Chapter 121: Comparisons
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On the way, He Sui stared curiously at the box in He Jing’s arms. He rubbed his hands and asked, “What’s in it?”
He Jing ignored him and did not answer.
“I’m sure what you’ve prepared for me can’t compare to the one for Second Brother,” He Sui said sourly. “Everyone has liked him more than me since we were young.”
He Ning was the secondary male lead; of course, he was better liked than He
Sui, a mere supporting character. But for his status as the secondary male lead, He Ning – with his solitary nature – would not have been as likable. He Jing could not help but find He Sui’s lament funny. “Don’t worry, I got him a basketball. There’s nothing special about it. It only cost 168 yuan; it wasn’t as expensive as your computer.”
He Sui mustered up his courage, opening the box to look. Relieved, he brushed it off by saying, “I was just joking! Don’t take it seriously. Hmm… Don’t tell anyone what I said.”
He Jing readily agreed. “I won’t. Tell you what, for your birthday, I’ll get you a gift that costs exactly 169 yuan!”
He Sui coughed, unable to stifle his laugh. A boyish grin drew an arc from one side of his face to another, reaching his ears.
Just like that, they returned to the He family’s house. He Zhou was already waiting. He Xiaoguo opened the door and peeked outside. When he saw the luxury car parked at the neighborhood entrance and He Ning and Cheng Yi getting out of it, He Xiaoguo immediately rushed to them, throwing his arms around Cheng Yi. “Sister Cheng Yi,” he cried shyly.
He Zhou was afraid that he would wrinkle Cheng Yi’s dress, so he said,
“Xiaoguo, that’s enough.”
He Xiaoguo let go of Cheng Yi reluctantly. Seeing that Cheng Yi had no intention of reciprocating his hug, he huffed in disappointment with a muttered, “Okay…”, retreating to the side.
At this moment, Cheng Yi’s attention was all on He Zhou. She smiled gently. “Third Brother, I’m back.”
He Zhou smiled warmly. “Go in and have a seat. Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother will be back soon.”
Cheng Yi nodded, instructing her bodyguards to wait outside before entering the house.
He Zhou glanced at He Ning. He Sui and He Jing were nowhere to be seen. “Where did the other two go?” he asked.
“They took the bus and will be back soon,” He Ning replied.
As he spoke, he spared the two bodyguards standing outside the house as if they were a pair of wooden stakes. He did not know what to think, and his emotions were a tangled mess.
All through his trip home, he had felt uncomfortable.
He could not find the right words to describe how he felt. It was like a vast chasm had opened between him and Cheng Yi, separating them into two worlds, one, the earth, and the other, the sky.
He Ning deliberately stood by the entrance to their neighborhood. After a while, he saw He Jing and He Yi getting off the bus. The two talked and laughed intimately as a pair of siblings should.
He pursed his lips, suddenly overcome by a wave of irritation.
He Jing and He Sui approached. Upon seeing He Ning standing by the entrance to the neighborhood, He Sui asked, “Was the Cheng family’s car really so slow?
Second Brother, why haven’t you entered the house yet?”
Meanwhile, He Jing noticed He Xiaoguo, who stood at a distance, looking awkward and ignored. She fished out a be of chocolate and broke two pieces off for He Xiaoguo. “Xiaoguo, do you want to play a game? It’s called Guess the Candy! ”
He Xiaoguo looked up. When he saw He Jing’s clenched hands, his eyes lit up. He pointed at He Jing’s right hand somewhat hesitantly and said, “Hmm… This one!”
“Xiaoguo is so smart,” He Jing said as she opened her closed right hand, a playful smile on her lips.
He Xiaoguo’s face shone like the sun. He took the proffered piece of chocolate and latched onto He Jing’s thigh. “Sister He Jing!” he chirped happily.
“Alright, let’s head inside.” He Jing picked the young boy up, leading the way for the rest to follow.
He Xiaoguo wrapped his arms around He Jing’s neck, resting his head on her shoulders, sprawling contentedly like a kitten; his satisfaction was clear to all. He Sui watched helplessly as He Jing carried He Xiaoguo into the house. “Hey, wait for me!” he huffed, chasing the pair.
He Zhou and He Ning looked at each other, remaining in place..