"Sis, you're as cold-hearted as a stone, you're even harsher than the infamous 'extinction teacher'!"
Cold Si Yu gave Yuan Yuan a pat on the head. "The reason I'm hard on you is so I can love you better. Stop talking nonsense, let's get back to studying... A—"
"A—Is it really that hard to be gentle with me?"
"Good pronunciation—B—It's not hard, but being strict with you is more effective."
"B—How do you know if you haven't tried?"
"Continue—C—Don't make me say it."
"Sigh... C—"
...
The two sisters exchanged playful banter, but the progress of their study was swift. Soon, Cold Si Yu had managed to cram Beginner English 1 into Yuan Yuan's head.
Yuan Yuan was emotionally resistant to learning, but her brain was quick and receptive, often catching on as soon as something was taught.
"Now you can do whatever you want with your time," Cold Si Yu tossed Yuan Yuan back onto the sofa, feeling unusually happy, a rare smile appearing on her face...
That smile, though fleeting, was soft and filled with a sense of relief, and Yuan Yuan's sharp little eyes caught it.
"Did Sister actually smile?" Yuan Yuan thought, unsure if she had ever seen such a down-to-earth side of her usually cold and distant sister...
In the living room of Room 0301, two male figures, Xia Chong Chong and Xia Pengfei, were sprawled across the sofa. They had been playing games but had now both fallen asleep.
Lan Lan stood in the living room, admiring their carefree sleeping postures, a faint smile flashing across her delicate face. She first picked up Xia Chong Chong and carried him to the bedroom, settling him in before coming back to gently pat Xia Pengfei. "Pengfei, go to the bedroom and rest."
Xia Pengfei didn't want to get up. Half-closing his eyes and adjusting his posture, he lazily yawned and said, "Don't worry about me, I'll sleep here..." Before he could finish, he shut his eyes and collapsed back into sleep.
Lan Lan sighed, went to the bedroom to get a blanket, and covered Xia Pengfei with it. She softly turned off the light and left the room...
Early in the morning, before the sun had risen, there was movement in the 0101 room's gym.
Cold Si Yu was fully geared up, fiercely attacking the punching bag, as if battling an enemy on the battlefield. The intense workout lasted nearly an hour. Afterward, Cold Si Yu quickly rinsed off and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
She finely chopped ginger, spring onions, and cabbage, stir-frying them with sesame oil. Then, she added cilantro, carrots, a little salt, soy sauce, pepper powder, and chili powder, mixing it all together for the filling. After wrapping it in prepared dumpling wrappers, she placed the dumplings in a steamer and began to cook them.
Adjusting the heat, Cold Si Yu then grabbed a cleaning tool and tidied up the house. As the light in the kitchen began to brighten, she saw the dumplings were almost done. Only then did she head to the adjacent room to wake Yuan Yuan.
"Yuan Yuan, get up, breakfast is ready. It's your favorite soup dumplings!"
Cold Si Yu's voice was loud and clear, but Yuan Yuan refused to stir. Not only did she not open her eyes, but even her eyelashes remained perfectly still.
Being lazy is every child's privilege—it's the weekend, so sleeping in is not a crime!
Known for her excellent physical ability, Cold Si Yu "whooshed" as she threw the blanket off and without hesitation grabbed the little white stuffed animal from Yuan Yuan's arms, then picked her up and walked out. Yuan Yuan's eyelids still stubbornly held their ground...
Cold Si Yu placed Yuan Yuan on the dining chair and went back to the kitchen.
Yuan Yuan remained unfazed, still dreaming in her seat.
Cold Si Yu brought the soup dumplings to the table and, using her chopsticks, broke one open, releasing a burst of fragrant steam. The rich and savory scent filled the air...
Yuan Yuan's nose twitched, and she suddenly opened her eyes. After focusing, she saw the steaming dumplings and Cold Si Yu's almost-smiling expression.
Yuan Yuan immediately grabbed her chopsticks but was stopped by Cold Si Yu, "Hey—wash your hands and face first!"
Yuan Yuan was used to her sister's etiquette lessons and knew that arguing would be pointless. She reluctantly jumped off the chair and ran to the kitchen. "Save some for me!"
"Be careful, don't fall!"
The only reply to Cold Si Yu was the sound of rushing water.
The early autumn sun slowly rose above the eastern horizon, brightening the sky and making the neighborhood scenery clearer. But the living room of 0301 in Building A was still dark.
Lan Lan turned on the ceiling light, casting a soft yellow glow on the handsome young man sprawled on the sofa.
Xia Pengfei had unknowingly kicked his blanket onto the floor, and his pajama top had been pulled up, revealing part of his abs and "v-lines."
Lan Lan only took a brief glance at the "view" before quickly looking away. "Pengfei, get up and have breakfast."
"Mm... don't want to," Xia Pengfei mumbled without opening his eyes. "It's the weekend, I want to sleep."
Lan Lan sighed and bent down to pick up the blanket from the floor, covering Xia Pengfei with it. After turning off the light, she left the room.
Xia Chong Chong, with his eyes still tightly shut, was sleeping soundly in his own room, curled up in a ball with the blanket kicked to one side.
"Little Chong Chong, breakfast is ready," Lan Lan's voice was as soft as it could be.
"Mm... don't want to... I want to sleep in..." Xia Chong Chong mumbled in his sleep.
Lan Lan helplessly covered him with the blanket and headed back to the dining room.
A sudden broadcast of the news program interrupted Xia Pengfei's sleep. He reached up from his pillow, grabbed his phone without checking the caller ID, and lazily answered, saying, "Call back in two hours," before hanging up and tossing the phone aside.
The phone made a clattering sound as it hit the floor. Xia Pengfei didn't bother picking it up, just turning over and continuing to sprawl out...
After a while, the unique ringtone rang again, and Xia Pengfei, groggily opening his eyes, picked up the phone. When he saw the caller ID, he answered directly, saying, "Uncle He, no need to pick me up, I'll take Chong Chong on the subway to Feihu District." Without waiting for a response, he hung up.
Xia Pengfei got off the sofa, went to Chong Chong's room, threw the blanket off him, and yelled gruffly, "Chong Chong, get up, get ready, if we're late, I'll spank you!"
"No spankings, I'm up!" Xia Chong Chong, used to his brother's pressure, could only rub his sleepy eyes and get up reluctantly.
Soon, the two brothers were ready to go out, looking well-groomed.
As Xia Pengfei carried the little Chong Chong across the crosswalk, they caught the attention of several young women.
Passing a clothing store, they happened to see a female staff member pushing a tall, burly man out of the store.
"How dare you hit a woman? What kind of man picks on women?" The female staff member scolded, her glare fierce, like an angry cougar.
Xia Pengfei and his brother stared in shock, their jaws nearly dropping. The staff member wasn't anyone else—it was their violent, beautiful neighbor, Cold Si Yu!
Inside the store's display window, Yuan Yuan was leaning against the glass, looking out. When she saw the brothers, she immediately ran out.
The burly man, stunned by Cold Si Yu's strength and intimidating presence, saw people noticing the scene and threw a parting remark, "Hao Xiaoli, wait until I get home. I'll deal with you," before he slunk away.
A woman in her thirties, trembling with fear, came out of the store, tears in her eyes as she said to Cold Si Yu, "What should I do? I... I can't go back... He hits me all the time, I'm covered in bruises. If I go back... I..."
She rolled up her sleeves and pant legs, revealing her white arms and legs, covered in scars. The sight was shocking!