The bustling street was filled with people and cars.
Cheng Xingzhuo sat in a food stall, looking at the barbecued pork and chicken leg rice on the table. He then looked up at He Shuangyue, who was staring at him intently. After rubbing his chin and thinking for a moment, his eyes suddenly lit up. With a mischievous grin, he said, "Hey... Sister Moon, could it be that you've actually fallen for me?"
"This is the third meal you've treated me to this week. Although I know my stunning looks might tempt people into committing crimes, I'm still underage. It’s immoral for you to extend your claws toward me!"
Hearing this, He Shuangyue almost choked. She slapped him on the head and said, "If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll seal your mouth next time!"
Cheng Xingzhuo rubbed the spot where he was hit, pouting as he gave her a pitiful look. Then, with a face full of indignation, he said, "Hmph! You're so violent; how can I trust you with selling my brother to you?"
Upon hearing this, He Shuangyue immediately put on a big smile. She took a piece of the fragrant barbecued pork from her bowl and placed it in his, then smoothed his messy hair like he was a little puppy. Batting her eyes, she said, "Xiao Zhuo, I've watched you grow up, and I always think of sharing good things with you."
"And since you said from a young age that you liked me the most as your Sister Moon, you'll definitely help me, won't you?"
Cheng Xingzhuo shuddered, feeling goosebumps rise all over. Thinking of his annoying brother, he said with disdain, "You and my brother—one a rogue, the other a schemer—are a perfect match! If you two get together, it would be a service to the public, and I'd be hailed as a hero! So, of course, I'll do everything I can to help you."
He Shuangyue smiled with satisfaction, then tugged on his sleeve to continue probing for information.
"Then tell me, what has Cheng Xingyi been up to lately? It's summer vacation, but he’s acting like a cloistered young lady, not stepping out of the house at all, and he’s not even replying to my messages."
"Is your brother hiding something from me, like another woman?"
Cheng Xingzhuo rolled his eyes at her. "Are you dumb? Besides you, with your unique taste, who else would be so smitten by him? Rest assured, even if he’s into someone, it wouldn’t be a woman."
Hearing this, He Shuangyue looked horrified and asked, "Then why is he ignoring me? Could he really be into men?"
"Hehe, well, he kind of is, if you count Xu Kele."
Upon hearing this, He Shuangyue gave Cheng Xingzhuo another smack on the head. "If your brother likes men, you’ll be the first one I won’t let off! So, speak properly!"
He glared at her in dissatisfaction and said grumpily, "With the way you are, only someone like Cheng Xingyi, who’s scheming, could tolerate you! To be honest, he's been busy gaming lately. Xu Kele is paying him to help level up and defeat monsters."
"Does your brother need money?"
"I have no idea. Maybe he’s saving up to buy you a set of 'Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests.'"
"You’re about to start your final year of high school, and he’s probably worried about your grades. He’s afraid you won’t keep up and won’t get into the same school, and he’s even more worried you’ll stop pestering him and start bothering someone else, so he’s spooked."
Grades were He Shuangyue's sore spot, and this brat really knew how to hit where it hurt! She glared at him, then snatched back the barbecued pork from his bowl, angrily shoveling a mouthful of rice into her mouth.
Cheng Xingzhuo didn’t argue with her and instead grinned as he continued, "Don't be fooled by my brother's cold demeanor; he's just repressed."
"Let me tell you, his pajamas are actually pink."
"You’ve been working hard for so many years; just keep pushing a little more. Don’t let him out to charm other girls. I'm rooting for you, Sister Moon!"
Upon hearing this, He Shuangyue silently counted on her fingers and realized that she really had been eyeing Cheng Xingyi for many years.
When you think about it, He Shuangyue and Cheng Xingyi were really destined to be frenemies from the start.
When He Shuangyue was young, her parents were very busy with work and had little time to take care of her. So, they sent her to her grandparents' house, hoping that her grandfather could help discipline this rambunctious little girl.
But as soon as she arrived at her grandfather's house, He Shuangyue felt like a rabbit released from its cage.
Her grandparents doted on her and couldn't bear to scold her, let alone discipline her. So, she grew up with a wild streak.
Cheng Xingyi's family lived in the building across from her grandparents' place. When the adults were busy, the kids would usually gather and play together.
Cheng Xingyi was the leader of the group, a boy with an exquisitely handsome face, like a porcelain doll, but with a commanding presence. He didn’t need to say a word to keep the other "small fry" in line.
The first time He Shuangyue showed up with a small bucket among the kids, the others, seeing her adorable face, immediately wanted to play with her.
Except for Cheng Xingyi, who stood there like a little prince with a cold expression, not paying her any attention.
She silently grumbled: This little stone-face is really wasting such a pretty face, standing there like a door god, not even saying a word to a new friend.
However, his younger brother, Xiao Zhuo, was the complete opposite—adorable and full of smiles as soon as he saw her. He grabbed her hand and started calling her "Sister Moon" this and "Sister Moon" that.
She provocatively made faces at Cheng Xingyi, sticking out her tongue—see, your brother likes me, nah nah nah!
Cheng Xingyi glanced at her, then grabbed Xiao Zhuo's hand and turned to head back home.
He Shuangyue couldn’t stand it. Hmph, if you won’t play with me and even get jealous when someone else likes me, how awful!
So, she threw her toy down and sprinted after Cheng Xingyi, intending to grab his collar and throw him over her shoulder.
But in her rush, she accidentally pulled down his pants in front of everyone and ended up sprawled at his feet in a dog-paddling position.
As He Shuangyue came to her senses, she was shocked, wondering if she should make a run for it or help him pull his pants back up first.
However, before she could react, Xu Kele, that rascal, suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Boss, your underwear has a cartoon piggy on it!"
Hearing this, the kids who had been holding back out of respect for Cheng Xingyi's dignity couldn’t help themselves anymore. They all turned away, covering their mouths, trying not to laugh.
He Shuangyue, however, clearly saw Cheng Xingyi's beautiful face slowly turn beet red, his teeth grinding audibly.
He glared down at her, looking like he wanted to tear her apart right there.
Seeing the colorful cartoon underwear, He Shuangyue had also wanted to laugh, but was so scared by him that she swallowed the laugh that was on the tip of her tongue.
Then, in front of everyone, she cautiously helped him pull his pants back up.
"Um... actually, your underwear is quite nice."
He clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands popping, and ground out her name through gritted teeth, "He Shuangyue!"
But in the next second, she looked up at him with a big grin and said something that completely shattered him, "You don’t need to be shy. Whether anyone else wants you or not, I’ll always take responsibility for you!"
Cheng Xingyi stared into her sincere, innocent eyes, as if she were discussing something as mundane as what to have for dinner.
Yet, his face turned red, then green, then white, as a wave of unnamed panic washed over him.
He suddenly realized that he couldn’t handle this seemingly naive little girl, and he quickly grabbed Xiao Zhuo’s hand and fled the scene as if his life depended on it.
This incident, however, made He Shuangyue famous overnight.
From that day on, Xu Kele’s little minions started calling her "Sister Moon," knowing full well that Cheng Xingyi's nemesis had arrived.
With her newfound determination to take full responsibility for Cheng Xingyi, He Shuangyue completely changed her attitude towards him. She no longer found his expressionless face off-putting; instead, she thought it was incredibly cool and handsome.
Every morning before school, she would stake out in front of his building, and as soon as he appeared, she would stick to him like glue.
After school, she would wait outside his classroom, shamelessly winking and whistling at him like some rich kid from a TV show chasing after a girl, acting like a little hooligan.
At first, every time Cheng Xingyi saw her, the embarrassing memory of that ridiculous incident would flash through his mind, and he felt it was the most humiliating experience of his life!
So, he never gave her a friendly look, avoiding her as if she were the plague, like a mouse hiding from a cat.
But who was He Shuangyue? She was the "Sister Moon" adored by all the neighborhood kids, the only one who could stand up to Cheng Xingyi—a legendary figure! With her thick skin, unshakable confidence, and the endless tricks she’d learned from books and TV, would she give up so easily?
In front of everyone, she boldly declared to an exasperated Cheng Xingyi, "Sooner or later, you’ll be mine!"
This move earned He Shuangyue the support of everyone, including Xiao Zhuo, while Cheng Xingyi only felt more certain that he was in big trouble.
He had no idea what she had said to her grandfather when she got home, but the next day, the old man showed up at school and transferred her from her original class to his.
Then, he watched in disbelief as she, with a little tyrant’s swagger, approached the boy sitting next to him and negotiated—through a mix of threats and bribes—to switch seats with her.
Finally, she became his deskmate, fully embracing her role as a clingy nuisance.
She squinted her eyes, grinning at him like a crescent moon, "Hey, Cheng Xingyi, are you happy? I’m your deskmate now."
He shot her a sidelong glance, then picked up his pen and, much to her surprise, calmly drew a line down the middle of the desk.
He coldly said, "Don’t cross this line! Don’t talk about that incident at school! Don’t look at me with those googly eyes!"
As soon as she heard his three "don’ts," He Shuangyue pouted, then her eyes sparkled with mischief. She deliberately tossed an eraser over the line and then looked at Cheng Xingyi with a feigned innocence.
"Oh no… my eraser accidentally fell on your side. Can I cross the line to get it back?"
As she spoke, she slowly extended her hand towards the boundary, carefully watching his expression.
Cheng Xingyi’s face flushed with anger as he watched her invading hand creep closer.
Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and threw it back across the line.
"Haha, Cheng Xingyi, you like me! You held my hand!"
Hearing this, his face turned an even deeper shade of red, like a ripe tomato.
Immediately after, he picked up the eraser that had crossed the line and threw it back, then deliberately turned his head away, refusing to look at her.
That dividing line remained from elementary school all the way through middle school, but He Shuangyue never took it seriously. She constantly crossed it to tease him, whether she had a reason or not.
This infuriated Cheng Xingyi, making him glare at her repeatedly, his handsome face puffing up like a balloon ready to burst.
As they grew older, Cheng Xingyi gradually became accustomed to the presence of the little rascal beside him. However, he still held onto a glimmer of hope deep down. He wished that as He Shuangyue matured, she might start acting like a normal girl—at the very least, be more reserved and stop blurting out things like, "I'm going to make you mine," which made her seem like a full-blown troublemaker.
But reality soon proved to him that his hopes were misplaced.
After entering middle school, He Shuangyue became obsessed with online novels. Whether it was romantic tales like "The Arrogant Young Master Fell in Love with Me" or fantasy genres like "Leveling Up in a World-Changing Game," she devoured them all with unrelenting enthusiasm, to the point of being unable to put the books down or even eat or sleep properly.
As the beloved "Sister Moon," He Shuangyue believed that good things should be shared. With a strong sense of loyalty, she enthusiastically dragged Xuke Le and others into her reading world, gathering them to discuss their thoughts and reflections.
Cheng Xingyi couldn't stand it anymore. On one hand, he scolded Xuke Le for following He Shuangyue's lead and indulging in such nonsense, insisting that as a boy, he shouldn't be corrupted by a girl hooligan like her. On the other hand, whenever he saw any suspicious books in He Shuangyue's desk, he would confiscate them immediately, remaining unmoved no matter how much she whined or acted pitiful.
"Give me my book back!"
He glanced at the cover illustration, his brows furrowing slightly. "If you can promise me that after reading these books, you won't stare at me with that lecherous gaze or spout suggestive lines all day long, I might consider giving it back."
"Books are our best teachers! You can't deprive me of my right to learn! Otherwise, I'll tell Auntie Cheng that you're bullying me!"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xingyi stared straight at her, his dark pupils as deep and tranquil as a quiet lake, with an intensity that could draw anyone in.
But He Shuangyue clearly sensed the turbulent emotions hidden beneath his calm exterior. She swallowed nervously and lowered her eyelashes, feeling too guilty to argue further.
He raised the novel in his hand with a look of disdain. "Are you trying to learn how to flirt from these books? Should I commend your dedication to studying in front of your grandpa, hmm?"
He Shuangyue's face flushed a bright red, making her look like a boiled crab. She glared at him angrily, but then she noticed the faint redness creeping up his ears.
A sly smile crossed her face as she casually played with a strand of hair, then gazed at him with mock affection.
"That's right, I am learning how to flirt from these books. Where do you think I've been getting all these ideas to chase after you over the years?"
"See, I've been applying what I've learned on you. Shouldn't you be praising me for it?"
With that, she deliberately reached out and touched his face, an unmistakable act of teasing.
Cheng Xingyi felt like he was about to explode—only she had the power to infuriate him like this! Yet, despite the slight burning of his ears, he managed to maintain an outward calmness. He responded coolly, "But you've been applying what you've learned for so long, and I still don't see you catching me. That just proves these books have no practical value."
He Shuangyue huffed, "Keep pretending. I know you like me."
"I find you annoying."
"No, you like me."
"I said I find you annoying."
"And I said you like me."
"…"
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