NFBE Chapter 334 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (45)
Chapter 334 Obedient and Clingy Younger Brother (45)
As Wen Bei said, quite a few students attended the teacher appreciation banquet.
Except for a few who did very poorly on the exam.
“Two students in our class said they want to repeat a year,” Zhao Jingyi said quietly to Jin Shuhe, sitting next to him.
"Isn't this just hindsight? I told him to study hard back then, but he wouldn't listen, and now he wants to repeat a year." Wen Bei was referring to a male classmate who practiced sports with him.
"You're really getting cocky now!" Zhao Jingyi retorted, looking at his knowing expression.
It's unclear when it started, but a strange revolutionary friendship seemed to have formed between the two of them.
Although we often criticize each other and I ridicule each other, our bond remains very strong.
Without realizing it, we became very good friends.
“I’ve worked so hard, of course I should be proud of myself,” Wen Bei said matter-of-factly.
"besides……"
Jin Shuhe listened as the two of them, sitting on either side of him, talked about many things he had never known before.
Seeing the puzzled look on Jin Shuhe's face, Wen Bei grinned and said, "Even our academic genius has come down to earth. You're the real one... oblivious to everything else, focused solely on your studies!" He gave him a thumbs up.
Wen Bei used to rarely talk about these things with Jin Shuhe because Jin Shuhe was never interested.
He always seemed somewhat serious, aloof, and worried.
Suddenly one day, he seemed to become more sociable.
She's become completely different from before... When did it start?
Wen Bei crossed his arms and thought for a moment. It seemed to be after he started living with Sister Li Ruan.
Jin Shuhe was indeed very surprised. It seemed that everyone knew these things except him.
For example, there's a couple in the class who have been secretly dating for almost a year.
Fortunately, both of them had good scores in the college entrance examination and were admitted to the same school.
Now they are finally living happily ever after, openly and honestly.
The homeroom teacher, Ms. He, seemed unsurprised, as if she had known all along.
Seeing the two of them leaning against each other, he didn't have a serious or stern face. Instead, he smiled gently and offered a few words of encouragement.
The college entrance examination seems to be a watershed moment; things that were not allowed before are now permitted.
What was wrong before is now done openly and is even envied.
How could such a big change have happened in just a few days?
It wasn't just Teacher He who came today; there were also several other subject teachers who usually take good care of their class.
The teachers who used to criticize and lecture them now seem much more kind and approachable.
Everyone shared funny stories from the past three years; some laughed heartily, while others secretly wiped away tears.
Jin Shuhe listened to them somewhat blankly, and suddenly understood what Sister Li Ruan had told her: Some things, once missed, are missed forever.
Every period of time is special, leaving behind memories with different flavors.
You'll have different feelings.
Don't always think about growing up so quickly~ Otherwise, when you look back, you'll find yourself a little disappointed.
The boys in the class egged them on and ordered beer.
"Stop fooling around! Otherwise, how will the teacher explain this to your parents!"
"Let's just try it!" The boys grinned, sharing a cup with each other, as if only in this way could they show that they had truly graduated and were now adults.
Wen Bei loves to join in the fun, how could he miss it? He not only poured some for himself, but also for Jin Shuhe.
Jin Shuhe was urged by him to drink the beer in the glass. He didn't really like the bitter and slightly sour taste, but the classmates around him were cheering him on, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and drink it all.
"Tch-childish!"
Zhao Jingyi could tell he didn't like it, so she poured him a drink: "Boys are so childish!" She snorted at Wen Bei.
"Why did you only pour for Shuhe and not for me?" Wen Bei asked excitedly, winking at Zhao Jingyi and Jin Shuhe.
Zhao Jingyi glared at him, then poured some for him as well: "Jin Shuhe and I won't take care of you later!"
"Hey, I heard that someone confessed their feelings successfully after the Class 8 teacher appreciation banquet yesterday... Do you want to do the same..." Wen Bei's eyes darted between Jin Shuhe and Zhao Jingyi with an ambiguous look. He didn't have any other intentions; he was just being cheeky.
Before Jin Shuhe could react, Zhao Jingyi suddenly raised her voice: "I don't like Jin Shuhe! Don't talk nonsense!"
Her voice made a few classmates around her turn around to look.
Jin Shuhe: ?
Wen Bei was also a little dumbfounded: "What are you doing? Haven't you always..."
"I told you I don't like Jin Shuhe!"
Zhao Jingyi realized she had spoken too loudly, so she quickly lowered her voice and glared fiercely at Wen Bei in a breathy voice.
Jin Shuhe: ...
He was caught between two people, and in this conversation, he seemed to be quite important, but the two of them didn't seem to care about him at all.
After Zhao Jingyi finished explaining herself, she remembered that Jin Shuhe had been watching from the side, and her face immediately turned red.
"Jin Shuhe... I didn't say you were bad!" she stammered, trying to explain.
She did have feelings for Jin Shuhe, but they weren't close at the time.
Later, as we gradually became friends, that vague crush somehow transformed into the feelings between friends.
The feelings that were originally just a faint glimpse into her heart faded with time. Now that she has someone else she likes, she naturally doesn't want Jin Shuhe to know about her past feelings.
How embarrassing...
"Oh." Jin Shuhe nodded.
“You’re really great,” Zhao Jingyi added. “You’re great, and so is Sister Li Ruan.”
"Yes, Sister Li Ruan... is very good."
Although Jin Shuhe still didn't quite understand the riddle between the two of them, he seriously agreed when he heard Zhao Jingyi praising Sister Li Ruan.
Wen Bei was clearly also confused by the subtle changes in the girl's feelings. He blinked and didn't dare to speak.
Because Zhao Jingyi seemed genuinely angry with him.
"I was just joking."
"If you keep talking nonsense, we're breaking off all ties!"
"Okay, okay, I was wrong. I was just talking nonsense!"
The teacher appreciation banquet started in the afternoon, but they played around and didn't finish until after 8 p.m.
Teacher He stayed with them until the end, and when they left, she carefully reminded them to be careful and not to get carried away.
Once I get home, I'll let the class group know I'm safe.
As night fell, the daytime heat dissipated, leaving a cool breeze. The unique scent of summer plants, baked by the sun, mingled with the chirping of cicadas and insects, creating a serenade.
The carefree teenagers, without a trace of gloom, laughed and went their separate ways.
Jin Shuhe and Wen Bei first put Zhao Jingyi into a taxi.
The two of them decided to walk to the station and take the last train home.
On the way, Jin Shuhe's phone vibrated; it was a message from Sister Li Ruan on WeChat.
"Xiao He, isn't it over yet?"
Lu Liruan wasn't feeling well today. After eating a bite of dinner, she lay down and accidentally fell asleep. When she woke up, she found that Jin Shuhe hadn't come home yet.
"It's over. I'm heading home now. Is there anything you need me to bring up?" Jin Shuhe replied immediately.
"Sister Li Ruan? Is she urging you to go home?" Wen Bei asked, coming closer when she heard the voice.
Today, he and a few other boys showed off, and they shared the rest of the beer.
I'm feeling a bit excited right now.
"By the way, Shuhe, what kind of girl do you like? I like someone like Sister Liruan!" he said to himself.
Jin Shuhe suddenly raised her head: "What nonsense are you talking about..."
"I'm not talking nonsense! Sister Li Ruan is so wonderful. I liked her the moment I saw her!"
He raised an eyebrow: "Tell me, what kind of boys does Sister Li Ruan like? Does she like boys younger than her? Do I have a chance...?"
"What does it have to do with you!"
Jin Shuhe stopped in his tracks.
Wen Bei was unaware of the subconscious displeasure in Jin Shuhe's tone.
Instead, she asked seriously, "Does Sister Li Ruan have a boyfriend? I don't think so..."
Boy friend.
Suddenly, a word that he had never thought of before was poured into Jin Shuhe's mind.
Sister Li Ruan, if you have a boyfriend...
"Isn't Sister Li Ruan almost twenty-five? Unlike us, she's not allowed to date too early. Who knows, she might have a boyfriend someday. So, do you think I could...?"
"What does it matter to you how Sister Li Ruan is doing?" Jin Shuhe blurted out, only to realize that he couldn't control his stiff tone at all.
Fortunately, Wenbei was a bit confused and excited, so he didn't understand anything.
Instead, he retorted, "Whether Sister Li Ruan has a boyfriend or not is none of your business, but you can't control whether Sister Li Ruan has a boyfriend or not, can you?"
What will I do if Sister Li Ruan gets a boyfriend?
Jin Shuhe slowed his pace, with only this one thought in his mind.
For the first time, he realized that Sister Li Ruan... might one day be separated from him and have a different life, one where they are not together!
Just a moment before, he had always felt that he and Sister Li Ruan would be together forever.
He went to school, worked hard, and after paying back Sister Li Ruan's money, he was able to continue taking care of her.
Everything was so wonderful that it made him feel light and buoyant, but now it felt as if he had been suddenly slapped to the ground.
He had the mindset of a complete child, hoping that nothing would change and that these moments would always be the happiest.
"what happened?"
Wen Bei muttered to himself for a while, then, noticing that Jin Shuhe had stopped talking, he scurried over.
Jin Shuhe shook his head and did not answer him.
Wen Bei has no sense of propriety when it comes to her words, and her mind is a jumbled mess. As she talks, she veers off into other topics.
He spoke cheerfully, but it was as if he had dropped a bomb in Jin Shuhe's heart, leaving him in a daze.
At the very beginning, he was extremely pessimistic. Jin Shuhe didn't know when or how he had become... so mindlessly optimistic.
He was just a part of Sister Li Ruan's life, but...
Sister Li Ruan is practically everything in my life.
Jin Shuhe realized.
He can no longer imagine what life would be like without Sister Li Ruan.
Perhaps soon, or perhaps it will be a while, Sister Li Ruan will wholeheartedly devote herself to another person, playing games together, watching horror movies together, cooking together, and living together...
That person will occupy everything, their own place.
Although that person isn't there now, just thinking about it makes Jin Shuhe feel so jealous that she can barely move!
He hadn't grown up to the point where he could control his emotions; he was like a blank sheet of paper, and everything about Sister Li Ruan was like bold, colorful strokes.
Just as I was about to board the subway, my phone vibrated again.
"Could you please buy me a thermometer and bring it up? I think I have a fever."
Jin Shuhe was taken aback and quickly sent a message asking, "Sister Li Ruan, do you have a cold? Do you have any medicine at home?"
But she was probably feeling unwell, because Sister Li Ruan didn't reply again.
Jin Shuhe composed himself and quickened his pace.
"Hey! Why are you walking so fast all of a sudden!" Wen Bei was left behind and hurriedly chased after him.
After arriving near his home, Jin Shuhe went into a pharmacy and bought a thermometer and some commonly used medicines. He was usually in good health and had hardly been sick in the past year.
Li Ruan is different. She was feeling unwell not long ago, and now she's sick again. Jin Shuhe is very worried.
He climbed the stairs two steps at a time and unlocked the door with his key.
The light in the entryway was on, casting a soft, warm yellow glow, while the living room and other rooms were dark. Jin Shuhe glanced around but couldn't find Sister Li Ruan anywhere.
"Sister Li Ruan?"
He changed his shoes, holding the bag of medicine in his hand, and called out softly.
Before my eyes had adjusted to the dim light, I vaguely saw a hand reaching out from behind the sofa: "This, here..."
Lu Liruan replied weakly and tremblingly, "My body is here!"
The air conditioner, which had been set to 24 degrees Celsius, cooled Jin Shuhe down.
He went to the bathroom to wash his hands and changed his clothes, which had gotten smelly, before approaching Lu Liruan.
Sister Li Ruan curled up on the sofa, her small frame facing inwards. Upon hearing Jin Shuhe's voice, she awkwardly turned over.
"Give me the thermometer..."
Jin Shuhe noticed that her voice was nasal, so he reached out and touched her forehead; it was indeed a little hot.
"Should we turn on the light, Sister Li Ruan?" Jin Shuhe asked as he handed her the unpacked thermometer.
"Don't turn it on, it's too bright and gives me a headache."
Lu Liruan hadn't been this sick in a long time, which caused her to develop tonsillitis and a recurring migraine.
Jin Shuhe took the thermometer she had used to measure her temperature and went to the bright light in the kitchen to check it; it read 38.4 degrees Celsius.
"Have you taken your medicine?" He fetched water to boil.
"No..." Lu Liruan's headache was accompanied by a drowsy feeling, making her unwilling to move an inch.
"Okay, lie still." Jin Shuhe went to look at the instructions for the medicine she had bought.
Lu Liruan had given up thinking and was completely following Jin Shuhe's arrangements, subconsciously trusting him completely.
"Sister Li Ruan, what did you have for dinner?" Jin Shuhe frowned, noticing that there was nothing in the pot in the kitchen.
"..." Lu Liruan hummed twice.
"Wait for me." Jin Shuhe put her shoes back on and ran as fast as she could to a restaurant that was still open, where she bought porridge and side dishes.
After coaxing Lu Liruan to eat some, they finally gave her the medicine.
There was no table of suitable height next to the sofa, so Jin Shuhe held a bowl and Lu Liruan held a spoon, and they ate their meal in a disheveled manner.
Seeing her furrowed brows and the discomfort of her eyes being half-closed, Jin Shuhe sat up straight so she could lean on him.
The scent of shampoo still lingered in Sister Li Ruan's long, loose hair, which was slightly frizzy and curled as it swept across her face and neck.
Jin Shuhe suddenly felt a flush on his face.