Chapter 48

On Dai Ning’s first day of school, the most anxious person was none other than Chen Jing.

He worried her pampered demeanor might make her a target for bullying, her fiery temper might alienate her classmates, and if she failed to make friends, she’d surely come home heartbroken.

But his new job left no room for such thoughts.

The cheers and shouts from the underground arena made the world a chaotic roar.

Chen Jing took off his shirt, strapped on his gloves, and flexed his wrists a few times.

The manager grinned. “Our boss, Mr. Wan, has high hopes for you. With ‘Zero’ out of commission, you’ll be the new ‘Zero’ of our arena.”

Rumors about an unbeatable fighter from Alley 18 had been circulating—a man with top-tier skills and an unrivaled ferocity.

Chen Jing had previously refused their offers, but a few days ago, for some unknown reason, he suddenly changed his mind.

The underground fighting circuit’s reigning “Zero” had been gravely injured, leaving him paralyzed. A new champion was needed, and Chen Jing was the perfect candidate.

The manager spoke with excitement, “You’re a rookie, but the odds for you have already hit 1:1. You have to win this match!”

A win from Chen Jing would ensure the bookies earned a fortune.

Chen Jing understood what this meant. In underground fighting, the stakes were life or death—either his opponent would be crippled or killed, or he would be.

But Chen Jing wasn’t afraid. He had no fear of death and even felt a strange, secret thrill at the thought.

Underground fighting had two defining traits: astronomical prize money and a complete lack of rules. The frenzied cheers of the crowd indicated their hunger for the most brutal combat.

The manager clapped him on the back. “Go.”

Chen Jing rolled his neck. The sooner he finished this fight, the sooner he could head home and buy his sister some cake.

—

After her evening self-study session, Li Ming came to pick Dai Ning up.

“Where’s my brother?” she asked.

Li Ming scratched his head, recalling Chen Jing’s instructions to keep quiet. “He’s working late. I’ll take you home first. Let me know if you want anything to eat, and I’ll buy it for you.”

“Oh,” Dai Ning said, pointing to an ice cream cart by the roadside. “Li Ming-ge, buy me a strawberry one.”

“Got it! Right away.”

Qingtuan, ever curious, asked, “Dai Ning, what do you think Chen Jing actually does for work?”

How could he suddenly have the money to move and enroll her in school?

Dai Ning wasn’t interested. Whatever Chen Jing did, as long as it allowed her to live comfortably, it didn’t matter.

Li Ming, at her beck and call, bought her plenty of snacks along the way. After dropping her off at home, he said, “Daidai, finish your homework. Jing-ge will be back soon.”

Dai Ning nodded. “Bye-bye.”

As soon as Li Ming left, she lounged lazily on the sofa, biting into her ice cream while watching an overly dramatic soap opera.

Qingtuan had recently become hooked on the show too and chatted enthusiastically with her. “That new girl—is she the female lead?”

“How can you tell?”

Qingtuan analyzed, “She kissed and hugged the male lead. She must be the female lead!”

“Nope,” Dai Ning replied. “She’s the male lead’s sister. Later, a DNA test reveals she’s his long-lost biological sister.”

Qingtuan’s head practically sprouted a question mark. What kind of absurd plot twist was this?!

“Have you heard this saying? ‘May all lovers in the world become siblings,’” Dai Ning teased.

“Stop lying! You haven’t even finished the show. How would you know?”

“I looked up spoilers online the other day.”

Qingtuan was stunned. This plot was ridiculous, and yet Dai Ning recounted it with such relish. Where were her morals? The more Qingtuan thought about it, the more it felt like Dai Ning was implying something about Chen Jing.

“Don’t overthink it,” Dai Ning said. “Isn’t it exciting?”

Qingtuan: This is way too exciting.

The two continued watching.

—

At nearly 11 PM, the door finally opened.

Chen Jing walked in, and Dai Ning’s nose twitched, detecting a faint trace of blood in the air.

Without missing a beat, she ran over from the sofa, beaming. “You’re home, Gege!”

Chen Jing patted her head and handed her the cake he’d bought on the way.

Dai Ning opened it, took a bite, then scooped up another spoonful to feed him.

Chen Jing shook his head.

Unbothered, she ate it herself. Before he could speak, she clung to him, holding the cake as she trailed after him. “Gege, I missed you so much today! I thought about you during class, after class, all day. I don’t like Li Ming-ge picking me up. When will you come pick me up?”

Chen Jing cleared his throat, pretending not to hear. After washing his hands in the bathroom, he sat down with a notebook and wrote on a piece of paper:

How was school today?

Dai Ning nodded.

Did you get along with your classmates?

“Very well.”

Did you make any new friends?

“Yep!”

Her smile, sweet with the scent of cake, made her look utterly adorable. Chen Jing relaxed. As long as she wasn’t being ostracized, everything was fine.

“Gege, come watch TV with me. I found a great show!”

Dai Ning tugged at his sleeve, making him sit down. She lazily sprawled next to him, still eating her cake.

This was the kind of life Chen Jing had long imagined—lighthearted and warm. For years, it had been just him, returning to an empty house. But now, with the soft glow of the room and the lively girl beside him, it felt like home.

Finally, he allowed himself to relax, watching the show with her.

—

The melodrama on TV grew even more absurd. The story reached the DNA test scene, where the girl tearfully declared, “Even if you’re my brother, I still love you!”

The male lead, tormented, confessed in his inner monologue that he loved her too.

Outside, rain poured down as the girl ran away in despair. The male lead chased after her, setting up a dramatic rain-soaked kiss.

Chen Jing turned to the girl beside him, who had whipped cream on her lips and was innocently staring at him.

Without hesitation, Chen Jing grabbed the remote, muttering, “What nonsense is this?” and turned off the TV.

“A brother is a brother. How could anyone think this way about their sister?” he said firmly.

“Let’s change the show.” His deep voice was almost scarier than the melodrama.

“I like this one!” Dai Ning protested. “It’s so good!”

“Don’t mess around.”

But Dai Ning, thoroughly engrossed, leapt to snatch the remote. “You can’t turn it off!”

Like a wild kitten, she climbed onto his lap, reaching for the remote in his hand.

Chen Jing’s instincts took over. Before he realized it, he’d pinned her down on the sofa, her hands restrained behind her.

For a moment, both were stunned.

The TV was still playing the rain-drenched kiss when Chen Jing decisively turned it off.

When he looked back, the girl on the sofa was covering her face, sobbing. Her curls fell messily around her, and her shoulders shook.

“Boohoo, Gege hit me!”

Chen Jing froze. “…”

It had been an automatic reaction, born of years of training. He hadn’t even used any force.

But Dai Ning cried harder. “I don’t like you anymore! You hit me!”

Chen Jing, thoroughly exasperated, turned her over and found her eyes brimming with tears. Her cheeks were flushed, and her tear-streaked face made his heart sink.

“I didn’t mean to,” he said awkwardly. “Really.”

Still, Dai Ning’s sobs only grew louder.

Chen Jing sighed, turning the TV back on. “Fine, we’ll watch it. See? It’s on.”

But the young lady, clearly offended, swatted his hand away and stormed off to her room.

The melodrama continued in the background, filled with its over-the-top theatrics. Chen Jing stood at her door for a long time, knocking, but she wouldn’t open it.

She was actually upset this time.

Chen Jing knew how quickly her moods shifted and hoped she’d forget about the whole thing by morning.

Instead, when she came out the next day, her eyes were red, and she ignored him entirely. She didn’t even eat breakfast, walking out in a huff.

Worried, Chen Jing followed her to school.

Sensing his presence, Dai Ning turned around and, with a fierce expression, pulled a lollipop from her bag and threw it at him.

Chen Jing didn’t move. The candy flew past his shoulder.

Qingtuan: “…”

The atmosphere was awkward for a moment. Dai Ning was furious and humiliated, growing even more displeased with Chen Jing. She decided she didn’t want this useless brother anymore! What a jerk—if she couldn’t hit him, couldn’t he just catch the candy instead of dodging?

Their home wasn’t far from the school, and it took Dai Ning less than 13 minutes to walk there in her anger. If she moved at this speed regularly, Chen Jing wouldn’t have to worry about her being late all the time.

Her hair was tied up, with a blue ribbon draped over her shoulder. Dressed in the standard school uniform, she still managed to stand out in the crowd of boys and girls. Only she could wear it in such a distinctive way.

Chen Jing only left after making sure she arrived at school safely.

His matches were limited to three at most each night, leaving his days free. With no need to go to the underground boxing arena during the day, Chen Jing had nothing pressing to do. But because of last night’s TV drama incident, he hadn’t slept well. He should’ve caught up on rest, but every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Dai Ning’s teary, upset face.

It was the first time she had been angry with him.

She wouldn’t cling to him, say sweet things, or even let him escort her anymore.

A vague frustration swirled in his chest—something he’d never felt, not even when Chen Lianxing pushed his limits.

The sensation was unfamiliar and unsettling, keeping him awake.

Meanwhile, Dai Ning slept soundly.

The classroom was just too comfortable for napping, and her teacher’s voice was the most soothing lullaby in the world.

She rested her head on a unicorn pillow, her cheeks rosy as she dozed. Even though she was upset with Chen Jing, she wasn’t going to let it affect her own comfort.

Today, her homeroom teacher, Mr. Mao, who was usually mild-mannered, passed by her seat several times while holding a note.

This “condition” of hers hadn’t been mentioned before the new student arrived.

He decided he needed to have a serious talk with her parents. A student with narcolepsy would undoubtedly have their studies affected.

When the class ended, Qingtuan dutifully woke her up.

“Dai Ning, someone’s looking at you from outside.”

She opened her eyes and sleepily gazed toward the window, locking eyes with a pair of unruly black ones.

The paper stuck to her face fluttered slightly as she looked, her soft curls framing her face in a way that made her look adorably silly.

The boy outside the window actually laughed.

Dai Ning stayed put, her big round eyes blinking lethargically.

Her classmates began whispering.

“Li Hu from Class 14 is here!”

“Is he here for the weirdo in our class?”

“Li Hu just smiled! I’ve never seen him smile before!”

…

The back window wasn’t even shut, and Li Hu pulled it open further. With a playful smirk, he reached in and tugged the note off Dai Ning’s face.

She stared at him, her round cat-like eyes filled with annoyance.

Li Hu let his gaze linger on her face for a couple of seconds before nonchalantly sticking the note back onto her face. Dai Ning blinked twice, too lazy to argue with the rebellious teenager, and closed her eyes again, drifting back to sleep.

Li Hu stood there watching her for quite some time. Just as rumored, she really did resemble a little sloth.

When the bell rang, signaling the start of the next class, Li Hu shoved his hands in his pockets and left.

The students in Class 8, who had witnessed everything, were on the verge of an uproar.

Li Hu was a big name in the school. He came from a wealthy family, had an unruly charm, and his very name, background, and looks screamed “campus heartthrob.” If he were a character in a romance novel, he’d undoubtedly be the quintessential bad boy.

But Li Hu was different. His grades were excellent, and he never showed much interest in anything. This was the first time he’d come up to the third floor from the second, just to pull the note off their class’s “sloth” student.

The class was abuzz, and Qingtuan felt overwhelmed by all the gossip. It decided to gather all the information and report it to Dai Ning later.

When the night self-study session ended, Dai Ning woke up on time. She sipped the blueberry milk from her thermos and leisurely walked toward the school gate.

Everyone in Class 8 was familiar with her slow-paced demeanor. They didn’t approach her but couldn’t help noticing her wherever she went.

The streetlights flanked the campus path, and Li Hu was leaning against the school gate, waiting for her.

Dai Ning pretended not to see him and walked right past. But Li Hu reached out and grabbed her backpack.

She turned around, wondering if she was about to be bullied. Tilting her head, she considered whether she should call for help since she’d never experienced campus bullying before and was oddly curious about it.

Li Hu opened her backpack and casually stuffed in a box of strawberry chocolates, a few small tubs of dried fruit, and a packet of fish snacks.

Dai Ning looked at her now-overflowing backpack and asked, “What are you doing?”

The boy smiled roguishly, his voice tinged with amusement. “As you can see, I’m trying to please you.” His voice was unexpectedly pleasant.

Dai Ning rummaged through the snacks he’d given her. “I don’t eat fish snacks.”

Li Hu calmly took them out. “Now you don’t have to.”

She tilted her head and asked, “What are you trying to do? Date me?”

“Can I?”

Dai Ning thought for a moment and replied earnestly, “No. My brother would be mad.”

Li Hu found her response utterly endearing. “If your brother weren’t mad, would you agree?”

She nodded. “Mhm.”

Qingtuan couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Where was their sense of propriety? How could they discuss something like this without blushing?

Li Hu burst out laughing.

His appearance didn’t exude warmth—in fact, it carried a hint of mischief. No wonder the girls said he was the ultimate bad-boy type. He really didn’t look like someone to be trusted.