Chapter 40 of 100
Chapter 40
8 min read2,083 words
When Xiao Bing walked into the living room in the evening and turned on the light, he found Su Xiaoxiao lying on the sofa, fast asleep, wearing her pajamas. One of her arms was hanging down to the ground, the other resting on her chest, and a book was lying upside down on her body.
Xiao Bing put on his slippers and tiptoed in, approaching Su Xiaoxiao. This little girl usually had a cold and distant demeanor, but when she was asleep, she looked really cute, with a droplet of saliva at the corner of her mouth. Xiao Bing couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
After some thought, he decided not to wake her up just yet. Oh, the book she was reading was Schiller's *Intrigue and Love*. This little girl was reading such a dark love story for no reason. When I have time, I'll teach her what true beauty is...
With so much happening in the Su family recently, Xiao Bing was really worried that it might affect Su Xiaoxiao's mindset.
Xiao Bing turned his head and looked around, then walked into Su Xiaoxiao's bedroom. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion or what, but he could actually sense a faint fragrance of a girl in the room.
He picked up a blanket from the bed and tiptoed to the sofa in the living room, ready to cover Su Xiaoxiao with it. Suddenly, she rubbed her eyes and opened them groggily. When she opened her eyes, she found Xiao Bing very close to her, staring at her with wide eyes. Su Xiaoxiao immediately screamed, "Pervert!"
She instinctively kicked at Xiao Bing's crotch, and Xiao Bing hurriedly jumped to the side. Damn, thank goodness for my incredible lightness skills, or I might have lost my dignity.
"Hey, hey, hey, can't you see? I was about to cover you with a blanket. Why is good will not rewarded?"
Su Xiaoxiao then realized she was lying on the sofa in the living room. When she opened her eyes groggily, she instinctively thought she was in bed. Thinking it was a pervert who had sneaked into her room, she now saw the blanket in Xiao Bing's hand and her face turned red with embarrassment. However, being a cold person, she didn't say much, just a stiff "Sorry."
Xiao Bing was already used to her personality. He really couldn't understand why such a fiery and outgoing woman like Su Peiya would have such a cold and distant sister. They were like two extremes.
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao sit up, Xiao Bing smiled and said, "You're still reading *Intrigue and Love*?"
Su Xiaoxiao looked a bit surprised, "You've read it too?"
Xiao Bing sat down on the sofa naturally, leaving a palm's distance between them. He took the book and flipped through a couple of pages, smiling. "A famous play by the outstanding German dramatist Schiller from the 18th century. It tells the tragic love story of Louise, the daughter of a commoner musician, and Ferdinand, the son of a prime minister. Do you think we soldiers are all rough and uncultured?"
Su Xiaoxiao apologized, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant..."
"Ha ha, it doesn't matter. Actually, the requirements for our special forces are quite high. Of course, if you have an extremely outstanding skill in a certain area, like marksmanship, combat, or reconnaissance, you can still make it in our unit. But overall, we also value cultural knowledge, and most of the people in our unit are well-educated. If you lack knowledge, the unit will provide you with specialized training."
Xiao Bing didn't say everything. As a king of soldiers, he knew even more. After all, sometimes he had to carry out special missions and assume various identities, so he needed to be well-versed in many areas, including calligraphy, painting, music, and literature.
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, "I sincerely apologize, but you know that's not what I meant. After all, my sister was also in your unit..."
Mentioning her sister, Su Xiaoxiao's face turned somber.
Seeing that he had touched a sensitive topic, Xiao Bing quickly changed the subject, "I think a girl like you should read more romance novels or magazines. *Intrigue and Love* is too heavy for you."
Su Xiaoxiao smiled, "Are you afraid that with all the recent setbacks, I might become depressed if I read such books?"
Xiao Bing was surprised; Su Xiaoxiao was much smarter than he thought.
"Don't worry, novels are novels, and life is life. I never mix them up," Su Xiaoxiao said with a bitter smile. "If novels were as beautiful as the stories, many things wouldn't happen. But let's not talk about that. What do you think of *Intrigue and Love*?"
"The love between Louise, the daughter of a commoner musician, and Ferdinand, the son of a prime minister, is deep, but in a society with strict class distinctions and a court full of intrigue, their love ends in a tragic double suicide. The structure of the book is tight, the plot is vivid, and the conflicts are intense. It exposes the inequality in society and the various conspiracies and evils within the court, reflecting the sharp conflicts between the aristocracy and the common people in 18th-century Germany."
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, slightly disappointed, "What you said is too formal. I want to know... what do you think of the tragic love between Ferdinand and Louise? I don't want to hear about the profound social class and power struggles. For us women, the things you mentioned are not as important as family, love, and friendship. I might sound selfish, but that's the truth."
"I understand," Xiao Bing sighed deeply, looking sad. "I feel heartache for that girl... She was forced to deceive him with a fake letter, but Ferdinand didn't choose to trust her. Instead, he drank the poison and went to the afterlife with her. Don't you think he was selfish?"
Su Xiaoxiao was silent for a moment, then said, "Ferdinand's love was sacred and could not tolerate any betrayal. He could defy his prime minister father for Louise, accept a commoner girl, and bear any pressure for her, but he couldn't bear the thought of her tarnishing their sacred love."
"But what about the facts?" Xiao Bing said solemnly. "In fact, it was a misunderstanding. Only after his beloved Louise drank the poison he handed her did he realize it was a misunderstanding. I have to admit his love was passionate and fiery, and many people see it as sacred. Every reader blames the dark society of the time, thinking that class oppression caused the tragic deaths of this ill-fated couple, but no one considers how selfish this man was!"
Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Bing in surprise. Every word he said shook her heart. She had never thought about it this way before, but upon reflection, it was indeed as Xiao Bing said.
Su Xiaoxiao asked, "What do you think love should be like?"
Xiao Bing was silent, then his eyes sparkled with a strange light. The image of Yezi appeared in his mind, and he said word by word, "If we love each other, we will grow old together; if we miss each other, we will protect each other's well-being."
"Grow old together if we love each other, and protect each other's well-being if we miss each other..." Su Xiaoxiao repeated these words, gradually becoming lost in thought.
Xiao Bing added, "Of course, my woman, unless she no longer loves me, will never be missed."
"What if her family opposes you?"
"Then I will strive to gain their approval."
"What if fate opposes you?"
Xiao Bing smiled, looking confident and domineering, "Then I will break through the heavens!"
Looking at Xiao Bing, Su Xiaoxiao's heart couldn't help but be stirred. She quickly withdrew her gaze, put on her slippers, stood up, and walked into the room, her voice trembling slightly, "It's too late, let's go to bed!"
Xiao Bing watched Su Xiaoxiao's back and smiled, "Okay, good night!"
Back in his room, Xiao Bing lay in bed, thinking to himself, Yezi, the phrase 'if we miss each other, we will protect each other's well-being' will never apply to us, never!
The next morning, when Su Xiaoxiao got up, she heard some noise in the kitchen. Instantly, the ice on her face melted, and a warm feeling rose in her heart.
After washing up, Su Xiaoxiao walked into the kitchen. Breakfast was already prepared, including a bowl of egg custard.
Her eyes fell on the apron Xiao Bing was wearing. Seeing her staring at the apron, Xiao Bing immediately took it off, looking a bit embarrassed, "A man wearing this... doesn't look good, right?"
"No," Su Xiaoxiao shook her head, speaking seriously, "It's good... I feel... very close, like a home atmosphere."
Xiao Bing sat down and smiled, "That's good, let's eat. You have a day off today, so rest well. School starts tomorrow."
"I still need to visit my mom... Brother Bing, I have a favor to ask, I wonder if you can agree."
Xiao Bing smiled and asked, "Sure, what is it?"
Su Xiaoxiao lowered her head, her voice tinged with sadness, "A lot has happened at home recently, and it seems that misfortune has befallen our Su family... I haven't had the heart to study, but the midterm exams are coming up soon... I think your Chinese is pretty good, can you help me study?"
Xiao Bing, who already felt guilty towards Su Xiaoxiao, readily agreed to this small request, "No problem, starting tonight! I'm done eating, I'll go to the store first. Take your time eating!"
"Okay! Remember to come back early... to study! I'll prepare dinner for you, you must eat at home."
"Rest assured, I'll do what I promised."
After Xiao Bing left, Su Xiaoxiao's face was filled with a happy smile. The image of Yezi and Xiao Bing kissing flashed in her mind, and she thought to herself, "Hmph, big bad guy, we'll see how you can go out on a date with the school beauty tonight!"
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