Summer Green Apples

Chi responded lazily.

He smelled strongly of alcohol and perfume, with a faint hint of mint and tobacco mixed in.

He was tall and thin, and he blocked most of the light in the corridor.

Where are your parents?

Ji Xiwen pursed her lips. "My parents work in Beijing."

"...Are you a left-behind child?" Chi asked in return.

"Yes." Ji Xiwen nodded.

Chi moved a little closer, his breath, heavy with the smell of alcohol, hitting her face directly.

She took a step back, feeling uneasy.

"Ji Xiwen..."

Chi Sui lowered his head slightly, his voice low and his gaze indifferent, "I have something to tell you."

"Go ahead," Ji Xiwen said nervously.

Chi Sui: "I can let you stay here for a year, but there are conditions."

Ji Xiwen swallowed carefully. "What are the conditions?"

"You're not allowed to say we live together at school, and you're not allowed to greet me."

We were a bit close, and the corners of his eyes were tinged with a reddish tinge from the alcohol. "Don't tell my family about what happened at school."

"it is good."

These conditions are not demanding.

Ji Xiwen nodded quickly, "Thank you."

Chi Sui: "..."

The young master straightened up, never expecting to receive a "thank you" in return.

This new, cheap little sister must be a spirit of thanks, right?

……

Early Monday morning.

Ji Xi woke up very early, changed into the brightly colored school uniform of Pingzhong, and stood in front of the full-length mirror, still a little dazed and not daring to recognize herself.

This morning, my aunt made chicken soup wontons.

There were still only Ji Rong and Ji Xiwen at the dining table.

When footsteps sounded outside the kitchen, Ji Xiwen turned her head to look.

Chi Sui, wearing the same school uniform as her, looked sleepy and lazily carried her schoolbag. She went to the kitchen, picked up the rice balls that her aunt had prepared, and turned to leave.

He didn't glance at the two people at the table even once during that time.

Ji Xiwen finally felt the reality of the "ignoring" her aunt had mentioned.

It turns out they really did treat them like they didn't exist.

After Chi Sui came out of the kitchen, Ji Rong remembered something and said, "Chi Sui is the type of person who probably won't let you ride in the same car as him. I'll call you a taxi."

Ji Xiwen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie."

Ji Rong smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite with me? I used to change your diapers when you were little."

Ji Rong is fifteen years older than Ji Xiwen, and is only thirty-one years old this year.

Ji Xiwen's parents went to work in Beijing after she was born, living in a cramped single room. They only came back once a year for the Spring Festival. In Ji Xiwen's memory, she always lived with her aunt, uncle, grandparents and grandchildren.

It wasn't until Ji Rong refused the blind date and came to Pingcheng alone that things changed.

Ji Xi smiled and put a piece of food on Ji Rong's plate. "No matter what, we still have to thank Auntie."

……

Ji Rong's ride-hailing car arrived quickly.

The ride-hailing car drove quickly and smoothly, arriving in just fifteen minutes.

Ji Xiwen got off the bus with her schoolbag on her back.

The school gate was bustling on Monday morning, with many breakfast stalls and long queues on both sides.

Among the many students of all kinds at the school gate, she spotted Chi Sui at a glance.

He sat at the entrance of the bubble tea shop, lazily playing with his phone with his head down. A large group of boys sat next to him, one of whom was the boy who sat in front of him in class and had tiger teeth when he smiled.

Ji Xiwen glanced at it and quickly looked away before entering the school gate.

Unbeknownst to her, Xu Jiyang also saw her.

Xu Jiyang: "Hey... I saw your deskmate."

Chi remained unmoved.

He lowered his eyelids indifferently, quickly scrolling through this morning's international news.

He Ran cooperated and said, "Which one? Point it out to me so I can identify it."

"You've entered the school."

Xu Jiyang looked at Chi Sui and said, "I've looked at you from left to right, but I still can't see what makes your new deskmate prettier than Meng Leran."

Chi Sui finally reacted, "You're blind."

Xu Jiyang: "…………"

……

When Ji Xi arrived at the classroom, there weren't many people there yet, only about ten scattered around.

She had just put down her schoolbag when Sui Yu came in through the front door of the classroom carrying a stack of brand-new test papers. She rolled them up and put them in her desk drawer, then greeted Ji Xiwen warmly.

"Good morning."

Ji Xiwen smiled at her and said, "Good morning."

Suiyu: "There's a math test this morning, and we need a marking pen for the answer sheet. Did you bring it?"

Ji Xiwen paused for a moment, "No, does the school store sell them?"

"Yes, you can use mine first," Sui Yu said. "We'll buy more at noon."

Ji Xiwen hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll go buy it now. There's still time. I forgot to bring my water bottle."

"The convenience store is next to the playground," Sui Yu reminded her.

Ji Xi thanked them and left the classroom.

In fact, she didn't even know where the playground was; she spent almost the entire Friday in the classroom.

However, she didn't want to bother Suiyu anymore, after all, everyone's patience is limited.

Ji Xiwen walked around the school for a long time, passing the teaching buildings for the first and second year students, the cafeteria, and finally saw the playground behind the arts and sports building and the convenience store next to it.

The convenience store was quite crowded, with people buying breakfast and snacks.

Ji Xiwen picked out a coloring pen and two black pens that she often bought before, and also took a bottle of mineral water when paying.

The boss found a fairly large plastic bag for her to pack her things in.

Ji Xiwen carried the bag back and this time she went around to a science building.

Her previous school was very small and didn't have such tall buildings, so it was quite a novelty for her at first.

But she regretted it as soon as she walked over.

In a hidden corner, a group of girls who were not wearing school uniforms stood.

Each of these girls was dressed very stylishly, looking like they were studying art. They were surrounding a girl in a school uniform.

"Zhang Qingyan...aren't you supposed to be so arrogant and awesome?"

One of the girls, with a mushroom haircut, grabbed the girl in the school uniform by the hair. "This is my last warning to you, don't steal my sister's boyfriend again. If there's a next time..."

Mushroom Head sneered, "I'll strip you naked and see just how slutty you are, that you can't go a day without a man."

"You know what?!"

Mushroom Head raised the volume.

"...Okay." The girl in the middle said, as if admitting defeat.

Mushroom Head finally loosened Zhang Qingyan's hair with satisfaction, and led the other girls to turn around and leave.

I spotted Ji Xiwen at a glance.

Ji Xi heard that there was nowhere to hide.

She lowered her head and obediently leaned against the wall.

The mushroom-headed man looked her up and down, but seeing her "honest and timid" appearance, he didn't take it seriously. He simply reached out and patted her shoulder, then leaned closer.

"Hey classmate, do you know what you should and shouldn't say?"

Ji Xiwen nodded. "I didn't see anything."

"So sensible." Mushroom Head smiled, straightened up, and left with his people.