Brother! This is the adoption certificate. I don't want your sister-in-law!

Su Xiao looked at the string of messages on the screen, her throat tightening slightly.

He flipped his phone face down on the bed, then flipped it back over and stared at the screen for a long time.

What's the trouble with this?

He had no choice before, but now he wants to be a good person.

After thinking for a long time, he typed a line of text, then deleted it, typed it again, and deleted it again.

The last thing I typed was: "You like me, but I also like myself, so we can't be lovers, we can only be rivals."

After careful consideration, I clicked send, then tossed my phone onto the bedside table, turned over to face the wall, and stopped looking at it.

I really didn't want to be a CS player!

Su Xiao swore to God that he truly wanted to be a good person.

He put down his phone, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and the cool water splashed on his face, washing away some of his chaotic thoughts.

After coming out of the restroom, he emptied all eight cell phones wrapped in newspaper from his backpack and lined them up on the coffee table.

Screwdrivers, disassembly tools, alcohol swabs, high-quality replica casings, and assembled batteries were all laid out.

When I disassembled the first machine, my technique was still a bit clumsy.

After all, it's been a long time since we've done this, many years.

The second one was much better, and the third one was even faster.

The screwdriver spun more and more smoothly in his hands, and the angle at which the disassembly tool fit into the gap became more and more precise.

I was busy until 11 p.m.

All eight phones were refurbished, with new casings and batteries, and all buttons and cables were reconnected. One by one, they were plugged into the charger, and the screens lit up one by one.

He breathed a sigh of relief and picked out the two best-condition ones from the eight and set them aside.

One is for Xu Niannian, and the other is for Su Wanning.

Then they can contact me by phone if anything happens.

He yawned, his eyelids already drooping.

I was just about to go back to my room to sleep when I passed by the living room and saw a math notebook spread out on the coffee table.

Su Wan Ning left it there before she left, with a note next to it listing what she should read each day.

He stood in front of the coffee table for a few seconds, then finally sat down and spent half an hour reading in his notebook.

After memorizing vocabulary for another half hour, I turned off the lights, went back to my room, and buried my head in my pillow, falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

The leaves outside the window shone brightly after being washed by the rain, and the wind blew in, carrying the moist air from the Xiang River, making it feel cool.

Su Xiao got up early, packed the phone for Xu Niannian into her schoolbag, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and went out the door.

The two arranged to meet at the Jingnan Library.

This library is quite old; its exterior walls are covered in terrazzo, and a faded red banner hangs on the main entrance.

When Su Xiao arrived, there weren't many people in the square yet. The sunlight reflected off the glass curtain wall of the library, making it slightly dazzling.

He was pondering how to find Xu Niannian later when his gaze swept around the square and then stopped next to the flower bed on the left side of the gate.

There stood a girl, wearing a faded floral shirt, black straight-leg pants, and a pair of old white canvas shoes.

Clutching the worn-out old schoolbag, her thick bangs almost covered half her face. She stood there with her head down, occasionally raising it to quickly glance around like a thief before immediately lowering it again.

With that rustic and self-conscious look, who else could it be but Xu Niannian?

Su Xiao did not walk over directly.

He circled around, sneaked up behind Xu Niannian from the other side of the flower bed, took a deep breath, slapped her shoulder hard, and shouted at the same time.

Xu Niannian sprang up as if she'd been electrocuted, her schoolbag nearly flying out of her hands.

She took two steps back, turned around in alarm, saw it was him, first breathed a sigh of relief, then gasped for breath.

A look of grievance slowly rose on her little face. Her lips pursed slightly, and there was a thin layer of water in her eyes. She didn't say anything, but just looked up at him pitifully.

Su Xiao felt a little guilty under her gaze and touched her nose.

Was I being too CS-savvy just now?

He promptly changed the subject: "How long have you been waiting?"

Xu Niannian lowered her head and hugged her schoolbag even tighter.

"Not long after."

No sooner had the words been spoken than the old woman at the breakfast stall next door raised her voice and said, "This young girl came at dawn and has been standing here for almost an hour. You can imagine how hot it is under the sun. I asked her to come and sit here for a while, but she refused, afraid that if she left, you wouldn't see her."

Xu Niannian's face turned bright red instantly. She buried her head behind her schoolbag, wishing she could disappear into the flower bed.

Su Xiao reached out and pinched her cheek; it was soft and still carried the coolness of the morning.

"You were dishonest, so you must be punished."

Xu Niannian's eyes welled up with tears from his pinching, and faint red marks appeared on her fair and tender face.

She looked up at him pitifully, her lips slightly pouting from being pinched.

"Will you lie to me again?"

Xu Niannian quickly shook her head, her voice muffled by the pinching.

"No, I won't lie anymore."

Su Xiao then released her grip with satisfaction.

Xu Niannian quickly rubbed her face, lowered her head, and her ear tips were red, like a little hamster whose head had just been rubbed.

Su Xiao took a step back and looked her up and down.

The floral shirt is too old; the buttons on the collar have been sewn on twice, and the thread colors are slightly different.

"Why are you dressed like this today? You look like a country bumpkin."

Xu Niannian looked down at the tips of her cloth shoes, her fingers gently rubbing the straps of her schoolbag.

"But... this is all I have left."

It's either a school uniform or it's too old.

This is the only outfit I can wear in public.

She lowered her head even further and spoke softly, as if afraid of being overheard by those around her.

Seeing her like this, Su Xiao suddenly asked, "I'm sorry, are you feeling bad?"

Xu Niannian immediately shook her head.

Su Xiao reached out and pinched her face again.

"You're not being honest again."

Xu Niannian's mouth was pinched until it pouted slightly. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes fluttered twice, and finally said that word in a very, very soft voice.

"...It hurts."

Why?

Xu Niannian's face was being pinched by him, and her voice was muffled and intermittent.

"I'm afraid you'll dislike me."

Su Xiao's hand slowly loosened.

He looked at the girl in front of him, nervously clutching his schoolbag like a child who had done something wrong.

She said she felt "uncomfortable" not because people laughed at her, but because she was afraid he would dislike her.

"How could that be?"

He spoke softly, "How could I possibly dislike you?"

He reached out and put his arm around Xu Niannian's shoulder.

Xu Niannian's body stiffened instantly, her back taut like a string suddenly pulled tight.

Her first reaction was to run away. She shrank back under his hand and turned half an inch to the side.

Su Xiao grabbed her first and pulled her back, tightening her grip to prevent her from escaping.

He glared at her fiercely, his face contorted with rage: "What do you mean? I haven't complained about you, but you're complaining about me?"

Xu Niannian was stunned, her eyes wide open, and she quickly shook her head.

"No, no..."

"Stand at attention!"

Su Xiao gave the order.

Xu Niannian immediately stood up straight, her hands pressed against the seams of her pants, her body stiff, and she didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

"Do you know how much psychological barrier I had to overcome to hug you in front of so many people? And you're still not happy about it."

Su Xiao pursed her lips, put her hand on her shoulder again, and this time the embrace was more natural.

Xu Niannian was both nervous and shy.

"……oh."

As he led Xu Niannian through the library gate, her body was initially stiff, like a tree branch that couldn't bend.

She could feel the gazes of those around her.

Some people are reading books, some are looking for books, but no one is really looking at them.

But she just felt like everyone was watching her.

Other girls are wearing pretty dresses and have cute hair clips.

She was the only one standing next to him, wearing a floral shirt with two buttons sewn on and dusty straight-leg pants, looking like a gray mouse that had wandered into the wrong place.

She felt that she had embarrassed him.

As they passed a quiet, deserted corner at the top of the stairs on the second floor, Xu Niannian suddenly gently pulled away from his arm.

She took two steps back, leaned against the wall, lowered her head, and hugged her schoolbag tightly to her chest.

"What's wrong now?" Su Xiao turned around to look at her, wondering what was wrong with her this time.

"Yes, or you can go in yourself."

Xu Niannian lowered her head and spoke softly but clearly, "I'll wait for you outside."

Su Xiao frowned.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Xu Niannian shook her head.

She slowly raised her head, glanced at him, and then quickly lowered it again.

His lips moved slightly, as if he was preparing something.

Then she curled the corners of her mouth and smiled.

Not the kind of secret, furtive laugh hidden under your bangs.

It was a genuine smile.

"no."

Her voice was soft and steady, as if she were saying something truly joyful: "This is the happiest day of my life."

"If you're happy, why don't you go in?"

Su Xiao looked at her. "Why are you leaving?"

Xu Niannian lowered her head, her bangs covering her entire face.

She hugged her schoolbag tighter, her fingers slowly rubbing against the straps.

After a long while, she finally spoke.

The sound was very soft, as if it were squeezed out from a crack in the ground, with a slight nasal tone that she herself was unaware of.

"I...I'm afraid I'll embarrass you."