Chapter 247: Spoiling the little girl.

The anger she had felt earlier had almost completely faded now, and what was left behind was only a little concern and a little amusement. Bai Li really did look much more obedient when she was standing there with that guilty face, like she had finally decided to listen for once instead of doing whatever she wanted. That made Yan Cijin feel oddly satisfied, even if she would never say it out loud. Bai Li had been all serious and stubborn just a while ago, but now she was acting like a good kid waiting for permission to leave. It was hard not to find that kind of contrast funny.

"Okay, okay." Bai Li immediately replied obediently, "See you later, I’m going now."

"Okay, see you later." Yan Cijin saw Bai Li out the door, but she couldn’t stop smiling. Bai Li had been so well-behaved just now. How come she had never thought Bai Li was so cute before? The more she thought about it, the more she felt that Bai Li was one of those people who did not look cute at first glance, but once she lowered her temper and stopped acting all serious, she became weirdly easy to like. There was something very direct and plain about her. She did not know how to hide her emotions very well. When she felt guilty, it showed. When she felt nervous, it also showed. And when she was trying hard to be good, that showed the most of all. Yan Cijin leaned against the door for a second after Bai Li left and kept smiling to herself like she could not quite help it.

Yan Laojin heard that there was no movement in the living room and knew that Bai Li had left. She came out of the second bedroom with the little one in her arms and asked, "What happened? Did you two have a fight?"

"No fight." Yan Cijin’s face was full of smiles as she took the little dumpling from Yan Laojin’s arms, hugged and kissed it, making the little one giggle.

Lili was still small, and when Yan Cijin hugged her, the child immediately wrapped her arms around Yan Cijin’s neck with practiced ease. She was used to being held and spoiled, so she did not hesitate one bit. Yan Cijin kissed the little girl’s cheek once, then again, and Lili squealed with delight, her feet kicking in the air a little as she laughed. The sound was bright and soft, the kind of sound that could make a tense room feel a lot lighter in just a second. Yan Cijin held her securely and swayed her gently from side to side, as if she was trying to make up for the earlier mood by giving the child all the warmth she could.

"I like Mommy~" the little guy said sweetly.

"I like LiLi too." Yan Cijin moved the little one around to play. She lifted her a little higher, then turned her in a slow circle, making the child laugh harder. "Who is this little sweetheart? Why are you so cute today?" she asked in a playful voice.

Lili looked at her with wide eyes and smiled as if she understood every word even if she did not really. Then she reached out and patted Yan Cijin’s face with her small hand. Yan Cijin pretended to be shocked. "Oh, so you are touching me now? That means you are getting brave."

Lili immediately grinned and pressed her forehead against Yan Cijin’s shoulder. "Mommy."

Yan Cijin laughed and hugged her closer. "Yes, yes, Mommy is here."

Yan Laojin watched the two of them for a moment, then shook her head with a smile. "You two are making more noise than a pair of kids."

Yan Cijin looked up at her and said, "That is because someone keeps stealing my daughter."

Yan Laojin snorted. "Your daughter is the one who ran to Bai Li earlier and would not let go."

"That is because Bai Li spoiled her."

"She is a little girl," Yan Laojin said, correcting her in a warm, patient voice. "Of course she likes being spoiled."

Lili seemed to understand her own name being mentioned and lifted her head proudly. "I am good."

Yan Cijin smiled and tapped the tip of her nose. "Yes, you are very good."

On the other side, Bai Li, holding a Tang sword and carrying a backpack, walked downstairs again.

She adjusted the strap of the backpack on her shoulder and tightened her grip on the sword as she headed down the stairs. The building was still quiet, but it had that strange tense feeling that came with living in an apocalypse. People were staying inside, listening for movement, trying not to waste energy, trying not to draw attention. Bai Li had gotten used to that kind of silence a long time ago. It did not bother her much now. What bothered her more was the thought of returning to the lobby after that whole apology and then acting like nothing happened. Her cheek still had the little band-aid on it, and every time she touched it she could almost hear Yan Cijin telling her to sit still. That thought made Bai Li’s mouth curve faintly.

She had not expected Yan Cijin to soften so quickly. Not that she was complaining. In fact, Bai Li felt a little glad about it. She liked seeing Yan Cijin calm down. She liked seeing her smile. She even liked the way Yan Cijin pretended to be stern while clearly not staying mad for very long. That made Bai Li feel strangely safe in a way she did not know how to name yet. She did not want to think too hard about it while she was still moving, so she simply put the feeling aside and focused on what she had to do next.

Once outside the building, there were no more zombies in the area, so Bai Li found another open space and charged at five or six zombies.

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TO BE CONTINUED.