The room darkened.
Fang Bai could still see Ji Yuning's blurry figure. She saw Ji Yuning walk to the bedside and sit down.
After watching Ji Yuning lie down, Fang Bai's hand, which was placed at his side, was grasped.
On a hot summer night, Fang Bai did not feel hot after his hand was held.
Maybe it's just a habit.
I've gotten used to Ji Yuning holding my hand while I sleep.
The room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of the two people.
Fang Bai remembered what she had to do, and after the lights were turned off, she didn't close her eyes.
Twenty minutes later, Fang Bai was getting sleepy. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard Ji Yuning softly call her, "Auntie?"
Fang Bai wanted to respond, but sleepiness stopped her.
Unable to get a response from Fang Bai, he let go of her hand.
Fang Bai regained some consciousness, but didn't open her eyes. She heard Ji Yuning get up and get out of bed, heard the sound of slippers scraping the floor, heard the door open and close...
The sound of the door closing was particularly clear in the quiet night, and Fang Bai's sleepiness completely vanished.
She said she was going to sleep outside, but before she knew it, she had fallen asleep...
After opening his eyes, his eyelids felt slightly sore. Fang Bai blinked hard to clear the soreness from his eyes.
Fang Bai thought Ji Yuning had gone to the bathroom, but after waiting for a long time, Ji Yuning did not return to the bedroom.
Thinking of the time Ji Yuning called her when she got out of bed, Fang Bai paused for a moment. Could she be sick and feeling unwell?
Fang Bai, worried, rolled over and got out of bed.
At night, Fang Bai unconsciously slowed his footsteps, even opening the door very quietly.
The living room lights were off, yet the light still dispelled the darkness.
Fang Bai looked toward the light and saw that the incandescent light on the balcony had been turned on.
In the dim light, Ji Yuning sat at the dining table, her computer screen lit up.
She was wearing earphones and seemed to be on the phone with someone, occasionally letting out a soft "hmm".
Fang Bai paused at the doorway, his gaze lingering for a few seconds before turning and returning to the bedroom.
Yuan Yizhen gave Ji Yuning a brief report on her work. Just as Ji Yuning was about to hang up, Yuan Yizhen called out, "Yuning."
Ji Yuning: "Mm."
Yuan Yizhen's tone contained a clear sigh, "Chairman Lu is looking for you again."
Ji Yuning's downward gaze stopped, and she pursed her lips, saying, "I understand."
“There are still documents here that need your signature, and you can’t take too long off from school, otherwise Chairman Lu will definitely find out. You…” Yuan Yizhen paused, “When can you come back?”
Ji Yuning was silent for a while, and just as she was about to speak, her eyes suddenly lit up.
The living room lights were turned on.
Ji Yuning looked towards the light switch.
Fang Bai crossed one arm and leaned against the wall. "Isn't it said that looking at electronic devices with the lights off will cause astigmatism? How can the balcony light be enough?"
Walking towards the dining table, Fang Bai glanced at the computer on it. "If you're going to work, just work. What are you doing sneaking around like this?"
The tone of his voice was flat when he asked the questions, but every word he uttered conveyed something.
Seeing Ji Yuning doing these things after she fell asleep, Fang Bai felt inexplicably angry.
It's as if Ji Yuning's current state is all her fault.
But what does it have to do with her? It wasn't her who told Ji Yuning to come to Nancheng, nor was it her who told Ji Yuning to do nothing and stay with her, much less that she told Ji Yuning to work all night…
When Fang Bai turned around and went back to his room, he locked the door from the inside. He secretly thought that he would let Ji Yuning sleep in the living room!
After standing with his back against the door for a while, Fang Bai turned around and opened the door.
Hearing the noise, Yuan Yizhen asked, "Is that... Miss Fang?"
Ji Yuning: "Okay, I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, Ji Yuning asked the person standing a few steps away, who looked rather unwell, "Did I wake you up?"
Fang Bai wanted to say yes, but wanted to see how Ji Yuning would react.
But what came out was: "No, I woke up naturally."
Fang Bai glanced at the computer again, trying to tone down the gloom in his voice, "Why not handle it during the day? Staying up all night..."
Fang Bai didn't say anything.
Ji Yuning explained, "It was sent suddenly before I went to sleep."
After a moment of silence, Ji Yuning added, "It's a bit rushed."
"..." Fang Bai paused for a moment, then said, "Then you go ahead and do your work."
Ji Yuning hummed in agreement, "Five minutes."
After speaking, he turned back to the computer and Fang Bai stood quietly to the side, waiting.
This was the first time she had seen Ji Yuning in her work mode.
As a career-oriented person, she can hardly deny that Ji Yuning at work has a different feel compared to her usual self.
His eyes showed a serious and focused expression, and he had a meticulous demeanor.
Even the anger in Fang Bai's heart seemed to be subsiding.
Five minutes later, after Ji Yuning shut down her computer, Fang Bai said calmly, "Go to sleep."
After Fang Bai finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the bedroom first.
Ji Yuning followed Fang Bai with a calm expression.
She looked up, her gaze fixed on Fang Bai's back.
But when Fang Bai turned around, he only saw Ji Yuning with her head down, looking like she was reflecting on her mistake.
Author's Note:
Xiao Ji: kissskiss
Aunt Fang: Da me da me
Chapter 83
Fang Bai loosened his grip on his arms.
My heart softened again.
At first, she thought she was the person who knew Ji Yuning best in the book, but her experiences over the past few days have shown her that Ji Yuning is a living, breathing person, no longer the "Harry Potter" in her mind that was limited to imagination.
Fang Bai clearly realized that he did not understand Ji Yuning, did not understand what she wanted to do, and did not know why she did it.
Fang Bai always felt powerless when facing Ji Yuning, who had already come of age.
At first, she could stay by her side as her guardian, lecturing her on the matter at hand and finding excuses to get angry.
Fang Bai understood that when Ji Yuning turned eighteen, after she returned all the things Lu Xia had left behind to Ji Yuning, her relationship with Ji Yuning as guardian and ward ended at that moment.
She had no right or standing to discipline Ji Yuning.
Fang Bai would only ask questions about Ji Yuning's words and actions these days; otherwise, he would remain silent.
But we can't let things continue like this.
She can do nothing all day, do whatever comes to mind, and waste her life as she pleases.
But Ji Yuning is different. She is a prodigy, ambitious and aspiring. She is someone who will shine brightly, not someone confined to this small room in front of a tiny electronic screen.
Fang Bai stopped in front of the bedroom door, slowly clenched his fist at his side, took a deep breath, and then turned around.
Ji Yuning had stopped as soon as Fang Bai stopped.
The air conditioner's low temperature made people feel cold. Seeing that Fang Bai was wearing a slip dress, Ji Yuning looked at the person who was looking down and seemed to be thinking about something, and softly called out, "Auntie?"
Fang Bai's thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly raised his head. His usual gentleness was gone, replaced by an unusual coldness.
Seeing this, Ji Yuning's expression gradually faded.
Fang Bai didn't say anything. She looked at Ji Yuning, her gaze sweeping over her from head to toe.
Fang Bai stared at the mole on his arm for a few seconds, and then at the several scars on his legs that were barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
Fang Bai slowed his breathing and said in a very low voice, "Turn around."
His cold and stern expression grew even more intense; if someone who knew Fang Bai saw this, they probably wouldn't dare to approach him at all.
It's like he's become a completely different person.
Ji Yuning remained silent and obediently turned around.
Once her back was fully exposed to Fang Bai, Fang Bai said, "Lift up your clothes."
Ji Yuning paused for a moment, not asking why, and crossed her hands to grab the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting up her short sleeves. Just as the shirt was about to cover her chest, the person behind her called out to stop her: "That's enough."
At this moment, Ji Yuning's upper body was covered by clothes in the front and back, but the area below her chest was completely exposed to the air and displayed in Fang Bai's eyes.
Ji Yuning's hands were still clutching her clothes, while the parts that weren't being held hung loosely down, partially concealing the lines of her back.
However, at the waist, where there was no clothing to cover her, two shallow dimples appeared at the edge of her underwear, and they twitched slightly as if they knew they would be seen.
Half an hour ago, her peach-shaped buttocks and slender legs, which were still covered by clothes, were now fully visible to everyone.
Fang Bai didn't pay attention to any of that. After Ji Yuning lifted her clothes, her gaze fell on the middle of Ji Yuning's back.