“Look at how timid you are! What if you’re so hesitant that you actually expose yourself later? Get in there and practice your courage right now!”
Having said this, Yan Qingzhu opened the door, practically tossed Bai Zhiqiu inside, and then thoughtfully closed it behind her.
“You two chat for a bit! I’ll go add a couple more dishes!”
After taking a couple of steps away without looking back, she turned around and stood outside the door, eavesdropping.
‘An idiot brother, unable to reveal his disguise, facing his lively and adorable sister—this is truly a rare spectacle!’
“H-hello there, Little Sister Yue! We meet again!”
Bai Zhiqiu cleared her throat and adjusted her skirt, attempting to appear less nervous.
Yet, the slight tremor in her voice’s tail end betrayed the girl’s current anxiety.
Upon seeing the Little Witch’s actions, Bai Yue’s eyes immediately lit up.
“L-Little Witch-sama! It really is you! I… I’m so happy!”
‘Who else could it be but me? Is there a second Higanbana in the world anyway…’
Bai Zhiqiu muttered a quiet complaint, but seeing Bai Yue appear even more nervous than herself, the fear in Bai Zhiqiu’s heart immediately lessened.
‘After all, if everyone is nervous, then the one who’s relatively less nervous isn’t nervous at all, right?’
Lifting her skirt, Bai Zhiqiu gracefully walked over and sat beside Bai Yue.
Despite her movements being a little uncoordinated, she gently said to Bai Yue:
“There’s no need to be so formal; just call me Little Witch.”
“Today, your brother specifically asked us to give you a surprise.”
“It’s a shame that the idiot sister was too embarrassed to come in, so I’m here to keep Little Sister Yue company first!”
Bai Zhiqiu sat stiffly beside Bai Yue, feeling as though her face was frozen in a smile.
‘Seriously, Little Sister, could you please stop staring at my face?’
“My brother… does he really know you?”
Bai Yue asked curiously, her eyes sparkling with gossip.
“Of course!”
Bai Zhiqiu replied with a strained, unnatural smile.
‘After all, if she doesn’t know me, then who does…’
“Then, Little Witch, could you tell me how you two met? Was it really because Brother cosplayed as you, just like Sister-in-law said?”
“Of course not!”
Bai Zhiqiu quickly refuted the claim.
“I met Higanbana because he once provided crucial assistance during an operation! That’s how we got to know each other, not for any other reason!”
“But Sister-in-law…”
“Alright, alright! Stop with the ‘Sister-in-law’ talk!”
“Yan Qingzhu is not your sister-in-law!”
“All of this is that woman’s own doing!”
“Because she’s holding some leverage over your brother and threatening him, Higanbana is just cooperating with him in this act!”
Watching the Little Witch hurriedly deny everything, Bai Yue felt a strange sensation.
She scrutinized Bai Zhiqiu with a suspicious gaze.
‘Something’s off about the Little Witch’s demeanor… It seems there’s some juicy gossip to uncover.’
Suddenly, a bold idea popped into Bai Yue’s mind, an idea that even startled her.
Nevertheless, to test her theory, Bai Yue still opened her mouth to ask:
“So, Little Witch, what do you think of Brother as a person?”
“I… I mean, Higanbana is, of course, excellent! He’s handsome! Highly intelligent! Emotionally astute! And it’s clear he takes great care of his family. Such a person is simply the most perfect in the world!”
Bai Zhiqiu shamelessly praised herself.
‘This is an opportunity, a chance to reverse my image, a chance to establish my brother’s authority! I must seize it!’
“Is that so… Little Witch certainly has a high opinion!”
Gazes into the Little Witch’s wine-red eyes, Bai Yue began to ponder her own little schemes.
‘In terms of looks, the Little Witch is even slightly more beautiful than Yan Qingzhu. In terms of obedience, the Little Witch is clearly easier to handle than Yan Qingzhu… This way, my idiot brother won’t be at a disadvantage… And from the Little Witch’s words, it sounds like she also harbors some improper thoughts about my brother… What’s more, I like the Little Witch so much myself; if I could just abduct her and bring her home…’
Bai Yue could already imagine herself playing with the Little Witch in her arms.
‘Now, the only obstacle is Brother, but he doesn’t seem to like lolis. After all, even with Senior Sister Lin Shuyao’s obvious hints, Brother still…’
‘No! I must help Brother win over the Little Witch!’
All of a sudden, Bai Yue felt her entire body brimming with vigor.
As for Bai Zhiqiu, she sat dumbfounded in her seat, feeling utterly bewildered by her sister’s sudden burst of enthusiasm.
“The dishes are here; let’s get ready to eat!”
Yan Qingzhu followed the waiter, pushing the door open, and at the moment of entry, she shot Bai Zhiqiu a meaningful glance.
Noticing Yan Qingzhu’s gaze, Bai Zhiqiu’s heart skipped a beat.
She had a dreadful feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Yan Qingzhu sat directly beside Bai Zhiqiu.
Plate after plate of dishes was served onto the dining table.
Sweet and sour carp, Dongpo pork elbow, spicy chicken… and then seasoned eggplant, steamed eggplant, boiled eggplant? Why so many eggplants?
Seeing all these eggplants, a terrible premonition arose.
‘These can’t all be for me, can they? No way… Surely not…’
“Eat up, Little Sister! Hurry and eat!”
Yan Qingzhu smiled as she picked up a large piece of eggplant and placed it into Bai Zhiqiu’s rice bowl, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
‘Little rascal~ How dare you badmouth me!’
“What’s wrong with you?! Haven’t I told you before? I absolutely hate eggplant!”
Bai Zhiqiu said, trying her best to keep her voice low.
“Little rascal, that’s for talking bad about me!”
Yan Qingzhu retorted in an equally low voice, while her hand mischievously found its way onto Bai Zhiqiu’s leg, encased in black stockings.
“Remember to eat it all!”
Under Yan Qingzhu’s threat, Bai Zhiqiu could only grit her teeth, pick up the piece of eggplant, and put it into her mouth.
Instantly, an utterly disgusting taste exploded in her mouth.
Of course, it wasn’t that the restaurant’s eggplant was poorly made; it was simply Bai Zhiqiu’s absolute zero tolerance for eggplant!
“Mmm… delicious… Sister… I’ll eat it all first!”
Bai Zhiqiu, suppressing a nauseating taste, managed to force out a smile uglier than a cry.
Although Yan Qingzhu desperately wanted to laugh, she deliberately feigned concern and asked:
“What’s wrong? Is the eggplant not good?”
“N-nothing! It’s just too delicious… so delicious it makes me want to cry…”
“It’s that delicious? Then eat all the rest too!”
“No, I won’t!”
Watching the two interact, Bai Yue inexplicably had a strange illusion: these two seemed just like her idiot brother and Yan Qingzhu!
After a bit of back-and-forth, the meal finally came to a smooth end.
****
In the restroom, Bai Zhiqiu leaned over the sink, dry heaving continuously.
“Was it really that bad?”
“You try it! For me, it was like stuffing someone’s worn white stockings into my mouth, it was that disgusting…”
“You say that as if you’ve actually tried it…”