Chapter 532 - 464: Staying Overnight
Chapter 532: Chapter 464: Staying Overnight
It was nearly eleven o’clock when Bai Junfan brought Tang Yaxuan to the small courtyard. Yang Liu’er wasn’t there. The main house was dark and silent; she must have gotten tired of waiting for Bai Junfan and gone back to the Lu Family’s place.
A small lamp glowed under the eaves of the west wing, just bright enough to illuminate the courtyard path and scenery. Bai Junfan used his key to open the door to the main house and flicked on the light. The room was cozy and warm. The stove had been banked for the night, and a large kettle of hot water sat on top, a clear sign that Yang Liu’er hadn’t been gone for long.
On the round table in the small living area, several dishes were covered with lids. Bai Junfan walked over and lifted them one by one. There were four dishes and a soup: sliced boiled chicken, braised "lion’s head" meatballs, steamed sea bass, mapo tofu, and a stewed pigeon soup. The dishes looked tempting and smelled rich. He touched the edge of a plate; it was still warm.
A sweet, warm feeling coiled in Bai Junfan’s heart, and a comfortable smile spread across his face unconsciously. This was all made for him by Liu’er. He didn’t like vegetarian food, so Liu’er always tried to make him hearty meat and fish dishes. She’d only include a token vegetable dish, and even then, she’d pick one he was willing to eat.
’That’s my Liu’er. No matter how much we bicker, she still loves me and worries about me the most, unable to bear the thought of me going hungry or thirsty.’
’Liu’er was so lovely, especially the old Liu’er. She used to be as gentle and obedient as a little lamb, completely submissive to him. But now, things have soured a bit. It was probably because he hadn’t been home these past two years. The snobbish arrogance of his aunts and sisters must have provoked her, causing her personality to worsen. She’d become rebellious and unwilling to listen. In a way, it was normal. After all, even though Liu’er was a girl from the countryside, she was the most outstanding girl in her village. Her parents had doted on her since she was a child, so she was used to being pampered and had her own pride. It was his aunts and sisters who had gone too far.’
’As for the claim that Liu’er stole clothes and money from the Bai Mansion, Bai Junfan didn’t believe it for a second. They had grown up together; he knew her character. Besides, he had left her money when he departed two years ago. Two thousand yuan was no small sum. What pretty clothes couldn’t Liu’er buy with that? Why would she resort to taking the Bai family girls’ old hand-me-downs or coveting their pocket money?’
’But Bai Junfan valued his family ties. He didn’t want to expose his aunts’ and sisters’ lies and cause them to lose face. The only option was to let Liu’er suffer the injustice.’
’But clearly, Liu’er wasn’t willing to be wronged. Though the two of them had been inseparable these past few days, she was no longer as gentle and considerate as before. She was always pushing back against him, sulking with a mix of real and feigned anger... *Sigh*. The girl had grown up. She had some skills now, was earning good money, attending university, and had even made friends like Xiao Man. Her social standing had risen, her horizons had broadened, and her sense of independence had grown. A change in personality was probably inevitable.’
A flicker of indulgence in Bai Junfan’s eyes was quickly replaced by a cool certainty: no matter what Liu’er became, she would always be *his* Liu’er. The one living comfortably under his wing, belonging completely to him, adoring him with all her heart, obeying him, believing him—the most obedient and endearing Liu’er of all.
Tang Yaxuan stood obediently under the covered walkway. Brother Junfan had said he would take her to a side room to get settled. As a well-mannered girl, she wouldn’t enter someone’s main house without an invitation. But after she had been standing there for ten or twenty minutes, the lights inside came on, and then there was only silence. Tang Yaxuan was starting to feel quite cold. She couldn’t help but walk to the doorway, poke her head in to look around, and call out softly, "Brother Junfan? Brother Junfan, are you in there?"
Only then did Bai Junfan remember there was someone else outside. He quickly called Tang Yaxuan in. "The side rooms aren’t normally used, so they’d need to be prepared. My sister isn’t staying here tonight, so why don’t you just sleep in this room? It’s warm, and we won’t have to make a bed or move a stove."
"Okay!" Tang Yaxuan agreed readily. She was here to borrow a place for the night, so of course she would follow her host’s arrangements. She would stay wherever Brother Junfan told her to.
She turned her head, curiously observing the various furnishings and decorations in the room, her face full of admiration and delight. "Brother Junfan, is this your other home? It’s decorated so beautifully and with such good taste. I just love this style!"
Everyone loves a compliment, and Bai Junfan was no exception. Even though he actually found the room’s decor a bit too feminine, he beamed happily at Tang Yaxuan’s words.
"As long as you like it, Xuanxuan! Usually, only my sister lives in this courtyard. If you’d like, Xuanxuan, you can come over often. You can keep my sister company."
Tang Yaxuan was looking up at three framed photographs on the wall, arranged from largest to smallest. They all depicted small scenes from daily life: a lush thicket of gorgeous, vibrant flowers covering an entire wall; a vegetable patch, bursting with life and laden with produce; and in a brown wooden basin with a clear grain, two large carp—one red, one green-black—splashing playfully, sending sparkling droplets of water flying... Tang Yaxuan felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scenes in the photos but couldn’t quite recall where she had seen them. Hearing Bai Junfan’s words, she turned, tilted her head with a smile, and replied:
"Brother Junfan, I’ll take you up on that offer! I really do love it here. If my mom knew this was your house, Brother Junfan, she’d agree to let me come often, too."
The young woman’s voice was gentle, her smile sweet. Beneath her neat bangs, her limpid eyes were pure and innocent, filled with absolute admiration, trust, and reliance.
Just as a woman adorns herself for one who adores her, a man craves worship and admiration. The soft, seemingly innocent Tang Yaxuan put Bai Junfan in a very pleasant mood. He smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow, you can pick a room you like. I’ll have my sister get you a set of keys later, so you can come and go as you please."
"That’s great! But Brother Junfan, which sister are you talking about? Sister Yifen is already married, and Sister Yifang is busy preparing for her own wedding. Could it be Lili and Tingting? But those two go everywhere together; it’s impossible that one of them would be living here alone."
Bai Junfan gave a light cough. He pointed to the sofa, motioning for Tang Yaxuan to sit, and slid a box of candy in front of her. Only then did he say, "She’s not my sister by blood. You can think of her as my cousin—yes, a distant cousin of mine. She has no family left, so I had no choice but to bring her to Beijing. She... has a bit of a temper and doesn’t get along with Yifen and Yifang. That’s why we had to set up another home for her out here. I often stay here myself when I’m back in Beijing. When you have time, could you keep her company for me, okay?"
"Okay, no problem. Don’t worry, Brother Junfan, I’ll keep your cou—... Should I call her cousin too?" Tang Yaxuan asked, blinking her eyes.
Bai Junfan patted her head. "She’s several years older than you. You should call her Sister Liu’er."
"Oh," Tang Yaxuan replied. She picked up a half-finished piece of knitting from the arm of the sofa. Judging by the color and pattern, it was likely a man’s sweater. She toyed with it for a moment but ultimately didn’t dare to mess with it. ’Wu Xiaowen learned to knit things like scarves and vests during those hard years in the countryside, but I’ve never been interested in needlework. I can’t even wind a ball of yarn.’
Tang Yaxuan looked it over for a moment before putting the knitting back. "Sister Liu’er is so capable. The sweater is nicely knitted."
Bai Junfan had known for a while that the sweater was for him. He said with a smile, "Don’t all you girls know how to do this? But Liu’er is indeed very capable. By the way, are you hungry? There’s food on the table over there. Liu’er heated it up earlier. Want some?"
Tang Yaxuan pressed her lips together and shook her head, but then a smile appeared on her face. "I guess I am a little hungry, but I don’t want to eat anything greasy or savory this late at night. Brother Junfan, where’s the kitchen? Let me see if there are any ingredients. How about I make a dessert for you?"
"I wouldn’t have guessed. You know how to cook too, Xuanxuan?"
"Of course! Don’t underestimate me, Brother Junfan. I can make lots of different desserts and pastries. You just wait and see!"
"Alright! I’ll be waiting. The kitchen is over there. I’ll take you."