Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.
Summer vacation had just begun, and Ji Xiaozhuo spent his days either playing basketball or going out to play other things. He was the leader of the group; without him, the others couldn’t have any fun. So, every day, that group would come to his house to find him, eat, and then leave immediately.
Wei Jia’s house was quite close to where the Ji family was currently living, so she would also come over to wait for him. Over time, she became extremely familiar with the Ji family’s house and sometimes even stayed for meals.
The Ji family’s house suddenly became lively because of their presence, but once they finished eating and left, only Tang Tang and Nuo Nuo remained at home. Since that meal, Nuo Nuo had never gone out to play with them again, staying at home with Tang Tang, sometimes reading books, sometimes helping Tang Tang sew clothes, quietly and rarely saying a word.
Tang Tang patted her head, “Why haven’t you been going out with your brother Xiao Zhuo lately? Did you have a fight?”
“No,” Nuo Nuo blinked, “I can’t play basketball, and I can’t play video games. I can’t do any of the things they can.”
Tang Tang could tell Nuo Nuo was a little unhappy, but she didn’t force the child to talk about it. She just said, “Aren’t you bored staying at home all day? It’s summer vacation, it’s good to go out and relax. It’s okay if you can’t play those things, then don’t play with those people. Find something you like to do.”
Nuo Nuo finally hummed in agreement after a long while.
Just then, Zhu Zixiao was planning to lose weight. His mother had signed him up for a weight loss and fitness summer camp so he could improve his physique while losing weight. This made him very miserable, so he came to Nuo Nuo to complain, not wanting to go at all.
After listening, Nuo Nuo quietly said to him, “You should lose weight.”
Zhu Zixiao immediately looked miserable and complained aggrievedly, “Nuo Nuo, do you think I’m fat too?”
Nuo Nuo nodded truthfully, “It’s not good-looking for boys to be fat.”
Zhu Zixiao lowered his head; he knew it too, girls preferred tall, thin boys, like Brother Zhuo. “Actually, I want to lose weight too, but I just can’t stick to a diet.”
Nuo Nuo patted his shoulder and suddenly said, “I’ll go with you.”
“Huh?” Zhu Zixiao looked up abruptly, “What did you say? You’re going to lose weight with me?”
Nuo Nuo nodded, “I’ll go too, we’ll go together, but I won’t lose weight, I’ll work out, and I’ll supervise your weight loss.”
“Really? You’re not lying to me?”
“No, anyway, I don’t have anything to do at home.”
Zhu Zixiao blinked, then suddenly smiled and nodded vigorously, “Okay, Nuo Nuo, you supervise me, I’ll definitely lose weight!”
Nuo Nuo smiled too.
Tang Tang was very supportive when she learned that Nuo Nuo was also going to this summer camp. Staying cooped up at home all day was boring; it would be better to go out and exercise, especially since Nuo Nuo’s constitution was weak, more exercise would be beneficial. So Tang Tang also signed Nuo Nuo up, and the next day Nuo Nuo set off with Zhu Zixiao.
Last night, Ji Xiaozhuo and Wei Jia played a ball game, and afterwards they went out for barbecue. After eating, they took Wei Jia home, and it was very late when they got back, so they accidentally overslept again, and it was almost lunchtime.
He looked around but didn’t see Nuo Nuo. So he asked Tang Tang, “Mom, where’s Nuo Nuo?”
Tang Tang glared at him. “You still know to ask about Nuo Nuo? You’ve been having so much fun these past few days, you haven’t paid any attention to Nuo Nuo at all! You’re driving me crazy!”
“Oh, Mom, Nuo Nuo didn’t want to go with me. What could I do if she didn’t want to go?” Ji Xiaozhuo rubbed Tang Tang’s shoulders. “Mom, you haven’t told me yet, where did Nuo Nuo go?”
“Nuo Nuo went to summer camp with Zixiao.”
“Summer camp?” Ji Xiaozhuo paused, his composure failing him. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“How could she tell you? You’re nowhere to be seen all day, and who’s going to die in the morning? Besides, why should she tell you? You can go out and play with other people, but Nuo Nuo can’t?”
Ji Xiaozhuo scratched his head in frustration, picked up his phone and called Nuo Nuo, but the phone was switched off.
Seeing this, Tang Tang said, “Nuo Nuo didn’t take her phone when she left.”
“What!” Ji Xiaozhuo’s face darkened completely. After a long while, he asked, “Where did she go?”
Tang Tang found it amusing. This brat had been neglecting Nuo Nuo for so long, and now he was getting anxious. “She’s been wandering around, there’s no specific location.”
Ji Xiaozhuo felt even more suffocated, as if he couldn’t breathe properly. He didn’t know what was wrong with him, so he could only vent his frustration on the court, beating everyone to a pulp.
“Ji Xiaozhuo, are you crazy? What’s wrong with you today?” Wei Jia was covered in sweat, her soaked jersey clinging to her already curvaceous body, possessing a unique beauty for a girl her age, subtly attracting the opposite sex.
But Ji Xiaozhuo had no interest in looking at her. He shook the sweat off his head, still feeling uncomfortable, and simply poured a bottle of water over his head, giving himself a refreshing chill.
Wei Jia grabbed a towel to wipe his face, but he brushed it aside, wiped his face, and left.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. “What’s wrong with Boss today? Did he eat something?”
“I don’t know, he seems really down.”
“I think Boss is very agitated; something must have happened.”
Wei Jia watched his retreating figure, bit her lip, and quickly followed, grabbing Ji Xiaozhuo’s arm from behind. “Ji Xiaozhuo, what’s wrong with you today? What’s bothering you?”
Ji Xiaozhuo quickly shook off her hand. “Nothing, I just don’t want to play anymore. I’m going home; don’t follow me.”
Having been rejected twice, Wei Jia felt she had lost face so, in a huff, stopped following him and went home as well.
Ji Xiaozhuo had never been separated from Nuo Nuo for so long before. He felt terrible, very agitated, and wanted to do something to vent, but he couldn’t muster the energy to do anything.
He must just be unaccustomed to not seeing Nuo Nuo for so long; he’d feel better when Nuo Nuo came back.
Ji Xiaozhuo eagerly awaited Nuo Nuo’s return every day, and this wait lasted for the entire summer vacation, until Nuo Nuo finally came back three days before the start of junior high school.
Upon hearing that Nuo Nuo had arrived home, Ji Xiaozhuo dropped everything and ran home, sweating profusely and panting. Before he could even wipe his sweat, he rushed over and hugged Nuo Nuo tightly, loudly venting his frustration, “You naughty girl, you’re finally back! Who allowed you to disappear without your phone! If you dare do that again, I’ll break your legs!”
“You dare break Nuo Nuo’s legs? I’ll break yours first,” Ji Yan, who was on vacation at home, gave Ji Xiaozhuo a flick on the forehead, making him wince. Nuo Nuo took the opportunity to pull away from his embrace and smiled at him.
Only then did Ji Xiaozhuo take a closer look at her. In the summer vacation, her hair had grown longer, she had grown taller, and the baby fat on her face had suddenly disappeared; she seemed to have grown up all of a sudden.
Ji Xiaozhuo was stunned.
Nuo Nuo took a small box out of her bag and handed it to him. “This is a gift.”
Ji Xiaozhuo snapped out of his daze at Nuo Nuo suddenly turning into a young woman, took the box, and opened it. Inside was the keychain of a little figure, a cartoon version of Ji Xiaozhuo.
“Nuo Nuo, did you make this yourself?”
Nuo Nuo nodded.
Ji Xiaozhuo smiled and immediately hung it on his keys. He was about to pat her head as he used to, but she dodged, and he missed. He paused for a moment, and when he came to his senses, Nuo Nuo had already gone to do something else.
Ji Xiaozhuo felt something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, so he just assumed he was overthinking things.
Two days later, the city’s No. 1 Middle School officially started. Ji Xiaozhuo and Nuo Nuo both got in with perfect scores and were naturally assigned to Class 1. Zhu Zixiao also did well and was in the same class as the two of them. Wei Jia was also coincidentally assigned to Class 1 as well.
The four of them were the only classmates in their class. Others had also entered the same high school, but were assigned to different classes.
Wei Jia smiled and said, “Since the four of us are in the same class again, let’s sit together. I think it would be better if Nuo Nuo and I, the two girls, sat together, and you two boys sat together.”
Ji Xiaozhuo objected first, “I won’t sit with Fatty.”
Zhu Zixiao immediately jumped up and retorted, “Don’t call me Fatty anymore, I’m not fat anymore.”
Zhu Zixiao had lost weight over the summer, of course, under Nuo Nuo’s strict supervision, and the results were remarkable. He lost 30 pounds in two months and was no longer a chubby boy, but a boy of normal build. Without the obstruction of fat, Zhu Zixiao looked surprisingly good.
Ji Xiaozhuo ignored his stomping. “Even if you weren’t fat, I wouldn’t sit with you. I always sit with Nuo Nuo.”
Wei Jia’s expression darkened upon hearing this. She bit her lower lip, looking somewhat reluctant. “Then I’ll have to sit with Zhu Zixiao, but we’re not close.”
Zhu Zixiao rolled his eyes. “You think I want to sit with you? I’m not close with you either.”
Wei Jia shrugged at Ji Xiaozhuo.
Ji Xiaozhuo was about to let her figure it out herself when Nuo Nuo, carrying her backpack, sat down next to Zhu Zixiao. “I’ll sit with Zixiao.”
Wei Jia immediately smiled, but Ji Xiaozhuo’s face darkened, a wave of displeasure washing over him. Just as he was about to pull Nuo Nuo back, Wei Jia swiftly sat down beside him, blocking Ji Xiaozhuo’s movement. “Alright, alright, whatever you want is fine. We’re in the front and back seats anyway. If Nuo Nuo wants to sit with Zhu Zixiao, you, as her older brother, can’t force her, right, Nuo Nuo?”
Nuo Nuo ignored her, and of course, she ignored Ji Xiaozhuo as well.
Nuo Nuo’s attitude made Ji Xiaozhuo very uncomfortable. He couldn’t bring himself to ask her to come back and sit down. He didn’t smile or speak all day; the atmosphere was tense.
When school was over, some of his old friends came over and asked Ji Xiaozhuo and Wei Jia to play basketball. Wei Jia readily agreed, but Ji Xiaozhuo didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked at Nuo Nuo and said, “Nuo Nuo, come play basketball with me.” He wanted Nuo Nuo to wait for him like before, handing him water and towels.
Who knew that Nuo Nuo would glance at Wei Jia, shake her head, and say, “No, I’m going home to do my homework. You go play.”
With that, Nuo Nuo picked up her backpack and left. Zhu Zixiao, seeing this, quickly packed his own bag and chased after her.
The others didn’t say anything, but they were quite surprised by Zhu Zixiao’s current appearance, saying, “How did Zhu Zixiao get so thin after just one summer vacation? He actually looks quite handsome now; he’ll probably be quite popular with girls.”
Ji Xiaozhuo grabbed his backpack from the table and left, saying, “I don’t want to play ball today. You guys go ahead.” He left without looking back, leaving the others looking at each other in bewilderment.
By the time Ji Xiaozhuo arrived at the school gate, it was too late. He could only see Zhu Zixiao riding away on his bike with Nuo Nuo on the back.
“Shit!” Ji Xiaozhuo couldn’t help but curse, scratching his head in frustration. The feeling that something was wrong was growing stronger. Why had Nuo Nuo stopped wanting to play with him lately and always followed Zhu Zixiao instead? Could it be that Zhu Zixiao had gotten thinner and she had taken a liking to him?
He immediately shook his head in rejection of the idea. Impossible! Even if Zhu Zixiao lost weight and became handsome, could he still be as dashing as him? Nuo Nuo had said he was the most handsome.
Guys, ads are my only source of revenue, so please do not turn on the AdBlock when you are accessing this website…. Thank you, this would be a great help…
You can buy me a ko-fi and sponsor a chapter on: https://ko-fi.com/midnightrambles
Or become a Patron on: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=45665005
If you support me, I would be able to provide more chapters….
Previous • Table of Contents • Next
