She quickly changed her clothes.
Her body felt light and airy, a bit uncomfortable. Even though the heater was on, the room hadn’t warmed up completely yet, and it was still a little cold.
Ye Xingmian couldn’t help but shiver, holding her chest.
“What kind of clothes did you buy…”
Her expression was somewhat unpleasant. Compared to the clothes she had worn before, this one was way too… revealing.
The exposed back, the cut-out shoulders, and the two white, fluffy mounds peeking out from her chest, along with the cleavage.
‘So the things on my chest were actually this big? This was the first time I’ve visually perceived it so directly.’
And her waist—the tight corset belt seemed a bit snug, but not to the point of suffocation. Ye Xingmian marveled at how thin she was.
Even so, the clothes were quite comfortable to wear, well-made. They must have cost a lot, right?
Ye Xingmian’s expression was caught between embarrassment and confusion.
‘I really don’t understand why Lin Ziyan would spend so much money to buy this for me. Along with the shame, is there a hint of joy that she’s willing to spend so much on me? After all, I did receive a gift. How could I not like it?’
“Don’t you like it? But I think it suits you.”
Lin Ziyan said, turning up the heater a few degrees.
“It’s okay… Did you buy this for me?”
“Mm, it’s a gift for you.”
“Thank you.”
Ye Xingmian was a bit nervous. She hadn’t been nervous before—was it because they were alone now? Or because of the embarrassing clothes?
Or because of Lin Ziyan’s inexplicable kindness? She couldn’t answer. Her cherry-pink eyes lifted slightly, filled with confusion.
“Um… when can I change back? I still need to go downstairs to clean up the dishes and then go out…”
Lin Ziyan’s gaze darkened subtly.
But the change wasn’t obvious, and Ye Xingmian didn’t notice.
Lin Ziyan curled a smile.
“No rush. Can you come here? I want to braid your hair.”
“Huh?! Braid my hair? Do… do you know how?”
In her memory, Lin Ziyan rarely did her own hair. Most of the time, it was done by the foster parents or by herself. She seemed to only know how to do a simple ponytail or something.
Lin Ziyan’s face turned stern.
“I just learned online last night. Come here and let me practice!”
“Huh? Alright…”
So she sat at the bedroom vanity, facing the mirror, becoming Lin Ziyan’s practice dummy.
‘That inexplicable sense of familiarity again. Where have I seen this scene before? I can’t remember.’
Lin Ziyan’s movements were clumsy. It seemed just as she said—had she just learned it last night? She seemed to be trying to do a very complicated hairstyle.
The carefully braided hair was undone and re-braided several times, her movements very awkward.
Ye Xingmian sat on the chair, nervously twisting her fingers.
The mirror reflected herself with long hair.
Delicate features, a docile sitting posture, and a timid look in her eyes like a kitten that had just arrived in a strange place.
Lin Ziyan standing behind her looked much more mature. Her gaze was deep, she was tall, and there was an indescribable pressure in her silent movements. Of course, if one ignored her clumsy actions.
Ye Xingmian couldn’t help but imagine. From appearance alone, maybe they really did look like a pair of sisters? In every aspect, she was more suited to be the docile, cared-for younger sister. But she didn’t get the position of “older sister.”
‘I had occasionally fantasized: if I hadn’t gone hungry growing up and had exercised often, would I have grown taller than Lin Ziyan? Then maybe I could be more like an “older sister.” But there is no if.’
The reality was completely opposite to the fantasy. She was nothing—neither older sister nor younger sister. There was no familial affection in this household. All she had was her own unsociable self and timid personality.
When her thoughts wandered too far, she easily got distracted. By the time Ye Xingmian came back to herself, Lin Ziyan had already finished.
Ye Xingmian didn’t know what this hairstyle was called, only that it looked very delicate. The finely braided little braids fell from her forehead, matching her smooth hair, adding a fragile and delicate feel to the girl in the mirror.
“How does it feel?”
“Huh?… It’s fine… Thank you.”
‘Is the girl in the mirror really me?’
‘That was the first feeling that welled up—a hazy sense of unreality, like stepping on clouds, like someone suddenly telling me that last night’s dream about my mother was actually real.’
‘I know the person in the mirror is me, and what I see is real, but I can’t confirm it with my senses.’
‘I think I understand a little why Qin Haiyue and the previous Lin Ziyan liked to bully me so much…’
‘A person this beautiful, if she cried with pear blossoms and rain, that fragile and delicate look, must be very attractive, right?’
Thinking this, Ye Xingmian felt a bit sad.
“What’s wrong? You seem listless. Doesn’t it look good?”
“Huh? No, it looks good…”
Seeing Lin Ziyan in the mirror behind her frowning with crossed arms, she quickly shook her head.
But after saying that, a mutter rose in her heart.
‘Even if the panic was just a subconscious reaction, did I really need to say that now?’
‘Even if I directly said it didn’t look good, Lin Ziyan probably couldn’t do anything to me, right?’
‘But then again, I somehow couldn’t say that out loud.’
“Alright, come to my bed. Let me hold you for a bit.”
“Huh?”
Ye Xingmian was still hesitant, but Lin Ziyan directly grabbed her arm.
The move was a bit rough. She felt at a loss.
In the end, she was simply thrown onto the bed.
It didn’t hurt, but her head was a bit dizzy. By the time she came to, her waist was already wrapped in Lin Ziyan’s arms.
Looking at Lin Ziyan, who had her eyes closed beside her, Ye Xingmian suddenly felt a hint of helplessness.
This was a rare emotion—helplessness based on a certain sense of calm and stability.
Although the actions were still a bit rough, it wasn’t a threat, but rather being half-pushed into doing this… Honestly, she didn’t really dislike it.
But she couldn’t say she liked it either. She had no feelings for Lin Ziyan. Growing up together for over a decade, she knew Lin Ziyan’s flaws too well, and it was too hard to trust and accept her again.
But actually, if things continued like this, it seemed she could accept it.
No need to escape elsewhere. Just stay peacefully in the Lin family like this, wait until that time comes to meet Mom, and then leave here.
“What are you thinking about?”
Just as she was spacing out, Lin Ziyan beside her opened her eyes discontentedly.
Ye Xingmian was startled.
“Nothing, I was just thinking about the future.”
“The future?”
“Mm… about what happens after I leave here.”
“Leave?!”
Lin Ziyan suddenly let out a loud sound, startling Ye Xingmian. By the time she came to, Lin Ziyan had already flipped over and sat on top of her.
“Lin Ziyan…?” she asked weakly, feeling uneasy.
Lin Ziyan’s expression was very cold, but she was smiling.
‘Is she angry?’