Chapter 31: Why Not Give Him One

He had tossed and turned all night, unable to find a moment of sleep. When Pei Hexuan and the others came knocking and finally saw Pei Yanlin, they noticed the faint, dark bruises already forming beneath his eyes.

"Did you not sleep at all last night?" Bai Lu asked, looking at him with concern.

"Yeah, I couldn't fall asleep at all," Pei Yanlin replied, collapsing onto the sofa, completely drained of energy.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the female ghost grinning at him with that hideous, terrifying expression. Scared out of his wits, how could he possibly sleep?

"Are you two alright?" Pei Yanlin looked up, feeling a bit suspicious as he studied their faces, which showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever.

"Oh, Zhouzhou gave us each a 'peaceful slumber' talisman. We slept straight through until dawn without a single dream. I haven't slept that soundly in ages; it was wonderful."

Pei Hexuan’s tone was casual, but Pei Yanlin detected a hint of smugness in it, which left him so frustrated that his mind went blank. If there were such things as peaceful slumber talismans, why hadn't his sister given him one? It was too cruel to let him suffer through the night like that.

"Is Zhouzhou still asleep?" Bai Lu asked.

Pei Yanlin looked toward the bed, where Bai Qianzhou still lay perfectly straight. The quilt on her body hadn't shifted even an inch; he suspected she hadn't moved once all night.

"Zhouzhou, Zhouzhou, time to wake up and eat," Bai Lu said, walking over to gently pat her small face.

Bai Qianzhou blinked open her eyes, dazed. Seeing Bai Lu and the others there, she sat up. However, the moment she stepped off the bed, her ankle twisted, and she sprawled onto the floor. Since the ground was covered with a thick carpet, she didn't feel any pain.

Perhaps still half-asleep and not fully conscious, Bai Qianzhou remained motionless on the floor until Pei Hexuan rushed over to help her up.

"Zhouzhou, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" Bai Lu hurried over as well, fussing over her.

"I'm fine. I'm tough and thick-skinned; I'm used to it. I'm going to wash up," Bai Qianzhou shook her head obediently and headed toward the bathroom.

However, whether she was still asleep or just disoriented, she walked straight into the glass door of the bathroom, leaving two streaks of bright red blood flowing from beneath her nose.

"Oh, my—" Bai Lu gasped in fright, but Bai Qianzhou merely wiped her nose casually with her hand and walked into the bathroom as if nothing had happened.

"Is she really okay?" Pei Yanlin asked, staring blankly at the bathroom door.

"Your mother and I are going to take Zhouzhou out for a bit later, and you..." Pei Hexuan started, but before he could finish, Pei Yanlin dashed to the bathroom door, arms spread wide, acting like a protective mama bear.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?" Pei Hexuan looked at him with disdain.

"My sister already promised to come watch me film today. You can't take her away," Pei Yanlin pleaded, looking at them with a pitiful expression.

He had worked so hard to convince his sister to accompany him; he couldn't let his parents swoop in and steal her away.

"Don't try that acting routine on us. How childish. Since she already promised you, then you take good care of her," Bai Lu said, looking at her silly son with resignation. Still, she was happy to see her children building a relationship with their sister. She only hoped that Bai Qianzhou would truly integrate into their family.

"I knew it, Mom is the best!" Pei Yanlin immediately leaned in to cling to Bai Lu’s arm, acting spoiled. Bai Lu patted his head helplessly.

"You brat, how old are you now? Get away from my wife," Pei Hexuan said, unceremoniously grabbing him by the ear and pulling him aside.

"She may be your wife, but she's still my mother!" Pei Yanlin grumbled indignantly, though he only dared to mutter under his breath in front of his father. This couple had been married for years, yet they still insisted on showing off their affection in front of their children from time to time.