Chapter 9: Are You Falling for My Brother?  

That’s what Shangguan Rouxue was like. She was an excellent actress with incomparable gift of words. It was a pity that she wasn’t actually an acting star.

She always had a way to shift other’s attention so that all issues could be thrown at Ning instead.

A gust of chill and tiredness rose inside Shangguan Ning’s heart. Four years had passed and she had already decided to let them go. So why were they still badgering her?

At that moment, she had no interest in saying another word. No matter what she said, Xie Zhuojun would assume that she was being jealous of Xue or trying to set her up into some evil trap.

She turned around and walked towards her door slowly. She was feeling exhausted inside. Stiffly, she took out the key, opened the door and walked in, shutting the two of them as well as her past behind.

As Xie Zhuojun watched Shangguan Ning with her back straight, disappear, he suddenly felt that he seemed to be missing something somewhere.

At that very moment, Shangguan Rouxue said in a disappointed tone, “Zhuojun, I made my sister sad again. Am I an annoying girl?”

“Of course not!” Xie Zhuojun brought himself back to Earth.

He kissed her on the forehead and forced out a smile. “You are the best girl in the entire world!”

He held Shangguan Rouxue with one arm and walked into the elevator, whilst the other arm was habitually massaging the spot between his eyebrows.

He was still frowning when they stepped out of the elevator and reached the underground parking lot.

He had a headache and he felt fidgety. Why did his meetings with Shangguan Ning always end up in an unpleasant way?

Although his relationship with her had turned into a deadlock, Xie Zhuojun actually had been feeling quite guilty towards her. His mother said that had it not been for her, he might have never woken up again. Therefore, he had been trying to defuse the enmity between the two of them, hoping to make her live well by compensating her in some way.

But it seemed that Shangguan Ning always had the way to make him lose control and say words that hurt people’s feelings.

Shangguan Rouxue took a glance at Xie Zhuojun, who was frowning.

Seeing that he was unhappy, she threw herself into his arms, pursing her lips as she said softly, “Zhuojun, sister still won’t give us her blessing. What am I going to do? My sister’s temper seems... to be getting worse than ever.”

As she spoke, she caressed the back of her hand that Shangguan Ning slapped, in a seemingly casual way.

Xie Zhuojun was a bit startled – was that so? Was it because Shangguan Ning’s temper was getting worse than ever?

He glanced at Shangguan Rouxue who seemed pure and innocent and shook his head.

Maybe... it could have been, otherwise why did their relationship keep getting worse every time they met. It was like that four years ago. Nothing had changed four years later. It was so terrible of her to have slapped Xue’s hand today.

The next morning was a sunny Monday. The snow from the previous day was melting gradually, showing the solid ground.

Shangguan Ning had a full schedule of classes in the morning. She grabbed her lessons’ material and drove to school.

As soon as she pulled into the parking lot, she heard someone knocking at her car window.

She looked up and spotted Zhao Anan, who was dressed in a black jacket and a pair of black leather pants.

She put on the coat and heard Anan giving out a whistle.

“Beauty, free after class? What about a date?”

Shangguan Ning pinched her smooth face and answered smilingly, “Not interested!”

Zhao Anan was pissed. “You are boring!”

Shangguan Ning linked her arms with Anan and walked to the teaching building.

She said, “Are you trying to be Matrix today? This outfit doesn’t look right for a teacher.”

“Why not? Its cool and expensive too. Thank goodness, it makes me a headturner.”

“What? Didn’t you say that you were poor and full of debt last week? This leather jacket... must have cost fifty or sixty thousand?” Shangguan Ning was a bit confused.

Zhao Anan slapped her own leg. Oops, almost spilt the truth! This outfit was paid with the one hundred thousand yuan she had gained by “selling out” Shangguan Ning. That definitely needed to be kept as a secret, otherwise she would be in big trouble.

She grinned diffidently and raised her voice. “Oh yes! I was in debt last week, but I managed to fill up the hole this week. My... my western restaurant is doing well.”

Those words convinced Shangguan Ning. She thought that she should tell Anan about her side job, since she knew about Anan’s restaurant now. Also, her cafe wasn’t really a secret.

“Anan, let me buy you coffee later, okay?”

“Why?”

“Do I need a reason for buying you coffee?”

“Of course, yes! No lunch is free in this world. Spill now, what is it?”

Shangguan Ning got a bit helpless. She said sincerely, “Nothing special, really. I want to buy you coffee as a good friend. Nothing wrong with that, no?”

Anan suddenly realized something.

She cried out excitedly, “Are you falling for my brother and want me to set you up again?”

How was her brother involved in this case suddenly?

Shangguan Ning had to surrender in front of Anan. She knew that if she didn’t tell the truth on this day, many more bizarre thoughts would emerge out of Anan’s brain.

“Okay, okay, okay, I will be honest! I opened a café and hope you can have a taste of the coffee there.”

“Really not about my brother?”

“No! It has nothing to do with your brother!” Shangguan Ning almost wanted to raise her hand and swear to god.

“You aren’t falling for my brother?” Anan seemed to be at the edge of getting really pissed.

“No, no. I mean, your brother is really nice...”

“So you are falling for him?” Anan’s eyes started to twinkle.

“Eh, I...”

“Oh, yes. How was your meeting that day? My brother is great, isn’t it? Got interested?”

Shangguan Ning realized that it must have been a mistake to want to share the news of this secret café with her.

She replied stiffly, “It was... okay, but we...”

“Oh right. I left early that day because I didn’t want to ruin your romantic atmosphere. You won’t blame me for that, will you?” Zhao Anan looked so calm when she lied.

The truth was that she had been scared that her brother would kill her with his glance, after she had threatened him.

“Of course not, I won’t blame you...”

As they two talked, a familiar man came towards them.

The man was no other than Guo Shuai. He was wearing a pair of glasses with golden frame and looked elegant. He had been pissed away by Shangguan Ning some days ago.

Both Shangguan Ning and Zhao Anan had a bad impression of him. Shangguan Ning didn’t want to talk with him, whilst Zhao Anan just couldn’t let go of the chance.

In her opinion, it was a wild daydream of Guo Shuai to even think about having Shangguan Ning, who had been the “beauty” in many male teachers and students’ dreams after being at University of X for only half a year. The reason why the “Beauty of Campus” at the University had not been selected this year, was mostly because many guys thought that girl students in school were not a match against Shangguan Ning, the teacher.

Of course, she was well aware that Shangguan Ning had never considered herself beautiful. She thought of herself as someone with just an ordinary face.

However, being beautiful and not being aware of it, was a quality people tended to admire more.

Shangguan Ning was qualified enough to become her brother’s wife. Some men like Guo Shuai couldn’t have her in their dream also!