It was a bit cold in the living room. Fortunately, the long stockings she wore were warm enough to keep her legs from freezing. Combined with her coat, the temperature inside was barely tolerable even though she was wearing a skirt.
The girl poured the vegetables from the fridge into a pan to heat them up, along with the leftover soup from last night. Their breakfast was ready in no time.
She served her own portion and set it on the table. Just as she was about to go upstairs to call Lin Ziyan for breakfast, Lin Ziyan walked down.
However, she was carrying the girl’s schoolbag.
The moment she saw this, Ye Xingmian’s pupils constricted. She had an ominous premonition. She had been too tired earlier and forgot to bring the bag down with her.
Looking at Lin Ziyan’s expression, she had definitely discovered something.
‘What did she find?’
The girl could only pray that the phone Qin Haiyue gave her hadn’t been discovered. If Lin Ziyan took the phone, she wouldn’t be able to reply to Qin Haiyue’s messages, and she might get beaten because of it.
After all, she still didn’t know when Qin Haiyue wanted her to go to her house or where she would be picked up. Qin Haiyue hadn’t said whether she should wait at home or go somewhere else.
She was a little scared, having not checked for any messages from Qin Haiyue all night.
After hesitating for a moment, she decided to take the initiative and approach.
“Um… Can I have my bag back?”
“Hmm? You mean this?” With a smile on her face, Lin Ziyan tossed the bag in her hands. “Sure, but I want to ask you a question.”
She said this and walked straight to the dining table, crossing her legs.
“What is it…?” Unsettled, the girl walked to the opposite side of Lin Ziyan.
“This.” Lin Ziyan took out the scarf and placed it on the dining table. “Liu Yinuo gave this to you, didn’t she?”
Not knowing what she intended, the girl only felt a faint sense of dread. After a moment of silence, she nodded.
“And these?” She pulled out two banknotes and placed them on the table.
Ye Xingmian’s pupils shrank.
“That… Qin Haiyue gave me those…”
“You think I’ll believe that?” Lin Ziyan narrowed her eyes, her tone threatening. “That girl used to rob you of your money every day, and now you’re telling me she actually gave you money? Then let me ask you, what’s her angle? Don’t you think that statement is a bit hard to believe?”
The girl hadn’t thought about such complex matters; she was just telling the truth. However, Lin Ziyan seemed to disbelieve her entirely.
She also found Qin Haiyue’s behavior strange, but what could she say? Lin Ziyan wouldn’t believe her anyway.
“I’m not lying…”
Pursing her lips, she offered a pale defense.
“Hah, I don’t believe for a second that Qin Haiyue would give you this. This is from Liu Yinuo, isn’t it? I’m confiscating it.”
“What?”
Looking up in disbelief, the girl wanted to say it wasn’t true. However, Lin Ziyan had already stuffed the money into her pocket. Seeing that she definitely wouldn’t get it back, the words stayed stuck in her throat.
“Okay…” She couldn’t understand why Lin Ziyan was so hostile toward Liu Yinuo, but at this moment, the girl didn’t want to know. Pursing her lips, she realized she might not have lunch again next week.
What she should be worried about now was what Lin Ziyan intended to do with the scarf.
After all, it was a gift from Liu Yinuo. If it was confiscated like the money and Liu Yinuo found out, she would definitely be unhappy, right? Although whether she was happy or not made no difference to the girl—in fact, letting her be disappointed fit her original plan—she couldn’t help but feel conflicted.
Doing something like this really weighed on her conscience. Although she had a decent mental capacity for stress, facing Liu Yinuo’s kindness was a completely different story. She felt a strong sense of self-reproach and guilt.
“The scarf… Can you give it back to me?”
She said softly. Fortunately, it seemed Lin Ziyan hadn’t found the phone. The girl was glad she had hidden it in a small, concealed compartment in her bag yesterday. It was impossible to find without a thorough search.
“No.” To her surprise, Lin Ziyan gave a flat refusal.
The smile on her face grew more sinister. The girl remained silent for a while.
“What do I have to do to get it back?”
“Well…”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Ziyan decided to string the girl along. “Come massage my shoulders first.”
“Okay…”
Silently, she walked behind Lin Ziyan, placed her hands on her shoulders, and began to knead them.
“Mmh, not bad. Let me think. How about this? Why don’t you make a choice?”
“A choice…?”
The freshly heated food on the table was steaming, and the drifting aroma made the girl worry that it would get cold if they waited much longer.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“A choice between what…?”
“Your teddy bear and this scarf from Liu Yinuo. I’m going to throw one of them away. You choose which one to keep.”
—
‘She really is up to no good.’
The girl pursed her lips, and the strength in her hands unintentionally increased.
“Can I not choose?”
“If you don’t choose, I’ll throw both of them away. You can go dig through the trash can then; maybe there’s a chance you’ll find them. Of course, I might just burn them before throwing them out.”
“Why are you doing this…?”
‘I don’t understand. I clearly haven’t provoked her, so why does she keep tormenting me like this? Is it just for fun? To humiliate me for such a senseless reason, to toy with the things I cherish, and even talk about throwing them away…’
Her hatred for Lin Ziyan deepened. If she had once fantasized that Lin Ziyan was her sister—that even though they weren’t blood-related, they were still family and it was okay to be kind to her—then that idea was now completely shattered.
‘I only want to escape this place as soon as possible, to leave this place that brings me only pain and despair. However, where could I go? Nowhere.’
“Hmph, stop talking nonsense and choose already.”
Lin Ziyan snorted coldly, waiting for the girl’s answer.
Closing her eyes, Ye Xingmian knew that if she had to choose, there was only one option. But she didn’t want to lose either of them. So, she tried to awkwardly change the subject.
“Let’s eat first. The food is getting cold.”
“Huh? I’m asking you a question. Answer me!”
Gritting her teeth, she knew she couldn’t avoid it.
As expected, her mother was more important.
“I want the teddy bear. Don’t touch it.”
“Fine!”
Satisfied, she struck a triumphant pose. Lin Ziyan casually dropped the scarf on the floor and stepped on it.
Watching her actions, the girl couldn’t help but feel a bit dejected.
‘Should I apologize to Liu Yinuo?’ Actually, she already owed her enough; adding this to the list didn’t seem like much.
Moreover, for some reason, she suddenly felt that Lin Ziyan’s actions were so childish and ridiculous.
‘Just like a jealous child.’