Gu Qianran happily sent the winning numbers to Li Junze, then began thinking about what to do next. To her surprise, if things kept developing at this pace, she would basically not have to lift a finger to hit the small goal of ten million.
Which meant she had plenty of time to slack off in peace. There was also something important. Gu Qianran needed to figure out exactly what kind of feeling she had for Bai Ziyuan.
Was it really just that Bai Ziyuan was comfortable to hold. Was it really that she only saw Bai Ziyuan as a child. Gu Qianran did not know either.
She decided to consult dog-headed strategist Ji Tang again. Ji Tang quickly sent over a checklist of moments.
"First, seeing her lifts your mood." Gu Qianran nodded. True enough, the little one was soft and sweet to the eye, just looking at Bai Ziyuan was soothing.
"Second, wanting to protect her."
"Third…"
Out of the thirty items, Gu Qianran ticked off nearly half. She decided to ask the little one out to play tomorrow and test the remaining items. As for whether Bai Ziyuan liked her, not even the first stroke of the character had been written yet, so why think about it.
Bai Ziyuan waved her phone proudly in front of Bai Zilu. "Sister, Ran Ran asked me out to hang out tomorrow." The pride and shyness in Bai Ziyuan's eyes were overflowing.
Bai Zilu gave Bai Ziyuan a look of disdain. "It is just hanging out. Go. Why tell me." Tsk. Why had Ji Tang not asked Bai Zilu out. Look at the straight girl next door Gu Qianran, even she knows to take her wife on a date. What about you.
Far away in the dorm, Ji Tang sneezed and wondered how she had caught a cold in midsummer when she had done nothing at all.
Bai Ziyuan gave Bai Zilu a sly grin. "Heh heh, pity no one is asking you out. Sister, Ji Tang is in the dorm right now."
"If you want to win someone over you have to take the initiative, silly sister. With Ji Tang's reserved nature, if you wait for Ji Tang to have a revelation, even the daylilies will have gone cold."
Bai Zilu was a little surprised. "Ji Tang is not going home."
Bai Ziyuan was already thinking about how to dress tomorrow, so she answered absentmindedly, "Ah, Ji Tang had a falling out with her family. Her family favors sons over daughters. The class monitor got angry and chose to live on campus, not going home."
Bai Ziyuan said it casually, but Bai Zilu felt an extra stab of pity. Bai Zilu had seen the phrase favoring sons over daughters online. The serious cases really trained daughters as servants for sons. Bai Zilu had thought under the Party's leadership how could there still be such rotten things, yet one of the victims was right beside her.
"I am going to the dorm. I will come back tomorrow." Bai Zilu quickly threw on a jacket and rushed out the door. What if Ji Tang was secretly crying alone in the dorm.
On the sofa, Bai Ziyuan sighed to herself. Another person whose brain had been turned to mush by love.
Bai Zilu rushed back to the dorm in a whirlwind. The first thing she said as the door opened was, "Do not cry."
Ji Tang, who was reading: what.
"Are you talking to me." Fortunately, Ji Tang was used to Bai Zilu's quirky style by now, or Ji Tang might have kicked Bai Zilu out on reflex. Tsk, after a single day apart, Bai Zilu's goofy power had grown again. What was the performance this time. Strange styles had increased.
Only then did Bai Zilu notice Ji Tang was perfectly fine, with no sign of tears. Bai Zilu gave an awkward smile. "Um, I was just worried about you."
Ji Tang tilted her head. "Then how did you conclude I would be crying." Had this drama queen spun another wild fantasy.
Bai Zilu grew a little embarrassed. "Well, you and your family. Since you are not going back home, I was afraid you would feel bad alone in the dorm. Right. This is my care for you."
As Bai Zilu spoke, she became more confident and simply sat on Ji Tang's bed beside Ji Tang. Ji Tang gave a helpless smile. "So you rushed to the dorm because you were afraid I would cry in secret."
To be honest, Ji Tang was touched. There were not many people who poured their hearts out for others the way Bai Zilu did. Bai Zilu was like a pure patch of land, unconditionally nourishing anyone who came near.
Bai Zilu leaned on Ji Tang's shoulder, a little aggrieved. "Yes, I came in such a hurry, and you were not even crying. Now I am embarrassed. If you are sad you should cry, and I will comfort you."
There was even a small whine in Bai Zilu's voice.
Ji Tang had no idea what script the drama queen was performing now, so Ji Tang simply pulled Bai Zilu into her arms and comforted her. "All right, all right. If I ever have something sad, I will definitely come to you for comfort. But this thing is not my problem. Why should I be sad. I did not lose anything. I gained freedom. Should that not make me happy."
After spending time with Gu Qianran, Ji Tang had seen things more clearly. Ji Tang's father wanted Ji Tang to serve his son with all her strength. Dream on. Ji Tang would start her own company and refuse to rely on a man, making him angry to death.
Feeling the aura that Ji Tang released unconsciously, Bai Zilu's heart gave a little tremor. Wow, the air of a domineering president.
Bai Zilu simply copied Bai Ziyuan's move and nestled in Ji Tang's arms to read with Ji Tang. Bai Zilu discovered this position was indeed particularly comfortable. Ji Tang was taller, and Bai Zilu nestled there just right. In her heart, Bai Zilu gave her little sister a thumbs up. No wonder you, a true expert.
For a time, only the faint wind outside the window and the soft sound of pages turning remained in the room. When Bai Zilu occasionally raised her eyes, she could see Ji Tang's serious profile. Bai Zilu found that Ji Tang's focused look was especially attractive.
As Bai Zilu watched, she began to feel sleepy. Her consciousness grew fuzzy. The last thought before she slumped against Ji Tang was, was I not here to comfort Ji Tang. How did I end up being comforted.
Sensing Bai Zilu's state, Ji Tang chuckled and gently laid Bai Zilu down, then stretched out beside Bai Zilu and continued reading. Outside, the autumn wind howled. Inside, time flowed quietly and well.
"Good. Good at what. Look at you. Look at the company I gave you, what state have you run it into. What is wrong with you. Without Ji Tang you cannot function." At the Ji house, Ji Xiong was scolding Ji Tang's younger brother, Ji Zhu.
This son had never studied and never improved, but the Ji family was counting on this only son to continue the family line, so Ji Xiong had always indulged him. After all, there was always the older sister.
But now things were different. The daughter they had thought easy to manipulate had openly turned against them and was not coming home. Without his sister's support, Ji Zhu's company was immediately losing money.
Ji Zhu said carelessly, "Then let my sister come back. She is only a woman. What future could she possibly have. In the end she will obediently hold me up."
Ji Xiong almost laughed with rage. If they could actually get Ji Tang to come back, would they still be wasting breath here. They did not want to admit that in front of the current Ji Tang, they could no longer strut about as patriarchs, and that in front of the current Ji Tang, they looked like clowns.
Ji Tang studied the company blueprint that Gu Qianran had revised and the corners of Ji Tang's mouth lifted into a lovely curve. Ji Tang would carve out her own sky and give a ringing slap to those who believed women could only be men's accessories.
The newly awakened Bai Zilu peeked at Ji Tang and saw what looked very much like a smile sending electricity her way.
Then Bai Zilu felt a soft, tingling numbness spread through her whole body and quickly shut her eyes again. Of course, if Bai Zilu's face had not been so red, it might have looked more convincing.