“Huh? Is it really that serious?”
“Yeah!”
Qin Sheng pressed her lips together and nodded firmly, her voice low.
“My dad’s not home. It’s just my stepmother and him. He might not dare to tattle, but my stepmother will definitely hound me with questions…”
“You know how I am—I’m terrible at lying. If I go home and slip up, it’s going to be so awkward.”
Shen Xiyan raised an eyebrow.
Can’t lie?
Who?
Qin Sheng?
Don’t make him laugh. Her claiming she “can’t lie” was already a lie in itself.
Seeing Shen Xiyan remain silent, Qin Sheng realized it wouldn’t be easy to get him to budge.
So she amped it up with a dramatic flair: “I was a bit too impulsive earlier. Honestly, you already had the upper hand—there was no need for me to slap him over a dozen times…”
Shen Wen nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, my brother had it under control.”
“But I just couldn’t help myself! There were so many of them ganging up on Xiyan. It was way out of line.”
That line, coming after the previous setup, sounded especially sincere.
Qin Sheng let out a heavy sigh.
“We’re still siblings after all. We see each other every day at school. After what happened, there’s bound to be a knot in our hearts for the rest of our lives…”
“There’s no way he’ll apologize now. And me? Apologize? Absolutely not! If we keep this cold war going, I might as well not have a home anymore.”
Listening to Qin Sheng’s endless laments, Shen Wen—being Xiyan’s cousin—naturally began to feel a little guilty.
“Then… Sister Qin Sheng, what are you going to do tonight?”
“If worst comes to worst, I’ll crash at my cousin’s place…” Qin Sheng sighed deeply.
“But you know how it is—we’re not exactly close. Haven’t been in touch for years. Seeing them again would be so awkward. Honestly, I’d rather go home.”
“At least I’d have a clear conscience. He picked a fight with Xiyan first. Getting beat up? Totally deserved!”
“…”
Qin Sheng paused, seeing that Shen Wen was still a bit slow to catch on. So she added more spice to her story:
“The main problem is… I’m still a minor. If I wasn’t, I’d just check into a hotel for the night. Now? Even if I wanted to sleep in a park, I’d be worried about my safety.”
“Didn’t you see that recent news about someone getting beaten up after rejecting a stranger’s advances? I’m actually kinda scared… I mean, I’m not bad-looking, and if I really have nowhere to go, that’s dangerous, right?”
She emphasized that last part.
Finally catching on, Shen Wen hesitated and asked quietly, “Then… Sister Qin Sheng, if you don’t mind, would you like to stay at my place tonight?”
Qin Sheng glanced at Shen Xiyan, her expression hesitant.
“…Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”
“…It’s fine! You can stay in my room, or I’ll sleep in my brother’s room and let him take the couch.”
Shen Xiyan: “So we’re just not going to ask how I feel about this?”
Shen Wen responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world: “Sister Qin Sheng helped you out. If it were Auntie, it’d be the same thing.”
“Exactly, Xiyan,” Qin Sheng chimed in, sounding sincere. “It’s not like I’m being unreasonable. Honestly, your opinion matters most.”
“You can choose to turn me away. That just means I’ll spend the night wandering the streets… But it’s fine.”
“It’s a big city—pedestrian streets are always bustling. Worst case? I’ll sleep at a bar. I mean, what are the chances I’ll get drugged and dragged into a hotel, right?”
She shrugged with mock indifference.
“Or… you could let me stay. My card’s still with Auntie anyway. You don’t like dealing with me? No problem. I’ll return it right after I use it. Saves you the hassle.”
Heh.
This was Qin Sheng’s so-called “freedom of choice,” huh?
You have to work overtime tonight?
No problem at all—I’ll just eat alone, watch TV alone, take a bath alone, sleep alone. Don’t worry about me. Really, go ahead, I don’t…
Shen Xiyan saw a mirror of his past self.
Past life or present—Qin Sheng hadn’t changed one bit.
But to someone like Lin Ci, Qin Sheng seemed flawless in her manners.
She was the kind of girl who left a great first impression on everyone, regardless of gender.
So how could her true personality be this scheming?
In the end, Qin Sheng got exactly what she wanted.
The group walked along the street, bathed in the soft golden light of sunset. Even the pavement glowed with warm hues.
A light breeze stirred through the city, and Qin Sheng gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her soft, pale earlobe.
Shen Xiyan walked behind them, hands in his pockets, gaze fixed on the far horizon.
Noticing the cheerful conversation ahead, Lin Ci quietly sidled up to Shen Xiyan and whispered, “You’re really letting her stay at your place?”
“Got a better idea?”
Shen Xiyan gave a faint, knowing smile.
“Trust me—even if I tell her to scram now, she’ll be standing at my front door in half an hour. What do you think Auntie would say then?”
Lin Ci instantly understood.
“She’s really something.”
…Yeah, that’s just how Qin Sheng was.
Right now, she held the “moral high ground.”
She was homeless because she’d stood up for Shen Xiyan.
With Auntie as her safety net, Shen Xiyan had no room to say no.
He wanted to keep his distance, but could only watch helplessly as Qin Sheng maneuvered closer.
That kind of powerlessness—it was suffocating.
“No way out?”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t like her anyway. Whatever I do, it won’t change anything.”
Lin Ci gave Shen Xiyan a meaningful look.
“You’re not worried you’ll fall for her over time?”
She didn’t think he could hold out for long.
A girl like Qin Sheng chasing after you with that much intensity—what guy could resist?
If Shen Xiyan lasted two days, she already thought that was impressive. She wasn’t going to hope for more.
“Fall for her?”
Shen Xiyan was silent for a while, then let out a relieved chuckle.
“…Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Later, as they passed a bus stop, Qin Sheng looped her arm through Wenwen’s and said with a grin, “Good thing your place is nearby. Can’t imagine squeezing onto a bus every day.”
“Especially in summer—they reek!”
“But some people like taking the bus,” Qin Sheng suddenly said.
Wenwen blinked. “Who?”
“KR…”
Qin Sheng casually pointed in a few directions.
Outside the school gates, you could often see student couples on the bus—hugging despite the crowd.
The boys would hunch over, creating a little space, just enough for their girlfriends to stand in.
The girls would lean in, resting their heads affectionately against the boys’ chests.
“That’s what love looks like. Not caring what others think—not even afraid of being caught by teachers. But what’s even cuter are those who just started dating.”
“They want to get close, but don’t dare. So they use the bus swaying left and right as an excuse to ‘accidentally’ bump into their girlfriend. Thinking she doesn’t notice.”
“But how could she not notice? She just doesn’t say anything… Girls mature faster than boys. If it were a random guy, even one bump would make her scoot away in disgust.”
“Only someone who likes you would let you bump into her. So tell me—aren’t those guys just idiots?”
“They are.” Wenwen nodded vigorously.
Qin Sheng laughed and turned to Shen Xiyan.
“What do you think, Xiyan?”
Shen Xiyan felt his composure slipping.