32: Chapter 32 A Stubborn Dream

"Ah!!" Mi Fan screamed when she saw Cao Xiao staring blankly at her. She didn't need to guess what was happening and slammed the door shut instantly.

Cao Xiao rubbed his nose with a wry smile. The impact of that beautiful scene just now was simply too great, and he had been unable to help himself. It was very impolite to stare so fixedly at a girl's body. It seemed he needed to master his "Boy's Kung Fu"—which he had practiced for twenty-six years—as soon as possible. Suddenly, he thought of He Yueyou. He hadn't seen her for several days. Surprisingly, they hadn't even called each other during this time, only chatting a few times on WeChat. They weren't very talkative people to begin with, so their conversations often fizzled out for lack of topics. It felt like a long time since their last meeting; truly, a single day apart felt like three autumns!

Cao Xiao took the computer to the living room sofa and waited for Mi Fan to come out. After several minutes, Mi Fan finally appeared in the living room, dressed neatly and moving gracefully.

"Brother Xiao, is it really fixed?" Mi Fan asked impatiently as soon as she saw Cao Xiao, seemingly forgetting the previous embarrassment.

"Of course. The source files are still there; nothing went wrong. They're on my computer. Take a look for yourself," Cao Xiao said, pointing to the laptop on the coffee table.

Mi Fan sat down next to Cao Xiao and opened the computer to see the 3DMAX interface still running. After letting out a slow sigh of relief, she said to Cao Xiao, "Brother Xiao, could I borrow your computer for a couple of days? Don't worry, I'll use it carefully and won't break it."

"Sure, I brought it down for you to use. Your work can't be done on an average computer; it might burn out if you're not careful. This computer has very high specs, so you can use it without worry. I bought it for gaming but lost interest after playing once. Use it as long as you need; there's no rush to return it," Cao Xiao said.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao! Then I'll get back to work. I have to pull an all-nighter tonight," Mi Fan said happily.

"Wait, go sit in the third-floor study. There's no desk in your room, and the living room gets a bit chilly at night. By the way, have you eaten dinner yet?" Cao Xiao said, seeing Mi Fan rushing back to her bedroom.

"I forgot because I was so busy. I'll call Changchang and the others to ask them to bring some back for me," Mi Fan said somewhat sheepishly.

"No need to call. Who knows how late they'll be out partying. I'll make something for you. Go to the study and get to work; I'll bring it up to you in a bit." Cao Xiao knew this girl must have been busy for a long time.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao! I'll head up first," Mi Fan said with a pleasant surprise before heading upstairs.

Cao Xiao shook his head. This girl couldn't be compared to ordinary college students. While others pulled all-nighters for fun, she was doing something others didn't dare to do. He went to the kitchen to make a bowl of egg and vegetable noodles. After some thought, he also brewed a pot of instant coffee before bringing them up to Mi Fan.

He pushed open the study door, walked to the desk, and set the items down. "Stop working and eat first; it'll get cold soon. There's also a pot of coffee if you get sleepy."

"Thank you, Brother Xiao! You're so good to me. Mmm... mmm..." Mi Fan might have been truly starving; seeing the fragrant bowl of noodles, she took it and began eating in large mouthfuls.

"It's nothing. You eat; I'm going to get some rest," Cao Xiao said with a smile.

Cao Xiao didn't plan to advise Mi Fan to rest because it was unlikely she would. Clearly, this matter was very important to her, something she would finish even without sleep. Back in his bedroom, he lay on the bed and organized the files from Mi Fan's computer. He had been in a hurry earlier; otherwise, he should have handed them all over to her. Pictures, documents, music, files in various formats... Originally, Cao Xiao didn't intend to look at them, as there might be a girl's private information inside. However, while organizing, those pictures leaped out before his eyes, showing him things he shouldn't have seen. They weren't photos, but character models. These were likely character models Mi Fan had created in 3DMAX and exported as images. That wasn't the main point; the key was that these characters were all modeled after real people and were incredibly lifelike. The main characters were none other than Mi Fan and her friends. The others probably didn't know that Mi Fan had used their bodies to create 3D models, making them her digital models—nude, wearing various sexy lingerie, or dressed in fashionable outfits. Some of the clothes had appeared in Mi Fan's work earlier. After just a few inadvertent glances, Cao Xiao's blood began to boil—literally. His nose actually started bleeding. Crying out "sinful" in his heart, he quickly closed the virtual window, wiped his nose clean, and took another cold shower. Consequently, he caught a cold. Taking two cold showers within an hour when the night temperature was low—it would be a miracle if he didn't catch a cold.

He forced himself not to let his mind wander and struggled in bed for a long time before finally falling into a hazy sleep. He didn't even set an alarm and only woke up the next day when someone knocked on the door. Checking the time, it was already past nine in the morning. He opened the door to find it was Mi Fan.

"Brother Xiao, could I trouble you to give me a ride to the city? Liu Chang and the others didn't get back until midnight yesterday and are still sleeping. I just finished my work and need to rush to the city now," Mi Fan pleaded anxiously, sporting two large dark circles under her eyes.

"Wait for me downstairs for two minutes. I'll take you as soon as I've washed up." Seeing that Mi Fan was in a hurry, Cao Xiao didn't ask why and immediately went to the bathroom.

Cao Xiao quickly finished washing up, drove the Leopard out of the garage, and rushed toward the city with Mi Fan.

"Mi Fan, what kind of competition are you entering that requires making a large-scale animation?" Cao Xiao asked curiously in the car.

"I'm participating in the first World Fashion Design Competition, jointly launched by the international fashion community. They started collecting entries a month ago, and this morning is the final deadline. This is my first time entering such an international competition. Normally, just design sketches would be enough, but I wasn't confident. I submitted several of my best designs, and this animation serves as a supplement to better showcase my work." Mi Fan had been very sleepy, but she perked up as soon as she started talking about this.

"Oh, I see. Is this competition being held in Huanghe? If you win first place, what's the prize?" Cao Xiao finally realized how important this competition was to Mi Fan. Designing a few pieces didn't take much time for her, yet she had poured countless efforts into creating a 3D animation for the presentation. He wanted to know what about this fashion design competition was worth such a heavy price from Mi Fan.

"Huanghe is only the Southwest Division of the four major domestic divisions. This competition is divided into three semi-final regions: Europe, America, and Asia. What I'm participating in now is just the domestic preliminary. You have to be in the top ten of the Southwest Division to participate in the national competition held in the capital. Only the top ten from the national competition can participate in the Asian semi-finals in Hong Kong. Likewise, the top ten from the Asian semi-finals can participate in the finals in Paris. The top ten in the finals will receive International Design Master certificates recognized by the international fashion community. The top three will also receive large cash prizes: three million euros for first place, two million for second, and one million for third. As long as you get an award certificate from this competition, you can easily get a job with an annual salary of 100,000 euros at any fashion design company in the world. I don't dare dream of the top three; my goal is to make it into the top ten this time," Mi Fan said confidently.

"I believe you'll definitely win an award. By the way, I'm a bit curious why you chose to major in design in college. You know, studying design is very hard work for a girl." Cao Xiao cheered her on. In his heart, he also felt that Mi Fan might soar to success because of this competition. He didn't understand fashion or design, but his sense of aesthetics was fine. He could see that Mi Fan's style was novel, bold, and unique, as well as very beautiful. Isn't it often a novel kind of beauty that leads the trend?

"When I was little, my family was very poor. I wore hand-me-downs from others. Those clothes were ragged and so dirty they couldn't be washed clean. I was very envious of other classmates who had beautiful new clothes, but I didn't beg my family to buy any for me; even if I wanted to, we couldn't afford them. I was always mocked for being a beggar. My clothes were either full of holes or stains, and no one wanted to play with me because I looked too dirty. I didn't complain about my family being poor. I wanted to wear beautiful new clothes too, so back then, I started using scissors, needles, and thread to remodel that pile of ragged clothes. I would collect the good fabric and sew it into a new garment. The first time I went to school wearing a clean but patched-up outfit, although everyone still mocked me, my clothes were clean and no one shunned me for being dirty. That was the first time in my life I found confidence. Later, I kept making new clothes out of the rags I collected, changing into a new one every day. Gradually, my classmates stopped distancing themselves from me because the clothes I made were getting better and better. Everyone would often discuss my outfits. Slowly, I started making friends. Later, when others saw how beautiful my clothes were, they actually wanted to buy them from me. From then on, I started using the clothes I made to earn money to supplement my family's income. Except for the time I spent at school, I was making clothes. Gradually, my family's situation improved, and the fabric I used was new cloth bought from the market. However, perhaps because things were getting better, I had two younger brothers in two consecutive years. I became even busier, working overtime every day to make clothes. I've been busy like this until now. My childhood dream is still there, but it has changed. I don't want to spend every day busy making clothes anymore, so I applied for the fashion design major in college. I want to become a designer and make more people proud to wear the clothes I design." As Mi Fan spoke, tears began to fall from her eyes.

Cao Xiao listened in silence. Although Mi Fan didn't explicitly state her family situation, he could guess. Mi Fan was likely the eldest daughter. In underdeveloped areas, if the first child is a girl, she might not be favored by her parents. Otherwise, no matter how poor they were, they wouldn't be unable to afford a single piece of new clothing. In the late nineties, if they were truly that poor, wouldn't the state have stepped in? This was just the result of her parents' old-fashioned, feudal thinking. Even if they really couldn't afford clothes, it shouldn't have come to the point of relying on a little girl to support the family. If it weren't for compulsory education, it would be a question whether Mi Fan could have even gone to school. What was even more excessive was that as soon as the family became a bit better off, they added two more burdens to Mi Fan. How could her parents have the heart? If Mi Fan continued to rely on making clothes for others to maintain the family's finances, she might literally work herself to death. Supporting her parents and looking after two younger brothers—it was one thing when they were small, but once they started school, there would be living expenses. Primary school, middle school, university—the costs would only go up. And after graduation, they would need to get married; her parents might even demand she buy houses for her brothers. How could Mi Fan possibly bear that alone? Even if she worked a steady job after graduation and managed to save tens of thousands a year, it would be difficult just to put two brothers through school, let alone anything else. That was why Mi Fan chose to study design so hard; she was fighting so she could live a more relaxed life. She placed great hope in this competition. Graduation was approaching; if she didn't fight now, she wouldn't have a choice after graduating. Who knew what arrangements her parents would make for her—perhaps they would have her marry some old, ugly rich man. No wonder she was frightened out of her wits when the computer burned out last night. If she missed this chance to change her fate, she would be forced to face a cruel destiny.

Looking at the girl silently weeping, Cao Xiao made a decision. He took her somewhat rough hand in his right hand and said to her firmly, "Mi Fan, how about being my sister? I'll have my parents adopt you as a goddaughter. From now on, I will shield you from the wind and rain!"

Mi Fan suddenly hugged Cao Xiao's arm, leaned against his shoulder, and burst into tears with a loud sob.

"Mi Fan, let go of my hand first, I'm still driving. Stop crying now; you still have to register in a bit. It won't look good if you cry your face off," Cao Xiao said quickly to Mi Fan, feeling the soft sensation on his arm and nearly letting his mind wander again.

"I don't want to be your sister, but can I call you 'Brother'?" Mi Fan looked up, wiped the tears from her face, and said to Cao Xiao between sobs.

"Uh, calling me 'Brother' but not being my sister? What does that even mean?" Cao Xiao was bewildered by Mi Fan's strange request.

"Anyway, I just won't be your sister," Mi Fan said stubbornly.

"Alright, whatever you say." The reason Cao Xiao wanted Mi Fan to be his sister was that he was moved by this stubborn girl and wanted to protect her. He also had the ability to directly change Mi Fan's fate. As long as Mi Fan could call him "Brother," he would have a reason to let her live a happy life.

"Brother!" Mi Fan suddenly tugged his arm and called out.

"Aye!" Cao Xiao's heart felt warm at being called "Brother," and he quickly responded.

"Brother!" Mi Fan called out again.

"Aye!" Cao Xiao glanced at Mi Fan in confusion but still responded.

"Brother!" Mi Fan called out once more.

"Aye! Alright, stop calling me that; I'm still driving. We're almost there. You can call me that as much as you want later." Seeing that Mi Fan had become addicted to calling him that, and since they had reached the Business Center with many cars on the road, he had to concentrate. Thus, he interrupted Mi Fan.