It wasn't that he found the birdsong noisy; at that moment, Fang Bai couldn't hear any other sound and was only thinking about one thing.
In the few seconds that the swaying made me close my eyes, some images flashed before my eyes intermittently:
She remembered Ji Yuning acknowledging that she was Xiao Zhang, remembered Ji Yuning saying that naming her F was because she felt she had her by her side, remembered her asking Ji Yuning to drink with her, and before all that—
She cried in front of Ji Yuning.
If you're moved to tears while watching a romance movie, that's fine; Fang Bai won't care too much.
But her crying had nothing to do with the movie or being moved; it was simply because she was feeling down and couldn't control herself from expressing her frustration through tears.
They are completely different in nature.
The key was that Ji Yuning's comforting words helped calm her down.
...That's so embarrassing.
It was one thing to cry in secret, but to be caught crying by Ji Yuning made Fang Bai so ashamed he wanted to disappear.
The air inside the blanket slowly escaped, but Fang Bai showed no intention of crawling out. Her eyes were tightly closed, trying to forget everything.
No matter how hard she tried, the phrase "Am I such a failure?" filled with all her negative emotions kept echoing in her ears, refusing to leave.
Not only that, Fang Bai also remembered what happened after Duan drank alcohol, which put her in another awkward situation.
"Take your household registration booklet; I'll take you to register your household tomorrow."
In the dim light, Fang Bai suddenly opened his eyes, “…”
She really dares to say things.
Before he had drunk too much, the idea of becoming Ji Yuning's mother was just a fleeting thought that Fang Bai quickly dismissed.
I don't know why, but after drinking too much... I blurted out the truth.
It's possible that the thought wasn't completely eliminated, or that the memory is disordered, causing one to say whatever comes to mind.
Fang Bai suddenly felt fortunate that there was an internet connection between her and Ji Yuning. Even if she blurted out something shocking, Ji Yuning wasn't around, so she was safe for the time being.
The snail shell began to lack oxygen, making breathing difficult and causing a feeling of tightness in the chest.
Only after his last breath of oxygen vanished did Fang Bai dare to face the dazzling morning light.
The birds that once flew out the window had flown away, and the only sound in the room was Fang Bai's slightly heavy breathing.
Her lips were parted, her chest heaving, and only after her heartbeat gradually calmed down did Fang Bai purse her lips.
The room returned to silence, and Fang Bai's face showed no unusual expression.
So what if I cried in front of a little kid? It's nothing.
Fang Bai comforted himself.
But when Fang Bai saw the message Ji Yuning sent her, an unnatural look flashed across his face, and a hint of unease appeared between his brows and eyes.
…Ji Yuning won't laugh at her, will she?
Xiao Ning: [Are you awake?]
I'm awake. I've been awake for a while now.
She also cleared the table and hid the culprit from last night in the cupboard.
Fang Bai glanced at the wine cabinet, hesitating whether to pretend he was still asleep and not reply.
She really didn't want to face the awkward situation.
Then Ji Yuning sent another message: [I ordered breakfast, it will be left at the door, remember to eat it when you wake up.]
Fang Bai's heartstrings were touched, and his fingers tapped on the keyboard: [Awake.]
Ji Yuning quickly replied: [Then should I have him knock on the door for you?]
Fang Bai: [Okay, thank you.]
Fang Bai paused, thinking about how to get Ji Yuning to spend money on her, and asked, "[How much?]"
This time, Ji Yuning didn't send any more messages to Fang Bai, but instead made a video call directly.
Fang Bai's first reaction was to hang up, but just as his finger was about to touch the red button, he suddenly pressed the answer button.
The connection was established, and Fang Bai first saw Ji Yuning's profile. The camera was a bit shaky, as if she were walking, and the background noise was very chaotic, with many people talking.
Fang Bai glanced at Ji Yuning's surroundings, and when Ji Yuning looked at her, she asked, "Are you at school?"
"Hmm." Ji Yuning walked to a less crowded area and stood next to a tree. "I have an exam today."
“Then make a call…” Fang Bai paused.
Ji Yuning looked at the gentle, unadorned person on the screen and said, "I want to see Auntie."
See how I woke up and found myself estranged from her.
Fang Bai was puzzled for a moment, "Why are you looking at me?"
Seeing that the woman had no other expression, Ji Yuning felt relieved and smiled, saying, "Auntie looks good."
He spoke very softly, but it didn't sound like hypocrisy or perfunctory at all; on the contrary, it sounded very sincere.
Fang Bai's face suddenly flushed, and he cleared his throat, saying, "Go take the exam."
Ji Yuning said calmly, "Okay, I'm hanging up."
The call ended there.
"?"
Fang Bai hadn't reacted until the chat page was restored.
He just died like that?
Did you call just to say she's pretty?
The call lasted less than a minute, and not a single thing about last night was mentioned, which inexplicably calmed Fang Bai, who was still feeling uneasy.
Reality didn't seem as embarrassing as she had imagined; Ji Yuning didn't care at all what she had said last night.
The food arrived quickly.
In addition to breakfast, there were two more things: hangover medicine and painkillers.
As Fang Bai placed these items on the coffee table and gazed at them intently, a warm feeling washed over him.
So this is what it feels like to be cared for.
In the warm summer, something is quietly changing.
After breakfast, Fang Bai had nothing to do, so he decided to tidy up the side bedroom.
Just as she was about to pack up, Hao Yingman called her, "I'm coming to see you this afternoon, I'll take you out for a big meal."
Hao Yingman's voice was filled with undisguised excitement and joy, which made Fang Bai's lips curl up. "What happened? Why are you so happy?"
Hao Yingman hummed twice, deliberately keeping Fang Bai in suspense for a few seconds, and said, "Lu Raomei is in my office right now. Guess what she came to my company for?"
Is there even a need to guess?
Fang Bai's tone became excited as well, "Cooperation?"
“That’s right!” Hao Yingman said, “I was stunned when I received a call from my assistant this morning saying that Lu Raomei was coming to the company. I thought I was still drunk. But when I got to the company, Lu Raomei was already waiting for me.”
Hao Yingman said, "I called her 'Black Coal Ball' last night, so why would she still want to cooperate with me?"
Fang Bai smiled silently, and was about to speak when he heard another person's voice coming from the receiver.
"Does Mr. Hao think I'm the kind of person who brings my personal life into my work?"
Fang Bai was taken aback. The voice was familiar; it was Lu Raomei.
Hao Yingman turned to look at the person who had appeared behind her at some point. Caught talking behind someone's back, even Hao Yingman, with her thick skin, couldn't help but cough and ask, "Why did President Lu come out?"
Lu Raomei smiled and said, "I've come to see President Hao."
Hao Yingman swallowed hard, then held the phone to her mouth and said, "Let's talk again tonight."
Before Fang could even say goodbye, the call was cut off with a "beep".
Fang Bai took the phone away from his ear and chuckled.
Life wasn't as disappointing as she had imagined.
That evening, Fang Bai didn't get to see Hao Yingman. Hao Yingman messaged her saying she wanted to invite Lu Raomei to dinner and would ask her out another time.
Fang Bai replied, "Okay."
Fang Bai had a full day. He tidied up the side bedroom and did a thorough cleaning of the room.
It had been a long time since Fang Bai had done so much housework at once. Instead of feeling tired, he felt exhilarated, as if he had found the joy of life again.
She wasn't a complete failure.
After taking a shower, Fang Bai lay on his back in the middle of the bed, with his legs bent at the edge.
I felt better, but my legs and arms were so sore that I had no strength.
Even when someone sent her a message, Fang Bai still paused for five seconds before picking up her phone.
And the person who sent the message…
Xiao Zhang: [Ms. Fang, are you there?]
Fang Bai couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
This is Ji Yuning; she hasn't had time to change the nickname yet.
Is this some kind of role-playing game?
It's like a spice in a mundane life.
After a moment's hesitation, Fang Bai readily agreed, saying, "Yes, Xiao Zhang, is there something you need?"
Xiao Zhang: [I bought a few new clothes and would like to ask Ms. Fang to help me choose which one looks best. Do you have time?]
Fang Bai rolled over, clutching a quilt in his arms as he lay face down.
This reminded Fang Bai of when he bought clothes for Ji Yuning before. She didn't have any requirements at all, as long as she could wear them. Now that she's grown up, she's started to pay attention to whether the clothes look good or not, and she even asks Fang Bai to help her choose.
Fang Bai was very interested: [Send it over when you have time.]