Serenade

Chapter 4

Jin Xi's home is located in the urban area of City B, and she belongs to the group of freshmen who arrived at the school early for registration.

With several days left until the deadline for freshmen registration, Jin Xi had nothing to do, so she wandered around the school to get familiar with the campus.

On the student activity street, various clubs set up umbrellas to recruit new members.

The words "Student Union Service Center" were particularly prominent.

Jin Xi, with her hands in her pockets and wearing flip-flops, had just walked past when she saw the straight figure of Shen Pingchuan.

In recent years, Shen Pingchuan had grown tall for some reason, rocketing up to a height of almost two meters. This height would normally lead to a lanky build, but Shen Pingchuan's physique was strong and well-proportioned. His muscles were well defined, giving him an impressive appearance.

Shen Pingchuan was Jin Xi's stepbrother. Although they had no blood relation, they had known each other since they were four or five years old and had grown up together.

Shen Pingchuan was an outstanding young member of the Communist Youth League in elementary school and a student leader in middle and high school, cultivating a sense of righteousness.

At this moment, he stood beside the student union service booth, wearing a white shirt, with short and neat hair. With his hands on his waist, his beautiful peach blossom double eyelids were buried in the shadows as he solemnly inspected the "public opinion" around him.

His handsome features attracted the attention of many girls, and some even took the initiative to give him a can of ice-cold cola. However, Shen Pingchuan would not accept such gifts without reason.

As a student leader, he had to maintain a certain image. The first thing he had to do was to refuse any "bribes," whether from males or females.

When Jin Xi saw him, she was so scared that she turned and ran.

The "luggage binding" incident on the first day of school made her realize that she had to draw a clear line with the "enemy of the people." Even if they were not blood-related, she would stand with the people rather than her own family.

Jin Xi was a bit of a coward, not only lacking in integrity, but also very timid. The "luggage binding" incident had frightened her.

These past few days, she had been avoiding Shen Pingchuan, who had waited for her downstairs in the girls' dormitory several times, but she had not come down.

Shen Pingchuan turned his head and saw Jin Xi. Without saying a word, he chased after her with giant strides, saying, "Wait, little sister."

Jin Xi screamed when she saw him catching up and increased her pace to run ahead.

"Why are you running?"

"Why are you chasing me?"

"Why haven't I seen you these past few days?"

Jin Xi spoke firmly while running, "We have no blood relation. You might as well be a stranger. Your dad is my dad, but my mom is still my mom, not yours."

Shen Pingchuan had a dead expression of "I'm just watching you put on a show."

"Is it because you're itching to tell me about our moms again?"

"Don't chase me anymore, or I'll tell Uncle Shen!"

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

"No, don't chase me."

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Jin Xi wasn't looking where she was going and ended up plunging into a sea of dark green.

She blinked and saw that it was the National Defense Academy marching in formation, surrounded by a group of tall and slim young men in military uniforms.

She bumped into one of the soldiers head-on.

Jin Xi looked up and caught a glimpse of those narrow and slightly upturned phoenix eyes, which carried a hint of confusion.

It was Bo Yan.

He was dressed in a fitted military uniform, looking disciplined and solemn with his hat covering his broad forehead and his eyes buried in the shadow of the sun.

His body was so hard that Jin Xi's nose hurt from bumping into him.

Bo Yan's hand landed on the back of Jin Xi's neck, pulling her from in front of him to behind him, and he looked up at Shen Pingchuan, who was chasing after them.

"Did he bully you?" Bo Yan asked, and Jin Xi felt like she was about to burst into tears, feeling protected by her military brother and filled with a sense of safety.

She hid behind Bo Yan and looked at Shen Pingchuan, whispering, "Senior, he wants to beat me up!"

Shen Pingchuan walked up, and several senior students from the National Defense Academy immediately blocked his way and didn't let him get any closer.

Shen Pingchuan calmly said, "This is my sister, I'm taking her to breakfast."

Bo Yan replied nonchalantly, "Whether she eats breakfast or not is none of your business."

"She's my sister."

"Then call her and see if she responds."

Shen Pingchuan straightened his collar and walked up to Bo Yan.

These two men, who were of equal height and build, seemed to be at odds with each other.

"Bo Yan, I appreciate your help with our little sister last time, but this is a family matter, please mind your own business," Shen Pingchuan said.

Bo Yan's mouth curled up, and a hint of disdain appeared at the corner of his eyes. "Your sister? When she was being bullied, where were you to stand up for her? Now you're telling me to mind my own business?"

Shen Pingchuan retorted, "So what right do you have to interfere?"

"I have no obligation to answer to you," Bo Yan replied.

Shen Pingchuan sneered, "If you have any improper thoughts about my sister, I'll beat you to death!"

"Come and try," Bo Yan rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming more and more tense, and both men getting angrier, Jin Xi finally summoned up the courage to speak up and said to Bo Yan, "Shen Pingchuan definitely can't beat you. Thank you, senior."

She bowed apologetically to him and looked back at Shen Pingchuan, trembling as she said, "Let's go eat breakfast."

At this moment, Bo Yan reached out and pulled her back, and the words "you don't have to force yourself if you don't want to go" were stuck in his throat for a moment before he ultimately didn't say them.

Yes, he had no standing.

Shen Pingchuan grabbed Jin Xi's collar like he was holding a little chick and took her away. Jin Xi felt guilty and looked back at Bo Yan several times.

Bo Yan watched as the two of them left, disappearing into the morning mist.

His eyes grew colder and more solemn.

The people around him could visibly tell that he was not happy.

This guy was usually carefree and laissez-faire, and it had been a long time since they had seen him confront someone like this.

**

Shen Pingchuan brought Jin Xi to the cafeteria, swiped his card, and ordered a steaming bowl of vegetable and egg porridge and three shrimp dumplings. He placed them in front of Jin Xi and handed her the spoon, commanding her in a deep voice, "Eat."

This one word "eat" carried the supreme authority of an older brother.

"This is too bland," Jin Xi pouted. "Other than spicy noodles, I'm not interested in any food in the morning."

"Still want to grow taller or not?" Shen Pingchuan rubbed her head. "Eat more eggs."

Jin Xi turned her head away, annoyed. "Let's keep our distance from now on."

"Like I'm eager to be intimate with you," Shen Pingchuan grumbled. "Your Uncle Shen asked me to take care of you."

Jin Xi ignored him and continued eating. Shen Pingchuan kept talking. "But as a stepdaughter, look how spoiled you are...already in college and still acting like a child."

Jin Xi listened to his words and wasn't sure if she was jealous or just felt left out.

"You offended someone, and they won't dare to mess with you, so they come to me," Jin Xi muttered. "Do I owe you something, Shen Pingchuan?"

Shen Pingchuan tugged at her braided hair. "When you come to my house, do you understand that you're living under someone else's roof? I've never seen you act like a stepdaughter from another family, so timid and submissive. You even try to take everything from me."

"I'm not taking anything from you. You're the one bullying me."

Seeing that she didn't enjoy her food, Shen Pingchuan stood up and bought a bowl of spicy noodles for himself. But he picked a few noodles with a small bowl and asked her to taste it.

In the end, Jin Xi still took Shen Pingchuan's bowl of noodles and gave him the vegetable porridge that had turned into a watery mess.

Looking at the oil floating on the porridge, Shen Pingchuan said with disgust, "This is disgusting."

"Just disgusting to you."

Although he was disgusted, he still drank the porridge.

When he was six years old, Shen Pingchuan met Jin Xi, who was a year younger than him. His father brought this little girl into the house and said she was his sister, and he would have to take care of her.

At that time, Shen Pingchuan's eyes lit up. He was filled with warmth and love, and he really wanted a little sister. Now that his dream had come true, his liking for Jin Xi immediately surpassed his love for his Transformers toys.

He didn't mind his father's union with Jin Xi's mother, because his own mother had passed away due to an accident when he was born. Six years later, Jin Xi's mother came, and Shen Pingchuan finally received the motherly love he had been craving.

While he loved Jin Xi, a timid and soft little sister, Shen Pingchuan also acted like an elder brother should, correcting her bad habits when necessary.

For example, she needed to sleep early at night. If he saw light coming from under her door late at night, he would knock on it loudly and warn her that he would beat her up if she didn't sleep.

Jin Xi always felt that Shen Pingchuan, as her stepbrother, was really good at being a stepbrother: he disliked her, reprimanded her, and sometimes used violence to oppress her, for ten years.

The two of them often fought at home, and every time, Shen Pingchuan made her cry.

She complained to her mother, who said, "Your brother loves you, that's why he's strict with you."

Jin Xi was speechless.

Love means bullying her, what kind of love is that?

Jin Xi had grown up. She went to the same school as Shen Pingchuan in middle and high school. Whenever a boy expressed interest in her, Shen Pingchuan would suddenly appear from some corner, pull her behind him and menacingly say, "My little sister is studying for college entrance exams. She's not interested in dating. If you keep bothering her, I'll report you to the teacher."

Yes, he was a student cadre who wouldn't resort to violence. He would only report to the teacher.

Throughout her youth, Jin Xi lived under the shadow of Shen Pingchuan, feeling miserable. Finally, she managed to send him off to college, but within a year, she was admitted to City B University herself.

Life was tough.

After breakfast, as Shen Pingchuan had student work to do, he asked Jin Xi, "Where are you going?"

Jin Xi replied, "Just wandering around."

Shen Pingchuan asked, "Have you received your campus card?"

Jin Xi said, "Not yet."

Then, Shen Pingchuan handed his own campus card to Jin Xi and said, "Go study in the library."

Jin Xi: ...

Can't she refuse?

Shen Pingchuan straightened Jin Xi's collar and reminded her, "Dress neatly and don't be sloppy."

"Okay."

"And, that guy named Bo Yan, don't hang out with him."

Jin Xi asked, "Why not?"

"That guy is no good."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Everything."

Jin Xi wasn't surprised to hear these words from Shen Pingchuan. He had said the same thing more than fifty times, with different targets each time. For him, any man who got close to Jin Xi was not a good person.

Shen Pingchuan left.

Jin Xi watched his tall and straight figure disappear. Suddenly, she called out, "Shen Pingchuan, do you hate me?"

He paused for a moment, but still didn't turn around and muttered, "Yeah."

"Why?"

Jin Xi had always been obedient. Why was he always like that toward her?

Shen Pingchuan looked up at the sky and murmured, "Step-siblings are natural enemies. Don't you understand?"

Jin Xi felt exhausted. "I don't want to argue or fight with you anymore. We're adults now that we're in college. If you hate me, just stay away from me."

After saying that, she walked toward the library.

The wind rose, and the leaves of the parasol trees fluttered down. The slender figure of the little girl disappeared into the morning light.

Shen Pingchuan stood in place for a long time before eventually walking away.