Jealous??
Bai Yanzhou suppressed his craving for a cigarette as he leaned back in the car. Shushu lay in the safety seat beside him, sucking on her little hand. Her eyes were beautiful—dark and bright—and even her hair resembled her mother’s.
“No sucking your hand,” Bai Yanzhou said, extending his slender fingers toward her. She quickly grabbed hold of them.
Shushu was dressed in pink baby clothes, wriggling her tiny body and occasionally letting out soft murmurs.
Bai Yanzhou couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth into a smile. Then he took out his phone and called a psychologist he knew: “Hey, Old Wei, it’s me.”
An annoyed voice came from the other end, sounding not very old: “If you call me Old Wei again, I’ll fight you. I’m only thirty, and you make me sound like I’m halfway in the grave…”
Bai Yanzhou stroked Shushu’s soft little hand with his thumb, too lazy to argue: “Are extreme behaviors after childbirth an initial sign of depression?”
There was a brief silence on the other end: “Staying by your side, wanting to die is pretty normal…”
If a good person stayed by his side for half a year and didn’t go crazy, they must have achieved enlightenment.
Bai Yanzhou hadn’t intended to say much, but the other person kept digging for details, so he explained the cause and outcome of the situation.
A long sigh came through the phone: “Pay more attention to her emotions, especially when the sun sets or when it rains. If she’s unusually cheerful during the day but starts crying at night, you need to be careful.”
Bai Yanzhou gave a quiet “mm” before ending the call.
At school.
That day, Pei Wanyou wasn’t having a great time. She had only been absent from school for two days, but Jiang Lu had already made new friends and brought them over to introduce to her.
Pei Wanyou liked lively company, but with several new people suddenly joining their close sisterhood, she often couldn’t keep up with the conversation and didn’t know what to talk about.
She even felt somewhat left out. They were discussing new anime releases, buying merchandise, and various conventions and gatherings—topics she couldn’t understand at all.
After school, Jiang Lu tied her jacket around her waist and casually draped an arm over Pei Wanyou’s shoulder. She said with a smile, “I finally found someone to share the rent with. Otherwise, the rent was just too expensive.”
Located within the Bai family’s jurisdiction and close to the school, the rent had skyrocketed. Jiang Lu had considered living on campus, but she loved cosplaying, and with all the props, costumes, and wigs, dorm life simply wouldn’t provide enough space.
“I’m sorry, I talked to my brother about it, but he still won’t agree to let me move out,” Pei Wanyou said, turning to Jiang Lu with a guilty expression. She had mentioned this before but hadn’t been able to make it happen.
Jiang Lu sighed. “Logically speaking, you’re old enough now. Your brother is way too strict—this isn’t allowed, that’s forbidden. It’s like he’s raising a canary.”
“He’s worried I’ll get into danger,” Pei Wanyou replied, her voice tinged with melancholy. “But he’s getting married soon, so he probably won’t have time to keep such a close eye on me anymore.”
“Ah, another handsome man lost to the world, and not even mine,” Jiang Lu said with a regretful expression.
Pei Wanyou couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s antics. “He’s incredibly controlling. If you really married him, you wouldn’t be able to admire any of the handsome guys in your collection.”
“Damn, that just makes it more appealing! Imagine him gripping my neck, consumed with jealousy, asking if I didn’t get enough last night…” Jiang Lu even raised a hand to cover her face. “No, I can’t—it’s too embarrassing.”
“Get out of here, you’re still shy…” Pei Wanyou laughed and nudged her. How could she be like this? Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.
Bai Yanzhou had such strong hands—if it really was as Jiang Lu said… No, she suddenly remembered something incredible.
“Lulu.” At that moment, a girl in a short skirt walked over, carrying two cups of milk tea and some oden.
Pei Wanyou was still thinking about what happened that night—Bai Yanzhou kissing her, asking if she felt good…
“Youyou, little Youbao?” Jiang Lu gently pinched Pei Wanyou’s cheek. “What are you thinking about? Want some milk tea?”
Just as Pei Wanyou reached out, she heard a steady voice from afar and looked over…
Bai Yanzhou stood in front of a black car, dressed in a suit, his golden hair particularly dazzling. The boys passing by him were at least half a head shorter.
“I’m leaving first.” Pei Wanyou said, walking quickly toward him.
Bai Yanzhou didn’t allow her to get too close to anyone around her, especially regarding her identity, or it might attract people with ulterior motives.
Bai Yanzhou opened the car door, placing his hand on the frame. “Why are you so slow?”
Pei Wanyou sat in the car, watching Jiang Lu and her new roommate share snacks, both laughing happily. She rested her chin against the window, gazing longingly.
Seeing this, Bai Yanzhou slammed the car door shut. Instead of getting in immediately, he went to the milk tea shop.
Pei Wanyou was still wondering when Bai Yanzhou returned with a hot milk tea—nothing added, not even full sugar, just half.
“This… this doesn’t taste good at all…” Pei Wanyou held the milk tea, muttering softly.
Bai Yanzhou reached out, snatched the milk tea, and rolled down the window…
Pei Wanyou hurriedly lunged forward. “How can you be like this? I didn’t say I wouldn’t drink it. Give it back.”
Bai Yanzhou’s large hand gripped Pei Wanyou’s waist as he extended his arm out the window. “Why were you twenty minutes late leaving school?”
“Why do you have to control everything?” Pei Wanyou said, slapping his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
“Your temper is getting worse.” Bai Yanzhou pinched Pei Wanyou’s cheek.
Pei Wanyou bit her lip and looked at Bai Yanzhou, her hands clenched tightly into fists as if holding something back.
Remembering the psychologist’s words, Bai Yanzhou let go. “You don’t need to make useless friends like these. They have no value to you.”
“I don’t want to bother with you.” Pei Wanyou crossed her arms and leaned back in the seat. “Is your purpose in making friends to use them?”
Bai Yanzhou sighed. “I don’t need friends. I need brothers who would go through life and death with me—people I’d take a bullet for. Can your friends do that?”
Pei Wanyou took the milk tea from Bai Yanzhou’s hand and took a few sips. “I don’t know how to argue with you, but I know what you’re saying is wrong!”
“You’re the eldest daughter of the Bai family. If anything happens to us in the future, we’ll rely on you to hold things together. Can these people risk their lives for you?” After saying this, Bai Yanzhou touched the milk tea cup—it was still warm.
Pei Wanyou pinched Bai Yanzhou’s cheek. “Hurry up and say it—pah, pah, pah! Such a jinx! Why are you so pessimistic? Our whole family will live to a hundred!”
Bai Yanzhou turned his face away. Besides the elders in the family, only she dared to pinch his cheek like this.
Pei Wanyou refused to let it go, feeling it was too unlucky: “Hurry up! I’m not joking with you!” She looked extremely serious, her brows furrowed, and the strength in her hand unconsciously increased.
“Are you living in a fairy tale world?” Bai Yanzhou gripped Pei Wanyou’s wrist. Despite her small frame, her strength was surprisingly strong.
They could face death at any moment, yet she still lacked the ability to survive on her own. Her mind was constantly preoccupied with trivial matters like “having a child with him,” to the point where she had even made herself sick.
Pei Wanyou’s eyes reddened, her gaze misty: “If you don’t say it, I’ll ignore you for the rest of my life.”
“Pah—”
Bai Yanzhou leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Childish temperament—no matter what was said, she wouldn’t listen…
“Hey, what are you spitting for? Do it three times in a row, and add ‘jinx’ after it.” Pei Wanyou wiped her eyes as she spoke. Wasn’t this just a harbinger of doom? Talking nonsense.
Bai Yanzhou crossed his legs. He was used to it—pinching his thigh only hurt for a moment, but if it were somewhere else…
However, after waiting for a while, Pei Wanyou didn’t reach out her hand. Instead, she pouted unhappily and looked out the window.
It seemed she had been avoiding direct physical contact with him.
It appeared she had taken his previous comment about her pinching his leg to heart.
When they arrived home, Lu Shu’an and Liu Yanxing were in the yard trying to entertain Shushu, both of them flustered and clumsy, as if possessed by ghosts.
Neither of them was short, dressed in suits, yet they were bent over—one waving a foxtail grass, the other… well… perhaps simply… not the brightest.
“You’re finally back.” Lu Shu’an straightened up, rubbing the small of his back with his hand. “This little ancestor has been crying nonstop. Feeding her milk didn’t help either.”
Liu Yanxing rubbed his waist. It hadn’t even been put to use yet, but it already felt half-ruined.
“His back isn’t good.” Lu Shu’an said, giving Pei Wanyou a meaningful look. “The standard for judging a man is his waist.”
“Damn it, can’t you watch your words?” Liu Yanxing grew anxious. Saying his waist wasn’t good in front of Pei Wanyou—no wonder his bird—couldn’t rise. It was all because of his lack of virtue.
Pei Wanyou looked disgusted. “Then I’ll never get married. Every man I’ve ever seen has a bad waist.”
Lu Shu’an glanced at Bai Yanzhou, his gaze drifting down to his waist: “…”
“Don’t talk nonsense in front of the child.” Bai Yanzhou said as he bent down and picked Shushu up from the stroller.
With all the commotion here, Alma next door naturally heard it. She had slept on the floor last night—cold and hard, leaving her whole body sore and uncomfortable.
Thinking of yesterday, her eyes reddened slightly. She had stripped down like that, yet Bai Yanzhou hadn’t even glanced at her. He just put on earplugs and went straight to sleep.
She believed her figure wasn’t bad, and her voice wasn’t so unpleasant that it required earplugs, yet he showed no reaction at all.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had a daughter, she would have suspected he had a dysfunction. Otherwise, how could he…
But then again, Bai Yanzhou’s charm lay in the fact that he wouldn’t yield to desire. With a man like this, there was no worry about him being seduced by other women after marriage.
Bai Yanzhou didn’t even react; he was just annoyed by her calls. It was like the cries of cats in spring—wailing and howling, so irritating he wished he could just open the door and throw her out.
The same sound, when made by some, could be seductive and enchanting, making one willing to give their life for it. When made by others, it was a pity they weren’t mute.
He would never have any involvement with other women! Pei Wanyou was an exception.
Pei Wanyou stood beside Bai Yanzhou, teasing Shushu: “She pooped yesterday and kicked it all over me. I was so frantic.”
Bai Yanzhou lowered his gaze, his voice deep and low: “No wonder.”
Liu Yanxing stood to the side, one hand in his pocket: “That’s still pretty mild. When you were little, you kicked—”
Lu Shu’an covered Liu Yanxing’s mouth: “I’ll poison you mute tomorrow.”
Alma came in from outside carrying coffee: “I heard it was lively over here, so I brewed a few cups. Dinner will still be a while.”
She was already acting like half the mistress of the house, ordering around the Bai family’s servants.
When Pei Wanyou saw Alma’s neck, she took several steps back. Perhaps due to lack of sleep lately and feeling unwell, her heart ached terribly.
Lu Shu’an raised an eyebrow and sat down on a chair. He had told Bai Yanzhou before—when it itches, just pinch it a couple of times. Clearly, he hadn’t listened.
With things like this, either don’t do it at all, or once you start, you’ll want to keep doing it. If you don’t, you’ll crave it—that feeling must be unbearable.
“Sister-in-law is family, no need to be polite.” Liu Yanxing thought to himself, pleasing the future sister-in-law was just like pleasing Bai Yanzhou.
Whether he could marry Pei Wanyou depended entirely on him. If Bai Yanzhou didn’t give his approval, nothing anyone else said would matter.
Bai Yanzhou looked at Liu Yanxing: “Shu’an, I support your earlier suggestion.” After saying this, he patted Shushu’s back to help her burp.
Lu Shu’an spread his hands helplessly.
Pei Wanyou was completely confused. What kind of riddle were these three men playing? Why couldn’t she understand?
Alma placed the coffee on the stone table: “Yanzhou and I aren’t married yet, so it’s better to call me sister for now.” Even though it was fake, hearing it still made her happy. Her gaze toward Bai Yanzhou grew tender and affectionate.
Bai Yanzhou showed no intention of acknowledging her. His hand gently patted Shushu’s back—formula milk often caused gas.
“Sooner or later,” Liu Yanxing said, then glanced at Pei Wanyou standing nearby. When would they finally get together?
Pei Wanyou looked up and met Liu Yanxing’s gaze: “Why does your expression look so creepy? It’s disgusting.” With that, she headed toward the main house.
Liu Yanxing was speechless. He was 187 cm tall, and while his looks might not compare to Bai Yanzhou’s, they surely weren’t “creepy”… right?
Lu Shu’an nearly spat out his coffee: “Come have some coffee, you creep.”
“What did you say to upset her?” Bai Yanzhou hadn’t heard clearly what happened, but seeing the short-legged girl angrily kick the door told him Liu Yanxing must have said something inappropriate.
Alma’s gaze fell on Shushu. All of Bai Yanzhou’s attention was on this child. As long as she was around, he had no extra time to look at anyone else.
“…”
It seemed she couldn’t tolerate this child. She wanted her future husband to belong entirely to her alone.
Pei Wanyou collapsed onto the bed. The pain in her heart was growing more severe. It seemed she really shouldn’t stay up late anymore.
Just then, her phone lit up with a message from Jiang Lu.
Jiang Lu: [The seniors organized a mixer with the school next door. Come with me? There’ll be handsome guys to look at.]
Pei Wanyou sighed: [I can’t. My brother won’t allow it.]
Jiang Lu: [It’s just near the school.]
Pei Wanyou rested her chin on a pillow: [My brother will hit me. I don’t dare…] She truly didn’t dare. His hands were so strong—getting spanked would hurt for a long time.
Jiang Lu sent a sighing emoji: “Just come with me, I’m too scared to go alone. Besides, you haven’t spent time with me in ages.”
Pei Wanyou fell into thought—she didn’t have many friends to begin with: “…”