Chapter 17
Lu Yin agreed to Lin Qianqian’s request. Lin Qianqian simply thanked her and then retreated to her room, tossing her dirty clothes into the washing machine.
She didn’t know when the robber would be caught, but she had to be prepared to leave at any moment.
She had unpacked her autumn clothes, anticipating the cooler weather, but now it seemed she would have to repack them.
Lying on her bed, her hair a mess, she thought about why she had come back.
Her graduate advisor, though strict and demanding, held herself and her students to high standards. She had admired Lin Qianqian’s ability to remain calm under pressure, working well with others when it mattered most.
Play hard, work hard. Lin Qianqian, despite her laid-back attitude, never held others back.
Her advisor had offered her a chance to continue her studies and work on a project together.
But Lin Qianqian had refused, saying she had something more important to do, a past to mend.
Yet, in front of Lu Yin, she felt like a burden.
And she was.
If she and Lin Yun hadn’t moved in, Lu Yin’s life would have been easier, free from the responsibility of caring for her, providing for her every need.
Now, as an adult, she had returned, imposing herself on Lu Yin again, despite their bitter past.
She knew she shouldn’t stay, but hearing those words from Lu Yin had stung.
Unable to sleep, Lin Qianqian scrolled through the work chat group.
The robbery had become a local trending topic. She read the comments and the even more disturbing news stories shared by her colleagues.
It only made her more anxious and afraid.
She couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario.
If the robber wasn’t caught, wouldn’t she be in danger commuting alone after she moved out?
Tossing and turning, her mind filled with news reports, she finally screamed in frustration, grabbed her pillow, and marched to Lu Yin’s room, banging on the door.
Lu Yin opened the door after the second knock, her hair messy, her eyes still sleepy. She had clearly been woken up.
“Sister, can I sleep with you tonight…?” Lin Qianqian clutched the pillow tightly. “I’m scared…”
“Scared of the news?” Lu Yin asked.
Lin Qianqian nodded. “I’ll just take a small part of the bed. I’m a good sleeper…”
Worried about being rejected, she added, “It’s still hot. I can sleep on the floor…”
“Do you want the inside or the outside?” Lu Yin opened the door wider, letting her in and closing it behind her.
“The inside is fine,” Lin Qianqian quickly climbed into bed, pressing herself against the wall.
Lu Yin gave her the blanket and took a thin throw from the closet, lying down on the edge of the bed.
Lin Qianqian inhaled the comforting scent of the blanket, watching Lu Yin’s back.
She wanted to be closer, but it seemed impossible for now.
Sharing a bed with Lu Yin, however, brought a sense of security, and she quickly fell asleep.
The air conditioning ran all night. Lin Qianqian burrowed under the covers, unconsciously seeking warmth…
…
In the dead of night, Lu Yin climbed the stairs to the loft, finding Lin Qianqian standing before the painting, her eyes vacant, devoid of light, her movements mechanical, as if controlled by an unseen force.
“Sister, why did you paint me?” she asked.
The girl began to undress, her clothes mirroring those of the figure in the painting, until she stood clad only in thin underwear.
‘Not enough, is it, Sister? I know what you’re thinking,’ the girl whispered.
She removed the remaining garments. The painting on the wall turned stark white, as if the figure had escaped.
Lu Yin stared at her, at her naked body, the pale skin flushed in the dim light.
‘You’ve been thinking about me for a long time, haven’t you?’ the girl’s voice was hollow, devoid of emotion.
She stepped closer, rising onto her tiptoes, her lips close to Lu Yin’s. ‘Sister, don’t you want to kiss me?’
‘But you’re afraid,’ the girl laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. ‘And you’re not worthy.’
‘You’re not Lin Qian,’ Lu Yin finally spoke, her voice strained. ‘You’re not her.’
‘But I look exactly like her, just like the painting,’ the girl’s hand reached out, caressing the canvas, merging with the image and then separating. ‘We both belong to you. You raised us, created us.’
‘But now, you can only look,’ the girl’s laughter echoed through the loft.
Lu Yin’s hand tightened around the girl’s throat, pinning her against the wall, watching the color drain from her face.
Her other hand tore through the imagined jungle, her grip unrelenting, as the girl gasped for air, her mocking words echoing in Lu Yin’s ears. ‘Sister, you’re so pathetic…’
Lu Yin squeezed harder, losing control, wanting to destroy her, to make her disappear.
“Sister! Sister!”
Lu Yin’s eyes snapped open. Lin Qianqian was staring at her, her expression filled with panic.
The throw blanket was still on her, but now she was also covered with the duvet.
“Why are you sweating so much?” Lin Qianqian asked, then bit her lip, showing Lu Yin her wrist, where Lu Yin’s fingers had left deep red marks. “Did you have a nightmare? You were gripping my wrist so tightly.”
Lu Yin released her grip and got out of bed to pour a glass of water. “Put your pajamas on.”
She looked at Lin Qianqian.
The girl’s eyes held no mockery, only concern, clear and bright.
The demons in her dream still lingered. Lu Yin knew it.
Lin Qianqian glanced at her unbuttoned pajama top and pulled it closed. “It’s a little hot.”
“Put it on,” Lu Yin repeated.
Lin Qianqian obeyed, buttoning her top.
She knelt beside the bed, reaching out to wipe the sweat from Lu Yin’s forehead, but Lu Yin flinched away.
Lu Yin wiped her forehead with a tissue, her gaze distant.
Lin Qianqian’s shoulders slumped. She knelt for a moment, then lay down on the far side of the bed.
“I’m going back to sleep,” she mumbled, her voice sounding small and vulnerable.
She shifted under the covers, rubbing her wrist. “It really hurts…”
“Let me see,” Lu Yin said.
“See what?” Lin Qianqian turned over, facing away from Lu Yin, hiding her wrist.
“Your wrist. Let me see,” Lu Yin repeated softly.
Lin Qianqian held out her wrist, the red marks clearly visible. “It’s fine. It’ll fade.”
“I’m sorry,” Lu Yin said, gently massaging her wrist.
Lin Qianqian sniffled, her eyes welling up.
Lu Yin looked up, then quickly looked away, unable to bear the sight of her vulnerability.
Her gaze remained fixed on Lin Qianqian’s wrist.
She didn’t dare look anywhere else.
Lin Qianqian pulled her hand back slightly, biting her lip and looking at Lu Yin, whose hair was even more disheveled now. She winced.
Lu Yin stopped massaging her wrist.
“It’s still early. Go back to sleep,” Lu Yin sighed, turning away and lying down again.
The duvet was pulled back over Lin Qianqian. She touched her wrist, the warmth of Lu Yin’s touch still lingering.
She fell asleep quickly. Lu Yin, however, remained awake.
She shouldn’t have let her into her room, just like she shouldn’t have brought her home in the first place.
From their initial reunion, to cooking for her, to this unavoidable physical contact.
Lu Yin didn’t trust herself.
Once she started, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop.
She had made a terrible mistake.
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