The school beauty is aloof? Whatever, she has a younger sister.

Chapter 184 The Importance of Wingmen

On the rooftop, Chu Jie stood by the railing, a cigarette between his fingers.

December in the South lacks the bleakness and coldness of the North; instead, it carries a touch of moist warmth.

Chu Jie was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, the cuffs of which were gently blown up by the wind, making him look somewhat thin.

The wind on the rooftop carried the scent of tobacco, drifting through the air.

He flicked the ash from his cigarette and gazed at the distant sky: "Daughter, the factory has had fewer orders lately, so I've applied for leave."

"I haven't been back to see you and your sister for half a year. This time I plan to stay longer and spend more time with you."

On the other end of the phone, Chu Jiuli's voice immediately brightened, filled with surprise: "Dad, really?"

"Yes, I bought a train ticket for tomorrow. I'll be home by nine o'clock the day after tomorrow."

"Dad, are you going to be on the train all day?"

"It's okay, I bought a sleeper berth, I'll just lie down and get there. Don't worry, this isn't my first time taking this kind of long-distance trip."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, but soon Chu Jiuli's voice came through softly again: "Okay, Dad, Xiaoyou and I are waiting for you at home."

She is sensible.

A sleeper ticket costs no more than 300 yuan, while an airplane ticket costs at least 800 yuan.

At an age when you are powerless to help yourself, simply feeling sorry for someone is not enough.

Instead of persuading your father to spend more money, you should study hard and earn enough money in the future to support him.

On the other end of the phone, Chu Jie took a light drag on his cigarette and slowly said, "Daughter, I'll hang up now. I have to go back to the factory to work. I'll pack my bags and leave tomorrow morning."

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you at home."

The call ended, the phone screen gradually dimmed, and finally froze on Chu Jie's lock screen wallpaper.

A group photo.

The family of four sat around the dining table, smiling broadly.

At that time, his wife was still alive.

Chu Jie stared at the screen in silence for a few seconds, then slowly stubbed out his cigarette, turned around, and walked off the rooftop.

The wind blew from the north, lifting the hem of his shirt.

Chu Jiuli returned to the room, her fingers feeling a little cold.

She gently sat back on the sofa, her gaze immediately falling on Chu Youting.

I really want to tell my sister the good news that Dad is coming home.

But now is not the time.

"Sister Jiuli...it must be very cold outside?" Chu Youting suddenly grasped her hand as she was lost in thought.

Xiao Youzi's palm wasn't large, but it carried a subtle and warm body temperature, which slowly seeped into Chu Jiuli's palm.

As soon as Chu Jiuli entered the room, her younger sister noticed that her hands were red from the cold.

Looking into her younger sister's concerned eyes, Chu Jiuli felt a warmth in her heart and gently smiled, "It's alright, Youting will warm you up a lot."

"Really? Really?" Wang Shishi suddenly came over from the other side, her head close to theirs. "My hands are hot too, let me warm them up too."

As she spoke, she placed her hand on the back of Chu Jiuli's hand and rubbed it a couple of times: "Wow, Jiuli's hands are so soft, hee hee~"

Looking at Wang Shishi's smiling face, Chu Jiuli was stunned for a moment.

My friends are so good to me.
"Ahem." Zhang Muchen suddenly coughed. "You've all put your hands on it, can I put mine on too? My hands are hot too."

"No." Chu Jiuli glanced at him and refused calmly.

"..."

“Jiuli, I think it’s fine if you post it, bro,” Wang Shishi suddenly blinked.

"We are a small group, a loving family, and we don't distinguish between each other."

Chu Jiuli was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Wang Shishi to say that.

Just as she was slightly lost in thought, Wang Shishi turned her head and winked at Zhang Muchen, a broad smile on her lips.

Zhang Muchen understood immediately and mentally gave Wang Shishi a thumbs up: Good buddy, I still have to rely on you in this crucial moment.

Without hesitation, he walked over and, before Chu Jiuli could react, placed his hand on hers. Thus, four hands were stacked together.

At the bottom is Chu Jiuli, to her left and right are Xiaoyouzi and Wang Shishi, and at the top is Zhang Muchen's big hand.

He gently touched the fingers of several girls.

The air paused slightly.

Wang Shishi smiled, Xiao Youzi lowered her eyes so her expression couldn't be seen, and Chu Jiuli's eyes still held surprise, but slowly turned into tacit silence.

"As expected, you still need a wingman to pick up girls."

Zhang Muchen sighed inwardly, his gaze fixed on the smiling Wang Shishi.

Wang Shishi noticed Zhang Muchen's gaze and gave him a squinty-eyed look in return.

Hehe, buddy, having fun?

Zhang Muchen tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth.

Touching three girls' hands at the same time must be awesome.

into the night.

Zhang Muchen swept his fingertips across the last chord, and the sound faded away, ending the song perfectly.

After a moment of silence, Wang Shishi was the first to clap: "It sounds great! It's fantastic!"

Zhang Muchen put down his guitar, reached for the water glass on the table to moisten his throat, and said with a hint of fatigue, "I practiced all afternoon and all night, and my throat is practically burning."

After he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of water.

At this moment, Chu Jiuli suddenly glanced at him and said, "The water cup you're holding belongs to Youting."

Zhang Muchen paused, looking down at the cup in his hand.

Everyone's cups looked exactly the same; I just picked one up casually without even noticing.

“That…that’s my cup…” Chu Youting said softly.

The air was slightly still for a few seconds.

Zhang Muchen pursed her lips: "Oh, it's okay, I don't mind."

Chu Jiuli's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this. However, when she saw Zhang Muchen's usual unreliable demeanor, she swallowed back what she was about to say.

This person is always like this, there's just no way to deal with him.

"I'll go wash the cups." She stood up, picked up Zhang Muchen's and Chu Youting's cups from the table, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to the restroom," Wang Shishi said, then quickly left the living room.

The living room suddenly became quieter, leaving only Zhang Muchen and Chu Youting.

Chu Youting looked at her sister's water glass, gently picked it up, and took a sip.

Zhang Muchen caught a glimpse of this scene, a slight smile playing on his lips. He then lowered his voice and spoke with a hint of mischief, "Little Youzi, that glass of water was quite sweet just now. Do you know why?"

Chu Youting raised her eyes and looked at him, her cheeks visibly flushing red.

She already guessed what Zhang Muchen was going to say next.

That scoundrel is definitely going to say something about imported water.
Chu Youting hugged the cup tightly and quietly shrank into the corner of the sofa.

She lowered her eyes, her ears turning red, and dared not look Zhang Muchen in the eye for even half a second.

Zhang Muchen leaned back on the sofa, watching her cautious yet blushing appearance, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Gee tut.

Little Yuzu's tendency to blush easily when teased is so funny.

He chuckled inwardly, but knew when to stop, so he refrained from saying anything more.

After all, Chu Jiuli had already started walking back, her steps clattering.

Zhang Muchen glanced at him and immediately switched back to serious mode.

He had to pretend that he wasn't that familiar with Xiaoyouzi when they sat at the same table.

That little private joke we just made must not be discovered.

(End of this chapter)