Why Different

After finishing his shower, Ye Shuang was drying his hair when he noticed his phone screen light up.

"Was it that person from earlier?" Ye Shuang picked up his phone, only to find a message from Bai Yuyou.

Isn't that girl right next door? Why is she texting?

He glanced at it and saw it was another picture.

He opened it casually and froze—

The same pose, the same pillow, the same half-exposed slime, paired with her expressionless little face making a cute tongue-out gesture, creating an indescribably subtle feeling.

Ye Shuang: "..."

He left his room and went next door. "Yuyou, did Keke again..."

The door was slightly ajar. After entering, Ye Shuang stood rooted to the spot.

Bai Yuyou was facing away from him, propped up on the bed, one arm hugging a pillow while looking at her phone. Perhaps hearing the noise, she turned her head, her gem-like eyes filled with innocence.

A deathly silence.

"I'll come back in a bit."

Feeling as if his eyes had been brutally clawed out by a white tiger and a leopard, Ye Shuang walked out of the room like a robot, closing the door behind him.

After calming down, Ye Shuang knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Ye Shuang pushed the door open. Bai Yuyou was now sitting in a seiza position looking at him, seemingly not understanding why he had suddenly run out earlier.

"Put your clothes on properly."

"Oh."

"That photo, did you send it to anyone else?" Ye Shuang asked.

Bai Yuyou said obediently, "No, only for Ye Shuang to see."

"I've already deleted it. Don't take that kind of thing randomly again, understand?" Ye Shuang picked up Bai Yuyou's phone.

Bai Yuyou whispered, "Sister Chen Qin took them too."

"Chen Qin is different."

"Why."

"No reason." As soon as Ye Shuang finished speaking, he noticed Bai Yuyou hanging her head. "I don't understand..."

"You'll understand in the future."

"I don't understand." Bai Yuyou lifted her face. "Why can Sister Chen Qin but I can't... I just... wanted to make Ye Shuang happy..."

Ye Shuang shook his head. "It's different."

"I really don't understand. But Ye Shuang, I really want to understand..."

"Why do I have to understand later, why do I know nothing now?" The girl's voice rose. "Ye Shuang..."

"What should I do..."

"Why is there right and wrong in this too..."

"Why does it make Ye Shuang unhappy..."

"I really want to understand these things..."

Tear drops the size of beans fell onto the bedsheet. Ye Shuang looked at the girl somewhat stunned. She was like a wounded little animal, kneeling there trembling. He had only seen her this emotionally out of control a handful of times.

Ye Shuang sat on the edge of the bed, then gently pulled the girl into his arms. "Yuyou, I'm not angry."

"It's just that you don't understand the meaning of those photos, so you can't send them randomly. What if someone else saw them?" He continued patiently.

"Why?"

"Because... you can only show them to someone you like."

"I like Ye Shuang."

Ye Shuang said, "That's not 'like'."

At this moment, Bai Yuyou pushed Ye Shuang away, then lifted her pretty face, flushed red from the tears, showing rare stubbornness. "Like is like. Even if I don't understand, it's still like..."

"I only like Ye Shuang. I only want Ye Shuang."

"I don't understand those things..."

"But I understand that I like you!"

Her straightforward words seemed to stir something in Ye Shuang's heart. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

No, this feeling...

To be precise—

"You've grown up." Ye Shuang reached out and gently wiped away the girl's tears, seeming somewhat emotional. "Silly girl, don't you already understand a lot?"

"Really?" Bai Yuyou's voice grew quiet.

"Mhm. So you really don't need to rush. Even if there are still some things you don't understand now... compared to the old you, haven't you improved way too much already?" Ye Shuang said slowly.

"I've always thought dependency and love are hard to distinguish. Of course, maybe dependency is also a form of love, but it's definitely not all of love..."

"So, Yuyou, to tell the difference between these things, you still need your own strength..."

"Only when you truly understand and tell me, can I give you an answer."

Bai Yuyou looked at Ye Shuang. After a while, she spoke. "Does Ye Shuang like me?"

Ye Shuang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Mhm."

"..." Bai Yuyou didn't press further and quieted down. "Ye Shuang said you would wait for me."

She buried her face in Ye Shuang's chest. "Wait for me."

"Okay..." Seeing Bai Yuyou had calmed down, Ye Shuang gently stroked the back of her head.

"Sleep together tonight."

"No."

"Sleep together." The girl clung like an octopus.

"Alright then."

...

Late at night.

Ye Shuang lay in bed, with Bai Yuyou curled up beside him, sleeping while hugging his arm.

[Character: Bai Yuyou

Perhaps she's growing faster than you imagined? Why not have it all?]

[Character: Bai Yuyou

The sleeping girl. By the way, I want Keke's Lai Lai too.

Ye Shuang twitched the corner of his mouth. What nonsense is this system spouting now.

Moonlight seemed to drape a layer of silver gauze over the girl beside him. Ye Shuang quietly looked at her sleeping face and the slightly reddened corners of her eyes, ultimately unable to hold back a soft sigh.

Sleep.

The night passed without incident.

Perhaps because of Bai Yuyou's words, or because it was the first night after moving, Ye Shuang actually didn't sleep soundly.

At the break of dawn, he got up to prepare breakfast, then sat at the dining table writing his novel on a tablet.

He glanced at the backend. Today was another day readers were reluctant to give even a free gift.

"Sigh..." Ye Shuang's mood grew heavier.

"Knock knock." A knocking sound came from the side.

Hearing it, Ye Shuang got up and went to the door—

"Good morning, brother! Am I too early? Is Yuyou awake?" Tang Keke stood outside, even wearing her pajamas. After all, it was just upstairs and downstairs; she had just run up in her pajamas to play.

Ye Shuang didn't say anything, just silently stared at her.

"Huh?" Tang Keke blinked, instinctively glanced at her large backpack, saw the straps were properly worn, and asked curiously, "Brother..."

Ye Shuang crossed his arms, still silent.

Tang Keke immediately began to feel guilty. Her brain started racing, trying to remember if she had done anything wrong these past few days.

"Speak. Confess honestly." Ye Shuang spoke.

Tang Keke immediately raised her hands in surrender. "I'm guilty!"

"Of what?"

Tang Keke tried hard to recall for a moment, then finally closed her eyes and puffed out her chest. "Brother, you decide my sentence. My sins are heavy. Kill me or slice me..."

There were too many, so she didn't know which one to mention.