There was actually another reason, but He Ziyan didn't want to say it.
She opened her eyes, nodded with a stiff face, and said, "That's it."
Fang Bai was speechless. She looked at Ji Yuning, but the other party did not react.
Fang Bai glanced at He Ziyan in the rearview mirror, then looked at Mu Xuerou, who hadn't said a word: "Mu, why don't you come too?"
"I……"
Mu Xuerou wanted to refuse. In this car, she was only familiar with Ji Yuning. The thought of eating at someone else's house made her feel awkward.
But she was also curious about the environment in which Ji Yuning lived.
After hesitating for a while, Mu Xuerou finally couldn't resist her curiosity about Ji Yuning and said in a low voice, "...I need to ask my mother."
When the car reached the fork in the road, Fang Bai stopped the car on the side of the road after hearing Mu Xuerou's words and said, "Go ahead and ask. We'll leave after you've asked."
"Thank you, Aunt Fang..." Mu Xuerou said after a pause.
The car stopped, and the scenery outside the window also stopped. Ji Yuning, who had been looking at the scenery, turned her gaze away and subconsciously glanced at Fang Bai.
The woman took her hands off the steering wheel, picked up her bag, and rummaged through it with her fair fingers, finally pulling out a few...
Lollipop?
The original owner smoked, but Fang Bai disliked the smell of smoke.
She hadn't smoked since transmigrating, but the original owner's body had memories. Fang Bai had been experiencing mild withdrawal symptoms these past few days. She tried several substitutes and finally found that lollipops were somewhat effective.
Ji Yuning turned around, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes, then heard Fang Bai murmur, "Peach?"
She looked up and found Fang Bai looking at her, his murmur seeming to be a question to her.
The next second, Fang Bai's words confirmed Ji Yuning's guess.
Fang Bai blinked her bright eyes and whispered, "If I remember correctly, you should like peach flavor."
As he spoke, Fang Bai tossed the peach-flavored lollipop to Ji Yuning. The lollipop made a soft sound as it collided with the schoolbag before landing in Ji Yuning's arms.
As Ji Yuning looked down at the candy, Fang Bai had already given one to each of the two people in the back seat, saying, "There are still many left, ask me for more after you finish these."
"It sounds like someone who abducts children," Ji Yuning thought after hearing that.
As Fang Bai tore open the packaging and put the candy in her mouth, Mu Xuerou said to her, "Aunt Fang, my mother agreed."
Fang Bai, with a candy in his mouth, said, "Okay."
The candy had a rich flavor, but Ji Yuning instantly caught a whiff of lychee fragrance.
As the car drove off, Ji Yuning lowered her eyes. The peach candy in her hand reminded her of the bags of candy in the locker, many of which were peach-flavored.
She did like this flavor when she was a child, but she stopped eating it three years ago.
When Fang Bai said he remembered, did he mean when he was a child?
Author's Note:
Ji Yuning's feelings for Mu Xuerou are purely platonic.
Chapter 18
At 5:30, Fang Bai drove home.
Wu Mei, who was waiting in the living room for Fang Bai to return at the appointed time, was genuinely surprised to see two people in school uniforms suddenly appear beside Fang Bai and Ji Yuning.
Ji Yuning was taciturn, and Wu Mei was quite worried that Ji Yuning would be bullied at school because of her personality, let alone make friends.
Now, not only does Xiao Ji bring his classmates to our home, but the young lady even drives them back. It seems that the young lady not only has no objection to this, but is also very happy about it.
The four of them changed into slippers in the entryway.
Wu Mei greeted Fang Bai, then looked at Mu Xuerou and He Ziyan and asked in a low voice, "Miss, are these two Xiao Ji's friends?"
Fang Bai nodded: "Okay, come over and play at my house for a while."
After saying that, Fang Bai turned to the three people behind him and asked, "What would you like to drink? Room temperature or iced? Cola or juice?"
He Ziyan had come with Zhu Ping a few times before, so she naturally took off her schoolbag and replied, "Anything is fine."
Mu Xuerou stood awkwardly beside Ji Yuning and said in a low voice, "I'm fine with either."
After receiving replies from both of them, Fang Bai turned his gaze to Ji Yuning.
Ji Yuning pursed her lips: "I'll go get it."
With that, Ji Yuning put down her schoolbag and walked towards the kitchen.
Fang Bai nodded to himself: Hmm, not bad, he has the air of a host.
Fang Bai didn't dare to hope that Ji Yuning would treat this place as her home, but Ji Yuning's attitude now gave Fang Bai a glimmer of hope. If Ji Yuning treated this place as her home, wouldn't things be simpler?
With two more guests suddenly arriving at the house, Wu Mei thought that the two dishes she had prepared might not be enough, so she followed Ji Yuning into the kitchen to prepare to cook two more dishes.
Fang Bai knew exactly what Wu Mei was thinking. Seeing this, he said to the two who were still standing there, "Dinner will be served in about half an hour. Are you going to watch TV or do some homework?"
Mu Xuerou gripped her schoolbag strap, "...doing homework."
After hearing this, Fang Bai pointed to the dining table: "Then write it here, it's big enough."
Ji Yuning came out of the kitchen with a can of cola. The moment Mu Xuerou saw Ji Yuning, her anxious and nervous mood calmed down. She smiled at Fang Bai and said, "Okay, Aunt Fang."
The girl's smile was incredibly healing.
As Fang Bai looked at her, he realized that it made sense to make Mu Xuerou the female lead. Someone with such a lovely smile would indeed bring light to Ji Yuning's dark youth if she stayed by her side.
Just then, a red jar emitting cold air suddenly appeared, followed by Ji Yuning's voice, "Here."
Fang Bai looked over in surprise. Ji Yuning's pink lips were closed, as if she wasn't the one who had just spoken.
Ji Yuning, taking the initiative, offered her a drink?!
Ji Yuning noticed the surprise and doubt in Fang Bai's eyes, but she couldn't explain why she took an extra can.
Maybe she simply took an extra can, or maybe it was that peach-flavored candy in her bag...
Fang Bai was delighted by Ji Yuning's initiative. When his hand touched the cola, the cool air seeped through his fingertips, bringing a refreshing sensation.
Fang Bai raised an eyebrow slightly and said with a smile, "Little Ning is so good."
“…”
A cold snort sounded from behind.
Fang Bai turned her head and saw He Ziyan take a sip of cola and say to her, "Aunt Fang, Yu Ning is already 16, and you still use the word 'well-behaved' to praise her. Isn't that childish?"
Fang Bai frowned, regretting bringing He Ziyan home.
She didn't come here to deepen her relationship with Ji Yuning; she came here to cause family conflict.
"You're still just a little kid in my eyes."
After Fang Bai finished speaking, he added, "She's not well-behaved at all."
"!"
Being compared to Ji Yuning, and even being told she was inferior to Ji Yuning, He Ziyan was so angry she didn't say a word.
While Fang Bai and He Ziyan were talking, Ji Yuning had already taken her schoolbag and sat down in her usual spot at meals, with Mu Xuerou sitting next to her.
Seeing this, Fang Bai said, "I won't disturb you while you're doing your homework. I'll go upstairs first."
After saying that, he took the Coke, turned around, and went upstairs.
After Fang Bai's figure disappeared down the stairs, Mu Xuerou looked at the person sitting opposite her and couldn't help but ask, "He Ziyan, what are you doing here?"
He Ziyan looked up: "What?"
Mu Xuerou wasn't targeting He Ziyan, but she genuinely didn't understand why someone who clearly didn't like Ji Yuning would tell Fang Bai that they wanted to deepen their friendship with Ji Yuning.
Mu Xuerou repeated, "Why did you come to Yu Ning's house?"
He Ziyan smiled and said, "Let me correct you, this is Fang Bai's house."
Mu Xuerou: Aren't they all the same?
Ji Yuning paused for a moment, then quietly took her homework out of her bag.
Ji Yuning recovered quickly, but He Ziyan still caught it, and a look of triumph flashed in He Ziyan's eyes.
A few minutes later, the only sounds coming from the living room could be Wu Mei busy in the kitchen, the turning of pages and the scribbling of pens on paper.
Suddenly, a "ding" broke the silence at the dining table.
Ji Yuning shifted her gaze from her textbook to her phone, where a WeChat pop-up appeared, labeled "Aunt Fang".
Ji Yuning held a pen in her right hand and opened her phone with her left.
Aunt Fang: [Xiao Ning, come to my room for a moment.]
"?"
After hesitating for a moment, Ji Yuning put down her pen.
As I got up to leave, I felt my clothes being tugged.
Ji Yuning lowered her head and said to Mu Xuerou, who was tugging at her clothes, "I'm going upstairs for a bit."
After hearing this, Mu Xuerou let go of her hand and nodded: "Okay."
Before leaving the table, Ji Yuning and He Ziyan exchanged a brief glance, neither of them able to discern what was hidden in the other's eyes.
Avoiding eye contact, Ji Yuning went upstairs.
Upon reaching Fang Bai's door, Ji Yuning knocked and then received another message from him.
Aunt Fang: [The door isn't locked, just come in.]
Ji Yuning: "".
Ji Yuning has been here for three years, but has never entered Fang Bai's room.