Let's Talk

Weekend, early morning.

A beam of light filtered through the sheer curtains and fell onto the bedside. The young girl lying there slowly opened her beautiful eyes—sitting up, Bai Yuyou noticed a single strand of bedhead hair sticking up as she realized Ye Shuang was still asleep.

He lay quietly on the bed, one arm tucked beneath his head, seemingly deep in slumber.

Bai Yuyou reached out and pinched one of his armpit hairs.

Ye Shuang frowned slightly but didn’t wake up.

"Fur..." The girl was a little curious—after all, she didn’t have a single hair on her body, though Ye Shuang had explained before that she shouldn’t dwell on such things.

Bai Yuyou slowly leaned down, her soft, silky hair cascading over Ye Shuang as she planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Today’s kiss, done." With that, she nuzzled her cheek against him until he let out a faint murmur in his sleep, then sluggishly climbed out of bed.

Downstairs, Yi Wan was sprawled on the floor, basking in the sunlight. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, the cat immediately meowed, "Mrow~"

"Good morning."

Bai Yuyou suddenly crouched in front of Yi Wan, silently staring at the cat—until Yi Wan, confused, rolled onto its side. Only then did Bai Yuyou speak. "You’ve gotten fatter, Yi Wan."

Yi Wan: "?"

You crouched there all this time just to say that?

After washing up and brushing her hair, Bai Yuyou dried her face with a towel and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for Ye Shuang.

"Mrow~"

Yi Wan trotted over, rubbing against her legs and purring loudly.

Bai Yuyou glanced at the cat’s food bowl—both the water and kibble were empty.

"Ye Shuang says eating a lot is a good thing," she murmured, preparing to refill the bowl for this increasingly chubby orange cat.

As she turned on the faucet to rinse the bowl, the shallow dish caused water to splash upward in a semicircle, drenching the upper half of Bai Yuyou’s body.

Her thin white nightgown clung to her skin, revealing the faint outline of her abdomen and curves.

"Got wet..." Bai Yuyou glanced down but finished washing the bowl and serving Yi Wan’s meal first.

After stripping off the damp nightgown and underwear, she tossed them into the washing machine and returned upstairs. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a glow over her pale, almost luminescent skin.

"Hmm." Bai Yuyou had intended to change, but after opening the wardrobe and scanning its contents, she couldn’t find her usual nightgown.

"Sleepy..." Her bedhead hair drooped as she rubbed her eyes. The drowsiness of an unfinished sleep crept back in.

But Ye Shuang had told her she had to wear proper clothes to sleep in bed—yet regular daywear was uncomfortable for sleeping.

Bai Yuyou stuck her head into the wardrobe. A few seconds later, as if struck by inspiration, she pulled out a pair of white thigh-high stockings and slipped them on.

"This... counts as wearing clothes."

Rubbing her eyes, she crawled back into bed, burrowing under the covers and nestling against Ye Shuang.

An hour later, Ye Shuang finally stirred awake.

"Huh?" He reached for his phone but paused at the strange texture against his palm—his mind still foggy, he sat up slightly in confusion.

Then he lifted the blanket.

The next moment, he froze. Bai Yuyou, sound asleep in nothing but those white stockings, looked so surreal it felt like a dream.

"Must still be asleep." He lay back down. About thirty seconds later, he lifted the covers again.

Ye Shuang stared in silence for a long moment before pinching the bridge of his nose.

This girl... Just when he thought he’d finally gotten her to break the habit, she’s back to this?

And what’s with just wearing thigh-highs?!

Perhaps sensing movement, Bai Yuyou slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Ye Shuang awake, she stretched out her arms. "Ye Shuang... hug..."

"Yuyou, where are your clothes?" Ye Shuang asked. "Being naughty again?"

Bai Yuyou’s expression remained blank, but her gem-like eyes flickered away guiltily. "Wearing them."

"Where?"

The girl shrank further under the blanket, leaving only her stocking-clad legs exposed. A few seconds later, she handed him a note:

【(´･ω･`) Wearing stockings counts as wearing clothes.】

Ye Shuang: "..."

Is she getting rebellious now?

After learning that her clothes had gotten wet, though, Ye Shuang didn’t scold her—just reminded her that regular sleepwear was fine too.

"Aren’t you and Keke going out this morning?" Ye Shuang stood in front of the wardrobe, packed with clothes he’d picked for Bai Yuyou.

During breaks at the school clinic, he often browsed online shops for her outfits—with summer approaching, he’d chosen lighter styles, though anything too revealing (like crop tops) was off-limits.

Bai Yuyou shuffled over, but Ye Shuang didn’t turn around. "Stay in bed for now."

"Okay." She retreated under the covers like a hermit crab, only her head peeking out, blinking innocently.

"I’ve bought you so many clothes—you should really learn how to coordinate outfits yourself," Ye Shuang said.

"Want Ye Shuang to pick..."

"You’re hopeless." He wondered if he spoiled her too much. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out black culottes and a white short-sleeved top with a sailor-style collar and a cute little tie.

"Pair them with canvas shoes to make your legs look longer." Once he’d laid everything out on the bedside table, he added, "I’ll go wash up. Change and come down for breakfast."

Bai Yuyou nodded obediently.

After freshening up, Ye Shuang started on a simple breakfast. Tang Keke arrived early, carrying a box of cherries. "Brother, have some cherries!"

"That’s... way too much. We’ll never finish all this." He was washing his hands when he noticed another five-kilogram box beside it.

Ten pounds of cherries? Impossible.

"It’s fine! Yuyou can eat it all," Tang Keke said confidently.

Ye Shuang paused, realizing he had no rebuttal.

At home, he had a bottomless-pit of a girl—Bai Yuyou’s appetite could easily match two or three people’s worth of meals.

And yet, she never gained weight.

Was her metabolism just that high, or did she simply not absorb it?

"...Fair point."

When he asked where the two girls were headed, though, they exchanged secretive glances, refusing to divulge details.

Ye Shuang didn’t press—girls had their own little secrets, after all.

After breakfast, Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou headed out, their youthful energy radiating as they walked side by side. Standing by the door in his apron, Ye Shuang felt an indescribable warmth watching them.

Being young really was something.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

A message from Aunt Xian.

Aunt Xian: Shuang, are you free today? Let's have a chat.