Chapter 26.1

Xiao Bi was eventually called out of the study, sighing helplessly as she took on the role of a referee in this sibling showdown.

Chu Xiaoyi circled around his mother, launching his complaint, “Mom, Xiaoxiao said I’m ugly! She said I’m ugly, even though we’re both your children!”

Chu Xiaoxiao refused to be outdone and jumped in, “And he said I’m blind! He said I’m blind!”

“…”

What kind of kindergarten-level battle is this?

Stepping in to mediate, Xiao Bi spoke gently, “Alright, alright, both of you are in the wrong. How can you attack each other like this?”

Upon closer consideration, Chu Xiaoxiao realized she was off-topic. Instead of the ugliness and blindness issue, she redirected the conversation, “No, he said Sister Yang Yin was ugly! She won’t even go out with me anymore!”

“Mom, this time she actually said I’m ugly,” Chu Xiaoyi said nonchalantly.

“I’ve never even talked to her friends, how can her problem be blamed on me?”

Not yet aware of the details, Xiao Bi patiently said, “Xiaoxiao, if you want to accuse your brother, you need to provide evidence. You can’t just accuse him unfairly.”

Xiao Bi knew that Chu Xiaoyi didn’t like his sister rummaging through the garbage cans. But after their conversation that day, he had restrained his emotions and turned a blind eye to it at home. Nobody’s perfect, and Chu Xiaoxiao shouldn’t hold onto that old grudge forever, or she’d find herself in a deadlock.

Of course, Chu Xiaoxiao couldn’t provide evidence. She only had a hunch that the two incidents were related.

She felt her anger wane a little bit and muttered, “Then can he go tell Sister Yang Yin and ask her to come out with me…”

Chu Xiaoyi looked utterly baffled, “I don’t even know her. What should I say to her?”

Chu Xiaoyi didn’t think he had such extraordinary abilities. Yang Yin wasn’t his fan, so why would she come out with his little sister just because he asked?

Seeing her daughter sulking, Xiao Bi contemplated for a few seconds before asking, “Xiaoxiao, are you sure this has anything to do with your brother?”

Chu Xiaoxiao nodded.

Xiao Bi continued, “Okay, I’ll have your brother accompany you to find Sister Yang Yin.”

Chu Xiaoyi hesitated, “Mom…”

Seeing her daughter’s excitement, Xiao Bi spoke calmly again, “But if your brother goes and nothing changes with Sister Yang Yin, then you have to apologize to him. Because this situation isn’t his fault, and you’ve wrongly accused and blamed him. Can you accept that?”

Chu Xiaoyi didn’t expect his mother to say this, but Chu Xiaoxiao readily agreed, “Okay!”

Chu Xiaoxiao’s resolute response made Chu Xiaoyi wonder if he actually had a problem.

Why would the little one risk apologizing just to drag him along? Now, he began to doubt himself. Did he really have no impression of Yang Yin?

Could he really walk up to her and say, “I’m sorry, can you please accompany my little sister to pick up trash?”

Pretending I don’t see it is my last resort. There’s no way I’m openly supporting this.

Before long, Chu Xiaoxiao led her reluctant elder brother out with determination. Chu Xiaoyi was considered a toolman, forced to carry a bag of fruit. He had never visited his sister’s friends before, but Xiao Bi had thoughtfully equipped him with props.

As they walked, Chu Xiaoxiao bounced along energetically, while Chu Xiaoyi was left feeling awkward and overwhelmed. He had no way of predicting the outcome of this situation.

Anyway, it’s just a small matter, small matter. My mom has met my friends before too, and we’ve gotten through it.

Today, with gentle breeze and sunny skies, Yang Yin’s father had already gone to work at the gate, while she had set up a small stool outside the dormitory building to do her homework and bask in the sun.

She was caught off guard by the sudden visit of the siblings. Since Chu Xiaoxiao rarely came early in the morning to play with Yang Yin, she wasn’t prepared for their arrival.

Chu Xiaoxiao was already familiar with the surroundings. Being quite at ease, she greeted, “Sister Yang Yin!”

Yang Yin didn’t expect Chu Xiaoyi to be with them as well. She suddenly felt awkward and stood up, appearing a bit flustered.

Chu Xiaoyi also felt a bit tense, but having worked for some time, he managed to put on a professional smile and politely said, “We have plenty of fruits at home, and my mom asked me to bring some over…”

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thanks to you and Auntie!” Yang Yin hurriedly expressed her gratitude, assuming that Chu Xiaoxiao couldn’t carry things, so Chu Xiaoyi took care of the task.

Before, Xiao Bi had also shared plenty of snacks with Yang Yin. During festivals and holidays, their house would be filled with mooncakes and pastries. Chu Xiaoxiao used to bring over a small box, acting as a snack provider for the children during playtime.

The dorm room was a bit crowded, so Yang Yin could only bring out a small stool and place it at the doorway, her face showing a hint of embarrassment. Chu Xiaoyi, on the other hand, felt more relaxed. He thought that chatting outdoors in the sunlight was a lot easier for him than going inside someone’s room, which might pose a bigger challenge.

Finally seated, Chu Xiaoxiao tried her best to convey her intentions to her brother through winks and gestures. Her face practically screamed, “Get Yang Yin to go scavenging with me!”

She kept a close watch on Chu Xiaoyi.

Feeling as though he had a thorn in his side, Chu Xiaoyi hesitated to bring up the scavenging topic. His cleanliness obsession was still a concern. He glanced at the math homework on a nearby chair and curiously asked, “Are you studying? Did we interrupt you?”

Yang Yin quickly tried to hide her textbook, but Chu Xiaoyi, not wanting to touch upon the topic of scavenging, found something to say, “Can I take a look?”

Yang Yin hesitated, not understanding what could be interesting about her homework, but she handed it over to Chu Xiaoyi, saying, “Sure…”

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