After being reborn, who wouldn't want to have a younger sister?

Chapter 501 Giving in

Tao Shuxin finally stopped arguing with Xiao Yangzhi, which made Xu Mingyuan feel much more relaxed.

Tao Shuxin always says that Xiao Yangzhi is teasing her and makes her angry all the time.

Actually, you can't really blame Xiao Yangzhi; she just wanted to protect Xu Mingyuan.

She had been cricketed countless times since she was a child, and she didn't want Xu Mingyuan to receive the same treatment, even if Tao Shuxin was saying it on purpose or joking, it still wouldn't do.

Moreover, Tao Shuxin would deliberately steer the conversation toward Xu Mingyuan whenever she had a chance, trying to sow discord between Xiao Yangzhi and Xu Mingyuan.

However, how adept is Xiao Yangzhi at manipulating people's hearts? Tao Shuxin is no match for her.

The more one cares about relationships, the more emotional one's thinking becomes, making it difficult to reason logically.

Xu Mingyuan judged trivial matters every day. At first, being a judge was quite interesting, but after a while, it inevitably caused him headaches.

Fortunately, Tao Shuxin pressed the pause button first, putting an end to the dispute.

Xu Mingyuan didn't expect that Tao Shuxin, such a stubborn girl, would take the initiative to back down and stop arguing with Xiao Yangzhi. He didn't understand which thread had been untied, but he wasn't curious enough to ask.

“Little Zhizhi is quite pitiful. I heard her mother calling her,” Tao Shuxin said.

"You were eavesdropping on Xiao Yangzhi's phone call? Don't you have any morals?" Xu Mingyuan laughed.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I thought you were the one calling her. Besides, she was eavesdropping on our phone call," Tao Shuxin argued.

"What did you hear? Did you hear her being scolded?"

"No, I didn't hear anything, just Xiaozhizhi's 'uh-huh' replies," Tao Shuxin said, her teeth aching.

"What's this?"

"Nothing's wrong yet? This is a call from her mother!" Tao Shuxin said, frowning.

"Her mother wasn't very nice to her either."

"That's why I say, poor little Zhizhi, she doesn't even know how to act cute," Tao Shuxin said with a sigh.

"How old is she? Still acting like a child?" Xu Mingyuan laughed.

"I'm already twenty-two! I still act like a child with my mom. You... well, you're a boy, so you might not understand."

Tao Shuxin remembered Xu Mingyuan's family situation and quickly stopped talking without going into details.

“Your family is happy, but Xiao Yangzhi is different,” Xu Mingyuan said.

“But when Xiaozhi talks to her mother on the phone, she speaks very little, rarely even two words. That’s so strange.”

“That’s normal. That’s how Xiaoyangzhi’s mother always treated her. She would just listen to whatever she was told, and Xiaoyangzhi wouldn’t dare to argue back.”

"You call this normal? I don't think you're normal either," Tao Shuxin retorted irritably.

After spending more time with Xiao Yangzhi, Tao Shuxin gradually understood why she was so attached to Xu Mingyuan.

Neither of them came from happy families. Xu Mingyuan was a little better off, being a boy, mature, capable, and from a well-off family when he was young.

But Xiao Yangzhi was in a terrible situation. Her maternal grandmother didn't love her, her uncle didn't care about her, and her mother ignored her completely. If Xu Mingyuan hadn't pulled her out of the way, who knows what her life would be like now.

She finally found someone who was good to her, no wonder she'd cling to him.

"Brother Xiaoyuan."

"what happened?"

Do you think we can still get married?

Tao Shuxin looked a little lost, and seemed somewhat melancholy.

"Why are you asking such a question? Isn't that obvious?"

Have you decided when to do it?

"How about June? You're old enough, but I have to wait until I'm 22. Then you can steal my household registration book and we can get our marriage certificate first."

Xu Mingyuan found Tao Tao's distressed expression amusing, so he reached out and pinched her soft, bouncy cheek.

“I would never do such a thing. My mom would break my legs if she found out.”

Tao Shuxin pushed his hand away and said angrily.

"You're so stubborn. How did Teacher He end up with a girl like you? You even have to use her as a shield. You're such a filial daughter."

"Get out of here! That's exactly right!"

"Don't I know you? To be honest, I feel like I know you better than your parents do."

"Come on, you're such a braggart."

Tao Shuxin propped her head up, lying on her side next to Xu Mingyuan. Seeing his eyes glancing at her collar, she glared at him again, then casually buttoned up the top button of her pajamas. "When have I ever boasted? What I've said hasn't come true?"

"You even said it would change people's lives," Tao Shuxin said, pursing her lips.

"It's only been a few years, but it'll be soon. As times progress, people's lives will always change, and I'm just a part of it. Even if it weren't me, someone else would have appeared, but I caught the opportunity, so the credit should go to me," Xu Mingyuan said with a smile.

Aren't you afraid of failure?

"See? That's the difference between you and Xiao Yangzhi. She trusts me completely. You've picked up the teacher's bad habit of always undermining other people's confidence," Xu Mingyuan laughed.

"Huh? Do I have this problem?" Tao Shuxin asked, scratching her head.

"There is a bit of that. You grew up in a family of teachers, so why don't you bring a bit of a lecturing tone to your speech?"

"Sigh, no wonder I can't find any close friends in college."

"Not bad, you really liked to boss people around when you were in high school."

Xu Mingyuan smiled. If he didn't know what Tao Shuxin would become in the future, he sometimes couldn't stand her meddlesome personality.

"Back then, I was the class monitor, so of course I had to take charge more."

"You really think of the class monitor as an official?" Xu Mingyuan asked with a smile.

"So, after we went to university, this is why you wouldn't let me run for class monitor?" Tao Shuxin asked.

"No, that's not it. Being a class monitor is too much work, how could we have time to go for a stroll?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you're quite cunning."

"Of course, you're so honest."

"Tch." Tao Shuxin rolled over, lay on her back looking at the ceiling, and after a moment of thought, said, "Isn't it a bit too early to get the marriage certificate in June?"

"It's late. I have to give you an explanation, otherwise you won't be able to put your mind at ease."

"Hey, won't you regret this?" Tao Shuxin turned her head and asked.

"What could I possibly regret?" Xu Mingyuan asked, puzzled.

"Who doesn't understand you men? So many temptations await you, don't you get tempted?"

"You're being too subjective. Being attracted to someone doesn't necessarily mean you have to take action. Successful men are generally good at self-control."

"Oh, you're praising yourself again. But I have to say, you're quite mature."

Tao Shuxin nodded in slight agreement.

"Hehe, by the way, haven't you decided where to do your internship yet?" Xu Mingyuan asked.

“I have three options: intern with my dad, intern with my mom, and I haven’t decided yet,” Tao Shuxin said.

"And another one? Come work for me! I'll arrange a secretary job for you. All you have to do is serve me well every day, and I'll pay you a high salary."

"You wish! I'm already being lenient by not making you wait on me. My mom said I could intern at my cousin's place," Tao Shuxin said.

"Your cousin? Zheng Haowen?" Xu Mingyuan asked after thinking for a moment.

"Mm." Tao Shuxin nodded.

"Are you also going to take the civil service exam?"

“No, I’m going there to teach,” Tao Shuxin said.

"What's the point of going to such a remote and dangerous place? It's too dangerous, you're not allowed to go."

"How could you say that? So what if it's a poor and remote place? My brother went to help in rural towns, that's called having value in life, you know?"

Tao Shuxin was immediately displeased. As a very warm-hearted girl, she had some unrealistic universal values.

“You’re a young girl, too naive. You’re not suited to teach in remote areas. Teacher He really trusts you to go.”

“Isn’t my brother here too? The township primary school is said to be right next to the township government.”

"This idea must have come from that old bastard Zheng Haowen. He's just trying to attract investment, isn't he? Let me tell you, it won't work. Are you really comfortable with us living apart?"

"It's precisely because I'm worried! Otherwise, I definitely wouldn't be so conflicted," Tao Shuxin said resentfully.

“If you have this in mind, you can set up a special donation fund in your name in the future. Wouldn’t that be much more useful than your teaching in rural areas? Little Tao Tao, you need to broaden your horizons and stop focusing on small things. Otherwise, you’ll end up like Xiao Yangzhi.” Xu Mingyuan said with a smile.

"Stop spouting these fallacies. And oh, Xiaozhizhi is so unambitious. I would never be as unambitious as her."

Tao Shuxin no longer criticizes Xiao Yangzhi in front of her, but behind her back, she still can't help but feel the urge to complain.

Xu Mingyuan wouldn't tell Xiao Yangzhi all this gossip, would he? He shouldn't be that bored...

(End of this chapter)