Because her evening task had delayed her learning time, Xia Yao immersed herself in her homework as soon as she returned to her room. As she was listening to English, a hard knock sounded on her door, and when she heard it, she knew it was Xia Yuan.

Xia Yao took off her earphones but couldn't guess why he was knocking on her door. Since the restroom incident, they had both deliberately avoided each other. She got up and opened the door slightly, revealing only half of her body; she didn't want to let him in.

Xia Yao looked at the man with a cold face and the expression of her brother was darkened because of anger. There was no warmth in her voice when she asked: "What's the matter?"

Xia Yuan had long lost his mind because of his sweetheart: "Xia Yao, are you crazy? You dare push Xia Xi off the table! How can I have such a vicious sister?"

Xia Yao glanced at him; he was really ridiculous and she instinctively sneered. This kind of false accusation scenario without evidence was too boring.

Seeing her reaction and that she wasn't denying anything, Xia Yuan swayed slightly but the need to protect Xia Xi surpassed everything: "Xia Yao, come out right now!"

Xia Yao rolled her eyes and was about to drive him away when she saw the other girl appear at the top of the stairs. Xia Xi was holding a glass of water and there was no sign of a sprain or a limp as she walked.

"Brother." Xia Xi shouted softly, "Don't blame sister, it was only an accident. I'm fine, aren't I? She must have realized her mistake, forgive her, okay?"

She sounded like she was pleading for Xia Yao but the more she said so, the more Xia Yuan's aversion toward his biological sister rose.

Xia Yuan looked at his kind sister and turned back to Xia Yao as he scolded: "Apologize to Xia Xi immediately!"

"For what?" Xia Yao sized up the weak and delicate heroine, "What have I done wrong?"

Xia Yao's gaze was fierce and Xia Xi went straight to hide between her brother. She held her glass carefully and avoided her gaze, looking scared and pitiful.

In Xia Yuan's eyes, Xia Yai was simply a monster and the girl behind him needed his protection. He would protect her absolutely!

He suddenly took the glass from Xia Xi's hand and poured it directly at Xia Yao. The water was splashed onto her face and Xia Xi tried to avoid it. Her face stayed dry but the water hit her shoulders and started leaking through her clothes. Although the liquid was warm, the wet feeling was really uncomfortable.

Xia Yuan was still holding the glass and felt his action was very justified. Xia Yao was in the wrong and needed to be taught; she dared to bully her own sister, she needed to be punished.

"Apologize to her right now!"

As soon as his voice fell, he realized the girl at the door had disappeared. Could it be that she was hiding in her room? He raised his foot to kick the door open, only to find that Xia Yao had already returned, something in her hand.

Before he could see what it was, a bucket of cold water was poured on him and his eyes were squinted for a while before he could open them again. Furious, he screamed: "Xia Yao, are you crazy?!"

"Shut up!" Xia Yao threw the bucket on the ground, "Why don't you check the classroom monitoring first, instead of biting like a mad dog? Don't disturb my studying, get out!"

She was about to leave, it really didn't matter if she offended him more.

Before he could react, Xia Yuan heard a loud bang and the door of the bedroom was heavily closed on his face. Xia Yao picked her bucket, thinking it was fortunate she hadn't drained her footbath yet, but when she looked at the water stains on her shoulders, she couldn't help but curse.

Dammit, she had to get clean again and delay her homework even more!

***

During the knight, Xia Yuan knocked several more times on her door before finally giving up. Xia Yao did not bother to deal with him and she put earplugs in to finish her homework. And when she woke the next morning, she really didn't want to run into those two fake siblings.

She took her bag and climbed down from the balcony instead.

In December, the weather was getting colder but the sun was still bright in the sky. Xia Yao clutched her bottle of hot milk and accelerated her pace; she was going to be late.

She had always arrived right on time for class but her clothes had gotten stuck when she had climbed down her window and she was now in a hurry. Climbing the wall in winter was not easy, she was wearing too much!

She sped up her pace and would have been able to reach her classroom before the bell, but when she passed by Class F, she ran into Xu Yinuan and her friends.

"Xia Yao!" Xu Yinuan put her arms around Xia Yao's neck and asked in a low voice: "Tell your sisters, are you dating Master Xu? Be honest!"

Xia Yao didn't know where this was coming from but honestly answered: "No. It's time for class, study hard!"

"Ugh, you really became a good student after getting first place." Xu Yinuan hummed, "I can never find you, you haven't skipped class in a long time!"

Xia Yao looked at her, trying to get rid of her arm: "A student's job is to study."

"Huh." Sweet Sister joined them, "So now that you are a good student, you won't hang with us anymore?"

"..." Xia Yao squeezed her milk bottle and hesitated. It was true that she hadn't skipped class for a while and she kind of missed it.

Xu Yinuan spoke up: "I checked your class' schedule, the first period is self-study. It will only take a few minutes, so answer and we will let you go."

"What's wrong?"

"Are you really not secretly dating Master Xu? Be honest in front of your sisters, don't be shy."

Although they were asking, they obviously already thought they knew the answer in their hearts. Xia Yao raised her head, recalling she had already replied.

"No, who said that?"

"Tsk, tsk, you still won't admit it. Sweet Sister, show us the proof!" Xu Yinuan waved her hand and Sweet Sister took out her phone.

Xia Yao squinted her eyes to look at it. On the screen was a picture of Xia Yao giving water to Xu Shizhou during Sunday's half-time. The girl in the photo was wearing a high ponytail and her head was slightly tilted up, her beautiful eyes were shining and focused on the boy in front of her. The boy was drinking water but it was obvious that only the girl beside him was in his eyes. Hadn't it been for Xia Yao to be the girl in question, she would also have said this couple was very good-looking.

"Ah, look at the irrefutable evidence! You said you weren't together!" Xu Yinuan snorted, "When you said you wouldn't go to the library on Sunday, I thought you had something more important than studying!"

Sweet Sister interjected: "That's not it, Master Xu is much more important than studying."

—She firmly stood on Tutoring CP's side!

"..." Xia Yao glanced at the picture on the screen again and felt a little speechless. She really hadn't gone to the library to watch Xu Shizhou's game instead... But she had been forced to go!

"Okay, okay, don't spread rumors." Her voice had a faint warning, "Xu Shizhou and I are just ordinary classmates. It doesn't matter if you joke in front of me but in case it reaches his ears—"

Xu Shizou was a dangerous person.

"Be careful he doesn't cut off your tongue."

Seeing Xia Yao's upright attitude, Sweet Sister clicked her tongue but was still holding on a little hope: "You really aren't dating?"

Xia Yao patted her head and chuckled: "Really not, I just want to learn. If you find who posted that, have them delete it. We can't let this rumor spread."

Xu Yinuan finally raised her hands in surrender: "Okay I get it, you're not together. But when it comes true, you must tell us first and invite us to dinner!"

"... Learning is more important."

"Then I will have it deleted but... Can I save this photo of Master Xu and you? This angle is so romantic and I—"

Before she could finish speaking, Sweet Sister noticed someone walking around the corner and she instinctively swallowed her words back.

"And you...?" Xu Yinuan hadn't seen anything yet and she was waiting for Sweet Sister to finish her sentence. Sweet Sister pulled on her sleeve and her face changed color.

She tried to leave in a hurry and she waved her hand at Xia Yao: "Yaoyao, let's go back to class first, studying is important."

"Now you want to study?" Xia Yao smiled. She had seen the change in Sweet Sister's expression and was wondering who was behind her. Could it be the principal?

She turned slightly sideways and saw Xu Shizhou walking towards her. The boy was tall and was wearing a loose tie today. His pants were rolled up, exposing his ankles despite the cold weather, and he was unusually early for school.

Xia Yao greeted him: "Good morning."

She took her still warm bottle of milk out and poked the straw in before taking a sip of it. The boy's legs were long and he reached her quickly, and said in his lazy voice: "Good morning."

After a pause, he asked: "What were you talking about just now?"

Xia Yao drank another mouthful. She wasn't sure whether he had heard the conversation and she confessed: "We were talking about you."

"Oh?"

Xia Yao replied with the straw in her mouth: "On Sunday, someone took a picture of us at the game and there was a misunderstanding. Someone is spreading the rumor that we are dating."

"Is that really—" The young man stretched out the end of his sentence with a lazy smile, "—a misunderstanding?"

What? Xia Yao felt that something was amiss and she clenched her bottle a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"Xia Yao, can't you see that I like you?"

His voice was as languid as usual but sounded extra serious. Xia Yao was startled and she bit the straw flat. She looked at him in shock and wondered if something was wrong with his head.

"Is it because the wind is too strong and I can't hear well? What did you say?"

Little theater:

Xia Yao: I'm an idiot, I'm so ashamed.