Chapter Twenty-Five: Cinderella and Her Pumpkin Carriage

Su Yuxi pretended to ask casually, “Do you know that person’s name?”
There was a moment’s hesitation on the other end of the line. “I was so angry that I didn’t even look at the program carefully.”
Cheng Xiaoyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Su Yuxi found out again, who knows what she’d think of him as a brother.
Before he could finish exhaling, the girl continued, “I think his surname is Cheng.”
Su Yuxi responded with a nonchalant “Oh,” her expression unreadable. “Cheng what?”
Cheng Xiaoyu’s heart skipped a beat; he thought, It's over, she’s going to expose me.
“Cheng Haoran, yes—Cheng Haoran. Do you know him, Yuxi?” the voice asked curiously.
“I think I’ve heard of him, but I don’t know him.” Su Yuxi seemed to relax a little as well. Cheng Xiaoyu felt as if he’d just gotten off a roller coaster, his nerves both shaken and grateful to Cheng Haoran.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know him, he won’t get away. At the New Year’s Eve performance on the 31st, I’ll make sure he regrets it,” the voice on the phone declared with spite. “I’ll come find you for lunch on the 31st. I heard you have a new brother—call him out and let’s eat together!”
Su Yuxi glanced at Cheng Xiaoyu and replied, “We’ll see when you get here. Besides, he might not have time...”
Hearing this, Cheng Xiaoyu stealthily turned on his music player, and sorrowful lyrics drifted out: “I urge the king to drink and listen to the Song of Yu, to dispel his worries with dance. The tyrant of Qin destroyed the land, and heroes rose in arms. Success and failure are but fleeting moments. Drink and rest at ease in the royal tent. Yu Ji: [weeping] The Han army has taken the land; songs of Chu echo all around. The king’s spirit is spent; what’s left for a humble consort?”
Cheng Xiaoyu reminded himself to be cautious on the 31st; if he got caught, an apology would hardly suffice.
In the blink of an eye, the 31st arrived. The day before, Cheng Haoran, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Huang Yong had already disassembled the drum set and moved it backstage at the Fudan Grand Auditorium. Because the synthesizer was too valuable, Cheng Xiaoyu asked Qiao Sansi to help deliver it to Fudan that morning. Everything was ready.
Today, Cheng Xiaoyu even brought a specially tailored suit—Aunt Zhou had arranged for a famous tailor from S to come make it. If it weren’t for her good relationship with the owner, they wouldn’t have accepted such a rushed order. Cheng Xiaoyu hadn’t intended to go to such lengths, but Aunt Zhou insisted he take it seriously, so he could only agree. She was delighted he’d been selected to perform and said she’d come watch him and Su Yuxi perform that evening. Cheng Xiaoyu promised with a smile not to let her down.
At school, the entire class was relaxed. The usual disciplined atmosphere was replaced by lively discussion. After today, a seven-day holiday awaited. Some debated where to travel, others lamented having to attend cram school, some speculated on which performance would win Best Act at the New Year’s Gala, and others discussed whether Xu Qinning from Fengxian Girls’ High or their own Su Yuxi was more beautiful.
Cheng Xiaoyu sat quietly, running through his mental checklist, convinced nothing had been overlooked. He watched as Wang Ou carefully polished his ultimate weapon—a Seagull-brand DSLR camera. Meanwhile, Cheng Haoran, headphones on, listened to his own drum recordings while reading the score. He acted nonchalant, but in truth, he cared the most. Xia Shamo was still working on her math problems, her grades not strong in that subject. Cheng Xiaoyu glanced at her, feeling there was something he was forgetting.
During lunch break, as Cheng Xiaoyu was about to leave the classroom, he asked, “SR, did you bring your performance outfit?”
Xia Shamo shook her head.
“Can you do your makeup?” he asked again.
Another shake of the head.
“You plan to go on stage just like that?” Cheng Xiaoyu tried to keep his tone gentle.
This time, Xia Shamo nodded.
“At the very least, you should change into something else,” Cheng Xiaoyu said with a smile.
“But my uniform is the nicest thing I own,” Xia Shamo replied calmly, without a hint of self-pity or sadness—just a simple statement of fact.
Cheng Xiaoyu laughed. “You can’t go like that. At least let’s tidy up your hair and put on a little makeup.” He turned to Wang Ou. “Da Zhuang, help me ask the class monitor for leave this afternoon. Tell him I’m moving instruments with Xia Shamo—we’re still missing one.”
With that, he took Xia Shamo’s hand and led her out of the classroom in full view of everyone. Wang Ou muttered, “Damn, how can you just hold hands like that?” and headed to the cafeteria.
Once outside, Xia Shamo quietly slipped her hand away. “Where are we going?”
Cheng Xiaoyu smiled. “First, let’s fix your hair. Don’t worry, I’ll cover all expenses. And thanks for giving me an excuse to skip class, haha.”
Xia Shamo hesitated. “But... is this really okay?”
Cheng Xiaoyu replied mischievously, “Hey, SR, I’m not doing this for you, you know. I have a bunch of relatives and friends coming to watch me perform today. If you look beautiful, it’ll make me look good. Don’t overthink it—just help me out, and I’ll owe you big.” He even bowed with cupped hands in mock gratitude.
Xia Shamo blushed and nodded. “All right—but remember how much you spend. I’ll pay you back.”
Cheng Xiaoyu slung his arm over her thin shoulders like she was one of the guys. “Come on, what’s money between us? Just remember me in the future. If you meet any pretty girls, introduce them to me and I’ll be satisfied.”
Xia Shamo just smiled without promising anything.
Cheng Xiaoyu didn’t mind. He asked her for her bike keys and wheeled the bicycle out of the shed. Straddling the seat, he turned back in the bright sunlight. “Let’s go, SR—hop on, and I’ll take you flying.”
Xia Shamo nodded, hurried a few steps, lifted her skirt slightly, and sat sidesaddle on the back seat.
“Hold on tight!” Cheng Xiaoyu called, bending lower and pedaling hard. The icy wind whipped across their faces, tossing Xia Shamo’s wavy hair. Instinctively, she grasped his coat at the waist.
For a moment, she felt as if they were truly flying. She steadied her pounding heart and savored the sensation in silence.
Cheng Xiaoyu didn’t plan to cycle all the way to Huaihai Road, nor did he call a taxi. He didn’t want to add any extra burden—no matter how slight—to this sensitive girl. He parked the bicycle at the racks beside the subway station, and together they rode the metro to Huaihai Road.
He wasn’t familiar with shopping in Shanghai, so he’d called Aunt Zhou for advice. She teased him about taking a girl to do her hair, then recommended a Japanese salon she frequented and told him to put it on her membership card. Cheng Xiaoyu had been worried about finding a good place, so he was thrilled. With the address in a text message, he set off for Huaihai Road with Xia Shamo.
The salon was inside an upscale mall. Xia Shamo, feeling it was too extravagant, was almost dragged in by Cheng Xiaoyu. He reassured her that she could pay him back after working over the holidays, even joking that if she couldn’t, she could just sign a contract of servitude. Helpless, Xia Shamo relented and went in.
Cheng Xiaoyu told the receptionist he was referred by Aunt Zhou and asked for their best stylist. The receptionist had them sit and brought tea and snacks, which Cheng Xiaoyu eagerly devoured, having realized how hungry he was. He even asked for more snacks, eating merrily.
After a while, a tall, thin young man with long curly hair, a floral shirt, jeans, and pointed shoes approached, speaking halting Chinese, followed by a beautiful assistant ready to translate.
The assistant led Xia Shamo to wash her hair, while Cheng Xiaoyu discussed the style with the Japanese hairstylist.
“Straighten her hair, then add extensions—down to her waist,” he gestured.
The stylist looked surprised. “Seamless extensions? That’s very expensive!”
Cheng Xiaoyu shot him a look. “Money’s no object.” After all, it was going on Aunt Zhou’s tab. He added, “Make sure to use real hair, not synthetic. Use the best products.” The stylist nodded vigorously and went to prepare for his affluent client.
Cheng Xiaoyu went over to Xia Shamo, who was having her hair washed, explained a few things, then asked her height, measurements, and shoe size. Xia Shamo only gave him her height and shoe size, refusing to reveal her measurements no matter what. Cheng Xiaoyu had no choice. “I’ll go look around and see what suits you. When your hair’s done, we’ll go try things on.” He’d planned to buy clothes first to save her sticker shock, but without her measurements, he was afraid they’d fit poorly and waste more time. Straightening and extensions would take a long time, so they couldn’t afford to linger.
Meanwhile, Xu Qinning was dragging Su Yuxi all over the school in search of Cheng Haoran. When the two lovely girls appeared in the Fudan High cafeteria, the raucous hall seemed to freeze. Time itself paused; the noise and chatter faded as everyone, boys and girls alike, gazed at the scene.
Xu Qinning, used to such attention, called out in a bright, clear voice, “Does anyone know Cheng Haoran?” Instantly, the din returned, and a boy eager to impress shouted that he was the top student in Class 2, Senior Grade 3. Countless boys lamented that they hadn’t been the one sought out, while countless girls envied their beauty. For a moment, hearts shattered everywhere.
Xu Qinning asked, “Which floor is Class 2, Senior Grade 3 on?”
Su Yuxi replied, “The fifth floor, I think.” Remembering her brother was in that class too, she tried to dissuade Xu Qinning. “Let’s just forget it.”
But Xu Qinning was relentless. “No way. Anyone who dares tease me has yet to be born.” Her fierce tone made Su Yuxi silently pray for the not-so-well-known Cheng Haoran.
There was nothing Su Yuxi could do—she and Xu Qinning had grown up together as neighbors. When Su Yuxi moved after elementary school, she’d cried, thinking they’d never be neighbors again. The next day, unable to appease their daughter, the Xu family bought three villas next to Su Yuxi’s new home, turning it into a small estate, and moved in. So they became neighbors once more.
Since Fengxian Girls’ High was a boarding school, they didn’t see each other as often now. But Xu Qinning had joined the Shanghe Records idol program—and only because she insisted Su Yuxi join too. Otherwise, Su Yuxi wouldn’t have bothered with something she found tedious. Xu Qinning didn’t want to be an idol; she just thought it would be fun to work toward something with her best friend. With high school separation limiting their time together, this gave them an excuse to meet. Since it was her own family’s company running the project, Su Yuxi had no choice but to agree.
As for why they didn’t attend the same high school, that’s another story for later.
When they reached the door of Class 2, Senior Grade 3, Su Yuxi pulled Xu Qinning aside, a bit embarrassed. “My brother’s in this class too. Don’t be surprised.”
Xu Qinning’s eyes sparkled with delight. “Why are you hiding your brother? Is he too handsome and you’re afraid I’ll go after him?”
Su Yuxi retorted, “He’s a chubby otaku; as long as you don’t bully him, I’ll be grateful.”
“Yuxi, is that how you see me? I’m always gentle and refined, you know. I must have a good chat with your brother.” With that, Xu Qinning dashed inside.
Su Yuxi, embarrassed to explain that no one knew they were siblings, stayed outside.
Moments later, Xu Qinning stormed out, scowling.
“What happened?” Su Yuxi asked.
Gritting her teeth, Xu Qinning hissed, “Tricked again! That brat isn’t named Cheng Haoran.” She ignored the fact that she’d made the mistake.
Su Yuxi just replied, “Oh.”
Xu Qinning, still fuming, said, “That fat guy is called Cheng Xiaoyu. Oh, right, isn’t your brother in this class? Call him out—I want to meet him.”
After a pause, Su Yuxi said, “Forget it. I’m afraid you’ll beat him up if I do...”
Xu Qinning stared wide-eyed at her. “Don’t tell me—your brother is Cheng Xiaoyu?”