Proud senior schoolgirl was tender and sweet, we fell in love

Xie Xiao looked at Xie Liu, and his multicolored hair paired with that confused look in his eyes.

He didn't seem very bright.

Xie Xiao took a deep breath, "What did Zhang Qiaoqiao tell you?"

Seeing Xie Xiao's demeanor, Xie Liu immediately remembered how every time he had mentioned visiting Zhang Qiaoqiao's family, she would come up with various excuses to avoid it. Was she hiding something from him?

Frowning, Xie Liu said, "Qiaoqiao told me that her dad is doing business out of town and he rarely comes home these past few years. Her mom runs a farmhouse restaurant. I've been there before, but Qiaoqiao said it was their busy season, so we didn't go in. She was afraid my sudden visit would trouble her mom..."

As he spoke, Xie Liu began to feel that something was off. He looked at Xie Xiao, "Did she lie?"

Xie Xiao nodded, "She lied. Her dad isn't doing any business; he's been in prison for a few years now. I'm not sure if he's out yet, but it seemed like he was already in when we were in our third year of high school. As for her mom running a farmhouse, that's true, but don't you find it weird that she never brought you home to meet her parents? You're pregnant now, and looking to get married—it's inappropriate not to meet her parents, right? Haven't you thought about how strange this is?"

Although Xie Liu didn't particularly like Xie Xiao, he still believed what Xie Xiao said because Xie Xiao had no reason to lie to him.

Hearing Xie Xiao's words, Xie Liu's expression turned quite unpleasant.

He thought back to his time with Zhang Qiaoqiao.

It all started when he was out drinking one night and got into a conflict. The other party had more people, and it seemed certain he would take a beating.

But then Zhang Qiaoqiao came to his aid.

She stood in front of him, drank two bottles of alcohol, and then the others let them go.

That's how they met.

It was he who pursued Zhang Qiaoqiao first. At that time, it seemed she was involved with someone else and was going through a breakup.

Later, she got together with him.

After getting together...

After getting together, the two of them didn't do much of anything substantial; neither of them had a proper job...

All this time, it seemed like he was always trying to please her.

At this point, Xie Liu stood up and said, "I'm going to have a smoke."

Xie Xiao glanced at him and stood up as well.

They went outside to the hospital balcony, a place that was never short of people.

Not far away, there were two guys also smoking.

Xie Xiao reached out to him, "Give me one."

Surprised, Xie Liu commented, "I thought you good students didn't smoke."

As he spoke, he took out a cigarette and passed it to him.

Xie Xiao pulled out a cigarette, asked for a lighter, and after lighting it and taking a puff, he said, "Whether or not you smoke doesn't necessarily correlate with being a good student."

He looked sideways at Xie Liu, "I remember you didn't have poor grades."

If you had wanted to, you could have gotten into a college program.

Although Xie Liu's grades weren't as good as Xie Xiao's, they weren't so bad that he couldn't get into any university.

Xie Liu chuckled, "Don't laugh, I've seen bigger jokes anyway. I did get into a university, although it was a pretty lousy one, nothing prestigious..."

But when he received the admission notice, his parents were outwardly happy.

Yet behind his back, they gossiped about how his grades weren't even close to Xie Xiao's...

The sighs in their voices and their disappointment made the young Xie Liu feel like a joke at the time.

If he couldn't compare, then he wouldn't try. He decided not to go to college.

Better to start working early.

He could surely make something of himself, right?

Reflecting on his past naivety, Xie Liu laughed, "But the thing is, in today's society, with only a high school diploma, you can't do much; you can only do odd jobs. And I'm not one to endure hardship. As a result, I ended up like this..."

On the other hand, Xie Xiao was at a good university, started a company, and had a beautiful girlfriend.

He had a successful career and everything else. Some gaps really can't be bridged just because you're jealous or unwilling to accept them.

After listening, Xie Xiao fell silent.

He never knew any of these things.

After all, he only knew that Xie Liu disliked him, but he had never thought that Xie Liu would gamble with his own future out of spite.

After puffing out a cloud of smoke, Xie Xiao cursed, "Idiot."

Xie Liu didn't get angry. Instead, he nodded and said, "Seems like it."

Xie Xiao was somewhat surprised, "Wouldn't it have been better if you'd realized this sooner?"

"It's only after society has beaten me down that I've come to this realization," Xie Liu clicked his tongue and finally looked at Xie Xiao, "Having a relative like me is quite embarrassing, isn't it?"

"What's there to feel embarrassed about, if you were my actual brother, I'd have smacked you already," Xie Xiao said bluntly.

However, in his heart, he also thought that the way his uncle and the others raised children was problematic.

They were always praising other people's children, using them to compare with their own.

They never encouraged their children, only suppressing them through education.

Now look what's happened.

The child has been pressed into a rebellious state.

But these sorts of things actually do happen quite often in real life.

Xie Liu, somewhat surprised, looked at the refined-looking Xie Xiao, "You know how to fight?"

Xie Xiao glanced at him, "What do you think I am, in your eyes?"

"Like... an excellent, good student? Things like smoking, drinking, and fighting definitely have nothing to do with you," Xie Liu said with a laugh.

When he laughed, he looked the most like Xie Xiao. Ignoring that messy hair, there was at least a four out of ten resemblance.

That's why Zhang Qiaoqiao always said he looked best when he smiled.

Thinking of Zhang Qiaoqiao made Xie Liu feel uneasy, "Xie Xiao, do you like girls like Zhang Qiaoqiao?"

"What are you raving about? I have a sister-in-law, and even if I didn't, I'm not into flashy colors," Xie Xiao rolled his eyes and took the last drag of his cigarette.

Probably because people smoke here all year round, someone considerately placed an ashtray on the ground.

Xie Xiao squatted down to stub out the cigarette and said softly, "You and Zhang Qiaoqiao really are mismatched."

Your smarts aren't enough for her to play with.

Xie Liu remained silent, not speaking.

This was the longest conversation the two brothers had in a long time.

In the end, they still couldn't reach any conclusion.

Grandma came back.

Xie Qingxiao called Xie Xiao.

The two brothers went back to the hospital ward together.

When Grandma saw Xie Liu, she lost her good mood and said directly, "I had your father speak to you before. Break up with that girl first, then come to see me."

Xie Liu revealed a pleading smile, "Grandma, I was wrong, but Qiaoqiao is pregnant with my child..."

"Don't even think about it!" Grandma snatched her hand back at once and repeated firmly, "If you want to acknowledge me as your grandma, then break up!"

Xie Liu's aunt grew anxious, "Mom, she's already pregnant..."

"You shut up too!" Grandma glared at her, "Overly indulgent mothers spoil their children; you're ruining his life!"

The uncle's face darkened as he grabbed his wife, turning to Xie Liu, "You're still young, you can have children later just the same."

It seemed that the uncle stood with Grandma on this matter.

Xie Xiao and his parents kept out of the argument and remained silent on the side, like part of the wallpaper.

Xie Liu looked at Grandma's face, full of conflict, "Grandma, I really like her."

"Like what? Like her smoking and drinking, those messy and ambiguous relationships with men?" Grandma was clearly very angry, "Or do you like that she's gotten involved with things she shouldn't have touched!"

"Xie Liu, you're being foolish! Can a child from that kind of girl be healthy?"