Chapter 121: I Am Also Prepared to Take a Beating With You

"I need to get back to work. You two keep chatting," the young woman said, noticing school had let out. She hurried back to the counter.

Qin Lin'er stared at the students outside, a nostalgic look on her face. "Qin Xuan, doesn't this remind you of our high school days?"

Qin Xuan felt a headache coming on just thinking about it. "You have the nerve to bring that up? Do you know how many times I was late to class because I was buying you milk tea?"

"And yet, you didn't even gain any weight back then?"

"..." Qin Lin'er certainly couldn't admit that she actually had gained plenty of weight; he just hadn't noticed.

Realizing the crowd of students was growing, they decided to pack up their remaining milk tea. Qin Xuan took her hand, afraid she might get lost in the crush.

Looking at this familiar scene, Qin Lin'er realized that Qin Xuan had always held her hand in crowded places. What was she supposed to do now that she had grown so accustomed to it?

Once they escaped the swarm of people, they sat on a bench by the river, enjoying the breeze.

"Qin Xuan," Qin Lin'er whispered, leaning against his shoulder.

"What is it?" Qin Xuan tilted his head curiously, catching the scent of shampoo in her hair.

Her face flushed at his movement. "I just wanted to call your name."

Qin Xuan was stunned for a moment, then reached out to wrap his arm around her shoulder, unsure of what to say.

"I've decided!" Qin Lin'er suddenly pulled away, moving slightly further from him. She balled up a small fist and stared at him. "I don't want to be your little sister anymore!"

"What?" Qin Xuan looked at her, confused.

"Do you know when I started liking you?" Qin Lin'er bit her lower lip. "In the fourth grade, the first time I saw you messing around with a girl who wasn't Xi... I understood what jealousy was. That’s why I skipped a grade, just to be with you."

"The summer after seventh grade, when I ruined your date with that classmate—that was when I realized the reason for my jealousy was that I liked you."

"In the first semester of high school, when we split into arts and sciences tracks, I knew I shouldn't like you, so I chose a different path. But every time I passed your classroom and saw you sitting with Xi, I felt so much regret."

Qin Xuan sighed. "You..."

"Shut up! Let me finish!" Qin Lin'er glared at him, cutting him off.

"After the college entrance exams, I told myself I couldn't be separated from you anymore. I was so afraid of losing you."

"When I heard Mom say I wasn't her biological daughter, the first thing I thought was that we could... be together! You have no idea how happy I was!"

Thinking back to that day, the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily, and she squeezed Qin Xuan’s hand tightly.

"Okay, I'm done! What about you?"

Qin Lin'er puffed out her cheeks and looked at him, her brow slightly furrowed, genuinely a bit afraid of his answer.

Qin Xuan looked at her, at a loss. It wasn't exactly an easy situation to handle.

"Are you worried about Mom and Dad?" Qin Lin'er watched his expression and spoke slowly. "I've already talked to Mom. As for Dad... I'm ready to take the beating with you! I'm not afraid!"

Looking at her determined gaze, Qin Xuan felt for the first time that he couldn't even match her courage.

He pulled her toward him firmly and hugged her shoulders. "I'm ready to take that beating with you, too!"

"Yeah!" Qin Lin'er froze for a second, then came back to her senses and threw herself into his arms, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face.

"Alright, alright, stop crying. You're smearing your makeup," Qin Xuan said, reaching out to wipe her tears, though they only seemed to flow faster.

She cried until she suddenly let out a hiccup. The atmosphere turned incredibly awkward, but the tears stopped instantly.

With her face flushed red, she saw Qin Xuan trying to hold back a laugh and angrily punched him. "You're still laughing!"

"No, I'm not, I'm not," Qin Xuan said, handing her a tissue and pulling himself together.

Qin Lin'er snatched the tissue, muttering, "You're so annoying!"

The two sat by the river, embracing for a while, until the sky turned dark and they decided to head back to the hotel.

Passing a bakery, Qin Lin'er dragged Qin Xuan in to buy some cream puffs to take back as a midnight snack. Seeing her eyes were still a bit red, Qin Xuan decided they should just order takeout.

As soon as they returned to room 316, Qin Lin'er threw herself onto the bed. She was tired, but she had gained a boyfriend—a huge win!

"What do you want to eat?" Qin Xuan asked, opening a food delivery app.

Lin'er buried her face in the pillow. "Anything is fine. I’m going to video call Xi first!"

Qin Xuan ordered a couple of dishes based on her preferences and watched as she sat beside him to call Ruoxi.

On the other end, Liu Ruoxi had just finished dinner with Nan Zhiyi and was playing on Qin Xuan’s computer back in her room. When she saw the call request from Qin Lin'er, she knew she was about to be shown off. Resigned, she answered.

The first thing that filled the screen were the faces of Qin Xuan and Lin'er, pressed close together.

"What are you two doing? Mind your image!" Ruoxi teased.

"Why should I mind my image with my own boyfriend?" Lin'er retorted, sounding completely entitled and arrogant.

Ruoxi curled her lip in disgust. "Qin Xuan, how did you fall for her so quickly?!"

Qin Xuan didn't know how to answer that. He scratched his head awkwardly and handed the phone over to Lin'er. Lin'er shot him a look of disdain—coward!

She took the phone to the balcony to chat with Ruoxi.

"Tell me everything!" Ruoxi asked, full of curiosity.

"This... I'll tell you when I get back!" Lin'er said with a mischievous smile.

Ruoxi watched Lin'er, whose smile hadn't faded since the start of the call. She felt a wave of emotion; she had watched Lin'er grow up, and she had long suspected her feelings for Qin Xuan. When it came to liking someone, the eyes were the first to betray you.

She used to think it was impossible, but there were simply too many variables in life.

After chatting for a while, Ruoxi checked the time and hung up, but not before reminding Lin'er to stay safe.

The takeout arrived just then. After eating, Qin Xuan took a shower first.

When it was Lin'er’s turn to head to the bathroom with her clothes, Qin Xuan lay on the bed, searching for places to visit tomorrow, never even considering the possibility that they couldn't go.

When Lin'er came out, she found Qin Xuan hadn't even looked up!

"Ahem!" Lin'er sat on the edge of the bed and coughed twice.

Qin Xuan looked up, puzzled. "What?"

"You! You're not going to turn off the lights before sleeping? Actually, I could also..." Her voice trailed off, becoming quieter and quieter.

Qin Xuan looked at her flushed face and finally understood.

He looked at her with a straight face. "What are you thinking? I'm not that kind of person!"

Lin'er gave him a strange look. Then what was that noise I heard every day?

"I am!" Lin'er shouted at him, then reached out and turned off the lights, leaving only the bedside lamp on.

Looking at the blushing girl in his arms, Qin Xuan couldn't help but lean down and kiss her.

Lin'er closed her eyes and waited, but when nothing else happened, she opened them again. *Is that it? Is that really it? Fine, I'll do it then!*