Chapter 247: self-improvement woman

Although Momo had already seen them together before, she had forgotten that they actually knew each other. After all, when she heard that Mu Ziyu had returned to the capital, she felt that it was a pity and had forgotten about Ziyu's connection with Shuishui.

However, seeing them together that day, she had a bad feeling. She hated seeing them together.

Mu Ziyu was baffled by Momo's questions and behavior towards them. "Is there a problem with me and my girlfriend being together? Moreover, do I need to tell you that we're together?"

Shuishui could not help but laugh. "Qian Momo, don't you have to go to work today? You came to the supermarket dressed like that?"

"Together? How is that possible?" Qian Momo did not quite believe the fact that the two of them were together. She felt that Mu Ziyu would be with someone of her age and not with a 'child' who was still underage.

Moreover, she knew what kind of attitude her younger sister had. How could they be together? It was really hard for her to grasp and understand the whole situation. "Qian Shuishui, aren't you ashamed to be in a relationship with someone who is so much older than you?" she retorted.

Shuishui smiled. "Ziyu is only about five years older than me. Why do you act like he's ten or twenty years older than me? Besides, our relationship has nothing to do with you. It's none of your concern."

Shuishui didn't want to quarrel with Qian Momo in public. She pulled Ziyu and left. "Let's go. Don't talk too much with her. She's a lunatic," she said.

Mu Ziyu looked at Qian Momo as they walked away. He realized that Shuishui's relationship with her family was more complicated than he thought. He saw that Shuishui had a cold and distant relationship with her own sister. They spoke to each other as if they weren't siblings.

Shuishui pulled Mu Ziyu as they quickly left the area, far away from Qian Momo. "If you meet her, it's fine if you pretend not to know her. She can be so nosy."

"It's a little complicated," he said lightly. He did not like Momo and always found her interactions with Shuishui uncomfortable.

Ziyu worried that there were people who disliked Shuishui, even though she did not do anything. He had to protect her. In fact, many people hated Shuishui because Shuishui got the man that they did not get. Mu Ziyu failed to see that before.

When they finished shopping, they hailed a taxi to return to the apartment. The taxi driver was a very talkative old man. He talked about his opinions of young people in those days. As they paid for their fare and got out of the taxi, the driver said, "Young couple, it's not bad to live your own life, but you have to consider your family."

"We're leaving," Shuishui said as she pulled Mu Ziyu and quickly walked away.

Ziyu rubbed Shuishui's head and laughed. "That driver was quite interesting."

Shuishui felt conflicted about the driver who was very vocal about his opinions. "Yeah, he was too talkative. He was actually talking about us. I saw that he was already an old man, so I just tried to ignore him. Anyway, we didn't have much to lose. I just feel better now that we're out of his car."

When they returned to the apartment, Shuishui boiled a pot of water. She called Qian Anzhi to ask if he was eating at home. Qian Anzhi said he would be returning home soon. Shuishui told him that they had a guest, but she didn't say much and hung up the phone.

Qian Anzhi thought that Shuishui's guest was Mu Qing. When he arrived, he was surprised to see Mu Ziyu. "Brother Mu, you're back."

"Yes, I've been back for a while," Mu Ziyu said. "I see you've grown taller."

"Brother Mu, did you come back specifically to see my sister?" He put down his bag and sat on the sofa to chat with Mu Ziyu. Anzhi was very curious.

How did his second sister and Mu Ziyu get together? Mu Ziyu must have pursued his sister, but how did he pursue her? He was really curious.

Mu Ziyu also satisfied Qian Anzhi's curiosity. "I met Shuishui through Zilin. After we got to know each other, I became attracted to her, and then I confessed and pursued her."

"Eh, is it that simple?" Qian Anzhi couldn't believe it. "Then what was Brother Zilin's reaction at the beginning?"

"He only found out recently, because he didn't think there was anything strange." Mu Ziyu and Shuishui didn't deliberately conceal their relationship, and Mu Zilin was simply too simple-minded to think there was something going on between his brother and Shuishui.

Anzhi nodded. He then scoffed and said, "Brother Zilin can be quite slow sometimes. I wonder how it never crossed his mind when I myself thought of the possibility of you two being in a relationship."

Mu Ziyu sneezed so hard that his head was dizzy. He rubbed his nose and thought to himself, 'Who is saying bad things about me?'

Shuishui saw that the pot was almost done, so she carried it out. She had just walked out when Mu Ziyu saw her and immediately went forward to help her. "I'll do it," he said.

Qian Anzhi also went to the kitchen to get the bowls and chopsticks. He laid them out on the table. He looked at the food Shuishui had prepared and said, "Our dinner tonight is so sumptuous. Brother Mu, you have no idea how different this spread is. Usually, Second Sister prepares the same food every day. The main dishes vary, but the staple food is the same. We always have fans. I often feel like throwing up after eating."

"Every grain is the result of hard work. When you're hungry, even fans become delicious. Besides, you can prepare your own breakfast and not eat fans. Since I'm the one preparing food every day, you don't really have a choice but eat what I prepare. It's not a good thing to be picky," Shuishui chided. She felt that Anzhi was being picky.

Mu Ziyu remembered what he had eaten before when he visited Shuishui's apartment. Shuishui had prepared fans. It tasted good, but he felt that he would get fed up with it if he also ate it every day.

Shuishui shrugged. "Time is precious. When I'm in a hurry, I just eat fans because they're so easy and convenient to prepare."

"Yes, that's the main reason. Actually, Sister, you want to save time, and you're too lazy to spend too much time on something. Fortunately, you occasionally go out to eat. At least you have a diverse diet." Anzhi was not complaining that his sister did not know how to cook. He knew that if she did try to cook, she would be able to whip up delicious dishes.

They felt the heat inside the apartment because it was already summer. Shuishui turned on the air conditioner to cool themselves.

"I feel so comfortable. Although it's summer now, eating hot pot in an air-conditioned room feels pretty good." Qian Anzhi was so hot that he was sweating, but he was very happy.

Shuishui took out a few bottles of drinks from the refrigerator. "We have only mineral water and fruit juice here. Do you want one?"

Mu Ziyu took the fruit juice without being picky. "Yes, please."

Shuishui looked at Mu Ziyu. "The corner of your mouth," she told him.

She took a piece of tissue and reached out to wipe Mu Ziyu's mouth. "How cute," she said.

Qian Anzhi watched them silently. Suddenly, he felt very happy for them. He saw that they were very compatible. One was gentle, and the other was sensible.

Qian Anzhi saw that he he was running out of sauce and asked Shuishui to pass it over to him. "Sis, please hand me that sesame sauce."

"Second Sis, can you accompany me on the day of my middle school exams?" Qian Anzhi asked. He heard that his friends would be accompanied by their parents, and he felt sad that no one from his side could go with him. He felt quite awkward. Who should accompany him then? Dad? Dad had been quite busy recently. Mom? Forget it. It would be embarrassing if she threw a fit in front of everyone. Big Sister? Ever since he found out that she had pushed their father, he was simply disgusted by her. Only his second sister was left. He didn't want to trouble her, but he only had one middle school examination to take in his whole life. He felt that with Shuishui around, he would feel at ease because she had also helped him with his studies. He then realized that Shuishui needed to attend her own classes during that day as well.

Shuishui was stunned. She knew that parents often accompanied their own children during the middle school examinations. "Sure. I'll take two days off to accompany you," she said.

Qian Anzhi was also a considerate child. "Second Sister, will that be okay? Won't it be difficult for you to catch up with the lessons? If it's really not okay, then forget it."

Shuishui shook her head. "The teachers are just reviewing our lessons. It's okay if I take two days off. You're taking the middle school examination. Anyway, I don't have any important exams coming up."

Mu Ziyu said, "I'll go with you then. I'll send you there."

"That's great." Qian Anzhi was very happy. At least his sister wouldn't be so bored during his exams. She could just wait outside with Ziyu.

"You will probably be taking the exam in our school. There's a drink shop nearby. I'll send you there. We'll sit an wait for you there." Shuishui had been in that school before, so she was quite familiar with it.

"Okay. The school is also currently doing review classes. They don't seem to be very useful though." Qian Anzhi ate the mutton in big mouthfuls. It was not bad. It was warm and comforting.

"You also have to study hard. In fact, I think you've been able to catch up and improve your overall learning foundation. I see that you have your own way of thinking in mathematics. You just need to be familiar with the formulas. The more familiar you are with the formulas, the easier it will be for you to solve them. Anyway, such questions don't commonly appear in the middle school exams. What's important is that you know the basic formulas." Shuishui knew that Anzhi hated having to review previous lessons, so she felt that he could use the reminder.

Qian Anzhi lowered his head. "Second Sister, before you took the middle school exams, it seemed that you didn't go to school for a few months. You studied by yourself and brought Brother Zilin along. The effect was quite good."

"Everyone has a different learning strategy. I just like to study on my own because I have confidence in my abilities." Shuishui couldn't say that she had been reborn. It would be difficult for the others to believe.

Qian Anzhi was different. He wasn't confident in himself and also had a carefree personality. He felt like he wouldn't be able to tackle the exams well. The day of the middle school examinations was fast approaching. He wasn't sure if he would be nervous at the examination venue, which would affect his performance. Too many factors were at play, and he could only hope for the best.

Qian Anzhi listened to Shuishui's advice. He was deeply impressed by what she told him. Anzhi was amazed that Shuishui spoke very good English.

Mu Ziyu didn't know how Shuishui taught Anzhi, but he agreed with Shuishui. "Zilin's grades were much worse than yours. He worked hard for a few months and was lucky enough to get into the third high school. He was very playful, but after he spent more time with Shuishui, he became more disciplined. I have to say that Shuishui's method was very effective."

"Second Sister, what method did you use to get Brother Zilin to study with you?" Qian Anzhi asked.

Shuishui thought about it and forgot what she had said before. "Uh, I actually don't remember the specifics of what happened. It's been a long time. I don't know what I said at that time, but Zilin decided to come along."

Shuishui suddenly remembered how she chose her schools. "Oh, I forgot to ask you. What schools did you sign up for?"

She looked at Qian Anzhi and waited for his answer, but he guiltily avoided her gaze. "Anzhi, what schools?"

"My first choice was the third high school, then I signed up for the tenth high school and eleventh high school." Anzhi also wanted to study in the same high school as his second sister, so his first choice was the third high school. His teacher tried to dissuade him, but he persisted.

Shuishui smiled faintly. "Okay. It's not difficult to get into the third high school. You have a very good chance of passing." She thought the third high school would be good for Anzhi because of its student-friendly atmosphere and good learning environment. She could also watch over Anzhi if he studied there.

"Chance? What are the chances?" Qian Anzhi asked, a little nervous.

Mu Ziyu looked at Qian Anzhi and realized he was very nervous. He really trusted his own sister. Shuishui was indeed a trustworthy person.

"I think you have a fifty percent chance of passing." Shuishui smiled. She actually felt that Anzhi would perform well, but she didn't want him to feel any pressure, so she played down her expectations a bit.

Suddenly, Shuishui was a little worried. She only hoped that the questions that year wouldn't be too complicated.

For Qian Anzhi, a fifty percent chance was very high, because his teachers had initially told him that he would find it difficult to pass the exam. What they meant was that he didn't have a chance. He felt uncomfortable and lost a little confidence in himself when he heard his teachers opinions, but he remained steadfast in his decision to apply for the third high school.

After dinner, Shuishui delegated the cleaning work to Ziyu and Anzhi and ran to the bathroom to take a bath.

Mu Ziyu and Qian Anzhi were already used to it. They knew how lazy Shuishui could get sometimes.

After taking a bath, Shuishui dried her hair and walked out leisurely. Outside, Anzhi and Ziyu were playing chess while she sat at the side. As soon as she sat down, Mu Ziyu reached out and hugged Shuishui's waist. "I wanted to ask you earlier. Why did you cut your hair so short?"

Before Shuishui could explain, Qian Anzhi answered, "She went to the army training camp. The army requires trainees to have short hair. It's actually quite longer now. It was shorter when she first arrived from the camp."

"I went to the army camp by the request of Teacher Li. He had asked me to go before, so I agreed this time. It was quite tough, but I have had good memories there." Training was tough. She gritted her teeth and persevered. It felt different. At that time, she comforted herself every day. It was just for a few weeks anyway. Before she knew it, it was over. The people there also took good care of her. She remembered how the other trainees argued with her over the mantou.

"You don't have to work too hard. After all, you didn't join the army, nor are you planning to." Ziyu's heart ached. No wonder she had lost weight.

Shuishui shook her head. "Those were necessary sacrifices to strengthen my body. Teacher Li let me go there for my own good. To be honest, I couldn't refuse. I'm a girl. In the eyes of society, I belong to the weaker side. Rather than entrusting my safety in other people's hands, I feel that it is better for me to trust and believe in myself."

Robbers and snatchers saw girls as powerless and helpless and easy targets.

Boys were different. Most men grow up to develop a strong physique. Men were also not considered easy targets for crimes. There have always been more female victims than male victims.

Self-reliance and self-improvement. These were what came up in Mu Ziyu's mind when he thought of Shuishui.

When Qian Anzhi thought of his eldest sister, he suddenly realized how different she was from his eldest sister. His eldest sister wanted a prince charming who would protect and dote on her all day long. His second sister, on the other hand, wanted to become prince charming herself.

Mu Ziyu was free to help Shuishui dry her hair. "Let me do it."

Qian Anzhi didn't bother them any longer. "I'm going to take a shower," he said.

Anzhi took his clothes to the bathroom and showered. When he came out, he saw his second sister cooking in the kitchen. "Sis, where's Brother Mu?"

"He's taking a shower in my bathroom. He's staying in the room next door, but he hasn't cleaned it up yet. He can only use the bathroom there after he gets someone to clean it up tomorrow," Shuishui said lazily. She was cooking tremella pear soup.