Serenade

Jin Xi and Shen Ping Chuan play-fought all the way home.

The auntie who helped out at home walked out of the kitchen, smiling and saying, "Young master and miss are back, oh my, what's going on here, look at you two all disheveled."

Jin Xi's carefully styled scorpion braid had been pulled loose by Shen Ping Chuan, and Shen Ping Chuan's neck was all scratched red, he was also walking while leaning to the side, not daring to take too big of strides.

Shen Shishan grumpily humphed, "These two, going to college my ass, they just got back from kindergarten, fighting like this at such a big age, not one of them gives me peace of mind."

Jin Xi quickly pulled Shen Ping Chuan to sit on the sofa, "Are you okay, I really didn't mean it earlier, does it hurt?"

"Want me to kick you and see?"

Jin Xi smiled, "Well I don't have anything for you to kick, if you're upset, you can hit me, I won't fight back."

Shen Ping Chuan slapped over, but in the end only lightly pushed her, couldn't bear to actually hit.

All of his strength seemed to have left his body, lying on the sofa, closing his eyes, his face deathly pale, he languidly drawled, "The Shen family line ends here."

Jin Xi dutifully brought him over a cup of hot water, "Brother, I was wrong."

Now she knows to call him brother, Shen Ping Chuan very ungraciously ruffled her head.

Jin Xi obediently squatted by his side, hugging her knees and looking at him.

"I won't fight with you anymore in the future." Shen Ping Chuan grumpily said, "Every time I'm the one at a disadvantage."

Jin Xi humphed, "You say that every time, yet every time you start it first."

Shen Ping Chuan immediately whined, "Ah! The line ends here, the line ends here."

And so Jin Xi sat by his side like a little kitten, pulling his arm to massage him, pounding his legs and kneading his feet, as compensation.

Although she used very little strength, it still felt rather comfortable.

Shen Shishan changed into fresh clothes and came out, seeing the squabbling siblings cozying up together again, it had always been like this ever since they were young, meeting and arguing nonstop, incompatible yet inseparable.

Now seeing both children grown up, keeping each other company, it was actually quite heartwarming.

Middle aged with both children doing well, it was a blessing.

Shen Shishan was in a very good mood, and decided to personally cook a couple dishes himself, to treat the siblings who had been eating cafeteria food for a semester, a celebratory feast.

Before dinner, Jin Xi secretly pulled Shen Ping Chuan into her study room, mysteriously rummaged through her schoolbag for a long while, and took out a carefully wrapped notebook to give him.

"Here, for you."

Shen Ping Chuan raised his brows, and accepted it.

The notebook had a light pink candy colored hardcover, every page had pretty borders, oozing girly vibes.

Shen Ping Chuan waved the notebook in his hand, "Giving this to me?"

Jin Xi explained, "This is from our class monitor Xiang Mengyuan, she asked me to pass it to you, she also joined the student council, you should know right."

"I remember, she's in the organization department." Shen Ping Chuan looked at the notebook in his hand, then back at Jin Xi, a suspicious expression on his face, "She asked you to give me a notebook?"

Jin Xi nodded, smiling roguishly.

Shen Ping Chuan thought for a bit, then slapped the notebook on the table, righteously declaring, "I don't take bribes, next year's cadre evaluations, let the most capable take the roles, tell her not to have ulterior motives!"

Jin Xi: ...

You neurotic!

"Who's trying to bribe you, and with just a notebook, you think she's dumb?" She hurriedly explained, "Don't pretend you don't understand, Xiang Mengyuan likes you, that's why she's giving you a gift."

Shen Ping Chuan blanked for a moment, suddenly understanding, "Oh..."

He scratched his head awkwardly, his old face even blushed a little.

Couldn't bear to look straight at him.

He flipped through the notebook, pondering for a long time, before deciding to have Jin Xi return it to the girl.

Of course Jin Xi couldn't forcibly make him accept it, she could only take the notebook back, and think of how to properly comfort the heartbroken girl.

"Shen Ping Chuan, so many girls this semester asked me to help introduce them to you, so... none of them appeal to you at all?"

Shen Ping Chuan sneakily looked towards the door, seeing dad wasn't there, sneakily closed the door, and cautiously said to Jin Xi, "Don't let dad know."

"It's fine even if he knew, uncle Shen wouldn't stop you from dating."

"You know jackshit, I'm meant for a marriage of business alliance in the future, as one of his old Shen's chess pieces, using marriage to combine our elite resources. Dating now would just be a waste of time."

Jin Xi laughed and patted his head, "You think you're in a TV drama! Uncle Shen has no such thoughts!"

Shen Ping Chuan curled his lips, "Even if he has no such thoughts, I don't like Xiang Mengyuan anyway, she's too short, not my type."

"How is Xiang Mengyuan considered short?"

She's a good half head taller than Jin Xi!

Shen Ping Chuan looked at her in utter disdain, "You're already short to a heavenly infuriating degree, the only ones shorter are probably elementary schoolers."

Jin Xi: ...

Her legs itched to give him a kick again.

"I like tall girls, with nice figures, strong and muscular, best if they have abs, look sexy, virtuous, kind, caring, oh right, single eyelids are the best."

Jin Xi: ...

Bo Yan get a load of this guy?

To be fair, if her senior knew Shen Ping Chuan had such thoughts, he'd definitely beat him until his own dad couldn't recognize him.

Shen Ping Chuan and Jin Xi ate dinner with guilty consciences, occasionally exchanging looks full of unspoken meaning.

Shen Shishan asked, "Ping Chuan, did you pass the level 6 exam?"

Shen Ping Chuan: "Yes dad."

Then Shen Shishan turned to look at Jin Xi, "Xixi, did you pass the level 4 exam?"

Jin Xi: "Huh? Was there a level 4 exam?"

Shen Ping Chuan really wanted to beat her up, but with big enemies before them, as the older brother he still had to cover for his little sister, "First semester freshmen don't take the level 4 exam, we'll talk about it next year."

Jin Xi looked at him gratefully, only to receive a threatening glare from Shen Ping Chuan, she guessed he'd be breathing down her neck to study every day next semester.

Shen Shishan picked a piece of meat to add to Jin Xi's bowl, Jin Xi hurriedly brought it over obsequiously to honor his esteemed elder Shen Ping Chuan, "Here, brother you worked hard studying, eat more."

Shen Shishan said, "You two need to focus, when it's time for internships, come help out at the company, get familiar with things."

Shen Ping Chuan said, "Dad, I can come to the company, forget about the bratty girl, let her do whatever she wants, don't bother with her."

"What are you saying, she's also my Shen Shishan's daughter, part of the Shen family."

"When you get down to it she's just a minor adopted daughter, I'm the legitimate heir to the Shen Corporation."

Shen Shishan pinched Shen Ping Chuan's ear, "Always spouting nonsense, what goes through your head all day!"

Shen Ping Chuan grinned cheekily, "You see how she looks so scatterbrained, could she properly run the company? Might as well let her do what she likes."

Shen Shishan turned to Jin Xi, "Girl, you have to work hard too, you know that, don't listen to your brother's nonsense, if you achieve success, uncle won't neglect you in the future."

Jin Xi knew the weight behind Shen Shishan's words, Shen Corporation was a nationally renowned business group, with over 10 billion in assets, the Shen family could also be considered a prestigious and powerful household. Having been raised by the Shens, she had lucked out becoming a rich heiress.

Jin Xi's biological parents divorced when she was four years old.

Her mother came from a family of scholars, her parents university professors. In Jin Xi's memories, her mother was very gentle, spoke softly, never argued with others, was like a beautiful jade born of tender earth and water, delicate yet strong willed.

As for Jin Xi's dad, a typical phoenix man, came from a small place, met her mother in grad school, got married after falling in love. Jin Xi's dad later went into business and made money, buying a big house, and having his parents come live in B city as well.

Dad's family was more traditional, cared about continuing the family line, especially after making some money in business, was intent on having a son. But his firstborn was unexpectedly a daughter, so his mother-in-law was never nice to her daughter-in-law.

Not long after giving birth to Jin Xi, her mom was pressed to have a second child, but Jin Xi's mom both wanted to focus on her career, and was also worried that if she had a son, the family would neglect the daughter, so she refused to have more children. Not much later, her husband cheated.

Jin Xi's dad's affair partner was his own assistant.

Unable to endure the humiliation, Jin Xi's mom divorced her dad, taking her child to start her own business. She later met Shen Shishan of Shen Corporation in the business world, Shen Shishan was captivated by her gentleness and warmth, admired her fortitude and bravery, fell deeply in love, and quickly married her.

The good times didn't last long, when giving birth to a son, Jin Xi's mom had complications from amniotic fluid embolism, and perished along with the child. Shen Shishan was devastated, deciding to remain unmarried for life, and raised the two children alone.

Jin Xi's life had been full of ups and downs, but fortunately at home, uncle and brother doted on her like a precious treasure, never letting her suffer any grievances.

After dinner, Jin Xi received a call from her biological father.

"Hello, dad."

On the phone, her dad Jin Mao said, "Come back home for New Year's this year."

"Ah, let me discuss with uncle Shen first."

Jin Mao said, "What's there to discuss with him, you're my daughter, coming home for New Year's is only natural. Also, your brother turns six this year, his birthday is during the New Year's days, are you saying you won't come back for your brother's birthday?"

The brother he spoke of was of course the child he had with that assistant mistress.

At first when Jin Xi's parents divorced, she was too young to understand the entanglements between adults. Even when she grew up, Shen Shishan never mentioned these things, so Jin Xi didn't have particularly strong feelings of love or hate towards her father.

Although the Jin family valued boys over girls, when Jin Mao saw his daughter growing up, he worried that his father's status would be usurped by Shen Shishan. Therefore, he also paid great attention to developing the father-daughter relationship with Jin Xi, often buying things and visiting her at school.

Jin Xi didn't directly agree to Jin Mao. She wasn't a silly girl who didn't understand anything. She also distinguished between close and distant relationships in her heart.

After hanging up the phone, she told Shen Shishan about this and asked for his opinion.

"No." Shen Shishan flatly refused: "Jin Xi must be with our family for the New Year holiday. How can she go to their home? I don't agree."

After eating dinner, Shen Pingchuan sat on the sofa playing PSP games leisurely, and said indifferently: "What's the use of you not agreeing? It's someone else's daughter. Are you blocking her from going home to spend the New Year?"

Shen Shishan said angrily: "Why can't I stop her? Jin Xi is registered in our Shen family registry. She is now my child in the Shen family. I'm her father."

Shen Pingchuan laughed and said, "Her biological dad is still around. What kind of father are you? Don't be self-righteous. I'm your only biological son. Think more about me in the future."

Jin Xi gave Shen Pingchuan a push: "What are you talking about? Uncle Shen is the closest person to me. If you keep saying things like this, you're damaging our family's internal harmony. You're causing splits!"

Shen Shishan snatched the PSP from Shen Pingchuan's hands and reprimanded: "Keep your mind on the right track. Stop thinking that your sister is going to take something from you all day long when you should be focusing on proper business."

"Oh, you don't even want to hear the plain truth now, huh?" Shen Pingchuan lay on the sofa and asked Jin Xi sideways: "Since your stepfather doesn't agree, are you still going back to your biological dad's place for the New Year?"

Jin Xi thought about it and said, "Then I won't go to their home for the New Year, but I'll go over on my brother's birthday."

"That's my good daughter." Shen Shishan was filled with gratification but didn't forget to discipline Shen Pingchuan: "You're still my biological son, but you don't measure up to even one-tenth of Jin Xi's filial piety."

"Alright, you two have deep father-daughter affection. I'm a plastic son. Are you happy now?" Shen Pingchuan lazily went back to his room holding the PSP.

**

That night, Jin Xi sent a message to Bo Yan:

"Brother Bo Yan, are you there?"

When Jin Xi had nothing to do, she would keep calling him "Brother Bo Yan" in an intimate manner. But when she needed help from him, it became a simple "Brother Bo Yan."

Bo Yan was video chatting with several roommates and competing on "Sexy National Defense Students Doing Pushups" in the dormitory.

Bo Yan was counting, "294, 295, 296..."

With bulging muscles and dripping sweat, the few young men had all reached the critical point of their physical limits. Now it just depended on who could hold out the longest, huffing and puffing.

Bo Yan, who was always number one, was the first to give up this time. He sat up and picked up his phone to type a reply, while the other guys simultaneously collapsed onto the floor, gasping heavily for air.

"Damn, the champion Bo Yan actually gave up just like that."

"Didn't you see someone messaged him?"

"Didn't you see how many calls came in earlier that he didn't pick up? Whose message is so important!"

Jing Chi wiped his face with a towel and laughed, "Other than little Jin Xi, who else could make Bo Yan willingly admit defeat?"

Bo Yan arrogantly turned off the video chat with his roommates, and took his phone to the bathroom.

Bo Yan took off his clothes and turned on the shower. He put his phone on the sink ledge and poked a video call back. Soon, Jin Xi's side also connected.

"What's up?"

Bo Yan started lathering shampoo on his hair standing under the showerhead.

Seeing the screen clearly, Jin Xi suddenly widened her eyes in shock. She stared blankly for about ten seconds, uncertainly asking: "Senior, are you... giving me a live stream shower show?"

Bo Yan's hands scrubbing his hair suddenly froze as his mind went blank with a "buzz."

Damn!!!

What was he doing!!!

Having just finished the video chat with those bastard roommates, Bo Yan's brain circuit hadn't reacted at all. He directly video called Jin Xi.

Like a drenched ostrich, he stood helplessly in front of the video with his eyes still blurred by bubbles.

The frame showed everything from his head to his thighs. His magnificent, majestic "scenic landscape" in the middle was probably completely captured under the strong lighting of the heat lamp.

Bo Yan hurriedly grabbed a towel to cover his lower body, pretending to be calm as he walked over to turn off the video.

Jin Xi could see his fingers visibly shaking.

"Misdialed."

After the video ended, Jin Xi stared blankly for a while, then let out two long, exaggerated syllables from her mouth—

"Wow!"