Chapter 364: Chapter 363: This Is a Very Dangerous Feeling

Telling Zhou Mochen to wait downstairs, Xu Su went up to the second floor alone.

At the door of Sophomore Class 3, Xu Su pushed the door open and peeked her head inside.

The teacher giving the lecture looked at her questioningly. Xu Su’s gaze swept across the classroom, and after spotting Chen Ni in the middle, she explained her purpose to the teacher.

Only then did Chen Ni realize it was Xu Su. After getting the teacher’s permission, she stood up joyfully and walked out of the classroom.

"Susu, why are you wearing a mask like a celebrity? I almost didn’t recognize you." Chen Ni threw her arms around Xu Su and, while talking, pulled her mask straight down.

"It’s just more convenient this way." Xu Su pushed her hand away and pulled the mask back up properly. "You’re a sophomore now. How are your grades?"

Being asked about grades the moment they met, Chen Ni’s joyful expression immediately wilted. "Can you not be such a buzzkill? I’m already trying my best. My talent is what it is, so my grades are just middle-of-the-pack. There’s nothing I can do about it."

’Middle-of-the-pack...’

Xu Su asked, "What was your total score on the last major exam? Was it over four hundred?"

Chen Ni hung her head dejectedly and didn’t speak. Obviously, it wasn’t.

"..." What else could Xu Su say? She patted her sister’s shoulder helplessly. "How about I hire a tutor for you and Dongdong? You’re heading into your final year. You two should push yourselves. Even if it’s just last-minute cramming, you should at least give it a shot. That way, you won’t have any regrets when you look back in the future."

’She wasn’t expecting her siblings to get into top-tier universities. Even a third-rate school would be fine. At least they’d get a college diploma.’

As someone who was about to be a senior, Chen Ni had been studying for so many years; it would be a lie to say she didn’t want to go to college. Hearing Xu Su’s words now, she only hesitated for two seconds before nodding in agreement.

"That’s more like it."

Xu Su smiled at her sister. "Alright then, starting next semester, you and Dongdong will both live off-campus. I’ll rent a place for you to make it easier for the tutor to come over."

Chen Dong’s Third High School wasn’t far from First High School. As long as they rented a place near their schools, it wouldn’t be much different from living in a dorm.

Chen Ni was a little hesitant. "Isn’t that going to cost a lot of money?"

"That’s not for you to worry about," Xu Su said. "It’s your final year. Just focus on your studies and don’t worry about anything else. Only by working hard can you do justice to your own life, understand?"

Chen Ni nodded.

Seeing her sister’s rare, obedient look, Xu Su hesitated for two seconds before asking, "Nini, you haven’t met any shady people at school, have you? Like that shady ’Little Huang Mao’ character I mentioned before."

"Why do you always have to bring up ’Little Huang Mao’?" Chen Ni said, looking displeased. "I’m at school all day, every day. Where would I meet a shady ’Little Huang Mao’? The school doesn’t even let us dye our hair. The only person I know with dyed hair is the young guy at the hair salon outside of school."

’!!!!’ ’So one really did show up!’

Xu Su’s back instantly stiffened, and her tone couldn’t help but turn stern. "That blond guy from the hair salon, you know him? Are you close with him? You should stay away from scummy people like that, you hear me?"

"He’s a legitimate hairstylist, there’s nothing scummy about him," Chen Ni retorted. "And we’re not what I’d call close. I’ve just been there twice to get my hair cut. We’ve barely exchanged a few sentences in total."

Her attitude was very natural, not like someone who was secretly dating behind her family’s back. ’There’s still time...’

Xu Su slowly relaxed and asked, "Which hair salon is it?"

Chen Ni said, "It’s the one to the right of the school gate, ’Langbo Bay’. His skills are really good. A lot of people in my class like to get their hair cut there."

Xu Su nodded, gave her a few more reminders, and then let her go back to class.

Chen Ni was a little reluctant to see her go. "You rarely visit. How about you treat me to a meal after school gets out?"

"Next time..." Xu Su pulled her sister to the hallway railing, pointed at Zhou Mochen waiting downstairs, and dangled a carrot. "If you can get into a university in Beijing, I’ll have your brother-in-law treat you to a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast."

As if by telepathy, Zhou Mochen looked up in their direction. The man’s tall, straight figure stood as firm as a pine tree. Seen from a floor above, he appeared even more coolly aloof. After his eyes met Xu Su’s, he paused for a moment, and then a gentle smile spread across his face.

"..." Xu Su’s hand gripping the railing suddenly tightened. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

In that instant, she found she could suddenly understand the feeling of a "fluttering heart" so often described in books.

’This is a very dangerous feeling.’

Xu Su’s brow furrowed slightly. She didn’t like this feeling of not being in control.

’I can’t understand my own reaction. We’ve been together for so long, what side of Zhou Mochen haven’t I seen? How could I still, in such an ordinary scene, feel my heart pound so illogically...’

’But I can’t help but secretly praise my own good taste. This man is truly a worthwhile investment.’

Beside her, Chen Ni was so stunned she was speechless. She stared blankly for a long moment before excitedly waving at Zhou Mochen, then turned to Xu Su and whisper-shouted excitedly, "Brother-in-law? Susu, you got a new boyfriend again? It wasn’t him last year!"

The guy last year, Xi Zirong, was the boyfriend Susu had tacitly acknowledged. Chen Ni remembered it clearly. Then, at the wedding banquet, there was another guy named Shen Chen, who also seemed very familiar with her sister. She never expected that after just one year, yet another "official" brother-in-law would appear.

Chen Ni’s eyes widened in admiration. "Susu, all your boyfriends are so handsome. You’re amazing!"

"..." Xu Su was speechless for several long seconds before she irritably pushed her sister back into the classroom. "Just focus on your class and stop thinking about pointless things."

’I’m not being a bad influence on the kid, am I?!’

Xu Su was a little annoyed. ’I should have just told Zhou Mochen to wait for me in the car. Why did he have to follow me in!’

As soon as she got downstairs, Zhou Mochen came up to her, took her hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Was that your sister just now?"

Xu Su hummed in agreement. "Her name is Chen Ni. We grew up together. She’s two years younger than me and will be a senior next year. I also have a younger cousin, Chen Dong, who’s also a sophomore at another high school."

After listening attentively, Zhou Mochen asked, "Should we go see your cousin then?"

"No need. He doesn’t have a phone, and I don’t know which class he’s in."

’There’s no need to go looking for him class by class just to see him.’

After she finished, Xu Su then told him about her idea to find tutors for Chen Ni and Chen Dong.

"I didn’t realize you were such a responsible older sister. They definitely need to hit the books."

Zhou Mochen said with a smile, "However, one tutor probably won’t be enough. They’ll need a targeted approach for each subject. Don’t you worry about it. I’ll have someone take care of it."

Xu Su nodded, having no objection to his arrangements. She didn’t have time to stay in Kang County for long anyway. Even if she wanted to stay and handle it herself, Zhou Mochen would probably be the first to object.

’That man probably wishes he could whisk me back to Beijing this very second...’

Outside the school, as soon as Xu Su got in the car, she pointed in a direction. "Drive this way, and go slowly."

Zhou Mochen didn’t ask why. He followed her instructions, turned the steering wheel, and the car slowly drove past the shops near the school gate.

It wasn’t until she saw the hair salon she was looking for that Xu Su called out for him to stop. She didn’t get out of the car, just quietly watched the storefront from a distance.