“Chen Liang, you bastard! Didn’t I tell you not to talk behind my back? Even my sister knows now!”
“What? She’s not an outsider, so you told her?”
“I really…”
Tang Chengmin trailed behind them, currently “greeting” the family members of the culprit who had ruined his reputation.
Tang Yayun glanced back, then let out a giggle.
She returned her focus to the girl beside her, shaking Lin Xinyuan’s arm: “Oh, right, Sister~”
Hearing her cousin’s tone, Lin Xinyuan shuddered, feeling uneasy.
She wanted to pull her hand away and distance herself from this quirky cousin, but it was clearly futile; she didn’t even have as much strength as Tang Yayun.
“Why didn’t you pick up Brother-in-law’s call just now?”
Lin Xinyuan patted the girl’s hand, looking quite flustered and annoyed: “What are you saying… t-that was a marketing call!”
“Yeah right~ Then let me see the contact name!”
“No…”
“Tsk~”
Even though the girl’s face was beet-red and she was incredibly shy, she remained stubborn and refused to admit anything. Tang Yayun had no choice but to give up for now.
She sighed inwardly, but her curiosity only grew.
Exactly what kind of expert managed to take down my tsundere cousin?!
I want to know so badly…
Seeing Tang Yayun look disappointed and act like she’d given up, Lin Xinyuan gradually calmed down, though she secretly broke a sweat.
She knew that because of yesterday’s events, her cousins surely had suspicions about her relationship with the “Smelly Blondie.” Her current performance was more or less “plugging her ears while stealing a bell.”
But such was her personality; at least for things that made her feel this much shame, she couldn’t bring herself to admit them on the surface.
As the saying goes: a dead duck has a stiff beak—stubborn to the very end.
The cousins stopped discussing the matter after that, as Tang Yayun smartly pivoted to other topics.
Lin Xinyuan was busy thinking about how to find a chance to reply to a certain someone’s message, causing her to be a bit silent. This made Tang Yayun think she had offended her.
“Sister, are you… okay?” The girl’s expression was hesitant as she asked cautiously, her voice growing smaller. “At worst, I just won’t ask about Brother-in-law anymore, okay…?”
It was the first time Lin Xinyuan had seen Tang Yayun make such an expression. She couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the second half of the girl’s sentence and instantly became bashful again.
Feeling a bit annoyed, she reached out her slender finger and flicked the annoying girl’s forehead with some force.
“Ouch!” Tang Yayun let out a soft cry, pushing her hand away. “Sister Xiaoyuan, what are you doing!”
Lin Xinyuan gave Tang Yayun an uncharacteristic glare: “What do you think? Stop talking nonsense…”
“Hehehe~” Despite being flicked, Tang Yayun went back to her giggling self, making Lin Xinyuan wonder if she had actually listened at all.
She felt the answer was likely “no.”
As expected, Tang Yayun didn’t care about the denial; instead, she focused on their intimate interaction and became even happier.
This is the first time Sister has flicked me like that! Does it mean we’re getting closer?
Lin Xinyuan had no idea what was going on in Tang Yayun’s little head. She just found it strange and wondered what she was so happy about. She stopped minding her, as her own mind was once again filled with thoughts of a certain guy.
Soon, Tang Chengmin finally caught up, glancing at the two with a rather depressed look.
Lin Xinyuan was the first to notice his gaze. She tilted her head: “Cousin, finished with your call?”
The girl’s skin looked remarkably bright in the daylight, giving her a sense of purity. Her angel-like face was filled with curiosity, which made Tang Chengmin feel rather embarrassed.
Great, my romantic history was exposed by my bratty sister. Even though I explained, who knows what my cousin thinks of me now…
Looking at Lin Xinyuan’s seemingly innocent face, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. He nodded: “Yeah…”
“Scumbag Tang Chengmin~” At that moment, Tang Yayun leaned in teasingly, her expression feigning disappointment. “How could I have an older brother like you! I’m so disappointed!”
Tang Chengmin acted angry: “You’re asking for it!”
He reached out, intending to mess up Tang Yayun’s hair and give her a “new hairstyle.”
Seeing things go south, the girl quickly hid behind Lin Xinyuan: “Sister, save me!”
Lin Xinyuan watched the two bicker helplessly. Her small hand inside her coat pocket unconsciously felt for her phone. She stole a cautious glance at them, the tips of her ears feeling a bit…
Unknowingly, they arrived at the entrance of the Dingsheng Mall in town. This was the destination of their trip.
Compared to Tianbei City, the Dingsheng Mall in Xingyi Town, though well-decorated, appeared somewhat humble and much smaller in scale. However, the fact that the company could refine its industry down to the level of a small town was proof enough of how powerful the capital behind Dingsheng truly was…
“That… I’m going to the restroom first.”
Shortly after entering the first-floor lobby, Lin Xinyuan spoke up. Without waiting for the two, she acted as if it were an emergency and headed straight for the signs.
“Okay, Sister Xiaoyuan, we’ll wait for you here. Hurry back!”
“Mm…”
The siblings didn’t think much of it. Since they didn’t need the restroom, they found a place to sit nearby and waited for her.
On the other side, after walking a distance, Lin Xinyuan didn’t head to the restroom as she had said. Instead, she turned a corner, found a relatively deserted corner, and pulled out her phone.
The latest message was from nearly twenty minutes ago—a question mark sent by him.
Lin Xinyuan thought about it and decided to just make a call. It would put him at ease so he wouldn’t think something had happened to her.
Would the Smelly Blondie worry about me?
Thinking this, she felt a surge of anticipation, but then she began to hesitate. After all, Qin Nanfeng’s words this morning—which sounded like a confession—were still fresh in her mind.
And… she had used him as “material” and done that unspeakable thing…
This made her afraid to contact him proactively; she was even afraid to hear his voice…
But she really wanted to see the guy…
Lin Xinyuan’s face was flushed. Though her heart was wracked with shyness, it couldn’t withstand the affection that was about to overflow.
She timidly looked around. Even though almost no one was passing by, she felt as guilty as a thief. Finding it safe, her finger tremblingly tapped the screen to initiate a video call. It was connected almost instantly—
“Xiaoyuan?”
A clear, magnetic male voice came through, numbing the girl’s earlobes as if feathers were teasing her nerves. Even her legs became restless, unconsciously rubbing together lightly.
Even when Lin Xinyuan was a boy and held jealousy and hostility toward Qin Nanfeng, she had to admit his voice was excellent. She thought that if he used his incredible learning ability and professional training, he could probably become an elite voice actor…
And now, perhaps because of that call this morning and the addition of special emotions, in Lin Xinyuan’s perception, Qin Nanfeng seemed to have a beauty filter over him. Even his voice could pluck her heartstrings at any moment…
In the video, Qin Nanfeng’s handsome face wore his usual playful smile, yet Lin Xinyuan inexplicably felt a hint of… grievance?
“Why didn’t you pick up my call just now?”
Qin Nanfeng was different from before; his gaze no longer hid its burning intensity as he stared wantonly at the girl. Even through the screen, Lin Xinyuan could feel his heat.
“I… I’m outside…” Even though she had prepared herself, Lin Xinyuan still felt bashful and uncomfortable, her beautiful eyes darting around. “My cousins are right next to me, I was afraid they’d misunderstand, so it wasn’t convenient to pick up…”
“Heh…”
The young man let out a light laugh, his voice as crisp as wine. With an indifferent look, his thin lips parted: “Isn’t that going to happen sooner or later? What is Xiaoyuan afraid of?”
“Right? Girlfriend?”
Thump-thump—
The moment those words came out, Lin Xinyuan’s heart raced like a startled deer. Her body couldn’t stop a slight tremor, and an unspeakable sensation rose from below, gradually spreading through her entire body…
A subtle thrill seeped into her brain, leaving her in a shameful mess…
She… she-she-she…
She was doomed…