There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Elder Sister of a Brother-Obsessed Family X University Professor

After returning home, Ruan Jiyun proactively took charge of everything. She quickly wheeled Jiang Peifeng into the living room and poured her a glass of water: “I can manage everything myself. You don’t need to do anything.”

Jiang Peifeng readily agreed: “Then I’ll just wait to taste your cooking.”

She watched Ruan Jiyun pick up the shopping bags and walk briskly into the kitchen. Soon, the faint sound of dishes and bowls clattering could be heard, and after a while, an aroma began to waft out.

The sun was shining perfectly outside the window. Just as she had said, Ruan Jiyun was very skilled at cooking and prepared several dishes using the ingredients they had just bought from the supermarket.

She stewed beef brisket with tomatoes, cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and fried them for a crispy texture, stir-fried celery with newly available lilies, and made pork rib soup with yams. A full table was set with these dishes and a platter of preserved meat rice.

Jiang Peifeng took a deep breath and laughed: “Just smelling this makes me hungry.”

After Ruan Jiyun served her rice, she first picked up a piece of beef. The meat was stewed very tenderly, melting in her mouth, immediately releasing the rich flavor of tomato juice, which was utterly appetizing.

As an experienced foodie, Jiang Peifeng was almost instantly conquered by the meal. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Ruan Jiyun: “Your cooking skills are truly amazing!”

Ruan Jiyun’s cheeks were flushed from the praise: “I only know how to make home-style dishes. I usually cook when my mom is too busy, so I’m just more practiced. It’s not as good as you say.”

“Seriously, it’s better than many restaurants I’ve eaten at,” Jiang Peifeng said, serving herself another bowl of rice. “I’m going to overeat today.”

Seeing her diligently eating, a sense of joy also rose in Ruan Jiyun’s heart. Ever since she met Jiang Peifeng, the older woman had always been taking care of her, making her feel a little frustrated that she couldn’t reciprocate anything.

Now, seeing Jiang Peifeng’s smile, Ruan Jiyun felt a great sense of accomplishment. She said confidently: “I can cook other dishes for you in the future… Always eating takeout is also… not good for your health.”

Jiang Peifeng watched her with a smile, thinking this was a great idea. The little white flower probably didn’t get to eat much good food at home, or she wouldn’t be so thin and small even at eighteen. If this provided an opportunity for her to eat more good food here, that would be a good thing.

Thinking this, she readily nodded: “Mhm, thank you. I believe I’ll be enjoying good food from now on.”

During Ruan Jiyun’s final year of high school, it was as if a beam of light had suddenly shone through a skylight. She saw a vast sky outside the window. Although her view was still framed within a small square, she knew there was a whole new world waiting outside.

She maintained her habit of going to Jiang Peifeng’s house every week. Initially, it was to help organize documents, but increasingly, Jiang Peifeng would pull out practice test papers and have her attempt them.

These test papers came from various cities, with the names of key middle schools written on the seal lines. At first, she still needed to pause and ponder with her pen, but soon she could handle them with ease.

Her intelligence was higher than Jiang Peifeng had expected.

The outline of her future world was slowly being etched into clarity.

“The college entrance exam is like a fair battle. You know the opponent’s range of attack, intensity, and target, so as long as you practice in advance and prepare everything, you can respond with composure,” Jiang Peifeng commented with a smile after helping her review the math concepts.

Ruan Jiyun smoothed out the paper she had written on, carefully tucking it into a file bag. Just as Jiang Peifeng remembered, she always liked to collect and keep everything they used together. Even the depleted pen Jiang Peifeng intended to throw away was discovered to have been secretly hidden by the little white flower when she turned around.

Like a small hamster guarding its treasures, quietly hiding a sense of security that belonged only to herself.

“Have you decided which university you want to apply to?” She had seen Ruan Jiyun’s report card. Her provincial ranking was high, enough to aim for her dream school.

But Ruan Jiyun already had an answer in her heart. Her eyes were bright as she crisply replied: “Chengjing University of Science and Technology!”

There was only one answer, which she had unintentionally discovered on Jiang Peifeng’s computer—it was her undergraduate alma mater.

Jiang Peifeng smiled, as expected: “That’s great. If you get into CST, Xiao Yun, you’ll be my junior schoolmate. But, did you ever consider Chengjing University…?” She was currently employed there and had hoped to look after the little white flower more closely.

Ruan Jiyun smiled and shook her head: “CST has the number one Computer Science department in the country.”

She had never known before that universities were such a thing. In her limited understanding, her parents always said studying was for getting a good job in the future. She had always assumed that university was just a slightly more rigorous version of high school.

But Jiang Peifeng made her understand that the meaning of higher education was far beyond just employment. It was a vast new world where the questions that troubled you would find answers, but this answer wasn’t a ready-made notification; it was an entry point, an opportunity for different ideas to enter one’s life.

Now, she wanted to enter that world.

Of course, besides these reasons, she had another, more secret desire that she couldn’t share—she wanted to be Jiang Peifeng’s junior schoolmate. She wanted to personally see the campus where she once studied and lived, attend classes in the same classrooms, touch the same sycamore trees, and perhaps, walk through the lively playground at dusk and look up at the same brilliant sunset.

Thoughts like this filled Ruan Jiyun with anticipation, making even the endless exercises and homework in her senior year classes seem somewhat endearing.

The college entrance exam was in June. For students in Z City, known as a “furnace city,” it was undoubtedly a tough ordeal.

All students from Ruan Jiyun’s high school were assigned to the distant Luzhou Middle School for the exam. The school arranged bus transport, but more parents chose to drive their children themselves.

Ruan Jiyun’s parents were clearly not among them. Jiang Peifeng had prepared for this. Three days before the exam, she knocked on the Ruan family’s door again.

During the half-year of her recovery, the Ruan family’s affection for Jiang Peifeng had increased linearly, although this did not include Ruan Jiabao.

He was thoroughly annoyed by this seemingly amiable but sometimes stern older sister. Every time she visited, she would smile pleasantly, then, just before leaving, unexpectedly present a thick set of test papers, earnestly telling him: “You, you are a very clever child, you just won’t apply yourself to studying.”

After she left, Ruan’s mother, whose face was glowing from the praise, would immediately pressure him to do the problems. No sleeping until they were finished!

Jiabao, who opened the door, immediately looked as if facing a formidable enemy when he saw Jiang Peifeng: “S-Sister Jiang…”

“Don’t be nervous,” Jiang Peifeng winked at him. “I didn’t bring any test papers today.”

She had come specifically to discuss the arrangements for Ruan Jiyun’s exam transportation with Mr. and Mrs. Ruan: “Xiao Yun has helped me a lot this past half year. Since the exam is upon us, if you don’t object, I’d like to take care of transporting her these two days. I’ve booked a hotel next to Luzhou Middle School so she won’t have to travel back and forth. What are your thoughts?”

Ruan’s mother glanced at her husband. Seeing that he didn’t speak, she replied with hesitant politeness: “Xiao Feng, you’re too kind… She’s just a girl. She’s not that delicate that she needs to stay in a hotel…”

“The college entrance exam is a major life event, after all,” Jiang Peifeng said with a gentle smile. “With two children in your family, one taking the middle school exam and one the college exam, I imagine you are very busy. I’ll help out where I can. When Xiao Yun goes to take her exam, Jiabao can also review in peace, right?”

This last sentence struck a chord with Ruan’s mother. She pondered for a moment and finally nodded: “It’s a lot of trouble for you then. You know our situation… with two children, it’s hard to look after both, so her sister has to be more understanding.”

Jiang Peifeng didn’t mind her blatant favoritism. As long as the little white flower could take the exam smoothly, she didn’t mind exchanging pleasantries with the Ruan family. She then stood up to leave: “I’ll come to pick up Xiao Yun on Monday morning.”

That summer was exceptionally hot. The air was like fire, and even breathing felt scalding. Jiang Peifeng woke up early to drive Ruan Jiyun to the examination center. She pulled out a printed sheet and asked about the detailed requirements listed on it, one by one: “Did you bring your ID card?”

“And your admission ticket.”

“You should also test all your pens to make sure they’re not running out of ink.”

She was meticulous about every detail. Finally, Ruan Jiyun couldn’t help but laugh: “You’re more nervous than I am.”

Jiang Peifeng also found it a little funny. She fastened Ruan Jiyun’s seatbelt before starting the car: “It’s a major life event. It’s always right to be cautious.”

She genuinely was a little nervous.

She parked the car in the designated area outside the examination center and watched the little white flower pass through the security check smoothly. With nothing to do, Jiang Peifeng didn’t dare to leave, only pacing outside the iron gate.

She wasn’t alone. The cars and shelters around were filled with parents sending off their children. Two mothers wearing qipao saw Jiang Peifeng and proactively greeted her: “Who are you sending off?”

“My sister,” Jiang Peifeng replied with a smile.

The two mothers nodded knowingly. The waiting period during the exam was undoubtedly long, and they quickly started exchanging information.

“You should also wear a qipao for ‘a victory upon arrival!'” one mother tugged at the red silk skirt she was wearing. “It’s for good luck!”

Jiang Peifeng hadn’t thought of that. She asked seriously: “What else?”

“Don’t make breakfast too greasy. It’s easy for children to get indigestion and affect their state. It’s best to eat normally, whatever they usually have!”

“Set multiple alarms! Above all else, make sure they don’t miss the exam time!”

The parents chatted softly, one after another, as if this could alleviate their anxiety. Just then, a middle-aged man in a black T-shirt walked over. He pointed to Jiang Peifeng: “Miss, you’re young and energetic. Why don’t you join us as a volunteer later?”

There was a crossroad not far from here. The parents had spontaneously organized to take water bottles and cooling fans to the intersection to keep watch, in case of accidents or drivers honking for a long time, which could affect the students’ emotions.

This careful, and sometimes overly cautious, protection was all a display of profound parental love.

Jiang Peifeng was good-looking. She was eventually assigned to hand out free tissues at the entrance of a nearby residential area, promoting understanding among the elderly and asking them to keep the volume of their square dancing music down for the next two days, so as not to disturb the children’s exams.

When Ruan Jiyun walked out of the exam room, she immediately saw Jiang Peifeng holding a huge cardboard box. Her face was flushed from the sun, and she greeted Ruan Jiyun with bright eyes: “That was hard work. Hurry to the car and drink some water.”

This was another piece of advice imparted by the mothers: never ask how the first exam went, and talk about lighthearted topics.

She took very good care of Ruan Jiyun.

The hotel they booked in advance was not far from the examination center. The room was clean and tidy. Based on the experience she gained from chatting at the exam site, Jiang Peifeng had also slipped the waiter a tip and asked the kitchen to prepare a few light, simple dishes separately.

She wanted to give Ruan Jiyun the room to study, but the little white flower firmly refused.

“A little while won’t hurt,” she pulled on Jiang Peifeng’s sleeve, looking at her expectantly. “Besides, you’re usually there when I’m studying anyway…”

That soft, longing gaze was too compelling. An idea flickered in Jiang Peifeng’s mind: “How about… taking a shower?”

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