The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

The next part of the session was for each of the instructors to take the stage and give a speech.

They all mentioned the name Xu Xi without prior arrangement.

The reason is simply that her grades were too outstanding.

This made Xu Nian feel very proud.

After the parents' meeting, Xu Nian and Xu Xi were surrounded by a group of parents.

"Xu Xi, could you share your study tips? My child's grades have been stagnant, and I'm so worried."

"Mr. Xu, could you tell me how you usually teach your child at home? I'm willing to pay to learn from you."

......

It seems that Yang Jidong's words were in vain.

Xu Nian felt ashamed. He had never cared about Xu Xi's studies. At most, he would cover for Qi Yu for a few days so that he could tutor his sister.

But saying it like that would be too much of a traitor.

Xu Xi also hid behind Xu Nian, not daring to peek out.

"Ahem, everyone, make way, don't block the way here!"

Wen Yao and Zhao Lin stood up, spread their arms to block the parents who were crowding around, and gave Xu Nian a look, signaling him to take Xu Xi and leave quickly.

"Thanks!"

Xu Nian gave Xu Xi a grateful look, took Xu Xi's little hand, and hurriedly left the classroom.

The two ran until they were out of the school gate, when they stopped, panting heavily.

They were like a prince and princess fleeing from disaster.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Xiaoxi, no wonder you insisted that I attend the parent-teacher conference. You were hiding this from me!"

Xu Nian pinched her little face and smiled.

"Hehe, aren't I amazing, brother?"

Xu Xi stuck out her tongue and playfully hooked her arm around his.

"Amazing, absolutely amazing! Our Xiaoxi is the best! Tell me, what kind of reward do you want?"

"Hmm... I want to eat the dumplings my brother makes."

"Haha, okay, I'll wrap it for you when we get home."

......

With the end of the parent-teacher meeting, winter vacation has officially begun.

Xu Nian returned to a life where someone would see her off when she went out and there would be food waiting for her when she returned home.

In her spare time, Xu Xi didn't stay idle at home; instead, she always dragged Wen Yao and Zhao Lin to Li Na's warehouse.

Due to extremely poor sales in physical stores, Li Na has fully shifted to online sales, and is busy doing live broadcasts with Hu Yu every day.

The goods in this warehouse are probably enough for them to sell for a year.

Xu Xi and the others came to help; she and Wen Yao often appeared on camera for Hu Yu during live broadcasts.

Zhao Lin, lacking such eloquence, helped with inventory management and logistics, and occasionally modeled for a few photoshoots.

Li Na didn't let them help for nothing; she would pay them a certain amount each time, although it wasn't as much as the wages she used to pay her employees.

This is understandable, given that she also has enormous debt pressure, and the monthly repayments are making it difficult for her to breathe.

This continued until late January.

When Xu Xi returned home that day, she found it unexpectedly quiet.

She was busy until very late today, finishing around 9 p.m.

At this time of day, my brother should have already been home.

Now, the house is pitch black and there isn't a sound inside.

Is my brother working overtime again?

Xu Xi touched her little head and thought that this should be the case.

After all, my brother often works overtime. Whenever there is a surge in orders or his colleagues have something to do, he will stay and work for a longer period of time.

The longer you work, the more you earn.

Xu Xi sighed, feeling a pang of sympathy for her brother.

She groped her way to the light switch on the wall, intending to turn on the light.

But after pressing the switch, the light does not respond at all.

Xu Xi tried again, but nothing happened.

Is there a power outage?

Just then, a pair of warm, large hands covered her eyes from behind.

Xu Xi's expression changed, and just as she was about to struggle, she heard that reassuring voice.

"Don't be afraid, it's me."

Xu Nian leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

Xu Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong, brother?"

She replied in a similarly low voice.

It was a strange feeling, like two petty thieves whispering their plans to steal from a wealthy family's house.

"Shh...don't talk, come with me."

Xu Xi nodded, and under her brother's guidance, she followed without hesitation.

After all, her brother was someone she could trust completely.

After walking for a while, they stopped.

"Xiaoxi, do me a favor."

"What kind of help?"

"First, blindfold yourself. Open your eyes when I say you can."

"it is good."

Xu Xi obediently did as she was told, covering her eyes with her little hands.

Her heart was filled with curiosity, and she was especially eager to know what her brother was going to do.

But she resisted the urge to peek through a crack and obediently covered her eyes completely.

After a while, she heard the sound of a lighter being lit in front of her.

Bored, Xu Xi silently counted the number of sounds in her mind.

No more, no less, exactly 18 times.

"Alright, Xiaoxi, you can open your eyes now."

Xu Xi removed her hands from her eyes.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was greeted by 18 beams of warm light.

They are bright but not dazzling, arranged in a warm and neat manner.

They were illuminated by 18 candles, and looking down from the candles, you could see a gorgeous and exquisite cream cake.

There are 12 large characters engraved on the cake.

Happy 18th birthday to Xu Xi!

Xu Xi opened her eyes wide in surprise and looked at her brother standing in front of her in disbelief.

"Happy birthday, Xiaoxi. From today onwards, you are an adult."

"I hope that in the future you can be happy every day, do what you love, and not have too many worries."

Xu Nian blushed as he came up with this passage, having exhausted all the knowledge he had acquired in his life.

He knew her birthday as early as when he enrolled Xu Xi in school.

He kept a close eye on it, counting down the days so that he would never forget.

Because she gave herself the most unforgettable birthday of her life.

Xu Xi covered her mouth with her hand, unable to recover for a long time.

Her eyes glistened with tears, and her nose felt sore.

Even she herself had forgotten that today was her birthday.

Moreover, it is also the birthday of turning 18, one of the most important days in one's life.

But her brother, Xu Nian, not only remembered it, but also prepared a surprise for her.

Is this what it feels like to be thought of?

After my mother left, I never experienced such happiness again.

Surprise, astonishment, emotion, happiness—all sorts of emotions surged through her heart.

When did the tears start flowing? Even she didn't know.

"Oh dear, why are you crying?"

Xu Nian quickly pulled out a tissue and gently wiped away the tears on the little guy's face.

But the more she wiped away her tears, the more they flowed, like a flood that had burst its banks and could not be calmed for a long time.

Finally, Xu Xi threw herself into his arms and burst into tears, her small body trembling.

Xu Nian hugged her tightly, gently patted her back, and smiled helplessly.

The blessing was not written incorrectly; even though she has grown up, she is still a child.