Chapter 76 Part 2

On second thought, she’d already managed to keep Jiang Yusheng from crossing paths with that scumbag. It wasn’t all that surprising if Zhao Lanzhao had picked up a friend in the neighborhood.

She bought the story.

“I see. Thanks so much for bringing it over, Senior Sister. But it’s getting late—you still need to go pick up Auntie, right? She’d probably be waiting for you.”

One moment, Jiang Yusheng had been inwardly patting herself on the back for her quick thinking. The next, reality slapped her in the face.

She was an idiot!

Why’d she have to pick that excuse of all things?!

Aaaah, what now?!

She was about to get kicked out!

No, no—calm down. She was smart. She could handle this!

With that, Jiang Yusheng actually composed herself. “I’d go straight to Mom’s first, of course. They’re still going strong. She’ll call when they’re done. What, are you trying to chase me off?”

Nice one!

Look at that—the tables had turned!

Hearing this, Bai Qian naturally wouldn’t say anything rude. “Of course I’m not chasing you away, Senior Sister. Since Auntie isn’t ready yet, why don’t you hang out here for a bit? I’ve got books if you want to grab one.”

Jiang Yusheng rejected the offer without a second thought. “No thanks.”

She cleared her throat to cover her abruptness. Her gaze flicked to the cup of oden, and a surge of unearned confidence welled up. “I’m staying to make sure you eat it. What’s the holdup? Don’t you like it? Come on, it’s still warm—dig in.”

Bai Qian shook her head. “I really appreciate you going out of your way for a midnight snack, Senior Sister, but I brushed my teeth ten minutes ago. Maybe not—”

The rest of her words caught in her throat at the sight of Little Rabbit’s eyes suddenly going all droopy and dejected. They stared at each other for a long moment before the young woman caved helplessly to that heartbreakingly pitiful expression. “Fine, I’ll eat it. How could I waste something you bought just for me?”

Little Rabbit’s foul mood evaporated in an instant. She fought down her rising smile and feigned nonchalance. “Do whatever.”

…

When it came to savoring her food, Bai Qian had picked up the original host’s leisurely habit. She ate slowly at meals—a single bowl, if she took it seriously, could occupy her for a solid half hour.

Fortunately, she had a small appetite. Normally, just half a bowl would fill her up.

Now she was eating oden, skewer after skewer of meatballs, with a famous extracurricular novel spread open before her right at the climax. As she chewed, her attention inevitably drifted toward the book.

Jiang Yusheng sat beside her, hoping to strike up a conversation. But seeing Bai Qian so utterly absorbed in her reading, she felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

Such a big rabbit like me is sitting right here in front of you!

And you’re reading a book instead of looking at me?!!

She was just about to voice her complaint when Bai Qian did something else.

The girl had just swallowed a meatball and seemed to find it a bit choking, so she brought her lips to the rim of the paper cup and took a delicate sip of the fresh, mildly spicy broth.

Her lips were naturally a soft pink, and now, moistened by the liquid, they looked even more tender and inviting.

Jiang Yusheng instantly forgot how to be angry. Her mind went blank, filled with just one thought—

Her lips look like they’d be so good to kiss.

Realizing what she was thinking, Little Rabbit’s face flushed bright red. She shook her head vigorously, trying to banish the dangerous idea from her mind.

But some things only grew stronger the more you tried to ignore them.

She couldn’t ignore it. Instead, vivid images began to form in her head—of the two of them kissing.

Right here in this room, with the girl pinned against the wall by her, hands gripped tightly, body unable to move under her pressure. That mouth, which had spouted all those wicked teases so many times, finally sealed shut by her own without mercy.

The moment their lips met, Jiang Yusheng shot up from her chair with a jolt.

The sudden movement startled Bai Qian beside her. She turned her head and froze at the sight of Jiang Yusheng’s face. “Senior Sister, why are you so red?”

It wasn’t the usual flush just on her cheeks or ears. This time, the crimson spread down along her jawline, staining everything it touched.

She was wearing a short round-neck athletic top that exposed a third of her collarbone. The glow of the late summer sunset painted across it made that already exquisite bone look suffused with a tempting, delectable pink.

Jiang Yusheng couldn’t even muster a retort this time. Her brain felt like its wires had been fried; she stood there like a powered-down robot, staring blankly at her.

The Female Protagonist in the original plot had never shown symptoms like this. Not even during her susceptible period had she ever blushed.

And since Bai Qian had no idea what Jiang Yusheng had been imagining in her head—what had led to this “self-inflicted punishment”—seeing her in such an abnormal state made her panic a little. Could it be a side effect from the inhibitor she’d made, after adding that lemon juice?

The thought made Bai Qian anxious, but on closer inspection, Jiang Yusheng’s ears weren’t sprouting fur, and aside from looking a bit dazed, nothing else seemed wrong. She tamped down her worry and called out again. “Senior Sister, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

Jiang Yusheng’s reaction was the same as before—stunned, like an idiot.

Bai Qian suddenly thought of a possibility. Could it have damaged her nerves?

Some foods were harmless on their own, but when combined with clashing ingredients, they could produce harmful substances in the body.

Could the inhibitor have been fine with the original recipe, but adding extra stuff disrupted its properties?

Jiang Yusheng’s brain finally rebooted. She sat back down, her body still burning with heat, but her voice sounded mostly normal. “I’m fine. Just a bit hot.”

Hearing her respond at last eased the stone of unease in Bai Qian’s heart.

She handed over the paper cup casually and stood to turn on the air conditioning. “Senior Sister, you’re way too sensitive. It’s almost October now—still getting this hot? Here, have some soup first. It’s cooled down; a sip should chill you—”

Thud.

Bai Qian paused mid-motion and turned at the sound. The cup Jiang Yusheng had been holding slipped from her grasp because she hadn’t gripped it tightly enough.

A large patch darkened on the girl’s black athletic pants where the broth soaked in.

Then, twin streams of nosebleed gushed from Little Rabbit’s nostrils, dripping onto the pants with a splat and mingling with the wet spot.

With the scene in such chaos, Bai Qian had no time to fiddle with the AC. She hurried back, pulling out tissues to hand over while asking with concern, “Senior Sister, are you really just hot? Why are you bleeding from the nose now?”

Did Jiang Yusheng dare tell her the truth?

Of course not.

For once, she didn’t snap back defensively. Instead, she meekly lied with downcast eyes. “This happens to me a lot, especially in summer. When it’s really hot, I get nosebleeds almost every night.”

Bai Qian blurted out without thinking, “How come I never knew you got nosebleeds in summer?”

After saying that, she realized something was off. Seeing that the other girl hadn’t caught on, she quickly changed the subject. “Senior Sister, why don’t you get up first? I’ll clean up here. You go to the bathroom and take care of your nose.”

Perhaps because the heat building inside her had turned into something tangible flowing from her nostrils, Jiang Yusheng had completely calmed down. She didn’t object and simply nodded. “Mm.”

Oden and soup were splattered all over the floor. Bai Qian first wiped it up roughly with some paper towels, but the smell of the food lingered. She decided to head to the kitchen for a basin of cleaning water mixed with dish soap.

Shen Chenyun hadn’t gone to sleep yet. When she saw Bai Qian come out, she asked, “Is Shengsheng heading back tonight? It’s so late. It wouldn’t be safe for a girl like her to go alone. If she’s willing, she could just stay over.”

“She’s here to pick up her mom. Her mom’s out drinking with friends and should be wrapping up soon.”

The woman still seemed worried. “That doesn’t sound safe either. Her mom’s been drinking, and Shengsheng’s just a kid. It’s almost eleven. Whether she walks or takes a cab, it wouldn’t be reliable. Qianqian, why don’t you ask her later and see if she’ll stay?”

Bai Qian thought about it and agreed. A drunk woman and a barely legal high schooler, out in the middle of the night—it really wasn’t safe. “Okay.”

By the time she carried the basin back into the room, Jiang Yusheng had already emerged from the bathroom.

Little Rabbit was no longer flushed. The color of her skin had returned to its usual pale shade.

“Let me handle it.”

Bai Qian glanced at the large wet stain on her pants. “No need. I’ll take care of this. Senior Sister, your pants are soaked like that. It can’t be comfortable. You should go deal with them first.”

Jiang Yusheng didn’t think it was necessary and was about to refuse when she heard her add, “If it’s bothering you, Senior Sister, you could just take a quick shower in the bathroom and change. My pants should fit you—they’re in the closet. Help yourself.”

The words she’d been about to say were swallowed back down once more.

Well… it did feel a little uncomfortable.

In that case, she might as well wash up while she was at it.

Bai Qian’s closet was neatly organized and spotless. One glance told you exactly where everything was kept.

Jiang Yusheng thought of her own closet at home. Even if she tidied it up ahead of time, it would be a mess again in just a couple of days.

A strange sense of shame washed over her.

She’d have to fold her clothes properly every day from now on.

Otherwise, if she ever brought someone back home…

What if they saw her messy closet and thought she was a sloppy rabbit!

Sure, her closet was a disaster, but she kept everything else neat!

“Senior Sister, can’t find anything?”

Jiang Yusheng snapped back to attention. “Found it.”

She grabbed a pair of relatively casual black pants at random and turned to head into the bathroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently caught sight of a pile of intimate undergarments.

Pink ones.

White ones.

They even had lace!

And little bows!

Snort—

The nosebleed that had finally stopped seemed poised to start again.

Caught off guard by the stimulus, she forgot to control her strength. With a loud bang, she slammed the door shut.

Bai Qian, who had been crouched on the floor scrubbing away the last traces of oden, jumped at the noise. She looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of the other girl hurriedly dashing into the bathroom.

Her footsteps were panicked, as if something terrifying was chasing her from behind.

Bai Qian: ?

Standing alone in the bathroom, Jiang Yusheng could hear nothing but the pounding of her own heart—thump, thump, thump, one beat after another, betraying the turmoil within.

That annoying fly she’d thought she’d swatted dead had buzzed back to life at the worst possible moment.

—You’re done for!

—You’ve fallen for a human!

—You’re toast, you’re toast!

—Time to taste the bitterness of love!

—Toast, toast!

Jiang Yusheng mentally shot back just as she had before.

I don’t like her at all!

Who needs romance!

What’s so great about dating anyway!

It’s not as fun as basketball!

I don’t like her!

The fly wouldn’t go away. It kept buzzing relentlessly in her ear.

Jiang Yusheng was getting seriously annoyed. She rushed over and cranked on the shower. Cold water poured down from above, shocking her body into sudden calm.