The bright moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room softly.
Bai Huizi was sunk deep into the off-white sofa, her silk nightgown creased lazily where it was pressed.
Her rounded shoulders rested against the sofa’s backrest, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath.
Amid the spread of snow-white curls, a section of her pearl-white neck was exposed.
The air conditioner hummed steadily as she bent her knees, causing the nightgown to slip up to the roots of her thighs.
The fleshy backs of her legs left faint indentations on the leather sofa.
Her cell phone spun three times in her palm before she tossed it back onto the pile of cushions.
Long eyelashes drooped, casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes.
After receiving the message from Su Li, Bai Huizi had become increasingly restless.
Or rather, all afternoon since parting ways with Su Li, she had been growing more anxious.
Though she had entrusted Su Li with the task of getting close to Shen Cishu,
she had assumed the deal would be over quickly. But unexpectedly, so much time had passed, and Su Li still hadn’t returned.
Not a single message had come through from her all afternoon.
In Bai Huizi’s mind, she couldn’t help but speculate what Su Li and that annoying younger sister of hers might have been doing all afternoon.
Her irritation steadily mounted.
Trying to appear indifferent, Bai Huizi settled back quietly into the sofa, her expression languid as she gazed at the cats who were already well-fed.
Perhaps because her thunderous reputation had already made peace with the cats, they weren’t as afraid of her as usual.
A few even came over to rub against her ankles.
A ding of the elevator echoed from downstairs, and suddenly Bai Huizi sat up. The silk fabric stretched taut around her waist and hips, forming a full curve.
Her slippers were kicked beneath the coffee table. Her toes, painted with clear polish, curled and relaxed until the familiar footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Then a lazy smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
The door opened, and Bai Huizi’s gaze followed the drafty entrance to see Su Li’s face—calm, unchanged.
“Welcome home.”
No sooner had she spoken than she noticed Su Li had already changed clothes.
Her hair was still streaked with dried sapphire-blue paint, a smear of rouge behind her ear, glittering gold powder stuck even under her nails.
Though she’d switched into a clean T-shirt, the indigo stains on her exposed collarbone refused to wipe away.
“Did you go serve as a living canvas?”
Bai Huizi reached out to pull back her collar, her fingertip brushing against still-wet fluorescent green paint, the sticky sensation making her frown.
Though the outfit wasn’t like her annoying younger sister’s style, Su Li had still changed out of the clothes she wore when they met.
“Mm.”
Su Li answered calmly, letting Bai Huizi come closer to examine her odd appearance.
The glances from passersby on the way here had been about the same, but Su Li didn’t care.
Since arriving in this world, she’d noticed people seemed more accepting.
Even when Shen Cishu had dragged her hand and made a scene in the mall, forcing her to carry Shen Cishu home,
the onlookers were just briefly surprised before growing accustomed.
Su Li wasn’t bothered by such things.
Or rather, aside from matters that earned money, Su Li was generally indifferent.
Slowly, Bai Huizi began peeling off Su Li’s clothes.
Her eyes roamed over the snow-white skin covered in all kinds of paint.
She could now roughly guess what Su Li and her younger sister had done this afternoon.
Soon, Bai Huizi’s gaze landed on the painting on Su Li’s lower abdomen.
Two little figures and a dog.
And on that dog’s body were drawn big red crosses.
Bai Huizi frowned slightly.
She could naturally guess who the dog represented.
“Truly an annoying brat.”
Bai Huizi muttered under her breath. With such terrible painting skills, it was clearly the work of Shen Cishu.
“She’s always putting on airs, pretending to be refined, but in the end, she knows nothing.”
“In the end, the only one who doesn’t understand anything is her.”
Su Li remained silent.
The cold breeze from the air conditioner brought the scent of paint to her nose. Suddenly, Bai Huizi pushed Su Li toward the bathroom.
As the shower sprayed and steam climbed the glass door, she crossed her arms and leaned against the frame, saying, “Turn around. Let me see.”
Water droplets washed the layers of paint off Su Li’s back. Purples and yellows flowed down along her waistline, pooling into colorful streams on the tiles.
Bai Huizi inspected the runoff seriously, sneering:
“Even rinsing it off with water looks more artistic than her paintings. I don’t know what she’s always pretending to be. She’s at that age and still acting like a child.”
“Besides Mother, who else would treat her like a child?”
Su Li didn’t respond, letting the water flow over her body, while Bai Huizi scrubbed her like a pet, intent on cleaning her thoroughly.
“Filthy, filthy.”
Bai Huizi said disdainfully, scrubbing hard with a bath towel. The originally pale skin quickly reddened under her efforts.
Though she felt the sting, Su Li made no sound.
She had long since grown accustomed to pain; it was nothing.
Bai Huizi was fully immersed in her own world. Even if Su Li didn’t respond, it didn’t matter.
Su Li took the rare moment of calm, closing her eyes slowly and letting the water trace over her.
“How’s the task Sister assigned you, Little Su Li? Have you finished it?”
Bai Huizi’s voice came again. Su Li knew she couldn’t continue to remain silent and had to answer.
“Sister Bai, I’m not quite sure.”
“Shen Cishu’s situation is somewhat different from the information you provided.”
“Whenever it involves your mother and you, her state becomes off.”
“So I’m not sure how she is now.”
“Whether we proceed with the deal depends on if she wants to trade with me later.”
Su Li’s tone was calm, like a machine directly answering questions.
Even as Bai Huizi scrubbed her back vigorously, her emotions showed no change.
“I see.”
Bai Huizi murmured, her tone equally devoid of feeling.
Silence settled over the bathroom.
Su Li knew that if it was a deal, she should say something.
But she hadn’t yet guessed whether Bai Huizi had any other purpose besides hearing her report.
After scrubbing a while, Bai Huizi lost interest and handed the bath towel to Su Li, casually instructing,
“The paint on you is a bit hard to wash off. You clean yourself here.”
“Sister doesn’t want you carrying any trace of her.”
“Understood?”
With that, she rose and left the room.
Not long after Bai Huizi left, Su Li’s cell phone buzzed.
Bai Huizi had grown interested watching the dog painted on Su Li’s body and wanted to try painting on her too.