Chapter 48
Lu Yin, having no time for Lin Qianqian’s antics, pushed her away.
Lin Qianqian flopped dramatically onto the bed. “I knew it! My free food and lodging have a price! You’re already tired of me?”
“If you want to continue your free food and lodging, you’ll listen to me.”
“I just wanted to be close to you,” Lin Qianqian said, grabbing her pants and putting them on. “Isn’t that what life is all about? Food, warmth, and a little bit of fun?”
Seeing Lu Yin leave the room, she quickly finished dressing, grabbed her jacket, and followed.
It was Lin Qianqian’s first time at a furniture store, and she behaved like a child in a candy shop, testing out lamps, flopping onto sofas and beds, her excitement palpable.
Lu Yin, however, was all business, heading straight for the clothing racks, practicality her main concern.
Lin Qianqian, on the other hand, prioritized aesthetics.
Lu Yin had already noticed this, seeing the colorful stickers adorning Lin Qianqian’s closet and the refrigerator door.
Lu Yin’s understanding of Lin Qianqian was evident in her choices, all of which were rejected by Lin Qianqian for various reasons: too dull, too bulky, too difficult to move.
Lu Yin didn’t understand the need for a mobile clothing rack, but she indulged Lin Qianqian’s whims.
Finally, Lin Qianqian spotted a white clothing rack with side shelves and hooks, her eyes lighting up.
Lu Yin, seeing the hooks at the top, designed for hanging bags and accessories, pursed her lips, already anticipating Lin Qianqian’s reaction.
“Sister! Look at the hooks! They look like antlers!”
“If you like it, we’ll buy it,” Lu Yin said simply.
“I only like it because of you,” Lin Qianqian said, stroking her chin, adding a bit of flattery, waiting for Lu Yin to pay.
The sales assistant, eager to demonstrate the product’s versatility, hung various garments on the rack, explaining its features.
Lin Qianqian nodded absently, her attention solely on the antler-like hooks.
Lu Yin paid, gave the delivery address, and then, grabbing Lin Qianqian by the back of her neck, led her out of the store like a misbehaving child.
“Don’t we want to look around more? I want to buy everything!” Lin Qianqian said, stumbling slightly as Lu Yin pulled her along. “Sister, do you like anything? A warm lamp for the bedroom? It would be so romantic!”
Lu Yin ignored her, her gaze fixed ahead, ignoring the curious glances of other shoppers.
“Or a purple light for the bathroom! We could use it when we take a bath together!”
Lu Yin remained silent, her hand searching for her car keys in her pocket.
“Or a beanbag chair! You could lie on it, and I could lie on you!”
Seeing Lu Yin’s frown deepen, she quickly amended, “Or you could lie on me…I wouldn’t mind.”
“Be quiet,” Lu Yin said finally.
“Fine, it’s not like I’m paying. I have no say in this…” Lin Qianqian said sullenly. “I’m just a poor, unloved little grass, at the mercy of the wind and rain.”
Lu Yin got into the driver’s seat. Lin Qianqian tried to open the passenger door, but it was locked.
She tried again, then realized Lu Yin had locked it deliberately.
She marched over to the car and knocked on the window angrily.
Lu Yin lowered the window slightly, her gaze fixed on the road ahead. “What?”
“Why did you lock the door?”
“I need a few minutes to calm down,” Lu Yin said, her voice flat. “Otherwise, I might actually hit you.”
“Oh my…” Lin Qianqian looked around, feigning embarrassment. “We’re in public! How can you be so forward?”
Lu Yin rolled up the window.
Lin Qianqian walked around to the front of the car, crossed her arms, and glared at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin honked the horn, startling Lin Qianqian, who quickly stepped back.
She tried the car door again. It was unlocked. She got in.
“I’m freezing! It’s dark! Can’t you see?” she complained. “You’re so heartless.”
Lu Yin started the car. “You weren’t cold when you were walking around with bare legs.”
“That was for a different purpose.”
“What purpose?”
“To se…to keep warm at home,” Lin Qianqian stammered, changing her mind mid-sentence.
“Seducing who?” Lu Yin pressed, catching the unspoken word.
Lin Qianqian covered her mouth, her words muffled. “I advise you, dear deer, not to challenge me. Or I’ll make you regret it.”
“I advise you not to say such things,” Lu Yin retorted, glancing at her.
Lin Qianqian shivered at the look in Lu Yin’s eyes, her earlier bravado fading. She had been joking, but if she pushed Lu Yin too far, her words might become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Where are we eating?” she asked, changing the subject, sitting up straight. “I didn’t eat the cold noodles this morning.”
Lu Yin named a restaurant, and Lin Qianqian, after checking the menu online, seemed satisfied.
She glanced at Lu Yin, admiring her decisiveness.
If it had been her and Ming Yao, they would have spent hours wandering aimlessly, their indecision ultimately leading to nothing but an increased step count on their phones.
Lu Yin, knowing her lack of direction, always took charge, and Lin Qianqian found this dynamic comforting, a return to their childhood roles, the obedient younger sister following her older sister’s lead.
She had tried messaging Ming Yao again, but she was still blocked.
She decided to call, ready to give Ming Yao a piece of her mind.
What was going on?
Was she backing out of their agreement, abandoning her plan to buy her best friend a house?
She wouldn’t tolerate such betrayal.
But the number was disconnected.
Lin Qianqian checked the number again, but it was correct.
This was strange.
“Sister, have you seen Dr. Zhong recently?”
Lu Yin glanced at her. “Why are you looking for her?”
“No reason. I just can’t reach Ming Yao, and Dr. Zhong is her only family here, right? She doesn’t really talk to her other relatives.”
“I’m not sure,” Lu Yin said.
She never asked about Zhong Shiwu’s affairs, but Zhong Shiwu often shared information, even without being asked.
Lin Qianqian assumed Zhong Shiwu was closest to Ming Yao, but Lu Yin knew she was actually closer to Ming Yao’s older sister, Ming Yi.
Zhong Shiwu’s recent trips abroad had been to visit Ming Yi.
Ming Yi, having built a successful business abroad, was working with Zhong Shiwu, preparing to return and take over the family company.
Ming Yao’s role in all this was unclear, her position seemingly dependent on Zhong Shiwu’s whims.
Lu Yin wasn’t sure if it was a strategic partnership or something else entirely.
“Could you ask her when you see her?” Lin Qianqian asked. “This is strange. Ming Yao has never disappeared like this before. Even when we were out of touch, it was only for a day or two.”
“I’ll see. She’s busy, and she doesn’t always reply to my messages.”
Lin Qianqian sighed, looking at the red exclamation mark next to Ming Yao’s name in her chat history.
They had dinner at a Korean barbecue restaurant. Lu Yin had made a reservation online, and they were seated immediately upon arrival.
Lin Qianqian, a devoted carnivore, ordered a mountain of meat, adding a few token vegetables as an afterthought, then handed the menu to Lu Yin.
Lu Yin glanced at it and gave it to the waiter.
With Lu Yin there, Lin Qianqian never looked at the prices, only concerned about the quality of the food.
If the food was bad, it meant Lu Yin had chosen a bad restaurant. If the food was good, it meant she had excellent taste.
The barbecue was delicious, the aroma of grilling meat filling the air. As soon as the food arrived, Lin Qianqian started grilling.
After their feast, Lin Qianqian feigned concern about the cost. “So oblivious to the struggles of the common people. Five hundred yuan for a single meal…”
“Didn’t you spend ten times that at that Western restaurant?” Lu Yin asked.
“That’s not true!” Lin Qianqian said, trying to remember if she had ever told Lu Yin about that incident. She had only asked Lu Yin for the money, not the details.
“Isn’t ‘drunk words speak sober thoughts’ your motto?”
“Maybe I was just being dramatic…” Lin Qianqian said, touching her stomach, which seemed to have expanded slightly under Lu Yin’s care.
She rested her chin on her hand, finishing her juice. “Five hundred yuan! I could have lived on that for a week abroad!”
“One hundred Australian dollars? For a week?” Lu Yin frowned.
Even with Lin Yun’s reckless spending, the remaining money should have been enough for Lin Qianqian to live comfortably abroad.
Lin Qianqian froze, realizing her slip-up. “The old lady next door was very kind to me. I often ate at her place, and I taught her Chinese,” she said quickly.
Lu Yin’s expression clearly indicated disbelief.
“Frugality is a virtue,” Lin Qianqian insisted.
But under Lu Yin’s gaze, she looked down, defeated.
“Don’t look at me like that. I was fine abroad. I came back safe and sound.”
Being called Ming Yao’s tagalong wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Ming Yao, her wealthy and generous friend, had paid for most of their outings. Lin Qianqian, uncomfortable with accepting so much charity, had been forced into compliance, Ming Yao even threatening to end their friendship and defending her against any gossiping classmates.
The majority of her own expenses had been medical bills, the result of several food poisoning incidents caused by her terrible cooking.
One incident had almost landed her in the emergency room, the thought of the ambulance fees sobering her up enough to seek less expensive treatment.
She had lived frugally, Lin Yun’s monthly allowance of three thousand yuan, barely enough to cover her expenses in Australia.
Her relationship with Lin Yun had deteriorated after the incident with Lu Yin, and she hadn’t wanted to ask for more money.
Lu Yin, seeing her distress, changed the subject, handing her the menu. “Are you full? We can order more.”
“So generous!” Lin Qianqian said, pushing aside her unhappy memories. “Then I’ll have another plate of meat. I’ll work hard to earn it back for you.”
She looked at Lu Yin, her eyes stinging, her throat tightening.
No matter what, past or present, here or abroad, Lu Yin was the only one who had ever truly cared for her.
“And another juice!” she said, trying to distract herself. “And a cola!”
Lu Yin didn’t question her ability to consume so much, indulging her every whim.
Leaving the restaurant, Lin Qianqian was so full she could barely walk.
Lu Yin, afraid of carrying her and putting pressure on her full stomach, held her hand, their pace slow and deliberate.
Lu Yin opened the passenger door, and Lin Qianqian sat down, her feet still on the ground outside the car.
Lu Yin chuckled at her awkward posture.
Lin Qianqian, hearing the soft sound, glared at her. “Don’t laugh at me!”
Lu Yin’s smile faded, but the amusement lingered in her eyes.
She stood outside the car, watching Lin Qianqian struggle for a few minutes.
Lin Qianqian, uncomfortable with the tightness of her pants, looked around, making sure no one was watching, then gestured for Lu Yin to come closer.
“Sister, shield me,” she said, unbuttoning her pants.
“What are you doing?” Lu Yin asked, always surprised by Lin Qianqian’s impulsive actions.
Lin Qianqian pulled up the hem of her sweatshirt.
“Lin Qian,” Lu Yin said, trying to adjust her clothes, but Lin Qianqian swatted her hand away.
“Just a minute. I’ll be quick.”
Lu Yin stared at her, her own words surprising her. “Are you really going to do that here?” she asked.
Leave a Reply