The Teddy Bear’s Secret

“I… I’m telling the truth…”

Lin Ziyan clearly didn’t believe it at first. But seeing the girl biting her lip, looking pitiful, her doubt began to waver.

Still, she couldn’t accept it. She had heard from her parents that Qin Haiyue was actually a wealthy heiress. So why would she give things to the girl? If… if it was because she used to bully Ye Xingmian and suddenly fell in love with her…

Lin Ziyan dared not think further.

For some reason, the mere possibility made her inexplicably agitated. She thought of her own parents, who worked at Qin Haiyue’s family company. If she offended Qin Haiyue because of this, what would happen?

Damn it. So annoying.

She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. And she didn’t believe Ye Xingmian’s clothes were really from Qin Haiyue. Once again, she felt disgusted with her parents. Comparing with Liu Yinuo’s family was one thing, but compared to Qin Haiyue’s family, it was a gap between heaven and earth—enough to drive anyone to despair.

Even a single displeasure from Qin Haiyue could cost her family their jobs.

Her resentment toward her family’s poverty turned into irritation. She needed an outlet, and the nominal “brother” in her arms became the perfect target.

She hugged the girl tighter, burying her face in the girl’s fragrant hair. Feeling the girl’s heart pounding with fear, her gaze sharpened.

“Wh… what’s wrong?”

Lin Ziyan suddenly held her so tightly that she could barely breathe. But she didn’t dare move, only asked nervously.

The person behind her remained silent. The uneasy atmosphere lingered for a while before Lin Ziyan chose to drop the topic.

Even if it really was from Qin Haiyue, so what? For now, the girl belonged to her. No one could take her away. She could do whatever she wanted with her.

Though that’s what she thought, her expression turned dark. The window wasn’t open, so no outside light came in. Only the girl’s face, illuminated by the dim nightlight, glowed faintly.

Let’s just assume she’s lying.

Thinking this, she suddenly spoke.

“Call me big sister.”

“Huh?”

“We agreed yesterday. Now, I’m the big sister, and you’re my little sister. Understand?”

The girl was silent for a moment. She had already abandoned any pretense of dignity long ago. There was no need to fuss over a mere title.

After all, they were just strangers living under the same roof, with no blood ties, right?

“Big sister,” she said, her voice somewhat cold.

“No, no, that won’t do. Say it again. Your voice has to be sweet and soft, and you have to add a suffix when addressing me. Like this—” Taking a deep breath, Lin Ziyan demonstrated: “Big sister~”

The girl felt a shiver of disgust, as if goosebumps covered her whole body.

She had no idea where Lin Ziyan got this perverse taste. Was torturing her truly that enjoyable?

After a moment of silence, she tried to imitate Lin Ziyan’s tone, using a voice that even made herself nauseous: “Big sister~”

Her voice was sugary and sticky. She mimicked it perfectly, like a spoiled little girl. Even she hadn’t expected to nail it on the first try. She was momentarily stunned, but Lin Ziyan’s eyes sparkled with delight.

“That’s it, that’s it! I never knew you had such acting talent. Good, call me that from now on.”

She smiled with narrowed eyes, feeling as if the irritation inside her had been dispelled by the girl’s voice.

Despite being praised, Ye Xingmian wasn’t happy. She said nothing more, only adjusting her sore lying position.

“When will you give back my teddy bear?”

She hadn’t forgotten her original goal. Even if getting the bear back wouldn’t necessarily free her from sleeping beside Lin Ziyan, she still tried to ask for it. After all, it was better to have her own things in her possession.

“When you satisfy me, I’ll return it,” Lin Ziyan said with a sly smile.

A vague standard. Satisfy? What did that mean? As if there would ever be a time when she was satisfied.

Ye Xingmian’s eyes dimmed.

“But I’m curious. Isn’t it just a doll? Okay, maybe it’s a bit expensive—worth two hundred yuan, right? Still, it shouldn’t be that important to you. You don’t seem like someone who would like that kind of thing.”

The girl didn’t want to answer. She lay in Lin Ziyan’s arms, playing dead.

“Hey! Answer me!” Annoyed, Lin Ziyan pinched the girl’s buttocks again, making her body jolt. She bit her lip in humiliation.

Knowing she had to give Lin Ziyan an answer, she had no interest in hiding the truth.

“My mom bought it,” she said.

“Huh? You’re lying! That was bought by my mom as a gift for me. I just gave it to you. How is it your mom’s?”

“I’m not lying… It was bought with my mom’s money.”

“What?”

Lin Ziyan was taken aback. She hadn’t expected such an answer.

“What did you say?”

“I said! That thing was bought with my mom’s money!” The girl suddenly raised her voice. Lin Ziyan quickly covered her mouth, afraid her parents might hear, even though the master bedroom was far away and the possibility was low.

After doing so, Lin Ziyan suddenly felt the girl in her arms trembling, her shoulders shaking softly. Startled, she let go and heard the girl sobbing.

“Why are you crying?”

Frowning at the trouble, Lin Ziyan grabbed some tissues from the side and wiped the girl’s tears.

“I… I’m sorry…”

The girl whispered an apology, trying to suppress her voice, but it still trembled.

Watching her reaction, Lin Ziyan fell silent.

“You said the money to buy the teddy bear came from your mom?”

“Mm.”

Thinking about her parents’ comments today about the phone call between the girl and her mother, she couldn’t help but frown.

A strange irritation rose within her.

“So you’re saying my parents cheated your mom out of her money?”

The girl paused. Since Lin Ziyan had stated the truth, she nodded in acknowledgment.

“You’re lying!”

Unexpectedly, Lin Ziyan’s reaction was explosive. She abruptly flipped the girl over to face her, glaring viciously with her dark eyes.

Though she was somewhat distant toward her parents, they had always been good to her. In her memory, Lin Cheng and Xu Ming were decent people. Hearing the girl accuse them of cheating Ye Zhiyun’s money was unbelievable. Her instinct was to think the girl was slandering them intentionally.

But Ye Xingmian only froze, then lowered her head and said softly, “I didn’t…”

“Hmph.” Lin Ziyan sneered and said nothing more. The conversation ended on a sour note.

Yet, despite her anger, as she turned away, she couldn’t help recalling all the events of the day. Doubt crept into her mind.

She shook her head, dismissing it. Probably just overthinking. Her parents had always been unkind to Ye Xingmian; they just didn’t want her to call her mother. That didn’t mean anything.

“If you dare take that thing on your own, I’ll tear it to shreds,” she threatened the girl before sleeping.