Against the Light - Chapter 83
Chapter 83: Let Me See
“Really, you can’t just single it out for bullying… I mean, the sheep,” Bai Yilan chided, petting the animal.
“You might not believe me… but it really was the one that started it,” Gu Xinran said with an innocent look.
“Tsk!” Bai Yilan frowned.
“I… um, I’ll do better next time.”
“Next time?”
“Er, no, there won’t be a next time.” Gu Xinran immediately admitted her mistake with an excellent attitude.
“Hmm… want to try some goat milk? I just boiled it a few times to pasteurize it. It should taste alright.”
Bai Yilan glanced at her but didn’t answer.
Gu Xinran thought she was about to get another lecture and stood there obediently, waiting for the scolding. Then she heard Yilan say…
“Alright.”
“???” Gu Xinran burst out laughing.
【Hahaha, I didn’t expect Teacher Bai to be such a drama queen.】
【Pfft hahaha, the sheep: ???】
【This couple is amazing. They’re really just putting on a show, aren’t they? [doge] Like, pretending to consider the sheep’s feelings?】
【Sheep: So what are you two trying to pull, putting on this whole victim act for me?!】
【Sheep: It’s… really not necessary!】
The two returned to the living room and sat at the dining table to enjoy their breakfast.
A bowl of goat milk and a sandwich.
It was a simple breakfast, but they both ate with exceptional satisfaction.
“How is it?” Gu Xinran looked at her expectantly.
“Mm,” Bai Yilan nodded, a look of enjoyment on her face.
“I milked another half bucket just now. This stuff doesn’t keep well. I’ll boil it in a bit and we can give some to Qiuyan and the others, okay?” Gu Xinran asked.
“Okay. I’ll boil it. You get some rest. You’ve been up since the crack of dawn, haven’t you?”
“Not really. I spent some time this morning watching the chicken and the sheep fight,” Gu Xinran said with a laugh.
“???”
After breakfast, the two got busy. Gu Xinran collected the dried wool and gently beat it with a tree branch to make it fluffier. This was delicate work. Without a machine, it was all done by hand. Fortunately, she had good patience and spent the entire morning fluffing it without a single word of complaint.
Even she had woken up with an aching back after sleeping on that hard plank bed yesterday. No matter what, she was going to make sure Yilan slept on a soft, fluffy wool mattress today.
“Xinran, hey, wow, this looks amazing!” Qi Yuwei and Qi Qiuyan came over to visit again. The moment they walked in and saw the pile of fluffy wool on the floor, they couldn’t resist the urge to dive in and sit on it.
“You’re just too incredible. You even know how to fluff wool? Is there anything you can’t do?”
“Oh? You’re here. Perfect. I just finished boiling this goat milk. You can take it with you later.” Bai Yilan heard their voices and came out of the kitchen.
“There’s goat milk too?” The two exchanged a surprised look.
“You two are really living the good life here.”
“Totally~”
“Um, Xinran, I have a favor to ask,” Qi Qiuyan said, rubbing her nose, a little embarrassed to ask.
“Hm?”
“Neither of us is very good at cooking. Could you teach us?”
“Sure, of course, no problem.” Gu Xinran glanced at the time, clapped her hands, and prepared to get up.
“I’ll teach them. You get back to what you were doing,” Bai Yilan said, tying on an apron and leading the two into the kitchen.
【Ding! Teacher Bai’s little dining table class has begun~】
【Even though they were given such a rundown house, they can still live so well. That’s amazing!】
After Gu Xinran finished fluffing the wool, she brought out a duvet cover and stuffed the wool inside. Then she hung the new mattress on the bamboo pole in the yard to sun-dry, feeling very satisfied.
Just as she finished her work, Yilan had lunch ready.
Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, dry-fried green beans, scallion tofu salad, and braised pork belly—a mix of meat and vegetables, hot and cold dishes. She also brought out her secret-recipe lemonade.
The group gathered around the table and raised their glasses in a toast to Yilan, thanking her for making such a sumptuous lunch.
Qi Yuwei couldn’t hold back any longer. She picked up a small piece of braised pork belly and tasted it. The word “delicious” was written all over her face!
Qi Qiuyan watched her with a smile. “Hey, don’t just focus on eating. You were watching for a while just now. Did you learn anything?”
Qi Yuwei’s hand, which was reaching for more food, paused. “Huh? Learn what?”
Her bewildered expression made everyone laugh.
“It’s okay. If you want to eat, just come over. I have many other specialty dishes. I can make sure you have something different every day,” Bai Yilan said with a smile.
Qi Yuwei nodded frantically. She was already in love with this place! Qi Yuwei cheekily picked up another piece of meat, deliberately brought it close to the camera, and forced a big close-up shot.
The perfectly marbled pork belly was coated in a rich, glossy sauce, its color vibrant and incredibly appetizing.
【Ahhh, I want to eat that!!!】
【Damn, it actually made me hungry!】
【Alright, it’s decided. I’m having braised pork belly for lunch today.】
【Did I just hear the cameraman gulp??】
Soon, they finished lunch. Qi Yuwei and Qi Qiuyan took the initiative to clear the dishes. Afterward, the group went for a walk down the street to aid their digestion.
“I never thought I’d get to eat such delicious braised pork belly in a place like this.” Qi Yuwei was still savoring the memory. This trip was so worth it!
The others looked at each other and smiled.
Gu Xinran held Yilan’s hand, swinging it gently. After walking for a while, they came to a field and looked out at the endless golden waves of wheat before them.
Bai Yilan spread her arms, feeling the gentle breeze brush past her. The heads of wheat swayed in front of her, tickling her as they gently rubbed against her as if they had a life of their own.
The surroundings were tranquil. It was utterly relaxing.
Everyone sat for a while, and the warm sunlight made them sleepy. Noticing Yilan stifle two yawns in a row, Xinran suggested they head home to rest. The other two had no objections.
As they got up, Gu Xinran gave Yilan a hand to pull her up. But not only did Yilan not stand, she sat right back down. “What’s wrong?” Gu Xinran asked hurriedly. Seeing her frown, completely unwilling to move, she instantly understood and crouched down with a smile. “Did your leg fall asleep?”
“Mhm.”
The smile on Gu Xinran’s lips widened.
“Let me rub it for you.” She rolled up her sleeves and went to knead her calf.
“Hey! Gu Xinran! Don’t you dare touch me!”
Gu Xinran squinted her eyes and smiled. The more Bai Yilan tried to stop her, the more enthusiastically she kneaded.
Before long, Gu Xinran suddenly noticed that Yilan wasn’t reacting as strongly to her touch anymore. She instantly realized the feeling had returned to her leg. Before Bai Yilan could lash out, she decisively broke into a wide smile. “See? I told you. A little massage helps it get better faster~” Without waiting for a reaction, she wrapped one arm around Bai Yilan’s waist and the other under her knees, sweeping her up into a princess carry.
“Hey, you!”
“Oh my!” Qi Yuwei and Qi Qiuyan turned around in perfect sync, their backs to the couple, too embarrassed to watch.
Gu Xinran had already carried Yilan quite a distance. When she looked back, the other two were still standing there foolishly with their backs to her. She called out to them, and only then did they hurry to catch up.
“Alright, you. Put me down.”
“I’ll put you down if you promise not to get even with me.”
“Getting bold, are we? Threatening people now? Fine, keep carrying me. Let’s see how long you can last.”
“Of course… I can carry you for a lifetime~” Gu Xinran winked at her, puckered her lips, and blew a kiss.
“You…” Caught off guard, Bai Yilan’s pretty face flushed red. “You shameless old thing,” she muttered under her breath.
The other two, walking behind them, heard their conversation crystal clear. Their hearts skipped a beat, and they both instinctively looked up at the sky. Were these two always this shameless?!
They deliberately fell back a few steps to avoid being the big, bright third wheels.
“Hey, you should carry me too,” Qi Yuwei said, a little envious, nudging Qi Qiuyan with her elbow as if by accident.
“Oh, my back is bad.”
“…Like hell I believe you!”
【She’s blushing, she’s blushing! Aww, this couple is so sweet too!】
【Hahaha damn, Sister Qiuyan, how did you ever get a girlfriend with lines like that??】
【I’m shipping it, I’m shipping it, hahaha.】
【Why does Teacher Bai look so shy being carried like that!? Isn’t she the top?】
【Blind student, you’ve discovered the key point! I also want to know what’s the deal with Teacher Bai!】
【I want to see them roll in the sheets, roll in the sheets! (in a very loud voice—】
【This is a little weird. Is Sister Ran’s stamina a bit too good?】
Gu Xinran carried Yilan all the way home and was quite exhausted. She placed her on the sofa, and before she could even catch her breath, she immediately ran back out to the yard to check on the mattress. The cover was warm from the sun and felt incredibly soft to the touch, making it hard to let go.
She carried the mattress into the bedroom, laid it on the bed, and called for Yilan to come lie down and try it out.
Yilan changed into her pajamas and lay down on the bed. It was soft and warm, and the cover gave off a faint floral scent. It was so comfortable she didn’t want to get up; she just wanted to stay curled up in bed forever~
“How is it?” Gu Xinran looked at her expectantly.
“Mmm, it’s so comfortable~” Bai Yilan stretched, rubbing her cheek gently against the mattress, a satisfied smile gracing her lips.
Seeing her so happy, Gu Xinran felt incredibly fulfilled. It seemed the sheep hadn’t been sacrificed in vain!
Xinran lay down on her side, propping her head up with her hand, and watched Yilan with smiling eyes.
“Is there a reward?” she asked.
“Hm?” Yilan turned to look at her. Seeing her curved eyebrows and upturned lips, she immediately knew what she was thinking.
“No.” As she spoke, she subconsciously glanced at the camera in the corner of the room.
Gu Xinran sensitively caught her subtle glance and looked back at the camera as well. After a moment of thought, she grabbed the corner of the quilt with her right hand and pulled it high up, shielding them both from view.
“Can I ask for a reward now?” Gu Xinran couldn’t help but give herself a thumbs-up for her cleverness.
“You… put it down!” Bai Yilan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was something that could have been solved with a simple kiss, but now that she’d blocked the view like this, wouldn’t the audience think they were up to something illicit??
Gu Xinran tilted her head, proactively moving her face closer to Bai Yilan’s lips.
Bai Yilan pursed her lips into a smile, gave her a light tap, and then puckered her own lips slightly, planting a gentle kiss on her cheek with her soft, pink lips.
Gu Xinran was completely satisfied!
【Ahhh I want to see, I want to see, I want to see!! What are they doing, what are they doing!!】
【! Are they about to roll in the sheets, ahhhhh!!】
【Wake up, person above me, this is a live stream.】
【Ahhh I want to see, let me see—! Where’s the cameraman, go pull that blanket off, ahhh!!!】
【Let me see, boohoohoo, I’m begging you!!】
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