There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Elder Sister of a Brother-Obsessed Family X University Professor

The air conditioner was blowing cool air. The person under the blast squinted her large eyes, like a beautiful kitten, revealing a soft and sweet smile.

The weather was hotter than she could have imagined. Ruan Jiyun had thought the next few days would be very difficult, and while she wasn’t afraid of hard work, she was finally a little worried that it might affect her performance.

She hadn’t expected Jiang Peifeng to proactively suggest driving her to the exam, and moreover, to stay with her.

This realization subtly warmed Ruan Jiyun’s heart. The sound of water “splashing” in the bathroom grew clearer in her ears. She absently stared into space while flipping through the English book in her hand.

A faint, clean scent of body wash wafted through the air. Jiang Peifeng always carried a clean fragrance. Her gaze shifted, and in the next second, she did something silly that even made her own head fuzzy.

She took several deep breaths of the air.

How silly. Ruan Jiyun dropped the book, covering her flushed face. What am I doing?

The bathroom door creaked open. Jiang Peifeng walked out, wiping her hair, and was startled to see the little white flower’s face entirely red: “Why is your face so red? You didn’t get heatstroke, did you?”

She still carried the scent of body wash, and water dripped from her long hair. As she leaned close, a sudden coolness touched Ruan Jiyun’s forehead. Jiang Peifeng had placed her hand there, seriously checking her temperature.

Ruan Jiyun felt even hotter.

Jiang Peifeng was too close. The collar of her bathrobe was loose, the front slightly open. A slight shift of Ruan Jiyun’s gaze would fall on a expanse of white—dark hair, a snowy white neck, all wet and saturating her vision.

She quickly turned her head, hurriedly pushing the hand away: “I… I was too nervous reciting the book!”

This answer made Jiang Peifeng breathe a sigh of relief. She had been worried about Ruan Jiyun’s psychological state. Hearing her say it herself, she said with relief: “Then let’s do a relaxation exercise together.”

Ruan Jiyun: “…?”

The so-called relaxation exercise involved them sitting on the bed together, closing their eyes to meditate, clearing their minds of clutter, and quietly focusing only on the rhythm of their breathing, feeling the changes in the air flow through their bodies. This was one of Jiang Peifeng’s gains from the day. The mother had adamantly promised that this method came from a meditation class that cost tens of thousands.

Ruan Jiyun was guided by Jiang Peifeng to sit by the bed. Seeing Jiang Peifeng’s earnest look, she could only obediently comply.

After all, she was genuinely nervous for herself. She closed her eyes, intending to just humor her for a bit.

However, as her breathing gradually calmed, she found herself unexpectedly relaxed. Her scattered thoughts were organized little by little, and the confusing, anxious feelings slowly settled into peace.

There was nothing to fear. This was a battle that belonged to her. She had a place she wanted to go, a place where someone would smile gently at her and care for her.

She was walking toward where that person was, step by step, and she would definitely reach her side.

Accompanied by the ‘Send-Off Team,’ the second day of the exam finally concluded.

The moment the bell rang, even Jiang Peifeng felt a wave of relief. She jumped out of the car, turned her gaze toward the slowly opening school iron gates, and smiled as she headed toward the girl who rushed out.

Ruan Jiyun’s face carried a relieved smile that widened when she saw Jiang Peifeng. She ran to her like a nimble fawn, looking up at her.

“Good girl,” Jiang Peifeng praised. “You must be exhausted? Get in the car, and I’ll take you to get a drink.”

Ruan Jiyun still looked at her with those bright, shining eyes. Her gaze was too sincere. Jiang Peifeng could barely handle the girl’s enthusiasm and laughed: “What’s wrong? Do I have a flower on my face?”

“I tested exceptionally well,” Ruan Jiyun whispered, her voice bubbling with barely contained excitement. She repeated herself, her eyes dancing with unconcealed joy: “Wait for me. I’m definitely going to CST and become your… schoolmate!”

Jiang Peifeng was a little surprised. Ruan Jiyun was never a person who expressed her emotions passionately. On the contrary, she was always slightly shy in her memory. Now, being watched so intensely, the corners of Jiang Peifeng’s mouth curved up, and she slowly smiled.

She reached out and stroked Ruan Jiyun’s hair, her tone indescribably gentle: “Alright, I’ll be waiting for you.”

After the college entrance exam ended, Ruan Jiyun didn’t get any rest. Ruan’s mother had already planned out her summer vacation.

“Summer is the peak season. Now, your dad’s school is monitoring things closely and won’t let them earn extra money outside. You’re old enough now, and you should lighten the family’s burden,” Cheng Nuoe said self-righteously. “You’ll come help me starting tomorrow.”

With two students in the family, their financial situation was tight. Ruan Jiyun knew this, and she murmured: “I understand.”

She was only a little regretful. She had thought she could spend a few more days with Sister Jiang during the vacation. Since Jiang Peifeng’s leg had recovered, she knew the day of her return to A City wasn’t far off. Thinking this, Ruan Jiyun looked down, a little dejected.

When Jiang Peifeng heard about this, she comforted her: “It’s alright. My vacation is also over, and I have to go back to school the day after tomorrow. We’ll see each other again in A City once your results come out.”

Ruan Jiyun whispered: “Are you that confident in me?”

She had estimated her score with Jiang Peifeng. Barring any surprises, she should have done well. Jiang Peifeng had also found out about Chengjing University of Science and Technology’s enrollment plan, and with Ruan Jiyun’s scores, admission was almost guaranteed.

Jiang Peifeng laughed: “Of course. I’m looking forward to leeching off your cooking after you start university.” She had planned everything out. Once Ruan Jiyun arrived in A City, if she didn’t want to live on campus, she would help her rent an apartment nearby, and also take her to the newly opened amusement park to make up for the regrets of her childhood.

Thinking of all this, there were quite a few things to prepare. She patted the little white flower’s head: “Just enjoy your summer vacation at home in peace. I’ll come pick you up myself before the semester starts.”

Ruan Jiyun felt a surge of excitement thinking about her future life.

Even going to the tutoring center to help out, she felt more energized. The blazing heat of midsummer made the classroom, crammed with twenty or thirty children, chaotic and busy. Ruan Jiyun was responsible for odd jobs: wiping the blackboard, cleaning, and occasionally monitoring the class for Cheng Nuoe and the other teachers. She was utterly swamped.

She wasn’t even able to see Jiang Peifeng off when she left.

Ruan Jiyun pushed open the front door, sweating profusely, and saw Ruan Jiabao lying on the cooling mat playing a game. After the middle school exam, Jiabao had no restraints and spent virtually all his time on his phone. Seeing his sister return, he complained: “I’m starving!”

“I’m back to cook for you now, aren’t I?” Ruan Jiyun quickly washed her face. “I have to go back to the tutoring center later. I’ll make you some cold noodles.”

She was washing vegetables while keeping track of the time when she unexpectedly heard her brother say: “Oh, right, Sister Jiang came by this morning.”

“She had something she needed?” Ruan Jiyun stopped what she was doing and asked, her ears perked up.

Ruan Jiabao wasn’t that interested in Jiang Peifeng. He just said indifferently: “She said she was going back to A City. She asked about you, and I said you went to help at the tutoring center, so she left.”

Ruan Jiyun was so anxious she didn’t even bother to wipe her hands: “She left? She didn’t say anything else?”

“She left, so she left—” Ruan Jiabao didn’t even look up, focused on the battle unfolding on his screen. “Oh, she did say she left something for you, put it in the usual spot…”

Before he finished speaking, he saw his sister flash past him like a gust of wind, rushing to the door, putting on her shoes, and opening the door in one smooth motion. With a bang, the door closed again.

“She ran off without even making dinner…” He pouted and went back to his game.

Ruan Jiyun’s heart was pounding. The staircase in the afternoon was quiet and looked no different from usual, but in her eyes, it seemed completely transformed.

Because that person had briefly stopped here, this dark and silent hallway had been imbued with colors that only she could see.

Behind that closed front door, someone who had saved her dull years had once appeared.

She pressed her lips together, her fingers unconsciously tightening into a fist. She encouraged herself: In two months, two months at most, I’ll be going to university in A City. We’ll see each other again then.

Yet, there was still a sense of loss inside. The realization that Jiang Peifeng was gone left a void in her heart.

She hurried to the brown wooden door and opened the milk box nailed next to it.

Previously, Jiang Peifeng had been afraid that she wouldn’t be able to open the door in time every time Ruan Jiyun came over, so she simply put the spare key inside. This gradually became a silent agreement between them.

The ‘usual spot’ could only be here.

Ruan Jiyun confidently opened the milk box and, sure enough, saw a silver key quietly lying inside.

After opening the door, the house still retained traces of the person who had lived there. The scratch papers and documents piled on the desk were gone, making it look much tidier. Ruan Jiyun gently walked in.

Her eyes lingered on the desk, where she suddenly noticed a sticky note.

To Xiao Yun:

I’m leaving the key for you. When you have free time, you can come check on the house for me. Feel free to read any books on the shelves.

P.S.: Please help me eat the food in the fridge.

Looking forward to seeing you again. Jiang Peifeng.

Ruan Jiyun read the few short lines repeatedly. She gripped the key, and only after a long moment did she carefully tuck it into her pocket.

Since Jiang Peifeng had said so, she should take good care of the house for her, perhaps occasionally cleaning and airing it out, so that it would be more convenient when she returned next time.

She walked into the kitchen, making plans. Jiang Peifeng mentioned the food in the fridge. Perhaps it was the groceries they bought during their last supermarket trip? Those indeed needed to be dealt with quickly…

A blast of cold air rushed out as she opened the refrigerator door, making Ruan Jiyun’s eyes widen in surprise.

Before her was a fully stocked refrigerator: the top shelf held various flavors of yogurt and milk, followed by pudding and chocolates. Below, there was a wide array of candies and biscuits. She pulled open the freezer compartment and, as expected, saw a whole box of ice cream.

Every item was brand new, and they were all brands she had mentioned she liked, or things she had occasionally eaten a few extra bites of, which Jiang Peifeng had noted. She had quietly bought and stocked the fridge, item by item, waiting for Ruan Jiyun to discover this gift.

The world that had become dim suddenly burst forth with dazzling colors again.

She, too, was a person who was cherished.

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