“Isn’t Sang Dad from the Sang Family?” Yue Bai was baffled. She had never paid much attention to the affairs of the various families in her daily life, and Yue Yi naturally wouldn’t bring them up with her either.
“No,” Sang Wan said flatly.
Yue Bai caught the fleeting flicker of sadness on Sang Wan’s face and immediately dropped the subject. She naturally ladled a bowl of soup for Sang Wan. “Here, have some. It’ll warm your stomach.”
Sang Wan stared at the few glistening drops of oil floating on the surface of the pork rib soup. Without a word, she drank it all down. Then she pulled out a napkin to wipe the oil from the corners of her mouth before taking the initiative to wash the bowl and chopsticks.
“I’m going to take a shower first,” Sang Wan said after resting for a bit.
“I’ll grab that set of pajamas for Senior Sister.” Before long, Yue Bai returned with a set of winter pajamas. “They’re clean.”
Sang Wan paused for two seconds. “Do you have a thinner pair?”
“Oh? Sure.” Thinking that Sang Wan might not be used to the thicker ones, Yue Bai turned around and fetched a thinner set, handing it over.
Sang Wan entered the bathroom.
Yue Bai sat obediently on the sofa, her long, slender legs propped unceremoniously on the table. After mulling it over, she still decided to send a message to Yue Yi.
“Sis, did you go looking for Senior Sister today?” Yue Bai typed.
She waited a full minute, but there was no reply. Yue Yi was probably busy.
Yue Bai gave up waiting. She opened the delivery app and ordered two cups of milk tea for a late-night snack.
She selected the familiar brand and two cups of the same milk tea. Just as she was about to pay, Yue Bai hesitated for two seconds and changed the sweetness on one of them to five sugar.
“Little Bai, where’s the hairdryer?” Sang Wan poked half her body out of the bathroom, her hair still dripping wet.
“I put it in the bedroom. Hold on, I’ll get it for you.” Yue Bai jogged into the bedroom to grab the hairdryer.
“Senior Sister.” She stood in the doorway of the bathroom.
Sang Wan was tilting her head to one side, using a towel to wipe the water from her hair. Strands of dark hair fell naturally, with a few damp wisps clinging to her cheek.
Seeing Yue Bai, the girl half-lidded her eyes, set down the towel, and nodded toward the wall outlet covered by a protective cap. “Plug it in for me.”
Yue Bai hummed in acknowledgment.
“Senior Sister, want me to blow-dry it for you?” Yue Bai asked after setting the temperature and speed.
“Sure.” Sang Wan didn’t refuse. She curved her back slightly, her ink-black hair falling in a straight line along one side of her face.
Yue Bai stepped closer and turned on the hairdryer. The mechanical whir filled the bathroom. Yue Bai threaded her five fingers through the dark locks. Sometimes she encountered tangles from the towel drying, and she would carefully tease them apart with her fingertips, bit by bit.
Five minutes later, with her hair nearly dry, Sang Wan spoke softly, “That’s good enough. Don’t blow it too dry.”
“Okay.” Yue Bai switched off the hairdryer.
Sang Wan combed her hair in front of the mirror, then glanced down at the pajamas she was wearing. The fabric and material were top-notch—the only downside was their durability. They wouldn’t tear easily.
Sang Wan licked her lips and stepped out of the bathroom.
Her phone rang. Yue Bai guessed it was the delivery person and answered. Sure enough, it was.
She checked the peephole to confirm who was outside, then opened the door and took the items from the delivery person’s hand. “Thanks.”
“Little Bai, what did you buy?” Sang Wan happened to walk out just then. Her gaze fell on the items in Yue Bai’s hands—the plastic bag bore the brand name. “Milk tea this late?”
“It’s not that late.” Yue Bai handed over the cup with three sugar.
“You.” Sang Wan took it with a helpless sigh.
The two returned to Yue Bai’s bedroom. The projector screen descended slowly. Each cradling a cup of milk tea, they leaned against the headboard of the bed. The screen’s glow illuminated their faces, making them shine brightly.
“What does Senior Sister want to watch?” Yue Bai asked.
“Anything’s fine. How about an animated movie?” Sang Wan suggested.
“What about Coco?” Yue Bai asked as she searched.
“Sure,” Sang Wan nodded. “I’ve heard of that one.”
“Yeah, it’s a really meaningful animated film. I’ve seen it before, but watching it again should still give me something new.” Yue Bai took a sip of the milk tea in her arms and queued up the movie.
In the screen’s light, Sang Wan easily noticed the label on her own milk tea cup.
She stuck in the straw and took a sip.
“So sweet.” Before Sang Wan could speak, Yue Bai frowned and voiced it first. She blinked her big, watery eyes twice and looked puzzled at the label on her cup. “I clearly ordered three sugar. How did it turn into five?”
Sang Wan lowered her gaze to look at her.
The same trick twice wasn’t fresh anymore—especially since it had been spotted the first time.
But Sang Wan was willing to play along.
“Mine’s three sugar. Want to swap?” Sang Wan offered considerately.
“Yes,” Yue Bai said firmly.
Sang Wan let out a soft chuckle and patted Yue Bai’s little head. “Senior Sister already drank from it.”
“So what? I’m not picky.” Yue Bai took it as a given. “We swapped last time too, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, we swapped last time. So how come you haven’t learned your lesson this time?” Sang Wan’s words carried a smile, her tone even. “Besides, these are both pearl milk teas. How exactly did you manage to pick one three sugar and one five sugar?”
Regular milk tea defaults to standard sugar. If ordering two of the same, you just tap the plus once more at the end.
“Or are you doing it on purpose? Just wanting to drink from Senior Sister’s?” Sang Wan poked right at her thoughts with every word.
Yue Bai’s wrist went stiff. Had she been that obvious?
“Sen—” She had barely gotten the word out when the person beside her snatched the milk tea from her hand.
Sang Wan took a light sip, then cupped the back of Yue Bai’s head with her palm, pulling her straight into her embrace. Their lips met.
Yue Bai’s pupils dilated bit by bit. The milk tea’s fresh sweetness flooded her mouth wildly. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, the sound blending into the movie’s opening score.
Sang Wan pulled back. She licked the lingering sweetness from the inside of her mouth and curved her lips in satisfaction. “Is the five-sugar milk tea good?”
Yue Bai’s mouth was full of that sweetness, threads of it winding around.
“It’s… good.” Yue Bai bit her tongue tip to keep from losing more composure.
“Still want to swap?” Sang Wan pressed.
“No need.” Yue Bai shook her head.
Sang Wan handed the milk tea back.
Yue Bai bit lightly on the straw. The brown milk tea climbed up it and flooded into her mouth.
Hm… it didn’t seem quite as sweet anymore.
It’s way milder than when Senior Sister fed it to me, Yue Bai thought.
The movie began. For the nearly two-hour runtime, Yue Bai leaned against Sang Wan, watching with utmost seriousness.
As the plot unfolded, Yue Bai’s body gradually straightened up. Sang Wan glanced at her without a word and tightened the arm around her, drawing Yue Bai back into her embrace.
“So the scariest thing is forgetting,” Yue Bai murmured wistfully at the end, nuzzling Sang Wan’s neck. “Then I’ll never forget Senior Sister in this lifetime. I’ll remember you forever and ever, until my very last moment.”
Yue Bai seemed unable to fully express her feelings, organizing her words over and over. “Senior Sister will remember me forever too, right?”
Sang Wan turned her head and kissed her lips tenderly. “We’ll be together for life. Why talk about forgetting?”
“Mm…” The sound melted into her mouth.
In the morning, Sang Wan didn’t go for her usual run. She held Yue Bai and slept in peacefully.
Until the doorbell rang, disturbing their light slumber. Sang Wan slowly opened her eyes, her pupils swirling twice in their sockets.
The doorbell kept going. Yue Bai stirred irritably, her lips pursing in displeasure.
Sang Wan carefully got up.
In her unconscious movement, she tugged the blanket, and Yue Bai—still groggy with sleep—hugged Sang Wan’s dangling waist. “What are you doing?”
Her voice was husky and clingy from just waking. Yue Bai tightened her arms around Sang Wan, pressing her whole body flush against her. The slightly firm texture made Yue Bai’s hands slide up and down.
Sang Wan’s gaze darkened steadily.
“Be good. Someone’s at the door,” Sang Wan said softly.
“What time is it?” Yue Bai asked.
“Ten-thirty,” Sang Wan checked her phone.
“Mm… then I guess I should get up too.” Yue Bai said she would, but her body showed no sign of moving. Her fingertips brushed the hem of Sang Wan’s pajama top, and following her still-foggy mind’s impulse, she slipped her hand inside.
The soft, boneless hand met warm skin. Sang Wan’s body went rigid, heat rising all over.
“Senior Sister’s got such defined abs… Too bad I don’t.” Yue Bai mumbled. After a moment, she finally withdrew her hand.
Sang Wan grabbed the edge of her pajama top. She took a deep breath, scattering her stray thoughts.
The person outside seemed convinced someone was home and kept pressing the doorbell relentlessly. Yue Bai grew annoyed by the noise and sat up abruptly, throwing off the covers.
“Little Bai.” Sang Wan, who was about to change clothes, saw her like that and hurried to pull her back. “Wait. It might be someone looking for your sister.”
Yue Bai pouted, letting out a deflated hum. She turned and headed into the bathroom, leaving the doorbell to ring every minute.
After washing up and changing, Sang Wan twisted the doorknob.
“The big shot finally deigns to open the door? …Sang Wan! What are you doing here?” The voice outside shifted tone the instant the door opened.
“Yan Nianyi?” Sang Wan blocked half the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” Yan Nianyi’s face darkened.
Sang Wan shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were nothing new, and stepped aside to let her in.
“Senior Sister.” Yue Bai emerged slowly from the bathroom after freshening up, still in her pajamas. A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes at the sight of the visitor.
“All done?” Sang Wan turned her head and casually closed the door.
Seeing the unfriendly look on Yan Nianyi’s face, Yue Bai instinctively took half a step back. Her heel bumped against the wall, and the chill of the tiles made her shiver reflexively. Only then did she realize that this was her own home.
“Who are you?” Yue Bai composed herself and asked politely, adopting the demeanor of the homeowner.
Yan Nianyi’s gaze fixed on the clothes Yue Bai was wearing—pajamas, which meant she had slept here last night.
“And who are you?” Yan Nianyi ignored the question entirely and fired one right back.
Yue Bai let out an “ah.”
She stared at the woman in bewilderment. “This is my home…”
What she left unsaid was: You’re the one who showed up at my house without introducing yourself, and now you’re questioning the owner? Is that appropriate?
Yan Nianyi paused for a moment. Then she carefully sized Yue Bai up and down, from her eyebrows all the way to her calves.
Yue Bai pressed her lips together, feeling deeply uncomfortable.
“Stop staring. She’s Yue Yi’s little sister,” Sang Wan said helplessly, cutting in. She leaned lazily against the cabinet by the door. “Her biological sister.”
At those words, Yan Nianyi stopped her scrutiny. A brilliant smile blossomed across her face. “Ah Yi’s little sister! No wonder she looks a bit like Ah Yi.”
Yue Bai: “…”
This woman must be here to put on a face-changing act.
Unfazed as always, Sang Wan walked over to Yue Bai and made the introduction. “This is Yan Nianyi. She’s… your big sister’s good friend.”
Sang Wan had settled on a suitable way to put it.
“Hello, Sister Yan,” Yue Bai said.
“What a good girl.” The form of address made Yan Nianyi’s smile deepen even further. “Way more obedient than your sister.”
Yue Bai: “…”
“Right, perfect timing since you’re here.” Yan Nianyi turned to Sang Wan, pulled out her phone, and tapped the screen a few times. “I’ve sent you the pictures. I’ll transmit the electronic files later.”
