Listening to Bai Shuanglian’s comforting words, Ling Xiaoyou’s face flushed slightly. After all, the phrase “choose whatever you want” was a bit too exaggerated.
But hearing those gentle words, Ling Xiaoyou felt her heart fill with sweetness, and a smile bloomed on her little face.
Watching their conversation and how easily Ling Xiaoyou was soothed, Bai Xiqing, observing from the side, felt both surprised and impressed.
She was surprised because this was the first time she had ever seen her usually aloof cousin comfort someone. However, considering how her cousin had started smiling ever since Ling Xiaoyou arrived, it did make sense.
She was impressed because Bai Shuanglian had managed to cheer up Ling Xiaoyou so effortlessly. Was it because they understood each other too well, or was it because there was definitely something going on between these two?
As Bai Xiqing was thinking this, she suddenly saw her cousin turn her head and glance in her direction, her expression returning to its usual calm.
“Xiqing, we have some things to attend to next, so you can go ahead and explore the Imperial Capital on your own for now.”
With that, Bai Shuanglian took the happily pacified Ling Xiaoyou’s hand and led her away, leaving Bai Xiqing standing alone on the spot.
It took her a long moment to snap out of it. She stared in the direction the two had disappeared into the crowd, her face a picture of utter bewilderment.
“Huh? Wait, didn’t you promise earlier to accompany me to get familiar with the university? And now you’re just ditching me???”
Standing by the bustling roadside, Bai Xiqing felt utterly lost in the wind, gaining a profound understanding of the phrase “forgetting your sister once you have a wife.”
***
On the other side, Ling Xiaoyou also snapped out of her cheered-up mood. She looked at Bai Shuanglian, then glanced back in the direction they had come from.
“Is it really okay for us to just leave your sister like that?”
Hearing this, Bai Shuanglian smiled at Ling Xiaoyou, but her steps didn’t falter, seemingly intent on taking her on a proper tour of the Imperial Capital.
“It’s fine. Even without me, she has other siblings to keep her company. I don’t need to worry.”
“But as for you, Xiaoyou, I’m the only one who can accompany you now.”
At these words, Ling Xiaoyou’s face reddened. She avoided Bai Shuanglian’s gaze, stammering,
“I… I have other people who can keep me company too, you know… It’s not like… I…”
“And who would that be?”
Bai Shuanglian smiled slightly, but there was no trace of a smile in her eyes.
“It’s Miao…”
Ling Xiaoyou answered instinctively, but halfway through, as if sensing something, she glared at Bai Shuanglian. She stretched out her small hand that wasn’t being held, stood on her tiptoes, and pinched Bai Shuanglian’s cheek.
“Hmph! I’m not telling you!”
Bai Shuanglian chuckled and didn’t press the matter further.
The evening in the Imperial Capital was bustling and lively. At the very least, Ling Xiaoyou had never seen anything like it back in New Sea City—even in such foggy weather, there were still so many pedestrians.
Looking at the streams of people coming and going around them, Ling Xiaoyou glanced left and right, her pair of crimson eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.
She twitched her delicate little nose slightly, catching a fragrant scent wafting from somewhere. Her eyes immediately lit up. Like a kitten that had smelled a fish, she pulled her “master,” Bai Shuanglian, weaving through the crowd.
Soon, the two arrived in front of a pastry shop. Seeing the dazzling array of cakes and pastries on the signboard, Ling Xiaoyou’s eyes sparkled. She looked at Bai Shuanglian and said,
“Bai Shuanglian, let’s buy some pastries to eat while we walk!”
“Of course.”
Bai Shuanglian naturally wouldn’t refuse Ling Xiaoyou’s request. She glanced at the signboard and asked Ling Xiaoyou,
“So, what would you like to eat, Xiaoyou?”
“Hmm…”
Ling Xiaoyou thought carefully for a moment, then pointed at the signboard.
“I want this one, this one, and that one… Oh, this butter pastry looks good too, let’s get one of those as well!”
Bai Shuanglian helplessly ruffled Ling Xiaoyou’s little head.
“That’s a lot of pastries.”
She didn’t doubt whether Ling Xiaoyou could eat it all. After all, for a cultivator, it was a matter of wanting to eat, not whether they could finish it.
But carrying so many pastries would be quite inconvenient, wouldn’t it? And putting them in the Space Ring to eat while walking seemed a bit troublesome.
“It’s fine!”
Ling Xiaoyou gave Bai Shuanglian a sweet smile.
“This is for the two of us! Of course we need a bit more!”
Hearing this, Bai Shuanglian was taken aback. She had thought Ling Xiaoyou was ordering all that for herself.
Then, she smiled gently and rubbed Ling Xiaoyou’s little head again.
“Well, thank you then.”
“Hehehe.”
Ling Xiaoyou giggled foolishly, rubbing her head against Bai Shuanglian’s palm.
As she reached out to take the paper bag from the shopkeeper, Ling Xiaoyou saw Bai Shuanglian step forward and settle the bill first.
“Hey, I was going to treat you,” Ling Xiaoyou pouted, muttering quietly.
“Between the two of us, there’s no need to distinguish between you treating me or me treating you. In my eyes, it’s all the same.”
Bai Shuanglian chuckled softly, taking the paper bag from Ling Xiaoyou’s hand.
“That won’t do! It’s not good if you’re always the one treating me!”
On this matter, however, Ling Xiaoyou seemed rather insistent.
Perhaps she just didn’t want Bai Shuanglian to feel taken advantage of, or perhaps she always had this strange feeling of being “kept” by her. Whatever the reason, she felt such things should be reciprocal.
“Understood.”
Bai Shuanglian just smiled.
“We should eat the pastries quickly, or they’ll get cold soon in this weather.”
“Oh, right!”
Ling Xiaoyou suddenly realized.
The two strolled aimlessly along the commercial street. Even without a clear destination, they felt incredibly content.
Ling Xiaoyou had a piece of osmanthus cake in her mouth, a peach blossom pastry in her left hand, and a date paste cake in her right. Her cheeks were stuffed full, and her exquisite little face was radiant with happiness.
Bai Shuanglian wasn’t eating as “greedily” as Ling Xiaoyou. She just held a piece of osmanthus cake, tasting it in small, elegant bites.
Suddenly, Ling Xiaoyou stopped in her tracks. She swallowed the pastry in her mouth in one gulp and looked excitedly in a certain direction ahead.
“Hey, Bai Shuanglian, look! There’s even an arcade over there!”
Bai Shuanglian also stopped and followed Ling Xiaoyou’s gaze, spotting the bustling arcade.
“Shall we go in and play?”
Bai Shuanglian looked at Ling Xiaoyou and asked.
“It’s my first time seeing an arcade like this! Of course we have to go check it out!”
Ling Xiaoyou immediately replied, unable to wait.
Seeing this, Bai Shuanglian nodded. She took the hand of the eagerly expectant Ling Xiaoyou, and together they walked into the arcade.