The Stench and the Scheme

Inside the small rental apartment, Lin Yiting, dressed in casual loungewear, sat on the sofa. Her slender, well-proportioned arms swung idly as she held a cat wand.

Wherever the cat wand swayed, the little calico kitten’s eyes followed, its fluffy head twisting and turning, an amusing sight to behold.

The moment Lin Yiting’s attention wavered, the calico cat swiftly raised its front paws and pounced. The cat wand was, as expected, seized by the kitten, its sharp claws, hidden beneath its fur, firmly hooked onto the toy.

After waiting for a long while, the cat wand remained motionless. The calico cat tilted its head in confusion, and seeing no movement, it proudly lifted its head, then gently nudged the wand again.

Lin Yiting, seated nearby, had no mind for teasing the kitten further. She glanced at the time on her phone; it was already past seven, and normally, Lin Yi would have been home by now.

Gazing at the tiny camera on her fingertip, Lin Yiting couldn’t help but recall the events of that morning.

Earlier, Lin Yi had left the house, and Lin Yiting followed closely behind. She wasn’t stalking him, but rather wanted to examine the miniature camera.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location, Guan Chenjie studied the device for quite some time. Lin Yiting grew somewhat impatient waiting as he only managed to uncover a sliver of information about the target.

His phone was a new model, and his daily routine simply involved commuting between the residential area and the school. Beyond that, Guan Chenjie found no other details.

In truth, by this point, Lin Yiting already had her answer.

Her thoughts returned to reality, her eyes vacant, as she muttered a name repeatedly.

‘Chen Sishi…’

‘Could it be that Lin Yi was caught by her again?’

Her mind was a chaotic mess, and constantly indulging in such baseless speculation wouldn’t solve anything. Just as Lin Yiting rose to leave, the apartment door opened, and a foul stench wafted in.

Lin Yi stood at the doorway, reeking horribly. The overpowering odor that assailed her forced Lin Yiting to instinctively pinch her nose.

Even the calico cat, previously amusing itself, scurried into the bedroom upon catching the scent.

“Lin Yi, did you fall into a cesspit?”

Lin Yiting had been ecstatic when she first saw Lin Yi return. However, upon witnessing her brother’s disheveled appearance, her brows furrowed once more.

“Were you bullied?”

“Cough, no, I just fell.”

“Then what happened to you? Don’t tell me you were carousing with others? Lin Yi, I’m not lecturing you, but when a young man is out alone, he must know how to protect himself.”

Lin Yi pressed a hand to his forehead. He certainly understood that sentiment deeply. But that wasn’t the main issue right now; he still carried the stench of the junkyard.

If he hadn’t consciously slowed his breathing, he would have long since thrown up.

“Sister, don’t talk about that yet. Please, put some water on quickly; I need to take a shower.”

“Oh…”

Stepping into the bathroom, Lin Yi peeled off his reeking clothes. He brought his nose close to his arm; his body smelled alright, just a faint trace of the stench. After a quick rinse under the shower, this subtle odor vanished without a trace.

The clothes, however, were the real problem. He only had one set of this school uniform, and unless something unexpected happened, he would surely be reprimanded by the entire school tomorrow.

Rubbing his throbbing temples, Lin Yi was momentarily at a loss for what to do. He couldn’t possibly go to school wearing a filthy uniform, could he?

It was all because earlier, when he was climbing over the school wall, he’d stepped on something unknown and tumbled straight into a pile of garbage.

As he fretted, a bold idea suddenly flashed through Lin Yi’s mind.

‘If I go to school tomorrow wearing dirty clothes, then Chen Sishi’s favorability towards me would definitely plummet, right?’

As if a new world had opened up before him, a triumphant smile spread across Lin Yi’s lips. He envisioned Chen Sishi’s peculiar expression tomorrow, a sight that would surely be priceless.

He firmly decided then and there to wear those clothes to school the next day.

Having secretly made up his mind, Lin Yi dried himself, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and stepped out.

Lin Yiting, seeing him emerge from the shower, beckoned him over for dinner. She had made braised pork today, intending it as a surprise for Lin Yi. Now, however, the food had grown cold.

As she reheated the dishes, the familiar stench lingered around her nose. The mix of savory and foul odors made Lin Yiting feel a little nauseous. She turned to look at Lin Yi, her slender brows knitted together.

“Lin Yi, why does it still smell?”

“Oh, I haven’t washed my clothes yet.”

Upon hearing this, she quickly abandoned the vegetables in the wok and rushed to the bathroom. Finding the reeking clothes, she shoved them all into the washing machine. Then, she rinsed her hands multiple times before returning to the kitchen.

Lin Yi hesitated, on the verge of speaking, but ultimately let out a helpless sigh. He decided to tell her after dinner; indeed, with that stench present, he had no appetite.

Once the foul odor dissipated, a rich aroma of braised meat wafted from the kitchen, filling the entire rental apartment within minutes.

Meow~

Meow, meow, meow!

The calico cat, which had been hiding in the bedroom, poked a fluffy head out from the doorway, curious about the source of the savory scent.

Its gaze locked onto the kitchen. Seizing the moment while no one was paying attention, it stretched its legs and dashed towards the kitchen at full speed.

A black blur flashed past, and Lin Yi instinctively reached out to grab it. A black and white calico cat was thus lifted by him.

“You’re not allowed in the kitchen.”

Meow!

The kitten let out a wail, its four tiny paws flailing wildly, yet it couldn’t escape Lin Yi’s grip.

****

After dinner, Lin Yiting went to the kitchen to do the dishes. Lin Yi, meanwhile, sat on the sofa. There was no rush to discuss going to school in dirty clothes; it wouldn’t be too late to talk after Lin Yiting finished her chores.

Seeing that Lin Yiting was almost done tidying up, Lin Yi walked over and told her his idea.

A distracted Lin Yiting put down her chopsticks after listening, her expression puzzled.

“Lin Yi, did your brain get filled with garbage?”

Even if it was to avoid Chen Sishi, Lin Yi couldn’t be allowed to degrade himself like that. As his older sister, Lin Yiting would certainly not agree.

Lin Yi conceded that this plan was a wild fantasy, but how would he know if it worked without trying?

“Sister, just this once.”

Unable to deter Lin Yi, Lin Yiting pondered for a moment before offering a compromise.

“I’ll wipe your clothes down in a bit. Otherwise, your classmates won’t be able to focus on class because of the stench from you.”

Knowing she meant well, Lin Yi nodded in agreement.

****

The next morning, Lin Yi left for school wearing his foul-smelling uniform. Thanks to Lin Yiting’s efforts, the stench had significantly faded. Unless one got very close, the smell was practically undetectable.

[Lin Yi: I’m about to head downstairs. When are you coming out?]

Before going downstairs, Lin Yi specifically sent a message to Chen Sishi. He wanted to see if his method would be effective.

[Chen Sishi: Got it, I’ll be right there.]

Chen Sishi replied almost instantly. Lin Yi glanced at it silently, then put his phone away.

As soon as Lin Yi stepped out of the apartment building entrance, he saw Chen Sishi standing nearby, waving at him.

She was dressed as usual today, in a white sailor uniform and a gray knee-length skirt. Beneath the hem of the gray skirt, white stockings encased the girl’s slender, well-proportioned calves.

Beyond her attire, Lin Yi also noticed a white hairpin adorning the hair on her forehead. It seemed simple, yet it added a unique charm to the girl.

Light makeup enhanced her delicate, pale face, lending Chen Sishi a hint of alluring charm.

Further down, a thin thread passed around her fair neck, disappearing into the cleavage beneath her collar. If Lin Yi wasn’t mistaken, the jade pendant from that day must have been hanging on that thread.