Fang Bai most likely added what Ji Yuning hadn't finished saying: "I just left, and Auntie, you've already found someone else?"
Subconsciously, Fang Bai said, "It's all because of you."
There was silence on the other end of the phone, as if waiting for Fang Bai's explanation.
Fang Bai paused for a moment, then said softly, "Without you, the house feels so empty, I'm a little... not used to it."
A faint laugh sounded in his ear, but when Fang Bai listened carefully, he heard nothing.
A few seconds later, Ji Yuning asked in a low voice, "So Auntie went to find someone else?"
His tone was flat, yet there was a sense of loss at being abandoned.
Even though she hadn't done anything, Fang Bai felt inexplicably guilty, but she stubbornly asked, "Is it not allowed?"
Another five seconds of silence.
After a moment of silence, Ji Yuning said coolly, "...Okay."
Fang Bai's lips moved, but before he could say anything, Ji Yuning said, "Your happiness is the most important thing."
Fang Bai's eyelids twitched suddenly, and her hand holding the phone tightened involuntarily. "So...you're unhappy? Why?"
"I'm afraid..." Ji Yuning's voice was a little low, "I'm afraid I won't be able to find you."
The feeling of guilt is back.
Faintly, Fang Bai heard someone call Ji Yuning "President Ji," followed by Ji Yuning's response.
Just as she was about to ask Ji Yuning where she was, she heard Ji Yuning call her, "Auntie."
"Yes, I'm here."
"I'm hanging up now," Ji Yuning said.
Fang Bai paused for a moment, then instructed, "Take care and get some rest."
She realized that Ji Yuning was at the company.
After hanging up the phone, Fang Bai turned to look at Hao Yingman.
Seeing that Fang Bai wasn't making any more calls, Hao Yingman asked again, "Is there anything else you need? I actually have everything."
Fang Bai licked his lips and said softly, "I'm not going."
Hao Yingman looked at Fang Bai with a puzzled expression.
Feeling embarrassed, Fang Bai stepped forward, took Hao Yingman's arm, patted it gently twice, and then asked in a soft, ingratiating voice, "What would you like to eat, Sister Hao? I'll make it for you."
Hao Yingman glanced at Fang Bai and asked, "What did that child say to you?"
How could a phone call of less than three minutes make Fang Bai, a person who is very difficult to change his mind once he has made a decision, change his mind so quickly?
Fang Bai smiled and said, "I didn't say anything."
She really didn't say anything; it was because she felt guilty.
Hao Yingman gave Fang Bai a meaningful look, but couldn't glean anything from his face. She could only suppress her curiosity and hummed softly, "Tomato and egg stir-fry, sweet."
Fang Bai agreed.
Author's Note:
Aunt Fang is so easily manipulated.
Chapter 87
Ji Yuning said she was very busy and would contact him less often. Fang Bai thought it would be the kind of message that comes every three days, so he was a little surprised when he received Ji Yuning's WeChat message that evening.
Only five hours had passed since the call ended.
If we consider this frequency of contact, it can't be considered a lack of contact, right?
Hao Yingman left after dinner, leaving Fang Bai alone on the sofa, feeling somewhat bored.
When Ji Yuning sent the WeChat message, Fang Bai was sitting back on the sofa with a plate of sliced fruit.
Xiao Ning: [Are you going to sleep?]
Fang Bai glanced at the time; it was 11 p.m., almost time to go to bed.
Setting down the fruit plate, Fang Bai picked up his phone: [I'm going to sleep in a bit, what about you?]
Xiao Ning: [No.]
Xiao Ning: [Auntie, give me an address, I have a package for you.]
express delivery?
Fang Bai wondered what Ji Yuning had bought: [To this home address.]
Upon seeing the message, Ji Yuning's brows, which had been furrowed for almost the entire night, finally relaxed a little.
Ji Yuning pursed her lips and asked, "Auntie... didn't you move in with someone else?"
Fang Bai took a bite of the strawberry, the sweet juice bursting in his mouth, making even typing feel easier: [No, weren't you unhappy?]
After sending the message, Fang Bai wondered if saying it like that would make Ji Yuning misunderstand her as the kind of person who goes back on her word.
She already had a reputation as a liar in Ji Yuning's mind; if she were to have any more unpleasant feelings...
Fang Bai was hesitating whether to resend the message, but his finger had already pressed the resend button when he saw the message from the other end: "[Auntie is so good.]"
For a moment, Fang Bai had no intention of retracting the message.
Is the word "乖" (guai, meaning obedient/well-behaved) really appropriate for Ji Yuning to describe her? It seems rather strange no matter how you look at it.
Just as Fang Bai was about to tell Ji Yuning that her word choice was inaccurate, Ji Yuning sent another message: [Get some rest.]
Fang Bai could tell at a glance that Ji Yuning was going to be busy again, so she swallowed what she wanted to say and tapped the screen with her finger: [Okay, you should get some rest too.]
After sending the message, Fang Bai glanced at the message two messages above, bit his lower lip, and said: [Be good.]
Ji Yuning did not respond.
Ten minutes later, when Fang Bai had changed into his usual clothes and was about to wash up, he received Ji Yuning's reply.
It's a five-second voice message.
Fang Bai clicked on it.
A soft laugh reached her ears first, followed by Ji Yuning's slightly weary voice, "I'm not as well-behaved as Auntie,"
Fang Bai raised an eyebrow. Didn't that mean she wouldn't rest early?
The voice message had a second half, which came out after a fleeting thought in Fang Bai's mind.
Her voice was soft and gentle as Ji Yuning said, "But I listen to my aunt more."
Fang Bai curled his eyelashes, lowered his eyes, and looked at his phone.
The phone automatically played the next newly sent voice message: "Auntie, go to sleep first. I'll rest soon. Goodnight."
Perhaps it was because the voice was not clear enough, or perhaps Ji Yuning's voice was a little hoarse and tired. The few seconds of voice were softer and gentler than it sounded in real life, like a cotton candy that would burst with filling if you took a bite.
So much so that after replying with "[Hmm]", Fang Bai couldn't resist clicking on the voice message to listen to it.
After listening to it three times, Fang Bai still had the same feeling. He threw his phone on the bed and turned to wash up.
However, while washing her face, Fang Bai wondered why, after the two voice messages, Ji Yuning's image in her mind had subtly shifted from a cool and aloof demeanor to a soft and sweet one.
^
The next day, Fang Bai accompanied Hao Yingman to choose a dress for the banquet. Hao Yingman then took him shopping for a while and had a meal. By the time they got home, it was already six o'clock in the evening.
The first thing Fang Bai did upon entering the house was to place the electronic scale he had bought from the supermarket next to the sofa.
The decision to buy an electronic scale was made suddenly, simply because Hao Yingman asked her during dinner if she had gained weight.
Fang Bai didn't feel whether she was fat or not, but thinking about how much Ji Yuning had been feeding her these past few days, she wasn't sure if her weight had increased.
A minute later, Fang Bai looked at the numbers displayed on the electronic scale and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She did gain some weight, but the result was acceptable to her; she could lose it through exercise.
She thought that the kind of weight gain that people could see was the kind that involved gaining a lot of pounds.
Fang Bai picked up his phone, pointed it at the electronic scale, and took a picture.
She first sent the photos to Hao Yingman.
Later, for some reason, she sent it to Ji Yuning with the caption: "You've gained weight."
Three minutes later, Hao Yingman was the first to reply to her.
Hao Yingman: [?]
Hao Yingman: [What are you doing?]
Fang Bai was laying out the yoga mat she had bought along with the electronic scale when she saw the message and picked up her phone: [I have indeed gained weight.]
Hao Yingman: [I just said it offhand...]
Hao Yingman: [With your weight, you should eat more, or you might suffer from malnutrition.]
The words sound familiar; it seems she said something similar to Ji Yuning before.
Three seconds later, Hao Yingman sent another message: [So what if you're thinner than me? Hmph!]
Hao Yingman: [I'm going on a diet tomorrow.]
Fang Bai smiled slightly and took a picture of the yoga mat.
Fang Bai: [Sorry, I'm about to begin.]
Upon seeing this, Hao Yingman, who was lying on the sofa, immediately got up and got out of bed.
Hao Yingman: [Wait.]
Fang Bai waited obediently for a while, during which time she changed into her sportswear.