Chapter 29

Bai Tongsheng’s execution was as swift as ever.

Bai Shuangshuang had been kept up until the wee hours of the morning and only managed to fall asleep then. When she woke the next day, the sun was already hanging high in the sky.

She hadn’t even opened her eyes yet when she realized someone was holding her in their arms.

The scent was all too familiar, so she had no qualms about disturbing the other person. In fact, with a touch of vindictive satisfaction, she wrenched herself free from the embrace with all her might.

Her body had barely straightened halfway when a firm hand yanked her back down. The world spun, and suddenly lips pressed against her forehead.

Mortified and furious, she swung her foot up to kick. “Bai Tongsheng! What the hell has gotten into you this early in the morning!”

Bai Tongsheng effortlessly pinned her in place, patting her head with an innocent expression. “It’s just the routine good morning kiss.”

“Bullshit!”

Shuangshuang, who never swore, was so incensed that the words flew out of her mouth.

In high spirits, Bai Tongsheng rose languidly from the bed. “It’s noon already. I’ll go make lunch. Feel free to stay in bed a little longer.”

Shuangshuang fumed there for a while before abruptly throwing off the covers. Her eyes landed on the unfamiliar items now cluttering the room, and she felt a wave of despair crash over her.

When the hell had this maniac moved all her stuff into her room?!

~~~

“Shuangshuang, we’ve been on break forever and haven’t hung out once. No time like the present—come over to my place today? I rigged up a mini home theater. We can binge movies all night!”

Shuangshuang had only been to Jiang Chan’s house once before.

She hadn’t even stayed half a day when Bai Tongsheng showed up and more or less strong-armed her into going home.

Now that Jiang Chan was inviting her again, Shuangshuang thought of being alone with Bai Tongsheng—of those wandering hands and the shameless, hypocritical lines—and immediately said yes.

“Sure. I’ll pack now and crash at your place tonight.”

“Sweet! Then I’ll hit the store for some groceries. You still up for cooking today?”

Catching the faint note of eager embarrassment in her friend’s voice, Shuangshuang laughed. “Relax, I can cook. Name it, and I’ll make it.”

“Awesome! Talk soon—you remember where I live, right? Want me to meet you at the corner?”

“Yeah, no need. I got it.”

After hanging up, Shuangshuang dove into packing.

Bai Tongsheng had gone out shopping, so she had to make her escape before she got back.

Something told her that if Bai Tongsheng found out, she’d be lucky to make it out the front door!

As the big sister, she felt she was living in utter humiliation. She couldn’t even rein in her own little sister—what a pathetic state.

~~~

Bai Shuangshuang finally breathed a sigh of relief once she was settled on the bus.

Excellent. Mission accomplished: escape successful.

But her triumph lasted all of two seconds before her phone buzzed. Heart sinking, she glanced down. Sure enough—Hell Call.

She wavered for several agonizing seconds between answering and ignoring it before finally, grudgingly, hitting accept.

“Where are you?”

“I’m going to Jiang Chan’s! Bai Tongsheng, I’m not some object—I’m a person. I have my own things I want to do, so stop trying to control me with your ideas and force me into stuff I don’t want!”

She rushed the words out, her heart hammering in her chest.

Bai Tongsheng had always been fiercely possessive of anything she considered hers.

Take her room, for instance—Shuangshuang had never set foot in it, not in her previous life or this one. That said it all about the depth of her sister’s possessiveness.

Before yesterday, she’d never imagined getting caught up in it herself. But after what Bai Tongsheng had done and said, every odd behavior from before suddenly clicked into place.

She knew possessiveness was a human trait, varying in intensity from person to person.

But she wasn’t Bai Tongsheng.

She couldn’t comprehend it, which meant she hated being coerced by it into things she didn’t want to do.

Like last time, when Bai Tongsheng had dragged her home and she’d snapped in rare fury.

But—

The moment Bai Tongsheng softened her stance, forgiveness came all too easily, beyond her control.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks: she might be a little messed up herself.

“Mm. Go ahead.”

Bai Tongsheng’s response cut through her spiraling thoughts. Before Shuangshuang could even process her own feelings, the line went dead.

She’d expected to feel elated. Bai Tongsheng’s quick agreement was exactly what she’d been craving—she ought to be over the moon.

But she wasn’t.

A frail, sickly thing slithered over the little sprite of happiness in her chest, pressing down slowly until it filled every inch, leaving no room for anything else.

She felt as if there was something wrong with her heart.

~~~

Bai Tongsheng didn’t disturb her.

As night deepened, she had stayed at Jiang Chan’s home until ten o’clock.

During that time, everything had proceeded just as she had anticipated before coming over—orderly and smooth.

Except for her ailing heart.

“Is this movie too sad? I feel like your mood’s off today. Let’s not watch this one then. I’ll find a comedy, the kind that makes you laugh until you cry. Hang on a sec.”

Her outward emotions had become so obvious that even Jiang Chan noticed.

Bai Shuangshuang stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you to come back before starting.”

She splashed water on her face and stared at the dazed, somewhat unfamiliar face in the mirror. A surge of panic welled up inside her.

What was this state she was in right now?

Her phone suddenly rang.

She hoped it was that person, yet at the same time, she didn’t.

Glancing at the screen, she patted her cheeks and slowly answered the call, her eyes fixed straight on the reflection in the mirror.

“Bai Shuangshuang, it’s ten o’clock.”

She watched as the corners of the mouth in the mirror lifted in an almost imperceptible arc that she couldn’t suppress.

“Mm.”

The other side fell silent, as if pondering something.

Then she heard herself calmly take the initiative. “I’m not going back tonight. You don’t need to wait up for me.”

After saying that, it felt as if she saw herself standing on a single-log bridge.

She was waiting for one sentence—a sentence that would decide whether she turned back or pressed forward.

A voice in her heart whispered: Just like before, agree.

That way, everything would be fine.

Her heart wouldn’t get sick again.

“Don’t even think about it. I’m coming to get you right now. Pack your things obediently and get ready to go home.”

She saw the person in the mirror break into an involuntary smile. The figure who had stepped onto the single-log bridge neither turned back nor went forward—she simply tumbled off.

But she didn’t shatter into pieces. A hand gripped her tightly.

The voice in her heart said—

Bai Shuangshuang, you’re done for.

The owner of that hand also said—

It’s okay. I’m here.

~~~

Bai Shuangshuang watched the person hurrying toward her through the night. When the other stopped in front of her, face full of suppressed anger and on the verge of speaking, the corners of her mouth curved up gently. Then she rose on tiptoe and hugged her.

Bai Tongsheng gritted her teeth in exasperation. “Bai Shuangshuang, don’t think that by doing this, I’ll let you stay over. Letting you linger until now is already my limit—”

“A-Sheng, let’s go home.”

She froze, sensing that something about the other had changed, but her body reacted first, seizing her hand. “You said it yourself—if you regret it halfway, I won’t let you go back.”

Bai Shuangshuang gazed at their clasped hands, unsure if she was answering this question or something deeper. “Mm, I don’t regret it.”