My Sister Is Acting Strange

This weekend, my sister was quite busy, constantly on the phone with a female author, seemingly negotiating for some rights. Judging by her expression, the progress wasn’t going well.

Tang Huaijin could only offer a few comforting words, make his sister some coffee, and prepare a nice meal to cheer her up, all the while anxiously awaiting the arrival of the task reward.

No matter what difficulties she faced outside, his sister never vented them on him. At most, she’d recharge by snuggling up to him and acting a little spoiled, never once complaining about life’s hardships.

Finally, during the last evening self-study session on Monday, the teachers posted the report cards on the hallway wall.

Xia Xinya, who had been tense all day, quickly searched for her name.

Bai Yuerou had done exceptionally well, scoring 144 in math, 142 in English, 146 in Chinese, and 290 in science subjects, ranking second in the entire school for science.

Xia Xinya herself had also made a significant leap, climbing over 50 places in the school rankings with scores of 128 in math, 140 in English, 119 in Chinese, and 263 in science subjects, placing her in the top ten of her class.

Yet, despite such remarkable progress, Xia Xinya couldn’t muster any joy when she saw her results, because Tang Huaijin’s name was prominently displayed at the top.

With scores of 149 in math, 145 in English, 150 in Chinese, and 298 in science subjects, Tang Huaijin had secured first place with ease.

The classmates looked at Tang Huaijin with admiration and surprise. Before him, everyone thought Bai Yuerou was already a genius, unbeatable. Little did they know someone even more formidable would emerge.

As per the agreement, Shen Yiqiu agreed to Tang Huaijin’s request to switch seats.

Xia Xinya’s expression was extremely unpleasant, yet she adhered to the agreement, silently packing her schoolbag with her head down.

After packing, Xia Xinya didn’t speak to Bai Yuerou. Under Bai Yuerou’s complex gaze, she quietly sat down in the seat next to Tang Huaijin, burying her head on the desk.

Tang Huaijin greeted Bai Yuerou with a smile and took his seat beside her.

The moment he sat down, the system’s notification of the reward arriving was like music to his ears.

Bai Yuerou stole a glance at Tang Huaijin’s blissful expression, her face turning red as she lowered her head.

Tang Huaijin, absorbed in the system, didn’t notice this. He had previously tried to sneak into Xia Xinya’s seat, but the system didn’t recognize it, and he ended up being scolded by Xia Xinya as a pervert.

Now, as soon as he sat down, the system reward was delivered. It seemed that exploiting the system’s bugs was possible, but not too excessively.

A message transmitted to his brain, as if a new option had appeared, allowing him to freely choose the theme and type of this masterpiece’s outline of ideas.

Tang Huaijin hadn’t decided yet, planning to make a decision during the National Day holiday, as it was a significant matter that required careful consideration.

Having just finished exploring the system reward, Tang Huaijin was in an extremely good mood. He noticed Bai Yuerou’s occasional glances and couldn’t help but chuckle. Meeting her gaze, he lightly said, “We’ll be desk mates from now on. Please take care of me.”

Bai Yuerou’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she hesitated to meet his eyes. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt and softly replied, “Mm… please take care of me.”

Meanwhile, Xia Xinya, sitting alone on the side, watched the warm interaction between the two. Seeing herself isolated, she felt a deep sense of grievance.

The classroom was bustling with chatter about the recent test scores, yet Xia Xinya felt like an outsider, sitting in the loneliest corner. A wave of solitude, which she despised the most, washed over her, causing her face to pale. She lowered her head slowly, burying it on the desk, her shoulders starting to tremble.

Bai Yuerou’s expression froze for a moment before she quickly stood up and moved to sit beside Xia Xinya. She gently stroked Xinya’s shoulder, speaking softly, “Xinya, don’t cry.”

Being comforted only made Xia Xinya’s tears flow more freely. She buried her head in Bai Yuerou’s embrace, sobbing quietly because there were others in the classroom. She couldn’t cry loudly, so she whispered between sniffles, “Rou, Tang Huaijin, that jerk, is going to steal you away.”

“Oh, Xinya, that’s not going to happen,” Bai Yuerou chuckled softly, trying to soothe her friend while patting her head.

Tang Huaijin watched Xia Xinya’s tear-streaked face with a hint of helplessness, feeling as if he had somehow become the villain in this scenario.

He picked up his unopened backpack and walked over to Xia Xinya, flicking her forehead with just the right amount of force.

The sound of her crying immediately quieted down as she covered her forehead with her hands, her eyes red and glaring at Tang Huaijin as if he were her sworn enemy. She hissed, “You pervert, what do you want? You’ve already won, why are you bullying me?”

“I can’t be bothered to bully a brat like you,” Tang Huaijin scoffed, pretending to reach out to flick her forehead again. “Hurry up and go back.”

His task was complete, and seeing the brat cry like this made him feel a bit guilty.

Xia Xinya was startled, quickly covering her forehead with both hands. When she heard Tang Huaijin telling her to go back, she widened her eyes in surprise, blinking her tear-filled eyes in disbelief, “You’re telling me to go back?”

“If you don’t want to, just stay here,” Tang Huaijin rolled his eyes, speaking with a hint of annoyance.

Xia Xinya hurriedly grabbed her backpack and dashed back to her seat, as if afraid Tang Huaijin might change his mind. She quickly arranged her books, still watching him warily, and said in a cute voice, “You gave me my seat back, it’s not that I can’t handle losing.”

Tang Huaijin ignored her, resting his elbow on the desk and gazing out the window, pondering a question.

Why was he so soft-hearted? Not just with this brat, but also with Lin Ruoxi. Even when he resolved not to care, sometimes he just couldn’t help himself.

Bai Yuerou glanced at Xia Xinya, whose face had once again blossomed into a smile, and gave her a playful look. Leaning in, she whispered, “Do you really think Tang Huaijin was bullying you? Didn’t you notice? He didn’t even unzip his backpack.”

Xia Xinya looked puzzled, placing her things on the desk as she asked, “You mean…”

“Maybe he was worried you’d be upset and never intended to sit over here,” Bai Yuerou said, casting a complex glance at Tang Huaijin.

Xia Xinya froze, her hands coming to a halt as she instinctively looked over at Tang Huaijin. The evening sunlight cast a glow on his profile, dividing his face into light and shadow along the bridge of his nose. His thoughtful expression made him seem particularly solitary.

Indeed, Tang Huaijin didn’t seem to have many friends. At school, he only hung out with them. Xia Xinya recalled how lonely she felt sitting alone at that desk for just a short while.

But what about Tang Huaijin? He sat there by himself…

With these thoughts, a vague sense of sympathy welled up in Xia Xinya’s heart, and her gaze toward Tang Huaijin became complicated.

But what could she do? She didn’t want to be separated from Rou either…

After hesitating for a while, Xia Xinya seemed to make up her mind. She bit her lip, stuffed her backpack into the desk, stood up, and wobbled over with her desk, placing it next to Tang Huaijin’s, aligning them together.

Ignoring Tang Huaijin’s surprised expression, Xia Xinya ran back, pulled her best friend along, and moved Bai Yuerou’s desk over to the left side of Tang Huaijin’s desk.

After completing all this, Xia Xinya wiped a small bead of sweat from her forehead and cheerfully said to Tang Huaijin, “I’m not taking advantage of you. A deal’s a deal. We’ll be Rou’s desk mates together.”

The girl’s face was lit with a brilliant smile, her cheeks flushed, and her bright eyes fixed on Tang Huaijin.

Tang Huaijin had no idea that his pensive expression had led Xia Xinya to imagine him as a lonely figure.

Looking at the girl in front of him, her smile as radiant as a flower, he found her unexpectedly cute. Tang Huaijin couldn’t help but smile back and asked, “Have you ever seen three people sharing a desk?”

“Why not?” Xia Xinya’s smile revealed two small, white tiger teeth, her lips red and teeth white, with a smug expression. She said, “We’re a trio desk group. After all, you’re my friend, aren’t you?”

Tang Huaijin looked pleasantly surprised and teased, “Oh, what did I do to deserve being your friend?” But inside, he felt a warm glow.

“Even though you’re annoying, as my friend, you just barely make the cut,” Xia Xinya said with a seemingly disdainful expression, turning her face away from him, only to be gently tapped by Bai Yuerou, who had walked over.

Bai Yuerou playfully glanced at her best friend, then looked at the three desks pushed together and couldn’t help but laugh. She winked at Tang Huaijin and said warmly, “We’re desk mates now, so let’s get along well.”

“Let’s get along well…” Tang Huaijin looked from Bai Yuerou to the proud Xia Xinya and couldn’t help but smile wryly.