TITCFRIBN 17

Chapter 17

Sister?

An Cheng started flipping through the plot.

The novel did mention Bai Qing’s younger sister, three years younger than him, but her appearances were few and far between. Her main role was to add pressure to Bai Qing, becoming one of the many reasons that led him toward a downward spiral.

From An Cheng’s perspective, Bai Qing’s body had almost frozen in place, his right hand instinctively gripping the edge of the desk. It was clear that he hadn’t known about his sister working as a borderline inappropriate streamer, and this revelation had a significant impact on him.

---

Out of sympathy, or perhaps disdain for the unethical plot, An Cheng patted Bai Qing’s shoulder.

“Bai Qing.”

Bai Qing’s shoulders relaxed a bit. He turned around, his eyes reddening.

Bai Qing didn’t like to show weakness in front of others. He took a deep breath, suppressing his inner confusion and anxiety, “What’s up, Cheng Ge?”

An Cheng, on the edge of breaking character, said, “You wanted to learn how to fight, right? I have a friend who taught me. I can have him teach you.”

Bai Qing’s hand, which had been gripping the desk edge, relaxed slightly, and his expression gradually became more natural, though the redness in his eyes deepened.

“Thank you, Cheng Ge.”

For a moment, Bai Qing wanted to tell An Cheng about his family situation.

But after all his previous friends had gradually distanced themselves upon learning about his family’s circumstances, no one wanted to remain close to someone burdened with family debts and difficulties.

Cheng Ge might be different, but he was afraid to take that risk.

An Cheng didn’t know what Bai Qing was thinking. He signaled to Bai Qing, “There’s someone competing with you for class president.”

Bai Qing’s thoughts were finally distracted a little. He watched a girl walk up to the podium and write her name under the “Class President” title.

Bai Qing scratched his head, “It’s okay, fair competition.”

His hair was disheveled, and his tone was light, returning to the usual Bai Qing.

An Cheng sighed with relief.

The competition continued, but it wasn’t as intense as Li Yu had described. With over sixty people in the class, fewer than fifteen were running for positions.

After the speeches, the voting phase was tense and exciting. An Cheng naturally voted for Bai Qing and Wang Qimeng, leaving the rest to chance.

Most of the results were within An Cheng’s expectations. Bai Qing won the position of class president with a high number of votes, while Wang Qimeng secured the position of Cultural and Sports Committee member with the second-highest number of votes.

An Cheng offered his calm congratulations.

Before the end of the class meeting, Li Yu announced one more thing: There would be a military theory exam scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, so don’t rush out to hang out. But don’t worry, it’s an open-book exam, so as long as you don’t insult the examiner, it should be fine.

After leaving the classroom, as the three of them walked back, Li Yu caught up from behind.

Li Yu was always friendly and informal, putting his arm around Bai Qing’s shoulder, “As class president, you’ll have a lot to do from now on.”

Bai Qing smiled, “I know. I looked into it before the election.”

Li Yu then turned his head to look at Wang Qimeng, “You, don’t be bringing everyone to play games every day.”

Wang Qimeng returned to his usual self, smiling shyly, “Of course not.”

“You’re the only one left who hasn’t tried out for a class position,” Li Yu said to An Cheng.

An Cheng decisively replied, “No thanks.”

After a round of conversation, Li Yu finally stated his real purpose, “I have a female classmate who wants your contact info. Will you give it to her?”

Dating in college was very common. Li Yu thought it would be better to help out a friend who was interested.

An Cheng: ?

“Senior, I’m not interested in dating.”

Li Yu could only sigh and shake his head, parting ways regretfully at the intersection.

Wang Qimeng suddenly had a stomach ache and, after saying goodbye to An Cheng and Bai Qing, ran off in a hurry.

An Cheng and Bai Qing lagged behind, and for a moment, it was quiet. The wind rustled through the treetops, and the sound of bike bells from classmates behind them was clear.

Usually talkative, Bai Qing was now silent.

An Cheng sighed inwardly: The matter of his sister indeed had a profound effect on Bai Qing.

Just as he finished his sigh, Bai Qing spoke up, seemingly asking casually, “Cheng Ge, have you ever been in a relationship?”

An Cheng reviewed his memories, “I have.”

There was a brief moment of silence.

“A girl?” Bai Qing asked.

An Cheng replied, “Yes.”

Actually, An Cheng wasn’t sure if it counted as a relationship. In kindergarten, the original owner was quite lively and outgoing, having several girlfriends, who were given titles like Queen, Imperial Concubine, and Concubine.

Later, due to family issues, the original owner became distant and it became hard for people to get close, so he hadn’t had many girlfriends.

In the darkness, Bai Qing bit his lip.

When they reached the dorm building, Bai Qing stopped and said, “Cheng Ge, you go ahead. I want to call home.”

An Cheng didn’t ask further, nodded, and left.

Bai Qing watched An Cheng pass through the gate, then turned to look at the nearby streetlamp. Several mosquitoes buzzed around the light, persistent and pitiful.

Bai Qing patted his chest and took a deep breath.

He was upset.

His secret crush had shattered, and he could only be Cheng Ge’s good friend from now on.

---

Back in the dorm, Wang Qimeng was still in the bathroom.

Feeling bored, An Cheng checked some videos but found them unsatisfying. He logged into a game, but just as he was about to enter the matchmaking page, he logged out.

“007,” An Cheng called out in his mind.

The little cat stretched lazily, “What’s up?”

“Can you know what Bai Qing says when he’s on the phone with others?”

The little cat wagged its tail, “As long as it can be converted into data, I can know it.”

“Do you want me to broadcast it in real-time?”

An Cheng considered this. How was it different from those perverted creeps?

He shook his head, “Never mind. If Bai Qing wants to tell me something, he will.”

---

On the road next to the dormitory, Bai Qing watched the livestream close and then dialed the phone.

The call took a while to connect.

“Hello, brother, what’s up?” The girl’s voice was sweet and pure, completely different from the deliberately disguised tone in the livestream.

Bai Qing’s throat tightened, making it difficult to speak, “Luo Luo, where are you right now?”

The receiver suddenly picked up a lot of background noise, and then it became low and muffled, as if someone had covered the receiver.

After a moment, Bai Luo Luo’s voice came through, “Brother, I’m outside, it’s a bit noisy.”

“Why are you still outside? It’s already past nine.”

“Brother,” the voice on the other end chuckled lightly, “I’m fifteen now, staying out a bit later is no big deal.”

Bai Qing couldn’t muster a smile. He could guess why Bai Luoluo had turned to live streaming; he could even understand it, but he couldn’t accept it.

His sister was still so young. She had just been accepted into a key high school in the city; her life should be smooth and clean.

“Luoluo,” Bai Qing’s voice was hoarse as he lowered his head, “stop live streaming. If there’s something you need, talk to me, okay?”

There was a long silence on the other end, almost a minute before a voice finally came through, “Brother…”

“Hmm?” The girl’s voice trembled with sobs, “Dad took my tuition…”

“I didn’t want to tell you because you also have your own student loan…”

Feeling cornered, Bai Luoluo saw an ad on the street recruiting live streamers.

She went to the interview, and the recruiter liked her, thinking her appearance combined with a provocative streaming effect could attract many viewers.

And the streaming effect was indeed good. Within a few days, she could earn enough for tuition, but she didn’t expect her brother to see it.

“Brother, I’ll stop once I’ve earned the tuition. Don’t worry.”

On the hot summer night, Bai Qing was sweating profusely, but he remained motionless, like a dark statue in the shadows.

He said, “Luoluo, I’ll transfer the money to you in a few days. Stop live streaming.”

After ending the call with Bai Luoluo, Bai Qing dialed another number.

“Mom.”

Xu Rong’s voice still sounded relatively relaxed, “Xiao Qing, why are you calling? Are you adjusting well at school?”

“Mom,” Bai Qing asked stubbornly, “Did he hit you?”

Bai Luoluo’s tuition was always kept with Xu Rong, but now it had been taken by that scoundrel. Bai Qing could hardly imagine what that scene must have been like.

Silence seemed to be the theme of the night.

Xu Rong’s voice carried exhaustion, “I gave it to him. The debt collectors were following him with knives. If I didn’t give him the money, he would have been killed.”

“But that was Luoluo’s tuition!”

Xu Rong said, “I know, but it’s also your father’s… Don’t worry about the tuition. I’ll sell blood tomorrow and a few days later, I’ll sell more. I can earn enough for tuition.”

---

When Bai Qing returned to the dorm, An Cheng instinctively turned to check Bai Qing’s expression.

Bai Qing usually had excellent posture and an outstanding figure, making him pleasant to look at whether he was standing or doing anything.

But tonight was different. He walked in with his head down, the shadow of his hair obscuring his face. His expression was unclear, but the fatigue was palpable.

Bai Qing sat back in his chair, staring blankly at the desk.

He sat in silence for a long time.

An Cheng went back and forth behind him, taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and drying his hair, without seeing Bai Qing move at all.

An Cheng was getting frantic.

He suddenly remembered something. If Bai Qing dropped out of school due to family burdens, he wouldn’t be able to enter graduate school, and he wouldn’t be able to complete his mission!

So, An Cheng rummaged through his things and finally, with some reluctance, found a large, flashy chain necklace that the original owner used to wear while rapping, and handed it to Bai Qing as an icebreaker.

“I think it suits you better. It’s too much, so I’m giving it to you.”

Bai Qing looked up in confusion, and seeing the wild, oversized chain, his emotions seemed to break through some heavy barriers, adding a touch of brightness to his eyes.

Bai Qing smiled and took the chain, “Thank you, Cheng Ge.”

He held the chain in his palm, which sparkled under the light, completely mismatched with Cheng Ge, and even with himself.

An Cheng nodded, “Mm.”

Seeing Bai Qing’s mood lift, An Cheng returned to his seat, satisfied, and resumed his role as the cool, silent guy.

Bai Qing wouldn’t initiate conversation, and An Cheng wouldn’t ask, even though he could guess most of it based on the plot.

Fortunately, Bai Qing finally moved. He opened his cabinet, took out a cloth bag, and unzipped it to reveal a guitar.

He took out the guitar, gazing at it nostalgically, his fingers lightly tracing a few of the strings.

This guitar was a gift from his mother when he graduated from middle school. At that time, the family was still well-off. When his mother gave him the guitar, she was full of smiles and affection, saying, “I’ll always get the best for my son.”

Bai Qing had always treasured it. Even after three years, the guitar still maintained its original quality, and its value had increased with time.

If he sold it, it could cover Luoluo’s tuition.

Bai Qing cradled the guitar, his eyes showing a faint smile mixed with a touch of reluctance.

“Cheng Ge, Qimeng, let me play a song for you.”

Wang Qimeng, who had just hung up the phone, turned around and instinctively said, “It’s quite late now. Will it disturb anyone?”

An Cheng gave him a slight wave, his tone revealing a bit of his inherent gentleness.

“Let’s keep it quiet then.”

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