My sister never calls me brother.

"Sure," Zhou Han said sullenly, her head down.

"Please don't find it annoying!" Yao Xiaorui said, blinking her eyes.

"How could that be?" Zhou Han said in a low voice.

"Hehe." Yao Xiaorui chuckled, looked up as if reminiscing, and said softly, "When I was little, I loved listening to stories before bed, especially myths, because the gods in them were all incredibly powerful, yet also possessed humanity, which made me feel very close to them..."

Zhou Han glanced at the girl beside him, but didn't make a sound; he chose to be a quiet listener.

“I heard the most stories from the Bible because my grandmother was a devout Christian, and she would tell me stories every night.” Yao Xiaorui paused, then continued, “What I remember most vividly is the Genesis story, where God created the world and then created humankind in his own image. At that time, I couldn’t understand why God, who was already so powerful, would create humankind. Do you know why?”

“Uh… this…” Zhou Han was a little flustered by the sudden question and answered casually, “Probably… it’s fun, like when we watch ants.”

"Really? But I don't think so." Yao Xiaorui smiled happily and expressed her opinion. "I think it's more like God felt lonely?"

"Loneliness!?" Zhou Han was stunned, somewhat bewildered.

“That’s right. The world is so big, and he’s all alone. How could he not feel lonely?” Yao Xiaorui blinked and said very seriously.

Zhou Han did not answer; he felt that Yao Xiaorui's words made some sense.

“Even an omniscient and omnipotent God feels lonely and needs to create humankind to alleviate it; this is a manifestation of relying on others.” Yao Xiaorui looked at Zhou Han and spoke her true thoughts. “Even gods rely on others, so what reason do you have not to do the same?”

"This..." Zhou Han was speechless, not knowing how to answer. He wanted to laugh at his own reason, but he just couldn't let go of his pride.

Zhou Han has always relied on himself since he was a child, and he has long believed that it is better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help. He does not want others to see his weak side.

I'd rather brave the rain to go home than borrow an umbrella.

I'd rather pretend to sleep in class than listen to the lecture.

They'd rather put on a cold face than take the initiative to talk to people.

He did all this to make himself appear stronger.

To protect that pitiful bit of self-esteem.

Seeing Zhou Han's hesitant expression, Yao Xiaorui wondered and asked softly, "Are there any other reasons?"

"Uh..." Zhou Han came to her senses, swallowed, and hesitated whether to tell the truth.

Yao Xiaorui's beautiful eyes revealed a hint of genuine concern. Zhou Han was taken aback. To be honest, very few people had ever shown him that kind of look, but they were all people who were very close to him.

For a moment, the flood control dam in Zhou Han's heart began to loosen.

“Um…I…” Zhou Han rubbed his nose and said, “I don’t want to ask others for help, it’s too…too undignified.”

"Oh, I see!" Yao Xiaorui breathed a sigh of relief, her face beaming with a bright smile. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Huh!? Such an important thing as dignity isn't worth valuing?" Zhou Han was stunned, not understanding why something she cared about so much was being devalued.

“I think what you care about is not your own dignity, but your face. These are not the same thing,” Yao Xiaorui said with a smile.

"No...I am..." Zhou Han's eyes widened, her face showing panic, as if something she had been hiding had been torn away.

"Dignity is respect and authority, something you have to earn through your own efforts. Face, on the other hand, is driven by selfishness, like the Emperor's New Clothes in the fairy tale—he's clearly naked, yet he insists on looking smug." Yao Xiaorui covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Isn't it funny?"

"Uh..." Zhou Han blushed. It was not a pleasant feeling to be exposed, but Yao Xiaorui was right. She had indeed always had her own selfish motives.

Zhou Han knows himself very well. He is not a saint, but just a high school student full of troubles.

"Before I met you, I was just like you, very concerned about saving face. I would ask for favors in writing and didn't dare to talk to you face to face. Although there was a factor of shyness, that wasn't the main reason..." Yao Xiaorui paused, her voice melodious, and said, "The main reason is that I felt it was very shameful to ask others for help with something like dating. Even though I'm nobody, I have my own bottom line."

Zhou Han glanced at Yao Xiaorui's raised fist. Although it was harmless, it still carried a certain amount of force.

“But this won’t work…” Yao Xiaorui’s momentum faltered, and she said hesitantly, “Some things can’t be resolved without letting go of your false pride, just like me. But luckily, I’ve found someone I can rely on…”

Yao Xiaorui looked at Zhou Han, her eyes flickering, and said, word by word, "He is you."

"Ah!?" Zhou Han was startled and surprised. He hadn't done anything serious. The "he" Yao Xiaorui was talking about shouldn't be him.

Zhou Han avoided eye contact, not daring to meet Yao Xiaorui's bright gaze. The once impregnable walls in her heart were now riddled with cracks.

What made Zhou Han most nervous was the strange and awkward atmosphere, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Zhou Han already knew that Yao Xiaorui liked him; he wasn't stupid to the core.

Yao Xiaorui took the initiative to approach him and delivered lunch despite the pressure of being treated coldly by others; it couldn't possibly be just a simple expression of gratitude.

Zhou Han swallowed, unsure of what to do, because Yao Xiaorui's gaze was becoming increasingly strange, and it was easy to sense the complex emotions within it.

Yao Xiaorui blushed, her eyes darting around. She covered her chest with her hand, leaning slightly towards Zhou Han, and said sincerely—

"Zhou Han, I like you."

Chapter 110 Giving Courage

At that moment, Zhou Han could not hear the wind; she could only hear the beating of her own heart.

Yao Xiaorui slowly approached Zhou Han.

In this silent state, the atmosphere was somewhat ambiguous.

Zhou Han swallowed hard, feeling as if Yao Xiaorui was about to pounce on him.

Faced with Yao Xiaorui's confession, Zhou Han didn't know how to respond.

Because all of this happened too quickly for Zhou Han.

If Zhou Han firmly refused, he was afraid that Yao Xiaorui would be hurt.

If you don't refuse decisively, this tangled relationship will eventually hurt both of you.

Yao Xiaorui likes Zhou Han, but does Zhou Han like Yao Xiaorui?

Even Zhou Han himself probably doesn't know.

Because it was the first time Zhou Han had been confessed to by a girl, he was very flustered.

Just as Yao Xiaorui was about to boldly say what she was going to say next, Zhou Han frowned, and with a swift and decisive move, drew a line between liking and disliking, suddenly saying—

"I'm sorry, I have a girl I like."

Yao Xiaorui trembled. She thought she had misheard. She remained stiff and motionless.

Time seemed to stand still, and the wind seemed to have stopped.

Yao Xiaorui couldn't believe that this loner in front of her would have someone he liked; it all seemed rather unbelievable to her.

She tried to guess who each of the girls around Zhou Han was, including herself, but couldn't figure it out.

Because everyone maintains a certain distance from Zhou Han.

"Can you tell me who she is?" Yao Xiaorui asked, somewhat disappointed.

“Um…” Zhou Han hesitated.

He looked at Yao Xiaorui and felt it was necessary to speak up, otherwise it would be too unfair to a girl.

Zhou Han looked into Yao Xiaorui's eyes and said a girl's name.

But the school bell rang at an inopportune time.

The name Zhou Han mentioned was known only to Yao Xiaorui.

"It's her..." Yao Xiaorui's expression was a little unnatural as she asked in a low voice, "You like her, but does she like you?"

“I don’t know…” Zhou Han replied.

Yao Xiaorui paused for a moment, then her hope rekindled. She forced a smile and said, "What? So it's just unrequited love. I still have a chance, right?"

"Huh!?" Zhou Han didn't react.

"Do you hate me?" Yao Xiaorui asked.

Zhou Han shook his head.

"Do you like me?" Yao Xiaorui pressed.

“This…” Zhou Han avoided eye contact and said, “I don’t know either.”

Yao Xiaorui was a little disappointed, but she still smiled and said, "It's okay, I'll make you like me."

Zhou Han looked up at the girl who was as radiant as a sunflower.

Yao Xiaorui stood up, walked a few steps in front of Zhou Han, and suddenly turned around.

Under the azure sky, the hem of the girl's skirt slowly rose as she turned, revealing the snow-white skin on her legs.

She stood with her hands behind her back and said in an unwavering tone—

"Just like when I fell in love with you!"

Zhou Han stared blankly at Yao Xiaorui in the sunlight.

The girl's beautiful figure was perhaps deeply etched in Zhou Han's memory.

“I…” Zhou Han looked away and said in a low voice, “I’m not someone you should like.”

“It’s worth it, it’s absolutely worth it…” Yao Xiaorui slowly closed her eyes, as if savoring the moment, and said, “You are kind, sunny, and brave. In my eyes, you are like a knight. I really like you.”

Zhou Han looked at her without saying anything.

“But now you’re hiding here wallowing in self-pity, which disappoints me somewhat.” Yao Xiaorui opened her eyes and looked directly at Zhou Han. “I hope you can be like I was back then, let go of that false dignity, and boldly rely on others. This is not shameful, but a sign of trust in others.”

Zhou Han opened her mouth, as if to say something.

"Even if it's just for me..." Yao Xiaorui winked at Zhou Han and said, "I also hope you can be more sincere."

Zhou Han kept her mouth tightly shut and remained silent.

"Are you planning to ask others for help now?" Yao Xiaorui asked.

"Don't make it sound so simple!" Zhou Han frowned, her mind in turmoil, and her wavering tone was easily detectable.

Yao Xiaorui did not expect Zhou Han's emotions to rebound.

"I know I don't care about dignity. It's just an excuse to cover up my inferiority complex. Even if I were to give up, do you know how much courage that would take?" Zhou Han said through gritted teeth, her emotions becoming somewhat turbulent, with signs of an approaching storm.

Yao Xiaorui looked at Zhou Han, remained silent for a while, and then spoke.

"Is courage all it takes?" Yao Xiaorui did not back down.

"Huh!?" Zhou Han didn't hear clearly and looked up blankly.

“If you don’t have the courage, I can give it to you,” Yao Xiaorui said earnestly.

As soon as she finished speaking, she reached her hand under her skirt.