My Sister Is Acting Strange

Upon arriving at the classroom, Tang Huaijin settled into his seat to begin the day’s lessons.

With the monthly exam looming on Friday, the atmosphere in the class had become more studious. Xia Xinya, in particular, was immersed in cramming Chinese knowledge at her desk all day. Tang Huaijin couldn’t help but admire her; despite being a bit mischievous, her determination and perseverance were commendable.

Of course, admiration aside, he had no intention of going easy on her.

There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two. During Chinese class and self-study sessions, Xia Xinya would naturally come over to sit with him and learn Chinese. Initially, she was reluctant to call him “teacher,” but it soon became second nature.

Shen Yiqiu also noticed Xia Xinya’s efforts. Although she would frown slightly when seeing the two sitting together so naturally, she didn’t interfere.

The week passed peacefully, with Xia Xinya too focused on her studies to bother him. The only thing that gave Tang Huaijin a headache was the ponytailed girl.

Ever since he agreed to let Lin Ruoxi stand with him on the bus, she would cling to him every day, comfortably nestled in the corner of the bus, sometimes even leaning against him when she got tired.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too over the top, so Tang Huaijin couldn’t really complain.

Besides, the girl’s fragrance and softness stirred something in his heart, though he tried hard not to think about it, enduring the bittersweet feeling.

On Friday, the day of the monthly exam, Tang Huaijin left the house with his backpack after his sister gave him a peck on the cheek.

Boarding the number 9 bus, he saw the ponytailed girl waving at him from her seat, her face beaming with joy. Tang Huaijin’s eyelid twitched, but he went over to sit beside her.

“Today must be my lucky day, getting a seat like this. Do you think everyone knows we students have exams?” Lin Ruoxi said with a smile, linking her arm with Tang Huaijin’s.

He shifted his arm away, avoiding her grasp, and moved slightly to the side, saying with a hint of irritation, “Talk all you want, but keep your hands to yourself.”

“Come on, you used to be the one getting all handsy with me. Now that it’s my turn, it’s not okay?” Lin Ruoxi pouted, giving Tang Huaijin a light smack before turning away in a huff, her eyes fixed on the scenery outside, presenting him with the back of her ponytailed head.

This was why men often couldn’t forget their exes. Hearing Lin Ruoxi bring up old times made Tang Huaijin’s feelings complicated. He stole a glance at her, sighed inwardly, and sat back, closing his eyes to feign sleep.

Feeling a small hand gently clasp his own, fingers intertwining with his, Tang Huaijin’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he kept his eyes shut.

His silence seemed to encourage the owner of the small hand, which tightened its grip on his, using the other hand to bend his fingers, interlocking them with hers.

The warmth and softness of her hand was comforting, reminding Tang Huaijin of the times they secretly held hands under the desk. His heart softened, and he continued to pretend to sleep as if unaware.

With his eyes closed, Tang Huaijin dozed off for a while, but suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. He didn’t move his body, but his eyes opened slightly. Lin Ruoxi was peacefully asleep on his shoulder, her breathing steady and her expression relaxed, not pretending to sleep.

Her sleeping face was serene and natural, though there were slight dark circles under her eyes, which made Tang Huaijin feel a pang of sympathy. She must have stayed up late studying for the monthly exam.

Despite her undeniable fatigue, the corners of her mouth were curved, as if she were dreaming a sweet dream, resting assuredly on his shoulder, her small hand intertwined tightly with his fingers.

Tang Huaijin didn’t dare to move, nor did he want to, for fear of waking the sleeping girl.

Oh well, let her sleep a little longer. This was the least he could do for her. He noticed her initiative, and to say he wasn’t moved or affected would be a lie. Unfortunately, he couldn’t give her the response she desired.

Tang Huaijin was a realist yet an idealist, with a severe obsession for purity and a strong desire for exclusivity. He wanted a love that was 100% pure, without any impurities. So, after learning about his sister’s situation, he understood he couldn’t give Ruoxi what she wanted. He couldn’t fully commit to her overwhelming affection.

Better to cut it off quickly than to prolong the pain. He was harsh to Lin Ruoxi and to himself. They could never be together. Rather than watch them drift apart and see her fall in love with someone else, it was better to make a clean break from the start, even if it meant she would hate him. Time would erode both love and resentment.

To put it aptly, breaking up directly was like amputation. It would hurt deeply at the time, but eventually, it would heal, and one would slowly get used to it.

Watching her slip away like sand through his fingers, however, was like a slow death, a pain that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

This feeling was mutual for both of them.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Not only did Lin Ruoxi transfer to his school, but he also underestimated the stubborn ponytailed girl’s affection for him.

To be honest, he didn’t know what to do now.

The vehicle suddenly jolted, and the girl’s head bumped toward the seat back.

Tang Huaijin instinctively reached out to protect the back of her head, cradling it. Once the vehicle steadied, he slowly withdrew his hand.

The girl seemed to remain asleep, the corners of her mouth still curved, her head gradually slipping from his shoulder to rest on his thigh, even nuzzling slightly.

Ding, next stop, Rose Elite High School.

The bus’s speaker announced the stop, and Lin Ruoxi’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing her clear, bright eyes. She sat up from Tang Huaijin’s lap, then leaned lightly against him, murmuring, “That was nice…”

Tang Huaijin said nothing, releasing her hand, and got off the bus to enter the school.

…

The exam room had been tidied up by the students on duty the night before. Tang Huaijin found his seat and sat down. Xia Xinya was seated not far from him, nervously reviewing her textbook.

Tang Huaijin chuckled softly but refrained from teasing her.

Xia Xinya seemed to sense something, instinctively glancing at his seat. Seeing Tang Huaijin’s amused expression, she immediately retorted, “What are you laughing at, you jerk? I’ll definitely score higher than you.”

Facing her hostility, Tang Huaijin continued to smile warmly and replied, “Alright, good luck.”

In the morning, the exams were Chinese and Mathematics. After the preparatory bell rang, Shen Yiqiu, still dressed in her teacher’s uniform, walked into the classroom, her long, slender legs moving gracefully beneath her pencil skirt, and began distributing the test papers.

Receiving the paper passed from the seat in front, Tang Huaijin started working on it. High school exams posed little challenge to him, and he answered the questions with ease and fluidity.

As he continued, his brow furrowed-not because of any difficult questions, but because Shen Yiqiu kept patrolling the classroom, her long legs striding around. Whenever she reached his side, she lingered a bit longer before swaying away in front of him.

After Shen Yiqiu circled around once more, Tang Huaijin, feeling a bit exasperated, scribbled a note on his paper to catch her attention.

“Stop pacing, Teacher.”

Shen Yiqiu squinted slightly, took his pen, and wrote back, “It’s my duty.”

“It’s distracting me from the exam.”

“Why?” she wrote, her gaze fixed on Tang Huaijin.

In those clear, bright eyes, Tang Huaijin seemed to catch a hint of amusement. After a moment’s thought, he reluctantly wrote, “Your charm is too overwhelming; I can’t keep my eyes off you.”

The amusement in Shen Yiqiu’s eyes deepened, and the corners of her mouth curved subtly. She straightened up, swayed her hips, and returned to the podium, no longer circling the classroom.

After finishing the two morning exams, they went to lunch together. Xia Xinya was walking alongside a helpless-looking Bai Yuerou, comparing their answers.

Seeing the hint of frustration on her face, Tang Huaijin teased, “What’s wrong? Not happy with your answers?”

“Hmph, as if you got everything right,” Xia Xinya retorted, having discovered several mistakes in her math answers.

Tang Huaijin shook his head and sighed, “No, I probably didn’t get everything right either.”

Then, seeing the girl’s face light up, he added with a mischievous smile, “I might have just missed one multiple-choice question.”

Xia Xinya: “…”

Bai Yuerou couldn’t help but giggle, but seeing Xia Xinya’s darkening expression, she quickly stifled her laughter and gave Tang Huaijin a reproachful look.

Xia Xinya’s face turned ashen, her heart in turmoil, yet she stubbornly said, “There’s still English in the afternoon. Don’t get too cocky.”

Tang Huaijin chuckled contentedly, ready to tease her a bit more, but his peripheral vision caught sight of the ponytailed girl approaching with her tray, and he immediately stopped, focusing on his lunch instead.

The two afternoon exams passed quickly and uneventfully.

With the National Day holiday approaching, they would have one more day of classes on Monday, after which the monthly exam results would be announced, and then they would have a break.

After school, they still had to attend club activities. This time, Xia Xinya didn’t cause any trouble, sitting on the sofa distractedly playing with her phone, clearly under a lot of pressure.

Lin Ruoxi, not daring to be too forward in front of Shen Yiqiu, sat quietly beside Tang Huaijin, reading a book. Occasionally, her leg would brush against Tang Huaijin’s leg.

The club activity was halfway through when Shen Yiqiu stood up, ground the ink, and approached Tang Huaijin for guidance.

Shen Yiqiu’s attitude was sincere, and she was learning earnestly. Although their bodies occasionally brushed against each other, Tang Huaijin didn’t mind, but he was somewhat curious.

Despite Shen Yiqiu’s excellent regular script and her title as the president of the Jizhou Calligraphy Association, why was she so fixated on mastering the running script?

Tang Huaijin didn’t want to discourage Shen Yiqiu, but it seemed Teacher Shen truly lacked talent in running script. Although her strokes appeared lively and graceful to the untrained eye, those who understood calligraphy could easily see that her work captured the form but not the spirit.

After guiding her through the strokes once more, Tang Huaijin hesitated for a moment while holding Shen Yiqiu’s hand and said, “Teacher Shen, I just saw your regular script, and it’s exquisite. Even if I practiced for another ten years, I couldn’t match it. Why are you so determined to master running script?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yiqiu paused, her expression complex but her face remained calm as she replied, “Learning something new is always beneficial.”

With that, she put down the brush and nodded gently to Tang Huaijin, saying, “Let’s stop here for today. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Tang Huaijin replied with a smile, feeling relieved that everything seemed normal again.

Just as he was internally chastising himself for doubting the teacher, a soft and delicate sensation on his leg made Tang Huaijin’s smile freeze. He stepped back, watching as the beautiful teacher bent over, apparently reaching for something on the other side of the table.

Shen Yiqiu’s face remained expressionless, as if unaware of any contact, and she straightened up naturally after retrieving the item, showing no sign of awkwardness. Yet, a noticeable blush adorned her snow-white neck.

Tang Huaijin’s mouth twitched slightly.

Teacher Shen, when we’re writing in this posture, with your natural advantages, is bending over so casually really okay?

Teacher, I refuse to believe you haven’t considered this issue.