Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 69: What is the relationship between Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan?

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: What is the relationship between Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan?

The art building is right here.

Mingzhi Middle School has several teaching buildings. Besides the one used for the international classes, there’s also a very European-style art building next door.

This art building was also funded by Shen Yubai’s family and can be considered a landmark of Mingzhi Middle School.

Therefore, Shen Yubai can always get the keys to the classrooms in the art building from the teachers without any questions asked.

Upon unlocking and entering, Shen Yubai glanced at the person following him and slightly raised his chin, "Can you play the piano?"

They entered the piano room.

Shen Sinian’s eyes lit up, "Yes."

Shen Yubai: "Play something for me to listen to?"

Shen Sinian: "..."

He hesitated slightly, looking at him suspiciously, "Did you call me here to test my special skills?"

Shen Yubai gave him a sidelong glance, "What do you think?"

Shen Sinian was silent for a moment, then honestly answered, "I don’t think so."

Shen Yubai: "Indeed, that’s not it. Play the piano first, we’ll talk after."

Shen Sinian: "...Okay."

The oppressive feeling Shen Yubai gave was too strong; when he stared directly at you, you simply couldn’t resist him.

Shen Sinian quietly sat in front of the piano, took a deep breath, and somewhat nervously pressed the piano keys.

At first, Shen Sinian was a bit nervous. Gradually, he got into his element and played Moonlight Sonata for Shen Yubai.

After finishing, he carefully looked up, "It’s been a while since I played."

There were parts that weren’t played well.

Shen Yubai lowered his eyes, speaking faintly, "Not bad."

Shen Sinian: "Really?"

He was quite pleased.

Shen Yubai leaned against the piano, his tone mild, "Do you know why I asked you to come here?"

Shen Sinian blinked, not quite following how the topic had shifted so abruptly, "I don’t know."

Even if he could guess, he didn’t want to say.

Shen Yubai lowered his gaze, "Is there something you’re hiding from me?"

Shen Sinian: "What?"

Shen Yubai: "Xu Zhiyan."

If Shen Sinian’s attitude towards Xu Zhiyan last time made Shen Yubai suspicious, then today’s episode confirmed Shen Sinian’s dislike and disgust for Xu Zhiyan, and it wasn’t just because she offended him in the future.

Shen Yubai instinctively felt that between Shen Sinian and Xu Zhiyan, or between them and Xu Zhiyan, something happened that he didn’t yet know about, but Shen Sinian was very well aware of.

"There’s nothing," Shen Sinian consciously pursed his lips, "Haven’t I told you? I don’t like her, she offended me in the future."

"You are not such a petty person," Shen Yubai said quietly, "Even if she had offended you, you are not of the same age, you wouldn’t hold such a grudge."

During this period, Shen Yubai wouldn’t claim to have a hundred percent understanding of Shen Sinian, but he knew him about ninety percent. Shen Sinian was well educated in the future, not the type to hold grudges, and didn’t have a temper typical of a young master.

On the contrary, he was easygoing and cheerful.

Being questioned intensely by Shen Yubai, Shen Sinian pursed his lips, and stopped talking.

Shen Yubai narrowed his eyes slightly, "Not convenient to tell me?"

Shen Sinian looked up, reflecting on what Xu Chuning admonished him, causing him to take an oath, "...You guess it yourself."

He was frustrated, "I can’t say."

Shen Yubai: "Can’t say?"

Shen Sinian: "Yeah."

"Why can’t you say?" Shen Yubai was puzzled.

Shen Sinian groaned, "Don’t ask anymore, if you’re so smart, just slowly guess it yourself."

Shen Yubai: "Shen Sinian."

"Calling my full name won’t help," Shen Sinian said, "Anyway, I really dislike her, and you shouldn’t be too involved with her."

Shen Yubai furrowed his brow, wanting to say something more, when Shen Sinian groaned again, "Can I come here often?"

He abruptly changed the topic.

Shen Yubai: "...What do you want to do?"

"I want to play piano for Ningning."

"Do as you like, just let me know beforehand, I’ll go get the keys from the teacher."

Shen Sinian smiled brightly, "Understood!"

Looking at Shen Sinian’s smiling face, Shen Yubai slightly lowered his eyelashes, not engaging in conversation.

Leaving the arts building, Shen Sinian headed back to the classroom, and Shen Yubai returned to the international class.

Ban Shu, seeing his thoughtful expression, curiously asked, "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing." Shen Yubai didn’t seem inclined to say more.

Ban Shu: "?"

After a moment of silence, Shen Yubai suddenly turned, "Let me ask you something."

Ban Shu: "What?"

Shen Yubai: "What kind of person would offend Shen Sinian to the extent that he is constantly calculating against them?"

"..."

Ban Shu made a noise, quietly asking, "Are you referring to the Xu Zhiyan thing?"

Shen Yubai: "Just an example."

"But, besides Xu Zhiyan, I haven’t seen our brother Sinian getting along badly with anyone else." Ban Shu puzzled.

Shen Yubai paused, thoughtfully recalling and realizing that since Shen Sinian arrived here, aside from Xu Zhiyan, he got along well with most classmates. Even those two classmates he once fought, their relationship now isn’t great but they don’t act like enemies.

So, why does he hate Xu Zhiyan so much?

Pondering over this, Ban Shu muttered on the side, "But it’s a bit odd for Sinian, a grown man, to dislike Xu Zhiyan, a girl, without reason."

Although Ban Shu didn’t like Xu Zhiyan much either, this matter deserved deeper consideration when it involved Shen Sinian.

They thought for a while but couldn’t find an answer.

In the evening, a few of them played video games together.

Ban Shu shared some school gossip with Pei Shao who, after hearing it, asked amusedly, "Sinian dislikes Xu Zhiyan?"

"Exactly." Ban Shu said, "Strange, right? It’s not like they knew each other before, right?"

Pei Shao thought for a moment, analyzing, "That’s indeed quite unlikely."

Ban Shu: "Then why is that?"

Pei Shao didn’t think much further, "Usually, it’s the kind of thing you see between girls, right?"

"Girls?" Shen Yubai joined in.

Pei Shao paused, "Yes."

He suddenly thought of a key point, "Didn’t you say earlier that Sinian has a good relationship with a girl named Xu something? Could it be that she and Xu Zhiyan have conflicts, and our brother, being protective of his friend, dislikes Xu Zhiyan?"

With that said, Shen Yubai froze, and Ban Shu exclaimed, "Hey, that’s not impossible."

He reflected carefully, "But Xu Chuning and Xu Zhiyan really aren’t close."

"That I don’t know." Pei Shao said.

Ban Shu: "Let’s drop it. I think after today’s incident, Miss Xu won’t imply anymore that she and Brother Yu grew up together like childhood sweethearts."

In reality, the two of them could hardly be considered childhood sweethearts.

Shen Yubai and Xu Zhiyan’s mothers are close, the Shen and Xu Families indeed have frequent contact, but Shen Yubai and Xu Zhiyan do not.

When Shen Yubai was in elementary school, he didn’t enjoy playing with girls. Every time Xu Zhiyan came to the Shen Family to find Shen Yubai, he showed no interest in interacting. Occasionally Sang Menglan would force him to play with Xu Zhiyan for a while, but it never lasted long before Shen Yubai would slip away.

Ban Shu and Pei Shao, having grown up together, were very aware of their relationship.

It was just that they all attended the same school and occasionally interacted, and both families were still maintaining a cooperative relationship. Shen Yubai, being a young man, wouldn’t specifically warn Xu Zhiyan not to spread false relationship rumors at school until the gossip reached him directly.

It would be peculiar, and somewhat embarrassing for the girl.

Of course, more importantly, most of school gossip doesn’t directly question Shen Yubai; it’s just rumors among classmates, and naturally, Shen Yubai would not bother to address them deliberately.

Today was an exception.

"Brother Yu..." Ban Shu was playing the game, calling Shen Yubai to help him, when he realized that Shen Yubai was standing still, "What are you doing?"

Shen Yubai snapped back to reality, pulling his thoughts together.

His fingers twitched, and in the game chatbox he typed: [Something came up, won’t play today.]

Ban Shu: [???]

After quitting the game, Shen Yubai picked up his phone lying beside him, and sent a message to Shen Sinian: [What will Xu Chuning’s and Xu Zhiyan’s relationship be like in the future?]