Chapter Thirty-One: Will My Presence Here Cause Trouble?

Far away, a thousand miles from home, Luo Chen had no idea that anything had happened concerning him. The next morning, he still managed to get up early, which was a rare occurrence. The biological clock truly is a mysterious thing; if it were the weekend, he’d probably sleep until noon.

After a quick wash, Luo Chen pushed open his door and entered the living room. Yan He was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, while Luo Tianyi was already seated at the table, tapping her bowl impatiently as she waited for him.

“So slow, so slow,” Luo Tianyi pouted, eyeing Luo Chen with dissatisfaction, though the smile in her eyes could not be concealed.

Seeing his little sister in such high spirits, Luo Chen knew his efforts yesterday had not been in vain. Anyone would be delighted to see their painstakingly crafted work attract so much attention. Luo Chen estimated that it wouldn’t be long before his sister couldn’t resist flaunting her achievements to him—when that happened, he’d simply feign surprise.

Doing good deeds without seeking recognition was all well and good, but there was nothing wrong with keeping a diary. He could always arrange for Yan He to discover it by accident and let her pass the message to Tianyi. That way, his image as a selfless, devoted brother would be solidified.

Ah, but what could he do? He was just a good brother, after all.

“Alright, I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Luo Chen sat down directly across from his sister, grinning at her, though his gaze kept drifting toward the top of her head. He remembered how good it had felt to ruffle her hair yesterday, and now he was itching to do it again.

“Hmph.” Noticing Luo Chen’s look, Luo Tianyi’s cheeks colored, and she turned away in protest. She hated head pats the most.

Seeing his sulking sister, Luo Chen could only rub his still-healing arm. Better not to think about it too much.

“Alright, time to eat,” Yan He announced.

As always, Yan He wore casual, androgynous clothes, her breezy, handsome short hair paired with an angelic, delicate face—a combination that had left Luo Chen feeling pressured these past few days. He knew perfectly well she was a girl, but she was just too refined. Luo Chen worried that if this went on, he’d start to lose his sense of boundaries entirely. He wondered how his former self had managed to stay normal for so long.

After setting breakfast on the table, Yan He was immediately pulled down beside Luo Tianyi, who seemed determined to shut her brother out. Luo Chen couldn’t help but smile knowingly. He remembered that such childish sulks had been common only up until half a year ago. It seemed his sister had finally emerged from the shadow of the past.

“Luo Chen, aren’t you going to eat?” Yan He asked, puzzled by his distracted expression. Could it be that breakfast didn’t taste good today? She glanced at Luo Tianyi, who was happily devouring buns one after another. That didn’t seem likely.

“It’s nothing, I was just thinking about something else.” Luo Chen snapped out of his reverie to find Yan He watching him with a look of confusion. “By the way, Yan He, you haven’t been home in almost a week, have you? Won’t Uncle Yan mind?”

Luo Chen had no intention of sending Yan He away, but for the past few days, she’d handled all the meals and kept the house tidy. Apart from occasionally helping with the dishes, Luo Chen hadn’t done much at all. As for Tianyi? If eating could be considered a contribution, then she certainly did her part.

Yan He had been handling almost all the chores. If Luo Chen and his sister were still struggling to get by, he wouldn’t refuse her help, but now that life had improved, he didn’t want to trouble her too much. Of course, the main reason was that he worried about his own self-control; if this continued, he might soon forget the boundaries between men and women altogether. He couldn’t imagine how his old self had managed to hold out for so long and still remain normal.

“Huh? Am I being a bother by staying here?” Yan He paused, chopsticks in mid-air, fixing Luo Chen with an unreadable gaze.

“Of course not! Yan He is the best!” Before her bowl—no, before Yan He herself—could even think of leaving, Luo Tianyi threw her arms around Yan He and glared at her meddling brother.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Luo Chen hurried to explain. “I was just worried your father might not approve, that’s all.” He cared deeply about Yan He’s opinion, considering how selflessly she’d been helping them all along. Unfortunately, Yan He said nothing, and although Luo Chen wanted to clarify further, he ultimately let it go.

After a hasty breakfast, Luo Chen glanced at the clock—almost eight o’clock—and hurried Tianyi, who wanted to linger, and Yan He, who was already waiting, out the door.

High school life in this world was a far cry from what he remembered in his previous one. There were no more early or late self-study sessions; if it weren’t for the packed class schedule each day, Luo Chen would have thought he was still living the leisurely life of a college student. Well, except for the infernal homework.

On the way from home to class, Luo Chen noticed just how popular Yan He was. Nearly every student they passed, regardless of gender, stopped to greet her, and then looked at Luo Chen with eyes full of envy, curiosity, or oddity before hurrying away.

“Good morning, Yan He!”

“Morning!”

“Yan He, hi!”

“Good morning!”

Yan He responded to everyone with a bright, easy smile, calling out names to those she knew, and returning greetings to strangers without the slightest sign of impatience. Wherever Yan He was, the atmosphere was always cheerful and relaxed. Combined with her looks—appealing to both boys and girls—it was no wonder her popularity was so high.

As for Luo Chen, not a single person had greeted him along the way. The difference was striking.

He was lost in thought when a few slouching boys strolled past, chatting loudly about whatever interested them, without the slightest concern for disturbing others.

“Hey, did you hear? Professor Yuan Ning declared war on Weibo!”

“Bah, Yuan Ning declaring war? That scumbag professor? What kind of war could he declare?”

“I mean a flame war, idiot. If you don’t believe me, check for yourself. Why would I lie?”

“Really? Then I’ll go give him a piece of my mind!”

Luo Chen stopped abruptly, his mind full of questions. Professor Yuan Ning? What on earth was going on? He’d only caught a few words, but he distinctly heard that Professor Yuan Ning had declared war on Weibo. Especially since not long ago, Qiu Shuihan had warned him to be wary of Yuan Ning—could this have something to do with him?

Given how coincidental it all seemed, Luo Chen couldn’t believe it was unrelated, no matter what anyone said.