After finishing her shower, Tang Xi wrapped her damp hair in a towel and headed toward the living room to dry it with a hair dryer. There, she saw Tang Bai sitting ramrod straight on the sofa, watching the financial news. The soldierly bearing and serious focus unique to her dazzled Tang Xi.
When Tang Xi sat down with the towel wrapped around her head, Tang Bai glanced at her, picked up the hair dryer beside her, and moved closer.
“Stinky Little Bai, no wonder I couldn’t find the hair dryer. So it was with you.”
Tang Bai grinned at her for a long moment before replying,
“Who told you not to look at me? If you had, you definitely would have seen the hair dryer beside me.”
Tang Xi irritably tapped her on the head.
“Little Bai, what kind of logic is that?”
Tang Bai pouted and rubbed the spot her sister had hit.
“I just wanted to dry your hair.”
Her meek, almost pleading tone instantly softened Tang Xi. She tenderly stroked the sore spot on Tang Bai’s head.
“Then hurry up and dry it for me, you silly Little Bai!”
Tang Bai was speechless. She thought, I wasn’t silly to begin with. You’ve called me silly so much that you’ve turned me into one!
As the warm air swept over her hair, Tang Xi felt her heart fill to the brim with tenderness. She secretly glanced at Tang Bai. The earnest, gentle look on her face made Tang Xi smile inwardly.
It was worth it. Waiting four years for this idiot hadn’t been for nothing.
Tang Bai was thinking about how to bring up the idea of buying a car with her sister. As she ran her fingers through the silky strands in her hand, she found herself reluctant to let go. A sly glint flashed through her dark eyes.
She switched off the hair dryer and looked seriously into Tang Xi’s pale, tea-colored eyes.
“Sis, we don’t have a car yet, do we?”
Tang Xi nodded in confusion. What was Little Bai up to now?
Tang Bai smiled.
“Then, when you have time, let’s go to a dealership and take a look. We can buy a car while we’re there.”
Tang Xi laughed.
“Sure!”
If she remembered correctly, Little Bai’s favorite thing to do at the amusement park had always been riding go-karts. Fortunately, Tang Xi had rarely spent her salary recklessly over the years. Otherwise, she really might not have been able to buy Little Bai a car.
Tang Bai thought, Anyway, it wasn’t as if I’m short of money. This car has to be a good one. It’ll make picking Sis up and taking her to work much more convenient in the future. Hehe…
Seeing her smug expression, Tang Xi asked,
“I have to ask, Comrade Little Bai. Do you even have a driver’s license?”
Tang Bai’s grin grew even more self-satisfied, and she lifted one eyebrow.
“Sis, I got my license during my first year in the army. I was the first recruit to pass the driving test back then, you know.”
Tang Xi smiled and gave Little Bai a playful knuckle tap on the head.
“Then your big sister will reward you with a nice car.”
Tang Bai hurriedly objected,
“Sis, I have to be the one to buy this car!”
Tang Xi raised an eyebrow, her big-sister authority unmistakable.
“I’m your big sister. I make the decisions!”
Tang Bai ducked her head and didn’t dare say another word.
Tang Xi turned on the television and casually switched to a variety show. Then she turned to Tang Bai, who was staring blankly ahead.
“Little Bai, go take a shower.”
After speaking, Tang Xi gave the dazed-looking Tang Bai a puzzled glance. When she turned back toward the television, she saw Lin Mo sitting elegantly as she answered the host’s questions.
Tang Xi frowned almost imperceptibly and switched to a news channel.
When Tang Bai saw Lin Mo on the screen, she was speechless. How did she manage to run into Lin Mo everywhere? Was she really that famous?
Just as Tang Bai was about to take a closer look at Lin Mo’s face, Tang Xi changed the channel to the evening news.
Tang Bai glanced at her sister and noticed that Tang Xi’s brows were slightly knitted. After years of knowing her, Tang Bai recognized this as a sign that she was angry. Although she had no idea what had made Tang Xi angry, she knew it must be because of her.
She immediately flashed her sister a goofy grin.
“Sis, I’m going to take a shower.”
Without looking back, she hurried toward the bathroom.
Tang Xi glanced at her retreating figure, which looked as though it were fleeing, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Hmph. Who told that idiot to stare at another girl until she went glassy-eyed?
For some reason, Tang Xi felt her heart fizzing with sourness. After a moment’s thought, she switched the channel back to the variety show and deliberately turned the volume down low.
Lin Mo’s confident demeanor drew the eye. With her arms folded across her chest and her back against the sofa, Tang Xi watched as Lin Mo talked about entering show business and the days she had spent sweating for the sake of her dreams.
Only when the program ended did Tang Xi come back to herself.
To be honest, she admired Lin Mo, but it was nothing more than admiration. People in show business couldn’t be all that innocent, no matter how clean their public image was, could they? Tang Xi firmly believed that the better a person’s acting was, the deeper their schemes ran.
She shook her head and switched the television to the animation channel Tang Bai loved most.
After showering, Tang Bai towel-dried the water from her body, warm breath puffing from her lips. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she became somewhat dazed.
Scars crisscrossed her body—bullet scars, knife scars, and more. Each one was a battle trophy, proof of how she had grown and become stronger.
Tang Bai sighed. She had no idea how she would explain them if her sister ever saw them. But she knew Tang Xi would be heartbroken.
She could only hide them as best she could. As long as she didn’t stand naked in front of her sister, Tang Xi wouldn’t notice the scars under ordinary circumstances.
With a smile, Tang Bai changed into her clothes, draped a small bath towel over her shoulders, and walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair.
Raising an eyebrow, Tang Bai laughed silently. Since when had her big sister started watching Crayon Shin-chan too? What a strange sight!
As if sensing her presence, Tang Xi turned toward the bathroom. Tang Bai happened to be walking toward the living room, still rubbing her hair with the towel.
Wearing only a tank top and shorts, Tang Bai looked tall and lean. She had a perfect figure. The only flaw was that her chest was a little too small.
Tang Xi’s gaze lingered on Tang Bai’s chest for a moment before she reached that conclusion. She secretly laughed and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Little Bai’s figure is perfect. There’s just one tiny flaw—you’re flat-chested.”
Tang Bai nearly choked and was rendered speechless.
Tang Xi laughed even more happily when she saw her reaction.
Tang Bai helplessly wondered why her sister’s reserve and gentleness in front of outsiders vanished completely whenever she was around her.
Tang Xi yawned and looked lazily at Tang Bai.
“Little Bai, come here. Let me dry your hair.”
Tang Bai swallowed and edged over beside her.
Tang Xi carefully blow-dried Tang Bai’s short hair, occasionally running her fingers through the black, glossy strands. The slightly coarse texture beneath her fingers reminded Tang Xi of something the older generation often said: people with black, stiff hair were bound to be stubborn and hard-tempered.
Tang Xi smiled. The old folks’ sayings were surprisingly accurate. Little Bai was exactly that sort of stubborn, hardheaded person—someone who responded to coaxing but never to force.
Tang Bai felt her heartbeat quicken. Her sister’s hand kept brushing gently over her head, creating a ticklish sensation that tugged at her heart.
At last, Tang Xi switched off the hair dryer. She got up and placed it in the drawer beneath the television.
“Little Bai, let’s go get some rest.”
Tang Bai nodded mechanically and followed Tang Xi into the bedroom.
Once they were in bed, Tang Bai rolled back and forth across the mattress. Then she looked up at Tang Xi with childish mischief.
“Sis, watch out. I might kick you out of bed tonight!”
Tang Xi smiled, recalling the days when she and Little Bai had shared a bed during their school years. Back then, Little Bai either stole the blankets or woke her with her smelly feet.
With a soft laugh, Tang Xi caught the rolling Little Bai and pulled her into her arms. She reached out to turn off the light and murmured beside Little Bai’s ear,
“You won’t.”
Her warm, soft lips brushed repeatedly against Little Bai’s ear. Tang Bai’s heart began to race, and her face grew faintly hot.
After joining the army, she had grown used to sleeping alone. She was grateful that this warm embrace had already been familiar to her for many years.
Tang Bai reached out and hugged Tang Xi back.
Tang Xi held her as if she were her most precious treasure and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Good night, Little Bai.”
Hearing this, Tang Bai tightened the arm she had wrapped around Tang Xi’s waist.
