Chapter 25.2

Xiao Bi naturally understood that boys with poor academic performance and mischievous behavior were not necessarily bad kids, but it had to be said that the probability of them being troublemakers was relatively high.

However, could she really prevent her son from making friends?

She also knew nothing about Liu Hewei, only learning about him from her son. Did she have to break up her child’s friendship?

Similarly, the friendship between Chu Xiaoxiao and Yang Yin had no faults. They didn’t care about factors like age or background when forming their friendship, making their bond pure and simple.

“Xiaoyi, this is Xiaoxiao making friends, not you making friends for her. She will encounter good friends and bad friends. We can only watch with concern from the sidelines, comfort her when she comes back hurt, but we can’t dictate who her friends should be,” Xiaobi spoke earnestly.

“Xiaoxiao doesn’t really want to collect trash to earn money; she enjoys doing things with her friends. When you used to hang out with Liu Hewei, I was always worried every day, but didn’t we get through that?” she added.

Xiaobi felt that the risk of picking up bad habits from an arcade was higher than from recycling, and Yang Yin was at least not a child who only played aimlessly every day. Children needed to make friends on their own; they might get hurt or deceived, but they couldn’t avoid experiences just to stay under their parents’ protection forever.

Chu Xiaoyi was left speechless by her words. His thoughts were muddled, but he eventually refrained from chasing after them. He felt restless at home, unable to imagine his sister digging through the trash. Anxious, he couldn’t divert his attention and nervously rubbed his hands.

Meanwhile, Chu Xiaoxiao had already reached the dormitory to find Yang Yin. She enthusiastically entered, exclaiming, “Let’s go!”

Chu Xiaoxiao had successfully defeated her elder brother’s arguments at the dinner table. No one would delay her scavenging enterprise anymore!

“Xiaoxiao, let’s read inside tonight. It’s too dark outside,” Yang Yin politely declined, taking out a storybook from her drawer.

Chu Xiaoxiao looked surprised. “Aren’t the streetlights still on?”

Yang Yin shook her head. “I’m a bit tired today and don’t want to go out.”

Although Chu Xiaoxiao’s grand plans of buying a mansion were unexpectedly put on hold, she didn’t have much objection. She couldn’t force her older sister, Yang Yin, to go outside. Soon, her attention was diverted, and she immersed herself in the storybook, obediently heading home before it got completely dark.

Yang Yin roughly understood why Chu Xiaoxiao was upset. She naturally didn’t want to fall out with her little friend and brother, so she decided to interact with Chu Xiaoxiao indoors to maintain their friendship.

Yang Yin’s reluctance to go out with Chu Xiaoxiao also caught the latter’s attention. Xiaoxiao was quite puzzled, not understanding why Yang Yin was still treating her well but avoiding going out together. Despite Xiaoxiao’s inquiries, Yang Yin remained tight-lipped, skillfully changing the topic.

Chu Xiaoyi heard that the two of them were no longer collecting recyclables and felt relieved. As long as Chu Xiaoxiao didn’t go near the trash bins, he didn’t mind who she befriended or what she did.

His threshold for what he could tolerate was now quite low; his only concern was that his sister didn’t touch dirty places. Otherwise, she was free to do whatever she wanted.

However, Chu Xiaoyi soon noticed something was amiss. His sister had been unusually distant from him lately. She couldn’t even be bothered to reply with a simple “fine” or a “hmph.” She remained silent about the upcoming return of the program crew to Yurongtai Residences*. It seemed that even Xiaohui, her pet hamster, wasn’t enthusiastic.

*T/N: The name of the subdivision they reside in.

In the living room, Chu Xiaoxiao was silently engrossed in her iPad, treating her older brother as if he were invisible.

Chu Xiaoyi was amused and bewildered. “Xiaoxiao, what did I do to upset you? Can you at least give me a reason?”

Chu Xiaoxiao cast him a blank look from the corner, then turned her body away, ignoring her elder brother and continued her silent treatment. She was wearing a golden Pikachu-themed pajama, looking like an empty Pikachu, with a fabric lightning bolt tail exposed.

Chu Xiaoyi was both annoyed and amused. He reached out to tug at her pajama’s tail and said, “Don’t pretend to be a mushroom in the corner!”

Chu Xiaoxiao pouted in dissatisfaction, “Since you showed up that day, Yang Yin no longer wants to go out and play with me. We only play indoors now.”

“?”

Chu Xiaoyi asked, “How is that my concern?”

He was starting to forget who Yang Yin even was, let alone the reason for her annoyance.

Chu Xiaoxiao suddenly jumped up and asserted firmly, “It definitely has something to do with you!”

Although Chu Xiaoxiao wasn’t clear about the exact reasons, she was convinced that there was a subtle connection between her elder brother and the situation. After the three of them met in the community that day, Yang Yin changed her habits that very evening. They no longer went out together, only spending their time indoors reading or doing crafts.

Yang Yin’s attitude towards Chu Xiaoxiao hadn’t changed, and Chu Xiaoyi’s attitude towards her hadn’t changed either. Yet somehow, things had taken a turn for the worse. Chu Xiaoxiao looked beyond the surface and believed the issue lay with her elder brother.

Chu Xiaoyi raised an eyebrow, “Then tell me, if you’re so sure. You can’t just accuse me without any basis.”

Chu Xiaoxiao fell into silence instantly. She furrowed her brows and thought hard, but she couldn’t come up with a suitable reason.

Chu Xiaoyi shrugged casually, “Alright then, if it’s not my fault, stop blaming me!”

Seeing him trying to dodge the blame, Chu Xiaoxiao stomped her foot in frustration, spinning in place. She blurted out angrily, “It’s, it’s definitely because you’re so ugly! You scared Sister Yang Yin away that day!”

“???”

Chu Xiaoyi couldn’t help but chuckle, “Chu Xiaoxiao, have you become nearsighted at three years old? Do you even know how handsome your brother is!?”

It’s tolerable when others say it. But how could she, who came from the same parents, call me ugly?!

Chu Xiaoxiao grew more adamant, “It must be because you’re so ugly that it scared her away! Even Sister Yang Yin doesn’t dare to go out anymore.”

Chu Xiaoyi turned his head away, shouting loudly, “Mom! Dad! Your daughter’s eyesight is messed up! She’s gone blind at such a young age!”

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