Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 383: Chapter 365: Video

Applying for the exam wasn’t difficult for Luo Qianqian at all. After filling out the application on her own and snapping a photo to submit to the director, she left without even glancing at her friend. Holding her diploma and exam admission ticket, she said to Qin Nuan, bubbling with excitement, ”Do you think I should go traveling? It seems like there might be discounts available now?”

As for Luo Qianqian going out at night, perhaps they knew but didn’t expose her, and the three of them got along harmoniously.

”The flight is at three forty in the afternoon. We can still go shopping,” Hu Si suggested, ignoring the two girls who seemed a bit scatterbrained.

Resting her chin in her hands, Luo Qianqian thought for a moment, ”Should we go buy some local specialties now? I was planning to bring some snacks for Grandma and Grandpa.”

Qin Nuan suddenly frowned, ”Where did you say your admission notice was being sent to?”

Luo Qianqian turned pale, ”To my home... because it couldn’t be sent to Capital City...”

Qin Nuan frowned, ”It’s fine, didn’t you say your aunt doesn’t go back often now? So, does that mean you have to come back here again?”

Luo Qianqian shook her head, ”No problem, I’ll have someone mail it back to me.”

Yet she felt a thumping in her heart and decided she would talk to her brother tonight about it and that other matter, for there was no one else she could tell.

Preoccupied with thoughts, the trio quickly selected a variety of dried seafood products and then headed to the airport.

By the time Luo Qianqian remembered to say goodbye to her friends, she was already at Capital City Airport.

She sighed softly and put down her phone. It was better to leave quietly.

When she got home, Yue Tingyu had already prepared a big table full of dishes. Luo Qianqian ate a lot with a smile, but that evening she went back to the base with Hu Si.

She knew that once the exams were over, her vacation would end, but her reason for returning tonight was to avoid worrying her family since she was going to video call her brother, whom she hadn’t seen for almost a year.

After confirming the time via text message and setting up an account, she closed the door and sat quietly in front of the computer, waiting.

Minute by minute, the time moved closer to the scheduled appointment. Luo Qianqian’s palms were sweating when the video call request suddenly appeared on the screen. She hurriedly and clumsily accepted it and then saw her brother’s face appear on the screen.

Luo Shufan looked a lot more resolute than he did a year ago, his face had darkened, but his features were more pronounced. His dark eyes held a hint of amusement as he said, ”Qianqian.”

”Brother,” Luo Qianqian immediately started to cry, her fingers touching the cold screen, laughing at her own foolishness.

”You look like you’ve lost weight,” he said with a husky voice, a hint of distress in his tone.

”That’s because of dieting. Brother, it’s you who looks gaunt... your face isn’t round anymore...” Luo Qianqian said, wiping away her tears with a smile.

Luo Shufan chuckled, ”When have I ever had a round face?”

Luo Qianqian tugged at the corner of her mouth, ”I’ve almost forgotten what Brother looks like.”

The two didn’t touch on when they might meet again; instead, they chatted about this and that.

A moment later, Luo Qianqian said, ”Brother, it seems like Mom might have a baby. We’re going to have a little brother or sister.”

Luo Shufan’s expression changed dramatically, his face shifting between light and dark, the corners of his mouth twitched for a long time without letting Luo Qianqian figure out whether he was about to cry or laugh.

She hesitated before asking, ”Brother, aren’t you happy? Isn’t it good for Mom to have a new focus now that we are not around?”

Luo Shufan sighed, ”That’s why I said you should come back.”

Luo Qianqian shook her head, clenching her fists, ”Mom is just as important as Brother, the house isn’t complete without either of them.”

”Qianqian, have you ever thought that our home has always been incomplete, we’re also missing Dad...” His words had barely faded when the video was cut off, and Luo Qianqian frowned.

Luo Shufan was looking at the man standing next to the computer, raising an eyebrow, ”We had an agreement that I would video chat with Qianqian for an hour.”

”You are the one who broke the deal,” the man’s hoarse voice sounded, chilling to the bone, but Luo Shufan seemed unfazed.

”What did I say? I didn’t tell her to give up on rescuing me, nor did I reveal my location,” Luo Shufan said, as he re-established the video link with Luo Qianqian.

”Brother? What happened just now?” Luo Qianqian immediately picked up the video call, her face full of concern and her large eyes brimming with anxiety.

Luo Shufan shook his head, ”It’s nothing, I accidentally kicked the power cord. You’re already wearing short sleeves, huh?” He smiled as Luo Qianqian’s arms suddenly came into view, ”It is June already, aren’t you going out to have fun after finishing your exams?”

Touching her arm, Luo Qianqian showed a helpless expression, Where had her brother gone that he didn’t even know the temperature? Then she shook her head, ”No fun for me, I need to go for treatment. I’ll be closer to Brother once I’m healed.”

Seeing his little sister’s innocent smile, Luo Shufan’s finger also touched the screen as though it could reach through. Although he had plenty of chances to see her, this face-to-face conversation was still a first.

”There’s no rush, you’re still young, it’s good to go out and have fun.” Luo Shufan smiled, ”I remember when you were younger, you loved to run around everywhere, didn’t you?”

”I’ve grown up,” Luo Qianqian shook her head, ”By the way, Brother, did you send me a birthday present?”

”A present?” Luo Shufan nodded, ”It’s been sent to Grandpa’s house.”

”It wasn’t that weird prank call, was it? The one saying you’d give me a vampire’s castle or something?” Luo Qianqian raised an eyebrow.

But seeing Luo Shufan’s expression, it was obvious he knew about it, yet he still shook his head, ”It’s a dress. I thought about sending you some test papers, but I was afraid you’d blame me...”

Luo Qianqian pouted, ”Good thing you didn’t send those. I’ve already received a big ’gift’ like that. But seriously, those guys were spot on with their predictions. I had seen all the major question types before; only the numbers were different, making it very smooth to work through.”

Luo Shufan touched his nose, ”That’s good then.”

The siblings chatted about this and that for a long time, but as Luo Shufan had said that they could only video chat for an hour, Luo Qianqian reluctantly turned off the video. They could still make phone calls.

However, after ending the video, Luo Qianqian disconnected from the network and opened several screenshots she had taken. There was a window behind Luo Shufan, and although it wasn’t very clear, she could faintly make out the distinctive ’onion dome’ of a building outside. Luo Qianqian noticed this because of the momentary disconnection; the position of her brother had shifted slightly before and after the disconnection, revealing the window. As the window swung back and forth, she happened to see it but also felt it was a hint from her brother.

But as far as she knew, such buildings were typical of that country to the north...

Luo Qianqian felt her mind was in turmoil, she quickly transferred the screenshots to her phone, encrypted them for storage, and after cleaning the ones on her computer to destroy any evidence, she reconnected to the network.