The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 148 Why

Jiang Yu stood on the field, tightly holding the trophy that symbolized honor and victory in his hand.

Just then, a group of mentors from top universities in China flocked to him, offering their warmest congratulations.

Faced with this attention and praise, Jiang Yu remained calm and composed, responding to the teachers' greetings and blessings one by one.

After finally managing to deal with the enthusiastic crowd, Jiang Yu couldn't wait to pick up his phone and tell Qiao Xiao the good news as soon as possible.

However, when he dialed that familiar number, he only heard a monotonous busy tone.

The unanswered call left Jiang Yu slightly disappointed, but he quickly came to his senses and remembered that it was Monday and Qiao Xiao should be in school right now.

After the competition, Jiang Yu began packing his luggage, preparing to embark on his journey home.

On the way to the airport, as he watched the street scenes rushing past the car window, his longing for Qiao Xiao grew stronger.

So he took out his phone again and dialed the number he already knew by heart.

This time, the call was answered immediately after it was dialed. "Jiang, classmate?" Qiao Xiao's clear and melodious voice came from the receiver, like a clear spring flowing into Jiang Yu's heart.

"Yan, I won the gold medal!" Jiang Yu exclaimed excitedly.

Qiao Xiao on the other end of the phone was clearly very happy. She raised her voice and said, "Congratulations, Jiang! We must have a proper celebration when we have time."

Although she had already learned about this news from her teachers at school, hearing Jiang Yu say it in person was a completely different experience.

Jiang Yu responded softly, "Mmm." The voice coming from the other end of the phone seemed to contain endless tenderness and affection.

Where are you now? I'll come pick you up.

Jiang Yu chuckled softly, "No need, just wait for me. I'll come find you right away."

Not long after, a soft knocking sounded outside the door.

At the entrance stood a tall, slender man with an outstanding presence. He wore a black baseball cap and a snow-white shirt, his posture upright like a pine tree standing proudly in the mountains.

Qiao Xiao watched as Jiang Yu lowered his head slightly, his deep eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

She reached out to open the door, and just as she was about to call out that familiar name—"Jiang..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was forced to retreat step by step by the other person.

Jiang Yu quickly slipped into the room and closed the door behind him. He lowered his voice and said, "They don't know I'm back tonight."

Qiao Xiao looked at the man with a puzzled expression. "So... are you planning to stay here with me?"

Jiang Yu shook his head without hesitation and denied it directly, saying, "Of course not, it's just that today happens to be my birthday, and I wanted to celebrate it with you."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiao's face showed an expression of disbelief. "What?!"

Jiang Yu explained, "Because I was an orphan, I didn't have a birthday that truly belonged to me. So later, they set my birthday as the day before Jiang Ning's."

After saying that, he raised his head and looked deeply at Qiao Xiao in front of him, a faint sadness and helplessness showing in his eyes.

"Then today is definitely not your birthday!" Qiao Xiao said with a straight face, staring at him seriously and intently, her gaze firm and unwavering. "Just treat it as a celebration for your victory."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu was slightly taken aback, then a smile appeared on her lips, and she said softly, "Thank you, Yan Rui."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiao smiled and said, "What are you thanking me for? Aren't we very important people in each other's lives?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu fell silent instantly, refusing to utter another word. He cautiously observed Qiao Xiao, silently pondering every word she had just spoken.

A faint blush slowly crept onto his usually aloof face. He pursed his lips, trying to remain calm, and then said in a slightly serious tone, "Yan, please don't say things that could easily lead to misunderstandings."

Although his tone sounded very serious, a closer listener would detect an undisguised joy hidden within it.

Qiao Xiao gazed quietly at the boy in front of her, who was feigning modesty, and calmly said, "Jiang, I like you. Please go out with me."

Jiang Yu was startled by this straightforward confession. A look of innocent confusion flashed in her fox-like eyes for a moment, as if she had not yet recovered from the shock.

He slowly lowered his eyes, not daring to meet Qiao Xiao's gaze, and silently stared at the ground with his gentle, water-like eyes.

Time passed slowly, and finally, when he fully understood what Qiao Xiao meant, he looked up and nodded without hesitation, "Okay."

Just then, the system notification appeared: "Jiang Yu's favorability has increased by five, and the current favorability is eighty."

After Jiang Yu and Qiao Xiao confirmed their relationship, they tacitly chose to keep a low profile for the time being.

Jiang Yu still needs to stay at school to complete his studies. Only after successfully obtaining his graduation certificate can he leave the campus without any worries.

Whenever the bell rings to signal the end of get out of class, Jiang Yu is always the first one to rush out.

The students around him were already used to this kind of scene, and they all knew perfectly well who Jiang Yu was doing this for.

"Wow, how enviable! They don't have to go through the college entrance exam." Someone couldn't help but sigh.

“That’s right,” another person chimed in.

Jiang Yu was weaving through the crowd, ignoring the stares of others, single-mindedly running against the flow of people towards the teaching building.

However, things didn't go as planned. Just as he was rushing along with his head down, a loud shout suddenly reached his ears.

"Brother!" The shout was urgent and loud.

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Yu turned around sharply. When he saw that it was Jiang Ning, his initial excitement was instantly dampened, and he became irritable.

He frowned deeply, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground, standing motionless in place.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, seemed particularly proactive. She quickly stepped forward, looked up at her brother with anticipation, and said coquettishly, "Brother, did you come here specifically to pick me up? That's great! It's my birthday today, let's go together."

Faced with his sister's hopeful eyes, Jiang Yu remained unmoved. Without a second thought, he answered decisively, "I'm not going." His tone was firm and unwavering, leaving Jiang Ning no room for negotiation.

After saying that, Jiang Yu frowned, his face full of disgust, staring straight at her, and asked without any politeness, "Jiang Ning, why should I attend your birthday party? In all these years, have you ever celebrated my birthday even once?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up in them. She murmured with a wronged expression, "Brother, I know I was wrong before. Can we just treat this birthday as yours too? And that big cake, you can cut it first and eat it first, is that alright?"

Jiang Yu shouted, "Enough! Stop pretending!"

In fact, although his birthday was the day before Jiang Ning's birthday, every year he could only eat the leftover scraps of her birthday cake after Jiang Ning had finished her lively birthday celebration. This was really absurd and pathetic!

Jiang Ning could no longer hold back her grievances, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam. She sobbed and cried, "Why...why are you being so mean? I've already admitted my mistake!"

Upon seeing her crying so bitterly, Jiang Yu's face immediately darkened as if it could drip water. Without saying a word, he turned around and strode forward.

But Jiang Ning reacted quickly, reaching out to grab his sleeves tightly with both hands, crying and shouting, "Brother! Don't go!"

At this moment, many students passing by were attracted by the commotion and stopped to watch. As the crowd grew larger, an eerie atmosphere began to spread.

A woman's voice came from the crowd: "What's going on?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Qiao Xiao had been standing there at some point. She had been quietly observing everything that was happening, and only now did she slowly walk out.

Jiang Yu saw Qiao Xiao from afar, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down a little. He couldn't wait to rush forward and grab Qiao Xiao's hand tightly, as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"You've finally arrived." He let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves instantly relaxing, and even his voice unconsciously became relaxed and deep.

Qiao Xiao smiled and nodded gently in response. Jiang Ning, who was standing to the side, had been silently wiping away tears, taking in the whole scene unfolding before her eyes.

Seeing her brother acting so intimately with this strange woman, she pointed directly at Qiao Xiao and loudly questioned, "Who is she?"

Qiao Xiao still had a faint smile on her face and replied slowly, "Don't be nervous, little sister. I'm a good friend of your brother. We're celebrating his birthday today, so he can't come with you. I'm so sorry."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately stopped crying, stared straight at Jiang Yu, and shouted, "How could you do this? That's my brother!"

At that moment, she was completely blinded by anger and forgot to pay attention to why an ordinary friend would hold hands with her the moment they met.

Jiang Yu was clearly dissatisfied with Qiao Xiao's casual use of the word "friend." He bent down slightly and, in a tone of inquiry, cautiously and with a hint of questioning, whispered, "Friend?"

As he spoke, he kept glancing at Qiao Xiao's reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Qiao Xiao glanced at him quickly, her eyes seeming to convey some silent message: "Didn't we agree to keep it a secret?"

Jiang Yu's lips curled into a faint smile. He gently took Qiao Xiao's hand beside him, as if to turn and leave with her.

A figure rushed over like a gust of wind, blocking their path. Jiang Ning spread his arms wide, his face resolute, and shouted, "Don't go! I'm coming back with you today!"

Seeing this, Qiao Xiao raised an eyebrow. She suddenly exerted force with her arm and gently pulled Jiang Ning aside. Then, staring intently into Jiang Ning's eyes, she said firmly, "Okay, then let's go back now."

Jiang Yu: "Rui Rui!"

Qiao Xiao quickly turned to look at Jiang Yu, giving him a reassuring look.

Jiang Ning looked on with suspicion and asked doubtfully, "Really?"

Qiao Xiao nodded without hesitation and answered affirmatively, "Of course."

Then, she turned to look at Jiang Yu and softly reminded him, "Don't you still have a gift to give her?"

Jiang Yu was taken aback at first, then realized what he meant. Although he hadn't forgotten about giving a gift, he actually had no intention of doing so.

After all, he never intended to spend a single penny on this so-called sister. In his view, even if they were siblings in name only, it was just that—in name only.

Each with their own thoughts, the three embarked on their journey home together.

Jiang Ning, who was initially agitated, gradually calmed down. As she walked, she suddenly realized that Jiang Yu and Qiao Xiao's hands had been tightly clasped together the entire time.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of anger. She quickly stepped forward, trying to forcefully separate the two.

Jiang Yu, with his sharp eyes and quick hands, noticed Jiang Ning's intention and immediately pulled Qiao Xiao into his arms with great force, a move that was astonishingly fast.

Jiang Ning's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up. Her once delicate face was now filled with grievance and confusion, and she cried out in a trembling voice, "Brother! Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong?"

Jiang Yu frowned tightly, a look of disgust on his face. He snorted coldly and said, "Hmph, stop pretending here. Who are you trying to fool with this pitiful act?"

Standing to the side, Qiao Xiao remained calm and composed. She gently patted Jiang Yu's shoulder, then struggled free from his embrace.

Jiang Yu watched helplessly as her arms grew empty, and an indescribable sense of loss welled up in her heart.

Qiao Xiao turned to look at Jiang Ning and said calmly, "Of course, we'll give you the gift when we get back. Why did you rush up here so excitedly? Did you expect it right now?"

Jiang Ning's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but ask, "Go back? Go back where? What? You actually plan to come to our house?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiao frowned slightly. Her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of indifference as she stared directly at Jiang Ning and asked slowly, "Don't you really know that I live right across from your house?"

Jiang Ning seemed to have been struck by lightning, freezing on the spot with his mouth agape. It took him a while to come to his senses, and he stammered, "Wh...what?"

Seeing this, Qiao Xiao curled up a cold smile and said sarcastically, "So, all that bumping into me by you at the elevator door was for nothing? You really have no heart."

Jiang Yu, his face full of worry, quickly walked over and looked the other person up and down anxiously. His voice was filled with concern as he asked, "Are you alright?"

Qiao Xiao gently shook her head and said softly, "I'm fine. Besides, what's the point of arguing with that kind of person? It'll only be a waste of your energy. Let's go quickly."

As she spoke, she took Jiang Yu's hand and prepared to leave.

Jiang Ning suddenly stopped and stared intently at the couple standing side by side, looking like lovers, as if he had seen a thorn in his side.

She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and asked fiercely, "Why?"