"Oh? Do you want to call me 'sister'?"

Hearing this, Jiang Shuyi set the shaken duvet aside.

"But my birthday is before yours, Wen Yao."

"Logically speaking, you should be calling me 'sister.'" Jiang Shuyi said softly, glancing at Wen Yao with some anticipation.

Wen Yao had nothing to say about Jiang Shuyi's shamelessness and audacity, but there was a hint of reprimand and coldness in her gaze.

". . ."

Jiang Shuyi seemed to understand her expression and pretended to be indifferent, pouting, "Oh, it's fine if you don't want to call me that."

She scratched her ear, clearly showing a disappointed expression.

"Ah, it's really nothing."

"I don't really want to hear you call me that anyway..."

"If you don't call me 'sister,' I won't say anything about you."

---

The rain outside continued to fall, and a layer of mist slowly formed on the floor-to-ceiling windows in the room.

Jiang Shuyi gave Wen Yao on a brief tour of her home, familiarizing her with the layout, starting with the essential bathroom and washroom.

Then they went to the study, which would interest Wen Yao.

"My parents live on the first floor, but as I mentioned, they're not home often."

Jiang Shuyi walked alongside Wen Yao as they talked.

As they passed through the living room, Tang Wenzhen was on the phone discussing something with someone.

Occasionally, critical remarks could be heard.

Walking in the corridor, Wen Yao was next to Jiang Shuyi, and for once, she asked a question.

"Is your father not coming back with your mother?"

"My dad is even busier than my mom."

Jiang Shuyi yawned lazily as she walked forward, giving Wen Yao a simple answer.

"I think he's not in the country right now, he just had someone send a box of Bordeaux back a few days ago."

"So, I guess he must be in France."

"You probably won't see him for a while." Jiang Shuyi said as she led Wen Yao up the stairs.

"But he's a good person."

Jiang Shuyi said, crossing her arms and slowly reflecting.

"He's the kind of man who likes to implement every little detail himself, very particular and meticulous."

"He reads a lot of books, so you two should get along well. All the books in my study are his, he's read them all."

Wen Yao recalled the study they had just visited, indeed, none of the books looked like mere decorations, each one was clearly read by its owner.

"In any case, you don't need to be afraid of him."

"But my mom is also very busy," Jiang Shuyi lowered her gaze, revealing a faint smile, "I basically grew up on my own."

"Does she really not mind me staying over?"

Wen Yao thought back to what had happened at the door.

Jiang Shuyi laughed as if she knew something, "Are you worried because you saw her frowning?"

". . ." Wen Yao looked at Jiang Shuyi without denying it.

Jiang Shuyi chuckled, "Don't be fooled by her frowning, it's just because she forgot to wear her glasses."

"Her eyesight isn't very good."

"But she really likes it when people say she's pretty, so she hates wearing glasses."

Jiang Shuyi put her hands in her pockets, "But she also hates wearing contact lenses, so when she can't see clearly, she tends to frown."

"That's why she looks a bit fierce."

Wen Yao hadn't expected that to be the reason, she blinked, "...I see."

"And," Jiang Shuyi smiled and patted Wen Yao's head, "my mom seems to like you quite a bit."

"So you don't need to be too nervous."

"Is that so?" Wen Yao often couldn't be certain about such things.

Aside from her teachers, she had never felt that she had the ability to leave a good impression on others.

And the good impression her teachers had of her was merely because of her good grades.

Still, she was self-aware enough to know that most elders wouldn't particularly like someone like her.

Because she didn't possess the ability to win over the affection of elders.

---

At night.

After taking a shower, Wen Yao returned to her new bedroom.

This bedroom was almost the same size as her entire previous room.

This made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The rain outside continued to fall, and the pond in the yard, along with the raindrops, cast reflections of light and shadow on the ceiling.

Perhaps it was designed by someone, giving it an artistic aesthetic.

Wen Yao lay in bed, turning over as she stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.

As soon as she closed her eyes, the moment when that man placed his hand on her shoulder and began to shake her violently flashed through her mind repeatedly.

". . ." Wen Yao took a deep breath.

Suddenly feeling a bit thirsty, she quietly sat up.

She walked down the stairs, wanting to find some water to drink.

The living room was still illuminated by a warm, yellow floor lamp.

The recessed lights in the hallway seemed to be sound-activated.

They lit up the moment she passed by.

— What a convenient place.

Wen Yao paused for a moment and continued walking forward.

"Can't sleep?"

Before Wen Yao could enter the kitchen, a woman's voice rang out.

Tang Wenzhen was lying on the sofa, flipping through a report, and raised her eyes to look at Wen Yao.

". . ." Wen Yao glanced at the clock in the living room.

It was two o'clock.

It seemed Jiang Shuyi's mention of her mother being busy was not an exaggeration.

Tang Wenzhen wore a pair of black-framed glasses, and her short, neat hair paired with the glasses gave her a subtly gentle appearance.

". . ." Tang Wenzhen looked at Wen Yao again, flipping a page of the report with her fingers, "Are you afraid of me?"

". . ." Wen Yao hesitated for a moment.

"Looks like you're afraid." Tang Wenzhen nodded.

"Xiao Wen, I'm not the kind of parent who meddles too much, so I haven't really played a motherly role in Jiang Shuyi's upbringing, nor have I interfered too much."

"This has led her to be a bit of a stubborn mule, always getting into trouble and causing annoyance."

Tang Wenzhen sighed, seemingly recalling many past events.

Wen Yao remained silent, thinking that this was the first time she had encountered a mother who compared her child to a mule.

But she also felt that there was some truth to it.

"However, she seems to be improving now."

"I think that's largely thanks to you. You're her classmate, and Jiang Shuyi has started to study seriously because of your guidance."

Tang Wenzhen straightened her posture, and after a moment of contemplation, she said:

"You're probably the carrot dangling in front of the mule?"

Wen Yao had never been called a carrot before and didn't know how to respond to that.

"My health isn't great, so I only have Jiang Shuyi as my child."

Tang Wenzhen looked at her calmly as she walked to the corner of the open kitchen.

"But I'm a person who enjoys a lively atmosphere, so it's only natural that I wouldn't mind you moving into my house." Tang Wenzhen said leisurely.

"You don't have to be too afraid of me."

". . ." Wen Yao didn't know what to say and could only say, "Thank you."

Wen Yao sat at the dining table, quietly watching the woman in the turtleneck sweater pour milk into a small pot, stirring the contents in the kitchen.

It was surprisingly cozy.

"What's your favorite color?" Tang Wenxian asked.

"I..." Wen Yao couldn't think of a color she particularly liked. "I like them all."

Tang Wenzhen nodded, "Hm? Is that so?"

"It's normal to have trouble sleeping in a new environment."

Before long, Tang Wenzhen brought two mugs to Wen Yao.

One was a very simple black mug, and the other was a pink mug.

Tang Wenzhen handed the overly cute pink mug with a bow to Wen Yao, "You should like this one, it's quite cute."

Wen Yao had never used such a flashy mug before and momentarily froze with the mug in the air.

But she still expressionlessly accepted it, "Thank you, um, I quite like it."

Wen Yao looked at the contents of the mug and took a sip without any rejection.

". . ."

— It's very sweet, extremely sweet.

It felt like an overwhelming amount of sugar.

Wen Yao had never drunk something this sweet at night.

But the taste of milk and cocoa spread in her mouth, and for a moment, her heart felt much calmer.

"This is hot cocoa, I really like drinking it." Tang Wenzhen also took a sip from her cup.

Wen Yao examined this slender and capable Omega woman.

It was hard for her to imagine that Tang Weznhen was someone who enjoyed such an explosively sweet drink.

"When you can't sleep, drinking some warm milk and having something sweet can help you sleep well."

"Thank you." Wen Yao took another sip of the hot cocoa, feeling like she had heard this somewhere before.

So much had happened today.

Wen Yao looked out at the rain and fell silent.

Earlier in the morning, when she boarded the bus returning from the ancient town, she hadn't expected that she would move into Jiang Shuyi's house...

Tang Wenzhen looked at Wen Yao.

For some reason, she recalled Jiang Shuyi mentioning that Wen Yao had no relatives.

"Are you thinking about your family?"

Tang Wenzhen looked at Wen Yao with some concern.

". . ." Wen Yao lowered her gaze, "I shouldn't be."

Her voice was steady.

". . ." Tang Wenzhen looked at her, "'Shouldn't'?"

"Because I think they wouldn't want me." Wen Yao said calmly, looking at the high-quality wooden floor.

They don't want me, and wanting them is futile.

Therefore, they are not the kind of people I should think about, and I shouldn't think of them.

Tang Wenzhen fell silent for a moment, walked behind Wen Yao, and patted her head.

"...Sigh."

She seemed unsure of what to say and patted Wen Yao's shoulder.

"Child, you must have suffered a lot."

Tang Wenzhen shook her head.

". . ."

"Actually, it's nothing..." Wen Yao lowered her gaze and softly denied it.

She truly felt that it was nothing.

"Don't force yourself." Tang Wenzhen patted her head.

"You're still a child, if you're feeling uncomfortable, you should speak up."

—'You're still a child.'

—'She's still a child.'

". . ." Wen Yao rarely heard someone regard her as a child.

She thought about it, feeling a bit complicated.

She didn't understand why Tang Wenzhen's words held such power.

Perhaps it was because, although they had just met today, she could offer the care that her own parents had never given her, which felt somewhat absurd.

Or perhaps it was because Tang Wenzhen was a mother.

Or maybe it was because she and Jiang Shuyi had some similarities...

In any case, for some reason, Wen Yao suddenly felt her eyes begin to sting with warmth.

---

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