The Love Score || Zhuo Zhi

59: Sibling Telepathy

Jing Wu laughed, although it sounded more like he was mocking at me in disbelief. "This isn't fiction, Yue En. I understand a bit on what kind of person Coach Qi is, and I know that isn't going to happen as long as she is coaching the Yu Qing tennis team."

I shrugged, unoffended by his indifferent attitude. Becoming a friend of Ji Jing Wu had made me immune to his sometimes unknowingly-insensitive comments. "I know. If Coach Qi was that lenient, Qi Ying would have been given the upper-hand aeons ago."

I heard the echoing of footsteps behind and I turned my head to see Si Yang coming back with three different bottled drinks. "Here." Si Yang tossed a sugarless Oolong tea to Jing Wu, which he caught deftly, then passed a bottle of green tea to me.

"What took you so long?" I asked, uncapping my bottle.

"I got lost," Si Yang said. I couldn't blame him for doing so, seeing that Si Yang had to practically ask me for the directions to this place. I could remember the way here somewhat accurately enough since this was the same centre I had gone to for the match between Zhuo Zhi and Zhuo Yu. "What were you talking about with my sister?" Si Yang looked at Jing Wu suspiciously, his hand grabbing my elbow and pulling me behind him.

Jing Wu scoffed and I shook Si Yang's hand off, slightly indignant. "All things kid-friendly," I said in a stern voice, moving back to my original position that I was in before Si Yang had dragged me away. "Si Yang, if Ji Jing Wu had tried anything on me, he wouldn't be able to reproduce from then on."

Jing Wu glanced at me strangely and I just flashed an innocent smile at him. He turned his attention back to my brother. "Calm down, Si Yang. Yue En is just as disgusted at the prospect of me doing anything to her as I am," Si Yang relaxed noticeably at this. Jing Wu then directed his attention to me, "How has your brother been treating you in school?"

"Oh, that," I shuffled my feet awkwardly and Si Yang took an uncomfortable sip out of his bottle. "I hope you don't think it's weird or anything, but no one in school knows we're related."

"Yeah, that's weird. Mind if I ask why?"

I shared a glance with Si Yang. 

"I'm not letting anyone touch her," Si Yang stated bluntly.

"And I don't want my new title to be 'The Captain's Sister' either," I continued.

"Ah, the attention," Jing Wu nodded as if he understood, clicking his tongue. "I don't know why you wouldn't like it, though. Being in the spotlight is an attractive concept to me."

"Not just the attention," I added. "But I've already told people lies that cannot be taken back," The image of me lying through my teeth to Zhuo Zhi appeared in my mind and I swallowed dryly. "More so, I don't want to lose the friends I've made on the tennis team once they know that their Captain is my older brother."

A visualisation of the boys gaping at me in shock, then at Si Yang in fear, made me giggle lightly.

"Right," Si Yang agreed, still maintaining a stoic expression. "If anyone on my team makes a move on Yue En, I'll be on standby to inform them who they're messing with."

I stifled my laughter imagining a horrified Si Yang in the realisation of having to beat his best friend up. You know what, I'd rather both boys' faces stay intact, much to my liking.

Si Yang and Jing Wu looked at me in confusion and I disguised it with an awkward cough. "I mean," I tilted my head, looking up at Jing Wu. "Promise that you wouldn't tell anyone this, right? Not a single soul?"

Jing Wu waved me away. "Like I would waste my breath gossiping about you two odd siblings."

I smiled, relieved. I stood up from the bench, picking my racket up once again. "Ready for a game, dear old brother?" I smirked at Si Yang.

♡♡♡

"You sure you wouldn't want to transfer to Xing Yao?" Jing Wu questioned again as we walked down the corridor of the tennis centre, satisfied with our practice session. "We have a pretty good tennis team for girls there."

Si Yang sighed in exasperation. "Ji Jing Wu, for as far as I'm concerned, you're more likely to pay attention to your place in the spotlight than keep an eye on Yue En."

I shot daggers at my brother. "I can keep an eye on myself, shut up."

Jing Wu chuckled. "Your brother's not wrong. But if Yue En can take care of herself, she should always take the chance to join our Xing Yao girls' tennis team."

To lose all friendships and experiences I've made in Yu Qing, to begin the start of my new school life at Xing Yao High School?

"No thanks," I smiled politely at Jing Wu, which he nonchalantly shrugged at my rejection.

As we were walking past the pool table and the bookshelf next to it, I felt my foot hook onto something and I tripped, quickly hopping and regaining my balance before I could face-plant onto the floor. "Oomph!" I gasped, spinning around. "What in the world--"

A person groaned sleepily and sat up from the ground where he had laid down to sleep. "What? Oh, I'm sorry."

"Song Ci? Why are you here? Slacking off?" Jing Wu immediately chided in a slightly surprised yet stern tone.

Song Ci's eyes landed first on Jing Wu, blinking tiredly. "Sorry, Captain. I was waiting for the Yu Qing people to leave-- damn them, they managed to get a court--"

"Yu Qing people? Where?" Si Yang and I exclaimed in timely unison.

"Who else from Xing Yao is here?" Jing Wu demanded.

"Wha..." Song Ci propped himself up on his elbows, still half-lying on the floor. "Just you know... Chong Hong, Liang Liang, Ji Nuo..."

"Who did you see from Yu Qing?" Si Yang questioned.

Song Ci squinted as if trying to recollect his memory. "I don't know. I think I saw that small runty one-- with the white cap. Uh... and the tall big one who got himself and Chong Hong injured during the League. The nerdy guy with the notebook as well."

"Shoot," I panicked, wringing my hands. "We need to leave. Now."

Song Ci then seemed to notice my presence, looking at us blearily. "Why is Yu Qing's captain and our captain with a random girl?" Song Ci paused for a moment, getting up to study me. "Wait! I saw you at our competition the other day. The captain said you two were friends. Do you know Mu Si Yang too--"

"Yeah," I waved him away casually, not ready to deal with Song Ci's sleepy state at this crucial time. "Look, Jing Wu, it's been great catching up. But my brother and I--"

"Mu Si Yang has a brother?" Song Ci's eyes widened in utter shock. "Not brother, I mean. You're Mu Si Yang's sister?!"

There goes my secret.

"Yes, we are siblings," Si Yang answered tiredly, not wanting to get through a lengthy explanation of convincing Song Ci that we weren't.

"Don't tell anyone about it," I pleaded.

Song Ci raised his eyebrows in question but nodded. "Okay."

I turned to Jing Wu to confirm it, seeing as I didn't know what person Song Ci was. For all I knew, Song Ci might be the one to unexpectedly leak our secret out.

Jing Wu nodded once in assurance. "I'll make sure of it."

Si Yang looked to Jing Wu gratefully, almost smiling as his eyes lingered on him. "Thanks. Okay, Yue En," Si Yang began to give me instructions. "You'll go by exit B. It's just straight down the corridor. I'll go by D."

"Meet you at the bus stop next to the big rain tree," I said, already beginning to advance towards the exit.

"The one with the big yellow trashcan?"

"Mhm!"

As I put on my mask and shaded my eyes with the bill of my cap, a grin crawled its way to my lips as I heard Jing Wu scoff behind us, "Sibling telepathy."

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~ Snowy ♡