Chapter 61: The Humiliated Heiress of the Arranged Marriage (6) Part 1

Chi Miaohan finished her meal and left.

Bai Qian rose to see her off.

By the entryway, the girl was bending down to change her shoes when she caught sight of Bai Qian out of the corner of her eye. “Sister, what’s wrong?” she called out.

Bai Qian came to stand beside her, her gaze fixed on the suitcase sitting nearby. In a suspicious tone, she asked, “Aren’t you supposed to report in tomorrow? Why are you leaving today?”

“Sister, aren’t you planning to live off-campus with me? I need to get the housing sorted out in advance so you can move right in when the time comes.”

“There’s no need to look today, is there? After you report in tomorrow, you’ll still have half a day free. Isn’t that enough time to find a place?”

With ample financial resources, securing a suitable apartment was hardly a challenge.

And the Bai Family certainly didn’t lack for money.

Chi Miaohan explained, “I’ve already found a good one. I just got in touch with the agent, and we’re going to view it soon. The landlord will be there too. If everything checks out, we can sign the contract today.”

“That fast?” Bai Qian was stunned by her efficiency. “When did you start looking? Have you been planning not to live in the dorms all along?”

Chi Miaohan straightened from her half-bent posture, her slender fingers resting lightly on the handle of her suitcase. The simple scene took on the beauty of a painting, thanks to her tall, graceful figure and her exquisitely otherworldly features.

She had been staying with the Bai Family for over a month now, and with proper nutrition restored, the frail, bony thinness that had once defined her was gone.

In every way, she was perfect now.

Bai Qian was deeply satisfied with how she looked—like a wild rose she had rescued from the ruins, nearly withered away, now blooming once more with its rightful vibrant splendor under careful tending.

“Then I’ll head out. Once I get there, I’ll video call you right away. You can take a look at the place, and if you don’t like it, I’ll keep searching.”

“Good.”

Chi Miaohan turned to leave, but then paused as if remembering something. She released her grip on the suitcase and opened her arms toward Bai Qian. “Let me have a hug from Sister. I’ll miss you after being apart for so long.”

So long? It hadn’t even been a week.

Bai Qian grumbled inwardly even as her body responded without hesitation. She stepped forward into the embrace, just as she always had before, nestling her head into the crook of Chi Miaohan’s shoulder.

The soft sensation felt strangely unfamiliar. Realizing what she’d pressed against, Bai Qian froze, her expression stiffening as she abruptly pushed her away.

Ignoring the subtle shift in Chi Miaohan’s expression, Bai Qian stared straight at her—and found she had to tilt her gaze upward. A wave of grievance washed over her.

“Why are you still growing taller even after turning adult? You used to be just a tiny bit shorter than me, and now you’re taller than I am!”

Chi Miaohan realized the reason for her sudden change in demeanor and softened. With gentle indulgence, she drew the sulky little cat back into her arms. She dipped her head slightly, resting her chin against Bai Qian’s soft pink ear, and chuckled lightly. “But this way, I can hold Sister even better.”

Bai Qian missed the depth of emotion underlying those calm words. She was still wallowing in her dissatisfaction over being shorter than her own little sister. Petulant and unwilling, she wriggled free from the embrace, huffed, and shooed her away.

“Go look at the place already. And you’re not allowed to grow any taller! Got it?”

Chi Miaohan’s eyes brimmed with affection. “Alright. This height is just right. I don’t want to grow anymore anyway.”

All she had to do was lower her head, and she could meet those lips at the perfect angle.

~~~

There was no better height difference than this.

~~~

Bai Qian soon received a video call from Chi Miaohan.

She accepted it, and instead of Chi Miaohan’s face filling the screen, the view showed the new apartment.

The girl herself stayed off-camera, giving Bai Qian a virtual tour of their future shared home while explaining everything in her voice.

“This is the living room. There’s no TV yet, but the landlord said that if we’re sure we want one, she can help us get it.”

“The bathroom has a dry-wet separation, and there’s a bathtub here. It’s a bit smaller than the one at home, but it can still fit two people.”

“The balcony is great for drying clothes—it’s south-facing. Right now, you can catch the sunset. I think you’d like that, Sister.”

“The bedroom has a nice bay window, pretty spacious. We could decorate it with a few things or even set up a desk here for daily studying.”

“That’s the place overall. The landlord said the price is negotiable. What do you think, Sister?”

“There’s only one room? Does Miaohan still want to sleep with Sis?”

Bai Qian knew full well that no matter how strong a relationship was, maintaining it over the long term required keeping a healthy distance.

If they settled on this place—and barring any major surprises—they’d be renting it for four years.

Sharing a bed with Chi Miaohan for four straight years? She didn’t exactly mind, but it was hard not to think of all the similar situations out there.

Plenty of close friends with great relationships had rented together after college graduation. Some, to save money, ended up sharing a bed.

And more often than not, things didn’t end well.

The last thing Bai Qian wanted was for her and Chi Miaohan to wind up the same way. Even with the closest sisters, it was better to keep a little space between them.

—After all, they weren’t married. They couldn’t keep sharing a bed forever now that they were grown.

They’d already been sleeping together for over a month with no conflicts so far, but who could say for sure what time might bring?

Bai Qian wasn’t about to gamble on it.

She didn’t notice the way the girl across from her flinched at her words. Having made up her mind, she said bluntly, “Sis wants her own room now, so Miaohan, why don’t you look for a two-bedroom place?”

Chi Miaohan’s face turned so dark it could have dripped ink, but since the camera wasn’t on her, Bai Qian didn’t see it.

She forced her voice to stay calm. “Sis, you have to give me a reason. Why don’t you want to sleep with me all of a sudden?”

Bai Qian couldn’t explain her real reasons. She had a hunch that if she did, the girl would hit back with something like, “That’s other people. Sis and I will never fight.”

Back when they’d first met, Bai Qian could have shot that down without a second thought.

But now? The girl might actually be right.

Over the past month, Chi Miaohan had been incredibly indulgent with her.

The original host had been pampered rotten, with Auntie always preparing and delivering everything she ate or used right to her.

Then Chi Miaohan had shown up, and at some point, she’d quietly taken over Auntie’s role.

She’d even done it more thoughtfully than Auntie ever had.

The fruit she cut was always just the right size. Bai Qian only had to open her mouth, and it would be fed straight in.

When eating things with peels that needed spitting out, Chi Miaohan would hold out her palm without a hint of disgust, inviting Bai Qian to spit right there.

Bai Qian stopped dwelling on it. If she started picking apart every little thing Chi Miaohan had done for her lately, she’d be at it for hours.

Lacking a perfect excuse, she fell back on the most infuriating—but unfailingly effective—tactic.

The girl’s lips quivered in a pout, her eyes instantly reddening at the corners as she wailed softly, “You won’t even listen to me anymore. You never used to be like this, and now you’re making me explain why. Waaah, Chi Miaohan, do you not like Sis anymore?”

Every time she pulled this, her tears barely had a chance to fall before Chi Miaohan surrendered.

This time was no different.

Even with reluctance churning inside her, facing the girl’s tear-streaked, pitiful expression, she had no choice but to give in once more.

Bai Qian ended the video call, grabbed a tissue with crisp efficiency, and calmly dabbed at the tears that had predictably welled up in her eyes.

A sudden thought struck her: since this trick worked so well, if Chi Miaohan ever tried to go through with that arranged marriage to the scumbag man like in the original plot, maybe a good cry and a bit of fussing could make her back out?

It wasn’t the time to ponder that, though. Bai Qian shoved the idea aside in an instant.

Less than ten minutes later, Chi Miaohan called back on video.

Bai Qian stared at the noticeably upgraded new place and marveled once more at her efficiency. “How did you find a new place so fast?”

Logically speaking, if Chi Miaohan had started out looking only at one-bedrooms, finding a two-bedroom now shouldn’t have taken just ten minutes, right?

Was this the female protagonist’s golden finger at work in this world—max-level execution?

Chi Miaohan explained, “It’s from the same landlord as before, just in the neighboring complex. It took a little time to walk over.”

Bai Qian: “…” Money really made everything easier!

Same landlord, so the decor style was naturally similar.

She’d actually liked the previous one quite a bit, but it was a one-bedroom. This new two-bedroom was just as good, with most of the same amenities.

Bai Qian decided quickly. “Sis really likes this one. If there are no other issues, let’s go with it.”

Both the main and secondary bedrooms faced south and were roughly the same size—perfect for two people sharing.

“Good. Then I’ll go talk it over with the landlord. If there are no issues, we can sign the contract today.”

Bai Qian trusted her completely and stopped fretting over the apartment. She changed the subject instead. “Miaohan, what are you having for dinner? Cooking for yourself? Won’t that be too tiring?”

“I’m not hungry yet. I’ll tidy up the place first, and if I get peckish later, I’ll just order some takeout. When does sister plan to move in?”