Straight-laced Gu Qianran had no idea that her casual remark had caused such a massive shock to Bai Ziyuan.
Bai Ziyuan floated through the entire day, even volunteering to do all the household chores.
Grandmother Bai stroked Bai Ziyuan's head kindly and asked, "What has made our Xiao Yuan so happy today? Why are you smiling like this?"
Bai Ziyuan only grinned foolishly, baring her teeth.
Internet-addicted Bai Zilu sat on the sofa, watching her younger sister. In her mind, it looked like an IQ bar above Bai Ziyuan's head was slowly draining away. So it turned out that love did not make people stupid. It was simply that Bai Ziyuan only showed intelligence when bickering with her.
Having been pounded by her younger sister for more than ten years, Bai Zilu silently shed a bitter tear.
But as the older sister, even if it meant risking her sister's wrath, she had to keep a watchful eye on things. So she deliberately played the bad cop: "Maybe she was just joking with you. That is normal behavior for a straight girl."
Bai Ziyuan glared at her with a fierce but childish look. What should have been a serious moment turned laughably absurd.
Bai Zilu felt awkward. Why was it that Gu Qianran exuded such authority even when she was not glaring, while she herself looked so ridiculous when trying the same thing?
Bai Zilu ground her teeth in frustration. Even her silly little sister dared to glare at her now? Clearly Gu Qianran had corrupted her!
What nonsense about protecting her, she thought furiously. Let her play around. Better that she suffers some youthful heartbreak and learns reality the hard way.
The immaturity of the two sisters truly mirrored each other.
Bai Ziyuan wanted to share her joy with someone else, so she thought of her half-revolutionary comrade, Ji Tang.
Excited, Bai Ziyuan forwarded her chat with Gu Qianran and typed: "Class monitor, class monitor! My crush flirted with me! Does this mean she likes me too?"
There was no reply. Bai Ziyuan assumed Ji Tang was busy and happily went back to tormenting Bai Zilu, who yelped for mercy. Inside, however, Bai Zilu was desperately hoping Gu Qianran would hurry up and claim her silly sister once and for all.
Ji Tang was online, of course. Thanks to Gu Qianran's help, Ji Tang now had money and plenty of free time. At the moment she was staring at her phone in shock.
One screenshot, one line of text, yet the amount of information contained within was enough to leave Ji Tang frozen.
So Bai Ziyuan's crush was a girl? Otherwise, the input method would have defaulted to the masculine "he," and with Bai Ziyuan's silly nature, she would never bother to change it.
Bai Ziyuan liked girls? Wait—wasn't there also gossip that Bai Zilu liked girls too? If both sisters were like this, would their family line not end here? No, wait, she was getting sidetracked.
Hold on. That "Ran Ran"… could that actually be Gu Qianran? Since when was Gu Qianran so good at flirting?
But why would Gu Qianran and Bai Ziyuan get tangled up? Was this some kind of… mother-daughter romance? No, no, there she went, sidetracked again.
Looking more closely at Bai Ziyuan's tone, it seemed Gu Qianran herself had no idea she was flirting? What kind of steel-plated straight girl was this?!
Ji Tang clicked open her own WeChat with Gu Qianran and saw that familiar avatar.
Ji Tang: "…" So the steel beam had been right beside her this whole time.
No wonder she had always felt something was off about the way those two interacted. The group's cherished little treasure clearly had a situation going on. This… this was the textbook definition of being spoiled by favoritism.
Ji Tang opened Bai Ziyuan's chat and unleashed her thoughts in a flood of messages. Bai Ziyuan, sensing something was off, checked her phone and grew increasingly anxious as she read.
Ji Tang, typing at lightning speed, was accusing them of secretly dating behind her back. Bai Ziyuan panicked and tried to explain: "We are not together, it is just me crushing on her. Class monitor, Ji Tang, Tang Tang, please, I beg you, do not tell Ran Ran! Sob sob sob!"
She even resorted to cutesy begging. What could Ji Tang say? Since the crush was not on her, she could keep the secret. Her initial shock faded quickly, and once she thought it through, her gossiping spark reignited. She asked Bai Ziyuan, "Why do you like Gu Qianran?"
Memories flashed through Bai Ziyuan's mind. Gu Qianran's meticulous care, the figure who stood up for her, those doting eyes…
Pink bubbles seemed to float around her. She typed out a long confession, hesitated, and deleted it. Gu Qianran had too many virtues—how could anyone not fall for her?
Almost as if sensing Bai Ziyuan's coming flood of words, Ji Tang changed the subject. "So, when do you plan to confess?"
Bai Ziyuan finally snapped back to reality. "In high school… I will take it slow and steady and win Ran Ran over! But Tang Tang, how did you even know my crush was Ran Ran?"
Ji Tang: "Because in the screenshot you sent me, the name field was uncensored." With intelligence like that, how many years would it take for her "slow and steady" approach to succeed? If she poured even half that determination into studying, would her chemistry scores really still be so low?
Ji Tang, who had been forced by Gu Qianran to tutor chemistry-idiot Bai Ziyuan, could only cry in despair.
When Bai Zilu saw her younger sister's bright expression suddenly turn gloomy, she guessed something had gone wrong and asked, "What's with the long face? Got rejected?"
Bai Ziyuan pouted and showed her the phone. "Because of my mistake, someone found out who my crush is."
Bai Zilu burst out laughing. "Hahahaha, Xiao Yuan, that Ji Tang is the elegant one in your graduation photo, right? I could tell at a glance she was single. Honestly, instead of asking a single dog for advice, you should come consult your older sister!"
Bai Ziyuan shot back mercilessly, "You have been saying since middle school that you would find someone, but you are still single now. You dare to mock others?"
Bai Zilu held her head high. "You do not understand. I am a single love saint, a cut above the rest. Ordinary people simply cannot match me."
Bai Ziyuan: "...A lifetime single dog, and you are proud of that?"
Bai Zilu almost wanted to bite her. What a terrible sister—why did she even bother giving advice? "I told you, no one is worthy of me! With my beauty, who could I not attract? I just chose not to walk that path."
Truthfully, Bai Zilu was very pretty. The Bai family's genes were strong. Bai Ziyuan had a bold, eye-catching beauty, while Bai Zilu's was gentler and more refined. With her height of one meter sixty-seven and developing figure, she could easily turn heads. But paired with her goofy personality, even her delicate looks were wasted.
Not that Bai Ziyuan cared. She still mocked without mercy: "You do not even have a crush, yet you want to guide me? At least let me live out the thrill through you."
Maybe all older sisters were secretly soft-hearted. Though Bai Zilu ground her teeth in anger, she still taught Bai Ziyuan a couple of tricks.
"Look at this Ji Tang. She is Gu Qianran's close friend, right? If you want to win over your Ran Ran, you should start with her circle. Make her speak well of you and dig out Gu Qianran's interests. Leave that to me. I will definitely find out what Gu Qianran likes!"
Bai Ziyuan nodded. She thought her sister's reasoning made sense. Especially that phrase "your Ran Ran," which pleased her immensely. She even agreed to a half-day truce with her sister.
But Bai Zilu stared at the phone, troubled. Did her silly little sister really trust Ji Tang so much? What if Ji Tang was not a good person? No, she had to keep an eye on this one. Gu Qianran she could not control, but Ji Tang—she would watch her closely.
"Hehehe, thank you, sister, you are the best." Having set a new plan, Bai Ziyuan happily flopped into her sister's arms, acting spoiled without restraint. Bai Zilu shivered at the cuteness overload.
She ruffled Bai Ziyuan's hair messily. "What kind of habit is this? Save it for your Ran Ran, that will work for sure."
"Ran Ran loves this." Bai Ziyuan smoothed her messy hair. "Ran Ran gives the best massages, unlike you with your rough hands."
Bai Zilu stared at her sister's bashful little complaint, her cheeks faintly pink.
Tsk. If she ever pampered her sister like that again, she would not deserve the surname Bai.
Soon came the time to fill in school applications. Gu Qianran was surprised to learn that Ji Tang had changed her choice and also planned to apply to Nankou No. 15 High.
"Tang Tang, were you not going to Nancheng High?" Bai Ziyuan asked.
Ji Tang gave her a helpless look. "Xiao Bai… please just call me by my name. Every time you say that, I get goosebumps." Ever since she discovered Bai Ziyuan's secret, Ji Tang could not help but feel like a concubine shrinking before the official wife.
Gu Qianran's aura was too strong. She admitted it—she was afraid.
"I was going to apply to Nancheng No. 3 High, but my father forced me onto some so-called good path. He wants me to manage the company for my brother. Why should I follow his arrangement? If Gu Qianran can resist her mother, I can resist my father! Better to follow Gu Qianran and make money than walk a road meant to benefit others!"
Gu Qianran nodded. Ji Tang's family was indeed somewhat patriarchal, a theme that appeared again in the later parts of the novel. Gu Qianran loathed such sexism. If Ji Tang needed it, she would be more than happy to administer some socialist physical education to rid the world of this feudal leftover.
In her past life, Ji Tang had lost to the male lead out of insecurity. Fortunately, in this timeline, with Gu Qianran's technical support, Ji Tang did not go astray. Otherwise, her parents would have been the true culprits, spreading feudal rot and opposing modernization.
Bai Ziyuan looked at Ji Tang with admiration. Gu Qianran had not hidden her wealthy family background from them, and after hearing the story, both sisters were full of respect. To Bai Ziyuan, anyone who dared to defy authority and pursue freedom was a true warrior. Her own family was open-minded, so she never had to face such struggles.
Gu Qianran patted Bai Ziyuan's head. That Bai Ziyuan could remain kind-hearted despite past hurts was a testament to her family's upbringing. Such purity moved her.
Bai Ziyuan leaned meekly against Gu Qianran, ticking a line off in the little notebook in her heart: 1. Get Ran Ran used to my affection.
Pure-hearted as she was, even Bai Ziyuan had begun to hatch tiny, clumsy schemes for her own happiness.
Ji Tang watched Gu Qianran stroke Bai Ziyuan's hair, her expression complicated. She felt that knowing this gossip was not a gain at all. It left her with a sinking premonition instead.