By noon, when it was time to eat, the two of them neatly folded the clothes and tucked them back into the wardrobe before finally leaving Lin Ziyan’s bedroom.
Ye Xingmian headed straight to the kitchen to start cooking, while Lin Ziyan leisurely sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone.
There were still some leftovers from last night. Ye Xingmian reheated them and then fried up a fresh plate of eggs. Watching the girl bustle back and forth, Lin Ziyan inexplicably felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Especially when she saw the outfit she herself had chosen for her: the white thighs peeking out between the over-the-knee socks and the skirt hem, the long dress gently swaying with every movement.
It was a pity, though, that since these were old clothes pulled from her own wardrobe, many parts looked a bit rough and worn. But that wasn’t the main point. Gazing at the girl’s back, Lin Ziyan suddenly let out a soft sigh.
Precisely because these clothes were meant for her, something like a proper maid outfit was absolutely impossible to have on hand.
Otherwise… she really would have loved to see what the girl would look like in a classic black-and-white Japanese-style maid dress. A soft, helpless little maid? Just imagining it felt thrilling.
Maybe after the college entrance exam she shouldn’t let her leave at all? Even if she went to university, she’d probably just rent a place nearby anyway—so why not just bring her along? Tsk… probably not. She wouldn’t agree.
While Lin Ziyan was still lost in wild thoughts, a sudden knock came from the front door.
Who could it be?
Her parents had already said yesterday that they’d be working overtime today and wouldn’t make it back for lunch—so it couldn’t be them.
“Then who…?”
Muttering unconsciously, Lin Ziyan quietly glanced toward the kitchen. The girl was still busy in there; between the loud stir-frying and the range hood roaring, there was no way she could hear anything from here. Lin Ziyan stood up, walked to the door, and peered through the peephole.
What met her eyes…
Lin Ziyan’s gaze sharpened. Her brows immediately knitted tightly together.
It was Liu Yinuo.
Her class president—the petite girl with tea-brown eyes and long, straight black hair.
What was she doing here? Looking for Ye Xingmian?
Because Ye Xingmian hadn’t shown up for class this morning, so she came to check on her?
A flash of disgust passed through Lin Ziyan’s eyes. She gripped the doorknob tightly, with no intention of opening it.
However, perhaps because she could hear the sounds of cooking inside and knew someone was home, Liu Yinuo showed no sign of leaving. After waiting in vain for the door to open, she simply took out her phone and started tapping on the screen.
“Ding—”
An abrupt notification sounded from Lin Ziyan’s pocket. Her pupils contracted. She pulled out her phone; the lock screen was already showing a new message.
[I’m at your door. Hurry up and open it.]
Gritting her teeth, she knew the other girl probably wouldn’t leave on her own. Keeping her locked outside forever wasn’t an option either. In the end, she decisively unlocked the door and pushed both panels open.
Liu Yinuo at the doorway clearly hadn’t expected her to open it so abruptly—she was still frowning down at her phone. When she looked up at the sound, a hint of pleasant surprise flickered in her eyes… only for her expression to instantly collapse the moment she saw that it was Lin Ziyan who had opened the door.
She was still carrying a small schoolbag on her back; no one knew what was inside.
Thanks to her height advantage, Lin Ziyan could look down directly into the other girl’s eyes.
“Why is the class president here? Something the matter?”
Her tone was icy, her eyes filled with hostility. Liu Yinuo, however, paid it no mind. She craned her neck left and right, trying to peer through the gap between Lin Ziyan’s body and the wall to catch a glimpse of the little cutie hidden inside the house.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Can’t I come? I heard Ye is sick—I was worried about her the entire morning.”
“No need. My… brother is being taken care of by me. Class president, you can leave now.”
“What’s with that attitude? I came all the way here to check on her and even brought something. Are you seriously not going to let me in, Lin?” Glaring at her, Liu Yinuo was genuinely getting angry. She really hadn’t expected Lin Ziyan to be so unwilling to even let her step inside. Could it be that she really had done something unforgivable to the little cutie? The thought only strengthened her resolve to get in.
“There’s nothing…”
“Then why are you blocking me? Is she in the kitchen cooking? I’m going to take a look!”
After a moment of silence, realizing she definitely couldn’t stop Liu Yinuo, Lin Ziyan could only step aside with a cold face and let her enter. Right now her impression of Liu Yinuo was rock-bottom. They’d only ever been ordinary desk-mates to begin with; with their vastly different family backgrounds, they barely exchanged a few words on normal days.
Now, with the added risk that Liu Yinuo might try to “steal” her “little sister,” she was even less inclined to tolerate her presence.
Sure enough, the moment Liu Yinuo stepped inside, she made a beeline for the kitchen. Lin Ziyan followed silently behind, staring fixedly at her back without saying a word.
She quietly observed Liu Yinuo’s every reaction.
Liu Yinuo had rushed to the kitchen full of excitement, but the instant she saw Ye Xingmian—dressed in a one-piece dress and busily working alone in the kitchen—she instantly lost her composure. She whipped her head around to look at Lin Ziyan; the look in her eyes was filled with anger, disgust… and even… jealousy.
Lin Ziyan’s expression wasn’t any better. It felt like someone had discovered your favorite toy after you’d carefully dressed it up—and worse, that person might be a thief who could steal it away at any moment.
Ignoring Lin Ziyan completely, Liu Yinuo walked straight toward Ye Xingmian. After making sure her sudden approach wouldn’t disrupt the girl’s cooking, she abruptly threw her arms around her, tightly wrapping them around the slender waist.
“Ye~ Are you feeling better? Did you miss me?” Her voice was sweet and syrupy, almost like she was acting spoiled. Her small head gently rested on the girl’s shoulder as she rubbed her smooth cheek against Ye Xingmian’s neck.
Ye Xingmian’s body stiffened for a second. At first she thought it was Lin Ziyan suddenly hugging her and tensed up nervously—but then she heard the class president’s voice and felt momentarily dazed. She pursed her lips, relaxed her body a little, and her expression grew complicated.
“Class president… why are you here…?”
Liu Yinuo rubbed her cheek against the girl’s again. The overly intimate gesture made Ye Xingmian feel a bit uncomfortable. She gently nudged Liu Yinuo with her elbow, signaling her to let go.
“I heard you took another sick day—I was worried about you. What happened? Did your fever come back? Or was it too cold last night and it made your condition worse? I told you not to rush back. You should’ve just stayed at my place longer.”
“Class president…” The girl pushed again, and only then did Liu Yinuo belatedly realize she might have gotten too excited. She gave a small cough to cover her embarrassment and reluctantly let go.
Her face slightly flushed, Liu Yinuo looked at the girl in front of her—who had her back turned, looking awkward—and for a moment didn’t know what to say. Out of habit she glanced back and saw Lin Ziyan standing right at the kitchen doorway, her face as black as the bottom of a pot, looking like she wanted to kill her.
That didn’t bother her much—Lin Ziyan wasn’t even on her radar. While she was trying to figure out how to break the awkward atmosphere, after some hesitation she finally turned her attention to the black one-piece dress the girl was wearing.
“Um…” She took a step forward, moving to the girl’s side, then leaned close to her ear.
“What’s with the clothes you’re wearing? Does Lin Ziyan already know you’re a girl? Did she force you to wear this? Has she been bullying you?”