What surprised Chu Lian was Chu Chu's sudden and unannounced class transfer. The person she swapped classes with was none other than Wang Tingsi, who was now no more than a stranger to her.
She looked at the boy quietly packing his things, then at Chu Chu, who wore a calm expression. She didn't know what to say in that moment and could only sigh softly. "Was that really necessary?"
Yes, was that really necessary? If it was just to be with her, there were plenty of ways to achieve that. There were many methods that didn't involve switching classes—they might be troublesome, but still better than this.
If he didn't want to see her anymore, there was no need to go so far either. Though she didn't know what had changed in the boy's heart, she still felt a sense of regret. She didn't like him because he only wanted her for himself, but as a friend, he had been easy enough to get along with.
This transfer period really passed in a mix of haste and slowness. It felt like many things had yet to be done before time had already run out. So many events had piled up in just these few days. Even more changes had come so quickly that she couldn't keep up.
As for Wang Tingsi's departure, by now, it was nothing more than a sigh. They were never meant to walk the same path. Sharing the same boat was just a temporary coincidence. Leaving was the best choice.
"Wang Shiyu used to be a student of Class Six—a girl very similar to Chu Chu. But she specialized in music theory, which is why her grades had suffered so much. Still, her dedication to music theory made her one of the most famous graduates of Sudi High School. Maybe Wang Tingsi wanted to follow in his sister's footsteps and recreate that history."
As the boy's figure passed by with his bag slung over his shoulder, her thoughts swirled with a thousand emotions before settling into calm. She watched as Chu Chu cheerfully placed her things on the desk where he used to sit, then pulled out a tissue and carefully wiped the surface of the desk and chair, as if they were covered in something filthy.
To Chu Chu, switching places with Wang Tingsi was just a small transaction. But in her eyes, he was a formidable enemy! After all, he was the first boy bold enough to openly pursue her big sister. What if he managed to trick her big sister into falling for him? She would never forgive him—that disgusting bastard.
That was also why she was wiping down the desk and chair. It was already annoying enough that she had to be tainted by his presence; if that scent got passed on to her big sister, what then? She would never allow such a thing to happen.
In truth, the reason Wang Tingsi's pursuit of Chu Lian was so difficult—so much so that even friendship became impossible—was largely because of the chaos stirred up by Chu Chu's interference.
That said, even without Chu Chu meddling, Chu Lian—who had already developed a subconscious rejection and defense against males who pursued her—would never have made any progress with him. At most, he would have been a very ordinary friend, someone she might say a few words to and then have nothing more to say.
So, this departure might have been a relief for everyone involved. For Chu Lian, it meant being free of a pursuer. For Chu Chu, it meant no longer having to guard against a certain boy daring to steal her big sister. As for Wang Tingsi, only he would know what kind of relief it brought him.
Chu Chu's transfer happened faster than she had anticipated, but it didn't affect the order of Class 1 in any way. At most, a few girls who had liked Wang Tingsi felt a tinge of regret at his departure, but the majority of the boys were absolutely thrilled about Chu Chu's arrival.
After all, a super cute loli with a proud pair of school-wide-famous giant boobs would be a center of attention wherever she went!
Fortunately, Chu Chu's attitude toward boys was even worse than Chu Lian's, which quickly discouraged those little guys from getting too close. Otherwise, between class breaks, the space around her would surely have been swarmed by those hormone-fueled boys.
Compared to the boys' excitement, although the girls sighed over Wang Tingsi's departure, they didn't hold any resentment toward Chu Chu's arrival. On the contrary, they might have been even more welcoming than the boys.
Setting aside the fact that she was Chu Lian's little sister, Chu Chu was already a long-haired, adorable loli-type little goddess. Her cosplay as Shirai Kuroko yesterday had already won over many hearts, not to mention her astonishingly ample bust—practically a 36E by peer standards (scratch that).
But what really mattered was that last point. No girl wants to go through puberty without hoping for a better figure. And now, with someone whose development was practically miraculous right in front of them, who wouldn't want to learn?
You could ask Tina, who was currently using Chu Chu's chest as a deluxe sofa. It had probably already fallen asleep by now. But if there was anyone qualified to weigh in on the great debate of big vs. small chests, it was definitely Tina—who was now enjoying cloud-soft bliss.
Because of this, Chu Chu's popularity in the class was beginning to faintly overshadow Chu Lian's, leaving her both amused and exasperated.
She watched Chu Chu surrounded by a group of girls, all asking for bust-enhancement tips, then shifted her gaze to a few familiar faces from the day before.
Li Xiu'er gave her a shy smile, though it looked a bit forced. That kind of can't-hide-it expression stirred her heart, but more than anything, she was worried about what might be bothering Xiu'er.
Cai Ya turned her head away arrogantly. This girl still hadn't forgiven her, and Chu Chu's arrival had only fueled her pride further. Still, Chu Lian could tell that at her core, she was just being tsundere.
As for Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana, they were clearly happy about Chu Chu's arrival—likely because Chu Chu had taken it upon herself to say she'd solve their issues.
Her gaze passed by each one: Zhang Feng avoided her eyes;
Bai Tiange's eyes dipped slightly, not daring to look at her directly;
Duan Yuan gave a gentle smile, brushing the hair from her forehead before making a few hand signs—though from this distance, Chu Lian couldn't make out what she meant;
Then there was Liu Yanran, the traditionally elegant girl, who was holding a copy of Firefly magazine. She pointed to an article titled Sword and Fairy, and gave her a playful wink...
These classmates were all at varying distances from her, emotionally speaking. But in this moment, she saw sides of them she hadn't noticed before.
"Maybe… they'll be the core of my future team..." she murmured, turning her eyes to the sky outside the window.
...
That evening, when she got home, Inori was nowhere in sight. Her mom, seeing her peering around, chuckled and pointed upstairs. "She's in the room across from yours, taking a bath. She'll be living with you from now on."
Chu Lian nodded and softly said to her mom, "Thank you, Mom. I should have been the one to stay with her, but I already took a day off yesterday for that cosplay shoot. I couldn't skip school again today, so I had to leave her with you. Sorry for the trouble."
Her mom smiled gently and replied, "Silly girl, what are you saying? I really like Inori too. Meeting her feels like such a blessing."
Then, her tone suddenly changed as she shouted toward the living room, "Chu Chu! If you sneak another bite, you'll be sleeping in the hall tonight! And I'll have Lian'er and Inori share a room!"
Ah yes, this was Mom at her finest—striking right at Chu Chu's most sensitive point. She immediately straightened up and obediently sat on the couch, clutching Tina tightly and not daring to move an inch.
That was the natural aura of a mother—"maternal authority." Commonly known as the special aura used exclusively on bratty kids, lolis, and kittens. More terrifying than a dragon's roar, more authoritative than a god, more frightening than a demon king, more mysterious than a ghost... the utterly overpowered aura of a mother.
One sentence was enough to deal damage that even a hundred of Chu Lian's words couldn't match. The sheer combat power of it was mind-blowing.
Thankfully, Mom quickly reverted to her gentle form, as if her earlier outburst never happened. The way she switched personas so freely amazed even Chu Lian. Her mom's acting skill had to be at least an A.
Out of respect for her elders—and to preserve her relationship with her parents—Chu Lian had once given the system a strict command: never to analyze or probe into their attributes. So she didn't actually know much about her mom's abilities.
But judging from her sudden personality shifts, it was clear her acting-related talents had to be very high.
Then again, she had forgotten—women are natural-born actresses. Even without formal training, under certain conditions, they could surpass even award-winning actors. And clearly, she'd also forgotten her own talent section listed a glaring double-A rating in acting.
Once a woman started being foolish, even a best actor couldn't compare, huh? Stop marveling at Mom's acting skills—you're the same way, you know. →_→
Before long, Inori came down the stairs, wearing only a white shirt and underwear. Holding onto the railing, she called out, "Aunt Mingxue..." Then, nodding slightly toward Chu Chu, she finally walked up to Chu Lian, reached out, and gently touched her cheek. "Lian, you're back?"
"Mm, I'm back... I'm really sorry, Inori. I should have been the one to stay with you, but..."
She didn't finish the sentence. Inori placed a slender finger on her lips and softly said, "No need to apologize. I understand. Aunt Mingxue took great care of me. It's really okay."
Looking at the girl in front of her—like a painting come to life—Chu Lian reached out and led her to the dining table, seating her beside herself. She then tossed Chu Chu toward their mom, and slowly began placing dishes into Inori's bowl one by one.
She liked this feeling of calm. She liked eating meals together. She liked seeing the people she cared about by her side. Most of all, she liked knowing they were still here.
Ayase, you're not here right now. But I'm taking good care of myself. When you show up again, I promise I won't trouble you anymore. I'll let you see how much I've grown.
Midway through the meal, Chu Lian suddenly spoke: "Inori, how about going to school with us?"
Everyone at the table paused and looked at her.
Chu Lian repeated firmly, "I mean, Inori should attend school with us."
Seeing the look in her eyes, Inori let a faint smile curl at her lips. It was subtle, but Chu Lian caught it.
You're smiling again, Inori...
From now on, I'll make you smile more, and even more beautifully...
I promise...