Gu Qingtong had no idea she was already drunk. She only felt that floaty sensation washing over her again, and for some reason, her courage had swelled out of nowhere.
Yan Chi and Gu Siyuan both assumed her hesitant, darting glances between them were a sign she was trying to pick sides. But after a moment, a determined gleam flashed in her eyes—she had clearly made up her mind.
Who would’ve thought that the first thing Gu Qingtong would do with her newfound bravery was to reach for the third ice cream?
From beginning to end, her heart had never let go of that untouched ice cream, which no one else seemed to be paying attention to. By now, the whipped cream on top had already started to melt, and all she could think was that if she didn’t eat it soon, it’d be wasted. In her urgency, even her usual clinginess was momentarily forgotten.
Had she agonized over this whole time for an ice cream?
The looks Yan Chi and Gu Siyuan exchanged were complicated. Both of them felt they had somehow lost out…to dessert.
But before Gu Qingtong’s fair fingertips could touch the rim of the ice cream cup, another hand swept in and snatched it away. Her expression instantly fell, and she looked up at the one who had “cut in” with a pout—it was Gu Siyuan.
Once drunk, Gu Qingtong’s tears always seemed to be on standby, ready to overflow at the slightest provocation. Her emotions became overwhelmingly sensitive, and before she knew it, her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.
Her lips quivered, the corners of her reddened eyes drooping pitifully as though she had suffered some enormous injustice. She looked at Gu Siyuan and whimpered, “Wuwu, Yuanyuan already said it was for me! How could you go back on your word?”
Gu Siyuan was well aware that upsetting her foolish sister now would undoubtedly lower her favorability in Gu Qingtong’s heart. It would also put her at a disadvantage in her silent competition with Yan Chi over who Gu Qingtong would cling to more.
At the same time, Gu Siyuan also knew exactly how brainless her sister became after drinking; her intelligence, already minimal, vanished entirely. She’d believe just about anything with enough conviction.
So, since Yan Chi wasn’t making a move, she might as well shift the blame onto her.
For once, Gu Siyuan played innocent with a rare streak of mischief: “Ask your wife—it’s her rule that you can’t have any more. She said you’ll get a stomachache.”
Upon hearing that, Gu Qingtong was instantly swayed. She turned her head to look at Yan Chi, her confusion and grievance plain on her face.
Drunk as she was, Gu Qingtong had no sense of reason whatsoever. To her, Yan Chi was simply being stingy—she wouldn’t even allow her to have an ice cream!
Although neither Yan Chi nor Gu Siyuan intended to let Qingtong have the third ice cream that seemed to outshine them both, the task of “explaining” that fact to her had now fallen squarely onto Yan Chi’s shoulders.
Taking care of her needy little wife was one thing; being the one to handle the aftermath after Gu Siyuan had cleanly deflected all responsibility was another.
A faint smile curved at Yan Chi’s lips.
If they wanted her to be the bad guy, then so be it.
After all, it wasn’t just about stopping Gu Qingtong from eating the ice cream—it was about teasing her relentlessly with something she’d never be allowed to have in the first place.
Gu Qingtong’s soft and timid nature was written into her very bones. Even emboldened by alcohol, she instinctively shrank back under Yan Chi’s commanding presence, her bravado folding in an instant.
This was the first time all evening that Yan Chi, who had been playing the role of the gentle and indulgent wife to counter Gu Siyuan, let her true self show.
“Tongtong, do you really want the ice cream that badly?” Yan Chi ignored the need to explain and instead took full control of the “right” to give Gu Qingtong what she wanted. Her tone was playful, like she was dangling a treat in front of a mischievous kitten, utterly bad.
“Then beg your big sister.”
Gu Siyuan watched helplessly as the situation spun out of control. The teary, aggrieved Gu Qingtong, who just a moment ago had been gazing pitifully at Yan Chi, actually gave in!
Gu Qingtong was a natural at acting cute. When drunk, her clinginess was cranked up to the maximum, shedding even the last bit of bashfulness she might have had while sober.
Forget maintaining her dignity as an older sister—at this point, there wasn’t a trace of maturity or restraint left in her!
She wrapped her arms around Yan Chi’s neck, nuzzling against her affectionately. Her soft, sugary voice was so saccharine it seemed dipped in honey, coquettish yet utterly natural, as if she were born to act this way, spoiled and willful.
“Sister~ Darling wife~ Please? Just a little bite, okay~?”
Yan Chi didn’t relent, continuing to tease her.
If only Gu Qingtong knew that Yan Chi had no intention of giving in—she’d probably burst into tears on the spot.
Sadly, in her current drunken state, Gu Qingtong lacked the intelligence to see through the bad woman’s tricks.
Gu Siyuan’s expression remained completely stoic, but the small silver spoon in her hand made deliberate scraping noises against the ice cream glass as she pettily scooped and brought a bite to her mouth.
Normally, she rarely indulged in sweets, but this ice cream had a rich, creamy flavor and a silky, smooth texture with a hint of refreshing sea salt. No wonder her picky-eater of a sister was so enamored—this was indeed a treat worth savoring.
The scraping sound naturally drew Gu Qingtong’s attention, and she turned her dazed eyes toward Gu Siyuan, watching her action curiously.
“Gu Qingtong, are you an idiot? Your wife is lying to you. Begging her won’t work, because I’ve already finished it.”
Gu Siyuan even picked up the now-empty glass cup to show Gu Qingtong. She fully embraced a “harm myself to spite others” mindset, refusing to let her silly older sister be duped by the bad woman’s schemes any longer.
However, the expected reaction—a spoiled tantrum from her weepy sister—never came.
Instead, Gu Qingtong climbed out of Yan Chi’s arms, her eyes curving into crescent moons with laughter as she exclaimed, “Wasn’t it super delicious?!”
Gu Siyuan froze, caught off guard. Her previously cool and firm voice took on an uncharacteristically awkward tone:
“You…you’re not mad that I ate it?”
“Why would I be mad?” Drunk Gu Qingtong looked absolutely serious. “No matter how much I like something, if Yuanyuan wants it, it’s yours.
Because Yuanyuan is the best little sister in the whole wide world.”
There was no way a sober Gu Qingtong would ever say something so embarrassingly sentimental. Only in her tipsy honesty could she so freely speak her heartfelt thoughts.
Gu Siyuan, clearly embarrassed, suddenly pressed her lips together and stayed silent. Her eyes avoided Gu Qingtong’s open and sincere gaze, seemingly in an attempt to hide her inner turmoil.
No one noticed that the tips of Gu Siyuan’s ears had silently turned a deep red.
Her sister… was such a fool!
And she herself wasn’t much better—otherwise, why would she be so easily appeased?
Gu Qingtong, oblivious to the fact that her drunken words had unexpectedly soothed Gu Gu Siyuan’s sulking mood, was preparing to resume begging Yan Chi. Then it struck her—there was no more ice cream! All that coquettish effort had gone to waste.
Even in her drunken state, she finally realized she had been thoroughly played by Yan Chi.
Her eyes immediately reddened, misty tears welling up as she looked accusingly at Yan Chi by her side. Feeling wronged, she whined, “How can you be so mean?!”
As she spoke, she suddenly channeled all her frustration into a rather audacious move. Like an indignant rabbit lashing out, she bit Yan Chi on the shoulder through the thin fabric of her clothing.
Gu Siyuan, who had never witnessed such bold behavior from her sister, twitched visibly, her usually stoic expression cracking ever so slightly.
This… what on earth? Had Gu Qingtong become bolder during the year they had been apart?
She then turned her gaze to Yan Chi, who simply let Gu Qingtong vent as she gently coaxed her, a patient and indulgent smile softening her usually aloof demeanor. It was as if Yan Chi was long accustomed to such antics—and even enjoyed them.
Although Gu Siyuan was adamant about never conceding her sister to anyone, she couldn’t help but think, If this is the person my sister likes…fine, I’ll tolerate their presence—for now.
“If you don’t treat her well, I’ll take my sister back,” Gu Siyuan suddenly said. Although her eyes remained fixed on Gu Qingtong’s antics, it was abundantly clear who the warning was aimed at.
“I will,” Yan Chi replied softly, lifting her gaze to meet Gu Siyuan’s. Then her eyes followed Gu Siyuan’s line of sight, ultimately settling on the little ball of sunshine in her arms.
On the way back, it finally became evident: Gu Qingtong didn’t care who she clung to based on preference—she was simply astonishingly lazy. Whoever happened to be closest was who she latched onto.
Earlier, during the meal, Yan Chi had been seated next to her, so Gu Qingtong naturally chose to nestle in her lap.
At this moment, because Gu Qingtong was sitting in the back seat with Gu Siyuan, she clung to her like an octopus, refusing to let go no matter what.
Yan Chi, sitting in front, appeared magnanimous in front of Gu Siyuan, not even sparing a glance at the two in the back.
It wasn’t until Gu Siyuan had been dropped off at the Gu family villa and the car was left with only Yan Chi and Gu Qingtong that the mood shifted.
Yan Chi didn’t start the car right away. Instead, she parked a short distance from the villa, got out, and stepped around to the back seat.
Gu Qingtong, who had just spent the entire ride dozing on Gu Siyuan’s shoulder, was no longer tipsy or drowsy. But as she saw Yan Chi approaching, leaning toward her without warning, she became alarmingly alert.
Yan Chi propped one hand on the seat beside her and pressed the other against the backrest, effectively encasing Gu Qingtong within the circle of her presence.
Yet Yan Chi didn’t do anything—she simply stared down at Gu Qingtong unhurriedly, her steady gaze making the air inside the car feel suffocating.
Outside, the faint glow of streetlights poured through the window, casting shadows from her long eyelashes. Beneath them, her eyes gleamed with an intensity that only deepened in the dim light.
Gu Qingtong, who knew Yan Chi inside out, immediately recognized this as the calm before the storm. She nervously drew a few sharp breaths and stammered:
“B-big sister….wh-what’s wrong?”
Yan Chi’s voice was low and measured, yet laced with a subtle chill:
“Big sister wants to test Tongtong. Let’s calculate—how many times did Tongtong ignore big sister today?”
Her words carried an undeniable weight. “If you get it wrong,” Yan Chi added with a faint smile, “you know what the consequences are, don’t you?”
Clearly, every instance of Gu Qingtong abandoning her without hesitation and fawning over Gu Siyuan had been tallied and stored in Yan Chi’s mind.
Outwardly calm, Yan Chi had been patiently waiting for this very moment to hold her mischievous wife accountable. Generous? Not at all. Her deeply rooted possessiveness simply preferred to surface behind closed doors, reserved for her alone.
Gu Qingtong, her thoughts muddled by leftover traces of alcohol, could barely recall her actions. Her knack for balancing attention and seamlessly transitioning her affections was more instinctual mischief than conscious effort; at the time, she’d done it all without the slightest remorse.
Now, staring up at Yan Chi, her mind drew a complete blank as she whimpered pitifully:
“Tong…Tongtong doesn’t know…”
Suspecting this situation might rival the aftermath of the infamous fanfiction incident in its severity, she looked up at Yan Chi with wide, teary eyes, a hint of dread in her voice.
“If big sister needs to help Tongtong remember,” Yan Chi warned gently, her lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile, “the consequences will be even more serious. Have you thought it through?”
Seeing the faint amusement in Yan Chi’s poised demeanor, Gu Qingtong shook her head frantically. She racked her brains but couldn’t piece together a coherent answer.
In the end, with no way out, she bit her lip and cast an aggrieved glance at Yan Chi. Her glossy eyes brimmed with resignation as she reluctantly said, in the most unwilling tone:
“Waaah…big sister, j-just punish me!”
