124 Finally Leveled Up

W.U8X.com—the fastest-updating online novel-reading site.

The heat was so oppressive that it nearly robbed them of the ability to speak. Lin Xia and Xie Xitong stood beneath a tree, watching Chen Zimo approach with a bag of drinks.

Xie Xitong hurried over and, using Chen Zimo’s hand, pulled open the plastic bag. “Xiaxia, what do you want?”

“Mineral water is fine.”

Xie Xitong rummaged through the bag and handed her a bottle. “Here you go.”

Aside from the faint discomfort she still occasionally felt when faced with unfamiliar men, she had already adapted quite well to life here.

Lin Xia accepted the bottle, wiped the beads of sweat from her brow, and waved her little fan as she complained, “It’s unbearably hot today. Why haven’t Qianqian and Xiaoxiao arrived yet?”

Xie Xitong fanned herself with a similar fan and glanced at the clean, fresh-looking Chen Zimo. Pouting, she said, “Brother, how come you haven’t broken a sweat after walking here under the sun? That’s so unfair.”

Chen Zimo good-naturedly ruffled her hair and smiled. “Then I’ll let you watch me sweat next time, all right?”

Xie Xitong felt her nose sting, and she nearly burst into tears.

She had always known that her brother treated her well, but this utterly unconditional indulgence was almost enough to spoil her into forgetting the limits of heaven and earth.

Even though she could still hold on to her true self, she found it nearly impossible to maintain her composure whenever she faced Chen Zimo. Around him, she always reverted to the mind-set of a little girl. Where had the calm and self-possessed Third Miss Xie, once so widely admired, gone?

“Oh, my, what a sight. Some people just happen to have a big brother and can’t stop showing him off in front of everyone else.” Lin Xia bit the edge of her fan in exaggerated disdain and shook her head, punctuating her words with occasional clicks of her tongue.

Xie Xitong’s eyes rolled. Mimicking her, she said, “Oh, my, in weather this hot, someone’s eating raw ginger. No wonder her words are so spicy.”

“You little brat, Xie Xitong!” Lin Xia scolded with a laugh.

“What? What? I have a wonderful brother. You’re green with envy, aren’t you?” Xie Xitong hid behind Chen Zimo, poked her head out, and made a face. “Ha-ha! Go ahead and be jealous. Be jealous!”

“You little pest.” Lin Xia was exasperated. “My mother said last time that you’d become more sensible and composed. She really ought to see you like this. You’re not composed in the slightest.”

“Ha! I’m adored by everyone, flowers bloom wherever I go, and even cars would stop to admire me. What about it? Jealous? If you’ve got the nerve, come over and bite me.” Xie Xitong only fanned the flames.

“Fine. If I don’t deal with you today, I’ll write my own name backward.” Lin Xia gripped her fan, pretending to roll up her sleeves, and planted her hands on her hips.

“Please. You’re so sly. Written backward, your name still looks exactly the same. What’s so impressive about that? If you’re really capable, write it upside down.”

“Brother Chen, don’t hold me back today. I absolutely have to teach this girl a lesson.”

Chen Zimo watched the two of them bicker with amusement. “That’s enough. Weren’t you just complaining that it was unbearably hot? Today is the first day of school. Once we find out which classes we’re in, how about we all go sing together?”

Dappled shade fell lightly across his face. Xie Xitong could not help sighing in admiration. So this was the famous First Young Master of Jinling? He was nothing special. A man as outstanding as her brother could leave that so-called First Young Master of Jinling miles behind.

At last, she was sixteen!

At last, she was starting high school!

Lin Xia howled inwardly. Good heavens, had these past few years been easy? She had had to pretend to be young while making money on the side.

But the thought of continuing her studies made her wilt again.

Seeing her head droop, Chen Zimo asked with a smile, “What’s wrong? Shall I deal with Tongtong for you?”

“Brother, you’re taking her side!” Xie Xitong protested.

Lin Xia looked up. Though Xie Xitong said that, her eyes remained fixed on Lin Xia with concern. Warmth filled Lin Xia’s heart, and she said pitifully, “I still have to spend three years in high school. Damn it, when will I finally get to university? It’s driving me crazy.”

Xie Xitong laughed. “Even a top student like you is tired of studying? What are the rest of us supposed to do?”

At that, Lin Xia’s shoulders drooped even lower. “You two siblings were born to make everyone else feel inadequate. It’s not fair.”

After Xie Xitong enrolled, the second standardized examination was held just one week later. Lin Xia performed exceptionally well and edged out You Xin to take first place in the entire grade.

What was even more astonishing was Xie Xitong. She not only surpassed You Xin to rank second in the grade, but also finished just a dozen or so points behind Lin Xia, pressing hard against the girl in first place and throwing the entire Experimental High School into an uproar.

If Xie Xitong had always performed that well, Lin Xia would have had nothing to say. But Xie Xitong had been away from school for nearly a year and had received only a few months of tutoring from Lin Xia, Chen Zimo, and the others. To think she could still achieve such a result was enough to leave everyone speechless with admiration.

For a time, Lin Xia, despite ranking first, attracted less attention than Xie Xitong in second place. Lin Xia repeatedly told You Xin that the two of them had to fight for their lives; otherwise, if Xie Xitong took first place, the humiliation would be unbearable.

Xie Xitong smiled and patted Lin Xia on the head. “That’s fate. You can’t envy your way out of it. You’d better accept it.”

“Hmph!” Lin Xia folded her arms across her chest and turned her head away disdainfully. “I’m not admitting defeat. Just wait. I’ll take first place back.”

And she had good reason to say so. In that year’s entrance examination, Xie Xitong had received the highest score among the three of them. Apart from losing a few points in English, she had scored nearly perfect marks in every subject. Most astonishing of all, she had received a perfect score in Chinese, leaving Lin Xia—the aspiring writer—utterly amazed.

Lin Xia had always devoted considerable attention to her own writing, yet even in that subject Xie Xitong had surpassed her. It was enough to make her miserable.

But when Lin Xia saw Xie Xitong’s composition among the examination papers that received full marks, she was completely convinced. Xie Xitong had written it in ornate classical prose, and without a solid literary foundation, one could hardly understand it, let alone write anything like it.

At the time, Lin Xia had asked her, “What if the examiner couldn’t understand it? Wouldn’t all that effort have been wasted?”

Even now, thinking of Xie Xitong’s reply made Lin Xia grit her teeth.

Xie Xitong had merely given her a wicked smile, waggled her eyebrows, and said, “It doesn’t matter. Even if I got zero for the composition, I could still beat you and You Xin. That’s not something you need to worry about.”

“All right, all right. It’s only three years. They’ll pass in no time,” Xie Xitong said with a smile. “Once we’re in university, we’ll finally be free.”

Just then, Zhao Xin approached, holding a parasol and moving with graceful poise. Dressed in a simple pale robe, her slender figure was as willowy as a supple branch, evoking the image of a swallow gliding upon the wind. Her long black hair was gathered up with a single ebony hairpin, and she came toward them with an air of fresh, delicate beauty.

“Zimo, Tongtong, Xiaxia.”

Her voice was sweet and playful, her allure seemingly innate.

Not far away, another beauty stood motionless.

Watching the faint, broken shadows fall across Chen Zimo, Liu Ziqing suddenly felt as though her heart had been torn apart.

There was no going back.

Never again.

W.U8X.com—the fastest-updating online novel-reading site.