Chapter 7: Do We Know Each Other?

"Mom says to be down-to-earth. Experimental Middle School is not a place for a kid like me who has never attended school, and besides, classes there are based on ability, right? I don't think my brother needs to take any shortcuts. I don't think I will need to in the future either. Mom still has to continue attending the parent-teacher meeting, right? I hope the principal will make a fair and transparent decision. My brother is going to take me to eat cotton candy, so I won't stick around." Luo Qianqian grabbed Luo Shufan's hand, waved to Luo's Mom, and ran out of the conference room.

"Mom, I'm taking Qianqian out to play. If we're not at the school gates when the parent-teacher meeting is over, it means we've gone home. There are two books in my seat; please bring them home." The slowly closing conference room door carried Luo Shufan's voice.

"Then I'll go attend the parent-teacher meeting for Luo Shufan first. Just let me know the outcome. As my daughter said, as long as it's fair and transparent, I can accept it." Luo's Mom neatly and indifferently picked up her bag, opened the door, and left. The scent of shampoo lingered in the conference room, but the cold door had already shut Luo's Mom out.

"Elder Yuan, after you, please. I will handle this matter properly and give you a satisfying response. Director Wang, please see Elder Yuan out," Principal Sun said with a stern face, respectfully addressing Elder Yuan, causing Qian Xinxin's heart to sink as well.

"Hmm, let me know when you have a result. I don't want such treasures to be tainted by the smell of money!" Elder Yuan huffed coldly and also left the conference room.

At this time, the two individuals whom they didn't want to be tainted by the smell of money were wheedling and acting cutely over cotton candy that cost three dimes each, hoping to buy two for five dimes. In the end, the cotton candy seller, an old gentleman, was charmed by their sweet and soft words into submission, even giving them a piece of syrup candy, charging only one dime per candy. Indeed, there was no smell of money about them, just the scent of cotton candy.

"Qianqian, when did you become so capable? Usually, you'd start crying at the slightest thing. Last night, you even cried when you snagged your hair while tying it back. How come you're like a little tiger today?" Luo Shufan watched his sister happily eating the face-full of cotton candy, unable to help but spoil her with a smile, reaching out to pluck a strand of cotton candy off her face and popping it into his own mouth.

"Brother, you're not allowed to sneak my candy! It's one thing to be tough at home, where bullying one's family and taking advantage of their tolerance is foolish. What can be solved with coquetry isn't a real problem. I bet Mom will ask us all sorts of questions later, and if you let anything slip, you can do the language copywriting yourself from now on. Now I want to go to the town square and play on the slide. If you don't accompany me, I'll cry and show you," Luo Qianqian said, snatching a big chunk of cotton candy from Luo Shufan's hand while he was distracted.

"You just said anything that can be solved with coquetry isn't a real problem, and now you're threatening to cry for me?" Luo Shufan couldn't help but look at his little sister with a mixture of laughter and disbelief, thinking that he must have been delusional to think she had grown up.

Luo Qianqian saw her big brother's conflicted face and couldn't help but giggle secretly to herself: That's for pulling my hair out yesterday. That's my revenge. I already have short and thin hair, and you even managed to reduce it by a couple more—of course, I'd get back at you.

Luo Shufan followed Luo Qianqian to the town square and instantly regretted it. In the midsummer afternoon, aside from a few naughty kids, the square was empty, not even the elderlies who usually huddled together for cards and chats were there, though not far away, there were quite a few figures in the corridors.

"Qianqian, aren't you afraid of getting tanned? It's so hot—are you sure you want to play on the slide? Look, there are several kids your age in the shade over there. Do you want to go play with them?" Luo Shufan, both exasperated and amused, asked as he watched his sister wrinkle her nose and gingerly touch the slide, only to retract her hand quickly from the heat.

Kids her age? Luo Qianqian, hearing this, turned her head towards the shadows where a pair of shining eyes met hers.

She saw a child with fair skin, short hair to her ears, dressed in a light blue tank top and yellow shorts, running towards her with a big smile, "You're new here, right? Wanna play with me? I feel like I've seen you before, do we know each other?" The child reached out and grabbed the hand that Luo Qianqian had just been scorched by the hot slide, the cool touch feeling so familiar. Xiao Yu, long time no see.

"I, too, feel like I've seen you before, maybe in a dream. I'm Luo Qianqian, and this is my brother Luo Shufan. Nice to meet you." So happy to see you again. Luo Qianqian flashed a big smile. Luo Shufan stood beside her, somewhat dazed—when did his little sister learn to smile so happily and brightly, charming like someone who had swallowed two pounds of cotton candy? Even under such sunshine, his eyes were dazzled.

"Hi big brother. My name is He Wenyu, you can just call me Xiao Yu, and can I call you Qianqian? It feels like I've known you for a long time, I sprinted over when I saw you, haha let's go play over there, it's too hot to play here until evening." He Wenyu greeted Luo Shufan and then pulled Luo Qianqian to one side.

Luo Qianqian felt a pang in her nose and quickly changed the subject, "Sure, Xiao Yu, Xiao Yu, what were you guys playing just now?"

"We were just playing hide-and-seek, you should join us too." Xiao Yu, this time we have to be friends just like in our past lives, like Xiao Wanzi and Xiao Yu have to be, friends forever and ever.

"Qianqian, play nicely with Xiao Yu and no fighting, I'll wait for you over here," Luo Shufan said. Seeing his sister's happy face, he decided not to mind being ignored and continued eating his syrupy treat as he instructed.

Luo Qianqian was nodding and about to wave her hand to show she was going to play, "Got it—hey! Bro, the ball!" She saw a soccer ball hurtling towards the back of her brother's head and quickly called out to warn him, but it was already too late. Luo Shufan had been struck by the ball and knocked to the ground; the teenager who followed the ball seemed frozen in place, not expecting the ball to hit someone.

"Bro! Bro! Bro, are you okay? Bro!" Luo Qianqian let go of He Wenyu's hand in a panic and ran to her brother, who was not far away. She helped him up but saw that he was still half-closing his eyes, furrowing his brows, and clearly not understanding what happened. There was already blood seeping from where his forehead hit the ground, and her pretty eyes instantly clouded with a layer of mist, "Don't you know to watch when you kick the ball? If something happened to my brother, could you take responsibility? What if it wasn't my brother but an elderly grandpa or grandma, would you really be able to bear the consequences? If anything happens to my brother, you better be ready to bury with him!"

"Ah Han, something's happened!" The teen in the black soccer jersey, scolded by Luo Qianqian and not sure what to do, thought something serious had occurred and turned to yell across the small plaza, after all, the little girl was crying, "The ball killed someone!"

"Shut up, it's you who's dead, your whole family is dead! Curse my brother again, and you'll be the one to bury with him!" Luo Qianqian exploded upon hearing this, and even He Wenyu at her side was crying, one hand covering Luo Qianqian's tear-streaked little face.

"Your brother isn't dead, who are you crying for?" Luo Shufan helplessly wiped the tears on Luo Qianqian's face but ended up smearing her face with alternating streaks of dirt and clean lines.

"Ji Yuanhang, what are you screaming about, everything's fine, you scared the hell out of me!" White sneakers, a flamboyant orange jersey, an unrestrained voice, and a disdainful expression all combined to be off-putting. To make matters worse, this face was all too familiar to Luo Qianqian.

"Ah Han, he's bleeding, didn't you go a bit too hard?" The teen in the fiery red jersey said, following behind the orange jersey, "They're just a bunch of kids, it's normal to be scared."

"Wang Sen, you know how Ah Han was in a bad mood today, he couldn't help but be a bit rough. Come on, come on, little brother and sister, are you okay? Big brother will buy you some band-aids and treat you to popsicles, how does that sound?" The teen in the bright yellow jersey, walking at the back, went past the other three and helped Luo Qianqian lift Luo Shufan off the ground.

"Thank you," Luo Qianqian hadn't reacted yet, but Luo Shufan was already speaking.

"Alright, you handle it, I'm leaving!" The teen in the orange jersey turned and left, with Luo Qianqian remaining dumbfounded, while Luo Shufan assumed his sister was just startled.

He Wenyu, thinking Luo Qianqian was frightened, couldn't bear to see her like this, held back her own fear, and spoke up for Luo Qianqian, "Wait! You caused the injury, you, you need to take responsibility!"