The evening was quite good, except for Zhao Yingxin's constant gaze.
Qi Jia's cooking skills were excellent. Although some things were initially burnt, once she got the hang of it, everything looked appetizing.
After the barbecue dinner tonight, the ten of them had gotten to know each other a little better, unlike the slight distance they felt when they first met during the day.
They dispersed after ten in the evening, returning to their respective rooms to prepare for their dates the next day.
Shen Jianxi emerged from the bathroom, drying her wet hair. Just as she was about to sit down, there was a knock on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
She draped the towel back in the bathroom, put on the wig she had just washed, and after everything was ready, she hurried to open the door.
"Teacher Shen!? Why are you here?" Shen Jianxi was a little surprised, not knowing why Shen Xingzhi would come to find her at this hour.
Shen Xingzhi smiled gently and reached out, using the knuckle of his index finger to lightly wipe away a bead of water that was sliding down her cheek from her hair. He then handed her a spiral-bound notebook.
The hand that had touched her was placed behind his back, his thumb gently rubbing against his index finger.
Shen Jianxi didn't notice his movements. She took the notebook with a puzzled expression and opened it as Shen Xingzhi gestured.
It contained their activity schedule for the next day.
Shen Xingzhi had written it out in detail, with a Plan B next to each item, intended to prevent any instance where Shen Jianxi might not like it. It was quite thoughtful.
As Shen Jianxi was carefully reviewing it, Shen Xingzhi spoke.
"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"
"Oh, right, see if there's any activity here you can't accept. If there is, I'll change it later."
Shen Jianxi closed the notebook and smiled bashfully, pursing her lips. "No, Teacher Shen's plan is very thorough. Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Shen. I didn't help much."
Shen Xingzhi reached out as if to tousle her hair, but his gaze fell on her still damp hair, though no longer dripping. His hand paused, and he subtly shifted to pat her shoulder instead.
"You don't need to be so polite with me. I'm older than you, so it's only right that I take care of things a bit more. You're being too formal like this."
Seeing that Shen Jianxi was still a little uncomfortable, he sighed softly and feigned helplessness. "If you're really embarrassed, just call me Brother Xingzhi from now on. Calling me Teacher Shen, Teacher Shen, every day makes me feel old."
"Okay, thank you, Brother Xingzhi." After she said this, seeing that Shen Xingzhi had no intention of leaving, she thought for a moment and asked, "Is there anything else, Brother Xingzhi?"
Shen Xingzhi's gaze fell on her hair. "It's not good for your health to leave your hair wet. You should dry it quickly. How about I help you dry it?"
"No need, Xingzhi..."
Before she could finish speaking, he pushed his way in.
Shen Jianxi: ...
Fine, if he's so eager to help her dry her wig, then so be it.
She sat down at the table, waiting for Shen Xingzhi to come over.
He first tested the temperature, setting the wind speed and temperature to a medium setting before he started.
The breeze felt quite comfortable on her skin, but...
The part about gentle fingers weaving through your hair with tender care, Shen Jianxi truly didn't experience any of that.
After all, Shen Xingzhi was drying her wig.
Not only did she not get that experience, but her expression also became complicated.
The wig was already covering her natural hair. Thus, when heat was applied from the outside, even though the wig was breathable, it felt like a steamer inside.
Shen Jianxi felt that she would have to wash it again after Shen Xingzhi left.
But Shen Xingzhi was completely unaware of all this.
If it were an ordinary wig, he would have been able to tell as soon as he touched it.
However, Shen Jianxi's wig was not only maintained at great expense regularly, but its material was also extremely precious and felt wonderful to the touch.
Shen Xingzhi lowered his eyes slightly, his expression focused and serious, his fingers weaving through the wig.
Apart from the hum of the hairdryer, there was silence in the room.
The screen of the phone on the table lit up. Shen Jianxi glanced at it and saw a message from Luo Yuqi.
i.c.b: [Sister, I don't want to go to...]
The rest of the message was hidden. Shen Jianxi picked up her phone and unlocked it.
If the message hadn't displayed partially, she might not have been in such a hurry to check, but something like half-seen and half-hidden could most pique one's curiosity.
Only when she opened their chat box did Shen Jianxi see what Luo Yuqi had sent.
i.c.b: [Sister, I don't want to go to school anymore.]
She frowned. He didn't want to go to school? Why?
Don't move my blue buff: [What's wrong? Did someone bully you?]
Shen Jianxi thought carefully. Could it be because he's mixed-race, and his appearance caused him to be bullied at school?
However, considering Luo Yuqi's personality, she felt it was unlikely. This younger brother of hers was a "white cut black" type; he was more likely to bully others.
Just as she couldn't figure it out, Luo Yuqi's message came again.
i.c.b: [I want to return to the forest and become a little elf.]
Shen Jianxi looked at the screen, speechless. What was this new approach?
She was about to reply with a cheesy pickup line but suddenly had a good idea, a mischievous smile appearing in her eyes.
Her fingers tapped rapidly on the screen.
She replied earnestly, not even noticing when the hairdryer stopped.
Don't move my blue buff: [You can return to a lake and become a cute little turtle.]
i.c.b: [?]
Luo Yuqi on the other end bit his fingernails as he looked at this sentence, his brow furrowed, unable to understand what it meant.
Don't move my blue buff: [A little turtle is perfect; it's amphibious.]
Damn it! His face darkened, and he threw his phone onto the bed. He took out a bolster pillow with Shen Jianxi's photo on it from the bottom of his wardrobe, threw it onto the bed in frustration, then picked it up and threw it again.
Shen Jianxi, seeing that Luo Yuqi hadn't replied for a long time, knew he was incredibly angry without needing 77 to monitor him. She almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it back, thinking that someone was still in the room.
"Pfft—"
A light chuckle came from behind her.
Shen Xingzhi couldn't help but laugh as he looked at their chat.
It wasn't that he was eavesdropping; his eyesight was simply too good, and Shen Jianxi hadn't made any effort to hide it. He couldn't help but see it.
However, because of Shen Jianxi's openness, Shen Xingzhi didn't suspect their identities, only assuming he was her younger brother.
Shen Jianxi confidently locked her phone and placed it on the table. The chat interface didn't display her online username, and she had set the avatars for both accounts to be the same, so she wasn't worried about Shen Xingzhi discovering she had two accounts at all.
She turned back and smiled sheepishly. "You've seen a joke, Brother Xingzhi. My younger brother at home throws tantrums from time to time."
Shen Xingzhi waved his hand. "No, you have a good relationship. I'm the one who should apologize for accidentally seeing your chat."
"Plastic siblings, plastic siblings, haha."
The wig was completely dry now, and Shen Xingzhi had no reason to stay any longer. He put the hairdryer away. "Alright, I'm leaving now. Get some good rest, and I'll see you tomorrow."
As he walked out the door, he remembered something and added, "By the way, if a younger brother is disobedient, a good beating usually solves it."
"Okay, okay, I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Brother Xingzhi."
She stood at the doorway and watched until she saw him enter his own room before closing the door.