Chapter 132: Juanjuan: Third Brother Found Out???

Inside the room, the three brothers stared at each other. Though only a short moment passed, it felt like an eternity.

Bai Yunqi wore a calm expression, even tinged with curiosity. He naturally turned around to close the door, then looked at his two younger brothers and asked a question.

Amid their panic and flustered attempts to explain, he chose to turn the tables.

“Why are you two still up? What are you doing awake in the middle of the night?”

Having weathered many storms, Bai Yunqi had his own way of handling things.

For minor matters, he didn’t bother hiding his emotions. It helped people get used to the idea that he was someone who couldn’t keep secrets, someone straightforward.

But it was precisely because of this that, when he did act calm during major events, no one would suspect a thing.

“How long have you two been awake? It’s the middle of the night, aren’t you tired?”

Bai Yunqi climbed back into bed with absolute composure. No one could see the slightest hint of anything unusual from him.

Looking at this deeply shrewd eldest brother, Bai Yun’an sneered inwardly but didn’t expose him. Instead, he played along and said, “Just woke up not long ago! Big Brother, did you go out to pee?”

“Nope.” Bai Yunqi was already lying down, resting on his stomach as he looked at his innocent-looking youngest brother. “To be precise, I went to take a dump.”

He even added with a grumble, “Squatted so long my legs went numb.”

Peeing doesn’t take that long, but taking a dump? That could explain it.

Bai Yun’an chuckled coldly to himself. As expected, Big Brother wasn’t simple.

A true master of feigned simplicity, even better at pretending than he was.

But at least for now, he had the upper hand and had seized the initiative first.

“Yun’an, didn’t you say you went out to look for Big Brother? You didn’t run into him?”

After a long silence, Second Brother Bai Yunxing suddenly spoke.

He looked at his brothers, who seemed ready to brush the whole matter under the rug, and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Bai Yunqi: Huh? Third Brother went looking for me?

Bai Yun’an: I knew it, maybe Second Brother’s been swapped too. He’s sharp enough to catch the key point so clearly.

“Big Brother, where exactly did you go? I didn’t see you in the front yard.”

Bai Yun’an’s question sounded innocent enough, but it left plenty of room for improvisation.

Sure enough, Bai Yunqi replied right away, “Behind the house.”

Perfectly reasonable. Third Brother had gone to the front yard, and he said he was behind the house. No wonder they didn’t run into each other.

“Alright, alright, time to sleep. I’m so tired…”

Bai Yunqi decisively ended the conversation. He turned over, yawned, and his voice even carried a hint of sleepiness as he drifted off.

Bai Yun’an responded with a soft “mm” and lay down as well.

As he settled in, he began to consider when he should test Second Brother too, to see if he’d been replaced.

Bai Yunxing looked at his brothers, who had fallen asleep so quickly, and furrowed his brow. Still, he lay down as well.

Everything sounded reasonable, but why did he still feel like something was off? Was he just overthinking it?

…

As the weather warmed, the sun rose earlier than before.

A small, tousle-haired figure sat up in bed. Juanjuan yawned and shook her little head, trying to wake herself up.

“Mm!”

A hoarse voice suddenly rang out, as if startled awake.

Juanjuan: ???

The little girl was startled by the sudden noise and instantly snapped awake.

She turned her head and saw her dazed father sitting up, still looking exhausted.

“Daddy,” Juanjuan greeted softly.

Bai Tian yawned and looked at his early-rising daughter, replying weakly, “Morning.”

Bai Tian was truly exhausted. He hadn’t slept well all night.

Jiang Dai had been injured and running a fever, and he’d stayed by her bedside. Every time she stirred, he got up to check on her. He’d truly been up several times.

Just now, when he heard movement on the bed, he thought something was wrong with Jiang Dai again.

Thankfully, it was nothing. But last night…

He vaguely remembered dreaming that his body had gone numb, like he’d been shocked by something.

Bai Tian leaned over to check on Jiang Dai, then reached out to feel her forehead. The fever had mostly subsided.

With a soft “thump,” Bai Tian collapsed back onto the bed.

“Daddy’s going to sleep a bit more… just a bit…”

And with that, he fell silent.

Juanjuan glanced at her father, then turned to look at her mother.

After a moment of hesitation, she raised her little hand and, imitating the adults, gently touched her mother’s forehead.

She’d touched it last night—it had been burning hot.

But now it wasn’t. That meant the fever was gone.

Juanjuan nodded solemnly like a little grown-up. It was a relief that Mommy wasn’t feverish anymore.

After seeing her mother’s heroic side, as well as how miserable she looked when sick, Juanjuan trained even harder with Second Brother that morning than usual.

She wanted to grow strong and healthy, so one day she could protect others just like her mother—swift and fearless.

“Daddy didn’t sleep well last night, did he?”

Bai Yunxing peeked into the room and saw both parents still asleep.

Normally, their father would be up cooking by now. But today, he must’ve been worn out from last night.

Juanjuan nodded. “Mm, Daddy didn’t sleep well.”

“Then I’ll cook today. We still have to go to school.”

“Wait for me, I’m coming too!”

Juanjuan ran to catch up with her second brother.

Just as they opened the door, Bai Yunqi stepped out and saw his younger siblings heading off to cook. He sighed and went to tidy up the courtyard.

No helping it. Everyone else was working. How could he, the strongest in the family, be the one slacking off?

That wouldn’t do.

Breakfast was simple: porridge, flatbread, and boiled eggs.

There was also a bowl of herbal medicine that looked awful and smelled even worse, which was brought to Jiang Dai.

Just waking up, Jiang Dai stared at the medicine with deep reluctance.

But looking at her four children—one brewing the medicine, one bringing her food, and one holding candied fruit to save her from the bitterness—she clenched her teeth and downed the whole bowl in a few gulps.

Bai Yunqi took the empty bowl, and Juanjuan handed the candied fruit to Jiang Dai.

Jiang Dai, utterly miserable: 【This stuff is absolutely disgusting!!】

Seeing their weak mother and exhausted father, Bai Yunqi said, “Mom, maybe I shouldn’t go to school today?”

His face showed genuine concern, but in truth, he’d been dying for an excuse to skip.

Jiang Dai: 【This brat just wants to ditch school, doesn’t he?】

“It’s fine, you all go to school. I’m much better now. Your father…”

She turned to look at Bai Tian.

Sitting nearby, spacing out and barely keeping his eyes open, Bai Tian jolted. “Ah! Yes, yes, school! I’m not just here for decoration!”

Bai Yunqi, whose escape plan had just been crushed: …

Left with no choice, the big brother had to lead his siblings off to school.

After spending so much time together, Juanjuan had figured out when her family was the noisiest.

Her brothers loved to think out loud during meals, on the way to and from school, and especially when the teacher was lecturing.

On the road, Juanjuan followed behind her brothers, already bracing herself for their usual chatter.

But today, Third Brother’s very first words made her heart skip a beat.

【If Second Brother’s been replaced too, I wonder who it could be. After all, the one inside Big Brother isn’t someone ordinary.】

【Things are getting more and more interesting. The System’s playing dead again. What fun.】

Juanjuan couldn’t help but glance at her third brother.

How did he know?

She’d only gone to sleep, so how did he find out so much already?