CH 49.1

Ji Xinxin remembered telling Bai Zhou that she had learned to cook some French cuisine. As she was only able to spend the morning with him on Christmas, she proposed cooking for him at his house to make it up to him. 

She bought her groceries and made her way to Bai Zhou’s house with huge bags in hand. A caretaker at the lift lobby spotted her and quickly walked over. 

“Here, I’ll help you.” The caretaker took half of her bags with a smile.

Ji Xinxin directed a nod at the caretaker and courteously thanked him.

The caretaker appeared to know her quite well. “You’ve brought so many things over again. Shopping for all these ingredients must have been quite troublesome.”

Ji Xinxin froze up.

Again?

She decided to sound the caretaker out. “It can’t be helped. I’m always worried that he’s not eating properly. It’d be terrible if he suffered a nutritional imbalance.”

“It’s thanks to your concern that Mr Bai was able to grow this tall,” said the caretaker jokingly. He walked over to the lift lobby with Ji Xinxin and pressed the ‘Up’ button to hail the lift.

This was not the first time Ji Xinxin had visited Bai Zhou’s ten million dollars condominium penthouse, but she wasn’t such a frequent visitor as to have gotten this close to the caretaker.

If she wasn’t the one who visited Bai Zhou’s penthouse, there was only one other possibility—Ji Fanyin.

With a ‘ding’, the elevator doors opened, revealing a Bai Zhou standing inside. He stuck his foot out to keep the elevator door open. “Big sis, I’ll carry those bags for you. Come in.”

He smoothly received the bags from Ji Xinxin’s hands before directing a nod at the caretaker. 

The doors closed and the lift started moving upward. 

Ji Xinxin stood in the lift with her gaze lowered. Her mind was occupied with how she ought to question Bai Zhou in order to find out what happened during the months she was away. 

In the end, she decided to approach the conversation from an indirect angle. “The caretaker at the lift lobby is really warm-hearted. She started chatting me up as soon as I arrived, and she even knows my name. Did you tell her about me beforehand?”

Bai Zhou’s body stiffened up at those words. He subconsciously asked, “What?”

That was a suspicious reaction. How could Bai Zhou have possibly missed what she said in this quiet lift?

He’s trying to buy time to find a reasonable excuse. 

Ji Xinxin exhaled softly and said, “Zhouzhou, I know that you are hiding something from me.”

“Hiding something from you?” Bai Zhou refuted it reflexively. “Big sis, what are you talking about?”

Ji Xinxin looked at him in disappointment. “Don’t you know better than anyone else what I’m talking about?”

Bai Zhou fell silent.

The lift reached the highest level. Ji Xinxin picked up the bags and started walking out. “I know that you have your own difficulties. I’ll wait until you’re ready to be honest with me.”

Bai Zhou anxiously chased after her and explained, “Things are different from what you’re thinking!”

“What is it then? Tell me.” Ji Xinxin turned around and looked at him. “I was never opposed to you making more friends… but is there a reason for you to keep things from me, especially when it involves my older sister?”

Bai Zhou frowned. He bit his lips in frustration before replying, “I’m not friends with Ji Fanyin. I just… think that she’s pitiful.”

He’s finally confessing.

“Do you bring everyone who you think is pitiful into your house and have a meal with them?” asked Ji Xinxin.

“I’ve never brought her into my house to eat!” Bai Zhou responded explosively. “I was just… pitying her! A-and when you’re not around, being with her makes me feel like I’m being with you! It makes me feel less lonely…”

Ji Xinxin eyed Bai Zhou sharply. “Is that all?”

“It is!” exclaimed Bai Zhou with a pout. “Are there any strengths that Ji Fanyin has over you?”

Ji Xinxin stared at Bai Zhou intently for a while and took in all of his subtle expressions. Then, she softened her tone and murmured, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have made you feel lonely.”

“… I already told you. Don’t go abroad. Stay here with me,” grumbled Bai Zhou unhappily. “But you had to go to France. My parents didn’t allow me to visit you. I was just… Ji Fanyin is an imitation, but at least she shares the same face as you.”

Ji Xinxin gently berated Bai Zhou, “You mustn’t treat big sis like that. She’ll be upset.”

Upset? How’s that possible? That other ‘Ji Fanyin’ would never feel upset. She’s probably spending time on Bai Zhou just to entertain herself. 

But even if it’s nothing more than a casual whim to her, if she’s really that other ‘Ji Fanyin’, Bai Zhou might just fall in love with her. 

“Zhouzhou, promise me. You mustn’t use me as an excuse to meet big sis anymore, alright?” asked Ji Xinxin.

“…” Bai Zhou frowned. He didn’t give her a response right away.

“Your actions are disrespectful to both her and me.” Ji Xinxin raised her hand and gently touched Bai Zhou’s cheek. “You can call or message me whenever you miss me. Don’t use other people as my substitute, alright?”

Bai Zhou looked at her with eyes flickering with hesitation. 

“… Or have your feelings for me moved on to her?” asked Ji Xinxin.

“Impossible! The one I like is big sis!” exclaimed Bai Zhou. “How could Ji Fanyin compare to you?”

“Then listen to me on this matter, alright?”

“… Alright.”

Ji Xinxin finally revealed a smile. She pinched Bai Zhou’s cheeks affectionately. “Good boy. Let’s go in. It’s freezing out here and you’re not wearing enough.”

She had managed to settle the wavering Bai Zhou with this, but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy about her date with Li Xiaoxing at night.

She felt like things had spiraled out of control over the last few months. It was certain that Bai Zhou had come into contact with Ji Fanyin, but he kept beating around the bush, refusing to tell her the details. 

Could it be the same for Li Xiaoxing too?

What about Song Shiyu? What about the others? Are they all getting snatched away by Ji Fanyin?

It was inevitable that she was worried. Everything she had came from Ji Fanyin.

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TL Note: I made a mistake T_T Bai Zhou’s house doesn’t have a butler, but the apartment has a caretaker (think of a person with a counter at the ground level lift lobby who attends to the residents’ needs). That’s the person whom Ji Fanyin has been talking to all this while.

I’ve already corrected the relevant portions.