My Arrogant Young Lady

"It's just a game, can't you handle this? Go on, more recreational activities will also improve your health." An Yao gently patted me beside me.

Her push made me realize that quite a few people were looking at me. Hurricane and the others weren't strangers, so I thought playing basketball with them would be a good way to bond. So I started playing with them, but I was terrible at it. Luckily, they were all letting me win; it was just a friendly game, not too tiring and actually quite fun.

While we were playing basketball, I heard Lu Zhicheng ask me, "I heard you practiced martial arts with them yesterday, how was it?"

"It's alright. I just learned the Seventeen Subduing Dragon Palms, and I've also reached the second level of the Eight Yang Divine Skill," I said.

"Stop bragging, how's your learning going? I want to learn too, take me with you tonight," Lu Zhicheng said.

"Tonight won't work, it's a holiday tonight. I already promised Zhang Xuan and the others that we'd study together tomorrow night," I said.

“Alright, since Young Master Bao also wants to learn, let’s take him along,” Lu Zhicheng said.

"No problem." I nodded gently.

After a basketball game, I was covered in sweat. Then I went to the cafeteria with Lu Zhicheng and Tianlei for lunch. I thought for a moment and said, "By the way, don't you all live in the dorms? You finished martial arts practice at midnight last night, did you go back to your dorms?"

"He didn't go back; he stayed overnight outside the school," Di Huo said, rubbing his equally dark circles.

"Yeah, the game is really fun. Let's play together sometime!" Lightning said.

“Okay, I also like staying up all night,” I said.

“You can’t. You can’t go to internet cafes with them until you reach the basic level of martial arts.” An Yao coldly interrupted me.

"..." After hearing An Yao's words, I glanced at her with a sense of helplessness.

"Young lady, we need to prepare a few sets of beds after school at noon. How about we live at the factory from now on? Otherwise, we can't go back to the dormitory to sleep every day. We're afraid our bodies won't be able to handle staying up all night at internet cafes all the time." Hurricane yawned.

“Okay.” An Yao nodded gently.

Hearing what they and An Yao said, I felt a little guilty. The factory where we practiced martial arts was very dilapidated; a few lights barely worked, and the whole place was drafty. Now, to help me, they were actually going to stay in that run-down factory. After thinking for a moment, I said to them, "Don't stay in the factory. If you can't manage, stay in a hotel. That factory is too run-down; you'll suffer too much staying there."

“It’s alright, Your Highness. We’ve lived in places ten times worse than this. We are indeed from a prestigious family. But it’s nothing to us. This little thing is nothing to us,” Tianlei said.

"Aren't you going back to your dorms tonight?" Young Master Bao asked after hearing Tian Lei's words.

"Yes." Tian Lei nodded.

Taking a sip of soda, Young Master Bao immediately smiled, "Want to go back to the dorm? No problem, I have plenty of ways. Climb through the window, ask someone to open the door, why can't I go back? You guys can teach me martial arts later, I'll take care of this little thing."

"Thank you then," Hurricane smiled.

"Brothers, you're too kind. You don't hold my past against me. You're even willing to hang out with me. I really need to thank you," Young Master Bao said, looking at us with emotion.

With the addition of Bao Shao, this local strongman, our team has become even stronger. Now we have no rivals not only at school, but also outside of school.

After breakfast, our group walked towards the teaching building, attracting quite a few glances. Looking at the beautiful An Yao and my handsome brothers beside me, the happiness I felt was indescribable.

The thought of the holiday tonight fills me with a little excitement. Zhang Xuan is coming to play with us tonight, maybe I can find a chance to take advantage of her…

Because of the holiday, the school was filled with a festive atmosphere. The students in the corridors all looked cheerful. Some of the students we knew even came up to Lu Zhicheng and An Yao asking for a dime. Seeing them ask for money, Lu Zhicheng immediately took out a dime and handed it to them with a grin. An Yao was a little taken aback. Lu Zhicheng smiled and handed her a dime, saying, "Haven't you ever been to school? Don't you even know this custom?"

“I don’t understand…” An Yao shook her head in confusion.

“It’s a holiday, and our classmates are going to pack apples to give as gifts. Some of them have less common surnames. It’s good to ask them for a dime to put in the apple. Your surname is An, and mine is Lu; there aren’t many people with surnames like ours at school. I used to love asking stingy people for money around this time of year, even if they didn’t want to, they had to give it to me!” As he spoke, Lu Zhicheng’s eyes lit up. He ran up to a girl and said, “Sister Fang, give me a dime!”

"Annoying!" The girl glared at Lu Zhicheng, then reluctantly gave him a dime.

"Haha, you guys go ask her for money too. That'll be hilarious. It's a holiday, even if she doesn't know you, she won't refuse. At most, she'll secretly curse you for being shameless," Lu Zhicheng said.

"Let's forget about it..." Holding the one cent Lu Zhicheng gave her in her small hands, An Yao smiled awkwardly at him.

After the girl left, I thought she was quite pretty. Then I looked at Lu Zhicheng's expression as he talked to my sister. I couldn't help but sigh. With Lu Zhicheng's personality, he'll probably have a hard time finding a girlfriend…

As soon as I entered the classroom, people gave us apples. Most people gave them to Bao Shao and An Yao, but only Pang Mei gave me one. Bao Shao isn't even in our class, yet he got so many apples just for visiting. An Yao, who just transferred here, also received a huge pile of apples. If I hadn't been so open with Pang Mei and become good friends with her, I probably wouldn't have received any apples at all. If they all had apples and I didn't, I would have been so embarrassed.

"Hey, Wang Che hasn't arrived yet..." Seeing that Wang Che's seat was empty, Young Master Bao placed a large pile of apples on Wang Che's table and left disappointed.

I saw that Zhang Xuan's seat was empty, and I felt a little disappointed. I put the apple on the table and went to the washroom to wash my face. Just after I finished washing my face, I saw the beautiful Wang Che walk in.

Holding a bright red apple in his hand, the wrapping paper on the apple was also exceptionally exquisite. Smiling, Wang Che walked up to me and said, "Brother, this is for you."

"Mine!?" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, although I'm competing with you for the position of heir, you'll always be my older brother. I won't go against you for now, so don't worry." With a smile, Wang Che placed the apple in my hand.

This is the second apple I've received, and I never expected it to be from her. Watching her slender figure about to leave the washroom, I thought for a moment and said, "If I become the head of the family, I will definitely help you annul the engagement."

Upon hearing my words, Wang Che's shoulders trembled slightly. Then, she turned around and stared at me in surprise for a long time.

"Thank you." Gradually, Wang Che's eyes reddened. He smiled at me, turned around, and walked out of the washroom.

In the hallway, someone started playing beautiful Christmas carols. The sound was cheerful, yet it evoked a deep sense of loneliness...

Chapter Seventy: From Pretense to Reality

By morning, apples were practically flying around the classroom. I received my third apple, from Tang Ning. Then came Hurricane, Lightning, Thunder, Fire, and Mount Everest—each of them gave An Yao and me an apple. The most ruthless was Lu Zhicheng, who simply grabbed a whole armful of apples and dumped it on our desks with a clatter, exclaiming, "These are all my apples, and I'm giving them all to you! Hahaha, I feel like we could open an apple shop and make money!"

"So you and Wang Che can open a shop now, okay?" An Yao glanced at him coldly, then looked at Wang Che.

An Yao delivered a lot of apples, but they were all from her classmates and a few from other classes. Meanwhile, Wang Che's deskmate was incredibly busy, constantly taking apples from Wang Che and piling them up beside her. The apples they had received were now piled up like a small mountain.

Many of the people who gave Wang Che apples were people I'd never met before. Besides those from our class, there were students from other grades, as well as first-year and third-year students. Wang Che was very polite; each time she received an apple, she would gently say thank you and then give them an apple she had prepared in return. She seemed to have anticipated this, displaying thoughtfulness and gentleness.

"Boss Xi, have you noticed? Everyone else gives Wang Che ordinary apples, but Wang Che gives everyone good apples. Those apples are red and sell for a lot of money in the supermarket. Your sister's family seems to be quite wealthy." Lu Zhicheng whispered to me while staring at Wang Che, right next to An Yao and me.

“Yes, it’s a snake fruit,” I said.

"I'll go get a different one too, those apples taste better." With that, Lu Zhicheng ran up to Wang Che with a grin and said, "Happy Holidays, Sister Xi!"

"Thank you, you're my brother's good friend. Here, I'll give you two apples." Wang Che smiled and handed Lu Zhicheng two apples.

"Haha, thank you, thank you, you're so kind." Having gotten a good deal, Lu Zhicheng happily ran back with the two apples.

Lu Zhicheng opened the package, picked up an apple, and took a big bite. Then he said to Tianlei and the others, "You guys go too. Help me trick a few apples and bring them to me."

"Miss, even though I followed very carefully, I still lost him." Ignoring Lu Zhicheng, Tian Lei bent down and whispered to An Yao.

"Didn't you find where they're staying?" An Yao asked.

“Yes, their counter-surveillance techniques are very sophisticated, but I saw the Second Miss’s entourage this time,” Tian Lei said.

"Who is it?" An Yao's eyes flashed with coldness.

“It’s General Cui, and some other experts. Judging from the size of their vehicles, I estimate that there are more than a dozen of them,” Tian Lei said.

"General Cui? It seems we're in trouble this time..." An Yao looked worried after hearing Tian Lei's words.

Because Wang Che was popular, she received a lot of apples. Being quite dignified, she gave away one of each apple she received. In just one morning, she received several boxes of apples. As a girl, she certainly couldn't carry so many apples to school. The people helping her carry the apples were young people like Tian Lei and his friends. When these young people left, An Yao sent Tian Lei to follow them.

Sitting next to An Yao, I saw her brow furrowed in worry. I could sense that Wang Che's helpers were difficult to deal with. But recalling our meeting that morning, a strange feeling welled up inside me. I don't know if it was just my imagination, but I felt like I could subdue this younger sister without using force.

Wang Che, she has her reasons for vying with me for the position of heir apparent: to become the head of the family and annul her engagement. So, if I agree to her request and help her annul the engagement, will she stop targeting me?

She's been here for two days now, and aside from the silver needles she used to ambush me, she hasn't tried anything against me. She's just made a lot of friends, and she wasn't hostile when she met me this morning. She seems kind and gentle. A girl as pretty as her shouldn't be as scary as An Yao described.

Perhaps my sister and I don't necessarily have to fight. But remembering An Yao's advice, my mind suddenly became unsettled. An Yao had told me she was a girl you couldn't trust. The prettier a girl is, the better she is at deceiving. She's beautiful, and her deception skills are superb. Have I already unwittingly fallen into her trap? But if it's a trap, it's far too clever. Because when she thanked me this morning, her clear eyes were filled with sincerity. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and I don't believe a girl with such clear eyes can be a bad person.

"Merry Christmas Eve! I'm sorry, I stayed up too late watching TV last night and forgot to prepare an apple for you." Suddenly, Zhang Xuan handed me a bright red apple.

I looked up at her in surprise and saw that her pretty face was flushed. Then, looking at the apple in front of me, I couldn't help but feel touched.

I quickly covered her hands with my own; I noticed they were very cold. Then, looking at her with concern, I said, "You forgot, but why did you go out of your way to buy apples? Aren't you cold? Aren't you tired?"

"You're so petty, I'm afraid you'll get angry." Zhang Xuan rolled her eyes at me after hearing what I said.

"How silly of me, how could I be angry with you?" I smiled, my face full of happiness.

Suddenly, a violent coughing fit erupted beside me. Startled, I saw Lu Zhicheng and Shandian grinning at me. Before I could say anything, Zhang Xuan quickly pulled her hand back and left. Watching her graceful figure disappear into the distance, I felt a surge of anticipation for the evening.

"Young Master, shall I go buy some apples for you?" Lightning said with a grin, standing beside me.

"Let's buy it at noon," I said.

At noon, we bought a lot of apples together. I wrapped them all up and gave them to Zhang Xuan, Tang Ning, and Pang Mei. Afraid An Yao would be jealous, I also gave apples to An Yao and Tian Lei Di Huo. In the afternoon, when I saw Wang Che, I gave her an apple as well.

"Brother, thank you." Wang Che seemed very careful when he took the apple from me.

Looking into Wang Che's clear eyes, and remembering how tightly she clenched her hands yesterday when she heard An Yao and me showing affection, I couldn't hold back my words any longer. I don't know why, but I felt sorry for my sister who had come to kill me. Even if I had talked to her too much and been deceived, I would accept it.

"Sister, can we get along peacefully?" I asked.

"Huh?" Wang Che blinked at me.

“Sister, I know you want to be the crown prince. If you become the crown prince, you won’t have to marry that scumbag. But if I become the head of the family, I will definitely find a way to help you break off the engagement. Besides, if you become the crown prince, your identity will become dangerous. They will kill you. Why do you have to compete with me for this crown prince position? Although we are half-siblings, we share the same blood. An Yao is my own sister, and you are my own sister too. Why don’t you stop targeting me and just go home obediently?” I asked.

"I can't go home..." Upon hearing my words, Wang Che suddenly became pitiful.

"Why?" I asked.

“Because everyone in my family knows you’re still alive. And since I secretly brought General Cui out, they all guessed I was here to deal with you. My mother is furious and has ordered the family’s best guards to capture me. I can only hide and can’t go home. If I go back, my mother will definitely punish me severely,” Wang Che said.

"But you didn't do anything to me." I said in surprise after hearing Wang Che's words.

“Brother, you are the heir apparent, and your uncle is the Emperor Zhao. My family is just an ordinary business family, and I am just a girl. Any existence that threatens you will arouse the suspicion of the elders in the family. An Yao came to see you with Father's permission. But if I secretly come to see you, the elders will definitely suspect that I am a threat to you. They have already begun to be wary of me, and I will definitely be punished by the family law when I go back,” Wang Che said.

"Damn it, it's always about the family, why are there so many rules? Those old fogies in the family married you off to someone you didn't like, and now they want to punish you for getting close to me. When the family comes, I'll tell them, let's see who dares to touch you!" Thinking of Wang Che's pitiful fate, I started to get angry.

“Brother, don’t be angry. Our family is too big to manage without family rules. Besides, the elders in the family only wanted what was best for me and hoped that I would have a better life in the future, which is why they married me off to Xiao Hao. They just didn’t expect that Xiao Hao’s family would fall on hard times, and that he was actually a scumbag with terrible character,” Wang Che said.

"Is your fiancé called 'Little Good Guy'?" I asked.

“Yes, because his father was a very good person who used to do charity work and help some poor children. So everyone calls his son Little Good Guy. They’ve been calling him that for over ten years and they’re used to it,” Wang Che said.

"Don't be afraid, I will definitely protect you," I said.

“No need, I just need to hide for a few days. As long as my family finds out I haven’t done anything to you, they won’t be angry with me anymore. If you help me explain, they’ll think I’m lying to you, and they’ll really punish me then,” Wang Che said.

"I see..." After listening to Wang Che's words, I felt that what she said made a lot of sense.

“Well, don’t keep talking to me. It’ll be bad if An Yao misunderstands. I originally wanted to kill you, but I don’t want to anymore. Because you said you would help me break off the engagement, I believe you. Just let me stay here in peace for a few days. Let them observe me secretly so I won’t hurt you. Then I’ll go home with them. Brother, thank you for being so good to me,” Wang Che said.

Looking at my frail-looking sister, my heart ached even more. I couldn't believe such a generous and poised girl would hurt me. If she didn't have some hidden reason, she would never have plotted against her own brother. She was simply afraid of and disgusted by her fiancé, just like how I already had someone I liked, but my family insisted I marry Xi'er. If I were a woman, and I had to choose between sleeping with a disgusting man or committing murder, I would choose murder.

Thinking of this, I grasped Wang Che's beautiful hand and said, "Little sister, you are such a kind and understanding girl. We are in the same boat, and I will definitely not cause you any trouble."

“I know you also have a fiancée you don’t like,” Wang Che said with a smile.

"Yes." I nodded, then suddenly remembered something. "That Tang Wendi, you and he are just pretending to be together, right? Be careful, that guy is bad, don't let him take advantage of you."

"Hehe..." After hearing my words, Wang Che gave a pitiful smile.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Brother, is it okay if I don't want to talk about it?" Wang Che said.