Teasing the Strawberry-Flavored Baby Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ever since Lu Ningwan reached fourth grade, she had basically been living at Shen Tian’s house. Shen Xian, reasoning that a growing child needed her own room, had taken care of all of Lu Ningwan’s living expenses, saving Lu Ming and Zhang Ruohua a significant amount of money. Naturally, Lu Ming and Zhang Ruohua agreed readily, especially since they hoped their daughter could one day work at the Shen Corporation and didn’t want to offend Shen Xian.

Now, Lu Ningwan only returned home once or twice a month to visit, maintaining a delicate balance between the two households.

At noon, when Lu Ningwan returned home, she took a shower and changed into clean clothes. When she came out, Shen Tian was standing at the sink, washing something.

Lu Ningwan’s heart tightened. She hurried over and saw Shen Tian washing her school uniform skirt. A flush of color spread across Lu Ningwan’s face. “Tiantian, didn’t I say I’d wash it myself?”

Shen Tian turned her head and smiled at Lu Ningwan. “No way. Touching cold water isn’t good for you. It’s just two pieces of clothing. I’ll wash them, and you go rest, Little Sister Lu. I’ll be done soon.”

Lu Ningwan looked at Shen Tian, wanting to say something but holding back. Her bl00d had stained the clothes, yet Shen Tian washed them without a hint of impatience. Wasn’t this a rather private matter? Did her Tiantian see helping her as something natural?

Unable to dissuade Shen Tian, Lu Ningwan leaned against the bathroom doorframe, waiting for her.

Seeing Lu Ningwan lingering, Shen Tian turned her head and teased with a laugh, “Little Sister Lu, go rest for a bit. You don’t have to keep watching me. Or is it that you can’t bear to be away from me?”

Lu Ningwan caught the playful tone in Shen Tian’s voice and leaned against the doorframe, smiling back. “Yeah, I just can’t bear to be away from Tiantian.”

“Little Sister Lu,” Shen Tian said, a bit embarrassed by Lu Ningwan’s words.

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Thanks, Tiantian,” Lu Ningwan said with a smile. Her Tiantian was just too wonderful—cute and thoughtful.

“No need to thank me. Taking care of Little Sister Lu is what I should do. I’m your knight,” Shen Tian said, her hands still busy washing.

Lu Ningwan’s eyes curved into a smile as she watched her little knight. That’s right—her Tiantian couldn’t be stolen away by anyone else.

After the afternoon math class, Shen Tian was still puzzling over a problem the teacher had explained. She had followed along in class and thought she understood, but when she tried it again, she got a different answer.

Lu Ningwan noticed Shen Tian’s furrowed brows and poked her with a chuckle. “Is there something you don’t get? Let me take a look.”

Shen Tian’s eyes lit up as she nodded. “It’s from this step onward. It feels weird, and the answer I got is a bit different from what the teacher said.”

Lu Ningwan glanced at it and immediately spotted the issue. Pointing to the steps Shen Tian had written on her scratch paper, she said, “Look, the order of operations here is off. Try calculating this part first.”

Shen Tian nodded and followed Lu Ningwan’s advice, adjusting the order. Sure enough, she got the correct answer.

Clinging to Lu Ningwan’s arm, Shen Tian cooed, “Little Sister Lu, you’re amazing. I got it right this time.”

Seeing the sparkle in Shen Tian’s eyes, Lu Ningwan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, her heart feeling a faint itch. “That’s amazing? I’ve got three other methods. Want to hear them, Tiantian?”

Shen Tian nodded eagerly, and with quick wit, she let go of Lu Ningwan’s arm and started massaging it, along with her hand. Smiling, she asked, “How’s this, Little Sister Lu? Comfy? I’ll give your wrist a little pinch too.”

Lu Ningwan’s eyes smiled as she looked at the girl in front of her. How could her Tiantian be so well-behaved?

But well-behaved or not, a little teasing was still in order. Lu Ningwan waved her unmassaged right hand. “This side needs some love too.”

“You got it! I’ll make sure you’re nice and comfy. My ‘ant climbing the tree’ massage worked wonders last time I did it for Mommy. She loved it,” Shen Tian said, grabbing one of Lu Ningwan’s hands while the other hand worked its way up from the bottom, mimicking an ant climbing a tree.

Lu Ningwan leaned back in her chair, squinting slightly. Not bad—it was actually pretty comfortable. Seeing how obedient her Tiantian was, she playfully scratched under Shen Tian’s chin like she was teasing a kitten. “It does feel nice, but let’s go over the problem first. Otherwise, you’ll be thinking about math during English class and get distracted again.”

Shen Tian nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s do the problem first. I’ll give you another massage tonight when we get home.”

“Sounds good,” Lu Ningwan replied, her Tiantian being ever so thoughtful. As she spoke, she picked up a pen from the desk, writing out the steps while explaining her thought process to Shen Tian. By the time they finished, the bell for the next class rang.

Shen Tian, now satisfied with learning several new ways to solve the problem, listened attentively in class.

In the afternoon, Shen Tian’s class had two regular lessons followed by two study periods. After English class, the subject representatives began writing the homework assignments on the blackboard.

Shen Tian’s desk was covered with a few workbooks and some practice sheets, just like Lu Ningwan’s beside her. Junior high coursework wasn’t too heavy yet, so Shen Tian and her classmates could finish all their assignments during study periods, leaving them time to do extra practice or read extracurricular books at home. Overall, it was still fairly relaxed.

Seeing that Lu Ningwan’s cup of brown sugar ginger tea was empty, Shen Tian opened it and added another piece. Turning to Lu Ningwan, she said, “Little Sister Lu, I’ll go get some more water.” She picked up both her own and Lu Ningwan’s cups.

Lu Ningwan grabbed Shen Tian’s hand with a smile. “I’ll come with you. It’s not like I’m that fragile.”

Feng Rui, who sat behind Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan, watched their close interaction with envy. “You two sisters have such a great relationship. Not like me and my sister—we’re always bickering, and sometimes we even get into fights.”

Because of a parent-teacher meeting, everyone in the class knew that Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan shared the same mother and mommy. Many assumed they were from a blended family due to their parents’ remarriage, which explained their different surnames. But their bond was famously strong.

Feng Rui felt that Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan’s relationship was much more harmonious than hers with her own sister. It was like no third person could squeeze into their conversations.

Shen Tian smiled, as if it were only natural. “Of course. Little Sister Lu and I are the closest. Let’s go.”

Lu Ningwan watched Shen Tian’s proud, show-off demeanor and shook her head with a laugh. “Come on, let’s go get water with my Tiantian.”

Feng Rui looked at them enviously, then glanced at her own calm-as-a-rock desk mate and poked Bai Xiaoqin. “Their relationship is so good. Do you have any siblings at home?”

Bai Xiaoqin, who had been in the same class as Lu Ningwan since elementary school, had witnessed their clingy dynamic for six years and was long immune to it. She glanced at Feng Rui calmly. “You get used to it. They’ve always been like this.”

“What do you mean? They’ve been like this before?” Feng Rui asked curiously.

“Yeah. I’ve seen couples in TV dramas during their honeymoon phase who aren’t as close as those two. But you get used to it. Look at me—totally unfazed now,” Bai Xiaoqin said, sounding like a seasoned veteran.

Feng Rui pursed her lips. Look at those sisters, so close since childhood. Then look at her and her own sister, fighting since they were little. There was no comparison.

Shen Tian held Lu Ningwan’s hand, each carrying a matching water bottle as they headed toward the hot water room. But as luck would have it, they always seemed to run into someone they’d rather avoid.

Not long after they entered the hot water room, Zhao Zhilei and a few of his friends came in to get water. Zhao Zhilei’s eyes lit up when he saw Shen Tian, but when he noticed Lu Ningwan beside her, his smile faltered. Lu Ningwan was widely regarded as the school’s beauty, but one cold glare from her could leave quite an impression.

Zhao Zhilei steadied himself and flashed what he thought was a sunny smile. “Shen Tian, you’re getting water too? It’s pretty hot—let me help you.”

Shen Tian stepped back, pulling her cup away from Zhao Zhilei’s reach. Frowning slightly, she said, “Zhao, touching other people’s things without permission is rude. Hasn’t anyone taught you that?”

Zhao Zhilei was caught off guard, sensing Shen Tian’s displeasure. Scratching his head, he explained, “Sorry, I just didn’t want you to get burned.”

Shen Tian ignored him, turning on the purifier’s tap to fill her cup.

Lu Ningwan nearly burst out laughing hearing her Tiantian put Zhao Zhilei in his place. With a raised eyebrow, she glanced at him, leaving Zhao Zhilei confused about her intentions.

The next moment, Lu Ningwan handed her cup to Shen Tian, her voice playfully coy. “Tiantian, help me fill it. I’m afraid of getting burned~”

Shen Tian immediately broke into a happy smile. Her Little Sister Lu was relying on her, and that made her thrilled!

“Got it! I’ll fill it. I’m not afraid of the heat,” Shen Tian said, handing her own cup to Lu Ningwan and eagerly taking Lu Ningwan’s to fill.

Zhao Zhilei had heard that Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan were like sisters, and now, seeing their matching cups, he couldn’t shake the feeling that their vibe didn’t quite seem sisterly. He wasn’t sure what he was missing.

After filling their cups, Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan left the hot water room without so much as a glance at Zhao Zhilei.

Zhao Zhilei hurriedly called out, “Shen Tian, wait a sec.”

Shen Tian and Lu Ningwan turned back. Lu Ningwan’s gaze at Zhao Zhilei was icy, almost frosty, while Shen Tian asked impatiently, “Zhao, anything else? If not, we’ve got papers to finish. Instead of thinking about random stuff, maybe read a book.”

Zhao Zhilei was at a loss for words, feeling like Shen Tian’s dismissive tone was oddly similar to his mom’s.

Shaking his head and braving Lu Ningwan’s chilling stare, Zhao Zhilei quickly said, “Shen Tian, both our classes have PE tomorrow. Come watch me play ball during free time.”

Shen Tian shook her head. “Not interested. Have fun by yourself.” Without waiting for a response, she took Lu Ningwan’s hand and left.

Lu Ningwan even turned back to flash Zhao Zhilei a perfect, practiced smile.

Zhao Zhilei’s friends excitedly nudged him.

“Damn, Zhao, the school beauty just smiled at you!”

“Yeah, yeah, I saw it too!”

Zhao Zhilei glared at his buddies, muttering under his breath, “You guys don’t get it. That was bad news. Let’s go back to class.”

That look from Lu Ningwan wasn’t a smile—it was a smirk, skin-deep. Thinking about it now gave Zhao Zhilei goosebumps. Why did Lu Ningwan seem to have such a bad impression of him?