Against the Light - Chapter 166
Chapter 166: Not Seduced
When Bai Yilan came out of the bathroom and didn't immediately see Xiao Ye, she jumped. Just as she was about to rush out and search, she noticed a bulge under the covers that seemed to twitch.
She couldn't help but press her lips together in a soft smile.
"Hmm, where did my baby Xiao Ye go?" she asked, deliberately raising her voice.
"I was only in the bathroom for a second. How did my Little Milk Bun disappear?"
The covers twitched again.
The smile in Bai Yilan's eyes deepened. She tiptoed to the bed and slipped her hand under the quilt.
"Waah!" Xiao Ye cried out, immediately followed by a fit of giggles.
Guided by touch, Bai Yilan reached her little one's armpit and tickled her, sending the little girl rolling all over the bed until she wriggled out from under the covers.
"Oh, so my baby was here all along~" Bai Yilan chuckled.
"Mommy, you're so mean! That tickles so much!" the little girl protested with a grin.
"Hm? You're calling Mommy mean?" Bai Yilan sat on the bed, scooped the little girl up, pressed her into an embrace, and gave her a fierce kiss.
"Hee hee~"
Bai Yilan leaned against the headboard, letting the little girl lie on top of her. She touched her forehead to her daughter's.
"Xiao Ye doesn't have a fever anymore," Xiao Ye reported matter-of-factly.
"That's right, no more fever, but you still have to be a good girl and drink your water. Does your throat hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt!"
Bai Yilan nodded, cuddling the little meatball affectionately for a good while.
Xiao Ye grabbed the blanket and pulled it over herself.
"Huh? Where did Xiao Ye go?" Bai Yilan played along with her game of peek-a-boo.
"Xiao Ye is right here!" Xiao Ye poked her little head out and grinned at her.
Bai Yilan gently tapped Xiao Ye's nose. It suddenly occurred to her that in the half-month since she'd returned to work, she'd had very few intimate moments like this with Xiao Ye. She decided she would play with her to her heart's content today.
After lying on her for a while, the little girl restlessly rolled over, careful not to fall off. Seemingly having discovered a new game, she started rolling back and forth across Yilan's body.
Yilan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She gently tugged her little ear.
"You little rascal."
"Hee~" The little girl rolled over again, but this time she lost her balance and tumbled onto the bed.
"Ouch," the little girl yelped, seemingly stunned by the fall. Then, her lips began to tremble.
"What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"
"My bottom hurts…" Xiao Ye said pitifully.
Bai Yilan understood. She picked the little girl up, pulled down her little pants to take a look, and saw the faint purple bruise where she'd gotten her shot the day before.
She laid Xiao Ye face down on the bed, went to the bathroom to get a basin of hot water, and soaked a towel in it. Returning to the bed, she held the little girl in her arms, tested the towel's temperature, and gently pressed it against Xiao Ye's little bottom, rubbing softly.
"Mommy will rub it for you. Tell Mommy if it hurts."
"Mm. Mommy, be gentle. It hurts just a little bit." Xiao Ye held up one tiny finger.
"Okay." Bai Yilan kissed her hand, her movements becoming as light as they could possibly be.
"Xiao Ye, have you ever thought about what you want to be when you grow up?"
"Hmm?" Xiao Ye scratched her head, her little brow furrowed. She seemed a bit troubled.
"Do you want to be an actress?"
"Acting isn't fun." Xiao Ye shook her head.
Bai Yilan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Well, she supposed she was partly to blame for that.
"Then do you want to be a doctor? And give other little kids shots?"
Xiao Ye immediately waved her little hands. "No, no, Xiao Ye is scared!"
"But you'd be the one giving other kids shots."
"No, Xiao Ye is scared of needles."
"Alright, alright, no doctors then." Bai Yilan chuckled, about to ask another question.
"Xiao Ye wants to be like Mommy," Xiao Ye said, looking at her seriously.
"Hm? Like Mommy?"
"Yeah. Mommy, lots of people listen to you. You're so impressive!" At the mention of this, the little girl's face filled with admiration, and she was just short of giving a thumbs-up.
"Oh? Is Xiao Ye talking about the aunties on the film set?"
"Mhm, Auntie Jin Shuang, and the other aunties. Yesterday, Mommy told them to drag Mama away, and they dragged Mama away." After saying this, Xiao Ye even pouted, her face a mask of displeasure.
Bai Yilan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This little one really held a grudge, didn't she?
"So Xiao Ye wants to be a director in the future?"
"Are directors really amazing?"
"Directors are amazing, but it's also very hard work."
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow and thought for a moment. Suddenly, she scrambled up, wrapped her arms around Bai Yilan's neck, and gave her a big hug.
"Mommy works so hard."
"Eh?" Bai Yilan froze for a second, then her eyes curved into a smile as she hugged her Little Milk Bun.
Bai Yilan picked up the baby bottle from the table, poured some warm water into it, and handed it to Xiao Ye.
"Xiao Ye needs to drink lots of water."
Lying on the bed, Xiao Ye patted her little tummy. "Xiao Ye can't drink too much water, or I'll wet my pants."
"That's okay. Mommy will clean it up for you."
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow, her big eyes darting around. "But, but Xiao Ye is a big girl now. I can't wet my pants anymore."
Bai Yilan reached out and tapped the spot between her eyebrows. "You little rascal. Have you forgotten what you promised Mama this morning? Do you still want to see Auntie Lin tonight?"
"Ah! Xiao Ye accidentally forgot!" The little girl immediately hugged the bottle obediently and giggled.
"Was it really an accident?" Yilan wore an expression that said she saw through everything.
Xiao Ye smiled sheepishly.
Yilan lay down on her side next to her, patting her gently. "Xiao Ye."
"Hm?"
"Who do you like more, Mommy or Auntie Lin?"
After asking, Bai Yilan waited for a long time but heard no response. She turned her head and saw the little girl earnestly sipping from her bottle, forcefully pretending she hadn't heard the question.
Bai Yilan raised an eyebrow. "Xiao Ye?"
"Mmm?"
"Mommy asked you a question."
Xiao Ye took the bottle away from her mouth and licked her lips. "Huh?" she asked, looking at her with a silly grin.
A smile flickered across Bai Yilan's lips. This little one wasn't old, but she was a first-class actor when it came to playing dumb! Just like Xinran!
"Between Mommy and Auntie Lin, who do you like more?"
Xiao Ye scratched her head, avoiding her gaze.
"Hm?" Bai Yilan sat up straight, staring into Xiao Ye's eyes. "Does this question really take that long to think about? Hm?"
"Uh… hey, can I like both?"
"You're a little greedy, you know~"
"Xiao Ye wants both. You are both people Xiao Ye loves very, very much," Xiao Ye said seriously.
"Then what about Mama?"
"Xiao Ye loves Mama very much too."
"So if you had to rank Mama, Mommy, and Auntie Lin, how would you rank them? Who do you care about the most?"
"Umm…" This question seemed to have stumped the little girl, who kept scratching her ears.
"Lin… hmm, no." The moment Xiao Ye said the word "Lin," she saw Mommy raise an eyebrow with a menacing look and immediately took it back.
Xiao Ye held up one finger. "Mommy!"
Then she held up two. "Mama!"
And then she clumsily held up three. "Auntie Lin!"
"Mhm, Xiao Ye is such a good girl~" Yilan was very satisfied and gave the little girl a loving kiss.
The little girl secretly patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief.
During the crew's lunch break, Gu Xinran, worried about the mother and daughter, went down the mountain alone to their lodging.
She quietly swiped the key card, pushed the door open, and saw the two of them fast asleep.
She tiptoed to the bedside and couldn't help but smile at the sight. Yilan was curled on her side, and Xiao Ye was also on her side, nestled snugly in her embrace, her head resting on her arm.
Gu Xinran reached out and touched Xiao Ye's forehead. It was cool to the touch, and she finally relaxed.
Bai Yilan suddenly jolted, her eyelids fluttering open. Seeing the figure standing by the bed, she was startled for a moment before becoming fully awake.
"You're back?"
"Mhm. What's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare?"
Bai Yilan shook her head, collected herself, and glanced at Xiao Ye.
"Was Xiao Ye a good girl? I see she drank more than half the water."
"Yeah, she was very good. I told her if she didn't drink her water, I wouldn't let Auntie Lin come see her tonight, and she immediately behaved."
Gu Xinran chuckled.
"Hey, I asked her earlier to rank the three of us in her heart. She said Mommy is first, Mama is second, and Auntie Lin is third," Yilan shared, sounding a little excited.
"Oh? Are you sure you didn't threaten her?" Gu Xinran asked with a smile.
"Am I that kind of person??"
Gu Xinran fell silent.
"Gu Xinran?"
"Ahem, no, no, of course not~"
"How long has she been asleep? Should we wake her up for some lunch?" Gu Xinran cleverly changed the subject.
"She just fell asleep a little while ago. She drank too much water and kept running to the bathroom, always worried she'd wet her pants."
"This little one really has a lot on her mind," Gu Xinran said with a laugh.
Just as she finished speaking, they heard the sound of trickling water.
The two of them looked at each other, their expressions freezing.
"Well, speak of the devil," Gu Xinran sighed.
"Quick, help her change her diaper, or she'll wake up soon."
Gu Xinran went to carry out the order.
The two of them carefully changed Xiao Ye's diaper. The little girl's eyelids fluttered, and she looked like she was still half-asleep. "Mommy, I wet my pants…"
"No, you didn't. Xiao Ye didn't wet her pants. Go back to sleep."
After hearing that, Xiao Ye drifted back into a deep sleep.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
These past few days, Xiao Ye had been terribly distressed. Because she had gotten a fever from a bug bite in the mountains, Bai Yilan forbade her from going up the mountain to play again. She could only move around the area near the farmhouse, with Gu Xinran and Bai Yilan taking turns to accompany her.
On this day, Xiao Ye was standing on a small stool, leaning on the windowsill and looking outside.
When Gu Xinran came out of the bathroom, she saw her tiny back staring out the window, and she even let out a sigh.
Gu Xinran watched her for a moment, then walked over and gently hugged her. "Does my baby really want to go out and play?"
"Mhm!" Xiao Ye nodded, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at her.
Gu Xinran stroked her head and avoided her gaze. "You can't. Mama is afraid Xiao Ye will get bitten by bugs again."
"Oh." Xiao Ye's face fell with disappointment.
Gu Xinran carried her back to the bed, away from the window, afraid she might catch a cold.
"Mama…" Xiao Ye wiggled her little body and kicked her little feet, acting cute for Xinran.
"Be good, Xiao Ye. There are too many bugs on the mountain, it's impossible to guard against them all. If Xiao Ye gets bitten again, you'll have to get another shot. Aren't you afraid?"
At the mention of a shot, Xiao Ye's expression changed. She swallowed nervously, clearly frightened.
Seeing the little girl's pitiful expression, Gu Xinran fought to hold back a laugh.
Xiao Ye pouted and lowered her head, remaining silent for a while.
"How about Mama reads you a storybook?" Xinran asked.
"Mm, okay," she replied reluctantly.
Gu Xinran sat Xiao Ye on her lap, picked up a storybook from the side, and the two of them looked at it together.
Xiao Ye was completely distracted. Before long, her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Mama!"
"Hm?"
"Xiao Ye… Xiao Ye can hide inside Mama's clothes!"
"Huh? What?" Gu Xinran was slightly taken aback, not understanding.
Xiao Ye quickly climbed off her and pointed to the coat rack by the door. "Mama, put on your coat!"
"Hm? Okay." Gu Xinran got up and put on her windbreaker.
"And then?"
Xiao Ye held out her little hands, asking to be held.
Gu Xinran walked to the bed. The little girl expertly burrowed into her coat, letting her hold her. "This way, Xiao Ye won't be afraid of bugs!!" she said excitedly.
Gu Xinran was stunned again. She looked at the little girl who was completely hidden inside her coat, with only her little head peeking out, and was slightly amazed. "How is Xiao Ye so smart?"
"Hee hee, last time, Xiao Ye hid in Auntie Lin's clothes~"
"? What?"
"Huh?" Realizing she had let it slip, Xiao Ye scratched her ear and giggled.
"When did you hide in Auntie Lin's clothes??"
"Ah, I don't remember."
"Hm?"
"Hee~" Xiao Ye grinned, revealing a row of small, white teeth.
"Mama, take Xiao Ye to the mountain. Xiao Ye won't run around. Xiao Ye misses Mommy."
"Ahem? Do you miss Mommy, or do you miss Auntie Lin?"
"Ah, um… I miss both~ Mama~ Mama~"
Gu Xinran's patience was worn thin by the little girl's wheedling. She hesitated for a moment, then looked down at the little one clinging to her like a kangaroo, and considered the feasibility of her method.
Could this really keep the bugs away?
"Mama, Xiao Ye hasn't been out in so long. Mama~"
"But what if you get sick again and have to get another shot?"
The little girl fell silent, her lips trembling, on the verge of tears.
Gu Xinran instantly felt a headache coming on. She had absolutely no defense against the little girl's tearful assault.
"Alright. But Xiao Ye cannot get down from Mama's arms, and you can't run around on your own."
"Okay!" Xiao Ye sniffled, holding back her tears, and immediately nodded obediently.
Gu Xinran placed her on the bed, found a little outfit that covered her well, and took out two herbal sachets to tie around her wrists and ankles. She then sprayed both of their clothes with some mosquito repellent.
The little girl was so happy she was dancing, treating the bed like a trampoline.
Gu Xinran watched her with a doting expression.
"Alright, come get dressed."
"Okay!" the little girl chirped, being exceptionally cooperative.
Before long, the mother and daughter were fully equipped. Gu Xinran looked in the mirror. With the little girl's head completely tucked inside her coat, it made her look like she was pregnant, which was quite amusing.
"Where's your little head? Poke it out."
"Okay!" Xiao Ye immediately poked her head out.
Gu Xinran looked in the mirror again. It seemed fine. Just to be safe, she brought the mosquito repellent spray with her, along with Xiao Ye's bottle and a thermos of hot water, and the two of them set off.
"Wow, Mama, the air is so fresh!" As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, Xiao Ye couldn't wait to start with the flattery.
"Who taught you the word 'fresh'?"
"It was Mama!"
"Oh?"
"Last time, Mama said the same thing. You also said the air had a very sweet smell, and it smelled really good."
"Mm." Gu Xinran nodded, giving her precious daughter an appreciative look. The little girl's memory was really good.
"Is Mama tired? Is Xiao Ye heavy?" The two chatted all the way, and before they knew it, they had reached halfway up the mountain. Xiao Ye asked with great concern.
"Not tired. My Little Milk Bun is still very light."
"Hee~"
Soon, Gu Xinran saw the film crew in the distance and immediately called for Xiao Ye to look.
Xiao Ye craned her neck to get a better view.
"Do you see Mommy?" Gu Xinran asked.
"Is that Auntie Lin? Auntie Lin, what happened to Auntie Lin's face!?" Xiao Ye suddenly pointed at the crowd, very anxious.
Gu Xinran raised an eyebrow and looked at her little girl. Did this child have radar in her eyes? How could she always spot Lin Yuqing in a crowd at a single glance? She herself hadn't even seen where she was yet!
"Oh, that's makeup. The scene Auntie Lin is filming requires special effects makeup. Her face is fine."
"Why?"
"Hm? Why does she need makeup? Because this scene is about a character whose face gets burned in a forest fire. Auntie Lin is playing that character, so she has to wear makeup that looks like a burn."
Seeing Xiao Ye's big, uncomprehending eyes, Gu Xinran chuckled, finding herself amusing as well. Something like this was probably too difficult for a two-year-old to understand.
"It's okay if Xiao Ye doesn't understand. Just know that your Auntie Lin is fine. After she's done filming and takes off the makeup, she'll be back to normal. Can you understand that?"
Xiao Ye nodded.
"Mhm, no need to worry."
As they spoke, the two arrived near the film set.
"Cut. Xiao Qing, calm yourself down first. We'll go again in a moment," Bai Yilan said.
Hearing Yilan's voice, the little girl immediately ducked her head back into Xinran's coat, afraid of being scolded by her mommy.
"Hey? Sister Ran is here. My, my, that's quite a peculiar belly you've got there."
"Hahaha, Sister Ran, how many months are you?"
Gu Xinran chuckled and patted her stomach. "About to give birth~"
"Hahahaha."
Hearing the noise, Bai Yilan turned to look, and a sharp, dagger-like glare shot over.
Gu Xinran met her gaze, flinched, and decisively turned her head away.
"What are you doing bringing her out here?" Bai Yilan walked over and directly pinched Gu Xinran's ear.
"Hey, hey, hey, Yilan, don't pinch, don't pinch."
"Hahahaha~ Alright, alright, stop watching. The two wives are just having a little spat. What are you all looking at?" Jin Shuang immediately dispersed the crowd of onlookers.
"Come out." Bai Yilan glanced into the coat, gave Xiao Ye's little bottom a light but firm pat, and commanded.
Xiao Ye looked up, blinking her big, dark eyes. She peeked out furtively, then tentatively poked her little head out.
Seeing Xiao Ye's cautious little head emerge, Bai Yilan instantly broke character and burst out laughing.
"Mommy~ Xiao Ye missed Mommy so much. I want Mommy to hold me~" Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Ye immediately started acting cute.
"Nice try." Bai Yilan tapped Xiao Ye's little head.
She then looked at Gu Xinran and poked her forehead. "You! Sooner or later, you're going to spoil her rotten!"
The two restless troublemakers exchanged a look, grinned, and revealed identical silly smiles.
"Go on, go play in the tent." Bai Yilan pointed to a temporary tent set up by the staff not far away.
"Ooh? What's that?" It was the first time Xiao Ye had seen a tent, and she found it novel. Her attention was instantly captured.
"It's a tent. Xiao Ye hasn't seen one before, right? Come on, Mama will take you to see it." Gu Xinran carried the little girl towards the tent.
Bai Yilan turned to get the crew ready to resume work, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the mother and daughter, who were supposed to be heading to the tent, suddenly change direction and make a beeline for Lin Yuqing, who was resting nearby.
"Auntie Lin, can you see Xiao Ye?" Xiao Ye buried her face in the coat, her voice muffled.
Lin Yuqing had noticed the little girl long ago. She reached out and patted her through the fabric. "Aren't you right here~"
"Hee, Auntie Lin, you're so smart!" Xiao Ye poked her head out, her face full of admiration.
"Baby, you can praise someone for that?" Gu Xinran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Wasn't that praise a bit of a stretch?
"Hmph." Xiao Ye pouted at Gu Xinran and snorted softly.
"???"
Xiao Ye looked at Lin Yuqing. Realizing she was still in makeup, Lin Yuqing immediately raised a hand to cover the half of her face with the burn makeup, afraid of scaring the little girl.
"Xiao Ye isn't scared! Mama said this is called makeup, and Auntie Lin's face is fine. Xiao Ye still remembers how pretty Auntie is, so I'm not scared at all."
Lin Yuqing was slightly relieved to hear that. "Xiao Ye knows so much."
"Auntie, you have to do a good job filming. Xiao Ye will be watching you from the side." After saying this, Xiao Ye even winked at Lin Yuqing.
"Huh, Little Milk Bun, when did you learn to wink with one eye?" Gu Xinran was surprised to see her little action.
"Huh?"
"You're not allowed to wink at other people like that, okay? That's flirting."
"What does flirting mean?"
"It means… seducing, teasing!"
Xiao Ye furrowed her little brow, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Suddenly, she turned to look at Lin Yuqing and winked at her again.
"Auntie Lin, Xiao Ye is seducing you!"
"???" Gu Xinran was completely stunned.
"Xiao Ye, hey—"
"Ouch—"
The mother and daughter cried out in pain at the same time.
"Gu Xinran, what kind of nonsense are you teaching her now?" A vein throbbed on Bai Yilan's forehead. She looked furious, viciously pinching both of their ears.
"I didn't… I've been wronged!!" Gu Xinran was at a complete loss for words. The little one had clearly learned it on her own somehow, so why did she always have to take the blame?!
"Mmm, Mommy, Mommy, it hurts, it hurts!" Xiao Ye grimaced from the pinching and immediately begged for mercy.
Bai Yilan glanced at her, snorted heavily, and let go, pointing at the tent.
Gu Xinran didn't dare to object. She hugged the little girl, turned, and ran, diving straight into the tent and not daring to peek out.
After dealing with those two, Bai Yilan turned back to look at Lin Yuqing, her eyes narrowed menacingly.
"I…" Lin Yuqing was a little flustered. Being stared at like that made her feel uneasy all over, and she silently swallowed.
"I wasn't seduced by her, um," she said, forcing herself to remain calm.
"…"
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