My sickly little sister is too clingy, I just keep sticking to her.

In short~

Chen Xue was stunned.

I was stunned.

Really!

After a long while... a look of panic appeared on his face, and this panic was mixed with some other emotions.

It was just a simple compliment.

But it made Chen Xue's heart race, and she didn't dare to look up.

even……

She could feel her back starting to sweat.

"Xiaoxue, what's wrong?"

"I...I..."

What's wrong?

She doesn't know either.

In the end... Chen Xue chose to cover it up in another way: "I...I...I'm not a child anymore, don't flick my nose."

"???"

Is that why?

I don't quite understand!

To this… Chen Xia waved her hand helplessly: “Yes, yes, yes! I’ll be more careful in the future. There’s nothing I can do about it… my little sister is just so cute.”

"!!!"

Still talking?

"I'll listen to my sister."

“…………”

At this moment, Chen Xue's heart was in turmoil.

Even... some images that I had never thought of before began to appear in my mind, and those images began to overlap with the content of some novels.

She murmured unconsciously, "What if I'm not a younger sister in the future..."

"What?"

Because the sound was a little soft, Chen Xia didn't hear it clearly.

When asked!

Chen Xue shook her head: "It's nothing, I'll go take a look over there..."

"Hmm~"

Since we're going to go beachcombing...

They certainly couldn't go back empty-handed; they had to at least... return with a full load. So, for the next three hours, the two searched all the nearby depressions.

true!

A very fruitful harvest.

Chen Xia could tell that her younger sister was in a much better mood.

first day.

In the very beginning, Chen Xue gave the impression of being an exquisite porcelain doll, completely expressionless, and even somewhat numb.

the next day.

The situation has improved a lot; at least there's more color in his eyes and expression. He may still be very weak, but he's much better.

Day three.

That is, right now.

The situation has improved significantly; at least... he smiled, didn't he?

All psychological problems stem from unhappiness. When she finally smiles, it means that things are mostly successful, which is good news.

Take it easy.

I previously thought it would be a long-term battle.

Now it's clear.

Long-term?

No, no.

No need.

At most one month.

If all goes well, Chen Xue should be able to return to school in the second half of the year. After all, her younger sister has good grades, and even if she doesn't get into Tsinghua or Peking University, getting into a top university shouldn't be a big problem.

This can't be delayed.

"Brother, shouldn't we go back?"

"It's time to go back."

time?

This is nothing.

The most important thing was their harvest. This time, the bucket they brought was a bit small, and it was filled to the brim. In fact, because they had so much to gain, some crabs even tried to escape.

Fortunately, it was discovered in time, otherwise it might have actually succeeded in escaping.

Under these circumstances, the two had no choice but to go back.

But Chen Xia could tell that his younger sister was still a little reluctant to leave, so he coughed lightly and said, "It's not like you can only come today. You can come whenever you want."

"real!"

Chen Xia nodded: "How could that be fake? When we get back, I'll make you takoyaki, and as for the rest... we'll have some steamed seafood so you can try some of our local seafood specialties."

"Okay~"

Speaking of which~

Chen Xue became hopeful.

The two returned along the same route. On the way back, Chen Xue looked at the fruit trees on both sides of the national highway and unconsciously became lost in thought, not knowing what she was thinking.

After a long time...

She looked away and then turned to Chen Xia.

"What's wrong?"

"Brother, don't you have anything you want to ask?"

Why?

"It's about... what happened just now, and why I'm like this..."

"!!!"

Why is this happening?

Chen Xia didn't know the specifics. According to her family, her younger sister was like this because of the immense academic pressure she faced after entering her senior year of high school.

But Chen Xia knew very well.

This is only one of the reasons; there must be others.

Curious?

A little.

But in the end, Chen Xia shook her head: "I don't want to ask."

"???"

In short~

Chen Xue was completely stunned.

What does that mean?

Chen Xia ignored the look in her eyes and continued, "Every cause has its effect. Ignoring everything else... just looking at your state tells me that."

"This is a big deal, at least for you."

"Even my aunt and the others don't know, which means this is not just a matter, but a scar. In that case... why should I ask? What kind of brother would take the initiative to reopen his sister's scar?"

"!!!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Xue's eyes were filled with surprise.

Yes!

Chen Xia didn't know the specifics, but she had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on. Finally... Chen Xue took a deep breath: "You know Wang Qiaoyao?"

"Wang Qiao?"

Chen Xia frowned slightly: "This name sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before."

"This is my deskmate."

"oh."

Thinking about it this way, Chen Xia understood.

indeed!

After starting junior high school, we saw each other less often at home.

Infrequent meetings do not mean less communication.

Chat group.

phone.

Family gathering.

They would always say something, and this name would be one of them: "I know you two don't get along very well, right? Is it related to her? Did she bully you?"

Speaking of which~

Chen Xia's expression changed.

He looked like he was about to confront her immediately.

"No, she didn't bully me."

"Oh, oh, oh!"

Chen Xia breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness she hadn't been bullied. But the next second... Chen Xue said something even more terrifying than bullying: "She committed suicide."

"???"

WTF!

Upon hearing this, Chen Xia wondered if she had misheard.

suicide?

Why did they commit suicide?

"What's going on?"

"Our school follows the Hengshui model, with classes starting at 6 a.m. and evening self-study ending at 11 p.m., which seems like we have seven hours of rest time."

"But we need to wash up at night, and the school encourages us to study early in the morning. Many students get up before dawn and start class at six o'clock. Few students sleep until four o'clock."

"At most, I can only sleep for five hours a day."

"Hiss~"

Chen Xia gasped; he had heard of the Hengshui model.

but……

The reality was even more terrifying than expected.

"So your classmate..."

"right!"

Chen Xue took several deep breaths.

As if recalling something painful, she finally gritted her teeth and said, "Wang Qiao was under too much pressure from her studies. She cried and complained many times, but it was no use... So one day during class, she opened the window and jumped out."

"Study until you die, as long as you don't study to death."

"Now……"

"She died on that rainy day. Her blood stained the playground red. It all happened right in front of me. It was too fast. I couldn't stop her at all."

As he spoke~

A tear slid down Chen Xue's cheek.

Cried?

It's good that you cried.

Just cry it out.

Chen Xia parked the car on the side of the road, then opened a new pack of tissues and gently wiped the moisture from Chen Xue's eyes with the tissue. It was at this moment that she let her voice out completely.

From speaking at the beginning, it turned into crying and pleading later.

"Did you know? She jumped off a building."

"As a result, the students in the class didn't care about any of this. Instead, they were discussing whether they were going to have a holiday. I couldn't understand it at all. They even jumped off a building."

"Shouldn't you have called an ambulance?"

"I wanted the teacher to make the call, but... the other party coldly replied, 'Don't get distracted by trivial matters. Studying is the most important thing now. The more you study today, the higher your chances of getting into Tsinghua or Peking University tomorrow.'"

"Brother, what do you mean by this?"

Chen Xia remained silent for a long time.

Finally… he uttered two words: “I’m sick!”

"what?"

Chen Xia took a deep breath: "It's not your problem, it's your school's problem, or rather... it's because of this model. It's not your fault, so is there more to it?"

"Then... the ambulance arrived, but it was too late, and the school seems to be suppressing the matter; no one can reveal any details!"

"So... Wang Qiao's parents found me and have been looking for me ever since."

"I told them everything I knew, thinking that would be the end of it, but it wasn't enough at all. The school even warned me not to get involved!"

"I did it, and the school covered it up. Wang Qiao's parents never came again. I thought the matter was over!"

"But who would have thought that during my holiday that month, I ran into them on my way back. I was just about to say hello, but do you know what they said? They said I was the one who killed Wang Qiao, and asked why I didn't stop them?"

I was stunned... I kept explaining, but... it was no use...

"I initially thought it was just the parents losing their temper, so I didn't take it seriously. But who would have thought... after that holiday, the other students in my class started saying the same thing, and they weren't trying to seek justice, but rather... but rather..."

"What is it?"

Chen Xia knew very well.

The previous part was just the trigger; the latter part was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Chen Xue took several deep breaths and finally... said, "It's... for the holiday."

"???"

"They said... it's a bit of a pity that Wang Qiao died, since she didn't get a holiday. Do you think... if her deskmate had died too, she could have had a holiday too? You know what... it's actually quite possible..."

Let alone Chen Xue.

Even Chen Xia, after hearing these words...

My back felt a little cold.

"This isn't just illness, it's madness... No wonder it's like this..."

"Brother~"

The moment she finished speaking, Chen Xue couldn't take it anymore.

She burst into tears.

Chen Xia gently pulled her into his arms and softly stroked her back: "It's not your fault, so you don't need to take it to heart. You're perfectly fine. The problem lies with the system... it's the school..."

Someone died?

But... there's absolutely no news from the local area.

As for why?

Of course, it was the school that used underhanded tactics.

This reminded him of an online joke: if you're going to kill someone, it's best to do it at school, because they'll cover it up for you.

now……

More or less.

cry!

Just cry it out.

Chen Xue kept sobbing, and this state lasted for more than ten minutes. He could clearly feel that his chest was completely wet.

But if it costs her a T-shirt to help Chen Xue overcome her inner conflict.

This is a sure-fire way to make money.

at last……

The sobbing stopped.

When Chen Xue got up, her eyes were swollen and red, and her hair was a mess. Chen Xia did not judge right or wrong.

Instead, he gently wiped away her tears with a tissue.

She then tidied her messy hair and said in a slightly distressed tone, "Look at you, you've cried so much you look like a little kitten!"