Tang Bai pouted and reluctantly followed Tang Xi and Zhao Ye into the Western-style restaurant she liked least. Zhao Ye gallantly pulled out chairs for Tang Bai and her sister, earning him even more favor in Tang Xi’s eyes. Tang Bai glanced at Zhao Ye, who was grinning happily, and felt irritated. This was supposed to be a special lunch for just her and her big sister, but Zhao Ye had ruined it.
Tang Xi smiled slyly. Hmm, this reaction from Xiaobai had to be jealousy, right?
She secretly reached beneath the table for Tang Bai’s slender hand and gently clasped it. Tang Bai froze for a moment. Feeling Tang Xi’s tenderness, her face immediately lit up. She smugly thought that Zhao Ye had probably never even held Sis’s hand before.
Tang Xi was utterly helpless in the face of Tang Bai’s smug little expression. How could she still have such a childish temper at her age?
Zhao Ye watched in confusion as Tang Bai, who had been wearing a sullen expression a moment before, suddenly broke into a smile. His gaze fell to their hands beneath the table, and he realized why. With a wry smile, he looked at how close they were. They seemed inseparable, and it felt strangely as though they were lovers. The thought startled him. Tang Xi and Tang Bai were sisters, after all. How could he have such an idea?
After Tang Xi and Tang Bai had ordered their steaks, Tang Xi glanced at Zhao Ye’s strange expression and asked softly:
“Zhao Ye, what’s wrong?”
Zhao Ye forced an awkward smile and answered in a low voice:
“Nothing. I’ll have my steak medium.”
Tang Bai glanced at Zhao Ye without betraying a hint of emotion. A cold glint flashed in her dark eyes.
Tang Xi carefully cut up Tang Bai’s steak and reassured her fondly:
“Don’t worry. Yours is well-done, cooked all the way through. It’s not bloody at all.”
Tang Xi always remembered that Tang Bai disliked anything too raw or bloody.
Tang Bai swallowed and watched Zhao Ye put the steak, still streaked with blood, into his mouth. Her stomach churned, and sour bile rose in her throat. Tang Xi shook her head, gently turned Tang Bai’s face toward her, and said softly:
“Silly, don’t look. Eat your own steak.”
After eating a few bites, Zhao Ye looked up at Tang Bai across the table. She handled her knife and fork with practiced ease.
“Xiaobai, your knife-and-fork etiquette is impeccable. You must eat Western food often.”
Tang Bai raised an eyebrow.
“This is my first time in a Western restaurant.”
Zhao Ye nearly choked. He was left speechless.
Looking at Tang Bai’s sharply defined features, Zhao Ye finally realized she was annoyed with him. He carefully examined Tang Bai, whom Tang Xi had praised to the skies. Aside from her appearance matching Tang Xi’s description, he couldn’t see anything particularly special or outstanding about her.
Zhao Ye gave a low chuckle.
“I heard from Xiaoxi that you’ve spent four years in the army. May I ask what rank you hold now?”
Tang Xi’s lovely brows drew together slightly, and she looked at Zhao Ye with displeasure.
Tang Bai thought it over. Judging by the position she held in her unit, she would be at least a Level Four NCO by military standards.
She answered nonchalantly:
“Probably a Level Four NCO.”
Zhao Ye froze. A Level Four NCO! In the military, that rank was even higher than a lieutenant.
Tang Bai gave the skeptical Zhao Ye a faint, unreadable smile.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
Zhao Ye shook his head and replied in a low voice:
“No. It’s just hard to believe.”
Tang Bai blinked.
“Looks like you know someone in the military.”
Zhao Ye nodded with a smile.
“My younger brother is in the special forces.”
Tang Bai smiled and asked no more, but her mind turned to the special forces of the Chengdu Military Region. How many people there had the surname Zhao?
After searching her memory for a long while, she blinked blankly.
Tang Xi beamed with pride. Hearing about Tang Bai’s achievements made her happier than any success of her own could have. Although she had no idea what a Level Four NCO meant in the army, she believed Xiaobai would never be ordinary.
With a pout, Tang Bai turned to Zhao Ye:
“Sorry, I just remembered I have something to take care of with my sister. We’ll be leaving first. Bye-bye.”
Without waiting for Tang Xi’s reaction, she pulled her along to the counter. Once the bill had been paid, Tang Bai finally left with Tang Xi, smiling.
As they walked, Tang Bai looked at the scenery along the roadside. Then she suddenly turned to Tang Xi and said seriously:
“Sis, I don’t like Zhao Ye.”
Tang Xi smiled and replied mildly:
“Xiaobai, you can’t be so childish, all right? Zhao Ye and I are colleagues. No matter what, we’ll have to interact at work.”
Tang Bai pressed her lips together, her sharply defined features taking on a resolute look. After a long silence, she finally said in a slightly sour tone:
“Sis, Zhao Ye obviously likes you!”
Tang Xi felt a headache coming on over her stubborn little sister. She gave Tang Bai a light rap on the head and said fondly:
“Comrade Xiaobai, could you stop overthinking things? Remember, you’ll always be my favorite person!”
Tang Bai’s lips curved slightly upward. Seeing this, Tang Xi shook her head helplessly and said with a trace of exasperation:
“Xiaobai, you’re not a child anymore. You need to understand that social skills are among the most basic skills a person needs to survive. You should learn to be tactful when dealing with people. I’ll say no more. You’re smart, and you’ll understand what I mean.”
Tang Xi did not want to tell Tang Bai about the ostracism and jealousy she had faced when she first started working at the hospital, or about the people who had repeatedly made things difficult for her.
Tang Bai fell silent. Her sister was blaming her for the way she had treated Zhao Ye today, wasn’t she? During the four years Tang Bai had been away, her sister must have had a hard time. A hospital was a fiercely competitive place; scheming and backstabbing were inevitable. With her sister so outstanding, those petty people must have made life difficult for her time and again.
At the thought, Tang Bai unconsciously clenched her fists, her expression turning frighteningly grim. Tang Xi gently took her slightly cool hand.
“Don’t think too much about it.”
Thinking of everything Tang Xi had endured, Tang Bai’s dark eyes filled with heartache. She reached out and hugged Tang Xi, her voice catching:
“I’m sorry, Sis!”
Tang Xi froze for a moment. Her little sister had grown up and learned to care for others. With a gratified smile, she stroked Tang Bai’s sharply defined cheek.
“Silly Xiaobai.”
Tang Bai pouted and frowned, speaking with childish earnestness:
“Sis, I know Zhao Ye likes you, but I don’t know why. It just makes me unhappy. I feel so sour inside.”
Tang Xi answered gently:
“You little possessive brat.”
Her light tea-colored eyes brimmed with warm amusement.
