Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 232: Chapter 215: So... Time Flows Like Water

”Brother Jiayou, it’s just the college entrance exam. Can you not be so nervous? It’s not like you’re going off to battle,” Luo Qianqian said, looking at Lin Jiayou who was about to head out the door in his pajamas, utterly speechless.

A year had passed since An Zilan and Lin Xu got married. Over the year, everyone had grown, including the relationship between He Wenyu and Zhao Wenxuan. Luo Qianqian hadn’t interfered, but she had been closely monitoring it behind the scenes.

”Brother Jiayou, this is the ’full mark breakfast’ Mom made,” He Wenyu also ran upstairs, stomping her feet, carrying a bowl of noodles topped with a perfectly timed pouch egg, decorated with a ’full mark’ written in tomato sauce.

”Jiayou, hurry up and change your clothes, then wash up. Qianqian, quickly pack all the utensils. Xiao Yu, go help cut some fruits. My goodness, why hasn’t Bai Yizhu arrived yet??” Luo Shufan was frantic, his face a picture of desperation. This was the family’s first time dealing with the college entrance exam, and he had studied alongside him for a year. Why did he feel more nervous than the candidate himself?

”Brother, stop for a second. Put down the ’Five-Year College Entrance Exam.’ Today isn’t your college entrance exam,” Luo Qianqian told her brother, who was in his pajamas, looking bewildered and tense, holding Lin Jiayou’s backpack with his left hand and a revision guide titled ’Five-Year College Entrance Exam, Three-Year Simulation’ with his right.

”Come on, follow me and take a deep breath. Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Exhale, Inhale, Inhale, Exhale...” He Wenyu looked around at the family, who seemed lost, and felt helpless. It was just an exam, wasn’t it? And just their luck, all three had convinced the adults to let them be, agreeing only to have dinner together on the last day.

”Admission ticket, pencil, water-based pen, ruler, set square, compass, and an eraser, oh right, a big eraser too.” During this time, the college entrance exam needed these for answering and scoring, as calculation papers couldn’t be taken out, though it seemed they never could.

”Qianqian, the first subject is Chinese... why are you bringing a compass and set square?” He Wenyu asked, puzzled.

”They’re needed in the afternoon. We’re not coming back for lunch. Jiayou, just calm down, eat your meal quickly, then go wash up and change,” Luo Qianqian said after packing up everything. Then she went to the kitchen window to see when Bai Yizhu would arrive.

”Do you want to eat something too? My mom made pig’s feet before she left,” seeing how nervous Luo Qianqian looked, He Wenyu couldn’t help but find it amusing. Luo Shufan and Luo Qianqian never got nervous about their own affairs, but when it came to someone else’s, they were as nervous as if they were about to commit an international heist.

”We’ll just grab some bread to eat while we wait outside,” Luo Qianqian was looking around when she finally spotted the familiar car and let out a sigh of relief. She glanced at her watch, ”There’s still time. Oh, right, find some red underwear for Brother Jiayou, brother, brother.”

Watching Luo Qianqian rush off in a flurry, He Wenyu shook her head helplessly. She was still in junior high but still so impulsive. Next year, he would be sitting for his middle school exams.

”Right, right, Qianqian, go check what today’s lucky color and lucky item are in the magazine,” Luo Shufan suddenly woke up and turned back to pick new clothes from his room.

Lin Jiayou had regained his composure by now, eating while watching his brother and sister’s nervous antics with a face full of contentment. He called out to Xiao Yu, ”Xiao Yu, come have something to eat and drink. They’ll need to go crazy for a bit longer until they calm down.”

Lin Jiayou, you really understood.

”Brother, the lucky color is green, and the lucky item is a pink bag.”

”Green? Since the underwear should be red, let’s find a pair of green socks then!”

”Brother, when do you guys have colored socks? Maybe bring a green handkerchief instead?”

”That works. Xiao Yu, hand over your pink bag.”

Watching He Wenyu scamper off, Lin Jiayou felt no tension at all. How could this be? Was he supposed to have even his choice of bag decided for him?

”Brother, I think white shirts are the coolest. Brother Jiayou, what is sister-in-law wearing today?” Luo Qianqian finally remembered to ask for his opinion.

”Probably... uniform?” Lin Jiayou had no idea.

”Then it’s settled, white shirt it is. It looks cool,” Luo Qianqian decided without regard for what Lin Jiayou had said.

”Should I wear white pants?” Luo Shufan picked out a few pairs of pants, clearly conflicted.

”Are you dumb? Don’t pass your stupidity on to Brother Jiayou. Wearing white pants over red underwear? Are you afraid people won’t notice you’re wearing red underwear?” Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes. ”Black pants, they look cooler.”

”So your standard is still based on coolness?” Luo Shufan grimaced.

”The bag is here.” He Wenyu carried a pink fabric bag embroidered with a cute bear cub upstairs.

”Yeah, not bad. Right, the lucky number is three, in other words ’C’. If you come across a multiple-choice question you don’t know, give it a try.” Luo Qianqian reminded Lin Jiayou as she looked at him.

”Luo Qianqian, can’t you say anything nice?” Luo Shufan threw the clothes at his sister’s head. ”It’s impossible not to know them; you should know everything you come across.”

”Right, right, right, my brother is right,” Luo Qianqian agreed repeatedly.

”Enough already,” Bai Yizhu stood at the door watching the drama unfold. ”Jiayou, are you just going to let them mess around like this?”

”A little sibling love, come join us for a snack?” Lin Jiayou watched Bai Yizhu come upstairs, not surprised at all. By Bai Yizhu’s standards, having waited this long was already the limit.

”They’re so laid-back. Ai, Xiao Yu could smell the scent of your family’s pig trotters from downstairs. Pack some for me, I’ll eat it outside the exam venue later.” Bai Yizhu sat down, watching the Luo siblings wreak havoc.

”Qianqian has already packed it. Just take it later,” He Wenyu sighed. Why is it always about food?

”And milk, timely calcium intake and chocolate, take them too.” Luo Shufan poked his head out of the room, having calmed down and changed his clothes.

”Right, and a hat, don’t get sunburned,” Luo Qianqian added.

”Stop, who’s getting sunburned?” He Wenyu grabbed Luo Qianqian. ”We’ll be in the car, Brother Jiayou will be in the exam hall.”

”Oh right...” Luo Qianqian was startled, slowly calming down. After packing things up, she handed the prepared clothes to Lin Jiayou, who had just finished eating and was still in his pajamas.

”It feels like you’re going on a blind date, not to an exam.” Bai Yizhu rolled his eyes and muttered a low comment about Luo Qianqian’s choice of outfit.

Luo Qianqian gave a cold smile, ”Next year, I’ll satisfy your desire to go to the exam as a blind date.”

Bai Yizhu was speechless.

”Go for it, Brother Jiayou!” Luo Qianqian changed into a festive outfit with a red short sleeve and white shorts.

”Are you planning to be a doorman or something? And luck...” Bai Yizhu looked at the word on Luo Qianqian’s short sleeve, speechless.

”Good luck, Brother Jiayou!” He Wenyu also put on a red jacket, laughing.

Lin Jiayou watched as his siblings read the good luck messages from their father and aunt on their phones, confidence brimming in his eyes, ”Watch big brother fire the first shot for our family’s exams. I won’t lag behind!”

”Jiayou! Go for it!”