"Your brother might be busy, but he’s not so busy that he doesn’t have a mont to take a phone call!" Ji Rui reassured Nuonuo from the perspective of soone who has been there.
But ultimately, Nuonuo still didn’t make the call.
It’s not that she doesn’t miss her brother, but she’s vaguely aware that both she and her brother are growing up day by day.
Each of them is starting to have their own space and life. She is a student now and has endless howork, and her brother, now a company manager, naturally has work he can’t catch up with. It’s impossible for them to stick together day and night like before.
Nuonuo didn’t share these thoughts with her family, but she quietly asked her deskmate with whom she got along well, "Ye Zi, are you close with your brother?"
Her deskmate Ye Zi has a brother four years older.
Ye Zi curled her lips, "We used to be close, but now he has a girlfriend, he chats with his girlfriend even during sleeping hours, where does he have the heart to care about a little girl like ? As my mom says, sons grow up and away from their mothers, and soon even I as a sister and she as a mother will have to step aside."
Ye Zi’s words were like a powerful bomb detonating deep under the sea, causing fishes and shrimps to scatter in chaos, though the surface remained calm and peaceful as before.
Nuonuo wasn’t sure if her brother had a girlfriend, but she knew that she absolutely couldn’t cling to him like before.
To prevent herself from overthinking, she decided to find sothing to do. It happened that when she went to Teacher Fan’s class, she overheard Teacher Fan ntioning to a senior brother about performing at the orphanage this week, and she volunteered herself to sign up.
So, when she got ho, she said to Le Tong.
"Mommy, I want to go perform with Teacher Fan this Saturday. Can Uncle Xiao Li give a ride to Teacher Fan’s house?"
Le Tong was a bit surprised because Nuonuo had always been excessively well-behaved, always consulting them before deciding on any activity.
But this ti, she wasn’t seeking consent; she was just informing Le Tong and casually asking her to arrange a driver to give her a lift.
"Sure, Mommy and Little Treasure will accompany you."
This Saturday, Le Tong originally planned to take Nuonuo and Little Treasure to the family estate to keep Mr. Ji company, but upon hearing Nuonuo’s words, she decided to cancel those plans.
"No need, no need. Teacher Fan said the orphanage will arrange a shuttle bus, but the eting point is at Teacher Fan’s house." The little girl waved her head and hands to refuse Le Tong’s offer.
"Are you really okay to go on your own?"
Le Tong’s concern was understandable, as Nuonuo had never gone to an event by herself. Every ti she participated in a competition or performance, her thoughtful Brother Dabao would always be closely by her side to prevent any discomfort.
Fearing Le Tong might not agree, Nuonuo hugged her arm and acted coquettishly, "Mommy, of course, I’m fine! I’m almost twelve; foreign kids can deliver milk and newspapers for pocket money at this age."
Le Tong patted her head, "Alright, Uncle Xiao Li will take you there, and when you co back, give a call first, and I’ll pick you up."
Early on Saturday morning, Nuonuo was taken to Teacher Fan’s ho by Uncle Xiao Li. He watched her, Teacher Fan, and several other students board a bus with violins, only leaving once the bus drove off.
Nuonuo sat by the window and waved to Uncle Xiao Li, who was standing on the side of the road.
"Si Han, isn’t that your family’s driver? Why isn’t your brother here with you today?" asked her senior, Gu Xinyu.
"Hmm." Since accidentally witnessing the true nature of two seniors, Nuonuo’s attitude towards them had beco as indifferent as if they were strangers.
"Yeah, Si Han, why didn’t your brother co with you?"
This ti, it was a senior brother asking. He hadn’t offended Nuonuo and usually treated her well.
"My brother is on a business trip," Nuonuo answered truthfully.
"A business trip? Your brother has started work?" The senior brother seed quite surprised.
"Hey, don’t you know? Si Han’s brother is a genius. He entered university at fourteen," Gu Xinyu spoke as if she knew much about Ji Yu.
Nuonuo turned her face away to look at the scenery racing past outside the window. Her brother is a genius, her brother is amazing—she’s heard these words a lot since childhood. Previously, she felt proud, but this ti, hearing them felt especially uncomfortable.
Gu Xinyu was just one of the many girls who admired her brother. Hearing this from her was already unpleasant, so Nuonuo couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if one day these complints ca from her brother’s girlfriend.
Would she be happy?
Nuonuo silently asked herself.
Just like these past days, she couldn’t help but wonder whether her brother had a girlfriend. Regardless of the answer, her heart always felt twisted and suffocating.
Nuonuo thought the reason for her distress might not be whether her brother currently has a girlfriend.
But rather the fact that he will definitely have one soday.
Understanding this made her even more upset.
The reason for her distress was that she simply didn’t want her brother to have a girlfriend!
The mont she reached this conclusion, Nuonuo almost wished to choke her own heart!
Since she could rember, her brother has been insanely good to her, always putting her first, and trying to fulfill every desire she had.
Yet, the very girl whom her brother has ticulously doted and cared for is wicked enough to hope he never gets a girlfriend!
"Si Han, here’s so water."
Teacher Fan handed it to Nuonuo, who was staring outside with a conflicted expression. She turned her head, took the water, and softly said, "Thank you, Teacher Fan."
"What’s wrong? Not happy because your brother didn’t co with you?"
Teacher Fan wasn’t particularly perceptive, but the little girl’s thoughts were written all over her face.
"No!" Nuonuo replied weakly, her words contradicting her feelings, as she unscrewed the bottle cap.
"You should interact more with the outside world."
Having taught Nuonuo for so many years, Teacher Fan knew the Ji Family protected this little girl extrely well, but he felt such excessive protection wasn’t beneficial.
Of course, when he talked about interacting more with the outside world, he didn’t an Nuonuo hadn’t seen the world, but rather she hadn’t interacted much with strangers.
While Nuonuo and the orchestra mbers were on the bus heading to the orphanage, Brother Dabao was also sitting in a taxi on his way ho.
After being away from ho for half a month, Dabao pushed his luggage through the gate and imdiately saw Little Treasure playing with the dog in the grass.
Little Treasure saw him coming, happily tossed aside the puppy, and ran over, "Brother!"
Dabao rubbed his head, looked around, "Where’s your sister? Still not up?"
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