Once Lin Ziyan finally let go of her mouth, Ye Xingmian whispered, “Why are Uncle and Aunt home? I didn’t see their car at the entrance.”
“The car is in the New North Underground Parking Lot. Hurry upstairs to my bedroom and change. Don’t let my parents see you.”
“Ah… okay…”
Biting her lip, Ye Xingmian nodded. She then lightened her footsteps, sneaking into the house and heading upstairs like a thief.
Lin Ziyan did not follow. Fortunately, the bedroom door was unlocked. Ye Xingmian opened it, found her clothes on the chair, and changed into them. She dropped her schoolbag onto the floor before heading back downstairs.
By the time she reached the ground floor, her foster father had already finished cooking the dishes. Her foster mother had also finished her shower and was stepping out of the bathroom. Her expression flickered the moment she saw Ye Xingmian.
However, she did not scold Ye Xingmian or ask any questions. She merely cast a cold glance and walked upstairs past her.
“Go eat,” she said.
Without waiting for Ye Xingmian’s reply, she went straight upstairs, clearly going to change her clothes.
‘Eating? Is there actually dinner for me tonight?’ Ye Xingmian felt it was a bit strange, but she didn’t dwell on it. She walked down in silence.
Usually, she was expected to do housework the moment she got home. At the very least, she had to help with something; she was never allowed to stay idle. However, today’s situation felt off. As soon as she got downstairs, her foster father called out to her.
“Xingmian? When did you get back? You didn’t even say a word. Come over and eat.” He made a beckoning gesture.
This left Ye Xingmian feeling somewhat at a loss. She looked up and saw Lin Ziyan also looking at her father with bewilderment after hearing Lin Cheng’s words. Perhaps she was also wondering why her parents had suddenly changed their attitude toward Ye Xingmian.
“What are you dazing for? Come here. I’ve already served your rice. Come massage my shoulders after you finish eating.”
“…Okay.”
Since he had put it that way, Ye Xingmian had no choice but to comply. After a moment of silence, she nodded.
She sat down at the dining table. They truly had served a bowl of rice for her, something that had never happened before. In the past, this task had always been hers.
With this sudden change in attitude, Ye Xingmian suspected they wanted something from her.
But on second thought, what if they did? Whether it was something good or bad, she was already used to it. If things became truly unbearable, she could always hide at Liu Yinuo’s place.
Thinking of this, she felt the burden in her heart lighten slightly. She no longer cared about this inexplicable change. She lowered her head and ate her rice. After all, there was no telling if they would suddenly have a change of heart and stop her from eating; she had to take this chance to eat more.
After the three of them had eaten for a while, Xu Ming came downstairs and sat next to Lin Cheng. It was a rare sight for all four of them to be eating together.
“Xingmian, don’t be in such a hurry to go upstairs after dinner. We have something to say to you.”
‘As expected.’
Ye Xingmian looked up slightly at the smiling Xu Ming and nodded without saying a word.
While she remained silent, Lin Ziyan grew suspicious. She looked at her mother and narrowed her eyes.
“Mom, what do you want with her?”
Faced with the question, Xu Ming chose to evade.
“It’s nothing. I just want to talk to her about her studies. Zi Yan, you’re on break, but don’t stay up late. Go up and rest after you finish eating.”
It was happening again!
Lin Ziyan felt a sense of deja vu, as if something similar had occurred last night. However, she didn’t say anything this time. She snorted and gave a curt “Fine.”
The meal ended quickly, and the atmosphere remained heavy. Lin Ziyan was the first to finish. She put down her chopsticks, grabbed her cellphone, and went upstairs, glaring at Ye Xingmian before she left.
Despite noticing the gaze, Ye Xingmian felt nothing. Perhaps as time passed, she had become desensitized to Lin Ziyan’s childish behavior.
Especially after what happened at noon…
Aside from a dispensable, fake “sibling” status, what was left of their relationship?
As far as Ye Xingmian was concerned, her impressions of Lin Ziyan were mostly of her being mean, childish, and nonsensical.
She treated her poorly for no reason, just like her foster parents. She discriminated against her, threatened her, and humiliated her for no reason.
Ye Xingmian was not incapable of distinguishing good from evil. On the contrary, she remembered everything everyone had done to her. She simply lacked the power to retaliate. The high-pressure environment of the past had molded her into someone weak, and it was difficult to break free from it.
If she wanted to escape this hell, the best path right now…
She knew very well that it was to go to the side of the tea-colored eyed girl.
However, her cowardly nature still made her hesitate. The uncertainty and risk of that path still filled her with fear.
But that was all.
After Lin Ziyan went upstairs, she had to face her foster parents alone.
Xu Ming gave Lin Cheng a look, and he understood immediately. He walked up the stairs to check, and only after confirming that Lin Ziyan had indeed entered her room and wasn’t eavesdropping did Xu Ming feel at ease. A hypocritical smile appeared on her face.
“Xingmian, Aunt wants to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
Ye Xingmian did not look up. She didn’t want to see her, so she kept her head low and responded dully.
“I heard from Zi Yan that you told her the money for that toy bear belonged to your mother. How did you know about that?”
There was no testing the waters; the question was a direct strike. Ye Xingmian was stunned for a moment, but once she regained her composure, she remained silent.
“Don’t be afraid. Aunt isn’t asking because I want to blame you. I just want to confirm one thing…”
“Do you already know that Uncle and I have been asking your mother for money behind your back?”
Upon hearing those words, Ye Xingmian turned her head away. Seeing her reaction, Xu Ming immediately understood that her guess was correct.
She sighed.
“Xingmian, actually, it was a last resort for me to ask your mother for money. After all, what part of this house doesn’t require money? Your tuition, Zi Yan’s tuition, the food and drink for our family, the water and electricity… everything costs money. As for that doll, that was actually my own money. Your mother’s money is all used to supplement the household expenses.”
Ye Xingmian didn’t believe a single word Xu Ming said. She was only curious about one thing—why was Xu Ming suddenly bringing this up?
“What are you trying to say…?”
She looked up. Her black hair partially obscured her vision, making her expression look somewhat dark.