Sister, can I be a maid too?

Thinking of this, Jiang Yubai pursed his lips.

Such a cute and lovely girl lives under the same roof with me every day.

She cooks well, is beautiful, takes good care of herself when she's sick, massages him when he's tired, and even... she'll wear a maid outfit, blush, and timidly call him "Master"...

Oops, scratch that, we've never called it that.

With such an adorable and beautiful girl constantly in front of you, it would be a lie to say you're completely unmoved.

It's only natural for young people to admire and love.

but......

After that falling out over the term "maid," he really... didn't dare to think about it too much.

Even if the thought occasionally pops up, I will subconsciously extinguish it.

He couldn't understand it at first, but slowly, he figured it out.

Lin Jianxia was originally a girl with a strong sense of self-esteem, like a little hedgehog.

Having lived alone with her younger sister for so long, she had long been accustomed to raising sharp thorns at anything that might hurt her or her sister.

When we first met, she probably agreed to the relationship because of the pressure of rent and living expenses, and perhaps out of a sense of compromise.

The maid, whom I took as a joke, must have felt uncomfortable hearing it.

I understand, but I just can't get over that mental hurdle.

He doesn't think he's that magnanimous.

To be honest, if Lin Jianxia hadn't apologized first, he really wouldn't have had any further interaction with this guy.

More likely, they will part ways after graduation, let alone keep their promise to take the entrance exam for Linyi University together. The very conditions that led to such a promise are unlikely to exist.

If this happens again, the walls of his heart will probably become hundreds of layers thicker.

He's really not very willing to gamble.

What if?

What if it was just my imagination, and this girl was simply used to his presence, or perhaps she saw him as a slightly special roommate...?

What if I do something outrageous because I'm delusional, and this girl gets angry again?

After all, some things are understood by two people but not spoken, which is called ambiguity; but if only one person is speculating and acting on their own, it becomes a clown.

Does she like me?

It's not without reason that it's considered the foremost of the four great illusions of life.

Jiang Yubai suddenly sighed.

No matter how difficult a math problem is, it always has a solution.

But how could he, a guy who had never been in a relationship, know what this sensitive and complicated little hedgehog was really thinking?

My thoughts are in turmoil, and I can't make sense of them.

Jiang Yubai glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that he had been sitting on the sofa for more than half an hour.

"hiss......."

He shook his head vigorously, suppressing those tangled and troubled thoughts for the time being, stood up, and walked straight out.

Jiang Yubai unlocked the door with his key and stood at the familiar doorway, gently knocking.

Knock knock knock—

The crisp knocking sound had barely faded when, before he could even count to five in his mind, a cheerful voice came from inside: "Come in~".

Jiang Yubai turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and looked around instinctively.

To be honest, he didn't feel any of the subtle feelings of "breaking into a girl's room at night." It was just that he came so frequently that it felt like he was going back to his own room.

The two sisters in the room had obviously just finished showering, and had changed out of their carefully chosen pretty dresses into comfortable pajamas.

Lin Tingwan was sitting on the bed, holding the panda plush toy in her arms and reading a novel in her hands, completely engrossed in it.

Lin Jianxia, ​​who was sitting at her desk, turned to look at him upon hearing the sound, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

"Why are you here?" she asked, puzzled.

Jiang Yubai didn't answer immediately, his gaze sweeping over her with some curiosity:

"No, what are you doing sitting here daydreaming?"

Lin Jianxia's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, her eyes darted around, and her tone became somewhat unnatural:

"N-nothing... I was just... just taking a rest..."

Jiang Yubai knew something was wrong the moment he saw her.

He looked around, his gaze quickly settling on a corner of the desk—

A familiar, delicate little glass bottle was half-hidden by several books, but only half of it was visible.

It's obvious that someone hurriedly hid it away.

He leaned forward curiously:

"By the way...aren't there a few more paper stars in here? Are you still folding these?"

He had only asked casually, but Lin Jianxia's reaction was unusually strong.

She jumped to her feet, frantically trying to block his view while nervously pushing him toward the door.

"What are you looking at! What are you looking at! Who told you to look! Is there anything wrong? If there's nothing wrong, Wanwan and I are going to sleep!"

Jiang Yubai, slightly overwhelmed by her push, chuckled:

"I was just asking, why are you doing this... Okay, okay, stop making excuses, I have something to ask you."

Lin Jianxia then let go of his hand, but still looked at him with suspicion, her body slightly turned to the side, still blocking the desk.

Judging from this, it seems that if Jiang Yubai takes another step towards the desk, she's going to push him out the door.

On the other side, Lin Tingwan had already lifted her head from the novel, blinking her eyes curiously at the two people pushing and shoving each other at the door.

"So..." Jiang Yubai began, "you two are really planning to go to sleep?"

Lin Jianxia wrinkled her nose and grumbled:

"Why aren't you sleeping? I've been shopping all day, I'm exhausted... By the way, didn't you say your legs were going to break halfway through the shopping trip? How come you're still full of energy now?"

"I have a strong recovery ability, is that not allowed?"

Jiang Yubai rolled her eyes at her, annoyed, and stopped arguing with her. She then greeted her directly:

"Wanwan, stop lying down and get up... and you too, come with me."

"What's wrong...? Why are you being so mysterious?"

"Come—with—me—"

Lin Tingwan obediently slipped off the bed in his slippers. Lin Jianxia muttered something about being 'mysterious,' but also followed him quietly.

When the two sisters returned to the next room, Jiang Yubai reached out and pressed them down into chairs by the dining table, casually saying, "Wait for me," before turning and walking towards the kitchen.

Lin Jianxia, ​​filled with curiosity, craned her neck and followed his retreating figure with her eyes.

When Jiang Yubai reappeared from the kitchen doorway, she was suddenly stunned.

Jiang Yubai steadily carried a cake box in one hand, carefully walked to the dining table, and gently placed the box in front of the two sisters.

"It's my birthday, my birthday!"

"If I had come any later, you two would probably have already gone to sleep, right? The most important part has only just begun."

As he said this, Jiang Yubai opened the cake box, revealing the exquisite cream cake inside.

“Look, Lin Jianxia, ​​Lin Tingwan…”

He flashed a bright smile.

"Happy birthday~"

Chapter 264...How about a kiss? (Thanks to xsrk for the patronage)

"Happy birthday~"

Jiang Yubai waited a moment, but saw that the two sisters were just staring blankly at the cake, looking as if they hadn't come to their senses yet, which made her chuckle.

"What are you two standing there for? Don't you recognize a cake?"

Lin Tingwan looked at the cake decorated with strawberries and cream in front of her, then looked up at Jiang Yubai.

After hesitating for two seconds, she took out her notebook, quickly wrote a line, and held it up in front of her:

"Did Jiang Yu give it to me for nothing?"

"Otherwise what?" Jiang Yubai was amused by her cautious question. "You two sisters each have one, so am I supposed to share one with myself?"

He turned his head and looked at Lin Jianxia, ​​who was still in a daze:

"No... how did you guys celebrate your birthdays before?"

Lin Jianxia slowly came to her senses, looked away from the cake, and hummed twice.

Before, it was just her and Wanwan. The two sisters would buy a small cake for about ten yuan and share it, and that would be their birthday celebration.

My memories of anything before that... are already somewhat hazy.

Seeing her reaction, Jiang Yubai understood what was going on.

He didn't say anything more, but simply opened the small packaging box next to it and took out the paper crown, candles and other items inside.

Under the curious gazes of the two sisters, Jiang Yubai chose a small silver crown and gently placed it on Lin Tingwan's head.

Seeing this, Lin Jianxia's ears turned slightly red, and she began to hum softly:

"I...I don't need it...I'm not a child anymore..."

"Are you two even two hours apart in age? You're still a kid."

Jiang Yubai tapped her head lightly in annoyance, then picked up another golden one and carefully placed it in the girl's slightly messy hair.