The Bai Family’s other daughter hadn’t finished school yet.
First-year students don’t have classes on Saturdays, and next semester wouldn’t be this easy anymore. But even so, Bai Xia’s heart was already set on going home; she hadn’t caught a word of what the teacher was saying.
At this time, Bai Xiaoya must have already gone back, she thought.
She had asked Li Butler to get a copy of the busty girl’s class schedule and secretly noted it down herself.
The official reason given to Li Butler was just to know when the other party would be home and be prepared.
But the real reason only Bai Xia herself knew.
Anyway, since this week’s classes were over, Bai Xiaoya must be really bored, she thought.
Without her around, Bai Xiaoya had no one to try bullying her.
With the busty girl’s eager personality, how could she possibly hold back?
If that was the case, she might as well head home a bit earlier.
Don’t ask—if you do, the answer’s just for the mission reward.
The moment the fourth period bell rang in the afternoon, Bai Xia had already slung her backpack over her shoulder and slipped out the back door so fast that even the teacher didn’t notice.
Her deskmate just turned around and realized she was gone.
“So mysterious, Bai Xia,” the voice murmured.
Stepping out of the school gates, the car waiting to pick her up was already parked by the roadside.
“Good afternoon, Second Young Miss,” Li Butler greeted from the driver’s seat.
Bai Xia settled into the back seat and buckled up.
“Drive faster, don’t keep Bai Xiaoya waiting.”
Li Butler blinked, then remembered—the Second Young Miss meant she was confident she could handle whatever tricks the eldest Miss might have prepared, so she was urging him to hurry.
As expected of the Second Young Miss, a ruthless one straight from the underground streets.
However, when Bai Xia returned to the Bai Family estate and reached the courtyard gate, she subconsciously glanced up, but the balcony held no sign of General Big White Rabbit’s silhouette.
It was fine—who keeps their chest out on the balcony all day to enjoy the view?
Still, she wandered through the house searching for a while before finally spotting Bai Xiaoya in the study.
The busty girl sat slumped in a chair, a cup of now-cold tea before her.
Although she held a book, she neither read it nor even held it upright properly.
She sighed deeply, as if worry was weighing her down.
Bai Xia cleared her throat, “Ahem.”
Bai Xiaoya slowly turned her head and gave her a weary glance.
“You’re back.”
Then she went right back to staring blankly into space.
Why wasn’t she even a little excited to see me?
No bullying at all?
Bai Xia’s brows knitted tightly, sensing the situation wasn’t quite what she’d imagined.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked proactively.
“Still bothered by something at home?”
Bai Xiaoya shook her head and sighed again.
“When you reach my age… this grade level, you’ll understand.”
Though vague, Bai Xia caught on—most likely it was about something at school.
She wanted to ask more, but downstairs her parents were already calling her to come down for dinner.
Mr. Bai and Madam Bai had both come back from a full day’s work.
At the table, they fussed over their own daughter, asking if she was adjusting well to school, how she got along with classmates, and if she felt any unusual attention due to being older.
Bai Xia responded gracefully one by one.
The beginning was a little hard to adapt to, but after a few days she got used to it.
Classmates were all busy since final exams were coming, but her deskmate was friendly.
No one knew she was already eighteen; they only saw a tall, new transfer student.
Madam Bai smiled with relief.
“That’s wonderful, Xia. You’re so sensible. By the way, how about Xiaoya?”
Bai Xiaoya chewed on her chopsticks and said, “I’m fine too. At first it was hard to adapt, but I got used to it later. The classmates aren’t busy, and I’m getting along well with the new arrivals…”
“I didn’t ask if you’re used to school,” Madam Bai rolled her eyes.
“You’ve been going to school all along.”
They just had a May Day holiday; why would she need to adjust again?
But this made even the parents notice their daughter’s distracted mood.
Mr. Bai cautiously asked, “Xiaoya, you’re not… dating anyone at school, are you?”
At that, Bai Xia’s heart jumped.
“No way, Dad,” Bai Xiaoya pouted.
“I wouldn’t have a boyfriend.”
Only then did Mr. Bai and Bai Xia both relax.
Only Madam Bai felt something was off.
It was good she didn’t have a boyfriend yet, but something about that denial sounded strange.
What did she mean by not having a boyfriend… at all?
“I’m done eating. I’m a bit tired today, so I’m going to rest first.”
As usual, Bai Xiaoya finished her meal quickly, then headed upstairs to her room.
“Look at Xiaoya—she definitely has something on her mind,” Madam Bai sighed.
“Growing up, they bottle things up instead of telling their parents.”
She didn’t know that Bai Xia also had plenty on her mind, only she was better at hiding it.
“I’m full too. Dad, Mom, please continue.”
That night, many in the house didn’t sleep well.
***
Saturday morning, Bai Xiaoya’s passive ability triggered at nine o’clock, restoring her energy, but she still lay in bed unwilling to get up.
“Things aren’t going well,” she murmured, hugging her pillow and staring at her phone.
What wasn’t going well was trying to add Su Qingyu on QQ through the school group chat.
Her main account hadn’t succeeded, and even with a secondary account, it was still rejected.
The little loli was careful online, protecting herself well. If she didn’t want to add someone, she simply wouldn’t.
Knock knock knock—the door was knocked.
Bai Xiaoya called lazily, “Who is it~?”
“It’s me,” Bai Xia’s voice came from outside the door.
“Mom said to ask you to help tutor me with my homework.”
Actually, Madam Bai hadn’t said anything; Bai Xia had come up on her own.
“Coming~.”
Bai Xiaoya opened the door and saw the girl with long black hair holding a first-year English textbook, saying, “I can try, but no promises I still remember anything.”
Clearly, there was something troubling her, Bai Xia thought.
From what she knew, before this, even if Bai Xiaoya didn’t know a single word, she would have patted General Big White Rabbit and said, “This small problem is nothing, just give me the book and I’ll remember.”
The textbook was laid out on the desk, and Bai Xiaoya looked at it intently, lips parted as she murmured a few words, “…XXXX, it roughly means this.”
Bai Xia felt a bit helpless.
Why so gentle?
How could she possibly not know the words in the textbook?
If not, couldn’t she just look at the vocabulary list?
She was asking such an easy question just to see her roll her eyes and say, “Trash, can’t even handle this simple thing.”
Then the mission would come, giving her a perfect excuse to…
No, how did she become this kind of person?
Bai Xia suddenly snapped back, reflecting briefly, then sat up straight and said, “Do you have something bothering you? Tell me about it first, so you can focus better.”
Bai Xiaoya glanced at the book, then back at her, about to brush her off when she suddenly remembered the other’s track record.
Before coming to the Bai Family, she’d quietly taken out several thugs; in the Trading Zone, right before her eyes, she’d dealt with two greedy madmen.
Careful, brave, and resourceful.
“I want to ask you something,” Bai Xiaoya said quietly.
“How do you discover a person’s true nature?”