Chapter 24: The Scent of Another Woman

Every action he took, every principle he lived by, was solely to ensure Xiao Xi never suffered the slightest harm. All he wanted was for her to be happy, never sad, never heartbroken.

Bai YuYang gazed down at the person nestled in his arms, his resolve—a conviction he had long embraced—strengthening once more.

“……”

However, a pressing issue had now arisen, one that was beginning to vex Bai YuYang.

His afternoon nap, it seemed, was likely out of the question.

Xiao Xi remained tightly wrapped around him, showing no sign of releasing her grip, and the midday schedule was already notoriously tight.

Still, he sighed inwardly. Hadn’t he promised himself that as long as his sister was happy, nothing else mattered?

“Xiao Xi, aren’t you going to take a nap? You have classes this afternoon.”

“Huh… wait, something’s not right…”

“Xiao Xi?”

What was happening with her?

Bai YuYang was puzzled. She had been nuzzling against him in his arms for a while now.

Initially, it was simple affection, but after so long, her purpose seemed to have shifted. It was almost as if she was… sniffing around?

“Brother…” Bai YuXi remained in his embrace, lifting her head with a peculiar, almost knowing smile. “You smell of another woman…”

Another woman? That was impossible. Bai YuYang hadn’t interacted with anyone like that today.

“Xiao Xi, what are you suddenly saying… Hiss…”

Bai YuYang, intending to question and explain, tried to gently extricate himself from Bai YuXi’s embrace.

To his surprise, Xiao Xi clung to him fiercely, completely unwilling to let go, rendering him immobile.

Moments ago, it had been a soft, warm embrace.

What was this now?! Coupled with Bai YuXi’s terrifying, accusatory gaze, it was as if she feared Bai YuYang might flee!

“Xiao Xi? Ahaha… can you please let go first? We can talk about this slowly.”

“Not at all…”

Bai YuXi’s voice was flat, yet an unnatural glint flickered in her sapphire eyes. “Brother, you’ll explain right here… you can’t run away. Hehe… Brother, have you found a vixen outside? Quickly, tell me the source of this scent on you, alright?”

Damn it!

This was terrible; Xiao Xi’s old habit had resurfaced!

Bai YuYang was all too familiar with this symptom. Whenever he encountered trouble, such as a girl deliberately approaching him or if he fell ill, Bai YuXi would transform, her aura suddenly surging.

Heehee… even like this, my sister is still adorable.

But now was not the time to be thinking that! Bai YuYang, pull yourself together!

“Cough, cough.” Bai YuYang decided to stop struggling.

“Alright, Xiao Xi, let’s analyze this carefully. Firstly, I didn’t interact with any girls this morning. The only two I had significant contact with were you and Lin QingYu. So, the scent you’re referring to, could it be Lin QingYu’s?”

“That’s impossible…”

Bai YuXi tightened her grip even further. “Sister QingYu smells of milk, heh, but Brother… that’s clearly not the same scent.”

“Ah, this…”

Xiao Xi, you can analyze all you want, but why must you torment Lin QingYu in the process?

‘Milk scent’… it made her sound like an infantile child who would never grow up… Though, now that she mentioned it, Lin QingYu *did* seem to have a milky scent about her, didn’t she?!

Bai YuYang was at a loss. “Perhaps you’re mistaken, Xiao Xi? I don’t recall being close to any other girls this morning… Ah…”

“Brother, you’ve remembered something, haven’t you?” Bai YuXi chuckled, seemingly eager to hear what Bai YuYang had to say.

Bai YuYang had long grown accustomed to Bai YuXi in this state, so he responded unhurriedly.

Alright, perhaps he was still a *little* flustered.

“Yes, I suppose so… There’s a girl who sits in front of me; we chatted for a few minutes today. She seems to naturally carry a pear blossom scent, and I was sitting behind her… So, I wonder if that’s the reason?”

While Mo Sishi did indeed have a subtle pear blossom scent about her, it was usually undetectable unless one was very close.

Let alone transferring onto Bai YuYang, wouldn’t the scent become even fainter then?

Therefore, it wasn’t that Bai YuYang carried her scent; it was simply that Bai YuXi was overly sensitive, her sense of smell exceptionally keen.

Indeed… when it came to her ‘Brother Radar,’ Bai YuXi’s prowess was no exaggeration.

‘Brother’s front-row seat’… Bai YuXi pondered for a moment, then chuckled. ‘As expected, it’s that vixen Mo Sishi.’

She looked up at Bai YuYang’s face, realizing her brother showed no sign of lying.

The sparkle quickly returned to Bai YuXi’s eyes.

Yet, she still couldn’t bring herself to release her embrace.

“Ahaha… what is it, Brother, you should have said so earlier! If it’s just that, then it’s fine. Phew, you scared me to death! I thought you secretly got a girlfriend.”

You didn’t give me a chance to say anything earlier!

Besides, how was I supposed to know you could detect even such a faint scent?!

Despite his inner complaints, Bai YuYang couldn’t simply ignore what Bai YuXi had just said.

“Xiao Xi, you… ah, let’s be clear, I’m saying *if*, just *if*! If I were to ever find a girlfriend, you wouldn’t approve, would you…?”

Based on her earlier remark, she had been scared at the thought of him having a girlfriend. Did that imply her disapproval?

Bai YuYang wasn’t sure if Xiao Xi’s words at this stage stemmed from a particular emotion or simply a normal sister’s reliance on her brother.

Upon hearing the question, Bai YuXi clearly froze.

Her arms, which had been about to loosen, tightened with renewed force.

This time, her eyes held not an overwhelming suppressive power, but rather a mixture of grievance, worry, and a profound, bottomless anxiety.

She looked directly into Bai YuYang’s eyes, and her words pierced the softest part of his heart.

“Because I… I’m very scared, truly terrified. Although I know it sounds unreasonable to say this now… I’m genuinely worried that if Brother ever finds a girlfriend, he won’t want me anymore…”

By the end, her voice even carried a hint of a sob.

So that was it… Xiao Xi thought that way. Bai YuYang could understand her apprehension.

Considering how much he doted on her now, if he were to neglect her one day because of a girlfriend, Xiao Xi would likely find it incredibly difficult to accept.

“My silly sister, why would you think that?” Bai YuYang cradled her delicate face, gently stroking her silky silver hair.

“This has nothing to do with whether I find a girlfriend or not. You are my most precious sister, and that will never change. Even if I do have a girlfriend in the future, it won’t diminish my love for you. Because my little princess, you are special.”

‘You are special.’

The words echoed in Bai YuXi’s heart for a long time.

Her eyes were slightly red. ‘Ah, I’m so pathetic. I’ve been reborn, yet I haven’t improved at all. I truly wish I could continue to pour out my feelings in Brother’s arms…’

“Mm… Brother, I understand. Can we stay like this a little longer?”

In Bai YuYang’s mind, Xiao Xi had understood that his finding a girlfriend and caring for her were not mutually exclusive.

But he didn’t know.

In Bai YuXi’s mind, it was impossible for Brother to find a girlfriend.

If asked why, it was because the only suitable candidate for that girlfriend had to be Bai YuXi herself!

And so, in a situation where the siblings’ thoughts were completely divergent, their embrace and the atmosphere remained harmoniously warm.

***

Until a sudden opening of the door shattered the tranquility.

Lin QingYu, holding a spare key, rushed in.

Her voice arrived before she did.

“What’s going on?! Are you pulling that same stunt from this morning again?! I called for ages and no one answered! Did you sleep through your nap…”

As she rounded the entrance and saw the scene at the dining table, the ‘Little Lolita’ Lin QingYu was dumbfounded.