Bai Zilu angrily put away her phone. Sure enough, dropping hints to Ji Tang was useless. No matter how clever her maneuvers were, Ji Tang never seemed to notice.
Why had she fallen for such a block of wood in the first place? Bai Zilu glanced at her lovestruck younger sister and sighed inwardly. Gu Qianran? A "straight-laced" girl? Please. Even if Gu Qianran had started out as straight as an arrow, her terrifying learning ability had turned her into a master flirt. Ji Tang, on the other hand...
Forget it, the more she thought, the more annoyed she became.
Fine. Staying home and keeping her parents company was good too. She opened the kitchen door, ready to help her parents with dinner, but before she could step inside, the door swung open by itself. Mr. Bai Qishan was carrying Mrs. Qin Qiufan bridal-style, and the two locked eyes awkwardly with Bai Zilu.
Pretending he didn't see the disdain in his daughter's gaze, Bai Qishan cheerfully ran upstairs with his wife in his arms. "Xiao Lu, today's our anniversary! Very important! Your mom and I are going out for dinner. I left a pot of rice for you, don't forget to eat."
Bai Zilu watched them change clothes at lightning speed and sneak out of the house as if their feet were greased.
Bai Zilu: ...If she remembered correctly, this was their third anniversary this month.
Who were they trying to fool? They could have just said they felt like going out to eat but didn't want to waste food. They were family; could they show a little honesty?
She sighed at the now-empty house and sent Ji Tang a message.
Bai the Childish: "There is no greater sorrow than a heart gone cold."
No stickers. No dramatic emojis. The lone line of angst-filled teenage poetry stood out sharply amidst Bai Zilu's usual silly chat history.
Ji Tang didn't reply right away. Bai Zilu's eyes dimmed, and she tossed her phone onto the sofa, trying to figure out how to handle the giant pot of food.
Thinking about Bai Ziyuan and Gu Qianran on their sweet date right now only made her feel more sour.
Then, her phone lit up. She snatched it up immediately. It was Ji Tang.
Same blunt style as always:
Today Hoping to Get Rich Overnight: "Open the door."
Bai Zilu's heart skipped a beat. She ran to the window, peeked outside, and there was Ji Tang, slightly out of breath, standing at her front door.
Bai Zilu stood frozen in shock. By the time she snapped out of it, she had already brought Ji Tang into the house. She stammered, "Y-you… why are you here?"
It was the first time she'd seen Ji Tang in such a rush. And she had to admit, Ji Tang was beautiful no matter what she did. Even out of breath, Ji Tang radiated a captivating aura.
Ji Tang caught her breath, frowning slightly as she scanned her up and down. "That message you sent me was way too serious. I thought something had really happened to you. You scared me. But… looks like you're just bored?"
She didn't even know why, but the second she saw Bai Zilu's cryptic message, her heart was flooded with panic. There had been only one thought in her head: no matter what, she had to get to Bai Zilu's side. Whatever it was, they'd face it together.
She felt a bit foolish for being tricked, but the relief that Bai Zilu was safe completely overshadowed her irritation.
Bai Zilu hadn't expected that answer and was momentarily stunned. After a beat, her face flushed red, and she threw her arms around Ji Tang. This block of wood, always so oblivious, somehow always managed to touch her heart without realizing it.
She knew then and there that she was a goner for Ji Tang. Her heart was pounding, her blood boiling, every part of her screaming Ji Tang's name.
Ji Tang watched as Bai Zilu nuzzled against her like a little puppy, and with a helpless sigh, she patted Bai Zilu's waist. "You better explain yourself. What kind of stunt were you trying to pull this time?"
The two sat on the couch while Bai Zilu dramatically complained about being abandoned by her "coupled-up" parents, and then earnestly invited Ji Tang to stay for dinner.
Ji Tang was speechless. Truly speechless. Every time she got involved with Bai Zilu, she broke her own rules. And every time, it turned out to be a misunderstanding, leaving her work unfinished while she babysat this chaotic little Bai.
Like today, she hadn't even reviewed her financial summaries yet. Good grief.
She flopped back onto the Bai family's giant sofa and skimmed through her reports with a frosty expression.
Bai Zilu crept closer, nudging her way into Ji Tang's arms. Ji Tang was in no mood for games this time, so she simply wrapped her arms around Bai Zilu and continued reading.
While Ji Tang worked, a heavy air of focus surrounded her, and Bai Zilu didn't dare disrupt her further. She nestled obediently in Ji Tang's embrace, breathing in the calming scent she loved so much.
Resting her ear against Ji Tang's chest, she listened to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. She placed her hand over Ji Tang's chest, like she was eavesdropping through a wall. When she noticed Ji Tang's heartbeat speeding up, her own heart followed suit, thumping in sync like a mirrored rhythm.
She was so lost in the moment that she didn't notice Ji Tang's uncomfortable voice breaking the silence. "What… are you doing?"
Bai Zilu realized her position—this wasn't "listening through a wall"; this was outright taking advantage of her. Meeting Ji Tang's questioning gaze, she flushed in embarrassment. She quickly pulled her hand away and tried to look calm.
"I… I was listening to your heartbeat," she mumbled nervously, curling closer into Ji Tang's arms. Then a thought struck her like lightning: if Ji Tang's heartbeat sped up because of her, didn't that mean Ji Tang liked her too?
Thinking back to all Ji Tang had done—rushing over just now, caring for her feverish self all night, even planning that barbecue dinner the other time (and yes, Ji Tang had a membership card for that restaurant)—it all made sense. Who carries a discount card for a random restaurant if they hadn't been planning to go?
Everything lined up perfectly now. Bai Zilu was elated, though she also worried. If Ji Tang still hadn't realized her own feelings, would she accidentally do something out of "platonic care" that would crush Bai Zilu's heart?
"Did you hear it?" Ji Tang's tone was unusually serious. Bai Zilu froze. Had Ji Tang finally realized her feelings? Was this it? Was this the start of her springtime romance?
"What?" Her voice trembled, full of hidden shyness and anticipation. She was determined to make Ji Tang admit that it was the sound of her heart racing for her.
"The sound of ten thousand alpacas galloping through my head," Ji Tang said with a straight face, closing the disappointing financial report and striking a line through the entertainment investments column.
Bai Zilu: "???"
What kind of nonsense was that? Who described their feelings like that? Wait. Was Ji Tang teasing her? Since when did Ji Tang know memes?
Apparently, it wasn't just Bai Zilu learning Ji Tang's money-making mindset; Ji Tang had absorbed some of Bai Zilu's silliness too. She was just… a bit behind, stuck on older memes.
Ji Tang set Bai Zilu down and headed for the kitchen without looking back. "By the way, where's that meal you mentioned? Oh, never mind, found it. Come here and give me a hand."
Though Bai Zilu complained under her breath, she obediently followed to help. The Bai parents were spontaneous and free-spirited. They'd left dinner half-prepared before rushing out, so Ji Tang pieced together the rest of the recipe from what was started and finished cooking it. Thankfully, it was mostly braised dishes, so their earlier chat hadn't burned anything yet.
Bai Zilu watched Ji Tang moving around the kitchen in an apron, looking every bit like a perfect wife, and quietly passed her ingredients and wiped her sweat. Their teamwork was seamless. For a moment, Bai Zilu imagined them as an old married couple, like they had been living together for years.
Ji Tang had formally studied cooking, and the finished dishes were flawless in both taste and presentation. Bai Zilu was amazed, but also a little heartbroken. As Ji Tang had said, she'd learned these skills out of necessity, preparing herself for independence after leaving the Ji family. How much suffering had this girl endured to become this mature so quickly?
No wonder Gu Qianran admired her. They were kindred spirits, both striving for freedom.
Bai Zilu stroked Ji Tang's head and murmured softly, full of affection, "Tang Tang, you're so good. From now on, let me take care of you."
Ji Tang couldn't help but chuckle at that. Usually, she would have teased Bai Zilu back, but tonight, she only felt like leaning into Bai Zilu's embrace.
In front of Bai Zilu, she could finally let her guard down and show her vulnerable side. She was so tired. All she needed was a shoulder—narrow but steady—to rest on for a while.
Just a while… just a short while…
Bai Zilu noticed the faint dark circles under Ji Tang's eyes and felt her heart ache. She gently patted Ji Tang's back, her eyes brimming with tenderness. Carefully, she carried Ji Tang to the sofa, covered her with a blanket, and playfully tapped her nose.
"Silly blockhead. Remember, you can lean on me too. I'm not always joking around. Get some real rest. Dinner will be ready when you wake up."
"Blockhead…?" Ji Tang wanted to ask about the nickname, but her thoughts blurred as sleep overtook her. She had come here for dinner, yet somehow ended up lulled to sleep by Bai Zilu instead…