Did I forget something?
For nearly the entire afternoon, Liu Yinuo had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. In the end, she could only blame it on her own imagination.
Helping Ye Xingmian request a leave of absence went very smoothly. Thanks to the teacher’s trust, it was easy to convince her that Ye Xingmian was recovering from illness at her house. After that, the teacher said she would contact Ye Xingmian’s parents to inform them of the situation, and allowed the girl to leave.
Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, afternoon had arrived. The snowflakes outside the window still hadn’t stopped falling. As the sky gradually darkened, the icy air began to blanket the earth. The girl sat quietly at her desk, packing up her bag, ready to leave school.
Because she had enjoyed spending time with Ye Xingmian at lunch, she was in a good mood. Humming softly to herself, she was already looking forward to what it would be like once she got home.
Why not just let her stay over tonight? Her parents had always been easygoing with her, and taking in another girl shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, there was a guest room at home. Even if it wasn’t tidied up in time, Ye Xingmian could always sleep somewhere else for now, right?
For example… in her bed?
Ugh, ugh, although just thinking about it made her feel shy, Liu Yinuo felt that she really was starting to change. Now, her head was filled with thoughts of that adorable little girl. The way she looked when she slept, when she was shy, when she was in pain, when she was troubled—all so beautiful, making Liu Yinuo want to steal her away for herself, right?
No, she was starting to feel more and more like one of those creepy old men who kidnapped children.
She shook her head, but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. She thought Ye Xingmian probably wouldn’t refuse. After all, considering how cold her own family was toward her, staying here would be so much warmer and more cherished, wouldn’t it?
Yes, it seemed like only she would ever truly treat Ye Xingmian well. So, that little one should just stay at her house.
She thought this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
After finally packing everything up, she stood up, slung her backpack over her shoulders, and headed straight for the door.
The classroom was nearly empty, the scattered desks and chairs left in disarray. Night was about to fall, and the temperature had dropped sharply. Liu Yinuo shoved her hands into her coat pockets, preparing to leave.
“Class rep.”
Lin Ziyan, who had been silent all day, suddenly spoke up behind her.
Liu Yinuo stopped in her tracks, the smile on her face fading away. She didn’t like being cold or unfriendly to people; most of the time, she wore a gentle smile. This was a rare exception.
“What’s the matter, Lin?”
To be honest, Lin Ziyan was very pretty. Her hair wasn’t long, just reaching her shoulders, draping lightly across them. Combined with her above-average height for a girl and that cold, aloof aura, she really did have the air of an ice-cold beauty.
At the moment, she too had her backpack slung over her shoulders, standing not far behind Liu Yinuo, looking down at her.
“This morning I told my brother to come find me at noon so I could take her out to lunch, but she never showed up. Class rep, do you know why?”
Liu Yinuo didn’t realize that Lin Ziyan was asking a question she already knew the answer to, but she could sense something odd in her tone.
With a light smile, she tilted her head and quickly came up with a plan.
“During P.E. class, I noticed Ye wasn’t feeling well, so I followed her. She had a fever, so I took her to request leave. Right now she’s resting at my house. Anything else you want to know, Lin?”
“Oh, by the way, don’t tell me you didn’t even realize your own brother had a fever this morning, Lin?”
Her words were laced with barbs, and Lin Ziyan frowned.
“Sorry for troubling you, class rep. But I’m curious—why are you so concerned about my brother? She’s an adult now, perfectly capable of taking care of herself. At worst, she could ask me or our parents for help. There was no need for you, an outsider, to get involved, right?”
Relying on her position as family, Lin Ziyan shot back.
“Oh? Do you and your parents really care about her, an outsider? I have my doubts.”
Since everything was out in the open now, Liu Yinuo wasn’t about to hold back. Yes, she had taken Ye Xingmian home and was pampering her. What about it? If Lin Ziyan had a problem, she’d just have to swallow it!
Seeing Lin Ziyan momentarily lost for words, Liu Yinuo continued, “Judging by what you’ve said before, even if she went home, it’s not like anyone would care, right? If you ask me, she probably wouldn’t even get any medicine. She’d be dragged off to do chores immediately, without a moment’s rest, wouldn’t she?”
Not wanting to linger, Liu Yinuo gave a cold laugh.
“I’ve got things to do at home, so I won’t chat with you anymore, Lin.”
Without paying any attention to Lin Ziyan, who was clenching her fists in anger, Liu Yinuo walked away.
Still, there were things that surprised her a little. Lin Ziyan seemed to care a lot about Ye Xingmian—she even wanted to take her out to eat? This was very different from the Lin Ziyan she’d seen yesterday. Her intuition told her something must have happened. Could Lin Ziyan have learned the truth about Ye Xingmian’s transformation into a girl, or at least started to suspect it?
Thinking of this, Liu Yinuo felt a heaviness settle over her heart.
Suddenly, she realized that it wasn’t just herself who knew Ye Xingmian had become a girl. Qin Haiyue, the blond girl who bullied Ye Xingmian during P.E., thinking back on her reaction, had most likely already figured it out too. And even knowing that, she still bullied Ye Xingmian so cruelly?
Liu Yinuo unconsciously clenched her fists. That such a cute girl was treated so horribly by people like that—she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She had to disrupt Qin Haiyue’s plans, she couldn’t let her succeed. As for Lin Ziyan, Liu Yinuo didn’t believe that, just because she now knew her “brother” had become a “sister,” she would suddenly have a complete change of heart and start being kind to that poor girl. But, as Lin Ziyan herself had said, that was their “family business,” and it wasn’t her place to interfere.
No! There was still a way!
If she could make that poor girl want to stay at her house of her own accord, as long as she didn’t go back to Lin Ziyan’s, wouldn’t that solve everything?
At that moment, Liu Yinuo felt incredibly clever, a relaxed smile spreading across her face.
Yes, if she did that, she’d always be able to see the little one by her side, accompany her, and eventually melt away the ice in her heart, drawing out more and more smiles.
Thinking about this, Liu Yinuo seemed to see that future already. She stepped onto the thin layer of snow that hadn’t yet piled up and started on her way home.
As for Lin Ziyan behind her, she didn’t look happy at all.
Shadows covered her eyes, making her already dark gaze look even more gloomy. Lin Ziyan took a more remote stairwell, avoiding the path where she might run into Liu Yinuo.
Things had gone beyond her expectations. The class rep clearly already knew Ye Xingmian’s secret. And she was acting fast—Lin Ziyan would have to speed up too.
Fortunately, for now, it seemed that the only one fighting her for her toy was the class rep.
She wasn’t worried about never seeing Ye Xingmian again. After all, she couldn’t possibly stay away from home forever, right?
As long as she came home, Lin Ziyan would naturally have her own ways of making sure Ye Xingmian stayed far away from Liu Yinuo.
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