Chapter 21: The Sweet Potato Detour and a Vixen’s Threat

“Speaking of which, my little Xi is truly amazing.”

Bai YuYang thought back to when he had picked her up earlier. Weren’t there several girls surrounding her at the time?

“You’ve only been enrolled for one morning, and you already have several friends, little Xi?”

Bai YuXi temporarily pushed the student council matters to the back of her mind and replied.

“I wouldn’t exactly call them friends… it’s just that the new students are quite enthusiastic. They came over to chat, so I just said a few words.

Actually… I don’t even remember their names yet. I’ll have to find a chance to look at the roster this afternoon.”

Bai YuXi had already forgotten most of her high school classmates’ names. It was even more challenging now that Tang Qihuang had arranged for quite a few new students to join the class.

However, Bai YuXi’s remark just now, in Bai YuYang’s estimation…

‘Good heavens, this is definitely the treatment of a popular kid!’

It was only natural. In her previous life, little Xi had been the same—peaking upon enrollment.

For a silver-haired beauty like her, it was impossible not to be popular.

Though, when it came to popularity, Bai YuYang himself was in a similar situation.

“Even if they’re not friends, you must have had something to talk about.”

“Topics, you ask…? I think they kept mentioning that my hair color was rare and beautiful. But because I was constantly thinking about you, Brother, I didn’t really pay much attention.”

Pfft!

‘How could my little sister’s words, spoken so casually, be so endearing and yet so devastatingly cute?!’

Praise spilled from Bai YuYang’s lips almost unconsciously.

“Hehe, isn’t that a perfectly normal topic? After all, little Xi is so beautiful; she’s bound to become the center of attention the moment she enrolls.”

“Not at all… Brother, you’re the one. Just now, when we left the teaching building, one of my classmates was talking about you.”

“Talking about me? What did they say?”

“They must have said you were handsome…”

“It’s clearly our little Xi who’s beau—”

“Ugh, why isn’t this over yet! You two silly siblings, get a room!”

Lin QingYu was truly at her breaking point!

No matter how many years passed, no matter if they were reborn or not, these two always clung to each other, never stopping their sickeningly sweet exchanges!

‘Did they ever consider my feelings as their childhood friend?’

“Ahaha… QingYu, you’re also… very cute.”

“Exactly… if we’re talking about cuteness, I definitely can’t compare to Sister QingYu…”

‘Your compliments are so perfunctory!’

‘Forget it, forget it. If I get angry, it’ll never end.’

Thankfully, they had already entered the residential complex. The exasperating journey was finally over.

Lin QingYu, the little loli, looked at the building number for Unit 1, Building 8, with immense relief.

‘Wuwu, I’m home! No more being annoyed.’

‘What? I have to go back to school this afternoon? Oh, never mind then.’

Holding his school bag, Bai YuYang stood in front of the hallway and suddenly remembered many things.

‘How did we usually solve the lunch problem during high school?’

That memory was incredibly vivid. Because their parents were often away from home year-round, cooking after school meant missing out on both their afternoon nap and getting to school on time.

So, Lin QingYu’s parents would prepare two portions of lunch before school ended. One portion was always for Bai YuYang and Bai YuXi.

As long-time neighbors, they were like family. Lin QingYu’s parents never found it troublesome to make an extra meal.

Sometimes, Bai YuYang and Bai YuXi would eat at Lin QingYu’s house, but most of the time, they would take the lunch over to their own home to eat.

One reason was to avoid being too much of a bother.

Another, more crucial reason, was that even though the Bai family’s parents were often absent, it was still their home. Even with just Bai YuYang and Bai YuXi, they cherished their own house.

If it was their home, how could they constantly eat elsewhere?

Lin QingYu had also long since recalled this method of eating lunch from their past.

She pattered up to the second floor, then turned back to Bai YuYang, who was standing opposite their door, searching for keys.

“You two go on ahead. I’ll bring your food over once it’s ready.”

Bai YuYang replied while opening the door, “Alright, QingYu, please also convey our thanks to Auntie and Uncle. They’re going to so much trouble.”

“Trouble my foot,” Lin QingYu said, looking disdainful. “If you say ‘trouble’ one more time, you can just starve.”

With that, she opened her own door and slipped inside.

Bai YuYang shrugged helplessly. While expressing thanks might seem somewhat formal, he was genuinely grateful to Lin QingYu’s family for all these years.

Afterward, Bai YuYang led Bai YuXi back into their home.

***

“Here, your lunch. There’s soup, so be careful not to spill it.”

Within minutes of them returning home, Lin QingYu was already knocking on their door.

Bai YuXi opened it.

At the doorway, the little loli held a large insulated lunchbox with both hands, extending it to her with a slight strain in her arms.

Bai YuXi likewise took it with both hands, smiling. “Okay, thank you, Sister QingYu. Are you going to join us for lunch?”

“No, I can’t. This morning, because I was waiting for you two, I stood up my parents. It wouldn’t be right if I wasn’t home for lunch now, would it? Where’s Bai YuYang?”

Bai YuXi glanced towards the kitchen. “Hmm… I just saw a baked sweet potato program on TV and mentioned wanting to eat some. Then Brother suddenly ran downstairs to buy some sweet potatoes and is now tinkering in the kitchen. I couldn’t stop him…”

“Tsk… that sis-con.”

Lin QingYu felt incredibly envious!

But showing envy meant losing, so she had to hold it in.

After delivering the lunchbox, she intended to turn and go home to eat.

“Sister QingYu, please wait a moment. Just a little more of your time.”

“What is it?” Lin QingYu turned around, puzzled, and stopped.

Bai YuXi placed the lunchbox on a nearby shelf, then glanced at the kitchen. Seeing Bai YuYang still busy, she lowered her voice and whispered.

“Did you see that woman in your class?”

“That woman? Which woman?”

“Mo Sishi, of course… who else? That most threatening vixen…”

Lin QingYu could clearly see the light in Bai YuXi’s eyes grow considerably darker.

‘It’s because Bai YuYang chose Mo Sishi before his rebirth, isn’t it? That’s why Bai YuXi holds such strong animosity towards her.’

In truth, Lin QingYu felt the same way.

Precisely because of this, she had been secretly observing all morning.

“As for Mo Sishi, judging solely by appearances, she doesn’t seem to have been reborn. She looks exactly as she did in her second year of high school, including the glasses she uses to obscure her appearance—they’re no different from before.”

“On the surface, you say…?” Bai YuXi felt that what appeared on the surface now held little reference value.

Because if they were talking about appearances, she and Sister QingYu were also the same—deliberately not mentioning their rebirth, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables.

Tang Qihuang was probably the same; that still needed confirmation.

Who knew if Mo Sishi’s appearance was also a disguise?

Bai YuXi sighed deeply and said, “Sigh, we can’t draw any conclusions yet. Sister QingYu, I’ll have to trouble you to keep observing. Those vixens will always expose some flaws.”

“Are you telling me what to do? When did it become your turn, little girl, to command me?”

Despite her words, Lin QingYu still said, “You don’t need to tell me; I’ll pay close attention anyway. Oh, right, Bai YuXi, I also need to remind you of something.”

“Hmm? What is it, Sister QingYu? Just say it.”