The seasons turned, heat and cold traded places. Gu Qianran advanced a grade into second year of high school, while Bai Zilu entered the most intense stretch of senior year.
While other classmates were silently mourning their fading youth and the tyranny of subject teachers, the trio of Bai Ziyuan and company were cheering in their hearts.
Gu Qianran: studying is so easy, who wants to take PE class.
Bai Ziyuan: I finally do not have to study chemistry, hah.
Bai Zilu: I can use senior year as an excuse to ask Ji Tang for hugs and piggyback lifts.
Only Ji Tang, who had been scheduled within an inch of her life, felt very helpless. Second year courses were already tight. Not everyone was a freak like Gu Qianran. Ji Tang still needed to study seriously. Bai Zilu often found Ji Tang studying until two or three in the morning, then rubbing her dark under-eye circles before sleeping.
Bai Zilu's heart ached, but since none of their elective subjects matched, she missed the perfect chance to tutor Ji Tang. Bai Zilu was quietly bitter. Why did she choose liberal arts back then? Another great chance to be close to her future wife was gone.
Bai Zilu tried her luck by peeking at Ji Tang's test papers, then drew back under her blanket in total confusion. Did she study this in second year? Is this really material meant for human beings?
The problem was, seeing Bai Zilu stare so earnestly, Ji Tang actually thought Bai Zilu had a bit of a foundation and blinked those phoenix eyes at her.
Bai Zilu stared for a long time, then squeaked out, "I am hungry."
Ji Tang: …?!
How big does one's heart have to be to feel hungry while looking at virus diagrams?
Is she really a soon-to-be senior? Is she really only a soon-to-be senior?
Ji Tang was developing a conditioned reflex to Bai Zilu's frequent brain-lag. Ji Tang tore open a bag of chips and resumed the familiar feeding routine. For some reason, the phrase old married couple surfaced in Ji Tang's mind.
Bai Ziyuan saw the interaction between Ji Tang and her own elder sister and blinked her bright, watery eyes at Gu Qianran with expectation. Gu Qianran smiled indulgently and slid over a thick set of practice problems. "What is this compared to my heavy love for you."
Bai Ziyuan: I fear I have a fake girlfriend.
If the little one wanted a reward, that was doable. They had only a bit more than a year before turning eighteen anyway. Wait, why did Gu Qianran's mind go crooked again?
Catching herself running that train of thought in her head, Gu Qianran hurriedly used the workbook to hide her awkwardness. Come on, do not make it sound like she was impatient and lusty.
Bai Ziyuan pouted through a full set of problems, then glared at her tone-deaf girlfriend. The look had zero killing power and only made her seem even more tempting to bully.
Gu Qianran's self control from two lifetimes felt like it had been eaten by Li Junyao. Without thinking, Gu Qianran leaned in and sealed those soft lips. Bai Ziyuan was pressed against the wall beside the lower bunk. Bai Ziyuan's eyes went misty, and after two symbolic struggles she surrendered.
Gu Qianran advanced smoothly, tongues twined and tasted, and Bai Ziyuan was left breathless, but with a faint, addictive tingle.
Only when Gu Qianran had kissed her fill did Gu Qianran let go. Looking down, Gu Qianran realized her hand had slipped under Bai Ziyuan's collar. Bai Ziyuan braced one hand on Gu Qianran's abdomen and leaned against Gu Qianran's chest, panting hard, her entire face red like a boiled shrimp.
Feeling a little ashamed, Gu Qianran drew her hand back. Averaging two lives might make Gu Qianran an adult, but Bai Ziyuan was still a real, actual minor. Sinful, sinful.
Even so, in the spirit of never wasting a bargain, no matter how stormy Gu Qianran felt inside, on the surface Gu Qianran wore a wicked smile and teased, "Well, little cutie, did it feel good? As a reward, did I do a proper job, yes or no?"
Bai Ziyuan's cheeks burned. Bai Ziyuan refused to answer, burying her head deep into Gu Qianran's neck. Seeing how soft the little one was, Gu Qianran's bad side stirred again. Gu Qianran blew a breath lightly by Bai Ziyuan's ear. "Little cutie, why no words? So you did not feel my love? How about we go for another round?"
Bai Ziyuan was so startled that she clapped a hand over Gu Qianran's mouth. That shameful sensation, she did not want to experience it again just yet. Bai Ziyuan now reasonably suspected Gu Qianran had been watching something strange. Otherwise, how did that once so proper person now spit out saucy lines the second she opened her mouth?
Innocent classmate Bai Ziyuan did not know there is a thing called talent.
"There are other people here," Bai Ziyuan whispered. In Gu Qianran's ears, that turned into a flirty complaint. Gu Qianran pulled her little one fully into her arms and traced that perky nose with a fingertip.
"So that means if no one is around, it is fine."
"No it is not. You are bullying me again." Bai Ziyuan huffed and squirmed in Gu Qianran's embrace. Gu Qianran stopped teasing and hurried to soothe. In a gentle voice, Gu Qianran said, "Of course not. You are the most precious gift in this world. How could I bully you."
Awooo, Gu Qianran being serious was too swoony. Bai Ziyuan once again drowned in her own girlfriend's beauty. Bai Ziyuan decided her lovestruck habit was incurable.
"But," Gu Qianran glanced at the little hand still resting on Gu Qianran's abdomen and smiled, "some story routes cannot be unlocked by minors."
Following the look, Bai Ziyuan noticed her own hand and yelped, snatching it back. She did not, okay. Although if it were Gu Qianran…
Bai Ziyuan's thoughts drifted farther and farther, and her face grew unnaturally red. Gu Qianran chuckled silently. This little one really was pure and cute.
Yet when Gu Qianran thought of nearly spending two lifetimes alone, the smile faded.
At the Li household, Li Junyao grinned brightly at the man across from him. "Xiao Zhu, do you have my goods?"
Xiao Zhu nodded with a dark face and handed over a packet. "Believe me, one packet will do it. This stuff is hard to get. I hope you succeed."
Li Junyao's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. A Li family young master inviting a bunch of people to a bar was the easiest thing. Li Junyao looked at Xiao Zhu with a greasy smile. "Relax. Whether it is your elder sister or Gu Qianran, or the two from the Bai family, once they are under this stuff, their reputations will…"
Ji Zhu covered the spot that still throbbed where Gu Qianran had kicked him and laughed along. Daring to cross him, a few little girls, just you wait.
Meanwhile, the people in their mouths were discussing buying a place. Ji Tang felt she could not live in the dorm forever. She needed a place of her own. Over the years she had saved some money, and with recent investment gains, the down payment should be doable.
Gu Qianran was even less short of cash. After a short discussion, they decided to buy facing apartments in an upscale complex near school. Xinyun Community had solid security, was close to school, and the units were decent. The Bai sisters fell in love with those flats at a glance.
As for Gu Qianran, it was just a place to sleep, so Gu Qianran leaned into her wife-pampering nature and let Bai Ziyuan decide. Ji Tang frowned slightly but said nothing.
It was definitely because living near Gu Qianran felt secure, absolutely not because Bai Zilu had suggested anything. Definitely that.
Gu Qianran always acted fast. After a symbolic call to Li Junsheng, Gu Qianran whisked Ji Tang off to handle the procedures and moved in that very day with bags in hand.
Do not ask why. The answer is that the Gu family had invested in Xinyun Community.
Romance novels paint rich clans as pits of bright and shadowed struggle. Who notices that a rich clan is itself a huge, wonderfully convenient golden finger.
A thousand miles away, sparks crackled along the cables on the back of the system. The system: …
A mere machine, and it felt a chill.
Ji Tang had keys the next day and was still in a daze.
She had actually bought her own nest. She never had to return to that den again. Ji Tang almost cried for joy. All of this had changed only after meeting Gu Qianran.
Gu Qianran was heaven-defying. Ji Tang sighed from the heart.
Bai Zilu saw that across the hall Gu Qianran and Bai Ziyuan were already discussing decor and layout, while Ji Tang was still frozen at the doorway. Bai Zilu could not help asking, "Hey, Ji Tang, standing in the doorway, are you trying to invite me to cohabitate?"
"Huh?" Ji Tang did not catch on. "Can we?"
Ji Tang thought Bai Zilu meant helping carry things.
Now it was Bai Zilu's turn to freeze in place. No way. Happiness had arrived too suddenly. She was a little dizzy. Bai Zilu tamped down her excitement. "Are you sure?"
Ji Tang found it odd to be asked about moving boxes. "Yes. If you agree, that is fine."
Bai Zilu exploded into joy. "Great. Hurray." Bai Zilu bounced out the door. Ji Tang was left puzzled in her wake. Since when did she love labor so much. Why so ecstatic just to move boxes.
It turned out that when a person suddenly seems enlightened, either she has been possessed, or she never heard what you said.
That night, Ji Tang stared in horror at Bai Zilu swanning around openly in lace sleepwear. "Why are you not sleeping in the dorm."
Bai Zilu admired her carefully coordinated nightie and answered casually, "You told me to stay. You said as long as I agreed."
Ji Tang was about to break. "I meant agree to help move things." So that was why the lazy pup had suddenly loved manual labor.
The air went quiet. Ji Tang and Bai Zilu stood there staring at each other without moving.
After a long moment, Ji Tang sighed. Ji Tang genuinely felt that time with Bai Zilu might age her prematurely.
"Forget it. The guest room is not ready today. You sleep in my room."
Bai Zilu blinked and edged closer. "How could that be. Where would you sleep. We are both slim. We can squeeze. It will be warm."
Her posture was so absurd that Ji Tang was reminded of certain iconic scenes from anti-war soap operas.
Ji Tang pushed Bai Zilu away with resignation. "Fine, but stay far from me. The way you look, I am afraid…"
"Afraid of what." Afraid of losing control. Do not be shy, darling. Could you not tell elder sister was doing this on purpose. Elder sister was almost an adult. Do not spare elder sister just because elder sister is a delicate flower. Let the storm be fiercer.
"I am afraid you have mines hidden in your undergarments." Right, and the face across from her went green on the spot. Now it was exactly like a scene from those shows.
"Ji Tang."
"Bai Zilu. Hey, stop pounding. This is my home."
Next door, Bai Ziyuan slept sweetly in Gu Qianran's arms. Gu Qianran covered Bai Ziyuan's ears with one hand and silently cursed a thousand times.
The next morning, with dark eyes, Gu Qianran ran into an equally haggard Ji Tang in the hallway.
"Where is your one at home."
"Sleeping like a baby. I could not bear to wake her. What about your one at home. What were you two arguing about. I barely slept."
"Just a small misunderstanding. Sorry about that."
Ji Tang did not notice Gu Qianran's choice of words. The two of them looked like worried old dads fretting over their households.
===
Author's Note:
An unexpected cohabitation.
The two mischief-makers are about to help again.