Chapter 24
Three seconds passed. Silence.
Lin Qianqian, fearing rejection, pressed her advantage. “You said anything!”
This wasn’t even her primary wish. She had already compromised. Now it was Lu Yin’s turn.
Lu Yin had taken her in. She had to commit. It was a lifetime contract.
“I can pay rent. I’m not moving,” Lin Qianqian said, backing up against the closed door, as if seeking strength from its solidity.
But Lu Yin’s continued silence eroded her confidence.
Her forced smile faded, replaced by uncertainty.
If Lu Yin refused, she wouldn’t argue.
She could never argue with Lu Yin, never find the right words to defend herself, to justify her desires.
“Do you need anything else for your room?” Lu Yin asked.
Her answer was clear.
She knew Lin Qianqian had been on her best behavior lately, her belongings neatly organized, her clothes folded and tucked away, her toiletries stored in her suitcase, as if preparing for an imminent departure.
Lin Qianqian’s expression froze. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Even the gentle and kind sister she remembered could be surprisingly devious.
As a child, she had been a picky eater, a beating from Lin Yun ensuring a few days of obedience, but the lessons never lasted.
She loved the burgers from the fast-food restaurant down the street, using hunger strikes to defy Lin Yun, secretly asking Lu Yin to buy her burgers and iced cola.
When Lu Yin stopped indulging her, Lin Qianqian sulked.
Lu Yin coaxed her out of her room, two burgers in hand.
“Both for me?” Lin Qianqian’s face lit up. You can’t resist me, can you?
“Both for you,” Lu Yin nodded. “One chicken, one beef.”
“I’ll share one with you,” Lin Qianqian said, torn between her two favorites.
“If you can finish them both, there’s no need to share,” Lu Yin said, placing a bowl of steaming noodles, the kind Lin Qianqian hated, in front of her.
She only liked one kind of noodles—
Cold noodles.
Never hot noodles.
Lin Qianqian had intended to share, her offer a peace offering after her earlier sulking.
“I can finish them,” she said, already tearing open the wrappers.
“Don’t waste any,” Lu Yin said, starting on her noodles.
“I’ll be a dog if I don’t finish them,” Lin Qianqian said, eyeing the burgers. “But why isn’t the wrapper sealed with tape this time?”
Lu Yin didn’t answer, continuing to eat her noodles.
Lin Qianqian took a large bite of the burger and a satisfying gulp of iced cola.
After a few bites, she realized something was wrong.
A strong taste of wasabi filled her mouth, burning her throat and stinging her nose.
She spat out the burger, her eyes watering, her throat on fire.
She yelped, gulping down the rest of the cola, but the cup was almost empty. She swallowed an ice cube whole, almost choking.
Furious, she dumped the remaining ice into the trash.
“Sister, give me some noodles!”
“Don’t you hate noodles?”
“I need something to neutralize the taste!” Lin Qianqian fanned her mouth. “Did you put wasabi in my burger? That’s why there was no tape!”
Lu Yin had been about to offer her the bowl, but after hearing Lin Qianqian’s accusation, she finished her noodles and the broth in one gulp.
“You did it on purpose! You did!” Lin Qianqian rushed to the refrigerator.
They usually shared groceries, their refrigerator stocked with their combined purchases.
Now, it was empty.
“Where’s all the food?”
Lu Yin gestured towards the empty bowl. “I ate it.”
Lin Qianqian could only drink water, but she had eaten the wasabi-laden burger so quickly that she ended up filling her stomach with water.
After the wasabi incident, Lin Qianqian continued her antics, but she never challenged Lu Yin directly again. Their dynamic shifted from major tantrums every three days to minor sulks three times a day, prioritizing efficiency over intensity.
She had learned that Lu Yin, despite her gentle nature, could be surprisingly ruthless, exploiting her weaknesses with precision.
But as long as she obeyed, Lu Yin rarely resorted to such tactics.
Lin Qianqian’s thoughts returned to the present, drawn back by Lu Yin’s gaze.
“Do you need anything? We can go buy it,” Lu Yin said, assuming she was still thinking about the apartment. “It’s not too late. We can get the essentials.”
“I don’t need anything!” Lin Qianqian said, her earlier uncertainty replaced by a surge of relief. “I don’t need anything at all!”
With her anxieties quelled, her carefully constructed facade crumbled.
Remembering the wasabi incident, she suddenly felt a surge of emotion, hitting Lu Yin’s shoulder playfully.
“Why didn’t you say anything? Why did you scare me like that?” Lin Qianqian’s voice trembled, close to tears. “I thought you were kicking me out! You’re always teasing me! And making me eat wasabi!”
“When did I make you eat wasabi?” Lu Yin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You put it in my burger!”
“That’s what you get for refusing to eat and locking yourself in your room,” Lu Yin said. “Do you remember how much I begged you to come out?”
Let her believe the lie. She hadn’t intended to trick Lin Qianqian this time.
Since Lin Qianqian’s return, the orange peel incident had been her only act of mischief.
Lin Qianqian, knowing she was at fault, dropped the subject.
She hugged Lu Yin’s waist, her eyes red. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”
Lu Yin looked down at her, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her eyes. “You’re doing all the talking. I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“I don’t care. You promised,” Lin Qianqian said, hugging her tightly, then noticing Lu Yin’s arms remained at her sides.
She released her hold, wiping her eyes. The tears subsided quickly.
“You really don’t need anything?” Lu Yin asked, remembering Lin Qianqian’s earlier request for financial assistance. She had practically spelled it out.
She could always tell the difference between Lin Qianqian’s tears.
These were tears of joy, fleeting and easily forgotten.
As expected, the tears had vanished as quickly as they had appeared, the earlier sadness a mere illusion.
“I haven’t thought of anything specific yet…” Lin Qianqian said, studying Lu Yin’s expression. “Can I…can I have the equivalent in cash?”
“How much?” Lu Yin asked, opening the money transfer app on her phone.
“Really?” Lin Qianqian’s eyes widened, a flicker of guilt crossing her face as she leaned closer to the screen.
She hesitantly held up a finger, thinking she should ask for a small amount.
Lu Yin tapped on the screen.
Lin Qianqian stared at the four zeros, speechless.
Was there anyone this gullible…
No, this kind-hearted? Getting paid to live in someone’s apartment.
Silly deer.
She remembered the nickname she used to call Lu Yin, the reason for it not so different from the current situation.
Lu Yin provided for her, just like when she was younger, asking for nothing in return. Just like a silly, unsuspecting deer.
The only difference was that back then, she would say it to Lu Yin’s face, earning a time-out in the corner.
Now, she only dared to think it.
She giggled, then noticed Lu Yin looking at her.
“Too much?” Lu Yin asked.
“Not really,” Lin Qianqian stopped laughing, mentally calculating the amount. “Less than two months’ rent, right?”
In Lu Yin’s world, deception usually involved other people deceiving her.
She had encountered countless two-faced individuals and had become adept at recognizing and navigating their lies.
But with Lin Qianqian, she chose to believe her, assuming her pleas for help were genuine, not manipulative.
This habit persisted, making her wonder if she should give Lin Qianqian more money.
“It’s enough, more than enough,” Lin Qianqian said, closing the app on Lu Yin’s phone.
Lu Yin could read her like a book, her intuition always accurate. Lin Qianqian relied on memory.
She had feigned helplessness so many times that she knew, regardless of the situation, Lu Yin would always help her.
And she didn’t really need the money. She had only asked because she thought she would have to move out. Now that she could stay, the financial “crisis” had vanished.
“Mm,” Lu Yin put her phone away. “Let me know if you need more.”
As Lu Yin turned to leave, Lin Qianqian stopped her.
She couldn’t miss out on a birthday present. Every birthday with Lu Yin had involved a gift.
She had spent too many birthdays without Lu Yin. She wouldn’t let this one pass.
“You still owe me a birthday present,” Lin Qianqian said, her hand on the doorknob. “That was just my birthday wish.”
Lu Yin looked at her. “Then tell me what you want.”
If she could fulfill Lin Qianqian’s wishes and be done with it, all the better.
In Lin Qianqian’s vocabulary, the first entry was “pushing her luck.”
Lu Yin wouldn’t put it past Lin Qianqian to invent new and creative ways to disrupt her work.
“Same rules. You have to agree before I tell you,” Lin Qianqian said, grinning. “What if you change your mind?”
“Fine, I agree,” Lu Yin said, glancing at the time on her phone.
Lin Qianqian excelled at making outrageous requests when Lu Yin was in a good mood, always stopping before Lu Yin got angry.
Like now. She was ninety-nine percent sure her birthday wish would be granted. The remaining one percent was the probability of her escaping unscathed if it wasn’t.
Her confidence wasn’t based on statistics, but on her ability to run away if necessary.
Go big or go home. Lin Qianqian closed her eyes, leaning closer to Lu Yin.
“Then kiss me.”
Silence.
No response. Lin Qianqian opened her eyes, quickly backtracking.
“On second thought, I don’t want that for my birthday. Seems like a bad deal,” she said, touching her nose, her words contradicting her racing heart. “I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Lin Qian,” Lu Yin said.
Lin Qianqian looked up, pouting. “What? I can change my mind…”
Before she could finish, a shadow fell over her. Lu Yin’s lips brushed against hers, a fleeting kiss on the corner of her mouth.
Lin Qianqian froze, stunned into silence.
The brief kiss, barely a second long, sent a wave of panic through her.
She wondered if that one percent chance of escape was still viable.
This woman was too unpredictable. She pinched herself, needing confirmation that this was real.
“Happy birthday,” Lu Yin said, quickly retreating to her room, closing the door behind her.
Lin Qianqian sank to the floor, her heart pounding, her hands clenched into fists.
She felt like she was going to be sick.
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