Chapter 25

Su Yuxi pretended not to care and asked, "Do you know that person's name?"

The person on the other end of the phone hesitated for a moment, "I was so angry that I didn't look at the program carefully at the time."

Cheng Xiaoyu secretly thought it was a close call; if Su Yuxi found out, she might think how incapable her brother was.

Before Su Yuxi could finish sighing, the girl continued, "It seems to be called Cheng something."

Su Yuxi responded with an "Oh," and with a blank expression, she softly asked, "Cheng something?" Cheng Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat, thinking it was over, and he would be betrayed by his own sister.

"Cheng Haoran, yes, Cheng Haoran. Do you know him, Yuxi?" the person on the other end asked curiously.

"Seems like I've heard of him, but I don't know him." Su Yuxi seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief. Cheng Xiaoyu felt like he had just been on a roller coaster, and he silently prayed in the direction of the forest of lights, feeling grateful to Chen Haoran.

"Even if you don't know him, it doesn't matter. He won't be able to run away. On the 31st, the New Year's performance, I'll make him pay." The voice on the other end of the phone said fiercely. Then it added, "I'll come to have lunch with you at noon on the 31st. I heard you have another brother. Bring him along for lunch!"

Su Yuxi turned her head slightly to look at Cheng Xiaoyu and said, "We'll talk about it when you come. Besides, he might not have time..."

At this point, Cheng Xiaoyu quietly turned on his CD player, and the sad lyrics played, "I advise the king to drink and listen to the song of Yu, to relieve your worries with the dance of the goddess. The tyrannical Qin has broken the land, and heroes have risen in all directions. Since ancient times, the saying has never deceived me; success and failure, prosperity and decline, all in a moment. Drink with ease and sit in the tent. Yu Ji: [Crying for Love] The Han army has taken the land, and the Chu songs are heard on all sides. The king's spirit is exhausted, and what can a lowly woman do to live?" Cheng Xiaoyu reminded himself to be extra cautious on the 31st; if he was caught, it wouldn't be just an apology that would settle things.

Before they knew it, it was the 31st. The day before, Chen Haoran, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Huang Yong had dismantled the drum kit and moved it to the backstage of Fudan University's Great Hall. Since the synthesizer was too expensive, Cheng Xiaoyu had asked Qiao Sansi to bring it to Fudan that morning. Everything was ready except for one thing.

That day, Cheng Xiaoyu even brought a custom-made suit, which Aunt Zhou had specially ordered from a famous tailor in SH. It was said that the tailor usually didn't make house calls or take rush orders unless the client had a good relationship with Aunt Zhou. Cheng Xiaoyu hadn't planned to make such a grand gesture, but Aunt Zhou insisted, saying it was important to take it seriously. Cheng Xiaoyu had no choice but to agree. Aunt Zhou was very happy that Cheng Xiaoyu had been selected and said she would come to watch Su Yuxi and Cheng Xiaoyu perform. Cheng Xiaoyu smiled and said he would definitely not disappoint her.

When they arrived at school, the entire class was in a relaxed atmosphere. The usual tense and orderly learning routine was disrupted by lively discussions. After today, there would be a long seven-day holiday. Some were discussing where to go, some lamented that they still had to attend tutoring classes, some were debating which performance would be the best at the New Year's Eve party, and some were comparing the beauty of Xu Qinling from Fengxian Girls' High School and Su Yuxi from their school.

Cheng Xiaoyu sat in his chair, recalling if there was anything he had missed. After careful consideration, he felt everything was foolproof. He watched Wang Ou carefully wiping his ultimate weapon, a Seagull brand single-lens reflex digital camera. Chen Haoran was listening to the drum sounds he had recorded with headphones on, while looking at the sheet music. Though he said he wasn't nervous or concerned, he was actually the most concerned. Xia Shamo was still doing her math problems, as her math scores weren't too good. Cheng Xiaoyu always felt he had forgotten something when he looked at Xia Shamo.

During lunch break, Cheng Xiaoyu asked, "SUMMER, did you bring your performance costume?"

Xia Shamo shook her head lightly.

"Can you do your own makeup?" Cheng Xiaoyu asked again.

Xia Shamo shook her head again.

"Do you plan to go on stage like this?" Cheng Xiaoyu asked, trying to keep his voice light.

This time, Xia Shamo nodded.

"At least change your clothes?" Cheng Xiaoyu said with a smile.

"But my school uniform is my best clothes," Xia Shamo said calmly, without any sense of shame or sadness, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Cheng Xiaoyu laughed and said, "You, this won't do. At least tidy your hair and put on some light makeup." He then turned to Wang Ou and said, "Dazhuang, please ask the class monitor for leave this afternoon, saying that Xia Shamo and I are moving the instruments, and we're still missing one." He then pulled Xia Shamo's hand and walked out of the classroom in front of everyone. Wang Ou muttered, "Damn, how can you hold hands so casually?" and walked towards the cafeteria.

As soon as they left the classroom, Xia Shamo gently shook off Cheng Xiaoyu's hand and asked, "Where are we going?"

Cheng Xiaoyu laughed and said, "First, let's get your hair done. Don't worry, I'll cover all the expenses. Thank you for giving me an excuse to skip class, hahaha."

Xia Shamo hesitated and said softly, "But isn't that not right?"

Cheng Xiaoyu said playfully, "Hey, SUMMER, I'm not doing this for you. Many relatives and friends said they would come to watch my performance today. You dressing up nicely will save me face. Don't overthink it, just do me a favor and give me some face. I'll repay you in the future." He then bowed slightly with his hands together.

Xia Shamo blushed and nodded, saying, "Okay, but remember how much it costs, and I'll pay you back."

Cheng Xiaoyu patted Xia Shamo's thin shoulder and laughed, "We're friends, what's the talk of money? As long as you remember me and introduce me to any pretty girls you know, I'll be satisfied."

Xia Shamo just smiled but didn't agree.

Cheng Xiaoyu didn't mind and asked Xia Shamo for her bicycle key. He pushed the bike out of the shed, got on, and turned back in the bright sunlight, "Come on, SUMMER, get on. I'll take you flying."

Xia Shamo nodded, took a few quick steps, and side-sat on the back of the bicycle, lifting her skirt.

Cheng Xiaoyu said, "Sit tight!" He bent down and pedaled a few times, the cold wind blowing past their faces, lifting Xia Shamo's slightly curly hair. She instinctively grabbed the back of Cheng Xiaoyu's shirt.

At that moment, it felt like they were flying in the sky. Xia Shamo steadied her rapid heartbeat and thought to herself.

Cheng Xiaoyu didn't plan to ride the bicycle all the way to Huaihai Road. He also didn't want to take a taxi to avoid adding any burden to the sensitive girl. He parked the bicycle at a rack near the subway station and took the subway to Huaihai Road with Xia Shamo.

He hadn't been shopping in Shanghai before, so he called Aunt Zhou for recommendations. Aunt Zhou teased him when she heard he was taking a girl to get her hair done and introduced him to a Japanese hair salon she often visited, telling him to put the bill on her membership card. Cheng Xiaoyu was delighted to find a good place and followed Aunt Zhou's advice. She sent him the detailed address via text message, and Cheng Xiaoyu took Xia Shamo to Huaihai Road.

The salon was inside a high-end mall on Huaihai Road. Xia Shamo was almost dragged in by Cheng Xiaoyu, feeling it was too expensive. Cheng Xiaoyu could only say he would put it on account and pay her back when she worked during the holiday. He even joked that if she couldn't, she could sign a contract to sell herself. Xia Shamo had no choice but to go along with it.

As soon as they entered, Cheng Xiaoyu told the receptionist he was introduced by Aunt Zhou and asked for the best stylist. The receptionist asked them to sit and wait, bringing tea and some snacks. Cheng Xiaoyu realized he was starving and didn't hesitate to ask for more snacks, eating happily.

After a while, a tall, thin young man with long curly hair, wearing a floral shirt and jeans with pointed shoes, walked over, speaking broken Chinese. A beautiful assistant followed, translating for him.

The assistant took Xia Shamo to wash her hair, while Cheng Xiaoyu had a deep conversation with the Japanese stylist.

"Make the curly hair straight and extend it to the waist," Cheng Xiaoyu gestured.

The stylist made a surprised face, "Is it seamless hair extension? It's very expensive!"

Cheng Xiaoyu glanced at the stylist, "Money is no object." Of course, it wasn't his money; it was on Aunt Zhou's account. He then instructed the stylist, "Use real hair, not fake hair. Use the most expensive products." The stylist nodded vigorously and went to prepare.

Cheng Xiaoyu walked over to Xia Shamo, who was getting her hair washed, and gave her some instructions. He also asked for her height, measurements, and shoe size. Xia Shamo only gave her height and shoe size but refused to give her measurements. Cheng Xiaoyu had no choice and said, "I'll go shopping to see what suits you. We'll try them on after your hair is done." He originally planned to buy them first to avoid scaring Xia Shamo with the price, but without her measurements, he was afraid they wouldn't fit, and it would be troublesome to exchange them. He decided to scout the area first to save time, as the hair straightening and extension process would take a long time, and they couldn't afford to waste more time shopping.

Meanwhile, Xu Qinling was dragging Su Yuxi around the school, looking for Cheng Haoran. When the two beautiful girls appeared in the Fudan High School cafeteria, the noisy cafeteria seemed to pause, time stood still, and the noise disappeared. Everyone, regardless of gender, stared at the beautiful scene.

Xu Qinling, used to such attention, spoke in a clear, crisp voice, "Does anyone know Cheng Haoran?" The cafeteria erupted in noise again, with some boys loudly saying he was the top student in Class 2, Grade 3. Many boys lamented why it wasn't them, and many girls envied how good-looking he was. The cafeteria was filled with broken hearts.

Xu Qinling pulled Su Yuxi and asked, "Which floor is Class 2, Grade 3?"

Su Yuxi said, "The fifth floor, I think." Thinking her brother was also in that class, she tried to dissuade Xu Qinling, "Forget it, don't go."

Xu Qinling insisted, "How can we not? Anyone who dares to tease me won't live to see another day." Her fierce tone made Su Yuxi pray for Cheng Haoran, whom she didn't even know.

Su Yuxi had no choice with Xu Qinling. They had grown up together and were neighbors. When Su Yuxi moved after elementary school, she thought they wouldn't be neighbors anymore and cried. The next day, Xu Qinling's family, unable to deal with the female tyrant, bought three villas next to Su Yuxi's house, turning it into a small estate and moving in. They became neighbors again.

Since Fengxian Girls' High School was a boarding school, they didn't see each other often. Xu Qinling had joined the idol project of Shanghe Records, which she had insisted Su Yuxi join. Otherwise, Su Yuxi wouldn't have done what she considered a boring thing. Xu Qinling didn't want to be an idol but thought it would be fun to work hard with her best friend. Since they would see each other less after high school, this gave them more reasons to be together, so she insisted Su Yuxi join. Su Yuxi, seeing it was a project by her family's company, reluctantly agreed.

As for why they didn't attend the same high school, there was a story, but that's for later.

When they reached the door of Class 2, Grade 3, Su Yuxi hesitated and said, "My brother is in this class. Don't be surprised."

Xu Qinling exclaimed, "Why did you hide your brother? Is he too handsome, afraid I'll harm him?"

Su Yuxi said irritably, "He's a chubby little shut-in. Just don't bully him, and I'll be grateful."

"Xixi, is that what you think of me? I'm always gentle and polite. I'll have a word with your brother." Xu Qinling then rushed into the classroom.

Su Yuxi didn't have time to explain that no one at school knew they were siblings and was too embarrassed to follow. A moment later, she saw Xu Qinling come out with a scowl and asked, "What happened?"

Xu Qinling gritted her teeth, "Tricked again. This guy isn't Cheng Haoran." She didn't care that it was her mistake.

Su Yuxi said, "Oh," and heard Xu Qinling say fiercely, "That fat guy is Cheng Xiaoyu. Oh, right, isn't your brother in this class? Call him out to meet us."

Su Yuxi paused and said, "Forget it, I'm afraid he'll be beaten to death if I call him out..."

Xu Qinling widened her eyes and exclaimed, "Don't tell me your brother is Cheng Xiaoyu?"

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