“Xiaoyuan?”
“Ah…”
Grandma’s sudden call startled Lin Xinyuan, making her heart skip a beat.
She quickly locked her phone, as the elderly woman had shifted slightly and moved closer.
“Grandma… is something wrong?” She had a guilty feeling, as if she were hiding something, her voice trembling slightly at the end, which only deepened the two elders’ suspicion.
“Just now, I saw you so happy. Were you chatting with someone?”
“Not at all…” Lin Xinyuan instinctively denied it, her ears warming, eyes flickering nervously, giving off the unmistakable vibe of ‘there’s something fishy here.’
Grandma couldn’t help but chuckle.
Originally, she was just curious who could be chatting so well with her introverted granddaughter.
But seeing Lin Xinyuan like this, she was sure there was more to it.
So Grandma hurriedly pressed on, “Was it a boy or a girl?”
Lin Xinyuan was still dazed, a little slow to react, but driven by instinct, she blurted out without thinking.
“A boy…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, regret flooded her mind. “No, no! It’s a girl!”
“…”
Her face shifted colors constantly, unsure how to explain herself.
The words got stuck in her throat, faltering.
Having already slipped up, no explanation would be enough.
“Is it a friend or a classmate?”
By now, Grandpa had also come over.
Worried, his tone was a bit sharp, and coupled with his stern expression, it felt like an interrogation.
Sensitive and timid Lin Xinyuan flinched, shrinking back and deciding not to lie anymore.
“B-both… both of them…”
“…”
Grandma clearly saw the girl’s inner turmoil and fear.
She quickly reached out to hold back the old man who was about to say more, then turned to the girl with a teasing smile, “Don’t be afraid, Grandma’s just asking.”
She paused, then added with a playful tone, “A boy’s good, a boy’s good! Could it be Xiaoyuan’s boyfriend? That would be nice. You could give Grandma a big, chubby grandson to make me happy~”
But Grandpa didn’t quite agree with Grandma’s words.
He was absolutely supportive of his granddaughter having children, but only if the person was someone worthy of trust.
He hadn’t even gotten to know the boy’s situation yet and was genuinely worried. “Good for what? I…”
Before he could finish, Grandma stopped him again.
This had happened twice already, leaving him a little irritated.
Still, he trusted his wife and didn’t push further, especially after seeing Grandma quickly blink.
At that moment, the girl finally snapped back to reality.
Her head buzzing, Lin Xinyuan waved her hand hurriedly and explained, “No, no! He’s definitely not my boyfriend!”
“Hmm… so it’s someone else then?”
“I don’t have a boyfriend!”
Lin Xinyuan’s tone was both anxious and timid.
She wanted to make things clear—she didn’t want to be misunderstood by her elders!
“All right, all right, Grandma understands. Don’t rush, hehe…” Grandma laughed cheerfully, then turned her gaze back to the TV, muttering loud enough for Lin Xinyuan to hear, “I thought you were dating… what a disappointment…”
“I really…”
Lin Xinyuan moved her lips, voice very soft, but in the end, she didn’t say she didn’t plan on finding a partner.
Judging by how Grandma and Grandpa looked, they probably wouldn’t approve of her decision.
Saying such a thing now was practically self-sabotage—just adding to her troubles…
All because of that stinky Huangmao, insisting on chatting with her!
She’d always said nothing good would come from this guy showing up…
I’m never talking to you again!
But…
Feeling her phone still vibrating, Lin Xinyuan hesitated.
She never fully made up her mind.
She glanced once, then looked back at the two elders watching TV, feeling confident they really weren’t paying attention this time.
So she quietly unlocked her phone and peeked.
Just one glance… just one glance…
She really was only being polite!
After all, since she’d been chatting with this guy for so long, suddenly ignoring him wouldn’t be very nice…
Next time, I really won’t answer…
Hmph.
Time flew by quickly.
Before she knew it, it was noon.
After lunch, Lin Xinyuan went upstairs.
Her constitution had never been very strong.
Even though she’d been maintaining some exercise lately, it only helped a little.
Time was short; any improvement was already something.
Lin Xinyuan understood deep down that her congenital issues practically doomed her to frailty and frequent illness.
Her immunity was naturally weak, so no matter how much she trained later, she’d always be more prone to getting sick than others.
Perhaps because she had become female, her physical condition worsened even more.
Now, not only was she prone to sickness, but she also needed more sleep than most and often felt drowsy…
Because of this, naps were indispensable.
During the noon chat with Grandma and Grandpa, Lin Xinyuan realized Grandma was just teasing her.
Looking back, she’d been too emotional.
But for some reason, when Grandma mentioned she and that stinky Huangmao might be “in a relationship,” she just couldn’t hold back her restless emotions and urgently wanted to explain…
She could also clearly see the worry in Grandpa’s eyes, but being awkward as always, she kept avoiding them.
Except for that guy and her mother, it was hard for her to open up to anyone else…
Maybe time would help… but who knew how long that would take?
Stinky Huangmao, stinky Huangmao…
It’s all your fault…
As dusk fell, when Lin Xinyuan came out of her room and went downstairs, she heard an unfamiliar voice.
Before seeing the person, she heard the voice first.
It was a young male voice, cheerful and magnetic.
A few days ago, Grandma had mentioned that her second cousin brother should be coming back today. This must be him, right?
Hmm… the voice was nice.
But still not as good as stinky Huangmao’s…
Lin Xinyuan couldn’t help but judge silently.
She felt awkward inside—no matter what happened, the first person who popped into her mind was always that guy.
She didn’t understand why…
She stepped closer and looked into the living room.
Her second cousin brother was sitting there drinking tea with Grandpa.
Since he had his back to her, she couldn’t see what this “cousin brother” looked like right away.
Between clinking tea cups, the conversation seemed to be about her…
“It’s getting dark already…” Grandpa looked out the window and realized the sky had darkened. He then turned to the man beside him and said, “Chengmin, why don’t you go upstairs and call your cousin sister down?”
“Cousin sister?”
Tang Chengmin was a bit confused, a head full of question marks.
It was the first time he’d heard that term.
Aside from distant relatives, his mother was an only child.
As for his father’s side, well, he hadn’t seen his Aunt in ages…
He thought he only had a little cousin brother?
They met once as kids and got along well, but he had no idea what he looked like now…
So where did this cousin sister come from?
As if sensing Tang Chengmin’s confusion, Grandpa chuckled.
If a stranger saw his smile, they might find it unsettling. “We were chatting happily just now, and I forgot to tell you—your Aunt has returned.”
“Aunt’s back?” Tang Chengmin was surprised.
“Yes. But she went to Maxian yesterday to handle some things. She should be back in a few days. For now, only your cousin sister is here. She isn’t in great health and is sleeping upstairs…”
“Ah…” Tang Chengmin was completely lost now.
Cousin sister?
Wasn’t it cousin brother?
Was his memory failing him?
He quickly asked, “Isn’t my Aunt’s child the little cousin brother I played with as a kid?”
“What little cousin brother? Now it’s a little cousin sister!” Grandpa laughed heartily.
He was about to explain more to clear Tang Chengmin’s confusion but suddenly seemed to notice something.
He looked behind Tang Chengmin.
“No need to call her. Your cousin sister’s coming down herself.”
Tang Chengmin turned to look…