Chapter 41 Part 2

Bai Kou had said she could eat anything she wanted in the city, all on her.

She thought for a long time and told Bai Kou—

“Then treat me to a McDonald’s kids’ meal.”

“The kids’ meal comes with McDull Mom.” Bai Kou looked up for a bit, then turned back. “What do you want, Yang Wanxi?”

Yang Wanxi set down the coupons and walked closer to Bai Kou, casually glancing around before answering, “Get me a taro puff.”

“Just a taro puff?” Bai Kou pulled money from her schoolbag. “Nothing else?”

“Nope.” Yang Wanxi said, “Just the taro puff.”

Bai Kou bought two grilled chicken leg burgers, two colas, a McNuggets, a fries, and the taro puff Yang Wanxi ordered.

She carried the tray and led Yang Wanxi upstairs to the second floor.

Yang Wanxi wanted to help carry it, but she didn’t let go and even emphasized, “I asked you, and you said just the taro puff. Don’t you dare touch the fries or nuggets later.”

Yang Wanxi found it hilarious. She poked the paper box in the tray. “Then why’d you buy two burgers?”

“I’ll eat both.” Bai Kou said. “Anyway, you don’t get any.”

“Here—”

But after sitting upstairs, Bai Kou proactively unwrapped one burger and held it up to Yang Wanxi’s mouth with both hands. “Just a taste.”

Yang Wanxi looked at Bai Kou through the burger, her eyes smiling faintly for a moment.

She raised one finger and pushed it away. “Thanks, but I said no, so no.”

“…”

Bai Kou pulled the burger back in front of her, turned her face away, and took a fierce bite.

In the end, Yang Wanxi really only ate one taro pie. During that time, Bai Kou deliberately fed her fries and chicken nuggets, but Yang Wanxi remained calm and composed with a faint smile.

“Although I really want to eat them, since I said I’d only eat the taro pie, I won’t eat anything else just to win.”

‘You you you—’

Boring!

When they left, Bai Kou stuffed the remaining burger into her backpack.

She stood up first and walked out a few steps.

Oh!

She glanced at the food on someone else’s table, and a lightbulb suddenly lit up above her head. Hmph hmph, Bai Kou turned around and mimicked Yang Wanxi’s smile.

Yang Wanxi: “…?”

Then, right in front of Yang Wanxi, Bai Kou slowly walked back to their table, pointed at the empty cola cup Yang Wanxi had drunk from, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly—

“You! Lost!”

As they went downstairs, the cheerfully chuckling Bai Kou’s mind went blank the instant she saw Lu Tongtong, but her body reacted automatically with a stress response, turning around to flee back upstairs.

Yang Wanxi was stunned for a moment, then immediately grabbed Bai Kou and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you panicking?”

Bai Kou struggled with her hand, almost impulsively shouting ‘Let go of me!’, but she held back with effort. She looked back and saw that Lu Tongtong’s figure had disappeared again before she let out a breath of relief.

Back on the second floor, Yang Wanxi frowned as she listened to Bai Kou’s explanation, sighing silently in her heart. She stood up and pulled Bai Kou.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Come on, I’ll go down with you to find Tongtong.”

“No no no.” Bai Kou rarely acted so awkwardly. Her face flushed red with anxiety as she shook her head insistently. “No no no, it’s been too long, I don’t even know what to say. Don’t make Tongtong feel awkward too.”

“Bai Kou.”

Yang Wanxi gripped her hand again. “Don’t be scared. Think it through first. If there’s even a little bit in your heart that wants to go down and see Tongtong, I’ll be with you. I’ll help you if there’s anything you can’t handle.”

Yang Wanxi’s words moved Bai Kou.

But when they went downstairs and spotted Lu Tongtong laughing happily with another group at the first table, Bai Kou took a deep breath and her steps faltered backward.

Yang Wanxi pressed against her waist and softly reassured her from behind. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

There were six people at the table: Lu Tongtong, Zhang Yang, and four others Bai Kou didn’t recognize.

Zhang Yang was the first to notice Bai Kou. He looked particularly shocked, and his first reaction was to glance at Lu Tongtong.

Fine.

They’d all been seen.

No way out.

Charge!

Bai Kou forced a smile, proactively waved at Zhang Yang, and walked toward Lu Tongtong’s back.

“Zhang Yang, what a coincidence.” Bai Kou said from behind Lu Tongtong.

Lu Tongtong clearly recognized Bai Kou’s voice. Her smile froze on her face, but she stubbornly kept her neck stiff without moving.

This left a bad taste in Bai Kou’s mouth.

“Wow, Tongtong!” At that moment, Yang Wanxi draped an arm around Bai Kou’s shoulders and patted the person who was still sitting stubbornly. “I was just thinking before I came back if I’d get to see you.”

“Ah, Sister Xiaoxi.” Lu Tongtong turned her head, quickly glanced at Bai Kou, then looked at Yang Wanxi and smiled politely. “You’re back from break?”

“Mm!” Yang Wanxi nodded. “I came back to watch Bai Kou’s sports meeting. What about your school?”

“We have our sports meeting this week too, same week as Bai Kou’s school.”

We.

Them.

Bai Kou’s nose tingled sourly.

The hand she hid behind Lu Tongtong’s chair back quietly tugged at Yang Wanxi. Let’s go.

“Oh— what a shame. If I’d known, I would’ve gone to check out your Experimental school too.” Yang Wanxi’s phone suddenly rang. She took it out. “Ah, no no, Bai Kou, hurry and come with me—we’re heading out first—”

“Oh, okay, bye Sister Xiaoxi.” Lu Tongtong stood up.

Only then did Bai Kou and Lu Tongtong make eye contact. She barely managed to curve her lips and softly said to Lu Tongtong,

“Goodbye.”

After leaving McDonald’s, Yang Wanxi turned off her alarm setting while quickly pulling Bai Kou into the ATM booth next door at the bank.

The enclosed glass enclosure isolated the two from the outside world.

Yang Wanxi turned to face the ATM, lowered her head to take out her bank card from her bag, and casually tossed out a comment.

“While no one’s around, cry if you want to cry.”

“…”

Bai Kou’s mouth twitched, and she took a step forward, resting her forehead on Yang Wanxi’s back.

Hiding behind Yang Wanxi, listening to the sounds of the keys being pressed on the ATM keyboard in the enclosed space, Bai Kou could no longer hold back her tears. They flowed down sourly and painfully.

“Bai Kou.” As she cried, she heard Yang Wanxi say calmly, “Never be sad for someone who’s leaving you.”

“Never.”

After getting home, Bai Yuqiao made three dishes and a soup. Knowing Bai Kou and Yang Wanxi were eating out, she hadn’t prepared portions for them.

After finishing and seeing the unanswered message, she quickly replied: 【I’m at home eating with Mom. You guys eat.】

Not long after replying, Bai Xiaochu hurried home.

Bai Yuqiao stood up to greet her. Before she could gesture ‘Mom’, Bai Xiaochu—like an enlarged version of Bai Kou—hugged her tightly.

“Aiya, Yuqiao! You should’ve told me you were coming back! I would’ve picked you up!”

Bai Yuqiao served rice for Bai Xiaochu, then carried her own bowl back to the table and sat down.

Bai Xiaochu asked her, “Not many classes lately? Staying for a few days?”

【Leaving Sunday.】 Bai Yuqiao gestured. 【Came back to see little sister.】

“Oh.” Bai Xiaochu shoveled two bites of rice. “Mm, your stir-fry skills are pretty good now. Bai Kou said she was eating out today. You didn’t send her a message.”

Bai Yuqiao: 【I saw her at school.】

【Sports meeting.】 She gestured with a smile. 【She was amazing.】

Bai Xiaochu laughed heartily and mysteriously beckoned Bai Yuqiao with a finger. “Not exaggerating—back in school, at every sports meeting, I’d win a gold medal for our class. So Bai Kou probably inherited some of my excellent genes too.”

Bai Yuqiao listened happily, her eyes curving into slits. She continued: 【Yeah, she was really amazing today.】

After eating, the two gathered at the sink to wash dishes. Bai Xiaochu was reminiscing about how Bai Kou had fallen on her butt learning to ride a bike as a kid when the sound of the door opening rang out from the living room, followed by a loud,

“Sister, we’re back!”

“We?” Bai Xiaochu looked at Bai Yuqiao in confusion and turned her head.

She saw Bai Kou and Yang Wanxi walking in together.

After changing into slippers, Yang Wanxi dashed to Bai Xiaochu, wrapped her arms around her waist, and spun her around—

“Auntie Bai! Long time no see!”

What was going on? Bai Xiaochu thought dizzily. Am I dreaming? How did they all come back one after another?

The four chatted boisterously in the living room until past nine at night.

Yang Wanxi said, “Auntie, I’ll head out first. Still need to go to the hospital to find Mom and walk with her.”

“Okay okay okay.” Bai Xiaochu stood to see her off. “Tell your mom to rest more. She’s getting on in years—don’t keep doing night shifts in a row.”

“Got it.” Yang Wanxi smiled.

At the door, she paused and stopped in her tracks.

“What, forget something?” Bai Xiaochu asked puzzled from behind her.

“Oh, no.” Yang Wanxi turned, looked past Bai Xiaochu toward Bai Kou.

“Bai Kou.” Yang Wanxi grinned and opened her arms. “Sister’s leaving. Come give me a hug.”

After Yang Wanxi left, Bai Xiaochu went to the bathroom to shower.

Bai Yuqiao went into the bedroom alone.

Bai Kou paced the living room in her slippers for a bit. Her phone vibrated—Yang Wanxi had messaged: 【Did you go? Go quick! Sister Yuqiao won’t really get mad at you over something this small!】

She hurriedly replied: 【Aiya, I know, going right now!】

Bai Kou put away her phone, approached Bai Yuqiao’s room, and raised her hand to knock just as Bai Yuqiao opened the door and saw her.

She smiled mildly.

At that moment, Bai Kou could clearly feel her sister’s aura finally return to normal, completely different from at school. She suddenly wasn’t afraid anymore.

“Sister!” Her tone light and cheerful, she said, “Can I lie down in your room for a bit?”

Bai Kou had already changed into pajamas. After Bai Yuqiao let her in, she flopped onto her sister’s bed for the first time in ages.

Stretch—turn into a noodle—

Bai Yuqiao stood silently at the foot of the bed for a moment, then sat on the edge at Bai Kou’s call, right beside her, watching Bai Kou’s “noodle stretch.”

Bai Kou rolled back and forth twice on her sister’s bed with arms extended, finally coming to lie on her side next to her sister’s legs.

How terrifying distance was.

Bai Kou thought.

Then, still lying on her side, she reached out and hugged her sister’s waist.

How could she not understand what her sister was upset about? But it was something she had done, and she didn’t want to change, so she didn’t know how to apologize to her sister.

“Sister…” Bai Kou sat up a little, hugging Bai Yuqiao and leaning against her waist. “Don’t be mad at me, okay…”

“…” Bai Yuqiao didn’t react.

Undeterred, Bai Kou pleaded, “Sister, sister, sister—”, probably subconsciously relying on how much her sister had always liked her since they were kids.

Bai Yuqiao gently pulled her hand away, stood up, and faced her with a solemn look in her eyes, backlit.

Her right hand reached out to pinch Bai Kou’s earlobe twice: 【Bai Kou.】 That was the way they’d agreed as kids to call “Bai Kou.”

Bai Kou stared blankly.

She saw her sister slowly gesture another phrase, then raise her hand in front of her, hesitating as she clenched it before opening it and waving—

【Don’t fall in love.】

“…” Ah.

A hollow ring echoed in Bai Kou’s heart.

Then, without minding her stunned sister, Bai Yuqiao walked to the desk, pulled open the drawer, and took out a letter paper.

【Come here.】 Bai Yuqiao beckoned her sister.

Bai Kou left the bed and quietly walked to Bai Yuqiao’s side.

Under the light,

She saw that Bai Yuqiao had crossed out the line in the wish section: 【In the future, I’ll tell sister first about anything.】

Before the pen touched down, Bai Yuqiao turned her head to ask Bai Kou: 【Can I change it?】

Bai Kou nodded. “Mm, you can.”

Bai Yuqiao smiled then, lowered her head—shadow falling over her nose tip—and wrote:

【Bai Kou, study hard. See you in Beijing.】