Next door.
Lin Yu had… well, he had just been here two days ago.
However, compared to the chaotic mess of his last visit, the house was exceptionally quiet this time.
Standing in the living room, he could clearly hear the sound of his own breathing.
He looked around at the familiar furnishings: the beige fabric sofa, the mugs sitting on the glass coffee table that hadn’t been put away yet, and a few potted plants by the TV cabinet that were looking a bit wilted.
Inevitably, many images from the past surfaced in his mind—some were fragments of childhood memories from playing here, while others were more recent scenes tinged with complex thoughts.
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward the door of Qin Wuyue’s bedroom.
It had been like this that day, too. He had originally come looking for Xia Yanran but couldn’t find her.
In the end, for some reason, driven by a drunken haze and an inexplicable impulse, he had pushed open that door.
Occasionally, he would look back on that situation and think he really had a lot of nerve.
Although he would sometimes steal an extra glance or two because of Qin Wuyue’s exceptional appearance and temperament, deep down, he mostly regarded her as a respected, even slightly intimidating, elder.
Later, he had come to understand it a bit better. While the alcohol that night certainly acted as a catalyst, the more important reason was likely… he had truly become arrogant.
His overly smooth romantic history and the sea of beautiful faces always within reach had unknowingly made him indulgent and careless. He had become less cautious in his actions, always feeling as though everything was under his control.
Of course, the final result had smoothly led to that disastrous conclusion.
He shook his head, brushing away these surging thoughts, and walked toward Xia Yanran’s room.
He pushed the door open. The room was generally tidy; the desk and wardrobe were well-organized.
Only the bed was an absolute mess. The quilt was twisted into a ball in the middle, the pillow was tossed to the side, and the sheets were rumpled.
“This girl…” Lin Yu couldn’t help but mutter. “The weather is so nice today. She should have taken the quilt out to air it. Honestly…”
He figured he might as well help her tidy up so his trip wouldn’t be for nothing.
He walked to the bedside and reached out to grab a corner of the quilt, preparing to shake it out and spread it flat.
But just as he lifted the quilt, a large dark stain in the center of the bedsheet made him freeze.
This mark… the position and the shape…
His brain stalled for a second, and then an internal thought surfaced that left him a bit speechless.
What exactly was she doing? Is… is this fluid output even normal?
Could it be that she was so busy doing *this* that she didn’t even have time to eat? You wouldn’t go that far, would you…
He was familiar with Xia Yanran’s physical constitution; she had exuberant energy and great stamina—something he had experienced firsthand.
For her to be tired enough to faint, to the point where she didn’t even bother tidying the bed, one could only imagine how ridiculous the intensity of the tossing and turning had been since yesterday. The frequency was likely…
Thinking this, he suddenly felt as if the quilt in his hand still held a trace of a faint, sticky sensation.
His movements paused for a moment. Then, he gently placed the quilt back exactly where it had been, restoring it as much as possible to its original messy state.
Forget it. I’ll just pretend I didn’t see anything.
He turned and walked toward the wardrobe.
Most of the clothes hanging inside were athletic styles easy to move in: shorts, tight tank tops, and sports jackets.
The colors were bright and vivid, fitting Xia Yanran’s sunny, lively personality and her desire to showcase her youthful vitality.
He casually grabbed a set of underwear from a drawer, took a sports tank top and a pair of shorts from the hangers, and added a light jacket.
He walked out of Xia Yanran’s room with the clothes.
Just as he reached the front door, someone suddenly knocked from the outside.
Then, Xia Yanran’s voice rang out: “Open up, I’m back!”
Lin Yu was a bit dazed as he unlocked the door.
“Didn’t you say you were going to my place to shower? Why are you back?”
Xia Yanran pursed her lips, her gaze flickering as if she were a bit embarrassed. “Um… I changed my mind. I’ll just shower here.”
“Oh.” Lin Yu blinked, not understanding what this contradictory behavior was all about. “Well… alright then.”
He handed the clothes over. “I found these for you. I’m heading back now.”
“Hey, wait a minute!” Xia Yanran quickly called out from behind him.
“Huh?” Lin Yu turned around, truly confused by her. “What now?”
Xia Yanran hugged the clothes, her fingers unconsciously squeezing the underwear.
She looked down, staring at her chest for a few seconds, and said softly, “Are you… free tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow? I shouldn’t have anything going on,” Lin Yu answered after a moment of thought.
“Then accompany me to the mall.” Xia Yanran looked up, stole a quick glance at him, and then immediately looked down again. Her voice grew even quieter. “I think… I need to buy new bras.”
“What?” Lin Yu didn’t react for a moment.
“It’s just… they seem to have grown again.” Xia Yanran’s voice was almost inaudible, and a faint blush crept up her ears. “They feel tight and uncomfortable.”
“Have they…?” Lin Yu subconsciously glanced at her chest.
She was wearing a relatively form-fitting T-shirt, and the silhouette was indeed quite full.
Xia Yanran pouted, seemingly dissatisfied with his reaction. “Didn’t you notice when you were getting my underwear just now? The size is clearly a bit small. It’s suffocating.”
“How would I notice that?” Lin Yu’s eyes twitched. “I didn’t exactly hold them up against you to measure. Xia Yanran, don’t be so ridiculous.”
He suddenly felt as if this girl was… teasing him in a very blunt, almost skilless manner.
“Hmph,” Xia Yanran acted as if she had found a valid reason. “The fact that you didn’t notice proves you don’t care about me! You don’t pay any attention to my changes! So… your punishment is that you must accompany me tomorrow to buy new ones.”
“…” Lin Yu was completely speechless.
He had just thought she lacked skill, yet she had managed to construct such a bizarre chain of logic.
Her train of thought was really… all over the place.
“And what if I don’t go?” Lin Yu crossed his arms, curious to see what other tricks she had up her sleeve.
“You… won’t go?” Xia Yanran was visibly panicked, her eyes widening slightly.
She hadn’t expected Lin Yu to refuse. In the past, whenever she asked him to go out, he had never declined.
“If you don’t go… if you don’t go…” Her mind raced, and her IQ quickly returned to its normal level.
She narrowed her eyes at Lin Yu, her lips curling into a cunning, slightly threatening arc.
“If you don’t go,” she said, enunciating every word, “I’ll go tell my mom that you bullied me!”
She remembered now; this trick usually worked quite well.
It was a classic case of sticking to what works.
“Heh…” Lin Yu looked at her smug expression and nodded, laughing out of frustration. “Fine, fine, I agree. You… you Mama’s girl.”
“So what?” Xia Yanran lifted her chin, her ponytail swaying. “I like it! Hmph!”
Having said her piece, she didn’t give Lin Yu another chance to speak. She turned and went into her apartment, closing the door with a “thud.”
Leaving Lin Yu standing alone in the empty hallway.
“…She’s making no sense.”
He shook his head, muttered under his breath, and turned to walk back toward his own home.