‘Ha… I can understand, but deep down I still really want Liu Yinuo to keep me here. What is this feeling?’
‘How selfish of me.’
She lightly bit her lip, and Ye Xingmian dismissed the idea of going out.
If she appeared in the living room now, it might just cause trouble for Liu Yinuo.
After all, she was still arguing on her behalf. She couldn’t add to that burden anymore.
But…
Her stomach felt a little uncomfortable.
It wasn’t her period. Had she drunk too much water?
She felt the urge to pee. She really needed to go to the bathroom… It seemed she had no choice but to go out.
Actually, maybe there was a way. If she moved quietly enough without drawing anyone’s attention, she could just slip into the restroom.
The restroom… was it that way?
Yeah, that should be right.
With that thought, Ye Xingmian opened the door and crept out.
This spot was pretty secluded. If no one paid close attention, they probably wouldn’t notice her.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Almost as soon as she stepped out, Liu Yinuo, sitting on the sofa, caught her in her peripheral vision.
Her eyes lit up as she called out loudly, “Xingmian, you’re awake? Come over here and chat with my parents.”
Hearing her name, Ye Xingmian’s body froze instantly.
She turned her head and found Liu Yinuo smiling at her.
And also Mother Liu. Father Liu was sitting off to the side, pushing up his glasses and clearing his throat.
Her expression was troubled.
Liu Yinuo waved at her again.
“Oh, come on over.”
“I…”
Feeling the pressure in her lower abdomen, she ultimately went over.
After all, she had never been good at refusing others, especially in a situation like this.
So she lowered her head and responded.
“Okay…”
And she walked over.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about refusing, but they were discussing something important, weren’t they?
She was a bit worried that if she said something like that now, it might affect how Liu Yinuo’s parents saw her…
Though she figured she was probably overthinking.
Forget it, she could hold it a little longer.
She sat down next to Liu Yinuo, facing her parents.
Come to think of it, this was probably their third meeting?
Still, the atmosphere was a bit awkward.
“Hello, Uncle and Aunt…”
Ye Xingmian greeted them, her voice a little soft.
“Student Ye, hello. Were you sleeping inside just now?”
Mother Liu had actually softened her expression, seeming kind and approachable now.
“Yeah… Sorry for troubling you.”
“It’s fine. Treat this place like your own home. Is Student Ye comfortable here?”
“Ah… it’s… it’s okay…”
Even though it was just polite conversation, Ye Xingmian struggled to respond.
Liu Yinuo noticed and finally pulled her behind her.
“Mom, she’s not feeling well. She caught a chill this morning. Don’t give her a hard time.”
“Alright, fine.”
For some reason, Mother Liu let out an inexplicable sigh, looking at Ye Xingmian with a complex expression.
“Student Ye, about your health… is it really okay? Don’t be shy. If you need to, Uncle and Aunt can take you to the hospital for a checkup.”
She was referring to Ye Xingmian turning into a girl.
Ye Xingmian quickly shook her head.
“No… it’s fine, thank you…”
“Alright then. Take good care of yourself. If anything’s wrong, feel free to tell Uncle and Aunt.”
“Yeah…”
Faced with this rare display of concern, Ye Xingmian felt uneasy. She bit her lower lip.
“Um…”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Wh… what time is it now…”
“About seven in the evening. Why?”
“Sorry for bothering you. I should go home.”
“Huh? It’s so cold outside and so late. How are you going to go back, a girl like you?”
The unexpected question left Ye Xingmian at a loss.
“You don’t have your phone with you, right?”
That was Liu Yinuo asking.
“It’s fine… I can call a…”
The little kitten who had clung to her calling her “Mommy” at noon was completely different. Now Ye Xingmian exuded an aura of timidity and shrinking back.
She wanted to leave, but why?
Liu Yinuo didn’t know.
But Liu Yinuo knew she couldn’t let her go back to the Lin family, for her sake and for her own.
“Uh… yeah…”
Ye Xingmian silently nodded.
“Then how will you go? Walk all the way back? You’ll catch a cold again tomorrow. And you’re on your period right now. Aren’t you afraid of getting chilled and having cramps?”
To Ye Xingmian, that was an unfamiliar term.
“C… cramps?”
She looked up in confusion.
“Wait, sweetie, you said Student Ye is on her period right now?”
“Yes.”
“Is she feeling any better?”
Mother Liu spoke in a concerned tone.
“Thanks, much better.”
Her stomach really hurt…
That pressure—she felt like she was about to lose control.
When would this end…
The embarrassment of her urgent need made her face flush red. She nervously clutched her lower abdomen.
Why…
Now Liu Yinuo and her mom were being so caring, not wanting her to leave.
Hadn’t she just said she couldn’t let Liu Yinuo go with her?
She didn’t get it. She didn’t understand.
But Ye Xingmian really needed to go to the bathroom.
“Yeah. Getting chilled during your period easily causes cramps. Are you in pain? Want a glass of hot water?”
“Xingmian? Are you hurting? Why is your face so red?”
Both voices came at once, combined with the churning in her stomach. Ye Xingmian felt her brain turn to mush, her eyes spinning like mosquito coils.
She couldn’t hold it…
She really couldn’t hold it anymore.
This was too weird. Why was she putting up with this?
Forget about lowering their opinion of her. To hell with it.
“I… I need to use the bathroom…”
“Huh?”
The simultaneous surprised voices made Ye Xingmian feel like the world was ending.
Her face was burning. So embarrassing…
“Yeah…”
“Then hurry up and go. It’s over there. Sorry for holding you up.”
She finally stumbled away in a daze.
Good thing she held it in, or she would’ve been done for.
As she left, she thought in relief.
On the other side, Liu Yinuo watched her back with some exasperation.
“Mom, look at her. How can she take care of herself like this? Besides, you don’t dislike her, do you? Why aren’t you willing to let her stay? We agreed earlier…”
Her mother across from her held her forehead and sighed.
“Fine, okay? I’ll bend again for you. But it absolutely cannot affect your studies. I know what you’re thinking—you want to help her catch up on homework, right? But you have to prioritize your own grades. I’m not being selfish. I’m doing this for you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Thanks, Mom.”
Liu Yinuo’s tone was dismissive.
Father Liu, scrolling on his phone, saw this and pushed up his glasses with a silent smile.
“What are you laughing at? I’ve never seen you care about your daughter’s matters, and you still have the nerve to laugh?”
“Huh? How did I get dragged into this?”
“Tch. Get your ass in gear and go clean the guest room. Little Ye will sleep in the guest room from now on. She’s not going home tonight. It’s the middle of winter, and she’ll catch something.”
“Guest room? Do we have to clean it?”
Liu Yinuo objected.
“What, do you want to sleep with her? Forget whether she’d be okay with it—I’ll tell you straight up, in your dreams.”