Although she only caught half of the conversation, Little Tear grasped a crucial detail: Zhang Fan was planning to carry out the mission alone. Unacceptable! How could he even think of leaving her behind?
"Little Tear, calm down. I merely mentioned it as a possibility," Zhang Fan consoled, gently steadying Little Tear's shoulders as he urged her to regain her composure.
"Even as a possibility, it's not acceptable!" Little Tear's gaze was unwavering, determined to participate in the mission alongside Zhang Fan. After finally mustering the courage to make such a decision, she couldn't allow herself to back down.
"Alright, while Little Tear is here, let me propose the third option," Zhang Fan sighed, noting Little Tear's uncompromising stance.
"The third method involves Little Ai's assistance. After all, these security devices operate based on computer programs. Our breakthrough lies in exploiting this fact. However, I am no expert in this area, so we'll need the help of a specialist," Zhang Fan acknowledged. With Little Ai's prodigious skills in technology, their success was almost guaranteed.
"That's fine then. I'll talk to Little Ai tonight," Little Tear finally breathed a sigh of relief, reassured by Zhang Fan's explanation. After Zhang Fan cleared up the misunderstanding, Little Tear's face flushed with embarrassment, realizing her impulsive reaction. Seeing Little Tear's teasing smile, Little Tear swiftly exited the room, her cheeks ablaze.
"Little Tear, you're definitely doing this on purpose, aren't you? Teasing Little Tear like that, do you find it amusing?" Zhang Fan questioned, slightly amused yet also impressed by Little Tear's cunning behavior.
"Who knows?" Little Tear replied with a coy smile, lightly tapping Zhang Fan's forehead before also leaving the room, giving no chance for further interrogation.
"This enchantress," Zhang Fan muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Little Tear was indeed a sorceress, but then again, wasn't the entire Cat's Eye Café inhabited by enchantresses?
"Little Ai! Zhang Fan! What are you doing?" The next morning, while Zhang Fan was still lost in slumber, he was jolted awake by Little Tear's loud outburst. What now? Hadn't Little Ai agreed to make an electronic jammer the night before? Why was Little Tear already roaring like a lioness this early?
Blearily opening his eyes, Zhang Fan was startled to find Little Ai's adorable sleeping face right in front of him. Little Ai, too, seemed groggy, resembling a just-awoken baby. Rubbing her eyes, she quickly fell back into a deep slumber.
"Little Ai?" Zhang Fan sat up abruptly, baffled as to how she ended up in his bed. He turned to Little Tear, who seemed to be fuming in the background.
"Little Tear, let me explain..." Zhang Fan started, but Little Tear wouldn't hear it.
"Little Ai! How did you end up in Zhang Fan's bed? Get up now!" Surprisingly, Little Tear's anger wasn't directed at Zhang Fan, but at Little Ai, who she dragged out of bed by the ear. Little Ai protested vehemently.
"Why so early? I stayed up late working and used too much energy. I need sleep!" Little Ai's comment, dripping with inn
uendo, sent a shiver of panic through Zhang Fan. Little Tear mustn't misinterpret this!
Fortuitously, Little Tear's lips tightened, but she managed to suppress her jealousy and rage. It wasn't the time to lash out at Zhang Fan; he was innocent. Seeing his astonished expression upon waking, she deduced the truth. But understanding didn't dampen her jealousy. After all, she hadn't shared a bed with Zhang Fan yet, and now Little Ai had beaten her to it!
While she restrained herself from confronting Zhang Fan, Little Tear resolved to give Little Ai a stern lecture later. A girl must learn propriety, she mused.
As Little Ai finally regained full consciousness, Zhang Fan and Little Tear sternly lectured her about the impropriety of her actions. Little Ai had innocently ended up in Zhang Fan's bed, but that was no excuse. Little Tear's transformation into a strict guardian was quite a sight, and Zhang Fan struggled to stifle his yawns as the lecture dragged on.
"Why do you sleep with glasses on, Zhang Fan? That's so strange," Little Ai interjected during a pause, a question that had arisen from her observations the previous night.
Zhang Fan instinctively touched his glasses. He'd worn them since he could remember, never taking them off, not even for showers. Yet he couldn't recall why he started wearing them in the first place. His vision was perfect, and the glasses were merely plain glass. Perhaps they were just a part of him now, a symbol of his ordinary life.
"But Zhang Fan, it's not good to sleep with glasses on. You should take them off," Little Ai advised, deftly shifting the focus onto Zhang Fan.
"Alright, I'll remember that. But, Little Tear, maybe you should continue your talk about modesty with Little Ai. I think she could benefit from your advice," Zhang Fan retorted, cheekily turning the tables on the mischievous Little Ai.
"Right, Little Ai, let's continue..." Little Tear resumed her lecture at Zhang Fan's prompting.
"I hate you, Zhang Fan!"