“Wow, so cute!!!”
A female teacher spotted Fu Qianping walking into the office with a timid white-haired girl trailing shyly behind her. She let out an excited squeal and hurried over, her eyes sparkling.
“Is this Sister Qianping’s daughter? She looks just like a doll—so adorable!”
Her words immediately drew the attention of everyone in the office. Several colleagues who usually got along well with Fu Qianping set aside their work and rushed over to join in the fun.
The exclamation startled the white-haired girl, who quickly ducked behind Fu Qianping, refusing to show her face. This left the teachers who hadn’t gotten a glimpse of her sighing in disappointment.
“Come on, Shishi. Say hello to Mom’s colleagues,” Fu Qianping said gently, stroking her head. “It’s okay, don’t be scared. Everyone here is nice.”
Hiding behind Fu Qianping, Bai Shishi said shyly, “Hello, uncles and aunties.”
Her little feet shuffled slightly, but she shrank back even further, showing no intention of peeking out. She looked just like a frightened little animal.
An unusual scene formed at the office doorway.
A crowd of teachers gathered at the inner entrance of the office, while Fu Qianping stood at the door with the white-haired little girl hiding behind her. They were completely blocked in.
Bai Shishi pressed even tighter against Fu Qianping’s back, ensuring that no matter how curious the other teachers were, they couldn’t catch a glimpse of her.
“Her voice is so clear and crisp, but it has this sweet, soft, sticky quality to it. So cute!”
After hearing her voice, the female teachers grew even more excited in their discussion.
“Yeah, yeah! It’s kind of like that little deer’s call we heard last time at the wildlife park.”
Ugh, these people are really scary. I want to go home.
Bai Shishi sneaked a glance at the teachers, then cautiously looked behind her.
No, I can’t. At the very least, I have to see Xiao Yi.
Besides, Xiao Yi said he’d introduce her to the president and Xiao Huo… Too bad Pigeon isn’t around. I hope the president and Xiao Huo will be easier to get along with.
With that thought, she gently tugged at Fu Qianping’s clothes.
Fu Qianping noticed the movement and shook her head with a wry smile.
It seemed this child still wasn’t quite used to the outside world. She was so afraid of strangers—why had she suddenly insisted on coming to the school?
Was it just because of that online friend she’d mentioned last night? The more Fu Qianping thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
“Does she go to high school?” the female teacher asked curiously, eyeing her height.
“Yeah, though she’s been homeschooled,” Fu Qianping replied on reflex. “But she’s almost graduated anyway.”
“Mom.” Bai Shishi called softly and tugged at her clothes again.
Fu Qianping snapped back to reality and said to her colleagues with an apologetic smile, “Sorry about that, she’s a bit shy around strangers. I’ll take her somewhere else to wait.”
Though she did want to help Bai Shishi adjust to the world outside sooner, her daughter’s feelings came first.
Besides, these things couldn’t be rushed. And now, wasn’t there a good opportunity? Fu Qianping comforted herself inwardly.
“Sorry, little one. We didn’t mean to scare you.”
The female teacher came to her senses and offered a sincere apology, then made a suggestion.
“If you go out the office door and head right to the end of the hallway, there’s a classroom that should be empty right now. You can wait there for a bit.”
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Though she still had no intention of showing her face, Bai Shishi politely thanked them.
“Goodbye, uncles and aunties.”
As for why she didn’t call them big brothers and sisters—instead of Mom’s colleagues, how would she address Xiao Yi and the others?
A girl who hardly ever left home wouldn’t know the finer points of social etiquette.
But being cute had its privileges.
None of the teachers were upset. Instead, they waved at her with cheerful smiles. “Come back again next time!”
Bai Shishi followed behind Fu Qianping as they walked down the corridor.
She curiously peered into the classrooms on the right side of the hall, where classes were in session. The sight of the teachers on the podiums and the students below felt utterly unfamiliar to her.
For her, university was a place where even the classrooms brimmed with novelty.
They finally reached the classroom at the far end of the corridor. Just as the female teacher had said, it was completely empty.
Fu Qianping led Bai Shishi inside and sat with her in the front row beneath the podium.
Bai Shishi swung her little legs gently as she looked around the spacious, empty classroom.
“Are you tired?” Fu Qianping asked with a smile, ruffling her hair. “Let’s sit here for a bit. They’ll be here soon.”
“A little, but I’m okay.” Bai Shishi nodded, her pale little face full of anticipation. “I already messaged Xiao Yi.”
“It’s him again. You’re just online friends—you haven’t even met in person,” Fu Qianping said with a wry smile, trying to her. “Don’t forget what Mom told you: be careful with strangers.”
Bai Shishi pursed her lips and frowned, saying nothing.
Fu Qianping sighed and decided to try a different approach. “Can you at least tell Mom about him?”
“Okay.” Bai Shishi’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.
…
He was still racking his brain, wondering how to explain to the counselor that he wasn’t some creep trying to abduct her daughter.
Suddenly, Yan Nuoya spoke up beside him. “The teacher says they’re waiting for us in a classroom.”
He blinked, then realized what she meant. He pulled out his phone and saw the new message from Bai Bai.
“Alright, let’s go.”
The two of them headed to the office floor and walked down the corridor to the end. Before they even entered the classroom, they heard a sweet, soft voice speaking quietly.
“At the time, I’d just started playing this game called Warcraft. I didn’t know anything and accidentally stumbled into a small group chat for a guild…”
Mo Xiangwen’s heart skipped a beat. He was about to tell Yan Nuoya he didn’t want to go in, but she was already halfway through the door. He gritted his teeth and followed.
As soon as he stepped inside, he saw a white-haired girl in a white sailor uniform chatting animatedly with the counselor.
The two sat side by side, the daughter eagerly sharing her story while her mother listened with gentle warmth.
What a heartwarming picture.
If only the story the girl was telling had nothing to do with him.
Yan Nuoya also noticed the white-haired girl. Just as the counselor had described, her hair color was similar to her own.
But Yan Nuoya’s was a bit more silvery, while the girl’s leaned more toward pure white.
And that might have something to do with her health. Yan Nuoya looked at the girl’s pale profile and felt a pang of sympathy—and relief.
It was a good thing she’d taken on the counselor’s request. And the guy beside her had been willing to help too.
“Teacher, we’re here.”
Yan Nuoya knocked lightly on the door. At once, the white-haired girl in the classroom stopped talking and turned her gaze—along with her mother’s—toward the pair at the entrance.
What a beautiful big sister and handsome big brother. They had this matching vibe, an inexplicable sense that they just went together.
The thought made Bai Shishi feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
But for her, that was nothing new.
Still, she instinctively shifted her focus to Yan Nuoya’s hair.
Just like Mom said—her hair was special too, white like hers.
No, not quite. This big sister’s silvery white was way prettier than hers.
And the big sister looked so confident and poised, with this majestic beauty that she could never match.
…Where’s Xiao Yi? The girl felt inexplicably unhappy.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Teacher.”
Mo Xiangwen gathered his thoughts and was about to say something when he suddenly noticed the white-haired girl standing up.
That’s when he realized she was wearing a white sailor uniform.
Truth be told, seeing Bai Bai in a sailor uniform didn’t surprise him.
University students weren’t restricted much in their clothing choices—they wore whatever they liked.
A sailor uniform was just a youthful, cute outfit. Plenty of girls wore them.
As for Bai Bai, in his mind, she was even more of a shut-in than him. It made sense for her to wear something so otaku-coded.
But what he hadn’t expected was that it was a white sailor uniform.
White hair, red eyes, delicate and cute features—it gave her this fragile, doll-like, dreamlike quality.
The girl, whose skin was pale to the point of looking sickly, now wore an all-white outfit, like a snow sprite that had stepped out of a blizzard.
Hmm… Bai Shiyin, Bai Shishi—same white hair, red eyes. What a coincidence. Why not throw on some white stockings while you’re at it? Mo Xiangwen felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Ahahaha… Good thing, good thing he hadn’t told Bai Shishi what he’d written back then. He couldn’t help feeling relieved at his own foresight.
Bai Shishi’s cheeks flushed with excitement, and she hurried over in a rush.
“Hey, Shishi, careful!”
Fu Qianping jumped in surprise and called out a reminder.
Bai Shishi trotted right up to him, her face beaming. “Xiao Yi? Is that you?”
Well, that was it. No need to scheme anymore—just face the counselor’s wrath head-on.
Still, he hadn’t expected her to recognize him so easily. Just a moment ago, she’d looked at him and Yan Nuoya like total strangers, clearly on her guard.
In the next second, joy bloomed across her face once more, like melting ice giving way to the return of spring.
Mo Xiangwen nodded with a faint smile. “It’s me. But here, you’ve got to call me by name.”
There was one other thing, though.
As he answered, he sneaked a glance at Yan Nuoya and finally caught a flicker of surprise on her otherwise calm face.
Yes, perfect.
“What’s Xiao Yi’s real name?” Bai Shishi asked.
Her question pulled his attention right back.
“Mo Xiangwen,” he replied. “You can just call me Xiangwen from now on.”
“I’m Bai Shishi—the ‘Shi’ from the Classic of Poetry.” Bai Shishi extended her pale, delicate hand toward him, beaming. “Just call me Shishi. Nice to meet you!”
Mo Xiangwen glanced at her soft-looking hand, then at the counselor standing frozen in place.
After a moment’s hesitation, he took Bai Shishi’s hand under her expectant gaze.
Her skin had that uniquely girlish smoothness, though it felt a bit bony by comparison.
He couldn’t say if it smelled sweet, but it definitely wasn’t as soft as he’d imagined.
They shook hands lightly and released almost immediately.
Bai Shishi glanced at Yan Nuoya beside him, then covered her cherry lips with a hand and whispered, “So, is she the president? Or Xiao Huo?”
Yan Nuoya stared at him in silence, a strange unease stirring in her heart.
Mo Xiangwen winked at her and chuckled softly. “Neither. She’s just my classmate. She doesn’t know the president or Xiao Huo at all.”
“Oh… I see.” Bai Shishi’s gaze toward her regained a hint of wariness.
“But later, I can take you to meet the president and Xiao Huo,” Mo Xiangwen added with a light sigh. “As for Pigeon, though, I have no idea when she’ll show up.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Yan Nuoya pinpointed the source of that odd feeling in her chest.
He definitely knew who she was.
No, that wasn’t the point.
Back at the milk tea shop a couple of days ago, she’d already guessed as much and prepared herself mentally.
So what was he doing…? Yan Nuoya could guess his intentions almost immediately, putting herself in his shoes.
A surge of irritation made her teeth itch; she wanted nothing more than to sink them into him.
Yan Nuoya opened her mouth, searching for words to salvage the situation, but nothing came to mind.
Just then, Fu Qianping finally approached.
“Classmate Mo Xiangwen, do you know my daughter?”
Her voice sounded gentle, but Mo Xiangwen couldn’t shake the faint undercurrent of menace in it.
“Ah, Mom, this is the Xiao Yi I told you about.”
Pride lit up Bai Shishi’s face, her tone carrying an odd sense of boasting.
“My best friend, Xiao Yi.”
Fu Qianping nodded thoughtfully. “I see. So you’re the online friend Shishi mentioned, Mo Xiangwen.”
No time to dig himself deeper. Mo Xiangwen’s heart skipped a beat, and he rushed to explain. “Teacher, I can explain!”
“Go ahead.”
Fu Qianping seemed remarkably calm, which only made him more uneasy.
“Most of the people in our group are girls,” Mo Xiangwen said, forcing a strained smile. “It’s a perfectly normal group. We just met playing games—ordinary online friends, nothing more.”
“And I only found out yesterday that Bai Bai is your daughter.”
“That’s fine.”
“Wait… what? What did you say?”
Mo Xiangwen had been bracing for another struggle when her unexpected words caught him off guard.
“I said it’s fine.”
Fu Qianping shook her head, as if exhaling a long-held breath, shedding some invisible burden.
“You’re my student, after all. That makes it even better.”
“Shishi already knows you well, and as my student, no one could be more suitable. It’s far preferable to handing her off to some stranger of unknown origins.”
Mo Xiangwen let out a breath of relief. He hadn’t expected the counselor to be so open-minded. He’d dodged a bullet.
“Of course. Rest assured, Teacher. Yan Nuoya and I will show Bai Shishi around campus properly.” Mo Xiangwen nodded solemnly. “Shishi and I are friends. I’ll make sure she has a great time.”
“Mm. Then I’ll leave her in your hands.”
Mo Xiangwen glanced at Yan Nuoya beside him and winked, his words pointed. “Classmate Yan, don’t you have something to say?”
Speak? Yan Nuoya shot him a look, her teeth grinding with irritation.
