Just a few seconds after Ye Shuang and the others took a taxi and left, a pink Porsche drove in.
A woman who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six years old stepped out of the car. She had delicate features, with long, wavy brown hair, dressed in office attire paired with black stockings and high heels. The bright red of her lips accentuated her porcelain-like skin, making the teardrop mole under her eye appear even more seductive and mature.
"Chen Hai, where's Ye Shuang?!" The woman clicked her heels rapidly as she spotted Chen Hai by the roadside and immediately demanded.
"How did you get here so fast?!" Chen Hai was taken aback. "And driving in high heels? That's against the rules, you know."
"None of your business! Where's my Ye Shuang?" Chen Qin grabbed Chen Hai's collar. "Did you hide him somewhere?!"
Chen Hai immediately looked pained. "I have no idea."
"Weren’t you the one who used to ignore Ye Shuang before? Why are you acting like a lovesick fool now that he's single?"
"Who are you calling a lovesick fool, you fatso?! I was just keeping a respectful distance while he was in a relationship. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it to you with a damn banana hammer!"
"Well… you do have impressive self-control. But I really don’t know where he went. Maybe I’ll ask him for you next time?"
"Then give me his new phone number!"
"I don’t have it."
"You. Are. Full. Of. It!"
Chen Hai sighed helplessly. He couldn’t understand why his younger sister was so infatuated with Ye Shuang—and had been since childhood. Wasn’t Ye Shuang just slightly better-looking than him?
As he faced this unstoppable force of nature, Chen Hai thought to himself, "Bro, I’ve done all I can for you."
---
Meanwhile, Ye Shuang had already taken a taxi back to the residential area with Bai Yuyou—or perhaps it was more accurate to call it home now, since Ye Shuang planned to live there for quite some time. A place that could embrace him deserved to be called home.
Though he hadn’t known Bai Yuyou for long, he already couldn’t bear to leave her to fend for herself. Teaching her how to integrate into society and live independently had become his new goal.
The ups and downs of life had given him a more relaxed perspective.
In the grand ballroom of life, the one who first teaches you the steps may not stay until the dance ends. This truth applied both to that person’s relationship with him and his own with Bai Yuyou.
Ye Shuang didn’t know how long he could stay by Bai Yuyou’s side. Two unrelated people, brought together by fate, now tangled in the threads of destiny.
When those threads unraveled, it might be time for him to leave. But until then, he wanted to cherish every moment.
Now, Ye Shuang had taken Bai Yuyou to the market. Watching the girl stare longingly at the roasted chickens and ducks, her adorable expression amused him.
"Want some roast duck?" Ye Shuang asked.
"Yes." Bai Yuyou nodded softly, her usually cool demeanor showing rare enthusiasm.
"Boss, one roast duck, the lower half, with plum sauce."
The "lower half" referred to the duck’s hindquarters—about a quarter of the bird. The portion looked plump and flavorful.
"Sure, that’ll be 26."
Ye Shuang pulled out his phone to scan the QR code for payment, then showed Bai Yuyou. "Learn this, and you won’t need to carry cash around anymore."
Bai Yuyou seemed to half-understand.
But Ye Shuang wasn’t in a hurry. He repeated the process at a few more stalls, patiently teaching her how to use mobile payments.
In Ye Shuang’s city, people usually bought groceries meal by meal or day by day, so he planned to take Bai Yuyou shopping every time—at least until she learned how to cook properly. Eating instant noodles wasn’t exactly nutritious.
Takeout was an option, of course. Back when he was busy, Ye Shuang had survived on takeout meals, or at the very least, a cup of coffee. But cooking was a basic life skill she needed to master.
After picking up ingredients for a simple three-dish-and-soup meal, Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou back home.
Along the way, they stopped by a courier pickup point to collect a package and then a phone store to buy a new SIM card. Though the surveillance equipment hadn’t arrived yet, the phone had been delivered the next day—credit to Nifeng Express for their consistently speedy service.
Setting the groceries on the table, Ye Shuang had Bai Yuyou sit beside him as he inserted the SIM card and began teaching her how to use a smartphone.
But Bai Yuyou still hadn’t quite grasped personal space. She pressed so close to Ye Shuang that her warmth seeped through their thin clothing, her occasional accidental touches forcing him to steady his breathing and focus on the lesson.
"Alright, now you try."
Bai Yuyou took the phone and began exploring its functions, fascinated by the novelty of it all.
Ye Shuang couldn’t help but smile at the sight. But then—click—a shutter sound came from beside him.
Glancing over, he realized Bai Yuyou had accidentally taken a selfie, capturing both of them in the frame.
In the photo, neither was looking at the camera. Ye Shuang wore a faint smile, while Bai Yuyou had turned to gaze at him just as the shot was taken. The moment frozen in the image carried an inexplicable harmony.
"Delete it," Ye Shuang said. "This one didn’t turn out well."
But Bai Yuyou clutched the phone and shook her head. "No."
"Why not?"
"Want it." She hugged the phone protectively.
"Fine." Maybe she just wanted to keep her first selfie.
Ye Shuang got up to cook, and Bai Yuyou, abandoning the phone, followed him into the kitchen like a shadow.
"Perfect timing—let me teach you how to cook." Originally planning to let her play with the phone a little longer, Ye Shuang instead started instructing her on basic cooking steps.
"Start with something simple—peeling garlic." He demonstrated, and Bai Yuyou picked it up immediately.
As Ye Shuang had suspected, Bai Yuyou didn’t have any mental disabilities. She learned quickly—maybe a little clumsy, but perfectly normal.
She just hadn’t been taught how to live properly.
Soon, Bai Yuyou had peeled half a bowl of garlic. Staring at her fingers, now coated in garlic juice, she absentmindedly brought them to her mouth.
The next second, she stuck out her tongue, eyes watering from the sharp sting.
"Heh." A chuckle came from beside her. Bai Yuyou turned to see Ye Shuang grinning. "Raw garlic’s pretty intense. Don’t go putting your fingers in your mouth next time."
Seeing him laugh like that, Bai Yuyou suddenly found the burning on her tongue fading, replaced by a faint tingling.
The golden light of the setting sun streamed through the kitchen window, painting everything in warm hues. Their shadows stretched long across the floor, merging at the edges—
As if embracing.