“Then you two chat for a while. Xiao Yu and I will go over there to talk.”
As soon as Qin Wuyue finished speaking, the other two looked at her simultaneously.
“Huh?”
“Hold on.”
Xia Yanran pressed her lips together, looking nervous.
In her mind, this woman was the supreme commander of the Eradication Division, while she was just a very ordinary girl.
Well… maybe her mother wasn’t ordinary, but what did that have to do with her?
As for Lan Lan, though her face showed no expression, she was silently asking her friend with her eyes, What do you mean?
Qin Wuyue swept her gaze over their different expressions and curled her lips.
Only Lan Lan could probably understand the meaning behind that smile.
“Yanran, don’t be scared. You’ve always wanted to be like your Elder Sister Lin, right? So you can just ask whatever you want directly. Lan Lan, what do you think?”
Lin Yu watched this scene from the side, somewhat puzzled.
The atmosphere between these two women was strange, carrying an uncanny sense of dissonance.
But he couldn’t pinpoint where the problem lay.
Hearing Qin Wuyue’s words, Lan Lan turned to look at the expectant girl, frowning almost imperceptibly.
“Then… fine.”
“Mm.” Qin Wuyue nodded in satisfaction, then patted Lin Yu’s shoulder. “Xiao Yu, come with me for a moment.”
Lin Yu glanced back once more, then turned and followed her.
They reached a secluded corner and sat down facing each other.
Qin Wuyue rested her chin on her hand on the table, looking as though she had genuinely exhausted too much energy.
Without any regard for appearances, she even placed her burden on the table and sprawled slightly.
“……”
Lin Yu’s eye twitched. He could only helplessly look away.
“Heh.” Qin Wuyue chuckled lightly, not calling him out on it.
She spoke casually, “Xiao Yu, you know why I called you over, right?”
Lin Yu sighed softly. “I know.”
“Oh. Did you do it?”
“Yeah.”
“And the result?”
“Didn’t work out.”
“?”
Qin Wuyue slowly conjured a question mark, straightening up involuntarily.
“What do you mean?”
Lin Yu’s voice was flat. “Yanran refused.”
An incredulous expression flickered across Qin Wuyue’s face. She sat up straight, her chest leaving the table.
“You little brat, don’t tell me you didn’t actually say it?”
How could she not know her own daughter?
Lin Yu’s gaze was sincere. He had naturally anticipated Qin Wuyue’s reaction.
“I really did say it, but Yanran…” He then recounted exactly what Xia Yanran had said to him.
After hearing it, Qin Wuyue wore an indescribably complex expression.
“Tsk… this girl. I raised her myself, so why doesn’t she take after me in this? Sigh…”
Lin Yu blinked. He wanted to say something but silently closed his mouth.
Upon first hearing it, Qin Wuyue’s words seemed fine, but on closer examination, they felt off.
Of course they were off. Others might not know, but Lin Yu was well aware: Xia Yanran was not Qin Wuyue’s biological daughter. As for where she came from, he had asked, but… got no answer.
So after knowing that, the words sounded perfectly normal.
Qin Wuyue’s mind wasn’t on that, so she didn’t notice Lin Yu’s odd reaction.
Then she seemed to completely deflate, lying face down on the table, resting her head on a soft pillow, and sighing deliberately loudly.
Lin Yu remained expressionless. He could clearly see she was fishing—waiting for him to ask why he had to confess when he had already said he only wanted to be friends.
But Qin Wuyue was who she was. Not only would she push an inch, but even if she hadn’t gotten an inch, she’d still push forward.
So Lin Yu certainly wasn’t going to give her any opportunity. Since she wasn’t talking, he wouldn’t either. They could just wait it out.
Different people required different approaches. The method for dealing with Qin Wuyue was: Whatever you say is right.
Do whatever you want. If I react even a little, I lose. Eventually she’ll get bored and give up.
At least, that was what Lin Yu thought.
Unfortunately, his mistake from the start left him with a flawed understanding, and he had no clear idea of Qin Wuyue’s persistence.
“Xiao Yu.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll talk to Yanran later. You confess to her again after that. She’ll agree this time.”
Lin Yu looked confused. What, is this a forced sale? Don’t you know about freedom in love? Can you really do that?
Even though he hadn’t intended to respond, he couldn’t help but want to ask. But before he could speak, he felt a kick on his calf.
Looking down, a fair, delicate foot was resting on his thigh, and the toes wiggled.
He only then noticed that this woman hadn’t been wearing shoes this whole time.
But how was her foot not dirty at all?
Lin Yu quickly shook his head, tossing out the jumbled associations in his mind.
“Aunt Qin? What do you mean?”
Qin Wuyue still lay there. “Go get me a pair of shoes. I’m tired and don’t want to move.”
“…Okay!”
Compared to that question, this was much easier.
As Qin Wuyue watched him leave, the corners of her lips curled up, and her eyes grew hazy. “Heh heh, you’re not getting away…”
Lin Yu didn’t head back to their room. Instead, he found a robot and returned with a pair of slippers.
But when he came back and saw Qin Wuyue, he froze for a moment.
Qin Wuyue’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady, with a faint smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.
Lin Yu recognized that as her sleeping expression.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, he couldn’t help but smile.
“You’ve worked hard.”
When he saw her take that hit earlier, his heart had seized up.
How could he have no feelings at all? He just didn’t want to go through that kind of thing again.
He placed the slippers by her feet, then found a blanket and gently draped it over her. Shaking his head with a soft sigh, he turned and left decisively.
He didn’t see that in her sleep, Qin Wuyue’s smile deepened.
Meeting Lan Lan was a bit awkward. Every time he saw her, he was reminded of what had happened before.
So Lin Yu planned to just watch from a distance and approach only after Lan Lan had left.
But when he looked over, he saw only Xia Yanran.
“Yanran, are you done talking?” Lin Yu sat down beside her.
Xia Yanran was beaming.
“Mm. We didn’t talk much. Chief Lan heard I’m entering the Domed Academy this year and gave me some encouragement. Then someone from Huanxing Town came looking for her, so she left. She’s very busy.”
Lin Yu studied her expression. It was clear she wasn’t upset by Lan Lan’s sudden departure—only honored and delighted to have spoken with the Chief.
Well, that’s fine. As long as she’s happy.
“Oh, by the way, what did my mom talk to you about just now?”
“Mm… nothing much. She just…”
“Was she asking if I accepted?” The girl smiled sweetly.
Lin Yu was a bit unused to her sudden sharpness.
“Yeah. You guessed?”
“Hehe.” Xia Yanran narrowed her eyes, a hint of pride on her face.
“I’m not that dumb, you know? Suddenly confessing to me out of the blue—there had to be a reason. After thinking it over, only my mom could make you do that.”
“Heh… heh heh…” Lin Yu laughed dryly, inexplicably feeling like he was being played by both mother and daughter.
The girl raised her hand and gently touched his cheek.
“I probably know what my mom’s thinking. She’s the best to me, but on this one thing, I want to do it my way. What do you think?”
What do I think? How am I supposed to say? I can’t say a thing!
Lin Yu could only keep smiling stupidly.
Just then, a heavy cough came from behind.
“Ahem! Are you two alright?”