Little Dumpling Li Yixin
My name is Li Yixin, and I’m about to start elementary school. I have a twin brother named Li Yiyi. Dad says our names together mean "wholeheartedly" (yīxīn yīyì). But I have a question—shouldn’t it be the other way around? According to the phrase’s order, my brother should be Yixin, and I should be Yiyi.
I brought this up with Mom, and she said, "Sweetie, you’re a girl, and Yixin sounds prettier than Yiyi! So we just switched the order for you two! Also, darling, you’re just a kid—don’t overthink these little details and just enjoy being carefree!"
……Honestly, I’ve had this feeling for a long time that Mom can be a bit silly. Later, I overheard Dad and Uncle Juncheng talking, and from their conversation, I realized that this silly feeling is called "being an airhead."
★★★★★
Now, let me properly introduce my family.
In my family, there’s my handsome dad, beautiful mom, strict grandpa, fun-loving grandpa (on Mom’s side), kind grandma, and my dumb older brother.
Why do I say my brother is dumb? Because he always loses to me when we play cards—he’s never won once. Mom probably wanted to save his pride, so she told me, "Your brother is just letting you win!"
Hah, yeah right. I don’t believe that.
Also, whenever Mom and Dad argue, he never lets me watch. He always pulls me away, so I can’t even try to mediate. What an idiot.
One time, Mom and Dad were fighting again, and while my dumb brother wasn’t paying attention, I sneaked downstairs and hid outside their room. I peeked in and saw them arguing, and then suddenly, Dad rushed at Mom and started biting her!
I was terrified! I wanted to rush in and help Mom, but my stupid brother somehow noticed I’d snuck off and dragged me away before I could do anything.
That dummy! Dad was going to eat Mom alive!
I worried the whole afternoon. Luckily, at dinner, Mom was still in one piece and even smiling—no, smiling even brighter than usual. Only then did I finally relax.
Mom is so weird. How can she be so happy after Dad bit her?
Sigh, in this family full of problems, I really have to worry about everyone.
★★★★★
The grown-ups all say my dumb brother has a high IQ. What even is IQ? I wonder if it’s edible.
They also say I might have ADHD. What’s ADHD? It sounds kinda lively and fun.
Dad says my ADHD definitely comes from Mom, while my brother’s high IQ is 100% from him.
After Dad said that, Mom glared at him and snapped, "Like hell it does!"
I copied Mom’s glare, turned to my dumb brother beside me, and said, "Like hell it does!"
My brother looked at me and said, "……You are my sister, though."
……Ugh, this "your sister" thing feels so annoying—like I didn’t even win anything.
Mom told Dad she wants to open a bank account for each of us, so half of whatever money we earn in the future will be saved for each of us.
Then my brother said to Mom, "I don’t want mine. Put my share in Yixin’s account. When I grow up, I’ll earn my own money."
Oh, this silly brother of mine—not even keeping any seed money for himself. How’s he supposed to earn anything?
No way. I’ll secretly save half for him.
★★★★★My grandpa was a man who looked very stern, downright intimidating. But in reality, he doted on both me and my older brother. My maternal grandpa was completely different—always smiling and cracking jokes.
Grandpa and granddad often got together to play mahjong. Those were the most entertaining times—grandpa would always puff up his beard and glare while granddad would cheerfully tease him. According to mom, they were like fire and water, completely incompatible, yet they always sought each other out. Dad called them "those two old rascals."
Noticing how dad always stuck close to mom too, I started calling him "rascal dad." That earned me a spanking. When I ran to mom to complain, she was awesome—she said she'd spank dad for me.
But I think mom tricked me. When I pressed my ear against their door, I didn't hear any spanking sounds—just mom making weird noises instead. Figuring mom might be losing the fight, I wanted to rush in and help, but my stupid brother somehow spotted me again and dragged me away!
My brother is SO annoying!!!
Everyone in this family is weird—not a single normal one!
Whatever, I'll just go to Aunt Jingjing's place to play with that dummy Lu Yao.
—Li Yixin, high school student
Speaking of Lu Yao—he's Aunt Jingjing's son. Mom says he's handsome, almost as good-looking as my brother. I don't see it though. With his icy expression, he looks like he's had too much botox—so stiff you'd hardly see any expression beyond blinking.
When we were kids, he used to cling to me all the time. But after growing up, he suddenly became all arrogant, putting on this cool, expressionless act like he didn't even know me. So annoying it's unbearable.
I don't know what trick fate played on me—we always ended up at the same school. In high school we were in the same class, and by senior year we even became desk mates.
After elementary school graduation, Lu Yao gradually developed into a freak in my eyes.
He always wore that blank face, never using two words when one would do, not even bothering with emotional punctuation. So freakishly taciturn.
His grades were excellent—consistently the best in our class and even the entire grade. Always ranking first—what else could that be but freakish?
After the senior year seating rearrangement, I ended up sharing a desk with this cold-faced little freak.
Not exaggerating—in our two years of high school, I'd spoken less than ten sentences to this freak. And those ten sentences were basically variations of: "Lu Yao, can I copy your homework?" ×10
Usually these were lonely interrogatives because Lu Yao never answered me. After the first time, he wouldn't even look up, completely ignoring me.
Being a person of principle, after ten attempts I stopped asking to copy his homework. No big deal—other classmates' work had mistakes anyway, making them seem more authentic.
Thinking this way, I stopped holding grudges against him. Except for occasionally calling him "freak" under my breath.
My middle school classmate and best friend Yang Didi was in the neighboring class. Once during break she asked me: "That top student in your class is really good-looking. Does he have a girlfriend?"I said, "He's so perverted, who knows if he likes guys or girls."
Yang Didi asked, "Is he perverted? How is he perverted?"
I replied, "He won't let me copy his homework."
Yang Didi said, "That's not perverted, that's called integrity."
I countered, "Yang Didi, do you still want my help dealing with your stepmother in the future?"
Without hesitation, Yang Didi declared, "That Lu Yao in your class is totally a pervert!"
Gnashing my teeth, I nodded, "Come on, repeat after me: Someone who won't even lend homework isn't a real classmate—utterly heartless! The ultimate pervert!"
Yang Didi dutifully repeated my words.
Just as I was patting her shoulder in satisfaction, I felt a chill on the back of my neck. Turning around, I got the shock of my life.
Lu Yao, for some inexplicable reason, was standing right behind us.
The look he gave me was so icy I nearly caught a cold.
I expected him to demand why I was badmouthing him behind his back. I'd even prepared my righteous defense.
If he asked: "Why are you talking behind my back?"
I'd reply: "You're the one standing behind me. I was talking in front of you."
If he asked: "Then why were you talking about me in front of me?"
I'd say: "If you have a problem with that, next time I'll talk behind your back."
I was mentally rehearsing this exchange with great relish, imagining him fuming with rage. But the jerk just gave me a few cold glances, then walked right past me and Yang Didi with utter disdain, head held high.
I asked Yang Didi if she felt the anger of being ignored.
Instead, she drooled and said, "Wow, this is the first time I've seen your class pervert up close—he's so handsome!"
I decided then and there to stop helping her deal with her stepmother.
★★★★★
Actually, a pervert isn't scary—what's scary is a pervert who doesn't talk.
During our time as desk mates, Lu Yao maintained a cold expression every day, as if devoid of any human emotions, never cracking a smile. Once during class when I fell asleep at the desk, he didn't wake me, and I got caught by the teacher.
After being dragged to the office and thoroughly scolded, I returned to class with spit marks on my face and indignantly asked him, "Young Master Lu, if this happens again and you don't want to talk to me, could you at least kick me? Think of it as revenge—put some strength into it!"
The pervert just glanced at me dismissively and uttered the eleventh sentence he'd ever spoken to me in high school: "So there was someone sitting next to me all along."
It took me a while to understand what he meant.
He'd been acting like I didn't exist this whole time...
I wanted so badly to complain to his mother!!! Auntie Jingjing, do you know how perverted your son is?!
Furious, I slammed the desk and stood up: "You damn pervert, starting today, see how Li Yixin makes your life miserable!"
Lu Yao
Four-year-old Lu Yao came home from kindergarten and immediately asked Yao Jingjing in his childish voice, "Mommy, when can I inherit Daddy's money?"
Yao Jingjing almost said "Probably after your dad dies," but thought discussing death with a four-year-old might be too harsh. Instead she said, "That's up to your father. But son, why do you ask?"Little Lu Yao beamed with innocent enthusiasm. "Li Yiyi said if I want to marry Li Yixin as my wife, I have to give their family a dowry!" He tugged at Yao Jingjing's arm, shaking it back and forth. "Mommy, mommy, tell Daddy to give me money to get a wife! I want to bring Li Yixin home so she can play with me every day!"
Yao Jingjing looked at her son's delicate, doll-like face, completely filled with the expression of "Give me the money quick, quick, I need to go exchange for a wife!" and felt tears welling up in her eyes.
Oh son, you're so young yet you've already made your mother feel like she gave birth to a money-losing commodity—you're truly amazing T＿T Money Monkey, how did someone as silly as you manage to produce these two little devils Li Yiyi and Li Yixin, who are full of schemes?! They're going to ruin my son!!!
★★★★★
After Lu Yao entered middle school, one day, Lu Ze gave him a very profound ideological education.
From that day on, Comrade Lu Yao became cool and aloof, especially toward the little girl from the Li family.
Because his father had told him how to win over Li Yixin.
This girl—if you're nice to her, she'll easily ignore you. Being cold is what will spark her competitive spirit.
In the days that followed, he made acting cool part of his daily routine. In high school, he was placed in the same class as Li Yixin. During their senior year, he had his mom Yao Jingjing have a little chat with the teacher, and Li Yixin became his deskmate.
Li Yixin was truly too dense and infuriating—she actually told her best friend he was a pervert.
But that was fine. At least she'd finally noticed him in her eyes.
How could he make her fully realize her budding feelings for him?
He thought of a way.
On the day she slammed her desk and shouted, "You damn pervert, starting today, just watch how I, Li Yixin, will torment you!" he put on a cold demeanor, narrowed his eyes, and said to her, "Li Yixin, getting so worked up—do you like me?" He saw her face freeze in stunned surprise.
He continued, "Li Yixin, dare to make a bet? No matter what methods you use to get my attention, I won't like you."
His face remained expressionless, but his heart was incredibly tense.
He watched as her face turned red. After holding it in for a while, she finally slammed the desk again. "Bet it is! Lu Yao, if I don't make you kneel down and confess your feelings first, then I was picked up and raised by my parents!"
★★★★★
In that moment, though his face was as cold as jade, his heart bloomed with flowers.
Though his words were: "Li Yixin, dare to make a bet? No matter what methods you use to get my attention, I won't like you."
What he truly meant was: Li Yixin, hurry and use every method possible to fall for me!
Author's Note: Dear beautiful readers, this is part of the book edition. Thank you all for your support along the way~ The published book should be released around August or September, with tens of thousands more words of content, including proposals, weddings, little bun stories, and Jun Cheng's side story.
Once the book is out, I'll post the follow-up content in this chapter~~ Saving you all some money then, mwah!
Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OpenNovel