Chapter 65 – From Now On, I’ll Smile Only for You, Okay?
Lin Yuejiu’s ears turned red. “Where did you hear that from? That never happened.”
“I heard it straight from your best friend, Chen Qianxi.”
Lin Yuejiu: “……”
Oh, that traitor.
Seeing the look on her face like she was about to settle accounts with someone, he chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. I already said I’d take responsibility.”
Lin Yuejiu was glad her hair was down—otherwise, everyone would have seen how red her face was.
“This has nothing to do with you. I was just thinking about the math competition yesterday, that’s why I rolled off the bed.”
“Mm, mm, I believe you. But since I’m the one tutoring you in math, I still have to take responsibility.”
Lin Yuejiu shoved the test papers into his hands. “Hurry up and do the papers already. Why do you talk so much?”
Seeing how she hid her face behind her hair, Xu Nianshen decided not to tease her anymore. He obediently sat back down at his seat and started on the test papers.
The two of them spoke softly, and since class wasn’t in session, Chen Qianxi couldn’t quite catch what they were saying.
Huh? Did the two of them just say some kind of big, shocking secret while I wasn’t listening?
She nudged Du Zhuo with her elbow. “Hey, did you see that just now?”
“See what?”
“They were whispering to each other!”
Du Zhuo gave her a baffled look. “So what? Who hasn’t whispered before?”
“No, the point is, I felt like… something was off when they whispered.”
“What do you mean, off?”
“Just… off.”
Du Zhuo slowly caught on. “You’re saying…”
Chen Qianxi nodded.
The two of them lifted their heads at the same time. In front of them, the pair were already quietly working on their papers.
…Looked like they had just missed out on a billion-dollar scoop.
After school, Xu’s mother sent a message inviting Lin Yuejiu to dinner again. Yuejiu agreed and went home with Xu Nianshen.
When Chen Qianxi saw the two of them leaving together, she asked, “Jiujiu, where are you going?”
“Me? Auntie Xu asked me over for dinner.”
Chen Qianxi glanced at Xu Nianshen beside her. “Study-God Xu, you must make sure our Jiujiu gets home safely.”
“Mm.”
The two of them walked out side by side again.
Chen Qianxi rubbed her chin as she watched their backs. They’ve already met the parents. The next step can’t be far off, right?
Walking together on the road, Lin Yuejiu asked him, “Did you tell Auntie Xu and Uncle Xu… about us?”
“What about us?”
“About what happened yesterday.”
“What happened yesterday?”
“Just…” Lin Yuejiu was about to answer when she suddenly sensed something was off. She turned and saw the teasing smile tugging at his lips. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
“What am I doing on purpose?” Xu Nianshen smiled. “You just said… what exactly happened yesterday? Did something happen between us?”
Lin Yuejiu turned her head away and ignored him.
Xu Nianshen leaned closer, whispering by her ear, “Oh, you mean the confession yesterday. But since you haven’t agreed to be my girl… friend, and I’m not your boy… friend, why would I tell them?”
He deliberately emphasized the words boyfriend and girlfriend, making Lin Yuejiu’s ears flush red. She quickly pushed him away, her tone filled with shy annoyance: “You’re so annoying!”
Xu Nianshen looked at her, smiling happily.
Lin Yuejiu caught sight of his smile, froze for a moment, then blurted, “Stop smiling.”
“Why? I don’t even have the right to smile now?” Xu Nianshen looked at her with deliberate leisure.
Lin Yuejiu glared at him. “I said you’re not allowed to smile.”
“Why not? At least give me a reason.”
Lin Yuejiu quickened her pace. Xu Nianshen heard her mutter under her breath, “Your smile looks so good, it’ll only attract others.”
Xu Nianshen froze in place for a moment, then quickly caught up to her, grabbing her wrist, smiling like a kid who’d gotten away with something.
“So… you were jealous just now?”
“We’re not even together yet, and you’re already worried?”
Lin Yuejiu spun around to argue. “I was not jealous!”
“Really not jealous? Then why won’t you let me smile?”
Lin Yuejiu’s ears turned red. “Where did you hear that from? There’s no such thing.”
“I heard it straight from your good friend Chen Qianxi.”
Lin Yuejiu: “……”
Oh, that traitor.
Seeing her look like she was ready to settle accounts with someone, he chuckled. “It’s fine, didn’t I already say I’d take responsibility?”
Luckily, Lin Yuejiu’s hair was down, otherwise everyone would have seen how flushed her face was.
“This has nothing to do with you. It’s just that I was thinking about the math competition yesterday, so I fell off the bed.”
“Mhm, mhm, I believe you. But since I’m the one tutoring you in math, that still makes it my responsibility.”
Lin Yuejiu shoved the test paper into his hands. “Hurry up and do the test paper. Why do you talk so much?”
Seeing her hide her face behind her hair, Xu Nianshen decided to stop teasing her. He obediently went back to his seat and started working on the test.
The two of them were speaking softly, and since class hadn’t started yet, Chen Qianxi couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Huh? Did the two of them just whisper some earth-shattering secret while I wasn’t paying attention?
She nudged Du Zhuo with her elbow. “Hey, did you see that just now?”
“See what?”
“They were whispering to each other!”
Du Zhuo gave her a puzzled look. “So what? Who hasn’t whispered before?”
“No, the key point is that I feel like there was something off about the way they were whispering!”
“What do you mean off?”
“Just… off.”
Du Zhuo slowly realized. “You mean…”
Chen Qianxi nodded.
The two of them simultaneously looked toward the front. Both of them had their heads down, doing test papers.
…It felt like they had just missed out on a fortune.
After school, Xu’s mother messaged Lin Yuejiu again, inviting her to dinner. She agreed, so after school, she went home with Xu Nianshen.
Seeing the two of them leave together, Chen Qianxi asked, “Jiujiu, where are you going?”
“Me? Auntie Xu invited me to her house for dinner.”
Chen Qianxi glanced at Xu Nianshen beside her. “Study God Xu, you’d better make sure you send our Jiujiu back safely.”
“Mm.”
The two of them left side by side again.
Chen Qianxi rubbed her chin as she watched their backs. They’ve even met the parents already… how far off could the next step be?
Walking together on the road, Lin Yuejiu asked him, “Did you tell Auntie Xu and Uncle Xu… about us?”
“What about us?”
“What happened yesterday.”
“What happened yesterday?”
“Just…” Lin Yuejiu was about to answer when she realized something was off. She turned and saw the playful smile tugging at his lips. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Did what on purpose?” Xu Nianshen smiled. “What exactly were you about to say? Did something happen between us yesterday?”
Lin Yuejiu turned her head away and ignored him.
Xu Nianshen leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Oh, you mean the confession yesterday? But you haven’t agreed to be my girl–friend yet, and I’m not your boy–friend, so why would I tell them that?”
He deliberately stressed the words boyfriend and girlfriend, making Lin Yuejiu’s ears burn red. She quickly shoved him away, her tone embarrassed and annoyed: “You’re so annoying!”
Xu Nianshen looked at her, smiling brightly.
Lin Yuejiu caught sight of his smile and froze for a moment. Then she snapped back to her senses. “Stop smiling.”
“Why? I don’t even have the right to smile now?” Xu Nianshen asked leisurely.
Lin Yuejiu glared at him. “I said you’re not allowed to smile.”
“Why not? At least give me a reason.”
Lin Yuejiu walked faster. Xu Nianshen caught her soft mutter: “If you smile that nicely, who knows who you’ll attract over.”
Xu Nianshen paused in place, then quickly caught up to her, grabbing her wrist. Grinning like a kid, he said, “So you were jealous just now, huh?”
“We’re not even together yet, and you’re already worried?”
Lin Yuejiu turned back to argue, “I wasn’t jealous!”
“Really not jealous? Then why don’t you want me to smile?”
Lin Yuejiu stayed silent.
“Is it because you’re afraid if I smile too much, it’ll attract girls?”
Lin Yuejiu realized he must have heard her, and deliberately brought it up in front of her. “If you already know, why are you asking me?”
“So you admit it?”
Lin Yuejiu rolled her eyes and kept walking forward. How childish—he already knew but still wanted her to say it out loud again.
Xu Nianshen caught up and walked beside her. “Alright, I was wrong. I just wanted to hear you say it with your own mouth.”
“Why are you guys always like this—already knowing something but still asking again?”
Xu Nianshen pinched her nose lightly. “Because words from someone else’s mouth might not be true. We want to hear it directly. Sometimes, even after hearing it, we’ll confirm again. That way, the joy feels more real.”
Lin Yuejiu tilted her head to look at him. “So you felt joy?”
“Of course.”
“And what about you?”
“Me? You didn’t say anything. Why would I feel happy for no reason?”
Xu Nianshen chuckled softly, leaning close to her ear. “From now on, I’ll only smile for you. How about that?”
Lin Yuejiu’s ears instantly turned red.
His voice carried even more delight. “Are you happy now?”
Lin Yuejiu averted her gaze to hide her fluster, and softly replied, “Mm.”
At the doorway, Xu’s mother noticed them and asked, “Why are you two so late today? You usually come much earlier.”
“Mom, I stayed after school to do a few more math problems, and I forgot the time.”
Xu’s mother gave him a reproachful look. “You silly boy. Couldn’t you have done those math problems at home?”
“Yes, I was wrong. It won’t happen again.”
“Come in, Jiujiu. Quickly, come inside.”
“Alright.”
As Lin Yuejiu passed by Xu Nianshen, she stepped on his foot.
All his fault—he’d been whispering in her ear the whole way, making her ears burn the entire time.
Xu Nianshen hissed in pain, but Xu’s mother neither saw nor heard it.
He looked at Lin Yuejiu’s back and smiled.
Inside the living room, Xu’s father was playing Chinese chess with Xu Nian. When he saw Lin Yuejiu, he greeted her, “Jiujiu.”
“Hello, Uncle Xu. Hello, Brother Nian.”
Lin Yuejiu walked over to watch, with Xu Nianshen following behind.
“Jiujiu, do you understand how to play?” Xu’s father asked.
“Yes.” Back at the Lin household, her father loved chess too and had taught her until she could play alongside him.
“Then take a look. In this situation, who has the bigger chance of winning?”
Lin Yuejiu studied the board carefully. “At the moment, Brother Nian has the higher chance of winning.”
Xu Nian smirked. “Dad, looks like you’re about to lose.”
Lin Yuejiu smiled. “Brother Nian, not necessarily.”
Xu Nian: “???”
Xu’s father chuckled. “What do you mean by that, Jiujiu? Are you saying I still have a chance to turn the tables?”
“Yes.”
“Impossible!” Xu Nian immediately denied. “Obviously, I’m going to win.”
“As long as Uncle Xu moves one specific piece, the situation can be reversed.”
“Really?” Xu Nianshen, standing beside Xu Nian, asked with curiosity.
“Want to bet on it?”
“I’ll bet my brother wins.”
“I’ll bet Uncle Xu wins.”
The two players looked at each other.
“Looks like I have to win this one,” Xu Nian said as he moved a piece.
Xu’s father also picked up a chess piece. “Not necessarily.”
Just as Lin Yuejiu said, with one move, the board changed.
A few steps later, Xu’s father grinned. “You’ve lost, son.”
