An Uninvited Guest and a Jealous Gaze

By noon, as lunchtime approached, the two finally left Lin Ziyan’s bedroom after folding the clothes and tucking them into the wardrobe. Ye Xingmian headed straight for the kitchen to prepare food, while Lin Ziyan leisurely settled onto the sofa, scrolling through her phone.

A small amount of last night’s leftovers remained, which Ye Xingmian reheated, before frying a fresh plate of eggs. Watching her busy figure moving about, Lin Ziyan felt a strange, inexplicable sense of satisfaction. This was especially true when she saw Ye Xingmian in the clothes she had personally chosen: the pale expanse of thigh between the over-the-knee socks and the skirt, and the way the long dress swayed gently with each step.

It was a slight pity, however, that because the clothes were old ones chosen from her own wardrobe, many parts seemed a bit worn. Yet, that wasn’t the main point.

As she watched Ye Xingmian’s back, Lin Ziyan suddenly let out a sigh.

‘Precisely because these were clothes meant for herself, something like a maid outfit was absolutely out of the question,’ she thought.

‘Otherwise, she truly wished she could see what the girl would look like in a black and white Japanese maid uniform. A soft, pliable little maid, perhaps? The thought alone was incredibly stimulating.’

‘Perhaps I shouldn’t let her leave after the college entrance exams?’ Lin Ziyan mused.

‘Even if she goes to university, she’ll most likely rent a place near the school anyway. Why not just take her with me directly? Tsk, no, that probably wouldn’t work. She wouldn’t agree.’

While Lin Ziyan was still lost in her fanciful thoughts, a sudden knock echoed from outside the door.

‘Who could it be?’

Her parents had mentioned yesterday that they would be working overtime today and wouldn’t be home for lunch, so it couldn’t possibly be them.

“Then who could it be?”

Unconsciously, Lin Ziyan whispered to herself, then discreetly glanced at the girl still busy in the kitchen. The loud sizzling of stir-fry and the hum of the range hood meant Ye Xingmian clearly couldn’t hear anything from here.

Lin Ziyan then rose, walked to the door, and peered through the peephole.

What met her gaze…

Lin Ziyan’s eyes narrowed instantly, and her brow furrowed tightly.

It was Liu Yinuo.

Her class monitor: a petite girl with tea-colored eyes and long, straight black hair.

‘What was she doing here? Was she looking for Ye Xingmian?’

‘Because Ye Xingmian hadn’t attended class this morning, had she come to offer her condolences?’

A flash of disgust crossed Lin Ziyan’s eyes. She tightened her grip on the doorknob, with no intention of opening the door.

However, perhaps having heard the sounds of cooking from the kitchen and knowing someone was inside, Liu Yinuo showed no sign of leaving. Seeing that the door remained unopened, she simply took out her phone and began typing on the screen.

Ding-dong—

A sudden, abrupt notification chimed from her phone in her pocket. Lin Ziyan’s pupils contracted; she pulled out her phone, and the lock screen displayed a message alert.

[I’m at your door. Open up quickly.]

Gritting her teeth, Lin Ziyan knew Liu Yinuo likely wouldn’t leave on her own, and keeping her outside indefinitely wasn’t an option. With a surge of irritation, she unlocked both bolts and pushed the double doors open.

Liu Yinuo, still at the entrance, clearly hadn’t expected such swift action from Lin Ziyan. She was still frowning at her phone.

When she heard the sound and looked up, her eyes clearly held a hint of surprise. However, upon seeing that Lin Ziyan was the one who opened the door, her expression immediately fell.

Behind her, she carried a small backpack, its contents unknown.

Using her height advantage, Lin Ziyan gazed down into Liu Yinuo’s eyes.

“Class Monitor, what brings you here? Is something the matter?”

Her tone was icy, and her eyes held an unfriendly glint. Liu Yinuo, however, paid no mind.

She glanced left and right, trying to peer through the gap between Lin Ziyan’s body and the wall, searching for the ‘little darling’ hidden inside the room.

“What kind of talk is that? Can’t I come? I heard that Student Ye was unwell, and I’ve been worried all morning.”

“There’s no need. My sis— my brother has me to look after them. Class Monitor, you may leave now.”

“What do you mean by that? I came specifically to check in, and I even brought things. Student Lin, are you really refusing to let me in?” Glaring at her, Liu Yinuo was growing angry. She truly hadn’t expected Lin Ziyan to be unwilling to even let her inside. Could it be that she had actually done something outrageous to the ‘little darling’?

The thought only strengthened her resolve to enter.

“No…”

“Then why are you blocking me? Is she cooking in the kitchen? I want to see for myself!”

After a moment of silence, knowing she definitely couldn’t stop Liu Yinuo, Lin Ziyan reluctantly stepped back, her face cold, allowing Liu Yinuo to enter.

Her impression of Liu Yinuo was now exceedingly low. They were merely ordinary deskmates, their backgrounds too disparate for them to even exchange more than a few words on a normal day.

Now, with the added risk of Liu Yinuo trying to ‘snatch’ her ‘sister,’ Lin Ziyan was even less inclined to tolerate her presence.

As expected, the moment Liu Yinuo stepped inside, she made a beeline for the kitchen. Lin Ziyan followed closely behind her, silently fixing her gaze on Liu Yinuo’s back.

She quietly observed Liu Yinuo’s reaction.

Liu Yinuo had originally rushed into the kitchen with great enthusiasm. However, the sight of Ye Xingmian, dressed in a dress and busily working alone, instantly unsettled her.

She glanced back at Lin Ziyan, her eyes brimming with anger, disgust, and even… jealousy.

Lin Ziyan’s expression was equally grim. It was akin to someone discovering your favorite toy after you had meticulously dressed it up, only for that person to potentially be a thief, someone who might just steal your prized possession.

Ignoring Lin Ziyan completely, Liu Yinuo walked directly toward Ye Xingmian. After ensuring her sudden approach wouldn’t disrupt the girl’s cooking, she abruptly embraced her, her hands tightly wrapping around Ye Xingmian’s slender waist.

“Student Ye~ Are you feeling better? Did you miss me?” Her voice was syrupy sweet and cloying, like a child’s whine.

Her small head rested lightly on the girl’s shoulder, and she rubbed her smooth cheek against Ye Xingmian’s neck.

Ye Xingmian’s body stiffened for a moment. She had initially thought it was Lin Ziyan suddenly embracing her and had felt a touch of nervousness, but then she distinctly heard her class monitor’s voice, which left her somewhat disoriented.

She pressed her lips together, her body relaxing, a complex expression clouding her face.

“Class Monitor… why are you here…?”

Liu Yinuo rubbed her cheek against Ye Xingmian’s again, the overly intimate gesture making the girl feel a little uncomfortable. Ye Xingmian gently nudged Liu Yinuo with her elbow, signaling for her to let go.

“I heard you took another day off, and I was worried, you know. What happened? Did your fever return? Or was it simply too cold last night, and you caught a chill? I told you not to rush back home. You should have stayed at my place a bit longer.”

“Class Monitor…” The girl pushed Liu Yinuo again, which finally made Liu Yinuo belatedly realize she might have gotten a little too carried away.

She cleared her throat to ease the awkwardness, then gently released the girl.

With a slightly flushed face, Liu Yinuo looked at the flustered girl, who had her back to her, and for a moment, didn’t know what to say.

Instinctively, she glanced back and saw Lin Ziyan standing at the kitchen doorway, her face as black as a pot, looking as though she wanted to murder her.

That, however, was of no concern to Liu Yinuo; Lin Ziyan was not within her scope of consideration.

As she pondered how to break the awkward silence, after a moment of hesitation, her gaze fell upon the black dress the girl was wearing.

“Um…” Taking a step forward, she moved closer to the girl’s side and leaned in toward her ear.

“What’s with this outfit you’re wearing? Does Lin Ziyan already know you’re a girl? Did she force you to wear it? Has she been bullying you?”