The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

After learning about An Suxue's special circumstances, Tang Xiaotao's initial desire for her brother to take her traveling quickly faded away.

There are two reasons.

Firstly, given "Sister Xiaoxue's" current condition, it's really not suitable for her to go out and play anymore. She can tell that her trip to the convenience store has already depleted her energy, and even if she were to summon a dragon, she probably wouldn't agree to go out anytime soon.

Secondly... Tang Xiaotao secretly observed for a while and had to admit it. Watching her older brother coax his little girlfriend was much more interesting than sightseeing!

Watching a dating reality show from the front row is just as exciting as going outside to see mountains and rivers.

Besides, my brother just mentioned that besides Xiaonuan and Xiaoxue, there are two other personalities. What will they be like? Will they suddenly appear? One of them should be the one Mom mentioned on the phone last night, the one who is "well-educated" and "refined," right?

Just thinking about it made Tang Xiaotao feel amazed, and she was even looking forward to seeing it in person.

Perhaps it was because they were both girls, or perhaps Tang Xiaotao had intentionally toned down her personality and acted exceptionally well-behaved and harmless. After spending half a day together, An Suxue's wariness of Tang Xiaotao had noticeably decreased.

Now I can sit next to Tang Xiaotao on the same sofa, although there is still a carrot pillow between us.

But for Tang Xiaotao, this was already a partial victory.

But this delicate balance didn't last long. When Tang Xiaotao saw An Suxue change into that fluffy rabbit pajama, curled up in the corner of the sofa, hugging a carrot pillow tightly, and with only her small face showing, looking a little timid... she felt as if her heart had been struck hard.

So! Cute! Who can resist this?!

And so, this scene appeared in the living room.

Tang Xiaotao hugged the large rabbit in her arms contentedly, while An Suxue's body was stiff and still trembling slightly. She didn't struggle strongly, but simply hugged the carrot pillow in her arms even tighter. The two of them watched TV together like this, which could be considered relatively harmonious, right?

However, An Suxue's attention was clearly rarely on the television. Her gaze would always drift, seemingly casually, over Tang Xiaotao's shoulder, or peek out from under the cushion, toward Ye Shu, who was sitting at the dining table not far away, looking at his phone with a slight frown.

That gaze was cautious, carrying a strong sense of dependence, yet also seemed to conceal a hint of unspoken hesitation.

Whenever Ye Shu sensed something and looked up at her, An Suxue would quickly avert her gaze, like a fawn discovered in the forest, and pretend to watch TV.

Once Ye Shu refocuses his attention on his phone screen, it won't be long before that furtive gaze falls upon him again.

They pulled and tugged at it repeatedly, enjoying it immensely.

Ye Shu naturally noticed it as well. He was the kind of man who could accurately sense An Jianxing's gaze even in a crowded commercial street, so he couldn't escape An Suxue's little actions.

He could sense that An Suxue seemed to have something to say, but she was clearly not ready, like a little rabbit peeking out of a hole.

However, Ye Shu wasn't in a hurry. He didn't try to catch An Suxue's attention or put pressure on her. He simply went about his business, occasionally getting up to pour water and asking, "..."

"Xiaotao, Xiaoxue, would you like some water?"

It might sound a bit inappropriate, but Ye Shu gradually figured out a hunting rhythm while spending time with An Suxue.

You can't rush to get close, or you'll scare her away and make her retreat into her hole. You also can't stay completely away, or she'll feel forgotten and uneasy.

What needs to be done is to always maintain a safe distance, to be present, but not to intrude.

Then wait quietly, waiting for her to gradually build up her courage, waiting for her to confirm that her surroundings are safe, and waiting for her to be willing to take the initiative to approach little by little.

Right now, Ye Shu could sense that An Suxue was in the stage of gathering courage and wanting to get closer. All he could do was maintain this delicate distance, letting her know "I'm here, but I'm not in a hurry," and wait for her signal.

However, this signal seemed to arrive much earlier than Ye Shu had anticipated.

After dinner, Ye Shu washed the dishes in the kitchen. In the living room, Tang Xiaotao was still tightly hugging her "Little Rabbit Sister," and An Suxue seemed to have gotten used to it as well, the two of them snuggling on the sofa watching TV.

When Ye Shu dried her hands and came out of the kitchen, An Suxue, who had been holding back for a long time, finally mustered up her courage, climbed out of Tang Xiaotao's arms, her voice still trembling slightly:

"Um... Ye Shu, there's something I want to... want to tell you..."

Tang Xiaotao reacted for a second, then immediately got up from the sofa and said as she walked towards the bedroom:

"Ugh, my eyes hurt from watching TV for so long. I'm so sleepy, I'm going to bed! I'm sleeping so soundly, I can't hear anything... I can't hear anything..."

Before she could finish speaking, she had already slipped into the bedroom. As soon as the door closed, Tang Xiaotao immediately pressed her ear tightly against it, holding her breath and listening intently to any sounds outside.

Unfortunately, whether it was because the door was too sturdy or because the two people outside were speaking too quietly, Tang Xiaotao listened for a long time but couldn't hear anything. Frustrated, she paced back and forth in her bedroom, too afraid to open the door and peek, and could only speculate wildly in her mind.

What exactly did they say? A confession? A heart-to-heart talk? I'm so anxious!

Actually, it's not surprising that Tang Xiaotao didn't hear anything, because the two people outside the door didn't say anything for quite a while after that opening remark.

Ye Shu sat down next to An Suxue and turned his head to look at her.

An Suxue's face flushed red at a visible speed. She hesitated for a moment before slowly raising her hand. Instead of pulling on Ye Shu's sleeve, she gently hooked one of Ye Shu's fingers around his finger.

She raised her head, glanced at Ye Shu, then lowered it again, the words stuck in her throat:

"You...you come to my room...okay?"

Ye Shu was somewhat surprised; this was indeed the first time An Suxue had proactively invited him to her room. Although he had been inside before for various reasons, those were when other personalities were present; this was the first time An Suxue herself had gone in.

"it is good."

Having received Ye Shu's response, An Suxue felt a little more at ease. She took Ye Shu's hand, lowered her head, and led him to her bedroom.

The room's furnishings remained unchanged, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut. However, Ye Shu immediately noticed the small carrot nightlight on the bedside table, which he and Zhi Qiu had chosen for An Suxue when they returned to their hometown. It was emitting a warm yellow light.

This lamp is cute and practical; it's rechargeable, so even if there's a power outage, An Suxue won't be so scared.

An Suxue released Ye Shu's hand and turned on the room light. The light illuminated the entire bedroom, but it seemed to make An Suxue even more nervous.

She stood still, head bowed, her hands unconsciously clenching her fingers. Her eyes were fixed on the tips of her fluffy slippers, her lips pressed tightly together; she was clearly struggling with her inner turmoil.

Ye Shu stood at the door, waiting for her to speak.

After a long while, An Suxue finally mustered the strength to speak. Her face was so red under the light that it looked like it was about to burst into flames.

She raised her head, but dared not look Ye Shu in the eye, and spoke with a mixture of grievance and shyness:

"Why...why aren't you saying anything...?"

Ye Shu was amused by her act of falsely accusing someone:

"Didn't you say you had something to tell me? I'm waiting for you."

"Oh, right..."

An Suxue's courage, which she had just mustered, vanished by more than half. She lowered her head again and began to tug at the fur on the sleeves of her rabbit pajamas.

After a while, An Suxue seemed to be unable to bear her own inner turmoil any longer. She turned around, picked up the notebook they used for internal communication from the bedside table, and flipped through it several times.

Then she held the notebook up to Ye Shu, but dared not look at his face, and stammered as she spoke:

"Um... Sister Zhi Qiu... wrote here... said... said you... told Mom and Dad... that you... you like... like... us..."

Starting with "To Dad and Mom," her voice grew softer and softer, becoming increasingly indistinct. By the time she said "I like us," it was almost inaudible. If Ye Shu hadn't been listening so attentively, she would have almost missed it.

Ye Shu looked at Zhi Qiu's message in the notebook, nodded, and said earnestly to An Su Xue, who was holding up the notebook in front of her:

"Yes, I did say that."

"Huh?!"

An Suxue suddenly looked up, seemingly startled by Ye Shu's directness and frankness. Her hand trembled, and she pulled the notebook back. Then, as if remembering something, she quickly flipped through a few pages again, and held it up in front of Ye Shu, a mixture of anxiety and shyness in her eyes.

"And...you and Sister Xia Qing...Sister Zhi Qiu...and Xiao Nuan...you all...you all said...you all said...you liked them?"

"Yes, I've already told them."

Hearing Ye Shu's words, An Suxue's face turned even redder, all the way down to her neck. But at the same time, she seemed a little aggrieved and disappointed.

She looked down at her slippers and muttered in a very, very soft voice:

"Why...why me..."

"What?"

Ye Shu lowered his head slightly; he hadn't heard clearly.

An Suxue put down her notebook, clenched her fists, then took a step forward and pressed her forehead against Ye Shu's chest. This way, Ye Shu couldn't see her expression, and it seemed to give her a sense of security.

Her voice trembled slightly with grievance:

"Why... am I the last one...?"

Ye Shu's heart felt as if it had been gently struck by those words. Could it be that An Suxue's outburst this morning was also because of this?

He raised his hand and patted her back, carefully choosing his words:

"Well... weren't you the last one to come out? I had to meet you first before I could tell you, right?"

This reason was very practical. An Suxue remained silent for a few seconds, but her grievances remained.

"That's true...but..."

She thought for a long time but couldn't find a stronger reason to refute Ye Shu. In the end, she could only turn her grievance and resentment into a soft hum and a bunny punch that reduced Ye Shu's HP by 0.1.

After hitting her, she seemed even angrier, or perhaps even more ashamed. But she didn't back away. Leaning against Ye Shu's chest, she asked the question that had been swirling in her mind all day:

"I...I have something to ask you...you...you mustn't lie to me..."

"I'm not lying to you. I'm sure, telling the truth."

An Suxue fell silent again, this time the silence was exceptionally long. Ye Shu could imagine how conflicted she must be.

Finally, An Suxue spoke, her soft voice accompanied by warm breath, seeping through her clothes and gently reaching Ye Shu's heart:

"You said... you like us..."

"...Does that include me?"