In a daze, Ye Xingmian felt like she had a dream.
Why was she dreaming? Not sure, but she could vaguely remember some of the dream’s content.
It seemed… she saw her mother…
Was it the same dream as last night? It seemed similar, yet different.
Silently, Ye Xingmian opened her eyes.
Beneath her was… a bed. In front of her… an unfamiliar ceiling.
The sun seemed to have already set; it was pitch dark around her, and very quiet.
Her head… hurt a little…
And her stomach felt uncomfortable, but it was much better. Had her period passed? Or was it something else…
‘Come to think of it, I was kicked out by my foster parents, then came to Liu Yinuo’s house, drank a bottle of wine… and then what happened? I can’t remember…’
She shook her head, sat up, and looked down at herself.
‘The sanitary napkin was actually used. I had put one on, the one Lin Ziyan gave me yesterday. Did Liu Yinuo help me change it? Oh… right… and also down there…’
She pulled down her underwear. The sanitary napkin on it… seemed to have been changed already.
She had a vague feeling it wasn’t the same one she had put on. Ye Xingmian frowned, but after realizing, her face flushed.
‘That means… did I… get seen by the class monitor…?’
‘All over?’
Her heartbeat quickened, her cheeks burning. Ye Xingmian bit her lower lip and shook her head.
‘No, why worry about that? She took me in, and she didn’t mean any harm. So what if she saw?’
‘But now that I’m on my period, does that mean…’
‘…I can have a baby now?’
‘I’m already a real girl…’
This fact seemed to be presented before her again, silently reminding her.
But for a moment, she didn’t know what to think.
The road ahead was still bleak; she didn’t even have a place to stay.
Just like that, she shook her head on her own, her expression somewhat gloomy.
‘But I dreamed of Mom again. Is that a good thing? I thought I’d never dream of her again.’
‘If only she could stay with me a little longer. The more I think about it, the more I miss the real Mom.’
‘When will I be able to see her? When…’
The room door was closed. Ye Xingmian quietly took in the furnishings.
It was actually a very simple style. There was a small pink nightlight by the bed, a computer desk across from it, a large wardrobe against one wall, and a vanity table on the other side with a bookshelf mounted on the wall.
There were no superfluous decorations, but even so, it was far better than the tiny attic she had slept in.
After all, there was no creaky bed that made you worry it might collapse at any moment, nor old, broken furniture blocking the path. The decor here looked cozy.
And… there was a reassuring, pleasant scent.
She stared blankly for a while, then felt she should go find Liu Yinuo.
After all, she had seemed to faint after drinking the alcohol. Was that called blacking out? Probably. She just hoped she hadn’t acted crazy or anything that would make Liu Yinuo dislike her.
‘She took the trouble to take care of me, so I have to apologize.’
In her view, although Liu Yinuo had let her drink, it seemed done with good intentions. Plus, she hadn’t done anything bad to her and had been looking after her all along.
Actually, it was Ye Xingmian who had come to bother her when she was sick. She was definitely the one who needed to apologize.
She tightened her clothes a little. It was a bit cold at night, and the heating seemed to be off. Maybe only the heating in this room was off? Since she had been sleeping under the covers, it wasn’t needed.
But waking up alone in the dark after a hangover inevitably made her feel a bit lonely and desolate.
Fortunately, she was used to it.
‘My head still hurts. So this is what it feels like to sober up? It’s terrible. I’m never drinking again.’
‘Well… unless Liu Yinuo makes me drink again.’
Quietly putting on her shoes, she unconsciously slowed her steps as she walked quietly to the door.
‘Speaking of which… it should be time for dinner by now, right? I wonder if Liu Yinuo’s parents are back. If not, I can cook for her again.’
She was actually looking forward to it, since this was the only way she could help Liu Yinuo.
‘And I probably can’t go back to the Lin family tonight, right? Where should I sleep? The Liu family should have a guest room, but I don’t know if it’s ready. Sleeping on the couch would be fine. Of course, sharing a bed with Liu Yinuo would be the best…’
For some reason, her face started to flush again.
With her hand on the doorknob, in such a quiet environment, she even slowed down the opening motion, afraid of disturbing others.
But just as she opened the door a crack, the voices from outside made her freeze.
Someone was talking?
It seemed to be Liu Yinuo’s parents and Liu Yinuo. Their tones were somewhat intense, and the content seemed to be about her…
Ye Xingmian wanted to eavesdrop for a bit. It was impolite, but it should be fine, right?
As long as she wasn’t caught.
“NuoNuo, I understand your thoughts, but a short stay is okay—absolutely no boarding at our house! You’re not old enough yet. Mom doesn’t oppose you dating. I don’t even care about the gender of the person you’re dating; that’s open-minded enough, right? But if it affects your Gaokao, then no way.”
‘This is… discussing whether I stay or leave?’
‘As expected, the class monitor’s mother is against me staying here. Well, I’m just a burden anyway. I can’t do anything but cause trouble.’
‘If it keeps Liu Yinuo from being distracted, she’ll study much better. She’ll probably get into a great university without any accidents. We’re on different paths.’
‘Her mother’s concern is only natural.’
‘I can… understand that too.’
“No!”
Liu Yinuo’s response came from outside, so resolute, so decisive, that Ye Xingmian’s heart leaped.
She quietly opened the door a little wider. The light from the living room fell on her face, and she felt like a mouse peeking from a corner.
But she couldn’t suppress this feeling; she was captivated by Liu Yinuo’s silhouette.
Liu Yinuo’s expression was firm, just as Ye Xingmian remembered her.
Always full of drive, unwavering in what she set out to do.
So… beautiful…
Truly.
“She was just kicked out by her family! You haven’t seen how her family treats her. If she wasn’t forced to do housework, she was being scolded or beaten. Her body is covered in scars from beatings. How can you make her go back?”
“In that case, NuoNuo, Mom and Dad can rent an apartment for her and give her living expenses each month. She’s an adult now; she should be able to take care of herself. What do you think?”
“No, unless you let me go with her!”
Neither side seemed willing to back down.
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