[I picked out an outfit for Sister Qilin, too~]
[Mm... Sister Qilin looks beautiful in it.]
Angel Yan: Oh? Beautiful? More beautiful than an angel?
Rui Mengmeng: Mm... New clothes... I'm so envious. I haven't bought new clothes in ages...
[Sister Qilin's acting a little strange today.]
Hexi: Strange? Strange how pretty she is?
[Mm, I can't quite put my finger on what's strange.]
Hexi: Interesting...
Hexi: It's fine if you can't tell. Your big sister here can.
Hexi: My clone will be here soon. Then I'll help you get a good "look"~
[I'm really happy today.]
Azhui: Mm, I can tell.
[I got two little rewards from Sister Qilin~]
Su Xiaoli: Suck and slurp on the little reward.
[I rewarded Sister Qilin, too.]
Su Xiaoli: !!!
Su Xiaoli: It's only been a few days??? He's already won her over?!
Angel Yan: Oh? So the transmigrator is that "impressive"?
Inside the villa, Angel Yan's brows furrowed slightly.
It was only the third day.
Su Bai and Qilin were already so... "close"?
Had Qilin made the first move, or had Su Bai?
Was Qilin doing this willingly... or had Su Bai used some other means?
Su Bai...
Would he become the next... Scum Hua Ye...?
"Sister Yan," Azhui asked softly, noticing the change in her mood. "What's worrying you?"
"I'm worried..." Yan's gaze fell on the words in the diary—
"I rewarded Sister Qilin, too."
"—about what his 'reward' actually was."
Azhui tilted her head. As if she'd thought of something, her face reddened.
Seeing that, Yan stopped dwelling on the question and began teasing Azhui instead.
[Xiao Xue is so noisy. She went back to look up the props' descriptions. I'm not used to it.]
Hexi: Oh? Feeling lonely?
Hexi: But isn't your "Sister Qilin" keeping you company?
Keisha: After all, in his eyes, we're all just characters in a "story"... I'm afraid only Qilin can make him feel the warmth of "home."
[We're home.]
The diary entry ended there.
Su Bai gathered his thoughts and opened his eyes.
The car had already come to a stop.
Qilin unfastened her seat belt first, then turned and gently unbuckled his.
Then she reached out and opened the car door for him.
Even if Qilin hadn't done those things, Su Bai could have managed them himself.
His memories were incomplete because of his damaged soul, and his reactions were a little slow. His way of thinking was different from other people's,
but he hadn't forgotten basic everyday skills.
Still, Su Bai said nothing. He simply let her help him.
Qilin knew that even if she didn't help, Su Bai could unfasten his seat belt and open the door on his own.
She just... wanted to take care of him.
It was late at night, and the streetlights in the residential complex cast a dim yellow glow.
Qilin took all the clothes and vegetables they'd bought that day out of the trunk.
Su Bai saw her and went over to help carry them.
Qilin didn't refuse, letting him take some of the weight.
They walked into the stairwell one after the other, their footsteps echoing softly through the empty space.
"Sister Qilin," Su Bai said suddenly.
"Mm?"
"Are you... tired today?"
Qilin paused and looked back at him with a smile. "Not tired. How could I get tired when I'm with you?"
She said it casually, but Su Bai took her words very seriously.
The elevator slowly climbed. There were only the two of them in the cramped space.
"Su Bai," she called softly.
"Mm?"
"If... after you get your memories back, will you still keep me company like this?"
The question came out of nowhere. Su Bai froze for a few seconds, then lifted his head, his gaze clear and firm.
"I will."
"Why?"
"Because you're Sister Qilin," he said as if it were obvious. "Whether I get my memories back or not, you're still you."
Qilin's eyes suddenly began to sting.
She turned away, not wanting Su Bai to see the tears in her eyes.
"Ding—"
The elevator doors opened.
Qilin hurried out and took out her keys. Su Bai followed behind her, keenly sensing the shift in her mood but unsure how to ask about it.
"Sister Qilin," he said quietly. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." Qilin took a deep breath. When she turned back, her smile had returned. "You said it just right. I'm... really happy."
She opened the door and switched on the living room light.
The warm glow instantly chased away the darkness—and the inexplicable melancholy in her heart.
After putting away the clothes from the shopping bags, Qilin went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner.
Su Bai followed her in and conscientiously stood by the sink.
"Sister Qilin, I'll help you wash the vegetables."
Watching him roll up his sleeves, clumsy but earnest, Qilin couldn't help smiling.
"Okay. You can wash the greens."
"Mm." Su Bai nodded, took the greens, turned on the tap, and carefully rinsed each leaf one by one.
Before long, the kitchen filled with the comforting sounds of a home-cooked meal—the sizzle of oil in the pan, the hiss as ingredients hit the hot surface, the crisp clatter of the spatula as it turned the food, and Qilin's occasional quiet instructions:
"Xiaobai, the salt."
"Xiaobai, the soy sauce."
"Xiaobai, the plates."
Su Bai was the most obedient helper imaginable. He did whatever Qilin asked, and though he wasn't quick, he hardly made a mistake.
Outside, the sky grew completely dark, while the kitchen remained warm and bright. Their shadows fell on the wall, overlapping to form a cozy picture.
"Sister Qilin," Su Bai said suddenly, "cooking... is kind of fun."
"Fun?" Qilin raised an eyebrow. "Don't you find it a hassle?"
"It's no trouble," Su Bai said, shaking his head. "Doing things with you isn't a hassle, Sister Qilin."
His tone was so natural that Qilin's knife slowed as she chopped the vegetables.
She raised her head and looked at Su Bai.
He was peeling garlic, his profile looking especially gentle in the light. His eyelashes cast faint shadows on his eyelids, and he was so focused you'd think he was doing something terribly important.
—If you ignored the mangled clove of garlic in his hand.
"That's not how you peel garlic." Qilin set down her knife, went over to him, and picked up another clove to demonstrate. "Look, give it a gentle squeeze like this, and the skin comes right off."
Su Bai copied her, and sure enough, it was much easier.
"Sister Qilin, you're amazing," he said sincerely.
"What's so amazing about that?" Qilin laughed. "It's just basic life skills."
"But I don't know how," Su Bai said seriously. "So you're amazing, Sister Qilin."
Looking into his clear eyes, Qilin suddenly thought... being admired by a child who needed someone to teach him how to peel garlic wasn't exactly something to be proud of.
But somehow, she felt... really happy.
Dinner was ready soon.
It was a simple meal of three dishes and a soup: stir-fried pork with green peppers, Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, Stir-fried Green Vegetables, and a pot of Seaweed Egg Drop Soup.
They sat opposite each other, and Qilin served Su Bai a heaping bowl of rice.
"Eat plenty. We walked a lot today."
"Mm." Su Bai took the bowl, but didn't pick up his chopsticks right away. Instead, he placed a piece of stir-fried pork with green peppers in Qilin's bowl. "You should eat plenty, too, Sister Qilin."
Qilin froze, then smiled.
"Okay."
They ate dinner in a quiet, cozy atmosphere.
Su Bai ate with great care, chewing each bite slowly, as if he were savoring some rare delicacy.
Watching how content he looked, Qilin felt warm inside, too.
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