Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Ji Mian and the tall, thin boy had just walked a few dozen meters when the boy looked back and noticed that the junior high kids had already left. He finally couldn't hold back and said, "Dude, Xiang Nian, what did you say to those kids? That was pretty harsh... They might think we freshmen are bullying the lowerclassmen."

When they reached the classroom door, Ji Mian walked straight in, acting like it was nothing. "What was harsh about it?"

The boy followed closely behind, going on and on, "It's their first day at school, and they just came to check out the high school section! What's wrong with them hanging out during the 20-minute break? Is that what you call 'just hanging out'?"

"Do you even know how to be a good host?"

Wang Yang, sitting in the last row, leaned back and asked curiously, "What's going on?"

The boy put down the homework he had carried back from the office and immediately told Wang Yang about Ji Mian's actions earlier.

Ji Mian, meanwhile, went back to his seat in the second-to-last row.

"Huh? Are you sure?" Wang Yang asked skeptically.

His buddy wasn't that kind of person, was he?

"Of course, I'm sure. Those kids even complimented him on his grades. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Ji Mian turned around and shot back, "I already said, those words weren't directed at them."

"Whether it's one person or four, it's the same. They're a small group, you know, 'all for one and one for all'!"

A small group...

Ji Mian remembered how Luo Ye kept to himself and couldn't imagine him being part of such a friendly group.

Wang Yang still felt something was off. "Hey!" he suddenly remembered, "Isn't Xiao Ye a freshman at the affiliated school this year?"

Ji Mian just glanced at him.

Wang Yang's face showed understanding, and he patted the tall, thin boy on the chest, "Oh, that's Xiang Nian's little brother."

"...Huh?" The boy was totally confused.

Thinking back to the scene earlier, it did seem a bit like an older brother scolding his younger brother.

But that shouldn't be the case, right? What older brother would be so harsh on his own brother?

The boy muttered, "Even if it's your brother, you shouldn't be that harsh..."

"Don't sweat it," Wang Yang shook his head, "The world of a twisted brother complex is too messed up for us to understand."

Ji Mian kicked Wang Yang's desk leg hard, "What are you talking about? You're the one with a brother complex!"

Wang Yang moved his desk back a bit, sighed, and didn't say anything more.

Joking aside, if he really pissed off Ji Mian, who would help him with problems and get him on the honor board in the future?

It's hard to be a good person, and the truth isn't easy to speak. He thought deeply.

*

The affiliated high school set up evening self-study sessions for boarders. For day students, there was no mandatory requirement during the first and second years of high school, but starting from the third year, day students were also required to attend self-study every night.

Boarders stayed until 9:30 PM, while day students stayed until 8:30 PM.

More than half of the class were boarders, and due to competitive pressure, many day students had already started joining them for self-study as early as the first and second years. Therefore, adding self-study didn't really change much for most people.

Ji Mian was an exception; he always headed straight home after school during his first two years of high school.

Ji Mian had strong self-discipline and preferred quietness, so he found studying at home more efficient than in the classroom. As a result, many classmates mistakenly thought he was naturally gifted and could effortlessly top the class without much effort.

In the self-study room, the rustling sounds of flipping pages and pens scratching on paper could be heard from time to time.

At 8:30 PM, the bell rang, and Ji Mian promptly packed his bag and left the classroom.

He was the first to leave. The teacher in the self-study room looked up, recognized Ji Mian, and smiled slightly.

On the first day of school, the students in the class hadn’t yet gotten into the study rhythm. Seeing the top student leave so casually, they inexplicably felt relieved and also packed up to go home and rest.

Ji Mian left through the side door of the teaching building. Outside, the junior high school building was almost completely dark, and the cafeteria, laboratory building, and administrative building were completely dark.

But the campus still had streetlights lit up.

Ji Mian walked several steps. Just as he was about to turn onto the main road, he noticed a very inconspicuous figure sitting on the edge of the stone steps by the streetlight at the corner, holding a notebook and reading under the dim light.

Ji Mian paused, sped up, and stopped beside the figure.

Luo Ye looked up at him.

In his hands was a notebook with a half-solved Sudoku puzzle, indicating he had been waiting there for quite a while, bored.

He closed the notebook, stood up, and then called out, "Brother."

Wang Yang, who had followed Ji Mian out, was also there, along with the tall, thin boy. At this sight, his eyes widened.

—Wow, it really is his younger brother!

Ji Mian frowned and said, "What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to go back first?"

First-year junior high students didn’t have evening self-study and could leave by 6 PM.

"Mom and Dad said we should go back together," Luo Ye replied flatly, "I don’t want to get scolded."

Ji Mian sneered, "If anyone gets scolded, it’ll be me. Dad wouldn’t dare scold you, would he?" Luo Zhishu would hesitate even more to scold him.

Luo Ye ignored him and then stuffed the notebook back into his bag.

Ji Mian glanced at his notebook and said, "You..."

"Yeah?"

"Have you been waiting outside all this time?" He hadn’t told Luo Ye beforehand when his evening self-study would end, and he couldn’t determine how long Luo Ye had been waiting.

Ji Mian owned a smartphone, but Luo Ye didn’t.

Luo Zhishu hadn’t gotten Luo Ye a smartphone, fearing it would distract him from his studies—a concern that was completely unfounded.

"No, I came here at 8. I was in the classroom studying before that."

That still meant he had waited for over half an hour.

Ji Mian pursed his lips. He should have told him the end time earlier.

He studied Luo Ye’s expressionless face, hesitating to speak.

Back in elementary school, they got out at around 5 PM and always had dinner at home. This was the first time Luo Ye had stayed at school so late, and Ji Mian wondered if the kid had eaten dinner yet...

Luo Ye slung his backpack over his shoulder and locked eyes with Ji Mian, tilting his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes, like he was trying to figure something out.

But this puzzle was clearly simpler than the Sudoku from earlier. After a brief pause, he spoke slowly, "I already ate dinner at the cafeteria."

Ji Mian’s heart raced, almost thought he’d spoken his thoughts out loud.

Ji Mian sneered, "Who asked you that?"

"..."

Luo Ye stayed quiet.

Wang Yang walked past them and greeted, "Hey, Ono, long time no see."

Luo Ye recognized him, "Wang Yang."

"Waiting for your brother to get out of school?" Wang Yang teased, "That’s so thoughtful of you..."

Luo Ye paused, "Nah, my dad asked me to wait for him."

"..." Wang Yang was caught off guard. Are these two even from the same family?

"Ha, ha, alright, I’ll head out." He waved and walked off toward the side gate.

Ji Mian stayed silent and walked ahead.

Luo Ye hoisted his backpack and followed behind him.

They walked in silence, one behind the other.

When they reached the street outside the school gate, various snack stalls were scattered around. Stalls weren’t allowed right by the gate, so they were spread out, with one popping up every few steps.

Ji Mian hadn’t eaten much for dinner, afraid eating too much would make him drowsy during study, so he just had a light snack to stay focused during evening study.

Now that he was out of the school, he felt a bit hungry.

Coincidentally, he came across a stall selling wheel cakes. The sweet smell of batter baking in the machine hit him. Ji Mian had tried this stall's cakes before. Although it was just a small stall, they were better than many chain stores, and the price was slightly higher.

The stall owner used to be a pastry chef. In his middle age, he suddenly decided he didn’t want to work for others anymore, so he bought a small cart and a machine and started his own stall.

It was said that he mixed the batter and fillings himself, adjusting the recipe many times to achieve the current taste, which was different from other stores and very delicious.

Ji Mian stepped forward and took out his phone.

After hesitating for a moment, he bought two.

"Uncle, one red bean filling, one corn and ham filling."

The red bean one was for Ji Mian himself, while the corn and ham one... Luo Ye didn’t eat much sweet.

After paying, he waited a few minutes, and the stall owner handed the two wheel cakes to Ji Mian. "Here you go."

They were still hot when he handed them over.

"Thank you."

Ji Mian carried the two cakes, eating his own as he walked.

The red bean filling was soft and fragrant, with just the right amount of sweetness, and the outer layer of freshly baked batter was still crispy.

Luo Ye continued to walk behind him, now just half a step behind Ji Mian, sneaking glances at the bag he was carrying.

He had overheard the fillings Ji Mian had ordered earlier and knew the corn and ham one was probably for him.

Though he knew it was for him, Luo Ye was too proud to ask Ji Mian for it outright.

Luo Ye wasn't hungry, nor did he have a craving, but he felt the wheel pie was rightfully his, waiting for Ji Mian to come up with a reason to hand it over.

Ji Mian casually finished his own wheel pie, letting the corn and ham one swing in his hand. He did intend to give it to Luo Ye.

But his personality held him back from saying it.

Saying he couldn't finish it felt too forced and strange. The wheel pie was so small; how could he not finish it?

He thought about it for a while, and before he knew it, they were almost at the entrance of their neighborhood.

He looked down and felt it again—

Ji Mian had been torn the whole time, and the wheel pie had cooled quickly; the baked outer layer had cooled.

He figured Luo Ye had already eaten dinner and usually didn't snack at night, so he probably didn't want it.

Ji Mian suddenly felt the one he bought was unnecessary, sighing to himself for overthinking.

The kid just didn't have a phone, not that he was broke; if he wanted something, he could buy it himself... It wasn't Ji Mian's place to be overly concerned.

Luo Ye wasn't short of money; he always carried cash in his backpack for meals or other uses.

The wheel pie wasn't filling; Ji Mian had eaten such a small one and still didn't feel full. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to open the remaining one and take a bite himself.

Ji Mian took a big bite, wanting to finish it before getting home and throw the trash in the bin outside.

The corn and ham had some cheese inside, but unfortunately, it was cold, and the crust wasn't crispy anymore.

Behind him, a look of disbelief flashed in Luo Ye's beautiful eyes.

Watching Ji Mian's cheeks bulge as he chewed mercilessly, Luo Ye's expression gradually tightened.

Brother, my pie...