Chapter 165: Highlighting Key Points for the Exam

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Luo Yixia could not understand this kind of pain, much less truly share it. Her grandmother had endured far too much as a woman.

“Don’t cry anymore. Grandma will be asking questions in a moment.” Luo Yixia rubbed her eyes hard twice, tilted her face toward the ceiling, and kept fanning beneath her eyes with her little hand.

“There, that’s better.” Song Chengyi was actually amused into laughter by her.

They did not return home until their family called to urge them back.

Standing by the door, Luo Yixia repeatedly asked Song Chengyi, “Can you still tell that I’ve been crying?”

“It’s fine now. Much better.” In truth, her eyes were still slightly red.

The house had lost its usual quiet. As soon as she entered, Luo Yixia saw guests seated in the living room.

“Little Aunt. Little Uncle.” Song Chengyi greeted them both in turn.

Oh? Though surprised, Luo Yixia followed his example and greeted them too.

The two addressed turned to her and smiled.

“I was wondering when our Chengyi would finally find himself a girlfriend. I never expected him to win over such a lovely girl so soon.” Song Chaoyang teased him with a laugh.

“Of course. When my grandson meets someone he likes, he goes after her. He isn’t a fool.” The old lady was delighted.

Song Chengyi and Luo Yixia stood together to one side.

“When I heard from Mother that Chengyi had a girlfriend, I rushed back at once. Since he’s even brought her home for New Year, by next year he’ll probably be visiting the girl’s family to pay his respects. Thinking of that, how could I not come back now?” Song Chaoyang rose with a laugh and walked toward Luo Yixia.

Luo Yixia quickly and properly greeted her. “Little Aunt.”

“Are you Xiaxia? Let me have a good look at you.” Song Chaoyang took Luo Yixia’s hand fondly and examined her from every angle.

Luo Yixia wore a perfectly polite smile.

“She’s beautiful, and she looks so sweet and well-behaved. If my Manman were even half as fresh and lovely as you, I’d be happy.” Song Chaoyang was sincerely praising her.

Luo Yixia kept smiling, modestly replying, “Little Aunt, I’m not nearly as wonderful as you make me sound.”

“You and Manman are the same age, aren’t you?”

“I’m twenty.”

Luo Yixia had actually been wondering why Qi Manman had not come. Usually, she was forever clinging to Song Chengyi. Still, it was rather nice that she had stayed away.

Just as Luo Yixia was congratulating herself on it, a voice as clear as silver bells rang out from beyond the door.

“Brother Chengyi!”

Luo Yixia did not turn around, but she shuddered.

Sure enough, Qi Manman came running in and rushed straight toward Song Chengyi.

With her arms spread wide, Qi Manman ran up to him, preparing to give him an enthusiastic hug. But her older cousin was always so cold and distant.

“Brother, how long has it been since you last saw me? Can’t you be a little warmer?” Seeing the complete rejection on Song Chengyi’s face—and even watching him take a step back—Qi Manman pouted.

“Manman, greet everyone first.” Song Chaoyang frowned at her daughter. She could neither stand nor sit properly, and when compared with Luo Yixia, every one of her flaws seemed even more obvious.

Qi Manman obediently went around the room, greeting everyone one by one. When she greeted her grandmother, in particular, her words were so sweet they seemed coated in honey.

“Your cousin’s wife is over there. Go and say hello to her too,” the old lady said with a chuckle.

Only then did Qi Manman slowly turn her gaze toward Luo Yixia, who was standing beside Song Chengyi.

Her eyes were filled with unmistakable disdain.

“She isn’t even older than me.”

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Everyone in the room was momentarily speechless. Qi Manman’s birthday was in the first lunar month, while Luo Yixia’s was in May. By that reckoning, she was indeed younger.

“Whether she’s older than you or not, she’s still your cousin’s wife,” Song Chaoyang said sternly.

“Mother, why are you in such a hurry? She and my cousin aren’t married, and they haven’t even registered their marriage. Things like that are hard to say. Even if they do get married, they can still get divorced. Why call her that so soon?” Qi Manman said casually.

Afterward, everyone’s expression turned unpleasant.

Even Song Chengyi, whose face was usually expressionless, knitted his brows.

Yet Luo Yixia, the person involved, seemed entirely unaffected. If anything, she simply felt that it was all so familiar. This was exactly how Qi Manman belittled people.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and apologize to your cousin’s wife.” No one else had spoken, but Qi Manman’s father had already turned cold and reprimanded her.

“Dad.” Seeing that even her usually indulgent father was taking an outsider’s side, Qi Manman grew even angrier.

“Manman, listen to me. Apologize to your cousin’s wife. It’s New Year’s—what kind of nonsense are you talking about? Are you deliberately trying to make your grandmother angry?” Song Chaoyang lowered her voice and scolded her as well.

For the first time, Qi Manman, who had always been showered with boundless affection, felt genuinely wronged.

Her aunt and uncle no longer wore the smiles they usually gave her. Her grandmother lowered her head and sipped her tea, but the displeasure surrounding her was unmistakable.

Now even her own parents were blaming her.

“Little Aunt, Little Uncle, it’s all right. What Manman said is true. It really is too early to call me that, and we’re the same age anyway. It would feel strange.” Luo Yixia tried to ease the tension in the room.

“That’s right, that’s right. Young people can call each other whatever they like. There’s no need to be so particular,” Zhou Yun added, helping to smooth things over.

And so the matter passed.

Qi Manman, however, became even more displeased with Luo Yixia.

At dinner, the entire family gathered around one table.

Song Chengyi pulled Luo Yixia down beside him, while Qi Manman sat next to the old lady.

She kept flattering and entertaining the old lady until the latter laughed heartily.

Song Chengyi placed a piece of braised pork in Luo Yixia’s bowl.

“It’s sweet. Try it.”

“Won’t it make me gain weight?” Luo Yixia lowered her eyes to her increasingly rounded stomach.

Qi Manman glanced over, immediately picked up a piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into her mouth. “Wow, Grandma, this braised pork is incredible! It’s rich but not greasy. I could eat an entire bowl.”

“Be careful not to eat so much that you gain weight,” the old lady said, having heard nothing of Luo Yixia and Song Chengyi’s conversation.

“How could I, Grandma? You know me. No matter how much I eat, I never gain weight. Unlike young people nowadays—they’re afraid to eat this and afraid to eat that, and they have to diet to lose weight.” Her tone was distinctly barbed.

Whether anyone else noticed or not, Luo Yixia certainly did.

“I completely agree with Manman,” the old lady said. “Xiaxia, you should learn from her. Eat more and don’t be afraid of gaining weight. You’re still young. Just exercise more.”

Luo Yixia smiled and nodded. “All right.”

Qi Manman simply had a body type that did not gain weight easily. Luo Yixia’s constitution was different, so of course she had to be careful.

“Grandma, Xiaxia studies dance, so she has to maintain her figure.” Song Chengyi placed another piece of braised pork into Luo Yixia’s mouth, then told her, “When you’re finished eating, I’ll take you for a walk.”

Luo Yixia nodded with her mouth full. The braised pork really was delicious—so tender it melted in her mouth, with a pleasant sweetness and not the slightest hint of greasiness.

“Does Xiaxia study dance?” Song Chaoyang asked curiously.

“Yes, I did.” She no longer studied it now, but Song Chengyi was clearly trying to help her out. She was not foolish enough to give herself away.

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“What kind of dance did you study?”

“Ballet, Latin, tango… A little of each.”

“A girl should have the grace of a girl. It’s good to learn dance, and music as well.” Song Chaoyang was clearly very pleased with Luo Yixia.

“I remember that when you were in middle school, Brother Chengyi, you entered a piano competition and won first place in the province, didn’t you? Xiaxia, what prizes have you won in competitions?” Qi Manman inserted herself into the conversation at precisely the right moment.

Luo Yixia felt utterly innocent. Was this really necessary? Did Qi Manman have to target her so openly?

“She’s an eighth-grade ballet dancer,” Song Chengyi replied.

Luo Yixia stared at him in surprise. How did he know she had reached the eighth grade in ballet?

Back then, Yu Wenjing had practically forced her to join the masses preparing for the graded examination. But Luo Yixia had always felt she was not qualified for the eighth grade. Somehow, she had muddled through and obtained the certificate, always believing that she had simply been lucky.

Perhaps it had been wounded pride when she was young. Perhaps it was because Song Chengyi was so outstanding that she had constantly been compared with him. In any case, she had always felt that she did not deserve the qualification. Later, she stuffed the certificate into a cabinet. Even her parents did not know about it—they assumed she had failed.

“Oh? Eighth-grade ballet? That’s already a highly professional level.” Song Chaoyang praised her.

Qi Manman practically glared at Luo Yixia.

The meal was filled with barely concealed hostility and undercurrents.

Afterward, Luo Yixia decisively pulled Song Chengyi outside for a walk.

The sun was bright that day, and much of the snow piled along the roadside had melted. Luo Yixia wrapped herself in a vivid red scarf, burying half her face in it.

One hand remained in her own pocket, while the other was tucked into Song Chengyi’s.

The streetlamps had come on early, their light shining over the snow and making it gleam.

“Why did you lie and say I was an eighth-grade ballet dancer?” Luo Yixia stared at the ground.

“I didn’t lie. I merely stated a fact.”

Luo Yixia did not even know what to say. After a long while, she looked up and asked, “How did you know I was eighth grade? Even my parents didn’t know.”

“I’ve known for many years.”

She still found it hard to believe. Back then, the certificate had been mailed to her. No one had been home, so she herself had signed for it. How could he possibly have known?

“When you went to take the examination, didn’t you come running to my house and announce that you were going for eighth grade? You even said you were certain to pass and told me to wait and see. But when you came back that day, you looked completely dejected. So I went and checked for you. I didn’t expect you really had done well and passed. Since you never brought it up afterward, I naturally didn’t mention it either.”

Song Chengyi’s voice was clear. It traveled through the cold winter night, every word sinking into Luo Yixia’s heart with its own warmth.

Perhaps she was simply very good at picking out the important details.

“So, did you already like me back then? Otherwise, why would you care whether I was happy or whether I had passed?”

It was the first time Song Chengyi had realized how quickly she could seize upon the point that mattered. But he obviously refused to let her have her way so easily.

“I just wanted to look into it so I could make fun of you.”

Luo Yixia did not believe him. “Hmph. You’re not some idle person. If something doesn’t matter to you, you can’t even be bothered to spare it a glance. How could you have gone out of your way to investigate it? You’re just being stubborn. Song Chengyi, who would have thought you were so secretly sentimental? You kept me hanging for all these years. You should have admitted it sooner.”

Song Chengyi stopped walking and looked at her in disbelief. Then he pulled her hand out of his pocket and walked away on his own.

“Hey, what are you doing? Are you embarrassed and angry now? I was only joking.” Luo Yixia hurried after him.

Back then, he truly had not thought that much of it. He had simply found it strange to see the girl suddenly looking so dejected. That was why he had gone to the trouble. If she had really failed, he could at least comfort her with a few words. They were neighbors, after all. He had never imagined anything more than that.

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