Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 236: Chapter 219: Plans Don’t Change as Fast as Heaven and Hell Are Essentially the Same (Part 2)

”What?” Lin Jiayou’s phone dropped to the floor with a crisp sound, startling both Luo Qianqian, who was still sleeping, and Luo Shufan, who was cooking.

”What happened?” Luo Shufan picked up the phone, but the screen was already blank.

Luo Qianqian rubbed her bleary eyes; she and Shufan had just started their vacation and were enjoying the last summer of their high school (junior high) days.

Lin Jiayou was pale: ”She didn’t get the admission notice from the Capital City, she got one from the South.”

Luo Shufan frowned; he had checked and with those scores, that university was a sure bet, unlike Jiayou’s close call.

And the second choice should have been another university in the Capital City, a sure bet too. How could she end up in the South?

”Did she change her preferences?” Shufan thought about the universities they had discussed and confidently said there was no university from the South on the list.

Lin Jiayou nodded absent-mindedly: ”She said the South is beautiful, and she wants to see it; after all, she will be living in the North for life.”

But Luo Qianqian just smiled: ”As your sister, let me advise you. It’s natural to be devoted in an unfinished relationship, but don’t invest too much emotion. Better to save that time for studying and extracurricular activities.” Qianqian rejected the idea, previously mentioned by Shufan, to lend their place to the couple, realizing that the graduation season really is breakup season. It’s rare for a couple to stay together even in the same city, let alone in a long-distance relationship. Thinking back to the harsh realities laid out before her in her past life, there were too many relationships that lost to reality, time, and distance. She didn’t dare to believe in them and instead focused on minimizing the hurt to those around her.

”What are you talking about? You were the one who said relationships need maintenance.” Seeing Jiayou’s complexion worsening, Luo Shufan quickly stopped his sister.

Luo Qianqian just smiled and didn’t speak, her thoughts drifting to the boy who had asked her to wait, whose features she had now mostly forgotten.

”I need some time alone,” Jiayou said, as he took his phone into his room and locked the door behind him.

Luo Shufan wanted to say more, but Qianqian pulled at him: ”Instead of trying to persuade him, it’d be better to call Zhuzi and have him join Jiayou to drown his sorrows. The decision is his; we don’t know what he’s thinking.” Thinking it over, she added softly: ”A relationship is about two people. If only one is enthusiastic, it won’t last. Both must be committed to making it work.”

”Sometimes I feel like you’re speaking from a lot of experience, like you’ve been in many relationships. If I hadn’t been by your side constantly, I would have suspected you of puppy love,” Luo Shufan said as he ruffled Qianqian’s hair and took out his phone, sending a message before looking at the door: ”I just feel like Brother Jiayou will carry on.”

Shufan was right. After drowning his sorrows with Bai Yizhu, Jiayou forgave her, took her on a trip with the money from their elders’ red packets, personally escorted her to that university in the South, and then went to report to his own.

Looking at the message of her safe arrival on his phone, Luo Shufan turned to his sister: ”It’s our turn to work hard now.”

”Yes, brother, let’s give it our all,” Luo Qianqian said, glancing at the date on the calendar. The vacation was over.

”High school entrance exam candidate reporting for duty,” He Wenyu said, carrying her luggage and smiling broadly at Luo Qianqian.

Following Wenyu, Bai Yizhu carried a plastic bag, a shirt slung over his shoulder and an apple in his mouth, as he stood on the stairs: ”You two are just upstairs and downstairs, why bother with the suitcase?”

”So you brought nothing at all?” Shufan scrutinized Bai Yi’s supermarket bag, which contained three apples along with some snacks and chocolate.

”I’ll be there at three in the afternoon,” Bai Yi said, entering his room with his bag: ”What’s for lunch today?”

”Are you here to study or to eat?” Qianqian rolled her eyes and pointed to the bowl of noodles they’d just finished on the table: ”There’s still hot water.”

Bai Yi looked pointedly at Shufan, but Shufan ignored him, instead watching Wenyu, who unhesitatingly wheeled her suitcase into Qianqian’s room. Zhuzi resigned himself to his fate and started making instant noodles.

”We’ll buy books this afternoon. For now, you’re doing test papers,” Shufan said, dragging Bai Yi, still holding the dry noodles, into the room.

”Come on, stop tidying up; here are the exams from first to third grade—get to work,” Luo Qianqian also pulled out the prepared papers and spread them in front of He Wenyu. ”Unless you don’t want to be my junior.”

He Wenyu, who had initially pretended not to hear, immediately picked up a pen upon hearing this.

After a while, Luo Qianqian had confirmed that He Wenyu indeed studied well enough, not too bad; as long as she kept up in the ninth grade, getting into Experimental High School wouldn’t be a problem.

”Qianqian, I’m borrowing two sets of junior high physics papers...” Luo Shufan knocked on his sister’s door through gritted teeth.

Luo Qianqian paused, then laughed, ”Zhuzi, right?”

”I’m seriously on the verge of murder here; do you know the speed of light? Is it 220 meters per second??? Even slower than the speed of sound? Household voltage doesn’t exceed thirty-six volts??? I’m on the brink of collapse,” said Luo Shufan with a wry smile on his face.

”At least you didn’t get the numbers wrong,” Luo Qianqian grinned. ”Look at this—what’s the name of this work? It says ’Three Poems and Songs’; it had me stumped.”

Amused by the sibling’s laughter, He Wenyu became angry out of embarrassment. ”I didn’t say anything wrong, look—the title on the book is ’Three Poems and Songs’!”

”Yes, yes, you are absolutely correct,” Luo Qianqian said, holding back her laughter and nodding repeatedly. ”So, this verse by Li Qingzhao is about homesickness and familial love, expressing the desire to drink, right?”

He Wenyu, with a gloomy expression, having played all holiday, could imagine her mood after being dragged to do papers on that day, and now being made fun of like this.

The chemistry paper was picked up by Luo Shufan as he pointed at it: ”You’re doing better than me, then. Look, is trivalent iron a beautiful red bean color? The answer is ’beautiful red bean color’? What kind of red is red bean? Why does it have to be described as ’beautiful’? Is brick red not beautiful? Or is indigo blue not beautiful?”

Seeing ’beautiful red bean color’ written on the paper, He Wenyu also couldn’t help but laugh: ”That’s pretty creative.”

”Enough from you, do you not recognize these colors? This is called ’aunt red,’ ’pure red,’ ’pink,’ ’purple red,’ ’red bean color.’ Look, aren’t they the closest matches?” Bai Yizhu, overhearing the mockery at the door, took out a fashion magazine and pointed at the lipstick shades, explaining.

”You’d better break it off now, and continue after you finish your exams; you’ve hit zero intelligence. If you keep this up, I wouldn’t trust you not to shock yourself touching an electric switch...” Luo Qianqian looked at the names scribbled all over the magazine, shaking her head.

”It’s for another two months,” Bai Yizhu said with a mournful face. ”The money is already spent.”

”You deserve it if you can’t pass!” Luo Qianqian threw down the magazine, glaring at He Wenyu. ”Don’t rush to those colors; they’re all wrong. You may not add any adjectives like ’beautiful,’ ’ugly,’ ’with dregs,’ ’fuming,’ none of that.”

”Right, the ’beautiful red bean color’ with dregs...” Bai Yizhu nodded affirmatively.

”Qianqian, keep your distance from him,” Luo Shufan pointed at his friend, earnestly advising his sister.

Knowing he went too far, Bai Yizhu immediately took out his phone: ”I’ll end it now, end it now, toss toss toss,” he proclaimed, throwing the magazine out the window.

”Who’s that! Don’t they have any decency? Damn it,” the voice from downstairs made Luo Qianqian shrink her neck and, without saying a word but glaring at Bai Yizhu, went back to her room.

”What are you laughing at? Get on with the problems! We’re buying papers this afternoon!” Luo Shufan closed the window, a look of helplessness on his face.

”I’m on it,” Bai Yizhu obediently sat down at the desk.

Heaven and hell are truly one and the same; every good thing has its drawbacks, and every bad thing has its silver lining. Thinking too much is just asking for trouble.