This is why she still feels helpless and bewildered when she hears the name Mu Xuerou.
However, a hug with Mu Xuerou caused the tangled knots in Fang Bai's heart to gradually unravel as Mu Xuerou interacted with He Ziyan.
The deep-rooted subconscious beliefs then loosen.
He Ziyan rented a room in the community. The group took their luggage back to He Ziyan's house. When it was time to eat, He Ziyan suggested eating out, but Mu Xuerou said she wanted to taste the taste of home, so the group decided to cook at home.
Because He Ziyan had been away for several days and her house was empty, and she hadn't hired a housekeeper to clean, the group returned to Ji Yuning's house.
Ji Yuning and He Ziyan were in charge of cooking.
Fang Bai originally wanted to cook, but Mu Xuerou pulled him to sit down and chat. In addition, He Ziyan said she wanted Fang Bai to try her cooking. Seeing Fang Bai's eagerness, Fang Bai had no choice but to agree.
With his inner conflict resolved, Fang Bai's demeanor returned to normal when he chatted with Mu Xuerou, just as gentle and compliant as Mu Xuerou remembered.
Moreover, Mu Xuerou could see that Fang Bai was different from a few years ago. Beneath his seemingly easygoing demeanor lay an unapproachable aloofness. Now, Fang Bai was genuinely sincere towards them.
Mu Xuerou knew that Aunt Fang was good to her and Ziyan.
It's excellent with lemon.
Mu Xuerou asked Fang Bai where he had traveled to in the past three years and what his favorite place was. Fang Bai had just finished sharing with Mu Xuerou when Mu Xuerou asked again, "Aunt Fang, have you ever seen Yu Ning cry?"
Fang Bai slowed down his petting of the cat.
Is Ji Yuning crying?
If red eyes and tears streaming down one's face are considered crying, then she must have seen it.
But why ask this?
Mu Xuerou placed her hand on Beibei, staring at Fang Bai, and said, "I have met Ziyan many times."
During the time Fang Bai was away.
After the competition, Ji Yuning went to school every day as usual, just like before, without showing any abnormality.
If He Ziyan hadn't overheard her mother chatting with someone else, perhaps neither she nor He Ziyan would have known that Fang Bai had left.
They didn't ask Ji Yuning directly, but after school, He Ziyan had her family driver take them to the Fang family's house.
The person who opened the door for them was Wu Mei. Mu Xuerou swore that it was the first time she had ever felt such a deathly atmosphere.
Only the naive and innocent Beibei was a breath of fresh air in the huge villa.
They asked Wu Mei where Ji Yuning was. Wu Mei sighed, led them upstairs to the second floor, and stood in front of Fang Bai's bedroom door.
Through the crack in the door, they saw Ji Yuning, who was huddled in a corner with her arms wrapped around her legs.
Mu Xuerou still remembers that afternoon, when snow was falling heavily outside and the only warmth inside couldn't warm the lone boat frozen on the sea.
Since then, she and He Ziyan would go home with Ji Yuning every day. But every time they sat around the dining table doing their homework, they would think of the first time they went to the Fang family. Fang Bai treated them to Coca-Cola. Every time, Ji Yuning would find an excuse to go upstairs and only come downstairs when it got dark and they were about to leave. Mu Xuerou saw Ji Yuning's red eyes more than once.
They initially thought Fang Bai would return in a few months, since he hadn't been away for long, right? But after Ji Yuning left Hushi, after they graduated from high school, and after they started university, they still hadn't heard from Fang Bai.
At first, Mu Xuerou didn't understand why Ji Yuning was hiding in Fang Bai's room and crying, but as she grew up, she understood.
It turns out that at an age when she knew nothing, someone had already tasted the bitterness of love.
So after hearing He Ziyan say that Aunt Fang had been found by Ji Yuning and brought back to Beijing, Mu Xuerou couldn't wait to come back, but because she still had her studies and an unfinished movie to film, she could only postpone it until now.
"Seeing you two like this now, Aunt Fang, I sincerely wish you all the best." Mu Xuerou's voice was light as she winked at Fang Bai. "Also, I really never liked Yu Ning."
Fang Bai was still immersed in Mu Xuerou's memories and couldn't get out of them for a long time, but the next second, he was stunned by Mu Xuerou's words.
When the person involved brought up the topic, even Fang Bai, with his usually calm personality, couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Fortunately, Mu Xuerou only mentioned it once, and soon asked Fang Bai about the trip again.
It was passed over like a minor episode, seemingly mentioned casually, but it made the last bit of awkwardness in Fang Bai's heart disappear.
In front of the French windows, Fang Bai and Mu Xuerou sat on the carpet, holding Bei Bei in their arms, with clothes that Mu Xuerou had bought for Bei Bei scattered around them.
There were some clothes that Zhu Beibei couldn't fit into, and the two people helping her change couldn't help but laugh and joke.
Fang Bai's smile, which unconsciously blossomed on his face, was so beautiful that it was captivating. In the warm and tender atmosphere, the orange sky and the pink and purple cirrus clouds became the background.
Ji Yuning stood in front of the kitchen door, looking at the "warm" scene in the distance.
Until He Ziyan shouted twice from the kitchen:
"Ji Yuning! Where's the garlic I ordered?!"
"Ji Yuning! Your food is going to burn!"
The atmosphere was thus shattered.
After the meal, Mu Xuerou offered to clear the dishes, and Fang Bai followed her into the kitchen.
The cooking set was left in the living room again.
He Ziyan hugged the cushion, wondering how she could always be alone with Ji Yuning.
That's fine, though, because she had something she wanted to ask Ji Yuning anyway.
Glancing into the kitchen to make sure everyone was busy, He Ziyan looked at Ji Yuning and asked curiously, "When did you and Aunt Fang get together?"
When she went abroad, their relationship hadn't progressed at all.
Don't ask He Ziyan how she found out. Just look at Ji Yuning staring at the kitchen with a longing look in her eyes. It would be hard for her not to notice.
Ji Yuning turned around, her eyes revealing neither joy nor anger, and said indifferently, "The time you insulted me."
Insulting Ji Yuning? When?
He Ziyan had a poor memory; it took her a moment to recall which day it was.
Then……
He Ziyan got angry again, her sharp peacock beak seeming to peck at someone, "You're already with Aunt Fang, why are you still calling Rou Rou?"
Ji Yuning shifted her gaze from the figure in the kitchen, looked at He Ziyan, and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully, "How can you be together if you don't call each other?"
He Ziyan was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Ji Yuning did not respond to her, and slowly turned her head away.
He Ziyan followed Ji Yuning's gaze and looked at the two people chatting idly in the kitchen...
Rou Rou and Aunt Fang?
Imagining the two people downstairs arm in arm, she coughed lightly, "I'll go see if they need any help."
He got up and walked towards the kitchen.
He Ziyan was successfully led astray by Ji Yuning.
But this is exactly what Ji Yuning wanted: a threesome, with Fang Bai becoming the third wheel.
Ji Yuning lowered her crossed legs, spread her hands on the sofa, beckoned to Beibei, and whispered, "Come here."
By the time the three of them came out of the kitchen, it was already completely dark.
Mu Xuerou and He Ziyan didn't stay long; soon, only Fang Bai and Ji Yuning were left at home again.
Ji Yuning felt the strong smell of cooking oil on her clothes, so as soon as Mu Xuerou and the other person left, she turned around and went to take a shower.
Fang Bai sat alone on the sofa, his thoughts wandering.
Mu Xuerou spoke calmly, but the listener's heart pounded with every word. When he heard Ji Yuning crying alone in a corner, Fang Bai's heart felt as if it were being squeezed hard, and the lingering pain persisted until now.
During the meal, she pretended nothing had happened, but once she was alone, there was no need to pretend anymore.
Meow~
Beibei jumped onto the sofa and licked Fang Bai's hand with her tongue.
Fang Bai took the opportunity to touch Bei Bei, but when her gaze fell on Bei Bei's clothes, she slowed down.
A row of pink paper bows inexplicably appeared on Beibei's clothes, glued on.
This was something she didn't have when she and Mu Xuerou changed clothes.
It seems there's only one person with nothing to do.
Seeing the scraps of paper stuck in the trash can, Fang Bai scooped Bei Bei into his arms and gently stroked her, saying, "Your mother is so good to you, she even added some decorations for you, it's just..."
"It's a bit ugly," Fang Bai said truthfully.
The person who came out of the shower happened to hear this.
Ji Yuning glanced at Fang Bai silently, then turned and walked into the room.
Fang Bai chuckled twice, grabbed Bei Bei's ear, and whispered, "What should we do? Mommy was overheard talking badly about her. Go and comfort her for Mommy."
After placing Beibei at the door of Ji Yuning's bedroom, Fang Bai turned around and went to take a shower.
She didn't take it seriously when Ji Yuning heard her say it was ugly, after all, the clothes were quite nice, but Ji Yuning's styling of them was indescribable.
But when Fang Bai came out of the shower and saw the person lying on the bed wearing a pink backless nightgown, he suddenly felt that Ji Yuning's taste had improved again.
The pajamas weren't a bright pink, but a pale pink more like champagne.
Her exposed back shone brightly against her black hair and pink dress. Two ribbons tied with bows were visible in the openwork area, like ribbons on a gift box. With a gentle pull, the gift would be revealed.
"New pajamas?"
As soon as Fang Bai sat down on the edge of the bed, Ji Yuning leaned close to him and asked, "Hmm, is it pretty?"
"It looks good," Fang Bai said truthfully.
Ji Yuning's eyebrows curved slightly, and her hand traced the lines of Fang Bai's back to his shoulder. The moment her fingertips moved upwards, Fang Bai's sensitive skin caused him to straighten his back involuntarily.
"Little...Little Lemon, it itches."
Smelling the faint fragrance of shower gel on Fang Bai's body, Ji Yuning called out in a hoarse voice, "Auntie."
Fang Bai: "...Hmm."
Ji Yuning lowered her voice and asked, "Do you still remember the two rewards you promised me?"
Fang Bai hadn't forgotten what she had promised Ji Yuning; she hadn't forgotten anything.
"Remember."
Ji Yuning lowered her head and placed a kiss on Fang Bai's smooth shoulder, saying, "I haven't redeemed it yet."