Bai Xiaoya still didn’t wake up until after eleven.
Even though she had slept almost the whole day yesterday, theoretically well-rested, she had also stayed up late last night.
Because she’d slept too much during the day, she couldn’t fall asleep at night and ended up playing games, so she slept even later.
In the morning, she couldn’t help but sleep in.
“Very reasonable.”
She evaluated her sleep schedule.
The first thing she did after getting up was pick up her phone to check for any missed messages.
As soon as she opened it, she saw a WeChat message from Madam Bai:
[Xiao Ya, your dad and I have to go to the factory today. Xiao Xia just arrived, so please take good care of her.]
Bai Xiaoya rolled her eyes.
Take care of her?
She’d be lucky if she didn’t get ordered around.
After reading the intel Old Zhang brought back, she’d accidentally popped a button.
She’d been avoiding the other party these past two days.
As for her parents now, she could only say their work was truly busy.
They couldn’t even spend much time with the biological daughter they’d finally found.
“Busy, busy.”
The big-breasted girl sighed deeply on the bed.
“Busy is good.”
It seemed she wouldn’t be able to avoid it today.
Well, it’s fine.
She’d have to do the task sooner or later anyway.
It’s not like she only lived for one May Day in this life.
According to previous experience, the best approach was to get along peacefully most of the time, then act when the task required it.
So, how to gain trust?
Half an hour later, at the spacious dining table meant for only two people, the white-haired, big-breasted girl pressed her palms together.
“I wasn’t intentional before. Can we make peace?”
Bai Xia seemed a little surprised.
“What do you mean?”
“That night at dinner, I accidentally hit your head with a button. It really wasn’t on purpose.”
Bai Xiaoya’s cute little face was full of sincerity.
“You don’t blame me, right?”
It really was an accident.
After all, it was the first time she’d launched such a big one—she hadn’t expected it to be so explosive.
Looking at Bai Xiaoya’s wandering gaze, Bai Xia smiled.
“I didn’t mind, really. A small accident. It didn’t cause any serious consequences.”
“Yes, exactly! I knew sisters would be objective!”
Bai Xiaoya was overjoyed at how well her role was playing out.
She felt her previous impression of Bai Xia was too biased.
How could someone this easy to talk to be a dangerous schemer?
Let’s not talk about it anymore.
Sisterhood, in the heart.
Bai Xiaoya’s opinion of Bai Xia improved greatly.
She enthusiastically explained, “You just arrived, so you might not know. The Bai Family doesn’t have many rules, but some things are still strange…”
Although the white-haired, big-breasted girl had only arrived a few days earlier, she felt she was once a mature office worker, more experienced in life than Bai Xia, and could offer some advice.
“For example, even if there’s only one or two people at breakfast, the table will always be overloaded, and you don’t have to finish it. Don’t ask who the extra food is for, because you won’t get a real answer.”
She started with a line to stun the other person, then continued, “The gardener downstairs is always working from morning to night, but the garden never seems to change. Please don’t disturb them. Also, sometimes strange sounds come from private rooms—this is normal, but never stick your ear to the door to listen!”
Bai Xia sat quietly across from her, pretending not to notice the nonsense.
Faced with this situation, Bai Xiaoya became embarrassed.
After all, she’d started making things up until she got caught in her own story.
“In short, that’s how it is. Just be careful day to day.”
Bai Xia nodded.
“Thank you. No one’s ever told me this stuff before.”
Bai Xiaoya smiled.
“Maybe they just forgot.”
More likely, they didn’t know either—since she made it all up herself.
“Compared to here, there wasn’t much worth mentioning at my previous home.”
Bai Xia suddenly sighed and pulled something from her pocket.
“Except for this one thing left to me, there wasn’t even enough to fill a suitcase.”
A keepsake?
Bai Xiaoya looked over curiously.
Bai Xia directly pushed the item over.
“If you want to see, just take a look. It’s just a decoration.”
Since she said so, Bai Xiaoya accepted it without hesitation.
She discovered it was an antique-style clock.
Hmm, or more precisely, only the outer shell was antique—the inside had stopped long ago and looked especially ornate.
There were no time markings on the dial, only scales, and the three hands were… unique.
The longest second hand was shaped like an arrow.
The minute hand was thick on one side and thin on the other, like a fruit knife.
The hour hand was even stranger—short, thick, with a small protrusion at the tip, like a watercolor pen used for doodling by elementary students.
More like a toy sold in a store than a clock.
Yet, it was finely made.
Holding it felt heavy in her hand—a toy wouldn’t be like this.
Bai Xiaoya blinked and returned it to the black-haired, straight-haired girl.
“I think it’s too artistic. I can’t understand it.”
“That’s why I said—it’s just a decoration.”
Bai Xia took it back and slipped it into her pocket.
No problem.
It was just a small interlude.
Bai Xiaoya felt the meal was a success—trust had been established.
After a bit more casual chatting, she said she was too full and sleepy, and returned to her room for a nap.
The two parted ways at the stairs.
Bai Xiaoya closed her door, hurried to her bed, hugged her pillow, and lay down with satisfaction.
This lunch was so meaningful—not only did it remove a potential threat, it laid a foundation for future relationships.
Thinking back on how cautious she’d been the past few days, she felt… she’d been too careful!
“A slightly tense environment is nothing to a true strong person.”
The strong conquer their environment!
Bai Xiaoya rolled on her bed, pillow in arms, until her excitement faded and she began to consider what to do today.
She should have continued planning her tasks, but everything had gone so smoothly, she felt she could relax a bit longer.
Emmmmm, play games?
Or…?
She should have chosen to play games.
But with her parents gone, it seemed like a waste not to do something that could only be done when they weren’t home.
She was conflicted.
***
In the next room, Bai Xia sat quietly in a chair, staring at the empty wall in a daze.
Her parents weren’t home, and no one else would disturb her.
From an external standpoint, it was a perfect opportunity.
But rushing in wouldn’t do.
After all, Bai Xiaoya wasn’t a little girl—if she was pushed, she wouldn’t just go limp.
Bai Xia wasn’t confident she could act freely while the big-breasted girl was still full of energy, so she needed her to be in a state of lost resistance.
“It’s almost time.”
She took out the Pocket Watch from earlier.
After being touched by Bai Xiaoya, several different color zones appeared on the dial.
A quarter was cool blue, half was vibrant red, and the remaining quarter was a slightly erotic pink-white.
Bai Xia gently opened the transparent cover.
She touched the hour and minute hands—nothing happened, as before.
She still couldn’t access those two powers.
Finally, she pinched the second hand.
A string of words appeared in her mind:
[People are often troubled by many choices. It may take time to make a decision, but the tilt of the scales often happens in just a few seconds. Choice Second Hand.]