After going downstairs to wash up, Ye Xingmian was called to the dining room by Lin Ziyan.
“Come over and take your medicine.”
Lin Ziyan had already found the medicine. She stirred it with water and looked up to see the girl staring blankly at her.
“What are you dazing off for? Get over here!”
Ye Xingmian walked over, though she appeared somewhat hesitant.
“Um… is today some kind of special day?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
“Uh… it’s just…”
The girl had wanted to ask why Lin Ziyan had been acting so abnormally these past two days. It had started yesterday when she opened the door, helped heat up the food, and even spoke up for her. Today, she had woken her up and proactively found fever and cold medicine. She really wondered if the sun had risen in the west. Was this how Lin Ziyan was supposed to treat her?
But then she realized that if she actually said those things out loud, Lin Ziyan’s attitude would surely do a 180-degree flip immediately, so she quickly shut her mouth. Seeing her reaction, Lin Ziyan vaguely guessed what she was thinking. However, she wasn’t in a hurry to expose her. With a cold sneer, she pushed the medicine over.
“Drink it quickly. There’s more after this. I’m hungry, so go cook as soon as you’re finished with the medicine.”
“Mm…”
Now that her attitude had returned to what she was used to, the girl actually felt a bit more at ease. Taking the medicine, she carefully tested the temperature with her lips. It wasn’t hot; it was just right. So, she drank it down.
While she was drinking, Lin Ziyan prepared the cold medicine and handed it over along with a few capsules for the girl to take.
“Done? Then hurry up and cook.”
“Okay.”
As the medicine slowly took effect, the high fever began to recede, and her consciousness gradually cleared. She nodded and walked toward the kitchen.
But she hadn’t considered why Lin Ziyan hadn’t taken her to the clinic for an IV drip. Was it just because it was a hassle? Or was there another reason behind it?
She didn’t think too much about it. It was already beyond her expectations that Lin Ziyan was willing to take time off to stay home and care for her. She didn’t want to ask for too much, and IV drips were expensive, costing several hundred in just a few days. Subconsciously, she felt her adoptive parents wouldn’t want to spend that “wasteful money.”
Inside the kitchen, she felt making another meal would be wasteful. So, the girl simply brought out last night’s leftovers, heated them up, and set them back on the dining table.
“Is it ready?” Sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed and her phone in hand, Lin Ziyan watched the girl busily moving about with great interest.
In the past, she rarely paid attention to such things, but seeing her busy like this now had a certain charm to it. Honestly, keeping such a hard-working, submissive punching bag at home was actually quite nice. Moreover, she was very good-looking; just looking at her was pleasing to the eye.
“Mm…”
Glancing back at Lin Ziyan on the sofa, the girl closed her eyes and turned her head away, no longer looking at her.
Lin Ziyan didn’t care. She put away her phone and walked straight to the opposite side of the girl.
Between them sat the steaming food. Lin Ziyan stared at the girl and suddenly let out a light chuckle. She once again pulled that long white cloth out of her pocket.
“Still not planning on telling me what this is for?” She waved her hand slightly.
Ye Xingmian was just about to eat, but the way she kept one hand covering her chest made it hard not to be suspicious. Holding her chopsticks, she looked up at the sound, saw what was in Lin Ziyan’s hand, and fell silent.
She kept her head down and ate, no longer looking up at the person across from her.
Seeing this, Lin Ziyan knew the girl’s attitude, and her smile deepened.
Because she had things on her mind, Ye Xingmian was distracted while eating. This led to Lin Ziyan finishing her meal much earlier.
Tossing her utensils aside, Lin Ziyan seemed intent on going upstairs since she had nothing left to do. Meanwhile, the girl continued to eat silently.
“Come to my room after you finish eating. You’re not allowed to skip, okay?”
By the time she heard the voice and looked up, Lin Ziyan’s figure had already disappeared at the top of the stairs.
Go to her room? Why? What did she want with her?
She had a persistent sense of foreboding…
After slowly finishing her meal, she cleared the dishes, put them in the sink to wash them one by one, stacked them, and placed them in the cupboard. Having done it many times, the girl was very familiar with this routine. But once everything was done, she hesitated as she looked toward the stairs.
Did she really have to go?
It seemed there was no way out. Even if she didn’t go, the other girl would eventually come downstairs to find her. No matter what, she couldn’t hide…
How annoying…
She hated this feeling of powerlessness. Why was she so stupid that she couldn’t think of a single way to deal with this?
In the end, she went upstairs helplessly.
The door to Lin Ziyan’s room was closed. She knocked, and hurried footsteps sounded from inside. A moment later, the door opened.
The room was a bit messy. All sorts of clothes were piled on the bed—different colors, different styles—dazzling to the eye.
“…”
Because she was nearly half a head shorter than Lin Ziyan, Ye Xingmian always had to look up slightly when meeting her gaze.
Neither of them spoke at first, making the atmosphere somewhat stiff. Finally, Ye Xingmian broke the silence.
“Um… what did you want with me…?”
Lin Ziyan looked at her, a strange smile suddenly appearing on her face.
She grabbed the girl’s hand and dragged her inside with brute force.
“Whoa! What are you doing!”
Because of her small stature, the girl, whose strength was no match for Lin Ziyan’s, nearly lost her balance and fell to the floor from the tug. She quickly leaned against the wall to steady herself. Looking back, she found that Lin Ziyan had already closed the door and locked it behind her.
Pressing her lips together, a strong sense of foreboding rose in her heart. Leaning against the wall with one hand protecting her chest, she watched Lin Ziyan nervously.
“Zi… Ziyan… what are you going to do?”
Lin Ziyan’s room was gorgeous. The four walls were covered with fluffy pink tapestries that gave off a fresh scent from frequent washing. Various plush toys were placed against the walls; some were quite old, with ugly stitching on their fluffy bodies. However, there were also brand-new dolls discarded haphazardly in the corners.
“What am I doing?” Lin Ziyan suddenly leaned in close. She propped one hand on the wall to the left of Ye Xingmian’s head, while the other hand once again pulled out Ye Xingmian’s chest binder from her pocket.
“Actually, I already know, you know?” Her eyes narrowed playfully, a malicious smile on her face.
“Was it comfortable staying at the class monitor’s place? You’re not allowed to go there anymore, understand? Otherwise, I’ll tell my parents your secret and have them kick you out, you ‘little monster.’ Do you understand?”
Tossing the white cloth onto the floor and stepping on it, this little devil, Lin Ziyan, finally bared her fangs.
Using that hand, she pried away the arm the girl used to protect her chest. Under her stunned gaze, her palm gently covered the softness that wasn’t supposed to exist.
“My… big sister…?”