Love-Struck Bai Yuyou

Nighttime.

"Whoosh—" Ye Shuang stood under the showerhead, scrubbing his hair. After pushing his bangs back, he reached for his towel, only to feel something unexpectedly soft.

Wiping the water from his face in confusion, he blinked his damp eyes open—only to see Bai Yuyou standing beside him, clad in a snow-white swimsuit, hugging his towel. She gazed at him with an observant yet innocent expression.

"Ye Shuang… let’s make a baby," she said.

Ye Shuang: "…"

He snatched the towel from her arms and wrapped it around his waist.

"No," he said firmly, unsure what nonsense Tang Keke had been feeding Bai Yuyou that morning. Ever since she came home from school, she had been clinging to him like this.

Though he was somewhat pleased—even a little touched—that the girl was learning about these things, there was no way he could indulge her.

"Do you even understand what making a baby means?" he asked. Bai Yuyou nodded earnestly.

"That’s something only married couples do," Ye Shuang explained.

Bai Yuyou thought for a moment. "We’re not married now…"

"Right, so we can’t make a baby."

"But they weren’t married, and they still did it…" Bai Yuyou countered.

Ye Shuang: "…"

Who the hell were "they"?

What on earth had Keke shown her? Was she watching those ridiculous soap operas in class?!

Ye Shuang felt a sudden dizziness, his vision darkening for a second. Staring at the girl in front of him, he abruptly changed the subject. "Aren’t you cold?"

Bai Yuyou tilted her head.

"Good girl, sit down. I’ll wash your hair," Ye Shuang said, steering the conversation elsewhere—a tactic that always worked on her. Sure enough, she obediently took a seat on the stool.

Glancing at her swimsuit, he squeezed some shampoo into his palm and began lathering her hair.

Bai Yuyou’s hair was long, so long that even while seated, the ends pooled on the bathroom floor. Jet-black and silky, it shimmered under the light, a stark contrast against her fair skin.

Aunt Xian had once been a beauty pageant winner in her youth—a genuine stunner. Bai Yuyou had clearly inherited her parents’ flawless genes, as if blessed by the heavens themselves.

After rinsing off the suds, Ye Shuang said, "Alright, take off your swimsuit and finish your shower. I’ll get you some clean clothes."

"Mm."

Once he made sure Bai Yuyou was washing up properly, he grabbed a towel to dry his hair and stepped out.

After changing and fetching clothes for her, he sank onto the couch, lost in thought.

Hmm…

"Maybe I should find her some romance dramas to watch?" Ye Shuang mused. Bai Yuyou clearly lacked some essential knowledge, and not everything had to be learned through personal experience.

But he worried that romance dramas might turn her into a hopeless romantic.

Then again, men could be like that too—himself included.

But no matter who it was, a man only had that kind of all-consuming, reckless devotion once in his life—the kind where he’d throw himself into fire without hesitation.

Once burned, though, he’d start closing himself off.

Well, no harm in trying.

"Let’s see…" Ye Shuang pulled out his phone and searched online for recommendations on wholesome romance anime—nothing overly saccharine or artificial. Since he didn’t watch romance anime himself, he had to rely on netizens for advice.

Soon, replies poured in under his post.

[Oh, definitely School Days. A groundbreaking romance masterpiece—fresh and unconventional.]

Ye Shuang looked up the plot summary.

"An older anime, huh? The animation’s a bit dated, but if it’s this highly recommended, it must have something special…"

"The protagonist has a crush on a girl he sees on the train every day, even setting her photo as his phone wallpaper…"

"Hmm…"

"Then the female lead finds out, but instead of getting mad, she helps him get closer to the girl…"

Ye Shuang nodded approvingly. A pretty standard unrequited love setup. Though, given the genre’s tropes, the female lead would probably fall for him too, leading to a classic love triangle.

He skipped ahead to check the ending.

The female lead kills the other girl, then drifts away on a boat, cradling the protagonist’s severed head.

Ye Shuang: "…"

Silence hung in the air for several seconds.

"Wait, what?!" What kind of insane twist was this?! "Groundbreaking" literally meant taking someone’s head?!

Rubbing his temples, Ye Shuang realized showing this to Bai Yuyou might just spawn a yandere.

He promptly blocked the user named "Let’s Go Clubbing with Menma" and scrutinized the other replies. If Bai Yuyou got exposed to this kind of garbage, his carefully nurtured innocence would be ruined.

[Baka and Test. It’s about a dumb girl and the guy who helps her grow. Super heartwarming.]

"This one sounds promising." The title, Baka and Test, seemed to fit what he had in mind—a story about a guy guiding a clueless girl.

And honestly, the "dumb girl" description kinda fit Bai Yuyou.

Still, to be safe, he skimmed some reviews and clips.

A few minutes later, he popped a stick of gum into his mouth like a cigarette and exhaled. "Phew…"

"Can’t trust a single one of these netizens. Back when I first started using the internet, people were actually helpful. Now everyone’s just… abstract."

Resigned, Ye Shuang gave up on crowd-sourcing and instead scoured streaming platforms for well-reviewed romance anime, cross-referencing titles to filter out the trash.

By the time Bai Yuyou finished her shower, he had a shortlist ready.

"Huh? Why are you wearing my clothes again?" He frowned as she emerged in one of his T-shirts. "Where’s the pajamas I got you?"

Bai Yuyou averted her eyes guiltily. "I… picked these. Ye Shuang’s clothes… comfy…"

"Not giving them to you next time."

But Bai Yuyou bunched the fabric in her fists and hugged it close, shaking her head vigorously. "No…"

"Idiot, don’t just hike up your clothes like that—wait, where are your underwear?!"

"Forgot."

"Put them on!"

"Help me… Ye Shuang…" She held out a palm, a small piece of fabric resting on it.

"No."