Ji Yuning's mood plummeted from the clouds to the mud in an instant. She arranged her work in a very short time and drove for five hours to Nancheng. The anticipation and joy that she had felt during the journey turned to ashes at that moment.
Fang Bai is doing very well.
Fang Bai is doing very well without her.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed, and a tingling, numb pain instantly spread throughout my body.
Fang Bai can live without her.
But she really can't live without Fang Bai.
Suppressing all her emotions, Ji Yuning's eyes gradually regained their clarity. No matter what happens in the future, it's enough that Fang Bai is by her side.
Looking down at Fang Bai's hair, Ji Yuning noticed that he had dyed his hair at some point. His long brown hair matched his white dress perfectly, exuding gentleness.
Just then, Fang Bai looked up, and their eyes met. Fang Bai's expression froze for a moment.
I remember she had compared her height with Ji Yuning before, but it turned out that Ji Yuning had been working hard for a long time and had finally achieved her goal.
Fang Bai gripped the chain of his bag, distracting himself, and said to Ji Yuning, "Auntie just didn't expect to see you here."
This statement is true.
Fang Bai really didn't expect to meet Ji Yuning.
In fact, Fang Bai still had some expectations, thinking that the time when the original owner was cannon fodder had passed, and her disappearance might have replaced this part of the plot. Then the plot would continue to develop, and Ji Yuning would not pay attention to her or seek revenge on her.
But judging from the current situation, she was really overthinking it.
She forgot that the damage the original owner inflicted on Ji Yuning was indelible; she forgot that the hostility in Ji Yuning's eyes was only directed at her; she forgot that she left without saying goodbye while Ji Yuning was preparing to use her as cannon fodder, which was like sharpening a knife to slaughter a sheep, only for the sheep to escape; she forgot that Ji Yuning was a Scorpio…
Fang Bai's mind was a bit of a mess, so much so that he even brought up zodiac signs.
It wasn't entirely because she was scared by Ji Yuning, but rather because she was wondering how Ji Yuning would treat her.
Ji Yuning raised the corners of her mouth and asked with a smile, "Won't you invite me upstairs for a seat, Auntie?"
sit?
do what?
Fang Bai clutched his bag and said in a low voice, "My house is very messy, I'm afraid you won't be used to it. Why don't you come again tomorrow?"
Fang Bai prayed fervently that Ji Yuning would agree, so that she could—
Before she could finish thinking about it, Ji Yuning said it for her.
"Is your aunt planning to run away tonight?"
Fang Bai fell silent. She wanted to ask Ji Yuning if she understood what it meant to see through something but not say it!
After a three-second pause, Fang Bai looked at Ji Yuning and said, "How could that be? I was just worried that you wouldn't be used to it."
Fang Bairou suggested with a smile, "How about Auntie takes you back to your hotel?"
Ji Yuning didn't book a hotel; she drove directly here.
"Auntie," Ji Yuning called out.
Fang Bai looked at her.
Ji Yuning said softly, "I haven't had dinner yet."
This sentence perfectly captured Fang Bai's thoughts.
Upon hearing that Ji Yuning hadn't eaten yet, Fang Bai immediately forgot everything and said, "I'll take you to eat."
As Fang Bai turned around, his wrist was grabbed by Ji Yuning the instant he turned.
Despite the sweltering summer heat, Ji Yuning's palms felt unusually cold.
My wrist feels cool.
Fang Bai's first thought was that Ji Yuning had been chilled by the night wind. She placed her other hand on Ji Yuning's arm and felt that Ji Yuning's arm was also cold. Fang Bai instinctively asked with concern, "How long have you been standing here? Are you cold?"
Three hours, not cold.
Ji Yuning lowered her eyes. Fang Bai's concern made her heart ache. The thought that Fang Bai would treat others the same way made her loosen her grip on Fang Bai's hand, and then slowly slide down to hold Fang Bai's hand again.
How long has it been since I last held this hand?
I've dreamt about it many times, but I've never felt the warmth of your hands.
Ji Yuning held onto Fang Bai tightly.
Fang Bai's attention was focused on Ji Yuning's abnormal body temperature. The child's physical condition had never been very good, and he didn't know if it had improved in the past few years.
Seeing that Ji Yuning did not answer, Fang Bai said softly, "Let's go eat and warm up."
If that doesn't work, we'll have to take Ji Yuning to the community hospital to take her temperature and see if she has a low-grade fever.
Fang Bai then noticed that the two were holding hands. Without thinking much of it, she pulled Ji Yuning outside.
But the person behind him didn't move an inch.
Fang Bai turned his head to the side, but before he could say anything, Ji Yuning said first, "Auntie seems to have forgotten."
Ji Yuning said slowly and deliberately, "You still owe me a bowl of noodles."
Ten minutes later, Fang Bai stood in the kitchen, with a pot about to boil in front of him.
She eventually brought Ji Yuning home and cooked the birthday noodles she had owed her for three years.
Fang Bai still felt guilty, otherwise, after Ji Yuning said she owed her face, she wouldn't have been able to say a word of refusal.
Wasn't she letting a wolf into the house? Once Ji Yuning has eaten her fill, will she start figuring out what to do with her? Chop her into pieces, or perhaps skin her alive?
Fang Bai didn't think about it anymore, because the water in the pot had already boiled, and she needed to cook the noodles.
At the kitchen doorway, Ji Yuning leaned against the wall, her dark eyes gleaming as she stared intently at the person wearing an apron, cracking eggs into a pan.
Fang Bai tossed the trash behind him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a figure at the door. He paused for a moment, then blurted out, "Is one egg enough?"
"…Um."
Ji Yuning walked into the kitchen.
The kitchen was built on the balcony, and the space was very small. Ji Yuning only took one step to stand next to Fang Bai.
Downstairs, the lights were dim, and even if she could make out the other person's face, the figure was still blurry. She could imagine that the other person was still a three-year-old child. But now, under the glaring incandescent light, Ji Yuning's face was clearly reflected in her eyes. Not only was her imagination destroyed, but in the few seconds of eye contact, it was as if all her thoughts had been seen through by Ji Yuning, leaving her nowhere to hide.
Fang Bai suddenly felt... a little embarrassed.
Although Ji Yuning didn't say anything, she just stood quietly to the side.
Even after the noodles were cooked and the two sat facing each other at the dining table, Fang Bai still hadn't recovered.
There was only one bowl of noodles on the table.
Ji Yuning asked, "Auntie, aren't you going to eat?"
Fang Bai replied, "I've already eaten."
A hint of hostility flashed in Ji Yuning's eyes, but she smiled slightly and asked, "Did you eat with the person who brought Auntie back?"
Did Ji Yuning see it?
Fang Bai nodded: "Mm."
Ji Yuning lowered her head; no matter how fragrant the noodles in front of her smelled, she had lost her appetite.
A silence fell over the dining table.
In the end, it was Ji Yuning who broke the silence by picking up her chopsticks and eating her noodles.
Bai's white hand was half-clenched under the table, while Bai looked down at Ji Yuning's lowered head.
Her embarrassment hadn't subsided, and she even felt a little strange.
He was clearly meant to be cannon fodder, yet he sat across from her eating the noodles she cooked.
Especially since Ji Yuning ate without making a sound, the quiet atmosphere made Fang Bai even more eager to find a topic to talk about.
The central topic is something that will make Ji Yuning happy when she hears it.
Fang Bai thought of Mu Xuerou.
As soon as Mu Xuerou's name appeared, Fang Bai asked, "How is Xiao Mu now?"
Ji Yuning stopped eating her noodles, put down her chopsticks, looked up at Fang Bai, and the emotions surging in her eyes subsided.
She looked at Fang Bai calmly.
Fang Bai paused for a moment. It seemed that Ji Yuning and Mu Xuerou had lost contact during this period and he hadn't been able to get in touch with them yet.
However, if Ji Yuning could find her even though she was hiding her tracks so well, why couldn't she find Mu Xuerou, who was just studying abroad?
“…”
Ji Yuning didn't answer, and Fang Bai thought he had touched on a sore spot for her. He ran his finger across the tip of his nose to hide his embarrassment.
She had no choice but to choose someone who could evoke some better memories for the two of them, and asked softly, "What about Beibei?"
As Fang Bai spoke, her gaze remained fixed on Ji Yuning's face. She noticed that when Fang Bai asked about Bei Bei, Ji Yuning's composed expression gradually darkened, and her brows furrowed.
His heavy expression suggested that Fang Bai's words had stirred up unpleasant memories.
Within a second, Fang Baixin's heart tightened abruptly.
Judging from Ji Yuning's appearance, it seems that Beibei is... gone?
Fang Bai's eyelashes trembled as she asked cautiously, "Why?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuning looked up and immediately understood what Fang Bai had misunderstood.
Perhaps wanting to see if Fang Bai cared, or perhaps for other reasons, Ji Yuning did not reply immediately.
Ji Yuning's silence seemed to confirm that Beibei had gone to Cat Planet.
Ten seconds later, seeing the woman's eyes brimming with tears that were about to stream down her cheeks, Ji Yuning said in a hoarse voice, "It's alright."
Fang Bai, who was emotionally invested: "...?"
Seeing Fang Bai's slightly red eyes, Ji Yuning's heart began to race for no reason, and she called out in a hoarse voice, "Fang Bai."
Fang Bai felt that Ji Yuning had tricked her. When she heard Ji Yuning call her, she let out a soft "hmm" through her nose.