, aloof air that nobody dared approach her. That was how she acted at school, completely different from the soft, vulnerable way she was around her brother.

So she had almost no friends.

Except for one person she found a little unusual.

“Oh! Zixiao! What are you thinking about? You look so excited! Tell me!”

The speaker was her desk mate in front, Ouyang Lizhi—the only classmate who dared strike up a conversation with her despite her intimidating aura.

She was about the same height as Zixiao, maybe a little taller. Her pale golden hair was tied in a side ponytail on the right, and her features made it obvious she was mixed-race. She had blue eyes, and, of course, she was beautiful. Her presence really stood out, with a lovely blend of Eastern and Western styles.

She was an interesting kid, sure, but... she seemed to be missing a screw. Basically, she was a bit of an airhead.

Because her name sounded like the word for lychee, everyone called her Little Lychee. Zixiao did too.

“Um... Little Lychee.” Zixiao pointed to her own right cheek. “You’ve got rice on your face... And you should finish eating before you talk.”

At that, Ouyang Lizhi immediately grabbed a tissue from her desk and wiped the grain of rice off her face.

“Oh! Really? Thanks, Zixiao! Wait, no!” She realized that probably wasn’t what she’d been talking about just now.

“So what are you looking forward to, Zixiao?! Can you tell me?”

Wow, this girl was really curious.

Zixiao knew there was no point keeping her in suspense, so she told her the truth.

“Well... I forgot my physics homework. I think my brother will bring it over soon, so I’m waiting for him.”

“Oh, I see... But you’re so excited, Zixiao. You really love your brother, don’t you!”

Most people might’ve gotten all tsundere about that, but Zixiao wasn’t most people. She answered proudly,

“Yeah, I do! I love my brother more than anyone!”

“Wow...” Even Ouyang Lizhi, airhead though she was, was blinded by the glow Zixiao was giving off. “You admitted it way too fast... You didn’t even give me a chance to tease you!”

“If you love someone, you love them. What’s there to say?”

“Then! Then! Can I come with you to see your brother later? You’re so pretty, Zixiao, so your brother must be handsome too! I wanna see him!”

For some reason, Ouyang Lizhi had suddenly gotten excited.

Su Zixiao, meanwhile, suddenly regretted telling her Yuzhe was coming.

Zixiao was always on guard against anyone who tried to get close to her brother. Anyone at all!

Even an airhead!

Before Zixiao could reply, Little Lychee’s next words sent her wariness through the roof!

“And I can be your wingwoman, Zixiao! I’ll tell your brother how much you love him!”

No! Don’t be my wingwoman! Why does the way you’re talking and acting feel so familiar?!

Yui, I’m sorry!

Zixiao broke out in a cold sweat...

“Um... Little Lychee, maybe you should think about it a little more?”

But she was just an airhead... It should... be fine, right?