"Morning, brother."
Tang Keke arrived early in the morning, as she had promised to go to school with Bai Yuyou. Compared to Tang Keke, who was already full of energy, Bai Yuyou had just woken up and was brushing her teeth while still wearing loose pajamas.
"Morning. Would you like to join us for breakfast?" Ye Shuang asked with a warm smile as he looked at the girl before him.
After all, she was Bai Yuyou’s first friend. Ye Shuang thought to himself that he should treat her well.
"I’ve already eaten."
"Oh?"
Tang Keke was about to nod when her stomach suddenly growled loudly. Her face instantly flushed red, and she stammered, "I-I had a boiled egg."
"A boiled egg isn’t enough," Ye Shuang said as he walked to the dining table and pulled out a chair. "Come on, sit down. A single boiled egg won’t sustain you through the morning’s mental exertion."
Seeing Ye Shuang personally pull out the chair for her, Tang Keke couldn’t refuse. She thanked him shyly and took a seat.
Ye Shuang had prepared a lavish breakfast. Tang Keke had initially planned to just eat a sandwich, but the food was so delicious that she ended up indulging in much more.
"If you don’t mind, Keke, you can have breakfast with us from now on," Ye Shuang offered with a chuckle, noticing Tang Keke’s guilty expression from eating so much.
"That… might be too much trouble…"
"It’s fine. It’s just an extra pair of chopsticks," Ye Shuang said before glancing at Bai Yuyou. "Right, Bai Yuyou?"
Bai Yuyou didn’t respond, only silently staring at Ye Shuang.
"Hmm?" Ye Shuang thought she might be unwilling.
"What’s wrong?"
Bai Yuyou remained silent, lowering her eyes and continuing to eat her breakfast.
Tang Keke seemed to understand something and suddenly grinned at Ye Shuang. "Brother, Yuyou actually wants you to call her something more intimate."
"More intimate?"
"Yeah."
Ye Shuang quickly caught on. Looking at Bai Yuyou, who was still focused on her food, he said, "Is that so… Yuyou?"
Only then did Bai Yuyou slowly lift her face, avoiding eye contact as she gave a barely perceptible nod.
She still had moments where she acted like a child.
Ye Shuang mused to himself, but he found it endearing. It was better than her being emotionless like a doll—this brought her one step closer to the goal he had in mind for her.
After breakfast, Ye Shuang tucked a thermos filled with sandwiches into Bai Yuyou’s bag. He knew her appetite was big, and she might get hungry before lunch.
"If it gets cold, you can heat it up in the microwave in the cafeteria corner," Ye Shuang reminded her.
"Brother, you even know about that?" Tang Keke asked curiously.
"Uh…" Ye Shuang couldn’t exactly say he had once disguised himself as a teacher, so he just replied, "I noticed it last time I was at the school."
This "last time" referred to the incident involving Wu Ya, but there was no way to verify that.
"Ohhh, I see."
Once everything was ready, Ye Shuang stood at the doorway, watching the two girls as they prepared to leave together. "Be careful on your way. If anything happens, make sure to contact me."
"Got it, got it! Bye, brother!" Tang Keke said cheerfully.
"Mmm…"
But just as they were about to descend the stairs, Bai Yuyou suddenly turned around and, right in front of Tang Keke, threw herself into Ye Shuang’s arms.
"What’s wrong?" Ye Shuang was caught off guard by her sudden action, instinctively wrapping his arms around her waist, feeling the warmth and softness of her body pressed against him.
"Replenishing… Ye Shuang… energy," Bai Yuyou murmured, nuzzling her face against his neck.
What the heck was "Ye Shuang energy"?
Though her actions made his neck tickle, Ye Shuang gently stroked the back of her head while glancing awkwardly at Tang Keke. The girl standing nearby, however, only looked on with fascination.
"Yuyou is really clingy with you, huh? She’s totally different at school."
"Sorry about that."
"No, no! I’m actually kind of jealous. I’m an only child, after all," Tang Keke said with a laugh. Having a handsome older brother to hug every day sounded like a dream.
At that moment, Bai Yuyou turned her gaze toward Tang Keke, her expression unreadable.
She suddenly handed her notebook to Tang Keke—
【(˘•ω•˘) No hugs for you】
"Eh? I never said I wanted one!" Tang Keke protested innocently, though she found Bai Yuyou’s possessive behavior oddly amusing.
"Alright, if you hug any longer, you’ll be late. Time to go."
Only then did Bai Yuyou reluctantly let go. Even as she walked downstairs with Tang Keke, she kept looking back—three or four times over just a dozen steps.
"Alright, brother, we’re off now."
"Mm, stay safe."
Ye Shuang didn’t close the door until the sound of their footsteps faded away.
……
On the way to school.
"Yuyou, what’s on your mind?"
Noticing that Bai Yuyou had been unusually quiet, Tang Keke couldn’t help but ask.
"Birthday…"
"Is your birthday coming up?"
Bai Yuyou shook her head lightly. Unsure how to explain, she took out her notebook and wrote something before passing it to Tang Keke—
【(´･ω･) Ye Shuang’s birthday is coming up. Don’t know what gift to give. Struggling】
Tang Keke finally understood—it was Ye Shuang’s birthday that was approaching.
"Well, when it comes to birthday gifts, it’s the thought that counts. Someone as kind as your brother would be happy with anything you give him."
Even so, Bai Yuyou still didn’t know what to choose.
"Why don’t you ask what his friends are giving him?" Tang Keke suggested.
【(。•ω•) His friend gave him a car】
"Then you could also give him a car… Wait, huh?!" Tang Keke’s eyes widened in shock. "A real car? Like, the kind people drive?"
Bai Yuyou nodded, adding that the sports car that had taken her home last night was a gift from that friend.
"Who even gives cars as gifts?! Was it a girl?" Tang Keke’s gossipy instincts kicked in. "A woman?"
Bai Yuyou nodded again.
"Then it’s probably from his girlfriend. That makes sense," Tang Keke said, putting on a thoughtful expression and resting her chin on her hand like a detective.
Girlfriend?
Bai Yuyou seemed unfamiliar with the term.
"A girlfriend is someone who might become his wife in the future—well, not exactly, but someone he could marry," Tang Keke explained, seeing Bai Yuyou’s confusion.
Bai Yuyou suddenly stopped walking.
"Then… I’m also… girlfriend," the girl said slowly.
"Eh?!"