A Calculated Gambit

Did I forget something important?

For nearly the entire afternoon, Liu Yinuo felt a persistent sense of unease, a feeling that something was amiss, yet she couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Eventually, she dismissed it as mere imagination.

Arranging Ye Xingmian’s leave of absence had gone smoothly. Relying on the teacher’s trust, Liu Yinuo easily convinced them that Ye Xingmian was recovering from an illness at her home. After this, the teacher stated her intention to contact Ye Xingmian’s parents to inform them, then allowed the girl to leave.

Time passed swiftly, and before she knew it, afternoon had arrived. Outside the window, the ceaseless snow continued to fall, and as the sky gradually darkened, a cold chill began to envelop the land.

The girl sat quietly at her desk, packing her schoolbag, preparing to leave the school grounds.

Having spent a pleasant lunch with Ye Xingmian, Liu Yinuo was in high spirits. She hummed a tune, already anticipating what awaited her when she returned home.

‘Perhaps I should just ask her to stay the night?’

Her parents were usually quite amenable, so taking in another girl shouldn’t pose a significant problem. Besides, they had a spare room; even if it wasn’t immediately ready, Ye Xingmian could sleep somewhere else for the time being.

‘Like… on my bed?’

‘Ugh, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I really feel like I’ve changed,’ Liu Yinuo mused. ‘Now, my mind is completely filled with that adorable little one. Her sleeping face, her shy expressions, her moments of pain, her troubled looks—all of them are so beautiful, making me truly want to spirit her away to my home, right?’

‘No, I’m starting to sound like some creepy uncle who abducts children.’

She shook her head, yet a smile involuntarily curved her lips. ‘She probably wouldn’t refuse, I suppose. Given her family’s cold attitude towards her, she would surely be more cherished and cared for if she stayed with me.’

‘Yes, it seems I’m the only one who truly cares for her, so the little one should definitely stay at my house.’

She thought this with an air of absolute certainty.

Finally, with her belongings packed, she stood up, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and walked straight towards the door.

The classroom was nearly empty, scattered desks and chairs marking the deserted space. As night approached, the temperature plummeted. Liu Yinuo tucked her hands into her pockets, ready to depart.

“Class Monitor.”

Lin Ziyan, who had been silent all day, suddenly spoke, stopping her.

Liu Yinuo paused, the smile on her face fading. She disliked being cold to people, usually wearing a gentle smile, but this was one of those rare exceptions.

“What is it, Lin Ziyan?”

To be honest, Lin Ziyan was very beautiful. Her hair wasn’t long, falling just to her shoulders, resting lightly there. Combined with her taller-than-average height among girls and her cool, distant demeanor, she truly resembled an ice beauty.

She stood behind Liu Yinuo, not too far away, her own schoolbag on her back, looking down at the girl.

“This morning, I told my brother to come find me at noon so I could take her out to eat, but she didn’t show up. Does the Class Monitor know why?”

Liu Yinuo wasn’t sure if Lin Ziyan was asking a question she already knew the answer to, but she immediately sensed the oddness in her words.

She smiled faintly, tilting her head, and quickly formulated a response.

“During PE class, I noticed that Ye Xingmian wasn’t feeling well, so I followed after her. She had a fever, so I took her to get leave, and now she’s recuperating at my house. Does Lin Ziyan have any other questions?”

“Oh, speaking of which, Lin Ziyan, you wouldn’t happen to not know that your own brother had a fever this morning, would you?”

Her words were barbed, causing Lin Ziyan to frown.

“Thank you for your concern, Class Monitor, but I’m curious, why are you so concerned about my brother? She’s already an adult and can take care of herself. At most, she could ask for help from me or our parents. There’s no need for an outsider like you to worry, is there?”

Leaning on her status as a family member, Lin Ziyan counterattacked.

“Hmm? Do Lin Ziyan and your parents really care about her, an outsider? I highly doubt it.”

Since they were both showing their cards, Liu Yinuo saw no need to hide anything. She, Liu Yinuo, had indeed ‘kidnapped’ Ye Xingmian to her home and was taking excellent care of her. So what? If Lin Ziyan had an issue, she could keep it to herself!

Seeing Lin Ziyan momentarily speechless, she continued, “Based on what Lin Ziyan said earlier, I’m afraid she wouldn’t be cared for even if she returned home, would she? In my opinion, she probably wouldn’t even get medicine before being immediately forced to do housework, without a single moment of leisure.”

Unwilling to linger there any longer, Liu Yinuo let out a cold laugh.

“I have some things to attend to at home, so I won’t bother chatting with Lin Ziyan any further.”

Then, disregarding Lin Ziyan’s fists, which were clenched in silent fury, she walked straight out.

However, something still surprised her slightly. Lin Ziyan seemed to care a great deal about Ye Xingmian? She even wanted to take Ye Xingmian out to eat? This was vastly different from the Lin Ziyan she had seen yesterday. Her intuition told her something must have happened.

Could it be that Lin Ziyan had learned the truth about Ye Xingmian becoming a girl, or had she at least made some guesses? As soon as this thought struck her, Liu Yinuo’s mood grew heavy.

She suddenly realized that she might not be the only one who knew Ye Xingmian had become a girl. Qin Haiyue, that hateful blonde girl who bullied Ye Xingmian during PE class—recalling her reaction now, she had most likely known that Ye Xingmian was a girl. And despite that, she had still tormented Ye Xingmian in such a cruel manner?

Her fists clenched involuntarily. Such a lovely girl being treated that way by such a person—Liu Yinuo knew she couldn’t just stand by. She had to disrupt Qin Haiyue’s plans and prevent her from succeeding. As for Lin Ziyan, Liu Yinuo didn’t believe that knowing her ‘brother’ had become her ‘sister’ would immediately lead to a 180-degree change in attitude, turning her kind towards the poor little one. But just as Lin Ziyan had said, that was their ‘family matter,’ and it would be difficult for her to interfere.

No! There was still a way!

‘If I can make the little one willing to stay at my house, and as long as she doesn’t return to Lin Ziyan’s home, wouldn’t everything just fall into place?’

The moment she thought of this, Liu Yinuo immediately felt incredibly clever, a relaxed smile spreading across her face.

‘Yes, if I do this, I can always have the little one by my side, accompanying her myself. I can surely melt the ice in her heart and make her smile more and more.’

Lost in such dreams, Liu Yinuo seemed to already see that future. She stepped onto the thin layer of newly fallen snow, making her way home.

Behind her, Lin Ziyan’s expression was far from pleasant.

Shadows covered her eyes, making her already dark gaze appear even more somber. Lin Ziyan took a different, more secluded staircase, avoiding the path where she might encounter Liu Yinuo.

Things had gone beyond her expectations; the Class Monitor clearly knew Ye Xingmian’s secret. And Liu Yinuo was moving fast, meaning Lin Ziyan had to speed up as well.

Fortunately, it seemed the Class Monitor was the only one trying to snatch her ‘toy’ for now.

She wasn’t worried about never seeing Ye Xingmian again; after all, she couldn’t just never go home, could she? As long as Ye Xingmian returned home, Lin Ziyan would naturally find a way to keep her away from Liu Yinuo.