Chapter 49: The Caged Bird Infected with a Vicious Disease (4) Part 2

Bai Qian called back a quick response, scooped up Yu Niannian’s belongings, and took the little girl’s hand as naturally as breathing, leading her out.

The other woman trailed alongside, neither reaching for her nor speaking a word, as if she’d been replaced by an entirely different person.

At the car, Jian Wanqing instinctively moved toward the passenger door.

A glimpse of the little girl sitting primly in the back seat jolted her like a thunderclap. She snapped to attention, determination flashing in her eyes, and veered toward the rear door instead.

Jian Wanqing settled beside Yu Niannian. The little girl beamed at her sweetly. “Auntie Jian, thank you for the gift. I love it.”

The woman, who had steeled herself moments before, unraveled all over again at those words.

The burning heat in her cheeks didn’t subside—it flared even brighter than before.

Jian Wanqing couldn’t fathom why Yu Niannian made her so ill at ease, but she knew she needed to build a rapport with the child. She let out a silent breath, clenched her jaw, and forced the words out. “Hello, Little Nian—”

Her eyes met the girl’s, those limpid, untainted orbs like flawless glass, and her nerves short-circuited once more.

The composed greeting she’d rehearsed—”Hello, Little Nian. I’m your godmother’s friend, and I hope we can get along well”—dissolved into a stammering mess: “Hello, Little Nian. I-I want to be… be your mommy!”

Bai Qian: ???

Yu Niannian: ???

The instant the words escaped her, Jian Wanqing realized her blunder. She rushed to clarify, only making it worse. “I didn’t mean it like that! I just… I like your godmother, so I want to take care of you alongside her. Little Nian, don’t worry—whatever love your godmother’s given you so far, we’ll give you twice as much from now on!”

That frantic explanation sprang straight from her heart.

And with it, the nameless tension that had gripped her since laying eyes on Yu Niannian evaporated in a rush.

Had Jian Wanqing ever watched one of those TV dramas where the protagonist meets their partner’s parents for the first time, she would have recognized her odd behavior instantly.

She was simply meeting the daughter of the woman she loved.

The driver up front darkened her expression at once. “If you don’t know how to talk to Little Nian properly, I suggest you keep quiet.”

Her tension gone, Jian Wanqing regained her poise. Mindful of the child in the car, she wisely held her tongue on anything inappropriate.

“Weren’t you the one who told me? Little Nian doesn’t like it when people lie to her. I don’t want her to hate me, so naturally, I had no choice but to tell her the truth!”

Bai Qian had no intention of arguing with her. If they went too far right now, this woman might blurt out something inappropriate in front of the child, and that would spell disaster.

She glanced into the rearview mirror and saw that the little girl’s expression hadn’t changed. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. “Little Nian, don’t listen to her nonsense. Auntie Jian and I are just friends—nothing more.”

Yet Yu Niannian’s face took on a hint of self-reproach instead. “Godmother, are you refusing to admit your relationship with Auntie Jian because you’re afraid I’ll overthink things?”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m actually really happy. Before today, I’d always been worried that you weren’t dating anyone because of me. Now that I know you’re in a relationship, I’m truly glad. So, Godmother, you really don’t have to hold yourself back for my sake.”

She repeated her words earnestly. “Godmother, it’s wonderful that you can date Auntie Jian.”

That conflicted look on Yu Niannian’s face—self-blame mingled with genuine joy for her godmother—was utterly heartbreaking.

Bai Qian’s prepared explanations died on her lips the moment she saw that sensible, obedient expression. She suddenly couldn’t bring herself to say another word.

Before she could come up with a way to handle the situation, the other party in question—ever eager to push her luck—helped deepen the little girl’s misunderstanding. “So, Little Nian, you’re fine with Auntie Jian helping take care of you alongside your godmother from now on?”

The little girl flashed a sweet smile. “If Godmother likes it, then I like it.”

Bai Qian: “…”

Godmother doesn’t like it!!!

~~~

What happens when a daughter misunderstands that her godmother is romantically involved with the live-in housekeeper hired to help around the house?

Bai Qian stood off to the side, utterly despondent, watching as the woman and the child warmly discussed how to arrange Jian Wanqing’s toiletries on the vanity.

“Auntie Jian, Godmother’s room already has a mirror. Why did you buy a new one?”

Jian Wanqing answered honestly. “I was originally going to sleep in the last empty room in the house, but now, because of you, I get to move into the master bedroom.”

Yu Niannian blinked in confusion. “Was it Godmother’s plan for you to stay in the empty room? Why? And why do you say it’s because of me that you can move to the master bedroom?”

“Without Little Nian, your godmother never would have started dating me.”

The little girl grew even more puzzled. “But didn’t you and Godmother start dating long ago? Why is it because of me? Are you two only just confirming your relationship now?”

Jian Wanqing played her role as someone terrible at lying to perfection. “Actually, your godmother and I—”

“We confirmed our relationship yesterday.”

Bai Qian, who had been holding her silence until then, spoke up just in time to cut her off before she could say anything truly shocking.

Ignoring Jian Wanqing’s instantly inflamed expression, she turned calmly to Yu Niannian. “Little Nian, if I’m not mistaken, you still have yesterday’s diary entry unfinished, right? Let the adults handle things here. Go back to your room and finish your homework first. You can chat more with Auntie Jian later.”

The little girl left obediently.

The moment she was gone, the softness in Bai Qian’s expression vanished.

“Miss Jian, from now on, in front of Little Nian, I hope you won’t mention a single word about that night.”

Jian Wanqing looked aggrieved. “I’m not an idiot! Little Nian’s still so young—how could I possibly tell her about that? Besides, I know full well that what counts as flirtatious fun in front of you could be outright harassment if said in front of others.”

Bai Qian’s lips twitched at the words “flirtatious fun,” but she quickly regained her composure and moved on to the more pressing matter. “Because of your poor choice of words, Miss Jian, Little Nian now has the wrong idea about our relationship. You know how she feels—her sense of security isn’t all that strong yet—so I can’t explain the truth to her right now. For the time being, I’ll need you to play the part of my fake girlfriend in front of her.”

Disappointment clouded Jian Wanqing’s bright eyes. “Ah? Just for a little while? You’re so stingy. I’d pretend with you for a lifetime if you let me.”

Bai Qian: “…”

Then, as if struck by a thought, the woman shook her head. “Ah, no, wait—we can’t pretend forever. I’m going to date you for real someday! So, a little while it is. But if I do a good job, can it turn into the real thing later on? Can I get promoted to your actual girlfriend?”

“Do you want me to give you the same answer again, Miss Jian?”

Jian Wanqing pouted. “No need—I’ve got it memorized. Hmph. Saying you don’t like it now… who knows, you might change your mind later!”

Bai Qian didn’t take the bait. “By the way, there’s one more thing I need to tell you, Miss Jian. Although we’re sharing a room now, it’s plenty big. I can lay something out on the floor, and there’ll still be room for a person to sleep.”

“No way! I’m not sleeping on the floor!”

Without so much as a furrowed brow, Bai Qian replied calmly, “All right then. You take the bed, Miss Jian, and I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No! I want to sleep with you! Bai Qian, that’s too cruel. You let me catch the scent of you but won’t let me share your bed? I’ll be up all night with insomnia from now on!”

Bai Qian said offhandedly, “In that case, I’ll just tell Little Nian you’re not used to sharing a bed with someone, so you’ve decided to take the empty room after all.”

Jian Wanqing backpedaled at once. “Fine, fine! Separate beds it is.”

“No need. I’ve realized that excuse I tossed out really does solve our little housing dilemma. Miss Jian, if you wouldn’t mind packing up your things? Congratulations—the empty room is yours again.”

Jian Wanqing panicked. “If you send me packing to that empty room, I’ll go straight to Little Nian and tell her you’re ruthlessly dumping me because of her!”

Bai Qian frowned. “So you’re planning to threaten me with Little Nian?”

Indignant, she shot back, “You threatened me first! Fine, I won’t share the bed with you. I’ll sleep on the floor like a good girl—just don’t kick me out.”

In the end, Bai Qian couldn’t help worrying that Yu Niannian might get the wrong idea. Not entirely unexpectedly, she caved.

Rubbing her temples, she said, “I’m going to make dinner. Sort out your things.”

Jian Wanqing abandoned her packing and started to trail after her. “I came to your place to help out around the house. You can’t do all the cooking yourself!”

“You’re sure you know how?”

Seeing her brimming with such confidence, Bai Qian couldn’t help feeling a twinge of doubt.

The female protagonist now was quite different from the one in the original plot in many ways. So it wasn’t impossible that the original-plot version, who couldn’t cook to save her life, had somehow picked up the skill?

Under the weight of that skeptical gaze, the confidence on Jian Wanqing’s face crumbled bit by bit.

Her eyes darted away, her voice dropping as guilt crept in. “Well… actually, I don’t know. But I always pick things up fast. Cooking’s got to be the same! Just give me a shot, and I might surprise you in ways you never expected!”

Bai Qian was speechless. A surprise? Like blowing up the kitchen?

“Cooking can wait, Miss Jian. Don’t you want to get to bed tonight? Make up the bedding first.”

Jian Wanqing blinked innocently. “Huh? You want me to make the bed myself? I only know how to… arrange stuff…”

Bai Qian had seen it coming. With a helpless sigh, she took the bundled-up quilt core from the woman’s arms.

It wasn’t heavy. With a casual flick toward the headboard, she shook it out flat and even.

She unpacked the matching bedding next, gave the duvet cover a shake just like the quilt, then laid it neatly over the core.

Bai Qian went through the process with meticulous care, demonstrating each step for her.

Once it was done, she unpacked the made-up quilt again, stepped back, and yielded the spot. “Miss Jian, I just showed you how. Now you give it a try.”

Jian Wanqing didn’t respond right away.

Bai Qian turned and caught her staring off into space.

“Miss Jian?”

She raised her voice just a touch, snapping the woman out of it.

“Huh? What’s up?”

“Did you catch how I made the bed just now, Miss Jian?”

Jian Wanqing stared fixedly at the hand gripping one corner of the quilt. “Bai Qian, your hands are so beautiful. I love them.”

The thought of what that hand had touched before made even this thick-skinned troublemaker blush for once. “Next time, before it gets to work, let me give it a lick first.”

Bai Qian: ???

“Oh, right—what were you saying? I got distracted by your hand and missed it. Sorry!”