The Genius System Without Equal

“Brother, how did things go between you and Yu Yu? Did anything romantic happen after we left?” Xiao Ruyi asked in the car with much expectation. Her pretty pupils beamed with excitement.

Xiao Luo glanced at his sister and peevishly replied, “What’s going in that head of yours all day long? Is Zhang Dashan a bad influence? How have you become so corrupted?”

As soon as he heard that, Zhang Dashan replied angrily, “Damn you! I’m getting shot at even when I’m lying down. What do you mean by a ‘bad influence’? If anyone’s a bad influence, then it’s Tang Ren, your brother-in-law, who’s the bad influence.”

“Hey, this has nothing to do with me,” Tang Ren said, throwing up his hands and making an innocent face.

“You brat! Stop trying to act righteously in all of this. I’m sick and tired of seeing you and Sister Luo’s affectionate way of hugging and kissing while shopping. It’s completely inconsiderate. Have you ever thought about how this three-hundred-watt lightbulb feels?” Zhang Dashan shouted while looking at Tang Ren’s reflection in his rear-view mirror.

“What are you saying, Big-faced Zhang? How about I shut your mouth with a pack of Extra?” Xiao Ruyi said as he pushed Zhang Dashan’s head.

Extra?

Xiao Luo stifled a laugh. To think that his sister was trying to bribe someone with chewing gum even though she barely had any left on her.

Zhang Dashan rolled his eyes and said, “Don’t think I’m unaware of what you’re trying to do here. You’re only giving it to me because you think I have bad breath.”

“If you don’t want it, then give it back,” Xiao Ruyi said, stretching her hands in an attempt to get the pack of gum back.

Zhang Dashan immediately swallowed his pride and said, “I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously. Besides, you should not take back something you’ve already given.”

“Heh!” Xiao Ruyi grunted and ignored him. Then she took out a paper bag from underneath her seat. She gave it to Xiao Luo and, with a grin on her face, said, “Brother, I bought this for you.”

“What did you buy?” Xiao Luo said, accepting the bag.

“A wool sweater! The weather is turning cooler, and I don’t want my brother to catch a cold,” Xiao Ruyi said.

Xiao Luo took it out and saw that it was a style that suited him. The sweater was loose, and the chest area was printed with an image of a landscape. The texture was good, and it was soft to the touch.

He asked, “You must have spent quite a bit on this?”

“It didn’t cost that much. No matter how expensive it may have been, guys’ clothes will always be cheaper than women’s.” Xiao Ruyi said with a relaxed smile, “You can layer this sweater or wear it on its own, and it goes well with anything. However, it’s better not to wash it. If it’s dirty, then just take it to a laundry shop. That way, you won’t damage the material, and you’ll be able to wear it for a long time.”

“In the future, don’t spend money on me. I can get things for myself. You and Tang Ren just started a family, so you should save up your money. If a family doesn’t have any savings, it’ll be tough no matter where you go,” Xiao Luo said sincerely.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Since when did you become such a nagger just like Mom and Dad?” Xiao Ruyi pouted.

Xiao Luo kept a straight face as he replied, “I’m nagging you for your sake and Tang Ren’s. Since you’re already married, it’s time for you to stop being willful. To get along with each other, there should be a sense of mutual understanding, tolerance, and understanding. So stop being childish all the time.”

“Brother, we’ll listen to your advice and live our lives well.”

Tang Ren interlocked fingers with Xiao Ruyi. He looked at his wife lovingly and said, “I’m fortunate enough to have been able to marry Ruyi, so I’ll be sure to take good care of her. I won’t ever make her suffer.”

“Hm.”

Xiao Luo nodded and fell silent. Though he still thought that his sister was immature, she had to live her life with Tang Ren. That was her journey, and there was nothing more he could say.

After a short while, they arrived at Tang Ren and Xiao Ruyi’s residence.

“Brother, if you have a good impression of Yu Yu, then you’ve got to make your best effort and go for it. Many single male doctors at our hospital are secretly after her. If you don’t hold onto her tightly, then someone else will get her,” Xiao Ruyi mindfully warned Xiao Luo once she’d gotten out of the car.

“Don’t worry. I’ll seize the opportunity,” Xiao Luo replied.

Xiao Ruyi clenched her fist and cheered Xiao Luo on, “All the best, brother!”

…

When it was just the two of them in the car, Zhang Dashan was proactive and started digging right away. “Be honest with your brother now. How do you feel about little sister Sun Yu? Are there any sparks?”

Xiao Luo looked at the night view and said, “It’s alright. I think I can get to know her better.”

“Little sister Sun Yu is not bad at all. She looks fresh and neat and has pale skin. I think she’s an ideal partner for you,” Zhang Dashan said, nodding in agreement.

Xiao Luo laughed and tried to change the subject. “By the way, how much did my sister spend on this wool sweater?”

“One thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine,” Zhang Dashan replied immediately.

“What? One thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine?”

Xiao Luo’s eyes widened. He’d known that the sweater wasn’t cheap, but he hadn’t expected it to cost almost two thousand dollars. It was not like he was unwilling to spend money, but he felt like it was too luxurious and wasteful at the same time. What wool sweater cost one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars?

Zhang Dashan finally realized something at that moment. Feeling distressed, he remarked, “I’m done for. Sister Luo asked me not to reveal the actual price. She told me to tell you that it cost a few hundred dollars if you asked. Ugh, this mouth of mine. Why can’t I control it?”

He wasn’t distressed because he’d revealed the actual price of the sweater, but because he’d vowed in front of Xiao Ruyi, and it had really been an intense oath. If he revealed the sweater’s real price, then the appendage that was supposed to help him carry on his family name would shorten by half an inch every day, until there was nothing left!

“The tag’s still on here, so why didn’t that cross her mind? Even if it wasn’t, I’d only have to go online to find out how much it cost. She can’t hide that sort of thing from me. Silly fool. Since you and Tang Ren were there, why didn’t you stop her?” Xiao Luo lamented. He had gone through a lot of adversity while growing up and found it hard to enjoy such luxurious goods now.

“How could we stop her? Tang Ren obeys her obediently. As for me, my words are like farts to her, so why would she listen to me?” Zhang Dashan grumbled then comforted his friend immediately afterward. “Don’t get angry, though, she’s only doing it because she cares about you as her brother. She said that your closet is filled with a bunch of simple clothes that cost one or two hundred dollars each. None of them are of good quality, so she bought you this. You’ll look much better if you wear it. There’s a saying that goes, ‘clothes make the man.’ No matter how good-looking you are, you’ve still got to put on a set of stylish clothes.”

Xiao Luo exhaled and calmed himself down. It was too late to say anything now. Since she had already bought the sweater, getting a refund wouldn’t do.

Still, he felt bad for his sister. Her salary wasn’t enormous. On the other hand, Tang Ren was still finishing his internship and currently earning even less than his wife. The two of them still had bills to pay. Now that they had spent two thousand dollars on this wool sweater, they would barely have enough money left to spend on themselves for the rest of the month.

“That silly girl!”

Xiao Luo felt a sense of unexplainable warmth. What he wanted most in the world was not for Xiao Ruyi to buy him things or give him anything, but for her to spend her days happily with Tang Ren. This was Xiao Luo’s wish for Xiao Ruyi.