Su Rou still got up very early the next day. To ease the awkwardness, she decided to go to school alone. But when she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and came downstairs, she saw Su Yuze sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.
"You're up," Su Yuze said in a casual tone, as if he didn't take what had happened last night to heart.
Su Rou walked down the stairs and looked at his profile. "Why are you up so early?" It wasn't even fully light yet. Su Yuze had probably been up for a while.
Su Yuze took a sip of his coffee. "Waiting for you."
Waiting for her? Was it because she had left early yesterday morning that he had gotten up so early today to prevent her from sneaking away? "There's no need to wait for me. I can go to school by myself."
"Don't make me worry," Su Yuze said. The incident that had happened to Su Rou when she was five still haunted him. He couldn't help but worry whenever she went out alone.
Su Rou's plan to go to school alone was foiled. Su Yuze led her to the sofa and sat her down. "If you want to go to school, wait until Sister Wang comes to make breakfast. Then I'll take you."
"I'll go now," Su Rou said.
"No," Su Yuze said simply, then continued reading his newspaper.
Su Rou slumped down with her schoolbag in her arms. She didn't want to argue with Brother Ze again. That would be too unreasonable. But sitting there was so boring. She lowered her head and played with her fingers. For the first time, she thought that Sister Wang, who was usually so punctual, was taking so long to arrive.
After playing with her fingers for a while, Su Rou took out her chemistry textbook and started reciting chemical equations. But as she went on, she found it increasingly boring. She yawned. She had stayed up late thinking last night and set the alarm to get up so early. Now, reciting these boring equations only made her feel sleepier.
Su Yuze finished reading his newspaper and checked the time. It was half past five. Sister Wang should be coming soon. He looked at the little figure on the sofa and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. The little girl wasn't used to getting up so early. She must have gone to bed very late last night.
The sound of the door opening broke the silence. Sister Wang walked in and was startled to see Su Yuze sitting on the sofa. "Young master? Why are you up so early too?" It was the young lady yesterday, and now it's the young master?
What's wrong with these two siblings!
"Keep your voice down. She's sleeping," Su Yuze said, putting his finger to his lips.
She? Was it the young lady? Only then did Sister Wang notice that Su Rou was lying across the sofa, sound asleep, with a chemistry textbook in her arms. Sister Wang was even more puzzled. Why would she sleep on the sofa instead of in her bed?
Sister Wang tried to move as quietly as possible. She first cleaned the kitchen and then started making breakfast. By the time a sumptuous breakfast was ready, it was already after six. Sister Wang still didn't dare to speak loudly. She just gestured to Su Yuze.
Su Yuze got up and sat down at the dining table to have his breakfast. He didn't wake Su Rou up. He just let her sleep on the sofa. This was the normal Su Rou!
When Su Rou woke up, it was almost nine o'clock. She scratched her head and sat up on the sofa, looking a little dazed. It was already broad daylight outside.
"Little Rou, go and have breakfast when you're awake," Su Yuze said.
Su Rou looked at her phone. It was exactly nine o'clock! She had overslept again. No... Why had she fallen asleep? And why hadn't Su Yuze woken her up?
Su Rou didn't say anything. She just sat down at the table and started having breakfast. When she was almost done, Su Yuze took her to school.
"Don't wander around after school, or I'll really get angry," Su Yuze said, stroking Su Rou's head. This little thing was always doing things that made people angry.
"Okay," Su Rou replied.
...
"Rourou, I thought you had changed when I saw you come so early yesterday. It turns out it was just a whim!" Xiao Yun joked. It seemed that Su Rou was still the same old Su Rou. She hadn't changed at all.
Su Rou sighed. "I'm so annoyed."
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yun pulled over her chair and sat face to face with Su Rou. "Could it be... a relationship problem?" Guo Yi had said yesterday that Su Rou's expression looked like she had just broken up. But Su Rou didn't even have a crush. Where did the break-up come from?
Su Rou looked at her and finally nodded. "Yes."
"What's going on?" Yu Fei also pulled over a chair. The three of them sat in a circle, with two pairs of curious eyes fixed on Su Rou.
Su Rou thought for a long time. She felt that she should find a better way to put it so as not to scare her two best friends. But seeing her hesitating like this, Xiao Yun and Yu Fei were getting impatient. "Hurry up and tell us!" Finally, they were going to get something out of Su Rou. It must be so hard for her to keep it all to herself.
"Actually, it's not that complicated," Su Rou said. But it was a bit embarrassing to say it out loud. But these two were her best friends. They would definitely keep it a secret for her. "I've fallen in love with someone."
Wow! She was really in love! Wait a minute. If she was in love, why was she always in a daze? Could it be that the other person didn't like her?
Thinking of this, Xiao Yun's temper flared up. How could this be? If Su Rou had fallen in love with someone, it was that person's good fortune. How could they not like her! "Who is it?" If that guy was too stupid, don't blame her and Yu Fei for being rude!
Su Rou hesitated for a while and nervously wrung her hands. "Su Yuze."
Su Yuze? Xiao Yun and Yu Fei thought for a while. Was there someone named Su Yuze in school? But after a minute, they both widened their eyes. "Are you sure?" Are you sure that guy's name is Su Yuze?
"Yes," Su Rou said. She might be innocent, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what love felt like. "Could you keep your voices down?"
Yu Fei lowered her voice. "He's your brother!"
"Yes."
"Then why..." This was incest!
Su Rou felt relieved after saying it out loud. "That's why I'm so annoyed. I don't want that brother anymore." If she could choose, she would like to be reborn. She would rather be born into any other family than the Su family.
Xiao Yun and Yu Fei were both silent. Falling in love with your own brother, even if he wasn't your biological brother, was a very complicated thing! But Brother Su was really a very charming man! "So what are you going to do now?"
Su Rou propped her chin up with her hand and doodled on her draft paper with a pen. "I can't change this relationship. So... I'm thinking about going abroad to study in university. Out of sight, out of mind. Maybe I'll forget about him after a while."
"Don't tell anyone. It's too embarrassing."
"Don't worry," Xiao Yun and Yu Fei said. They patted Su Rou's shoulder sympathetically. They didn't know what to say to comfort her.