The Bet

"Why aren't you leaving?"

"I just happened to come out for some quiet too, giving them some space." Ye Shuang patted his pockets and finally pulled out a candy, tossing it into his mouth.

Zhou's Mother must have wanted to share some family words with Bai Yuyou in private, so Ye Shuang stepping out to find this little girl was also a way to leave them some room.

"Mmm." Alice stared at Ye Shuang, her slightly puffed cheeks betraying some unspoken thoughts.

Ye Shuang suddenly spoke up, "Do you know what a pufferfish is?"

"What if I do?"

"You kinda look like one right now."

It took Alice a few seconds to process his words before she bared her little fangs, "Who are you calling a pufferfish?!"

"Tsk." Ye Shuang pointed, and she immediately covered her cheeks, squatting down.

When she looked up again, she found Ye Shuang holding out another candy. "Here."

Alice gave him a look as if he were an idiot. "You think I’m a kid or something?"

"Eating candy boosts dopamine, makes you feel better," Ye Shuang chuckled. "Afraid I poisoned it?"

Alice: "…"

She reached out and took the candy anyway.

"Poisoned or not, dying would be fine by me," Alice muttered dramatically, as if Ye Shuang had laced the treat with cyanide.

Crunch crunch crunch. The sound of teeth grinding candy filled the air as the girl glared at him, her eyes practically drilling holes into him.

The sweetness spread through her mouth, and Alice did seem to feel a little less miserable—though she still slumped against the car, hands behind her back, radiating dejection.

That look was familiar to Ye Shuang. It reminded him of Bai Yuyou under the streetlights—like a stray animal with nowhere to go.

As if waiting for divine intervention.

"What’s got you so upset?" Ye Shuang asked.

Alice gave him a weary glance before mumbling, "You’ll understand when you’re my age."

Ye Shuang: "…"

Just then, a phone rang.

Alice glanced at the caller ID, hung up immediately, and started walking away.

She even turned back to snap,

"You—don’t follow me!"

Ye Shuang just smiled and didn’t move. "Heard there’s been a lot of kidnappers lately. They snatch kids, ship them off to the mountains, and force them to bear children for men in their fifties or sixties before they’re even adults."

"And out there, no phones. If you resist, they beat you, chain you up in pigsties, make you sleep with the pigs until you ‘learn your lesson.’"

Alice froze mid-step, then silently trudged back to Ye Shuang’s side, leaning against the car again.

Noticing his amused expression, she averted her eyes and grumbled, "I’m not scared. I just don’t want to trouble the police."

"You think Yuyou stole Aunt Xian from you?" Ye Shuang asked.

Alice stayed silent.

"Kids always worry about losing what they love. It’s normal—"

"I’m not a kid!"

"Are you in middle school yet?"

Alice clammed up again before huffing, "Maturity isn’t measured by age, you know…"

"You’re right. Even your sister has a lot she doesn’t understand," Ye Shuang said.

"She’s not my sister."

"I wish she weren’t either." Ye Shuang sighed, thinking of Alice’s profile details.

If Alice really was Uncle Zhou’s illegitimate child—and if Aunt Xian didn’t know—what would happen when the truth came out? Would Bai Yuyou get caught in the fallout?

That’s why he’d stepped out to talk to this girl alone.

Alice gave him a strange look. Maybe it was the night air, but she suddenly felt a chill.

"Who are you to her?" she asked abruptly.

Ye Shuang shrugged. "A guardian, but not officially."

Alice: "…"

The air grew still for a moment before Alice muttered something in Russian. If it had been An Shiyu’s dialect, Ye Shuang might’ve understood, but his Russian began and ended with Ura.

"You don’t need to worry about Yuyou ‘stealing’ love that was never yours to begin with," Ye Shuang said.

Alice shot back, "Then why call me her cousin? Even if I’m adopted, is my status that shameful?"

"And she doesn’t even care about me now!"

"She didn’t even come after me when I ran out! Because I’m not really part of the Zhou family!"

"She abandoned me!"

Tears welled in her eyes as she lashed out.

"How about a bet?" Ye Shuang’s words made Alice freeze, her red-rimmed eyes widening. She sniffled (despite no snot) and rubbed her face. "Huh?"

Ye Shuang smiled. "Let’s bet on whether they’ll come looking for you."

"Bet what?"

"You name it."

"If I win, you—you have to call me big sister," Alice blurted after a pause, clearly thinking this would humiliate an adult.

"Deal. And if I win?"

"I’ll do anything!"

Before she could finish, a voice called out from the distance—

"Alice—!"

The moment she heard it, Alice stiffened, turning in disbelief. Zhou's Mother was hurrying over in heels, flanked by her two brothers and Bai Yuyou.

Just as Alice braced for scolding, Zhou's Mother knelt and pulled her into a hug.

"It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have neglected you lately, but I do love you… I’m sorry, Alice."

"I misspoke earlier."

The apology left Alice stunned. She glanced dumbly at Ye Shuang, who had already moved to Bai Yuyou’s side.

"Ye Shuang… I said those things." Bai Yuyou showed him her phone—where Ye Shuang had secretly texted her during his talk with Alice.

"Alright, let’s go back and eat."

Alice was led back to the private room, her earlier hostility gone. She seemed almost dazed as she took her seat.

When her eyes met Ye Shuang’s, she hmphed and looked away.

"Let me reintroduce her properly. This is Alice, our Zhou family’s adopted Sino-Russian child," Zhou's Mother explained.

"After Sister Rou went missing, my health deteriorated. The doctors said I’d struggle to conceive again… Uncle Zhou brought her home due to certain circumstances, so…"

"Sister Rou, she’s your younger sister."

Bai Yuyou turned to Alice and said softly, "Hello."

After a few seconds of silence, Alice squeaked back, barely audible, "…Hi."