Chapter 18: Shang Yi’s Inner Thoughts

Shang Ying made a trip to Class 1.

She was going to eat desserts with Xia Zhi in the afternoon, so she wouldn't be going home with him.

Originally, she hadn't planned to look for him at his classroom in person, but because Shang Yi kept failing to reply to her messages, she decided to drop by herself just to be safe.

The students of Class 1 didn't even wait for Shang Ying to call out. Seeing her arrive, someone proactively called Shang Yi's name. Hearing his name, the boy sitting with proper posture looked toward the sound. Upon seeing Shang Ying's smiling face, he set down the book in his hand and walked over.

"You top-tier students are really warm-hearted. Thank you!"

Shang Ying pulled out a few candies from her pocket and stuffed them into the hand of the girl who had helped call him.

The girl let out a surprised sound, saying Shang Ying was being way too polite. In fact, they ought to thank Shang Ying for letting them enjoy such fresh gossip. Shang Yi, who usually didn't utter a single word all day, was actually close to Shang Ying. How extraordinarily rare!

Soon, Shang Yi stood before Shang Ying, his head slightly lowered as usual. His heart was racing, his hands not knowing where to place themselves, lightly clasping together. Compared to before, his heart held a newfound sense of anticipation.

Shang Ying bit into the tip of a strawberry, leaning casually against the wall like a boss.

"Go home by yourself this afternoon."

The young girl's clear, cool voice felt like a thin wire piercing his ears, drifting past his hair like the wind to wrap around Shang Yi's back. For a moment, it felt terrifyingly cold, like ice pulled straight from a freezer, emitting white vapor under the scorching sun.

The anticipation in Shang Yi's eyes vanished completely in an instant, an indescribable sour bitterness filling his heart, leaving him breathless.

Sure enough, after just a few days, he was being pushed away again. That tiny sliver of hope that had painstakingly risen in his heart was snuffed out, leaving only a pile of grey ashes mocking his stupidity.

It was always like this. Every time Shang Ying gave him a slightly warmer look, he couldn't wait to cling to her. However as soon as she turned cold, he was shoved back into the dirt.

He was clearly used to it, clearly trying so hard to suppress his emotions. So why did it still hurt this much?

He hadn't called Shang Ying "Sister" in a very long time. Last time, hearing Shang Ying curse Ning Wanyuan, he had thought he was dreaming. He wondered if Shang Ying had finally seen through Ning Wanyuan's true colors, which was why he couldn't resist calling out to test the waters.

To his slight surprise, the expected disgust didn't appear on Shang Ying's face. Instead, she had actually explained things to him, and even allowed him into the car for the morning commute.

Years ago, the scene of Shang Ying coldly telling him to get out of the car was still vivid in his mind. During the scuffle, he had sprained his ankle, causing Shang Ying to be scolded severely by Shang Heng, after which Shang Ying hated him even more.

At school, Shang Ying set clear boundaries: he wasn't allowed to appear before her frequently, wasn't allowed to make eye contact in the hallway, and certainly wasn't allowed to let anyone know they were related.

Shang Yi had silently followed these rules, because only then, upon returning home, would Shang Ying's mood be slightly less hostile toward him.

Her recent anomalies made every one of her appearances and every single sentence feel like a stone thrown into a calm lake. He couldn't predict whether the resulting ripples would be gentle waves or a whirlpool that would swallow him whole.

‘Was being nice to him just a way to lift him higher, only to personally push him down later to enjoy his painful struggle?’

Shang Ying had no idea about the complex thoughts running through Shang Yi's head. Seeing him remain silent, she impatiently shook his arm.

"Did you hear me? My classmate invited me for desserts this afternoon, so go back by yourself first. Don't wait for me."

The internal storm came to a screeching halt. Shang Yi abruptly raised his head, his pupils dilating suddenly, as if pierced by a harsh light.

‘She was just... going to eat desserts?’

Shang Yi's state was far too strange, his face pale as paper. Thinking he felt unwell, Shang Ying reached out to feel his forehead. At her touch, Shang Yi shivered, his breath catching instantly.

No fever either? Could it be a stomachache?

"Why didn't you reply when I sent you messages?"

Shang Ying withdrew her hand, her eyes holding a trace of annoyance, her cherry-red lips pouting slightly, as if blaming him for making her make an extra trip, even though the distance from Class 13 to Class 1 was only two hallways apart.

"I handed in my phone."

Shang Yi's voice was very soft, his palm beneath his sleeve sweating profusely. The moment she pulled her hand back, he almost wanted to reach out to stop her…

"Handed it in?!" Shang Ying's eyes widened, looking at this honest kid as if he came out of nowhere. "Why are you so obedient?"

Tsk tsk tsk. Completely unlike her, she had brought three phones to school, handed in zero, and left herself plenty of backup options. As long as she had enough phones, she wasn't afraid of teachers confiscating them.

Oh, right. Hee was the rank-one student in the grade. Well, the world of top-tier students was indeed different from ordinary people, especially a chemistry whiz.

She had secretly peeked at Shang Yi's chemistry scores. A full 100 points! How could anyone get 100 points? How could a person who scores 100 in chemistry even exist in this world?

Shang Yi observed her facial expression and cautiously opened his mouth.

"Next time, I won't hand it in."

"Don't, keep handing it in. Otherwise, if your grades slip, the old man will say I corrupted you."

Shang Yi's gaze grew firm, and he shook his head seriously.

"My grades won't slip."

…

Fine, Shang Ying shut her mouth. She was the one ruining the conversation.

Reaching out her hand, the box containing the strawberries was placed directly into Shang Yi's hands. Inside were a few remaining strawberries glistening with water droplets, bright red and very attractive.

‘Brothers were meant to help sisters deal with leftover food anyway.’ Besides, she dared to do this mainly because she noticed Shang Yi was actually quite easygoing, just quiet.

Every time she looked for him, he would come out obediently without showing any resistance to her touch. After class, he would even stand at the classroom door waiting to walk home with her.

This sibling relationship wasn't as terrible as imagined. With such a smart younger brother, her future plan to "lie flat" could be put into action very soon.

Shang Ying gratefully patted Shang Yi's shoulder. Looking through his image, she seemed to see a bright future, and the smile on her face grew considerably warmer.

‘Good brother, stick with your sister. I guarantee you won't die.’ At worst, you'll just eat state-provided meals in prison, which is a fantastic life compared to dying!

"Tiramisu or Matcha Mille-Feuille, which one do you want to eat?"

In a great mood, Shang Ying decided to show some sisterly love. Sisters like her, who went out to play and still remembered to bring food back for their brothers, were few and far between.

Overwhelmed by a sudden rush of happiness, Shang Yi froze for a long moment. Seeing Shang Ying grow impatient again, he quickly spoke up.

"Matcha Mille-Feuille."

"Got it." Shang Ying turned and waved her hand.

"Wait for your sister to bring back the loot."

‘Sister, huh…’

Shang Yi silently savored those two words in his heart. Grade 10 was on the second floor, not high up. Old, mature trees grew outside, their branches reaching up to the second floor, and one happened to stand right outside Class 1's entrance.

Deep green foliage swayed gently in the breeze, leaves rubbing together to produce a light, pleasing rustle. It was mid-October, and the clear, warm sunlight filtered through the sturdy branches and green leaves, capturing a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

She was his sister.