Ji Zhenshi hadn’t been asleep at all. She had simply stayed still after hearing Li Yunli come upstairs, curious to see what the other woman would do. She had even endured the puff of breath in her ear without reacting.
To her surprise, Li Yunli simply kept staring at her, and nothing else happened. In the end, Ji Zhenshi couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer. She suddenly sat up, hoping to startle her.
Their gazes locked. Li Yunli couldn’t detect the faint flicker of possessiveness in Ji Zhenshi’s eyes, hidden behind her sunglasses—threads of undeniable intent, weaving around her like a web. “Looks like I got my answer from Sister A-Yun’s eyes. It must be the latter—you were mesmerized by me, weren’t you?”
How could there be an answer in Li Yunli’s eyes? She had simply been caught off guard. Ji Zhenshi had leaned in abruptly, their noses brushing, her hot breath washing over Li Yunli’s face—Ji Zhenshi’s scent, aggressive and leaving no room for retreat.
“Xiao Zhen, I was just trying to wake you up for dinner…” Li Yunli froze for a moment, then stiffly turned her head away, her gaze landing pointedly on Ji Zhenshi’s injured foot as if to cover up her thoughts.
She had actually been staring at Ji Zhenshi’s face, lost in so many thoughts.
Ji Zhenshi took off her sunglasses, following Li Yunli’s line of sight with relentless persistence. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing. I already told you—I was just going to call you for dinner.” Li Yunli stood up, pointing to the food on the coffee table before extending a hand to help her.
Ji Zhenshi gazed at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, then suddenly hooked an arm around Li Yunli’s neck. With a quick flip, she clung to her back, arms draped over her shoulders.
“Fine, just dinner. But I remember Sister A-Yun promising to take good care of me. Since my foot’s inconvenient, how about you give me a piggyback ride over there?”
Her cheek pressed against Li Yunli’s, Ji Zhenshi’s laughter rippled in her ear, their hair tangling together. Li Yunli’s heart skipped a beat.
Was Ji Zhenshi doing this on purpose?
Li Yunli didn’t dare dwell on it. She feared she was overthinking, feared so many things.
At times like these, she could never refuse Ji Zhenshi. Even without speech or sign language to compete, Li Yunli had always indulged her.
With a nod, Li Yunli firmly hooked her arms under Ji Zhenshi’s knees, her ears secretly turning red.
“Am I heavy? I think I just felt Sister A-Yun’s heart racing.” Ji Zhenshi held the dinner Li Yunli had carefully prepared, complex emotions swirling in her eyes. She tilted her head, half-joking, half-serious.
Li Yunli clearly missed the implication. She sat across from her calmly, tidied Ji Zhenshi’s backpack, then flipped open the half-read book on the coffee table, her expression as serene as still water. She signed, “A little, but it’s not because of you. You’re not heavy—you’re very slim. It’s just that I’m not strong enough to carry you.”
Li Yunli really hadn’t caught on, had she?
Ji Zhenshi’s gaze darkened for a split second before returning to normal. She smiled and said, “Yeah, I’m not fat at all—not one bit. It’s normal for someone as slim as you to struggle. If you can’t carry me, we can just walk side by side, supporting each other. Like good pals?”
“Sure. Next time, I’ll support you as we walk.” Li Yunli turned a page in her book, replying unhurriedly.
The room was filled only with Ji Zhenshi’s voice, but the two seemed long accustomed to this mode of communication. Ji Zhenshi didn’t find it awkward at all.
“Sister A-Yun, can we take a bath together tonight? I can’t manage with my foot injured.”
“Pretty please? I’m the patient here and need taking care of.”
“Wasn’t the last time we bathed together right after you moved into my house? You didn’t lock the door properly. I was in a rush to finish and do homework, so I barged in without thinking.”
“But I ignored you and shoved you out to wash myself. Remember? That was me bullying you, wasn’t it? And you didn’t react at all—just swallowed your grievance. It even made me feel a little guilty.”
“Still, you have to forgive me. I really was in a hurry back then. And second, I wanted your attention. You came to our house and wouldn’t spare me a single extra glance. Weren’t you looking down on me?”
In truth, Ji Zhenshi had a selfish reason she didn’t voice: Li Yunli was so beautiful that she couldn’t help wanting her attention.
Ji Zhenshi scooped a spoonful of rice into her mouth and muttered on for a good while, but Li Yunli didn’t respond.
She really was the perfect listener.
Even as she spoke, Ji Zhenshi grew bored with her own monologue. Her brows lifted in satisfaction with Li Yunli’s cooking. She hummed a tune between bites. “Delicious.”
By this time, Li Yunli’s coffee shop downstairs was closed. She watched over Ji Zhenshi’s meal and one-sided chatter while reading her book.
From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the little one bobbing her head and humming happily over the food she liked. Li Yunli’s lips curved in a soft smile. Then she signed, “Eat slower. Is it really that good? It’s just ordinary home cooking, but you make it sound like gourmet delicacies.”
At this moment, Ji Zhenshi truly seemed like an innocent child—no sharp edges, warm as sunlight, gentle as spring breeze, reflected in Li Yunli’s eyes. She captured the scene in her mind.
Li Yunli smiled, and Ji Zhenshi smiled back. But then her tone shifted abruptly. “Sister A-Yun, what if I enter the competition, win the prize money, and buy your freedom?”
Had Ji Zhenshi spent so long on the windowsill today thinking about this?
Gazing at the stream of cars outside, head tilted toward the dimming sky—was this what had occupied her thoughts for so long?
“What?” Li Yunli’s smile froze. She jerked her gaze up from the book to Ji Zhenshi.
Ji Zhenshi sat on the floor, one hand propped against her waist, still holding her spoon but not eating. She lounged lazily against the sofa, chin slightly raised, a faint smile on her face.
That earlier sentence had floated like a distant sigh, untethered to reality.
Ji Zhenshi was joking, right? Had Li Yunli imagined it?
“I said, what if I enter the competition, win the prize money, and buy your freedom? Would that be okay?” Ji Zhenshi repeated, word for word.
The book slipped from Li Yunli’s hand and thudded to the floor. She shot to her feet, brows furrowed as she stared at the nonchalant girl.
She could tell Ji Zhenshi wasn’t joking.
That unshakeable determination in the girl’s eyes—she had seen it before, right here in this attic, when Ji Zhenshi had confronted her brother on her behalf. It had been as immovable as mountains crashing into the sea.
Li Yunli’s gaze slowly drifted down to meet Ji Zhenshi’s. “Xiao Zhen, you don’t need to worry about the money. If you’re short, just tell me—don’t push yourself. The competition isn’t about the prize for you. Focus on it fully. Don’t let this distract you. Okay?”
“But I compete for the prize money—always have. I can’t not think about it, because it’s for you.”
Ji Zhenshi desired Li Yunli’s freedom more than Li Yunli herself did.
She paused, then said earnestly, “Truth is, I’m pretty ordinary. I take any paying gig or contest I can. I can take care of myself, and I can protect you too.”
Like a clueless child grasping her playmate’s hand and declaring they’d be best friends forever. To an outsider, it sounded absurd and laughable, but who knew the pure, hundred-percent sincerity in that child’s words?
Li Yunli smiled warmly. “Mm.”
“You’re brushing me off again! How many times do I have to say it—I’m serious!” Ji Zhenshi instantly saw through the perfunctory response, her brows knitting as her voice sharpened.
Li Yunli’s smile faded. She raised her hand halfway, then let it drop.
She didn’t know how to respond to Ji Zhenshi’s insistence on proving she could protect her. In her eyes, Ji Zhenshi had always been the little one by her side who needed care.
What meaning was there in such proofs?
After careful thought, Li Yunli signed, “Okay, Xiao Zhen has grown up. I only meant that now that you’re older, there are so many places money goes. Your top priority is school. If you need cash, don’t hesitate because of your brother. Like I said, what we have isn’t because of him, and it won’t end because of him.”
Ji Zhenshi narrowed her eyes and let out a cold laugh. “Even now, why are you worried about whether I have money? Shouldn’t you think about yourself first?”
It was Li Yunli’s very gentleness that stirred the softness in Ji Zhenshi’s heart time and again.
How could someone like this live a life where anyone could hurl insults at her whim? Just because she couldn’t speak? Because she was gentle enough to reconcile with malice?
After a pause, Li Yunli looked up and signed, “Focus on the competition. I can handle this myself—it’s not as hard as you think. There was no contract or agreement back then, and your brother doesn’t want a fuss. If two hundred thousand settles it, I’m glad to pay. That’s the end of this topic. I’ll get you some pajamas. Rest early tonight.”
“Li Yunli, it’s exactly because you’re like this that they take advantage and bully you! Can’t you put yourself first for once? Do you really think staying silent solves everything? No one wants to trouble others—am I some debt collector? Am I only here to burden you?” Ji Zhenshi surged to her feet, her voice nearly a snarl.
But she stood too quickly, forgetting her sprained ankle. Searing pain drilled through her, sending her crashing back onto the sofa. Her face flushed red as she glared at Li Yunli, unhappiness written all over her features.
She was so angry. Li Yunli was too gentle, and that’s why she kept getting bullied.
Hopping on one foot, Ji Zhenshi slammed her injured foot onto the coffee table. “Li Yunli, say something… Answer me.”
Li Yunli didn’t turn back. She pushed open the bedroom door and left.
The door clicked shut. Li Yunli leaned against it, her slender frame still, her expression dazed.
—Xiao Zhen, I’m not that good. I just know who deserves my kindness.
Only Ji Zhenshi would get angry over these things for her sake, only Ji Zhenshi would ache for her. So Li Yunli’s real worry wasn’t Ji Tingjun coming after her—it was Ji Zhenshi fighting with her family over this, caught in the middle and suffering.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the odd flutter there, unwilling to examine it further.
Li Yunli rummaged in her closet for pajamas. When she opened the door again, her face was composed. “This set was too big for me—I only wore it once. It should fit you perfectly. Try it on.”
Ji Zhenshi stared at her resentfully, still stewing over how Li Yunli had walked away without a backward glance. Her cheeks puffed out. “Hmph.”
She snatched the clothes from Li Yunli’s hand with force, deliberately bumping her shoulder to vent her frustration.
Li Yunli staggered from the impact but paid no mind to Ji Zhenshi’s attitude. Instead, she gently tugged at the hem of her clothes and signed, “Xiao Zhen, do you need help?”
She had overheard Ji Zhenshi muttering to herself earlier. Even without replying, she’d taken it to heart.
Whether Ji Zhenshi was throwing a tantrum or not, her injury was real, and bathing would be awkward.
“No.” Ji Zhenshi lifted her chin stubbornly, refusing.
“Don’t push yourself.” Li Yunli signed.
Truthfully, Li Yunli didn’t understand why Ji Zhenshi had suddenly gotten so upset. Was it wrong to be kind? And she’d never seen Ji Zhenshi as a burden.
A young girl’s heart was like an unpredictable wind—leaving traces in its wake, but impossible to grasp.
“I said no. It’s just a bump. I’m not crippled yet. You’re not my nanny—you don’t have to help.” Ji Zhenshi brushed off her hand, clearly fuming.
Ji Zhenshi rarely got overtly angry with Li Yunli like this. Her sharp words left no room for softness, stabbing like icy needles.
Li Yunli looked puzzled at the stubborn refusal but watched as Ji Zhenshi hopped awkwardly toward the bathroom. She couldn’t fathom the root of this anger.
Each lost in her thoughts, Ji Zhenshi took a quick bath and hopped back to the bedroom. Not seeing Li Yunli there, she turned and perched on the windowsill instead.
Li Yunli had probably gone downstairs to check the doors and windows. Living alone, she was safety-conscious, always inspecting everything before bed.
Ji Zhenshi cranked up the volume in her earphones, trying to distract herself from obsessing over Li Yunli.
“Xiao Zhen, I’m done with my bath now—I’ll go wash up.”
“I’m finished, Xiao Zhen. Watch your tablet for a bit, then come to bed early. Do you have class tomorrow morning? If so, I can take you to school.”
“…Remember to turn off the light when you come in.”
Li Yunli passed in front of her twice, but Ji Zhenshi played it cool and ignored her. Only when Li Yunli actually left did she yank off her earphones and glance at the bedroom.
She’d really gone. Li Yunli was heartless!
She was upset—couldn’t she at least coax her a little?
Ji Zhenshi couldn’t focus on the performance video anymore. She swiped aimlessly, her peripheral vision on the bedroom door left slightly ajar.
She timed it perfectly, waiting over ten minutes before going in. Li Yunli sat at the desk, organizing the day’s sales data—simple charts sketched neatly in her notebook.
It was Li Yunli’s habit to review and sort everything, from daily life to coffee shop business. She patiently listed tomorrow’s tasks ahead of time.
Ji Zhenshi glanced once, then drifted lightly past from behind, flipping back the covers and diving headfirst into Li Yunli’s bed.
She could have gotten in from the other side, but no—she circled behind Li Yunli, too proud to announce herself yet unwilling to go unnoticed.
Hearing the sound, Li Yunli turned and pointed to the milk on the nightstand. She signed, “Xiao Zhen probably hasn’t brushed her teeth yet. I warmed some milk for you. It’ll help you sleep—the temperature’s perfect. Drink up.”
“I don’t want it. Too sweet.” Ji Zhenshi wriggled under the covers like she owned the place, utterly at home.
They’d shared a bed more than once. Breathing in the air thick with Li Yunli’s scent, Ji Zhenshi secretly pulled the blanket over her head.
Li Yunli’s fragrance was intoxicating. Same shampoo and body wash, yet everything touched by her scent was addictive. Lying in her bed now, Ji Zhenshi felt fireworks bursting in her heart.
“I’m sleepy. Going to bed.” Ji Zhenshi rolled herself into a cocoon like a fuzzy caterpillar, huffing proudly and shutting down communication.
“Xiao Zhen, drink the milk. I didn’t add sugar—this is a different kind from before. Try it; you might like it. School food doesn’t nourish you enough—the best fix is more milk.” Li Yunli pulled down the blanket, revealing Ji Zhenshi’s already flushing cheeks, and smiled softly.
