Alice Moves In

“So, starting today, Alice will be staying with us for a while. Everyone, be sure to get along well, okay?” Ye Shuang smiled as he introduced Alice to everyone at home that afternoon. Alice was sitting beside him without saying a word, seemingly still lost in thought.

However, after noticing everyone’s reactions, Alice raised her chin slightly before turning her gaze away.

Ye Shuang more or less knew what was bothering her. He simply reached out and gently patted her on the head in consolation.

Tang Keke, Bai Yuyou, and the others exchanged glances. “Whoa?”

Everyone was familiar with Alice. She often dropped by to join in the fun, and she was also Bai Yuyou’s half-sister, so her staying with them for a while wasn’t particularly strange. However—

“Where’s Bobo?” Bai Yuyou asked softly. She looked around, having wondered ever since Alice arrived why Bobo wasn’t there. Normally, he should have been by Alice’s side.

“Hmph. He went home. I fired him because he didn’t do his job properly.” Alice turned her face away and muttered, “It definitely wasn’t Alice’s fault. Definitely not.”

“Eh? Bobo is such a good person. Why did you fire him?” Tang Keke exclaimed when she heard that. “Hasn’t he taken care of you ever since you were little? He’s such a wonderful person.”

Although Bobo was technically Alice’s bodyguard, to Keke and the others, he seemed more like a nanny—or even a father—to her. Even a nanny couldn’t have cared for her so meticulously. Clearly, there was a lot of affection involved.

“…”

Alice suddenly fell silent. Her little face had obviously puffed up, as though she were sulking.

Ye Shuang spoke up to explain. “Bobo had something to take care of, so he’ll be away for a while.”

“Oh, so that’s what happened?” Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou didn’t think much of it. They simply assumed Bobo had been called away by some urgent matter.

After learning that Alice would be staying with them, the girls began helping her prepare a room. Since no one knew how long she would be there, they could only arrange it as simply as possible. They weren’t even sure whether Alice would be able to get used to it.

After all, she was nothing like An Shiyu and Anshi Yi. The moment those two arrived at the house, they had started smashing through walls, and within a day or two, they had finished setting up a gaming room.

If some of their belongings hadn’t still been in transit, they probably could have completed everything on the very first day. Talented people were simply like that.

“The room is very clean, but there’s no vanity mirror?” Alice really enjoyed dressing up. After seeing that the room contained only a simple bed and desk, she turned to Ye Shuang and asked.

“As for the vanity mirror, I’ll arrange for one, but it’ll take some time,” Ye Shuang said. “Sorry. I don’t think I can prepare everything in advance like Bobo did.”

If Bobo were still there, he probably would have already prepared everything Alice needed.

“Hmph, it’s fine. I can take care of myself even without him. Who says I need him?” Alice walked over to the bed and sat down, puffing her cheeks. Feeling a little bored, she lifted both legs and planted her feet on the edge of the bed before hugging her knees. Her entire body looked like a little golden dumpling.

When she saw Ye Shuang still standing a short distance away, Alice suddenly looked up. “Come sit with me for a while.”

“Hm?”

“If you don’t want to, then forget it.” Seeing Ye Shuang merely point at himself, Alice slowly turned her head away, resting it on her knees like a child who had been wronged.

Hearing this, Ye Shuang immediately sat down beside Alice. As soon as he did, Alice whispered, “A little closer.”

Ye Shuang moved slightly nearer, and Alice leaned against his arm. Then she fell silent.

Seeing her like this, Ye Shuang said nothing either. He simply sat quietly beside her for a while. It seemed Bobo’s departure had affected her far more deeply than he had imagined. Otherwise, Aunt Xian wouldn’t have been so worried.

Perhaps this was a good opportunity to let Alice learn to be a little more independent?

Although the thought crossed his mind, Ye Shuang didn’t dwell on it. Given the situation, it was more important to help the little girl feel better first.

“How about taking a bath?” It was already around eight or nine in the evening, so Ye Shuang continued, “A bath might help you feel better, right? Hmm?”

Alice silently nodded.

…

…

Drip, drip.

Alice was soaking in the bathtub. She didn’t even have the energy to sing in the bathroom. She simply sat there in a daze as the steam in front of her grew thicker and thicker. Still, just as Ye Shuang had said, the comfortable temperature did make her feel better. The heaviness in her chest had eased somewhat.

Before Bobo left, he had written her a letter. It wasn’t very long, but he had mentioned that he had something to take care of and that Miss Alice could stay at Ye Shuang’s house for a while if she felt lonely.

He had also reminded Alice to take good care of herself.

“What a fool. I hate you, I hate you…” Alice muttered. She wasn’t upset that Bobo had left. What bothered her was that he had left without saying goodbye. Given the relationship between them, did he really have to keep something like this from her?

He actually had secrets from her.

Fine, he might as well never come back!

The more Alice thought about it, the angrier she became. Yet despite what she was saying inside her head, she was already thinking about how she would punish Bobo after he returned.

Hmph.

Just then, Alice noticed voices coming from outside the bathroom. There was more than one person.

The voices sounded familiar, but since they were outside, Alice didn’t pay much attention—until she heard a click.

The bathroom door swung open!

“Wha—?!”

Alice stared at the open door in disbelief. She normally didn’t have the habit of locking the bathroom door when she bathed. After all, Bobo would never enter without permission, and with him standing guard, no one else would come in either.

“Hi, Little Alice! Shall we scrub your back for you?” The intruders were, naturally, Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou.

Ye Shuang had told them that Alice was in a terrible mood, so they had thought that taking a bath together might help them grow closer. But the moment Alice saw Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke, she looked as if she had seen ghosts.

“Don’t come any closer!!!” Alice seemed to recall the time she had bathed with Bai Yuyou before.

“Aww, don’t be shy. Let me take a look.” Seeing Alice huddled in the bathtub, Tang Keke’s mischievous side came out, and she moved closer.

“Go away! You two perverted, big-breasted girls!”