Bai Yuning softened her tone, making herself sound less forceful. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not interrogating you. I’m just a little curious.”
“That brat Jiang Che has had terrible taste since he was a kid. He chased that Lin Wanwan for two whole years. Our entire family was worried sick.”
“And now that they’ve finally broken up, just two days later he brings such a well-behaved and pretty little fairy like you in front of me. Of course I’m surprised.”
“So, what I want to confirm is whether you, this tender little cabbage, are willing to let our family’s pig—who finally picked the right cabbage for once—have a chance?”
Her half-serious, half-teasing words made the atmosphere lighter. Su Qinghe gradually relaxed and let go of her final hesitation.
Aside from Jiang Che, this was only the second person who had treated her like this.
Someone gentle with her, considerate of her embarrassment, and who would say directly, “I support you.”
All the grievances and fear she had been suppressing for so long suddenly found an outlet.
Tears welled up in Su Qinghe’s eyes again. Between sobs, she began telling everything that had happened to her over the past month.
How her family had suddenly gone bankrupt, and her parents had disappeared with her younger brother.
How those so-called relatives had seized their property, locked her in the attic, and beaten her.
How her eyes had been damaged from the beating, how she was driven out of the house, and how she rummaged through garbage bins in the back alley for food like a stray dog.
The smile on Bai Yuning’s face slowly faded as she listened.
Shock and disbelief darkened her gentle features at first, then gave way to deep sympathy and heartache.
She had always believed that after more than twenty years of life, she had seen all kinds of people and understood both the good and evil of human nature.
But hearing the girl recount such inhuman suffering through tears made her realize she had still been too naive.
Especially when Su Qinghe mentioned that she had been beaten blind by those beastly relatives, Bai Yuning could no longer hold back. She pulled the frail girl into her arms and hugged her tightly.
Gently patting her thin back, she waited until Su Qinghe’s sobs quieted before taking out a wet wipe and carefully wiping her face.
“Alright, alright. Don’t cry anymore.”
Just looking at that tear-streaked face made her chest ache. She could not understand how those monsters had the heart to hurt her like that.
“With me and Jiang Che around from now on, no one will dare bully you again.”
“Jiang Che may look harmless and a bit silly most of the time, but if anyone dares touch someone he cares about, he’ll rush up and tear them apart.”
She knew she was exaggerating a little, but it was mainly to reassure the girl.
Su Qinghe understood she was being comforted. She obediently let Bai Yuning wipe her face and murmured a nasal “Mm.”
“Oh, by the way, Qinghe.” Bai Yuning threw the used wipe into the trash can and asked casually, “You said your relatives drove you out. Do you have somewhere to stay now?”
Su Qinghe shook her head, fingers twisting together nervously. “I… I’m staying at Jiang Che’s house now.”
“??”
Bai Yuning had just turned on the faucet to wash her hands. Hearing that, her hand jerked and water splashed everywhere.
She did not even bother wiping it off. She spun around and stared at Su Qinghe, her voice jumping an octave. “What did you say? Where are you staying?”
Startled by her reaction, Su Qinghe shrank back slightly and spoke even more softly. “At… Jiang Che’s house.”
“Damn.”
The always elegant Doctor Bai could not help letting out a curse.
She strode over in two steps, grabbed the girl’s shoulders, and stared at her in disbelief. “You two are already living together?!”
Wait a minute. What is this progression?
Even someone like Bai Yuning, who had seen plenty of things in her life, was shocked.
Just two days ago, Jiang Che had still been chasing Lin Wanwan. And now Su Qinghe was telling her they were living under the same roof.
Was this still her innocent, pure-hearted cousin?
Su Qinghe could not see her expression. Afraid Bai Yuning had misunderstood and would think she was improper, she waved her hands repeatedly in panic. “N-no, that’s not what I mean! Not living together like that…”
“I… I can’t see right now and I had nowhere to go. Jiang Che only took me in because he pitied me.”
“He sleeps in his room and I sleep in mine. We didn’t… we didn’t do anything…”
The more she tried to explain, the more flustered she became. She had finally gained some approval from Jiang Che’s family. The thought of losing it made tears gather again.
Seeing her anxious and incoherent explanation, Bai Yuning burst out laughing.
“Silly girl, why are you panicking?”
She gently brushed aside a stray lock of hair near Su Qinghe’s ear, smiling playfully. “So what if you’re living together? I’m not some old-fashioned antique.”
“Besides, this is a good thing.”
Su Qinghe froze. “A good thing?”
“Of course it’s a good thing!” Bai Yuning leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Since you like him and you’re staying at his house, what does that mean? It means you have the advantage of proximity. The one closest to the water gets the moon first, little sister.”
Su Qinghe bit her lower lip, her expression dimming slightly. “But… Jiang Che doesn’t feel that way about me. He just treats me as a friend, like a younger sister who needs taking care of.”
When he explained earlier, he had clearly said they were just friends.
She wanted to claim him as her own, to become his woman and stay by his side forever. But she only dared to think those thoughts in her heart.
She did not dare to hope for too much in reality. As long as she could remain beside him, even as someone he took in out of pity, she was already satisfied.
“Tsk.”
Bai Yuning tapped her forehead lightly. “Are you silly? I know men very well. If he didn’t feel something for you, would he bring you home? Would he use family connections to investigate things for you? Think about it. It doesn’t add up.”
“In my opinion, that silly boy just hasn’t figured it out yet. Or maybe he doesn’t even realize how special you are to him.”
She adjusted her glasses, a sharp glint flashing behind the lenses. “Since he hasn’t realized it, we’ll just help him along.”
Su Qinghe “looked” ahead blankly. “Help him? How?”
Bai Yuning leaned close to her ear and began whispering. The usually gentle and refined older sister now wore a mischievous grin, chuckling softly like a little devil.