“What?”
Fu Yi froze instantly, failing to react even as Ye Xunshu approached her, weeping with fury.
Only one question occupied her mind: Ye Xunshu, how could she be here?
“Xunshu?”
Before Fu Yi could finish, Ye Xunshu had already rushed in front of her. She grabbed Fu Yi’s hand and cried, “Does Sister Fu Yi think it is fun to be a liar? Is it fun to deceive Xunshu?”
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Fu Yi truly couldn’t process it for a moment. “No, I didn’t… deceive you.”
The little rabbit stared at her with bloodshot eyes. Fu Yi actually felt as if there were knives hidden in that gaze; if she gave the wrong answer, her end would be tragic.
For instance, being bitten to death by a rabbit.
Fu Yi’s brain was still in a state of chaos. She needed to organize her thoughts to explain things to Ye Xunshu, but Ye Xunshu was growing anxious, her grip on Fu Yi’s hand unconsciously tightening.
Fu Yi let out a sharp hiss of pain.
Ye Xunshu gave her a suspicious look. Seeing the pained expression on Fu Yi’s face, she realized something was wrong and looked down at where she was holding. Only then did she notice the red spots.
The candlelight flickered unsteadily, and in the poor light, the red spots were indeed hard to see if one wasn’t looking closely.
Ye Xunshu let go of her hand. “Sister, your hand.”
“It’s just,” Fu Yi hid her hand behind her back and smiled. “It’s nothing. It’s just the handiwork of Second Miss Zhou’s cat from earlier today. I’ll just apply some medicine later.”
“Stop crying first.” Fu Yi stood up, picked up the candle stand, and took the water mirror along with her. She glanced at the person standing beside her and comforted, “I don’t have a free hand to wipe your tears. A well-behaved little rabbit must learn to wipe her own.”
As soon as she spoke, Ye Xunshu suddenly looked up at her. Her eyes were full of resentment, but she had lost the momentum she had when she first burst in.
With both hands full, Fu Yi endured the itch without scratching the red spots and said, “Let’s go.”
“…”
Ye Xunshu followed silently behind Fu Yi the entire way. Fu Yi tried to strike up a conversation every now and then; Ye Xunshu occasionally raised her hand to wipe away a tear but ignored her completely.
Fu Yi was helpless. This matter couldn’t be explained clearly in a short time, so she could only remain silent as well.
How could she have known Ye Xunshu would suddenly appear?
Didn’t she say she would be lethargic after a temporary mark? To have the energy to come out so late at night and eavesdrop on her recording a video, Fu Yi felt this rabbit was actually quite spirited.
Along the way, Fu Yi’s attention was entirely on the red spots. When they reached the door of the room, she turned around and realized someone was missing.
Stunned, she returned to the room first. After putting her things down and scratching the itch for a while, she was about to look for medicine when Ye Xunshu suddenly appeared at the door.
“Ye Xunshu?” Fu Yi looked at her. “Where did you go?”
Ye Xunshu’s eyes darted away, and she hesitated at the doorway. Seeing her hands hidden behind her back, Fu Yi asked, “What are you holding?”
Ye Xunshu pursed her lips. Fu Yi naturally saw that she was throwing a tantrum. She had other important business and had no time to deal with this “little ancestor.” She sighed, “If you don’t want to talk to me, then forget it. When you feel like talking again,”
“Who, who said that!”
Before Fu Yi could finish, Ye Xunshu suddenly ran inside and thrust a small white porcelain bottle toward her.
Fu Yi: “This is?”
Ye Xunshu glared at her. “What does Sister Fu Yi need right now? Do you even have to ask?”
Fu Yi realized, “You went to find medicine for me?”
But how did Ye Xunshu know where the medicine was?
Ye Xunshu grabbed her hand, forced the medicine bottle into it, and then turned around to sit on the bed without a word.
Fu Yi looked blankly at the bottle in her hand, then glanced at Ye Xunshu.
She really didn’t know what to do with her.
Knowing Ye Xunshu was angry, Fu Yi could only sit down on a nearby stool. She pulled up her sleeve, revealing even more red spots than before. Fu Yi acted cautiously, keeping her movements as light as possible.
The candlelight flickered slightly. Fu Yi didn’t dare make a sound. For a moment, the silence felt like a wordless standoff.
Fu Yi felt an immense amount of pressure.
Ye Xunshu was still dwelling on the words she had overheard. In short, Fu Yi had to give her an explanation for this.
Although she was sulking, her body’s actions were honest; she couldn’t help but steal a glance at the person over there.
Fu Yi had her back to her. After applying the medicine, the way she gently blew on the area looked very well-behaved.
She didn’t look like an Alpha at all.
Or rather, this Alpha was different from the others.
She was gentler than any Alpha she had ever known.
But perhaps this gentleness was just as she had said tonight—an act put on for someone she didn’t actually like.
At this thought, Ye Xunshu slowly tightened her grip on her sleeve.
“Hiss!”
Fu Yi failed to control the pressure of her hand and couldn’t help but cry out.
Ye Xunshu looked over.
“…” Fu Yi withdrew her gaze at the same time and used silence to mask her embarrassment as she continued applying the medicine.
“Let me help Sister apply it,” Ye Xunshu suddenly said.
Fu Yi’s hand froze, and she turned her head to look at her awkwardly.
Ye Xunshu frowned and pointed at Fu Yi, saying firmly but gently, “The back of the neck. Sister can’t see it.”
She patted the spot beside her. “Sister, sit here.”
Like a child who had done something wrong, Fu Yi tentatively whispered, “You aren’t angry anymore?”
“I am angry,” Ye Xunshu said. “How could Xunshu not be angry?”
Just as Fu Yi was about to speak, she heard Ye Xunshu continue, “I did indeed hear those words Sister said, but I was eavesdropping.”
Her beautiful brows furrowed, and she said seriously, “I want to hear Sister say it all again.”
Fu Yi was stunned for a second. She hadn’t expected this little rabbit to be so reasonable.
Following Ye Xunshu’s words, Fu Yi sat down beside her.
“Sister, please speak. Xunshu is listening.” Ye Xunshu took the porcelain bottle from her hand, dipped a bit of medicine onto her finger, and added, “Remember to speak truthfully.”
Fu Yi: ” ”
The weather was so hot that a layer of sweat had broken out on her back.
As soon as Ye Xunshu finished speaking, that sweat immediately turned cold.
Why did those words, upon first hearing them, seem to hide a murderous intent?
Fu Yi blinked at the white rabbit before her who, despite having just had a crying fit and having red-rimmed eyes, was kindly helping her apply medicine.
It must be her imagination!
How could Ye Xunshu harbor murderous intent toward her?
She had been so good to Ye Xunshu these past few days; there was no reason for her to feel hatred over a misunderstanding that hadn’t even been confirmed.
Thinking this, Fu Yi dismissed that momentary illusion and began to explain exactly what she was doing. She let out a long sigh and said, “Actually… I was just a bit embarrassed, so I waited until you were asleep to sneak out and record it.”
“Come closer, I can’t reach.” Ye Xunshu leaned in close to Fu Yi and said gloomily, “Sister is sitting so far away; it makes us seem like strangers.”
Fu Yi was certain she caught the hidden meaning in those words.
This little girl was setting a trap for her!
Fu Yi quickly sat closer and gave a dry laugh. “Xunshu should have said so earlier.”
Ye Xunshu leaned her head near Fu Yi, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly where she couldn’t see.
The cold sensation of the ointment mixed with the warmth of the girl’s fingertips touched her, and Fu Yi’s entire body shivered. “You…”
“What is it?” Ye Xunshu asked softly in her ear, though her hand didn’t stop, gently spreading the ointment for her.
The tips of Fu Yi’s ears turned red. “N-nothing.”
The sensation of the ointment touching her neck was clearly the same, but Fu Yi felt there was a huge difference between applying it herself and having Ye Xunshu do it.
She seemed to be able to smell the scent of osmanthus on Ye Xunshu.
Almost as a reflex, Fu Yi controlled the urge to cover her nose and mouth.
Ye Xunshu’s crisp laughter rang in her ear.
“Don’t be afraid, Sister. Xunshu’s heat has just passed. It’s inevitable to smell a little when we are this close, but this tiny bit of scent won’t cause any consequences.”
Fu Yi scratched her hand awkwardly.
“Sister Fu Yi, continue speaking. What were you recording?”
Her body seemed unable to adapt to the feeling of Ye Xunshu’s fingers touching her. Even though she was trying to be light, the way her fingers brushed against the skin created an indescribable feeling.
It was a tingling, numbing sensation that made her whole body tremble.
Fu Yi forced herself to endure this uncomfortable feeling, thinking she wouldn’t have come over if she had known it would be like this.
At most, she would have let the little rabbit misunderstand a bit longer.
“Recording… a program promotion.”
Ye Xunshu’s hand stopped. She tilted her head to look at Fu Yi. “A program?”
“Ah…” The two of them were too close. Facing the other at such short range, Fu Yi shrunk back a bit and pointed at the water mirror on the table, explaining, “It’s a romance variety show.”
Thinking for a moment, she added a few more sentences: “It’s about several Alphas, Betas, and Omegas living together for a few days, caring for and looking after each other, and seeing if they hit it off in the end.”
Ye Xunshu stared at her without blinking.
Fu Yi confessed: “I am going too.”
Just as she expected, the moment she finished speaking, Ye Xunshu’s eyes filled with water again.
Fu Yi: “Don’t misunderstand! I, I’m not going there to find another Omega.”
Ye Xunshu’s face was written over with “I don’t believe you.”
Fu Yi could only try to explain as much as possible: “Didn’t Father and Mother want me to take over the Fu family’s cloth business? But I know I’m not cut out for it, so I wanted to try another direction. But romance variety shows have never appeared here before. I was afraid not many people would participate, so I signed up myself to make up the numbers.”
“After all, my bad reputation out there is quite significant.”
The original owner had already become the well-known “scumbag Alpha” of Yangzhou. If she, who had just been married for a few days, went to participate in that kind of show, everyone would surely watch the program just to see her make a fool of herself.
This could be considered a great sacrifice.
Fu Yi wiped Ye Xunshu’s tears and said, “I was just afraid you would be sad, and I didn’t know how to tell you, so I didn’t say anything.”
Ye Xunshu looked at her tearfully. “Then how long did Sister Fu Yi plan to hide it from Xunshu?”
“That…” Fu Yi didn’t know. “But I promise you! I’m really just there to make up the numbers and draw in an audience. I won’t go provoking those innocent people.”
Fu Yi had long anticipated that Ye Xunshu would be heartbroken again, which really put her in a difficult spot.
Ye Xunshu pulled her hand away from Fu Yi’s attempt to wipe her tears and said something that Fu Yi had considered possible but was still surprised to hear.
“I want to participate too.”