CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 88: FOR XIAOXIAO 66 HE’S JADE + UPDATE 2

The end-of-semester exam results are out, and Zhao Meimei got her wish of being tied for first in the class, sharing the top score with Xu Xu.

During Teacher Wu’s summary, she specially praised Zhao Meimei, and Zhao Meimei’s little tail immediately perked up to the sky.

As soon as the teacher dismissed the class, Zhao Meimei dashed out of the school, couldn’t wait to call home.

Holding the receiver, Zhao Meimei expertly pressed a series of numbers. As soon as the other side picked up, she hurriedly shouted, "Brother! I..."

Shi Yang: "Meimei, I have something happening here, let’s talk tonight."

Bang!!! Beep beep beep!!!

Zhao Meimei: "I got first place... annoying!"

Zhao Meimei hung up the phone in disappointment, pouting, and was unhappy.

Xu Xu asked from the side, "What’s wrong?"

Zhao Meimei turned around, looking crestfallen: "My brother said he was busy and directly hung up on me."

Watching Zhao Meimei’s disappointed expression, Xu Xu thoughtfully consoled, "Maybe Brother Yangyang is really busy."

Zhao Meimei snorted, "Even if he’s busy, he can’t spare a moment to say something to me?"

Xu Xu’s eyes shifted, tentatively reminding her, "Brother Yangyang is all grown-up now, he must have his own personal life."

Zhao Meimei suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open.

In her heart, Zhao Meimei wondered why Brother Yangyang needed personal life? What does personal life mean...

In the afternoon, Zhao Meimei went to Xu Xu’s house to play with the little dog Dodo for half a day. It was almost dark before she took the bus home.

Xu Xu stood under the bus shouting at her, "Meimei, I’m coming to your house to play tomorrow!"

Zhao Meimei waved her hand, leaned on the seat, and started to gnash her teeth, pondering over Brother Yangyang’s personal life again.

She reached the residential compound, and just turned onto the sidewalk in front of her house’s grocery store, when she saw Shi Yang and Qu Chaozong talking with her mom at the doorway.

Upon seeing Shi Yang, all her previous complaints vanished.

Excitedly, Zhao Meimei shouted, "Brother! Brother Chao!"

Shi Yang and Qu Chaozong turned their heads simultaneously, instinctively spreading their arms.

Zhao Meimei eagerly rushed to hug Brother Yangyang and, realizing it felt strange, quickly compensated by rushing to Qu Chaozong.

With a big smile, Qu Chaozong gave her a huge hug and poked Zhao Meimei’s forehead: "I finally see it, I’ll never beat your brother in your heart!"

Zhao Meimei giggled and asked, "Brother Chao, when did you come back?"

Qu Chaozong laughed: "Around noon, after I got off the train, went out with your brother for some errands. We’ve been waiting for you all afternoon. If you didn’t come back, I was about to leave!"

Hearing this, Zhao Meimei sensed the undertone and turned to Shi Yang: "Brother, did you come specially for me?"

Shi Yang put his arm around her shoulder: "Of course, specially for you, to treat Brother Chao tonight."

Zhao Meimei waved goodbye to her mom, and the three left the residential building, taking a taxi to the city.

They had seafood buffet for dinner, expensive, delicious, and mainly fun.

Zhao Meimei picked a bunch of strange seafood to study and eat.

While peeling shrimp shells for her, Shi Yang chatted with Qu Chaozong.

"Are you really set on coming back to develop here?"

Qu Chaozong cracked crab claws with his strong teeth: "I’ve decided. I originally wanted to stay in the provincial city for Peng Rui, but since we’ve broken up, there’s no need to hold on there."

Qu Chaozong seemed to have a vendetta against crabs, cracking one and tossing it aside, grabbing another and continuing.

After cracking two in a row, he spat out shell bits: "I’ve finally come to understand, women are all the same, they only care about money!"

Keeping herself busy, Zhao Meimei took a bite off her grilled scallop, retorting: "Who says that? I don’t care about money."

Shi Yang grinned and stuffed the peeled shrimp into her mouth: "Right, you don’t care about money, you only care about food!"

Zhao Meimei laughed, her slender eyebrows curving into a line.

Qu Chaozong also laughed: "You little rascal!"

Watching Shi Yang attend to Zhao Meimei, Qu Chaozong teased him: "You’ve been taking care of her since she was small, Meimei might as well be your own!"

Shi Yang chuckled: "It would be great if she were really mine."

Qu Chaozong threw him a glance: "If you want kids, isn’t it simple? Just get a wife, it’ll be done in a night!"

Shi Yang tossed shrimp shells at him: "Get lost!"

Zhao Meimei chimed in: "My brother isn’t in a hurry!"

Qu Chaozong casually shaped the conversation, quickly taking it downhill: "Come on, your brother isn’t in a hurry. Ask him what he’s up to under the covers every night!"

Zhao Meimei, clueless, turned to ask: "Brother, what are you up to?"

Shi Yang rolled his eyes at Qu Chaozong: "Get lost! You think I’m like you, huh? Meimei’s here, don’t spout filthy things!"

Qu Chaozong chuckled mischievously.

Zhao Meimei pondered, wondering what her Brother Yangyang was doing under the covers at night...

After a bit of banter, Shi Yang returned to seriousness.

Shi Yang peeled a shrimp for himself to eat, asking: "Why don’t you just come back and work with me? I’ve just started, and I’m short on people. You help me with some business, we’ll unite as brothers."

Qu Chaozong readily agreed: "Alright, no problem. If you beckon, I’d have rushed up immediately anyway."

Shi Yang grinned, raised his glass: "Let’s toast to that?"

Qu Chaozong flashed his white teeth: "Let’s toast."

Since Qu Chaozong returned, Shi Yang became busier.

Zhao Meimei knew Brother Yangyang was occupied with entrepreneurship, and understandingly didn’t bother him with calls, instead joining Xu Xu to get a library card, immersing herself in reading to enrich herself.

Once third year began, the overwhelming papers, exercises, and quizzes utterly drowned Zhao Meimei.

Amidst the relentless final exams preparation, all of Zhao Meimei’s free time was squeezed dry. By the time she realized she hadn’t seen Brother Yangyang for a while, it was already close to New Year’s.

When Zhao Meimei called Brother Yangyang, Shi Yang was driving his dad’s car with Qu Chaozong to deliver gifts to clients for the holiday.

In six months, Shi Yang’s company began to take shape. Besides him and Qu Chaozong, they hired two more staff, and even recruited three temporary workers over winter break from the local university’s computer science department to handle errands.

Zhao Meimei listened closely to the sounds on Shi Yang’s end and asked: "Brother, are you outside?"

Shi Yang: "Yeah, I’m handling business with Brother Chao."

Checking the time, Zhao Meimei asked concernedly: "Have you eaten?"

Shi Yang: "No time, we’ll eat when we finish delivering and return to the office!"

After chatting for a bit and hanging up, Zhao Meimei couldn’t sit still, feeling sorry that Brother Yangyang was so busy working that he couldn’t even have a warm meal.