The box of cookies lay quietly in the corner of the dining table, utterly ignored until lunch was over.
Only Guang Yu Meow kept eyeing it covetously.
Ye Zhibai’s verdict was clear: Mom, no need to feel down. Next time you want to bake cookies, just stick with this recipe.
But please don’t use chibi images of me and Yun’er for the molds anymore, okay?
See this cat lying next to me? That would make a perfect subject.
After the meal, Yun’er and Zihan cleared the table and washed the dishes together, each more eager than the other.
Their enthusiasm was so intense, they looked ready to snatch a plate and snap it in half just to scrub both pieces!
Fang Qing watched the scene with deep satisfaction.
She assumed the girls had grown up and were demonstrating their sense of responsibility for household chores to their elder—herself, in other words.
Little did she know, they were simply showing Ye Zhibai the true meaning of diligence, all to stockpile some praise-begging leverage afterward.
Fang Qing’s presence had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Sitting alone across from Fang Qing left Ye Zhibai feeling a touch awkward.
With everyone crowded around the table earlier, conversation had flowed easily enough. But now, alone together… words suddenly failed her.
For some reason, Mom was gazing smugly toward the kitchen, saying nothing.
If you won’t talk, are you expecting me to kick things off? Do you think I’m some social wizard?
Sorry, but for a split second, I’d deluded myself into thinking I wasn’t a total conversational disaster. What a fool for even imagining it.
She might not know what to say, but Ye Zhibai certainly knew how to make an exit.
“I… I’ll go help them with the dishes. See you.”
“Hey, Little Zhibai, hold on. Do you really need three people to wash a few dishes? Why not sit here and chat with Mom instead?”
“Sure…”
“You have no idea—chances to talk with you one-on-one are so rare. Every time I even suggest it, Yun’er grabs a riot shield like I’m some bloodthirsty monster. Utterly ridiculous.”
“Ha…”
“It’s just… Little Zhibai, don’t you think Zihan is such a sensible girl? So eloquent, too?”
“Yeah…? She’s got a quip for every occasion, while my word bank is pretty sparse.”
“No need to sell yourself short. Talking isn’t even your strong suit.”
“Mom…”
“As long as you can open your mouth and get words out, that’s plenty. Compared to when you were little, it’s a massive leap! So chin up and have some confidence!”
Mom really knew how to comfort someone—her words were pure warmth.
Only then did Ye Zhibai realize she had no reason to fret over running out of topics.
Fang Qing’s chatter came like a machine-gun barrage, relentless and unending. No need for Ye Zhibai to rack her brain at all.
“I have a feeling that from now on~ I won’t be able to count on Yun’er for anything. I’ll need you to help me out more. And get this—I really like Zihan. She’s got a strong will, she’s understanding of people’s intentions, a whiz at housework, thoughtful and considerate. It’s a shame she’ll have to leave the Maid Corps when school starts… Sigh. If she’d agree, I’d even adopt her as our daughter! Hee… Our family would be way more lively with three girls, right? Kidding, of course~ If I said that for real, Yun’er would come at me swinging.”
“Oh… huh?” Ye Zhibai had zoned out, but Fang Qing’s risky comment snapped her back. She cautiously glanced toward the kitchen, then turned to Fang Qing with some well-meaning advice. “You
can’t joke about that… Yun’er won’t hold back.”
“Understood, understood~ My waist still aches from last time—I haven’t forgotten the pain once the scar healed. Hmm… So I was wondering, is there another way to keep Zihan around our house more often?”
“……”
Another… way?
—”Little Bai’er, I can say it as many times as it takes: I like you.”
!!!
Why was her mind dredging that up out of nowhere?
No… if blame was to go around, it was Mom’s fault for saying something so weird!
Ye Zhibai maintained her usual cool, impassive expression, but her head whipped back and forth like a pendulum, desperately trying to cool off. Her dazzling silver hair scraped repeatedly across the table, prompting the Guang Yu Meow in her lap to bat at the strands with its paws—like they were a teasing cat toy.
Seeing her eldest daughter suddenly seize up like this, Fang Qing waved her hands frantically, trying to calm the episode.
“What’s wrong, Little Zhibai…?”
“Nothing. I just… don’t quite get what you mean.”
“That hard to understand…? I was asking if you could persuade Zihan to keep working here after college graduation. Hmm… Now I’m curious—how did you take it? Such a huge reaction.”
“!”
“Ah, ah… Don’t tell me… my Little Zhibai’s reached that age too? So innocent~”
Mom, what on earth are you talking about!
Fang Qing’s gaze held a teasing glint, yet it pierced like she saw right through everything.
Her eyes matched Yun’er’s color exactly, but their light was worlds apart.
Staring straight at them now, Ye Zhibai realized Mom’s eyes resembled an impossibly deep lake—bright on the surface, yet utterly opaque to whatever lay beneath. Whatever you’re thinking! That “innocent” label felt all wrong anyway!
Fang Qing just smiled, saying nothing.
She planted her hands on the table and rose, circling over to the fridge to rummage around.
Moments later, she returned—but not to her old seat.
Instead, she plopped down right beside Ye Zhibai.
Ye Zhibai stole a glance and saw a block of frozen tofu in her hand—freshly frozen, still quite soft.
With a meaningful smile, Fang Qing snapped the tofu cleanly in two before Ye Zhibai’s eyes.
Then… she performed a motion that made Ye Zhibai’s thighs clench tight.
Fang Qing stacked the halves back together and began squeezing them rhythmically along the seam, heedless of the tofu crumbs crumbling onto the table.
What… was this about?
“Little Zhibai, be honest with Mom.”
Fang Qing’s voice dropped markedly.
It fell below the splash of faucet water hitting the kitchen sink.
Lower even than Ye Zhibai’s heart, which stuttered in realization before pounding all the harder.
“You and Yun’er… have you already crossed that line?”
“Wh-which line?”
“This one. See what I’ve got here? Oh, for my pure-minded Little Zhibai, that might be too vague. Fine, straight talk: when you two are alone, have you done anything on the bed li—”
“Stop.”
“?!?”
Little Zhibai?! Talking to your own mother like that—so disrespectful?!
N-no… I’m a dutiful daughter, I swear, but this was an emergency. No better word came to mind to shut down that ominous line of questioning.
Truth be told, Ye Zhibai’s mind had gone completely blank in the moment.
Eh… Huh? What was even happening now?
Could a parent really ask their daughter something so bluntly?
More to the point… why spring this on her out of the blue?
It felt exactly like the time your secret stash of “study materials” on the computer hard drive got discovered—not with scolding, but with your parent smilingly asking if you’d put them to any naughty use.
Talk about a bizarre scene!
Even stranger: Guang Yu Meow seized Ye Zhibai’s daze to snatch the cookie box right off the table, then slunk away to safer ground.
Nobody’s stopping cookie time today!
In truth, Ye Zhibai’s response needed no words at all.
The sight before Fang Qing only confirmed her suspicions beyond doubt.
The silver-haired beauty sat with furrowed brows and bowed head, her fingers unconsciously intertwining atop her thighs.
Her gaze darted helplessly left and right, lingering most often toward the kitchen—as if pleading for Yun’er to swoop in and save her.
Aiya… the very picture of a lovestruck couple’s reliance?
Fang Qing crooked a finger to her lips and let out a soft chuckle. That single smile sent Ye Zhibai’s heart into utter turmoil!
Still, her sluggish speech kept Ye Zhibai sounding unflappably calm, no matter what.
“You… how did you know?”
“Oh my, Little Zhibai—should Mom keep teasing, or do you want the answer right now~?”
“Hiss…”
“Hey, no frowning! Boo… I can’t bear to lose another daughter to dote on. Yun’er’s rough enough with me as it is—don’t you go copying her… Sigh. Fine, straight to it.”
Fang Qing cleared her throat delicately, twirling a finger in the air as she launched into her explanation.
“The truth is, I’ve known since you were kids that things would end up here someday. It’s the inevitable trend—no stopping it.”
“Since we were kids…?”
“You bet. You wouldn’t know~ Back when Yun’er still relied on me, she’d run over every few days declaring she wanted to hug her big sister. She’d stare at you from afar, eyes glued. At first, I figured she was just a shy kid wanting to act spoiled. But it kept happening… and I started sensing something off.”
“Kids say stuff like that all the time, though…?”
“The words? Normal enough. Her demeanor when she said them? Not so much.”
“What demeanor?”
“Face flushed beet red, neck bulging, breathing ragged like she was burning up with fever. And she was just this tiny little thing, hiding in her room muttering about liking you, liking you… Little Zhibai, it was downright creepy. You get it, right?”
“……”
Fair enough.
I get it.
