The second floor was plunged in dead silence and darkness. The girl didn’t dare make too much noise—she was afraid of waking her foster parents.
So even when knocking, she only dared to use the lightest touch, worried that the person inside might not even hear it.
Still, she didn’t have to wait long. The door opened quite soon.
A little nervous, the girl shrank back slightly. She lifted her head and met Lin Ziyan’s eyes.
“What do you want?”
The tone was extremely cold, making the girl momentarily doubt her decision to come here. But since she had already arrived, there was no turning back. She could only steel herself and continue.
“Did you… take something of mine…?”
“Oh? What thing?” Lin Ziyan raised an eyebrow, her mood visibly brightening with a hint of amusement.
“Um… my teddy bear…”
A little embarrassed, the girl said softly.
“Is that really yours?”
“You… you yourself said you were giving it to me…” Sure enough, it was taken by Lin Ziyan. With her guess confirmed, the girl grew a bit anxious. She stepped closer to Lin Ziyan, looked up, and clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
“Please give it back, okay?”
Lin Ziyan smiled.
“What? It’s just a toy, and it means that much to you? Then why did you still break your promise even though you knew? Hm? Do you like going to that Liu Yino’s house that much?”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t go to her house… really…”
“Hm? Then where did you go? Besides her, who else would be willing to take in a person like you?”
The girl fell silent.
Telling her about Qin Haiyue’s existence wouldn’t benefit her at all; the other party might even think she was using it as a threat.
Seeing this, Lin Ziyan’s expression darkened considerably.
“Get in!” she ordered.
Though a little hesitant, the girl still obediently stepped inside.
Lin Ziyan immediately closed the door and locked it.
“Tomorrow is Saturday. You know that, right?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, the lamplight illuminated the cold smile on her face, making the girl feel uneasy. Her pink, animal-like eyes darted around the room, searching for her beloved teddy bear, but she found nothing—Lin Ziyan had clearly hidden it.
The girl withdrew her gaze and awkwardly clutched the hem of her clothes.
“I know…”
“Then do you know what you should be doing right now?”
The girl froze for a moment. A bad premonition rose in her heart, and her voice trembled slightly.
“Doing… what…?”
Lin Ziyan smiled, showing her pearly white teeth.
“Take off your clothes.”
“W-Why…?”
The girl was stunned. She instinctively covered her chest, completely at a loss.
Even when facing her foster parents, she had never felt this nervous. Why now…?
Intense unease caused her to unconsciously take half a step back.
“Why else? You’re going to sleep with me.”
“Ah… just sleep together, that’s all?”
If that were really the case, it might still count as relatively gentle. But Lin Ziyan rolled her eyes, clearly not intending to let the girl off so easily.
“Of course… but you’re not allowed to wear anything.”
“Huh?”
“Not only that—you’re not allowed to move around, not allowed to talk in your sleep. If you accidentally wake me up…”
She turned around, pulled the very item the girl had come looking for out from under the blanket.
The girl’s pupils shrank. She watched nervously. Lin Ziyan tugged at the bear’s arm, a malicious smile spreading across her face.
“I’ll tear this thing apart and throw it in the trash.”
The girl’s body shuddered violently.
“No… don’t…”
“Then behave and listen obediently. Understand? If I’m in a good mood, I might even return it to you early.”
Having obtained a handle that could easily control the girl, Lin Ziyan felt quite pleased. The previous leverage—telling her parents about the girl’s transformation—could still be used, but its effect wasn’t nearly as direct. To draw an analogy: informing the parents was like mutual assured destruction with nuclear weapons. It could severely wound Ye Xingmian, but it would also cause Lin Ziyan to completely lose her.
That was something she didn’t want to see.
This small, cherished teddy bear, on the other hand, was like a gun held to the girl’s head—giving Lin Ziyan absolute power over her.
Sure enough, after hearing those words, the girl was silent for a while before finally nodding helplessly and beginning to undress.
Lin Ziyan turned off the bedroom light. Only a dim yellow nightlight remained. The room was chilly, and soon the girl—who had stripped down to her underwear—was trembling with cold.
“Actually, there are a few things I’m quite curious about. These clothes were also given to you by Liu Yino? Tsk tsk, they don’t look cheap at all. She really is generous.” Lin Ziyan’s tone carried a sour edge. She had originally planned to order the girl to take off her underwear too, but for some reason, seeing the shame and pain on the girl’s face, she suddenly didn’t want to push it that far.
The same went for her earlier thoughts of changing her attitude toward the girl, or simply beating her up to make her understand the cost of disobedience. But when the pitiful-looking girl actually stood in front of her, she found herself reluctant.
Was it sympathy? Or some other reason? In any case, she didn’t do it. She patted the edge of the bed, motioning for the shivering girl to sit beside her in the cold air.
The girl obediently walked over. Lin Ziyan immediately wrapped an arm around the girl’s soft, slender waist and pulled her into her embrace. Through the pajamas, she gently sniffed the fragrance of the girl’s hair, then covered both herself and Ye Xingmian with the blanket.
“No… those… those weren’t from the class president…”
Almost naked and being held by someone else, the girl was extremely nervous. Even when she had been forced to stay at Qin Haiyue’s house and sleep over, at least she had been wearing pajamas. Now, she truly had nothing on except her underwear.
“Then who was it? Hm? Are you lying to me again?”
Dissatisfied, Lin Ziyan lightly pinched and twisted the soft flesh on the girl’s small, perky bottom, clearly a bit angry.
“Eek! Don’t… don’t do that… it hurts…”
The small body trembled unnaturally. The girl curled up, letting out pitiful pleading sounds.
“Fine. Tell the truth and I’ll let go.”
“Huh? I’m telling the truth…” The girl tried to argue, but Lin Ziyan clearly didn’t believe her. There wasn’t much excess softness anywhere else on Ye Xingmian’s body—only this spot could be pinched. She didn’t loosen her grip; instead, she twisted harder.
“Eek! Let… let go…!” The girl clenched her teeth, her voice shaking.
“Not letting go. Still not telling the truth?”
“It really… really wasn’t from the class president…”
“Then who gave them to you?”
The girl couldn’t bear the pain anymore. She tried to struggle, but Lin Ziyan immediately pinned her down on the bed. Unable to move, the girl trembled all over, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Qin… Qin Haiyue…”
At that answer, Lin Ziyan froze, frowning.
Her grip unconsciously loosened a little. Seizing the chance, the girl quickly tried to crawl away.
“Get back here!” Lin Ziyan’s tone was somewhat irritated as she furrowed her brows.
The girl instantly didn’t dare move anymore. Resigned, she crawled back. Lin Ziyan pulled her into her arms again, savoring the softness of the girl’s body.
“You said Qin Haiyue? That guy wouldn’t even beat you up, and she still gave you clothes?”