Chapter 102: Lin, Your Ways Are a Bit Unconventional

Qin Lin’er, who had just finished wiping her hands and was preparing to go to sleep, heard the commotion from next door again. "Qin Xuan! Liu Ruoxi! I want to beat both of you to death!"

Annoyed to death, Qin Lin’er pulled her pillow over her ears, but it was unfortunately useless. "No wonder you’re so weak! You deserve it."

Feeling stifled and hot under the covers, Qin Lin’er couldn't take it anymore. She slipped on her slippers, marched to Qin Xuan’s door, and began pounding and kicking it.

"Can you two keep it down? You’re disturbing the neighbors, you know!"

The two inside were startled. Liu Ruoxi, her face flushed red, shouted back at the door.

"Are you eavesdropping again? Just wait until tomorrow—you’re going to get it!" *Doesn't this child know it's not polite to scare people?*

Hearing this, Qin Lin’er retreated to her room, cowed. But a moment later, the noise grew even louder... Is a person not allowed to sleep around here?

Qin Lin’er drifted off in a haze, not knowing exactly when she fell asleep. When she woke up the next morning, she stared at the dark circles under her eyes in the mirror, feeling truly helpless.

Walking out, she saw Sister Xi sitting there biting into a steamed bun. Suddenly, some strange images popped into Qin Lin’er’s mind. *Oh no, I’m being corrupted by them...*

"The eavesdropper is awake? How did you sleep last night?" Liu Ruoxi never missed an opportunity to tease Qin Lin’er.

Hearing this, Qin Lin’er’s face turned bright red. "Go away! So annoying!"

She grabbed a small steamed bun from the table, shoved it into her mouth, and shuffled off to wash up.

Nan Zhiyi watched Liu Ruoxi, who looked rather pleased with herself, with curiosity. She had gone to bed early last night, so had she missed something?

"Huh? Sister Xi, is your cold better?" Nan Zhiyi noticed that Liu Ruoxi was happily eating her bun and drinking porridge; there didn't seem to be a trace of a cold left. It had only been one night—how could it be so fast? She should probably ask Sister Xi for her secret remedy next time she caught a cold...

"I... I just have a strong constitution, it’s normal!" Liu Ruoxi replied somewhat unnaturally.

Nan Zhiyi noticed her behavior and took a small bite of her shiitake mushroom bun, savoring it.

If Qin Xuan weren't busy eating his bun, he would have laughed out loud. He didn't know where Liu Ruoxi had found that method, but it certainly worked well.

After Qin Lin’er returned, she took the buns from the table and went to sit on the sofa. She really didn't want to deal with these two; they were so irritating!

Qin Lin’er sitting on the sofa woke up Wanzi, the cat. Just like Qin Lin’er, the cat had spent the whole night eavesdropping. Even though it didn't know what it was hearing, it felt like a miserable experience!

Because of Liu Ruoxi’s cold, the group had wasted one day of their break. With only Sunday left, the others, who had originally wanted to go out, lost their enthusiasm.

After the meal, Qin Lin’er went back to catch up on sleep. Since Nan Zhiyi had to go home, Liu Ruoxi and Qin Xuan were the only ones left to take Wanzi out for a walk on her leash.

Wanzi, who rarely got to go out, couldn't control her longing for freedom once she was outside. Especially when she saw other cats on the street, she would have run off if Liu Ruoxi hadn't been holding the leash.

"You’re a girl! Can’t you be a bit more demure?"

Liu Ruoxi was a perfect example of a double standard, completely ignoring her own lack of demureness the night before.

The two strolled along the riverbank path, enjoying the fresh morning air.

"Qin Xuan~" Liu Ruoxi held the leash in one hand and linked her other arm with Qin Xuan’s. She looked up and asked, "Will we get married?"

"We will!" Qin Xuan nodded without hesitation. "We’re already like this, so why are you even more anxious now?"

"You used to be so confident and vibrant!"

Liu Ruoxi lowered her head and thought for a moment. "I don't know. I’m just inexplicably sentimental..."

"So, do you like the old me or the current me?"

Qin Xuan rubbed his chin and thought about it.

"I like both."

Liu Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him. "You’re good with words!"

Qin Xuan chuckled. "Shall we pick a time to get engaged then?"

"Ah? That’s so early!" Liu Ruoxi was startled. They were only freshmen!

"It’s fine. Look at Dad—he got engaged to Mom as soon as he came back on leave. They were only seventeen at the time." He had often heard his mother talk about it; his father had been in the military and had come home on leave for an arranged meeting. They took a liking to each other, so they got engaged right away...

"If we get engaged, what about Zhiyi?" Liu Ruoxi looked at Qin Xuan, puzzled.

"How about... together?" Qin Xuan tentatively suggested.

"Together, my foot! We’ll talk about that later!" *You’re so bold, suggesting 'together'? Can you even handle that?!*

Qin Xuan rubbed his waist, which had been pinched sore by Liu Ruoxi, and couldn't help but smile at her puffed-up expression.

...

Elsewhere, Nan Zhiyi was confused. Why had Lin’er gone back to sleep again?

She sneaked into Qin Lin’er’s room, only to find that she wasn't sleeping at all, but lying there playing on her phone.

"Lin’er?" Nan Zhiyi kicked off her slippers and climbed onto the bed next to her, looking at Qin Lin’er’s panicked expression. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing!" But the phone that Qin Lin’er quickly locked made Nan Zhiyi even more curious.

"Let me see?" Nan Zhiyi reached for the phone, but Qin Lin’er resisted.

They struggled for a long time, and in the end, Qin Lin’er couldn't hold on. *But you don't know my passcode!*

Then, Qin Lin’er watched as Nan Zhiyi swiped through the pattern lock.

"No way! You!"

Nan Zhiyi waved the phone triumphantly. Just kidding, she had the sharpest mind!

Ignoring Qin Lin’er, who was ready to crawl into a hole from embarrassment, Nan Zhiyi opened the most recent app.

"?" Nan Zhiyi gave her a strange look. *You were hiding this?*

But looking at Qin Lin’er’s flushed face, she curiously read the title: *Elder Brother...*

*Something’s not right!* She flipped through a few pages, and sure enough, something was very wrong!

"Ew~" Nan Zhiyi looked at Qin Lin’er awkwardly. "Lin-mei, your tastes are a bit wild!"

"You saw it? Give it back!" Qin Lin’er’s face was so red that Nan Zhiyi couldn't help but want to tease her.

"Ahem, I think your upbringing has gone astray. I’ll have to tell Qin Xuan and Ruoxi when they get back."

"Go ahead! Maybe then I won't have to read it anymore!" Qin Lin’er said with a look of indifference.

Although Nan Zhiyi had long known about her feelings, she had always assumed Qin Lin’er wouldn't have a chance. After all, it had been so many years; even if the two of them didn't care, what about Aunt Wang and Uncle Qin?

But seeing Qin Lin’er’s "I’ve given up on everything" attitude, she realized that Lin’er’s personality was quite similar to her own—both were stubborn. She just didn't know how far things had gone and if there was still any hope of pulling her back.

After a moment of thought, she tossed the phone back to her. "Forget it, I was just joking."

Qin Lin’er clutched her phone gloomily, looked at Nan Zhiyi lying on the bed, and spoke up.

"Why are you still here? Are you going to watch?"

*Sorry to bother you.* Nan Zhiyi scrambled to put on her slippers and left the room.

"Close the door!" Qin Lin’er shouted as Nan Zhiyi walked out.

Nan Zhiyi obediently turned back and closed the door for her. *She’s too much to deal with!*

"Hmph!" Seeing that, Qin Lin’er picked up her phone again, bit her lower lip, and with a slightly flushed face, continued flipping through the pages.

"I can't even read in peace without someone bothering me. So annoying! I was just getting to the deep part!"