Fang Bai: "..."
“I can change Yu Mimi’s dorm room,” He Wei said.
Fang Bai composed himself and replied naturally, "Thank you for your help, Teacher He."
The three of them walked to the foot of the teaching building. Ji Yuning, who was walking beside him, stopped and said when Fang Bai turned to look at her, "I need to go back to the classroom to get something."
Fang Bai nodded. "Then go ahead, I'll wait for you outside."
Ji Yuning hummed in agreement and entered the teaching building.
The classroom was on the second floor. After Ji Yuning picked up her homework and tidied up her desk, she went downstairs in about five minutes.
Once outside the teaching building, He Wei was nowhere to be seen.
Fang Bai was the only one standing under the shade of the tree. Perhaps because he felt hot, he gently fanned his face with his hand in a rhythmic and unhurried manner.
A sudden gust of wind lifted the hem of her skirt, and Fang Bai turned her head in the direction of the wind, just in time to meet Ji Yuning's gaze.
Fang Bai lowered the hand that had been fanning his face, took two steps forward, and asked, "Are you done?"
A very gentle tone.
Ji Yuning paused for a moment, then walked down the steps with steady steps.
Just as Ji Yuning was one step away from standing beside him, Fang Bai strode towards the school gate, turned his head, and asked the person who had reached her, "What did you go to get?"
Ji Yuning answered, "Homework."
Fang Bai said "Oh," and then asked, "Is there anything else I need to take from the dorm?"
Ji Yuning said calmly, "It's already in my schoolbag."
Fang Bai smiled, narrowing his eyes: "You mean cell phones?"
Ji Yuning: "Mm."
Fang Bai turned around, carrying his bag, and walked with a cat-like gait, asking, "Why didn't you open it to check?"
Ji Yuning: "?"
Not hearing anyone speak next to him, Fang Bai guessed that Ji Yuning was probably wondering how he knew her phone wasn't on. Fang Bai walked with his head down, avoiding the sunlight, and explained, "I sent you a message, but I haven't received a reply yet."
Should I wait for her reply?
Ji Yuning felt the weight of the backpack and replied, "It will distract me."
"..." A perfect reason.
As the two were about to reach the school gate, Fang Bai noticed the supermarket downstairs in the residential complex across the street outside the school and suddenly remembered the allowance she had given Ji Yuning. "Have you spent all the allowance I gave you?"
"No."
Fang Bai turned his head: "How much is left?"
490.
"?" Fang Bai asked, "How come you only spent ten yuan? Did you eat steamed buns again?"
Fang Bai then noticed that Ji Yuning's face and body showed no signs of becoming rounder; she remained as thin as ever.
The only positive thing was that Ji Yuning's complexion looked much healthier, and her lips weren't as pale; they were a bit rosier.
"..." Ji Yuning didn't know why she had left Fang Bai with the impression of eating steamed buns. She said coldly, "No."
Fang Bai clearly didn't believe her, but she didn't press the matter further, since she had said she wouldn't interfere with how Ji Yuning spent her money.
Fang Bai simply said, "Don't worry about saving money, your mother left you a lot of money."
"…Um."
As they spoke, the two had already walked out of the school gate. The car was parked a few meters away on the side of the road. When the driver saw Fang Bai come out, he immediately got out of the car and opened the door for her.
Once inside the car, the air conditioning relieved Fang Bai from the scorching heat, and he couldn't resist closing his eyes and enjoying the cool air for a while.
Once the heat subsided, Fang Bai quietly opened her eyes. She looked to her side and saw Ji Yuning with her schoolbag on her lap, her hands crossed over the bag, her back straight, sitting in the same posture as when she was playing the piano on stage.
This was Ji Yuning's first time riding in Fang Bai's car; she usually took the bus home from school.
Compared to crowded and noisy buses, private cars do offer a sense of peace, quiet, and comfort.
Ji Yuning stared straight ahead, expecting the silence to last until she got home. But after crossing a traffic light, a laugh suddenly rang in her ears, followed by Fang Bai's drawn-out question, "Are you nervous?"
Ji Yuning: "No."
"Why are you sitting so stiffly? Relax," Fang Bai said.
Ji Yuning did not reply, her shoulders remaining straight.
Fang Bai rested his elbow on the car door, propped his head up with two fingers, and stared at Ji Yuning's profile, saying, "I'm watching your performance."
Ji Yuning knew what was going on when she saw Fang Bai appear backstage. She wasn't too surprised, since Fang Bai wanted to see her botch the performance.
She played the entire piece without making any mistakes, but things didn't go as Fang Bai had expected. What will Fang Bai do?
Ji Yuning thought for a moment, then turned her gaze to Fang Bai, wanting to hear what he was going to say next.
Fang Bai kept looking at Ji Yuning. When Ji Yuning looked at her, their eyes met, and Fang Bai praised her without reservation: "You played very well."
With admiring eyes, Fang Bai entered Ji Yuning's mind, which was filled with images of being tortured, without her being on guard.
Ji Yuning was stunned for a few seconds, but after catching a glimpse of Fang Bai's smile, her expression quickly returned to normal.
Fang Bai took in Ji Yuning's reaction, which was exactly what she wanted.
Fang Bai felt that on the day she went to the school to find Ji Yuning, she had perfectly transitioned Ji Yuning's perception of her and the original owner. She no longer needed to imitate the original owner's tone when speaking to Ji Yuning. What she needed to do was to let Ji Yuning gradually get used to the different "original owner" and slowly accept her.
Praise is just the first step in building a closer relationship.
Fang Bai pulled his arm back, leaned slightly towards Ji Yuning, and asked, "What reward do you want?"
Ji Yuning frowned, puzzled: "A reward?"
“Yes, you play the piano well, of course you should be rewarded,” Fang Bai asked. “Is there anything you want?”
Ji Yuning: "...No."
Fang Bai would only be surprised if Ji Yuning offered what she wanted.
Fang Bai said gently, "Then tell me if you want anything in the future."
Silence fell inside the car.
A few minutes later, Fang Bai broke the silence once again: "What do you want for lunch?"
This time, Ji Yuning answered, "Either is fine."
The scenery outside the window recedes into the distance.
Fang Bai turned his head: "It's still early. How about I take you shopping and we can have lunch out?"
Ji Yuning tightened her backpack slightly. "Miss Fang can do whatever she wants."
It's neither an agreement nor a refusal, but a compromise.
This is the "feigned compliance" that Ji Yuning often used in front of the original owner, pretending to please and obey the original owner.
Fang Bai's eyes flickered, a sly glint in them. Ji Yuning's submissive behavior had stirred up some thoughts in Fang Bai.
"You mean, you'll do whatever I say?"
Ji Yuning sensed Fang Bai's implied meaning, but since she had already spoken, she could only reply, "Mm."
Fang Bai leaned against the car seat, crossed his legs, and said with a smile, "Then call me 'stepmother' and let me hear it."
The atmosphere inside the car instantly fell into a deathly silence.
Even the driver, Uncle Li, held his breath, afraid that he might accidentally make a sound and disturb the two people in the back seat.
Uncle Li secretly pondered what Miss Ji had said. Miss Ji actually wanted Miss Ji to call her stepmother?!
This is truly a case of the sun rising in the west.
Uncle Li felt he had missed out on so much. Miss Ji never came to Miss Ji's school, but she came on Mondays and Fridays. Every time she came, she was in a good mood and always smiling.
This time, the young lady even let Miss Ji get in the car, and the two went home together.
Having missed too many things, Uncle Li decided to go home and ask Wu Mei.
He should just focus on driving for now.
In the back seat, the fierceness hidden in Ji Yuning's eyes rose and fell, but her suddenly clenched hands betrayed her.
Call Fang Bai's stepmother?
Does she deserve the title of "Mom"?
“Don’t you always listen to me? I don’t want to hear you call me Miss Fang anymore.” Fang Bai seemed not to notice Ji Yuning’s strangeness. She raised her eyebrows and said in a light tone, “Given our relationship, you can either call me stepmother or call me Aunt Fang like you did when we were kids.”
After saying that, Fang Bai leaned closer to Ji Yuning and whispered, "Choose one of the two, you pick one to shout."
As Fang Bai approached, Ji Yuning caught a whiff of a sweet, refreshing fragrance.
It's very familiar.
But I can't remember where I smelled it before.
Surprisingly, the scent calmed Ji Yuning's emotions, and she turned her head to look at Fang Bai.
A hint of expectation appeared in the woman's eyes, and her usual spoiled nature completely disappeared.
Ji Yuning's lips moved slightly: "..."
She wanted to say that Fang Bai was dreaming.
Fang Bai rested his chin on his hand and called out in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Ning."
Ji Yuning's eyelashes trembled.
Fang Bai slowly said, "You said I could do whatever I wanted, you're not lying to me, are you?"
Ji Yuning gave a cold laugh: "...Miss Fang once slapped me a few times and warned me that, given your age, I can only call you Miss."
Fang Bai remained unmoved and asked in return, "Then if I kiss you now and coax you to call me stepmother or auntie, would you be willing?"
Ji Yuning lowered her eyes, her brows furrowed tightly. Fang Bai's words disgusted and repulsed her.
Strangely, I only felt a little nauseous.