Early the next morning.
When Li Xingya woke up, Lin Jin’an, who should have been beside her pillow, was nowhere to be seen.
‘Did she go to work?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘As an idol, Lin Jin’an’s daily work is probably even busier than Jiang Chiyue’s.’
Li Xingya thought as she took out her phone.
Just as she opened it, a string of messages from Meng Yiqiao popped up.
September 15th
[Xiaoya, I didn’t see you at school today. Did something happen?]
[If you need any help, you can always tell me.]
September 16th
[The teacher said you took sick leave.]
[Rest well. I’ll help you catch up on the classes you missed when you come back.]
Afternoon
[I don’t know why,]
[But when you’re not here, lunch doesn’t taste as good.]
September 17th
[Xiaoya…]
[I’m a bit worried about you.]
[Can you tell me your home address?]
[I want to come see you.]
Meng Yiqiao’s messages made Li Xingya feel both happy and guilty.
She was happy that Meng Yiqiao was thinking of her, which showed that Li Xingya had firmly captured Meng Yiqiao’s heart.
What she felt guilty about was that, judging from Meng Yiqiao’s messages over the past three days…
‘Sister is probably really worried about me.’
[Sister]
Li Xingya tapped the phone screen and sent a message to Meng Yiqiao.
[I’m sorry, I was not available the past few days, so I didn’t reply to your messages.]
[I’ve recovered today. I think I’ll be back at school soon.]
Just as she was about to send something else, Meng Yiqiao suddenly called.
Li Xingya hesitated for a moment, but finally pressed the answer button.
“Sister?”
“Xiaoya.”
On the other end, Meng Yiqiao’s voice was clearly suppressing excitement.
“Why did you call? Is something wrong?”
“No… I just wanted to hear your voice.”
In the dorm, Meng Yiqiao, who was changing clothes, held the phone with her shoulder.
“Your voice still sounds a bit hoarse. Were you sick a few days ago?”
Hearing the word “hoarse,” Li Xingya subconsciously touched the bandage on her neck.
Then she nodded.
“…Yeah, I caught a cold, the flu. But I’ve mostly recovered. I should be able to come to school in a few days.”
‘Getting choked to the point of being hospitalized…’
‘I shouldn’t tell her about that kind of thing.’
“Oh, Sister.”
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you for a favor?”
Li Xingya’s voice lowered a bit.
Hearing that Xiaoya was going to ask her for a favor, Meng Yiqiao naturally wouldn’t refuse.
“Go ahead.”
“I’d like you to prepare some underwear for me… In a few days… Let’s sleep together again at night.”
‘Although Lin Jin’an’s place is nice,’
‘Lin Jin’an is still too scary.’
‘I’ll avoid her as much as I can.’
In comparison, Li Xingya felt Meng Yiqiao was much better.
After all, Sister Meng Yiqiao was just a soft and sweet glutinous rice cake with no lethality at all.
“Mm, okay, I’ll get it ready for you in advance.”
Meng Yiqiao buttoned her shirt, her face slightly reddening.
‘Xiaoya is coming again?’
‘I wonder this time…’
She thought again of Li Xingya’s kiss.
‘This time… will she do something like that again?’
Meng Yiqiao felt that whenever it came to Li Xingya, she became very strange.
It was just a kiss on the cheek, perfectly normal between girls—but why did her face get so hot just thinking about Li Xingya’s kiss?
“Xiaoya… It’s almost time for morning class. I’ll hang up now.”
“Mm, bye, Sister.”
“Bye…”
Before Meng Yiqiao could finish, Li Xingya pressed the end button on the other end.
“Phew.”
Li Xingya let out a long breath.
‘Alright, now I’ve contacted Meng Yiqiao too.’
‘I shouldn’t have any problems until winter break.’
‘Next… what should I do?’
Li Xingya subconsciously tapped on Jiang Chiyue in her friend list, and what came into view was the message that she had been blocked.
‘She sent me to the hospital and then ignored me.’
‘And then she goes and blocks me instead.’
‘Jiang Chiyue is really awful.’
Seeing this, Li Xingya couldn’t be bothered to add her back.
She wished for a life without debtors like this.
She put on slippers, walked out of the bedroom, and went to the bathroom.
As soon as she entered, she spotted her toothbrush.
That’s right, this toothbrush was indeed “hers.”
Li Xingya looked at the signs of use on the blue toothbrush and could confirm it was her own toothbrush.
‘Lin Jin’an specifically brought my toothbrush here?’
“This…”
Li Xingya’s eye twitched.
“I really don’t know if I should call her thoughtful… or a pervert.”
Li Xingya carefully sniffed the brush head.
‘Lin Jin’an didn’t secretly use it, right?’
‘I find it hard to trust her.’
With a nervous feeling, Li Xingya began to brush her teeth.
After finishing, she went downstairs, and as soon as she did, she saw Lin Jin’an opening a takeout bag at the dining table.
“…Xiaoya.”
Lin Jin’an’s expression was a bit awkward.
Li Xingya blinked.
‘So she didn’t go to work.’
‘She’s just opening takeout and pretending to have made breakfast again.’
“Sister, what are you doing?”
Li Xingya tilted her head and asked.
‘Good thing I’m playing the amnesia role now.’
‘Otherwise, I would have laughed at you.’
Last night, Li Xingya thought Lin Jin’an might have guessed she was acting.
But she couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, so she decided to maintain the status quo for now.
It’s best if she didn’t notice; if she did… just treat it as practicing acting skills.
After all, debuting as an idol also requires this kind of skill.
When you think about it, what better way to hone your acting than to perform in front of the great idol Lin Jin’an?
Hearing Li Xingya ask what she was doing, Lin Jin’an quickly hid her flustered look and smiled skillfully.
“I’m preparing breakfast for you. Back then, you loved these the most.”
“Is that so?”
Li Xingya said nothing, only pulled out a chair and sat at the table.
‘Alright.’
‘Whatever you say.’
From the takeout bag, Lin Jin’an first took out a cup of soy milk.
“Try this first, Xiaoya. I had my agent buy it this morning.”
‘Agent?’
‘Is that the sister called Zhou Zhiting?’
‘Mm, I remember her.’
Li Xingya reached out to take the soy milk, but Lin Jin’an pulled her right hand back.
Li Xingya: “?”
‘What trick is she playing now?’
Looking at Li Xingya’s confused expression, Lin Jin’an half-closed her eyes.
“You forgot this too, Xiaoya… When you drank soy milk before, you always wanted me to feed you.”
“R-really?”
“Of course.”
Lin Jin’an nodded.
She picked up a straw, inserted it into the soy milk, and held it with both hands, bringing it to Li Xingya’s lips.
“Come on, Xiaoya, just like before, take a sip of the soy milk I specially prepared for you?”
‘To be honest, I’m starting to like this game.’
Lin Jin’an had to admit that before, no matter what request Xiaoya faced, she would always refuse decisively.
But now—this “amnesiac” Xiaoya was forced to accept various demands.
‘Xiaoya,’
‘You deliberately want to get close to me this way, but you’re too shy to say it, right?’
‘Such a tsundere.’
‘But it’s okay, I understand you.’
‘So in the days to come—I’ll take good care of you.’