books44 Chapter 180 Barrier
Chapter 180 Barrier
These days, Zhong Yan has been busy with work in other places, frequently traveling for business. Therefore, the responsibility of picking up and dropping off Zhong Huanli and Qiao Xiao at school naturally fell on the shoulders of the family driver.
According to the driver's predetermined route, he would always pick up Qiao Xiao first, and then pick up Zhong Huanli to go home together. It was precisely because of this arrangement that a scene that Qiao Xiao might not have witnessed was now appearing before her eyes.
As the car slowly approached the school gate, Qiao Xiao saw several female students surrounding Zhong Huanli from afar. He was tall and handsome, and the sunlight shining on him seemed to coat him with a dazzling light.
The girls around her looked on with admiration and chatted with Zhong Huanli.
Qiao Xiao stared blankly at this scene. In an instant, she felt the whole world become blurred, leaving only Zhong Huanli, who was surrounded by everyone like a star.
Only now did she realize, as if waking from a dream, that Zhong Huanli would become the focus of attention wherever he went, just like the school heartthrob and academic genius, who was very popular and sought after.
"The gap between us is really widening, brother..." Qiao Xiao murmured to herself, her voice so soft that she could hardly hear herself.
She silently lowered her head, biting her lip to keep the tears welling in her eyes from falling. She was so jealous of the girls who could stand confidently beside Zhong Huanli, becoming one of his many suitors; she envied their privileged status, allowing them to freely surround him and bask in his smiles and gentle gaze. And what about herself? She was merely his nominal sister, her feelings destined to remain buried deep within her heart, forever unable to see the light of day.
Despite the turmoil within her, Qiao Xiao forced herself to calm down, desperately suppressing her escalating emotions. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure and telling herself she had to stay rational.
Every time she called out to Zhong Huanli as "brother," she was constantly reminding herself that their relationship was purely sibling, with absolutely no other possibility.
Finally, Qiao Xiao looked up at the crowd outside the car window, silently praying: She hoped the girl who would enter Zhong Huanli's heart would appear a little later, so she could enjoy his gentle gaze a little longer...
Even if this time will eventually be as fleeting as fireworks, at least it belongs to me.
Zhong Huanli looked bewildered, unable to understand why, simply by changing schools and growing a year older, she was surrounded by so many girls.
He muttered to himself, "What kind of setting is this? It's become so absurd and ridiculous. It really needs to be fixed."
Looking at the girls in front of him, Zhong Huanli warned, "Please, everyone, stop following me, okay? I absolutely will not answer any of your questions!" Although he was angry, his magnetic voice was exceptionally charming, even a little intoxicating, and still sounded so refined and easygoing that no one could sense any malice in it.
Qiao Xiao's gaze was fixed on Zhong Huanli. Even though she was extremely unwilling to face this scene, she forced herself to pay close attention to his every move, afraid of missing even the slightest change, especially to see if he would blush or have his heart race because of the many girls' admiration.
"Brother, you're so popular..." Qiao Xiao muttered softly, her resentful tone drifting away like a wisp of smoke.
Zhong Huanli, his face grim, strode to the car, opened the door, and got in. His previously tense expression vanished the moment he saw Qiao Xiao sitting inside; his furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and a radiant smile spread across his face as he exclaimed with delight, "Xiao Xiao!"
Qiao Xiao stared at him in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes filled with surprise. "Xiao Xiao?" Such an intimate address; those two words involuntarily made her heart tremble.
Zhong Huanli was secretly delighted; he finally saw a change in Qiao Xiao's expression beyond indifference. A slight smile played on his lips as he asked, "Has Father not returned yet?"
The driver beside him quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes, young master."
Zhong Huanli waved his hand and said with a smile, "There's no need to call me 'Young Master'. Just call me Zhong Huanli. We don't have that kind of rule in our family."
The driver quickly nodded and replied, "Okay."
They entered the house together. As soon as they entered, a small, shiny-furred, and agile dog ran straight towards Zhong Huanli.
Asdor came to Zhong Huanli's side, but instead of wagging its tail happily like the other dogs, it stood quietly, its big, dark eyes staring at him with curiosity.
Astor is now a year old. Its soft, glossy fur shimmers with a captivating sheen in the sunlight, and its once-dark eyes now appear even brighter and more expressive. Clearly, it is being well cared for. However, Astor is quite wary of strangers; anyone who tries to touch it, except for Zhong Huanli, will be met with its merciless bite.
"Woof woof!" Asdor barked excitedly at Zhong Huanli.
Qiao Xiao walked into the room on her own, ignoring Zhong Huanli, leaving him alone to stare at her departing figure, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Just then, the nanny's voice came from the kitchen: "Xiao Zhong, go and call your little sister down for dinner. The food is all ready."
Zhong Huanli replied, "Okay, Auntie, I'll go right away."
He hurried upstairs to the second floor and walked familiarly to Qiao Xiao's door. However, when he reached out to push the door as usual, he found that it wouldn't budge; it was clearly locked from the inside.
Zhong Huanli's heart tightened: "What's going on? Why is the door locked from the inside?" He knocked on the door helplessly and called softly, "Xiaoxiao, dinner is ready, come down and eat."
Qiao Xiao usually obeys Zhong Huanli's every word; this is his unique privilege.
A moment later, Qiao Xiao opened the door and came out. Zhong Huanli looked at her, his doubts growing stronger. He wanted to ask her why she locked the door, but ultimately swallowed the question. He secretly speculated, "Perhaps she just wanted to protect her privacy."
At this moment, he realized that the two of them, who used to be able to talk about anything, were now starting to have secrets, and an alarm bell rang in his heart.
Looking back on the past year, Qiao Xiao would always confide her troubles and unhappiness to Zhong Huanli before returning to her room, which had long become an indispensable part of Zhong Huanli's life. He was not a stubborn person and never forced Qiao Xiao to do anything, but this change made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
That night, Zhong Huanli didn't sleep a wink.
It was morning again, and Zhong Huanli sat down at the dining table early. His brows were furrowed, as if they could be squeezed out of water, and there was a bloodshot in the corner of his eye, telling the story of the sleepless night. He was obviously suffering from severe insomnia last night.
He sat there quietly, waiting for Qiao Xiao. Everything around him seemed to lose its color, leaving only the indescribable anxiety and unease in his heart, spreading silently.
Qiao Xiao came downstairs. He caught the sound of her footsteps. From the moment she came downstairs, from the corner of the stairs to every step she took, his gaze followed her closely.
But when Qiao Xiao finally appeared completely in his sight, she simply sat quietly opposite him. Her eyes, which had been sparkling with lively light, were now as deep as a bottomless abyss, as if the whole world had stopped.
At this moment, Zhong Huanli's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, causing him pain and suffocation. He finally couldn't suppress the turmoil in his heart, and his voice trembled slightly: "Xiaoxiao, what's wrong with you lately? You seem to have something on your mind."
Qiao Xiao smiled faintly and replied, "No."
Zhong Huanli's heart sank. He seemed to see the tightly closed door in Qiao Xiao's heart, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not see the secrets inside. "Is she hiding her emotions? Why? Why is she so distant from me?"
Zhong Huanli pressed on, unwilling to give up, "Xiaoxiao, we've never kept secrets from each other like this before."
Qiao Xiao took a deep breath, raised her head and looked directly into his eyes: "Brother, there's no need to pry into some things." After saying that, she buried her head in her food.