That's Okay

After dinner, Ye Shuang rarely settled onto the sofa, intending to watch a little television. Ever since taking over the group, his life had been moving at a frantic pace, leaving him almost no time to sit down like this and watch a program.

“What should I watch?” Ye Shuang asked, switching through the channels at random. In the end, he stopped on the evening news. For some reason, he felt that perhaps he was the sort of person who ought to watch the news. It had been so long since he had followed a TV drama or variety show that he had no idea where to start.

The news, on the other hand, never went out of date. After all, every day brought something new.

“The news? You’d be better off watching news clips on Douyin. Even the local channels are better than this,” An Shiyu remarked after taking a look. There really wasn’t anything interesting about it—it was practically like watching the Spring Festival Gala.

“There’s nothing wrong with watching it.” Ye Shuang smiled faintly.

When he was little, the thing he disliked most was how his father watched the news at the same time every day. Yet now, he had somehow turned into exactly that kind of person.

On the coffee table in front of them, bubbles gurgled inside the glass kettle. Ye Shuang brewed himself a cup of tea and took a small sip. He immediately felt considerably warmer.

It was just a little cramped.

Ye Shuang glanced to his left. Bai Yuyou was leaning against him, her eyes fixed on the news playing on the television. On his other side, An Shiyu had her back against him, a game console in her hands as she tapped away at it. As for Anshi Yi—

She had simply sprawled across An Shiyu’s thighs, with her feet nearly sticking out over the edge of the sofa. Perhaps because she was getting excited over the game, her feet, clad in white socks, trembled from time to time.

Ye Shuang quietly said nothing. Though he was reluctant to admit it, sitting together like this in peaceful silence was comfortable and warm—especially now that the weather had turned cold. The soft, fuzzy sleeves brushing against his elbows tickled a little, but they also brought a soothing warmth.

Ye Shuang felt fortunate that everyone who had come into his life was a good person.

He only hoped that days like these could continue peacefully.

That was what Ye Shuang thought.

…

At nine o’clock, although it wasn’t exactly late at night, the two fishes decided to head home.

“We’re leaving,” An Shiyu and Anshi Yi said as they slipped their hands into their coat pockets. They showed no intention of spending the night. Ye Shuang had plenty of rooms in his home, but the two fishes seemed to have other plans.

“It’s already nine. Why don’t you stay the night?” Ye Shuang suggested. Their apartment was still some distance away, and the house had no shortage of spare clothes, especially with so many girls living there.

“Stay the night? The nightlife is only just beginning.” An Shiyu looked away, her gaze passing through the nearby window to the neon lights outside.

“Exactly. It’s the perfect time to take the Spicy Fish Head out for a drive,” Anshi Yi added.

Ye Shuang: “…”

Could the two of you behave yourselves for once?

Still, Ye Shuang knew that those two troublemakers weren’t necessarily going to listen to him. Trying to force them to stay would be pointless, and might even bring out their mischievous streak. After thinking it over, all he could say was, “Be careful, and remember to come to the company tomorrow.”

“I’m taking the day off tomorrow.”

“That’s fine, I suppose.” Ye Shuang was a little helpless. What willful employees they were.

“Later.” An Shiyu waved and headed toward the elevator.

“Bye-bye~~” Anshi Yi swayed after her. The two fishes seemed to say something to each other before finally stepping into the elevator.

After hearing the elevator doors close, Ye Shuang withdrew his gaze and shut the front door.

A little while later, Keke and Duoduo came home as well. Keke had wanted to spend the night, but clearly that wasn’t possible at the moment. She could stay over once in a while at most; she no longer had the freedom she used to.

“It feels like it’s suddenly just the two of us now.” Ye Shuang looked at Bai Yuyou on the sofa and smiled.

Yezi had already gone upstairs to sleep. After all, as an elementary school student, going to bed before nine and getting up before seven was perfectly normal.

By then, the news had already ended, and another program was playing on the television.

When Ye Shuang sat down, Bai Yuyou naturally snuggled closer to him. Feeling the warmth and softness against his arm, Ye Shuang turned his head and saw that her face was very close. He could clearly feel her sweet breath.

“Ye Shuang, kiss me.” Bai Yuyou’s voice was soft. Her eyes were closed, and her long lashes trembled lightly.

Seeing this, Ye Shuang leaned in and kissed her.

A few seconds later, they parted. Bai Yuyou immediately wrapped both arms around Ye Shuang and buried her face against his chest, as if greedily breathing in his scent.

Perhaps because she had matured quite a bit, Bai Yuyou had become less prone to acting spoiled with Ye Shuang in front of everyone. But whenever they were alone, just the two of them, she was still exactly the same as ever.

“Let’s take a shower.” Ye Shuang held down Bai Yuyou’s wandering hands and gently pinched the girl’s cheek.

“Together?”

“Mm… Sure.” Ye Shuang didn’t refuse Bai Yuyou. Even so, he continued to hold himself back when it came to crossing the final line. He didn’t want her to become pregnant and have it interfere with her studies.

That was the agreement Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou had made—to wait until after graduation. Even so, Yuyou continued to play with fire without the slightest restraint. Sometimes, the contrast between her adorably blank expression and her decidedly uncooperative hands left Ye Shuang suffering in silence.

Once they entered the bathroom, Ye Shuang glanced at Bai Yuyou. It had been a long time since he had showered with Yuyou, and seeing her unclothed still left him dazed for several seconds.

After regaining his composure, Ye Shuang said, “Rinse off first. I’ll wash your hair.”

“Mm.”

Bai Yuyou obediently sat down on a chair and let Ye Shuang massage her hair. Though her hair was long and plentiful, Ye Shuang was always patient when taking care of it.

After a while, the two of them climbed into the bathtub.

“Ye Shuang,” Bai Yuyou suddenly said.

“Hmm?”

“I want a hug.”

Bai Yuyou had originally been sitting with her back to Ye Shuang, but now she turned around in the tub. Amid the expanse of pale skin, she chose to curl up in Ye Shuang’s arms, pressing herself against him.

“…” Looking into Bai Yuyou’s eyes, Ye Shuang pinched her cheek. “Isn’t this uncomfortable?”

“Hugging Ye Shuang is comfortable,” Bai Yuyou murmured, unable to resist snuggling against him.

Her voice seemed to carry a hint of a smile, making Ye Shuang pause. He looked at Bai Yuyou and saw a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. She spoke softly.

“Do you want me?”