Chapter 165: My Sister’s Request

Ye Xingmian looked into Lin Ziyan’s eyes, momentarily stunned.

“What’s wrong? Bringing this up all of a sudden…”

“Nothing. It’s just that Elder Sister didn’t sleep with me last night, so I feel a little unsatisfied. Besides…”

Lin Ziyan suddenly stood up and walked over. She was tall when standing, and Ye Xingmian, sitting down, had to look up at her.

“I’ve done so much for you these past two days. Asking for a little something in return isn’t too much, is it?”

Her voice was soft, a bit husky, like she was acting cute.

Ye Xingmian had never seen her act like this before. For a moment, her heart softened.

‘I’m hesitating. Normally, I should refuse her outright, right? Who knows what she’s plotting this time.’

In the end, Ye Xingmian decided to ask first before deciding.

“How exactly do you want me to keep you company? First, let me warn you—don’t take too long. I need to leave this morning.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t take long.” Lin Ziyan blinked. “Can you come to my room?”

“Huh? Why?”

“Since I’m calling you Elder Sister, shouldn’t you wear something befitting that title?”

“You want me to wear a dress…?”

Catching Lin Ziyan’s implication, Ye Xingmian frowned.

‘I really don’t understand why she’s so fixated on this. It can’t be that she still hasn’t given up on those weird ideas, can it?’

“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you.”

Ye Xingmian hesitated again internally.

“See? It’s just a change of clothes. Elder Sister should be fine with that, right?”

“Is it really just a change of clothes…?”

“Yes, I promise!”

Seeing Lin Ziyan’s earnest expression, Ye Xingmian sighed.

“Fine, I’ll trust you this once. Let me clean up first.”

After talking that much, there was no way she could finish her meal.

Ye Xingmian thought she would put away the dishes and wash them, so her foster parents wouldn’t scold her when they came home.

But as she stacked the bowls, her movements paused slightly.

‘Now that that incident happened, my foster parents probably won’t hit me or yell at me over chores anymore, right? Is there even any point in doing these things?’

The hesitation was brief. Soon, she tried to pick up the dishes again, almost out of habit.

“Oh, what’s the use of fussing over that? Look, my parents won’t bother you anymore.”

Lin Ziyan grabbed her hand without any explanation.

“But…”

“But what? No more ‘buts’. Come with me.”

“Mm…”

Ye Xingmian didn’t know why she was hesitating.

‘I don’t actually need to do these things anymore, do I?’

Yet as she followed Lin Ziyan upstairs, she felt a strange emptiness and a vague unease.

She looked back at the leftovers on the dining table, as if they were something she should have done but hadn’t.

Until she could no longer see them.

Then she followed Lin Ziyan into the bedroom.

Lin Ziyan closed the door first but didn’t lock it. That put Ye Xingmian at ease.

Lin Ziyan also turned on the heater. The room gradually warmed up.

‘I’ll leave in an hour or two, before noon, and go find Liu Yinuo.’

***

Outside the window, the sun had already risen. It was about eight in the morning.

Ye Xingmian turned her gaze to Lin Ziyan, who was rummaging through the bed.

“By the way, do you really not want this toy bear anymore?”

Ye Xingmian’s gaze finally settled on the toy bear in Lin Ziyan’s hand.

It was a toy bear that had been torn up and then repaired.

Hearing Lin Ziyan’s words, Ye Xingmian’s eyes wavered.

‘Do I want it? Honestly, yes.’

‘That bear is the closest thing I have to Mother now. It carries so much of my emotional attachment.’

‘The reason I didn’t take it that day was mostly out of spite.’

‘Also, I had just escaped from Qin Haiyue’s place. I was locked up for days. My mood was dark. My longing for Mother had faded, and instead I became more psychologically dependent on Liu Yinuo, who could help me.’

She was trying to analyze her own psychology—something she enjoyed doing, as it made her feel clearer.

But after last night’s dream, things seemed a bit different.

She missed her mother now. She really did.

If she could never have that dream Mother by her side again, then this toy bear would be her only comfort.

But… would Lin Ziyan really be that kind?

Ye Xingmian didn’t think so.

‘Any seemingly unearned gift from fate comes with a hidden price tag.’

She was skeptical of Lin Ziyan’s sincerity.

“Does this have anything to do with what you want me to do…?”

“No, don’t overthink it. If you want it, just take it. I won’t fight you for it anymore.”

“Really?”

Ye Xingmian’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Really.”

Lin Ziyan nodded sincerely.

“Alright… thank you.”

Ye Xingmian took the soft toy bear and examined it.

Except for a few obvious white stitches on the arm that had been torn, there were no flaws.

‘Why did I thank her? This bear was originally stolen by her and torn up. All she did was fix it and return it. It’s just returning something to its rightful owner.’

Ye Xingmian didn’t know why.

She was simply used to being humble, habitually thanking people for any little gift.

‘Has Lin Ziyan really changed? If only she weren’t trying to make me wear women’s clothes.’

“Um… the clothes I’m supposed to wear…”

“Mm-hmm, I know.”

Lin Ziyan nodded lightly, then turned and searched through the wardrobe. She pulled out a bag containing a brand-new outfit.

“So, how does it look? I bought it specially for you.”

“This…”

“Thanks…”

Ye Xingmian’s mouth twitched.

To her, this outfit was very strange.

Strange because it was too thin and exposed too much skin.

From the shoulders to the neck, it was almost like a cutout. No sleeves. There were missing patches on the back and chest.

Though it was supposed to be a one-piece dress, the hem was very short—reaching only about two-thirds of the way down her thigh. It was the shortest skirt Ye Xingmian had ever seen.

Just thinking about wearing something like that made her extremely uncomfortable.

“It’s winter now. Wearing this… won’t it be cold?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? You’re not in a hurry to go out. The heater’s on inside; you won’t freeze.”

Hearing Lin Ziyan’s words, Ye Xingmian fell silent.

‘What she said sounds off, but it also makes sense.’

But Lin Ziyan didn’t give her a chance to think.

“Here, you promised me, right? No backing out. Put it on.”

Ye Xingmian pinched the fabric and bit her lip.

“Can you not look at me?”

‘This scene feels so familiar, like it’s happened many times before.’

“No.”

As expected, she was refused.

Ye Xingmian sighed. ‘It’s not like I haven’t been through this before. Nothing to worry about.’

But her face was a little hot.

‘Is it my imagination? Today, Lin Ziyan’s gaze seems especially intense…’