The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Early the next morning, Xu Nian went out to work.

Xu Xi didn't wake up until almost noon. The intense study pressure of the past week had left her feeling a bit overwhelmed.

It's good to sleep in a little longer since there's no school on the weekend.

"Ugh!"

The little guy yawned, jumped off Xu Nian's bed, and stood in front of the mirror fixing his hair.

The scar on the back of his head has healed completely, and unless you look very closely, you can't tell that he was ever injured.

It has to be said that Xu Xi's skin repair ability is quite good.

When Xu Nian first met her, her body was covered with bruises left by her father's beatings.

Nearly two months have passed, and now only some of the more severely injured areas still show faint traces; the rest of the skin has become smooth and fair.

The advantage of short hair is that it's easy to manage; you just need to comb it straight.

Xu Xi was still somewhat unhappy. She grabbed the tip of her hair and pulled it down slightly, trying to force it to grow faster.

But clearly, it had no effect.

Instead, a few strands of hair fell to the ground.

"Ugh, so annoying!"

Xu Xi stomped her foot, looking resentful.

My brother likes his hair when it's long, but why doesn't it ever grow longer?

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Xu Xi, I'm here!"

Wen Yao, carrying two large bags of snacks she had bought for free from her own store, cheerfully handed them to Xu Xi, who had just opened the door for her.

"Ugh... I just woke up."

Xu Xi rubbed her still sleepy eyes, a stark contrast to the energetic Wen Yao.

"Wow, at your age, how can you sleep? Have you no self-respect?"

Wen Yao made a slightly coquettish expression, and Xu Xi scratched his head embarrassedly.

"Hehe, just kidding."

Wen Yao walked into the room and looked at the neat furnishings and the clean, shiny floor. Her little mouth puffed out in an "O" shape.

"My goodness, your house is so clean."

Wen Yao was shocked. Compared to Xu Xi's home, her own home was a complete mess, like a pigsty.

She's very lazy. Every day after finishing her homework, she lies in bed eating potato chips, drinking cola, watching anime, and reading novels.

Her parents are very busy; they either run the shop or travel around and are rarely home.

The consequence of not cleaning the house is a complete mess, with clothes piled up in the bathroom that haven't been washed for days and various miscellaneous items scattered on the table.

"It's alright. I'm in school now and don't have much free time, so it's been sitting uncleaned for a long time."

Xu Xi glanced at the layer of dust that had accumulated on the shelf and couldn't help but frown.

I need to find some time to clean up this weekend.

"Ahhh, Versailles is forbidden!"

Wen Yao quickly covered Xu Xi's mouth, but seeing the latter's puzzled look, she realized that Xu Xi hadn't been online much and didn't know the meaning of these internet slang terms.

She quickly changed the subject.

"Um... I hope my visit to your home won't disturb your family."

"No, my brother went out to work. He told me last night to treat you well."

"Oh, and where's your dad?"

Wen Yao remembered that Xu Xi had said her mother had passed away, so her father must still be taking care of her.

Xu Xi shook her head and forced a smile.

I live with my brother.

Wen Yao quickly shut her mouth and looked at Xu Xi with some pity.

"Sorry, I don't know..."

In her opinion, judging from Xu Xi's words, her father was probably no longer alive, or had cruelly abandoned her and her brother.

Regardless of the reason, it seems that Xu Nian is supporting the family and paying for Xu Xi's education all by herself.

Thinking of this, Wen Yao couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Xu Nian.

"It's okay."

Xu Xi went into the kitchen, took out the beef that her brother had marinated last night from the refrigerator, opened the plastic wrap and sniffed it.

It seems to be very flavorful, with the whole piece of meat exuding a rich aroma of black pepper.

Do you have any dietary restrictions?

"No, hehe, I'll eat whatever you make."

When it came to food, Wen Yao's eyes lit up.

She washed her hands and went to the kitchen to help Xu Xi.

The two girls worked in the kitchen for over an hour, and a table full of delicious-looking dishes was served.

"Wow, it smells amazing! It smells so good!"

The enticing aroma made Wen Yao's mouth water. She took the rice that Xu Xi served her and began to stuff her mouth with it.

Xu Xi took off her apron, picked up a piece of beef strip, and tasted it.

The meat is very tender, and the fresh aroma of beef and the crisp, numbing sensation of black pepper stimulate the taste buds, making it quite delicious.

She breathed a sigh of relief. It was her first time making beef, and she had followed her brother's instructions exactly. Luckily, she hadn't messed it up.

"It's so delicious, Xu Xi, your cooking is even better than my mom's."

Wen Yao praised Xu Xi's cooking highly, her chubby cheeks perfectly illustrating this.

In no time, the bowl of rice was gone.

She stared longingly at Xu Xi, scratching her head with a hint of shame.

Xu Xi smiled and took the bowl, then poured her another bowl of rice.

Fortunately, she has a large appetite and usually cooks three or four cups of rice when she cooks.

Apart from the cup that Xu Nian ate, the rest was all hers.

Just in case, she cooked five cups of rice today, thinking that if there were any leftovers, she could make fried rice for her brother tonight.

But it seems that Wen Yao's appetite is about the same as hers.

"Burp~"

The two girls sat at the table, patting their bellies contentedly and letting out comfortable burps.

"Xu Xi, I'm thinking, whoever marries you in the future will be so lucky."

Wen Yao counted Xu Xi's good points on her fingers.

"Smart, hardworking, beautiful, and a great cook—if I were a guy, I'd definitely fall for you."

"No way...it's not as good as you make it out to be."

Xu Xi blushed shyly, recalling the satisfied expression on Xu Nian's face every day after eating the meals she cooked.

After the meal, Xu Xi led Wen Yao to her room.

"So clean!"

Wen Yao sat carefully on the corner of the bed, afraid of messing up the neatly made quilt.

"Good heavens, my bed has never been this tidy since I bought it. It looks like it's never been slept on."

Xu Xi turned her face away shyly.

She has been sleeping in Xu Nian's room these past few days.

My own room has never been slept in.

"Hey, is that my book?"

Wen Yao noticed an open textbook on the desk with familiar drawings on it.

I scribbled it on a book with a pencil last year when I was bored.

"Yes, I'm almost out of it. I'll return it to you in a few days."

"It's okay, these are all old books. I'll probably only need them when I'm reviewing for my senior year of high school."

Wen Yao walked to the desk and was surprised to find that the notebook next to her was filled with the contents of the textbook.

"Are you copying from a book?"