“Oh.” Lin Ziyan nodded slightly, appearing indifferent. She sat back down on the sofa, her expression flat. “Weren’t you able to come back at noon before?”
“Oh, that was different. Before, there were people to take over the shifts. Now business is so good that we can’t keep up. Coming back like we used to wouldn’t work. This time, the company leadership changed the system and extended the lunch break. So as long as we don’t work overtime, we can come back at noon.”
Lin Ziyan ate at the School Cafeteria when she was in School, so what they said didn’t matter much to her. After all, she only saw them on weekends. Most likely, they were just sharing their joy.
Thinking of this, Lin Ziyan didn’t pay it much more mind.
“That’s good.”
Indifferent to her daughter’s reaction, Xu Ming told Lin Cheng to start cooking while she stayed in the Living Room to tidy up.
“By the way, where did Xingmian die off to now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ugh, that kid.” Xu Ming sighed as she cleared away the clutter.
“Right, Mom, I want to ask you something.”
Sitting on the sofa, Lin Ziyan suddenly turned her head, her gaze burning as she stared at her.
“What is it?”
Stopping her cleaning, Xu Ming looked up in confusion at Lin Ziyan.
She saw Lin Ziyan pick up the Toy Bear that had been sitting on the sofa and narrow her eyes slightly.
“Where did the money to buy this thing come from?”
“Hmm? Why ask that all of a sudden?” Xu Ming’s movements froze, and a faint sense of unease rose in her heart. She feigned composure and continued her work.
Because she didn’t really believe Ye Xingmian’s words, Lin Ziyan answered bluntly when faced with Xu Ming’s counter-question.
“Ye Xingmian told me. She said the money you used to buy this was tricked out of her mother.”
“Oh? Do you believe that?” Xu Ming realized what was happening. She felt a surge of tension deep down, but her expression remained unchanged. She even let out a small smile.
“Of course not!”
Tossing the Doll aside, a look of mockery appeared on Lin Ziyan’s face.
“You’re my parents. No matter what, why would I suddenly doubt you just because of one sentence from her?”
Her words immediately made Xu Ming feel much more relaxed.
“That’s right. Your parents would never do such a thing. You can rest easy, daughter. By the way, do you know when Xingmian is coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
“Alright. Dinner is almost ready. Come help me tidy up so we can prepare to eat.”
“Okay.”
After this conversation, Lin Ziyan was almost completely certain that everything Ye Xingmian had said earlier was nonsense. She couldn’t help but feel a bit angry. How dare she lie to her?
‘As expected, was I too gentle with her?’
***
There was no one at Liu Yinuo’s Home. Because the heating had been turned off when they left, the air felt a bit cold.
Liu Yinuo turned the heat back on, and the indoor temperature quickly rose, gradually dispelling the biting cold from outside. The milk tea they brought had long since been finished. After entering the house, Ye Xingmian walked into the kitchen on her own.
She opened the refrigerator, but it was empty. Ye Xingmian couldn’t help but look troubled.
“Yinuo, it seems like your house is out of ingredients.”
“Hmm? Then let’s go buy some. Together?”
“Ah… alright.”
After hesitating for a moment, Ye Xingmian followed Liu Yinuo out. There was a supermarket not far from the neighborhood, so there was no need to call a cab; they could reach it on foot.
When they returned home, Liu Yinuo rummaged through her Wardrobe for a pair of thick trousers for the girl to change into. Her legs weren’t as frozen as they were on the way there.
“Yinuo… I’m a little cold…”
Ye Xingmian suddenly spoke up beside her. Liu Yinuo couldn’t help but stop and look back at her. She saw the girl shrinking her head back, her sparkling pink eyes filled with a bit of hesitation and nervousness.
It made sense. Although she had changed her clothes, she hadn’t changed what was underneath because it was inconvenient. It was normal to feel cold.
Liu Yinuo was about to speak when the girl beat her to it.
“Yinuo, can you… hold my hand?”
The girl smiled and reached out a hand that had turned red from the cold.
Liu Yinuo was stunned. Why had Ye Xingmian suddenly become so proactive? She felt that something was off.
However, she didn’t reject Ye Xingmian. She didn’t just hold her hand; she also drew closer, almost pulling her into her arms.
“Why do I feel like you’ve suddenly changed a bit?”
Even though it was a good thing for her, sudden changes always brought a sense of unease. Liu Yinuo hesitated for a moment before voicing the doubt in her heart.
“It’s nothing. I just… figured some things out,” Ye Xingmian said softly after a brief daze.
“Is that so?”
The two of them snuggled together as the cold wind continued to rage. After a moment of silence, Liu Yinuo didn’t say anything more. Since she could get Ye Xingmian to take the initiative to approach her, she had no reason to object. Wasn’t this exactly what she wanted?
The two entered the supermarket, and Ye Xingmian spoke up. “Yinuo, what do you like to eat?”
“Hmm? Anything. I’m not a picky eater.”
“Is there really nothing you want to eat?”
Ye Xingmian stared at Liu Yinuo for a long time. Liu Yinuo eventually couldn’t take it anymore and gave a vague answer.
“Buy some meat. I feel like eating meat.”
“Oh, then I’ll buy some ribs, meat, and potatoes. How does that sound? I don’t have any money, though. You have to pay.”
“Okay.”
Carrying the ingredients, they paid and left the supermarket. This small amount of money was no problem for Liu Yinuo. Eventually, the two returned to the now-pleasantly warm Home.
Ye Xingmian walked into the kitchen. For her, who often cooked for herself and helped her Foster Parents in the kitchen, processing these ingredients was no problem at all.
“It might take a while. Can you wait?”
“It’s fine. Take your time.”
Looking at Ye Xingmian’s figure as she busily worked in the kitchen with practiced movements, Liu Yinuo couldn’t help but feel a bit dazed. It felt as if they had been living together for a long time. That inexplicable sense of tacit understanding gave her an indescribable, eerie feeling.
Even now, she still couldn’t figure out what on earth had happened to Ye Xingmian—why she had suddenly changed so much.
But it didn’t matter. Since she was willing to do it, she would let her. Liu Yinuo also knew that she shouldn’t stop her at a time like this; she just needed to wait patiently.
Although it felt strange, wasn’t this exactly what she wanted? Ye Xingmian met her with a smile and no longer avoided her. It was just that the change was a bit large and a bit fast.
Shaking her head, Liu Yinuo stood at the door and waited silently, occasionally entering the kitchen to help. After busying themselves for one or two hours, the fragrant beef and potato stew was ready.
Setting the table, the two sat across from each other to eat. Liu Yinuo praised Ye Xingmian’s cooking, and Ye Xingmian accepted it with a smile. They soon filled their bellies, and this somewhat hasty yet warm Dinner came to an end.
Because she didn’t want to return to the Lin Family home, Ye Xingmian proactively suggested that Liu Yinuo help her with her studies. Just like that, without them realizing it, the whole afternoon passed by.