The two of them lounged on the sofa for about ten minutes before Ji Tang suddenly sat up. She stared at the ceiling in confusion and asked from the depths of her soul, "How did I get led off track by Bai Zilu again?"
Truly, the power of a goofball was strong. Even someone as steady as Ji Tang could be led around by the nose by a goofball.
She glanced at the dishes on the table that were already starting to cool and suddenly understood exactly whom Bai Zilu had inherited that capricious, impulsive nature from. Parents with big hearts raise children with big hearts, and Bai Zilu even surpassed them in certain ways.
Double the genes, double the fun.
At that moment the double-strength goofball woke up too. Bai Zilu rubbed her eyes and asked, "What time is it…"
Ji Tang looked at her vacant stare and felt a headache coming on. "Bai Zilu, can you be a little more mature? Your younger sister is steadier than you."
"No way." Mentioning her sister instantly revived Bai Zilu. She and her sister could nitpick each other for a whole day.
"There is," came Bai Ziyuan's voice from outside the room. Bai Zilu and Ji Tang looked back at the same time and saw Bai Ziyuan standing in the doorway, her face full of provocation. Gu Qianran stood beside her with an armful of bags, looking helplessly at this little ancestor.
"Why did you come back?" Bai Zilu was not pleased. And bringing your girlfriend to flaunt it in my face. Every time she and Ji Tang finally had some alone time, these two dog lovers showed up. What was worse, she had spent that precious alone time sleeping.
Bai Zilu: today I made myself cry from stupidity again. [Keep Smiling.jpg]
Bai Ziyuan helped Gu Qianran carry everything into the kitchen, then finally had a free hand to give her sister a beautiful eye roll. "Why would I not come back? On the way we either won prizes or got free coupons, and they were all real. We got so spooked we hurried home."
Bai Zilu the ultimate cursed-with-bad-luck: "???" Was luck like that even real?
Ji Tang the ultimate penny pincher: "!!!" How much money would that save?
The two exchanged a bitter look. The whole house smelled like lemons.
Gu Qianran rubbed Bai Ziyuan's head. "Alright, alright, look at the table, there is plenty of food. Go wash your hands, dinner in a minute."
Bai Ziyuan scampered off to wash her hands. Watching Gu Qianran expertly set out utensils while Ji Tang cleared the table, Bai Zilu's heart filled with question marks.
Why were they so practiced at this? Whose home was this, exactly?
Also, why did the two of them give off such weirdly strong couple vibes?
Feeling a crisis coming on, she rushed to defend her own ship. "Tang Tang, I will help you." She reached for the rag. Ji Tang hurriedly pressed her hand down. "I will do it. You sit."
She did not dare work alongside this person. Every time the two of them did something together, accidents followed. If this ancestor so much as bumped an elbow, she would definitely throw a fit and force Ji Tang to coax her.
Sigh. Was the Bai family trying to rebel against the heavens? How did they end up with two little ancestresses like this?
After a bit of bustling about, the four of them sat down to eat. Father and Mother Bai had cooked for four people to begin with, and the four of them finished everything neatly.
After dinner, Bai Ziyuan lay across Gu Qianran's lap to digest, while Gu Qianran taught Ji Tang about investment directions and market demand analysis. With her other hand, Gu Qianran absentmindedly slipped it under Bai Ziyuan's shirt to gently rub her stomach.
Bai Ziyuan let out contented little hums. Ji Tang listened seriously. The only idle person, Bai Zilu, tried to lie on Ji Tang's lap as well, but she accidentally creased a spreadsheet and got angrily shoved off by the wooden block.
Muttering "wooden block" under her breath, she retreated to her room. Ji Tang watched her back in puzzlement. This ancestor had been saying "wooden block" since before her nap. What on earth was that supposed to be that she kept thinking about it?
Her chest felt uncomfortably tight. She quickly looked away and focused on the lesson. Truly, anything involving Bai Zilu was terrifying, two little words enough to make her chest feel oppressed.
Bai Zilu returned with her sketchboard, found a corner in the living room, and started drawing the three of them interacting. Simple, ordinary moments always felt like home, and she loved that warmth.
When her parents were home, there was the noisy, smoky bustle of daily life, but little of this quiet ease. This feeling of peaceful time, she found on the faces of these three girls her own age.
Her drawing skills were excellent. She had almost been signed by a big company, but she disliked being bound, so she took illustration commissions as a side gig instead. The piece finished quickly. The three wore different expressions, and the whole scene was steeped in tranquility.
Father and Mother Bai, long-suffering from Bai Zilu's chaos: Do you really not know why our home lacks "quiet ease"? Why is it here now? Because those three can keep you in check.
Bai Zilu curved her lips in delight and carefully sketched Ji Tang's brows and eyes. Tsk tsk, how could someone be this good-looking?
Sensing something, Ji Tang glanced toward Bai Zilu and saw her concentrating on the page. The saying was true, a woman was most beautiful when focused. Ji Tang suddenly felt Bai Zilu looked especially pretty today.
Such a pure, sweet girl who could draw, a pity she could talk.
"Pfft." A meme popped into Ji Tang's head and made her laugh. That smile stunned Bai Zilu. She fumbled for her phone, desperate to capture that perfect moment.
Gu Qianran nudged Bai Ziyuan. "Alright, alright, get up. Do you still look like a student to you?"
Bai Ziyuan whined and refused to move. Gu Qianran had just massaged her stomach into blissful comfort, and now sleepiness was washing over her. She really did take care of people so well. What a wonderful girlfriend.
Thinking back to that afternoon when they had been honest with each other, Bai Ziyuan's cheeks flushed again. Gu Qianran saw the look in her eyes and quickly said, "Little cu…" A soft "mm" cut her off.
Bai Ziyuan pressed a kiss to her slightly parted lips. The kiss was clumsy enough to make Gu Qianran frown a little. With cheeks pink and eyes sultry, Bai Ziyuan breathed, "I am not a student, I am your wife."
Right. Now that they were together, what was wrong with a kiss? She would never admit that she had not gotten enough the other day and still wanted another taste of Gu Qianran's lips.
Gu Qianran: what kind of shameless lines did she learn, and where?
She tapped Bai Ziyuan's forehead. "You, at such a young age, learning nothing good."
Then she bent down and pinned Bai Ziyuan to the sofa for a thorough kiss. When it ended, Bai Ziyuan's legs were weak. Gu Qianran's strong presence had filled her senses. She had been led along completely by Gu Qianran.
Bai Ziyuan's gaze was hazy, the corners of her eyes damp with reflex tears. She hugged Gu Qianran with satisfaction and nuzzled her. Gu Qianran helped straighten her wrinkled collar.
Seeing her silly little sister looking like a newlywed, Bai Zilu was extremely indignant. One look and you knew her foolish sister was born to be a bottom. She, Bai Zilu, had to reclaim the dignity of being a top.
She was basking in that fantasy when her eyes met Ji Tang's curious gaze. "What are you thinking about?" Ji Tang, honestly curious about the runaway thought processes of this goofball, asked.
Bai Zilu shivered and waved her hands. "Nothing, nothing." Dignity was important, yes, but when faced with a true powerhouse, playing it safe was wiser.
Ruined. She had a terrible hunch that her dream of the Bai family producing only tops was about to collapse.
While their little domestic bliss was at its peak, Gu Qianran's phone rang. She glanced at the number and frowned, then pulled a book from her bag. On the cover, in bold characters, it read: "The Actor's Self-Cultivation."
Bai Zilu stared, astonished. "Big Boss, are you going to debut as a star?" Heavens, had Gu Qianran finally discovered the correct way to use her face and decided to storm the entertainment industry?
Gu Qianran flipped to the page with her bookmark and shook her head calmly.
"No. I am about to answer a call from my dad."