SW - 15

Midway through the journey, Su Kexi sent Tang Yin a WeChat message: Hehehe, Lu Yu brought me home! [An intense meme with a toothless face.jpg]

The screen was instantly flooded with the exaggeratedly silly expression, overflowing with Su Kexi’s unique personality.

Before Tang Yin could reply, another message popped up: What’s the deal between Lu Yu and your Lu Chi? Are they brothers?

Tang Yin: Bingo.

Su Kexi: I asked Lu Yu, but he didn’t tell me. I guessed though—it’s very likely that this is why Lu Yu transferred schools and went bad. He’s technically an only child…

The term “illegitimate child” sounded harsh, and Su Kexi didn’t want to think of it that way.

Back when Lu Yu was at Jia Shui Private School, his grades consistently ranked among the top students in his grade. Combined with his good looks, he was almost always the topic of late-night discussions in every girls’ dormitory.

It wasn’t until she started pursuing him that Su Kexi realized what kind of person he truly was—proud, opinionated, polite in dealing with others, and entirely different from the person he had become now.

But no matter which version of him, she still liked.

Even if he had changed, he couldn’t let go of her—Su Kexi.

________________________________________

Regarding the relationship between Lu Yu and Lu Chi, Tang Yin chose not to answer directly and deflected the topic. After exchanging a few casual remarks, she put her phone away.

The scene she witnessed earlier today was still fresh in her mind.

Lu Chi’s personality seemed less worrisome than expected. The fact that he could drag Lu Yu around showed that he was persistent and determined.

However… she found herself liking him even more because of it.

A moment later, Su Kexi sent another message: I’m not coming over tonight. Let Auntie know for me, okay? [Jumping to give you a kiss.jpg]

By the time Tang Yin got home, it was already quite late. She jogged inside.

Jiang Qiuhuan was busy tending to her plants. Seeing Tang Yin walk in, she remarked, “I told you to come back early. Look at the time now!”

“I know, I know.”

“You said you wanted to grow flowers eons ago. I told you to take care of yourself first before worrying about plants. Now look at this house—it’s filled with flowers and plants, all taken care of by me.”

Jiang Qiuhuan set down her watering can and sighed in mock frustration.

Tang Yin grinned, wrapping her arms around her mother from behind. “Here’s a hug for you.”

Jiang Qiuhuan pushed her away. “I don’t need your hugs.”

“Fine, then I’m leaving. You said so yourself—don’t complain to Dad tonight.” Tang Yin stuck out her tongue and dashed upstairs.

Ever since the family started growing flowers, Tang Yin had earned a reputation with her father.

Just then, Aunt Sun emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Jiang Qiuhuan’s cheerful demeanor, she smiled knowingly. “Inny is still as lively as ever.”

Jiang Qiuhuan turned around. “Lively? That’s not liveliness—that’s a monkey leaping around.”

Once Tang Yin returned to her room, she realized she had forgotten about adding Lu Chi on WeChat.

She pulled the slip of paper from her pocket. Though hastily written, the string of numbers looked beautiful—just like the person himself.

Thinking about it, Lu Chi’s restrained demeanor came vividly to mind.

This string of digits was clearly a phone number. In a way, this indirect method of obtaining his number saved her some trouble.

After searching, Lu Chi’s WeChat profile appeared.

His username was “LuLuLu.”

His profile picture featured a simple sketch of a tree—no colors, but the style was delicate and refined, showcasing skilled artistry.

Tang Yin zoomed in on the image and noticed a small signature tucked away in an inconspicuous corner. The two characters “Lu Chi” were written in tiny script.

So this cute little guy could draw too—talented indeed.

Tang Yin smirked and clicked the “Add Friend” button. However, she got stuck on the verification message.

Sending something random wouldn’t suit her personality. At the very least, she could send a flirtatious remark to charm him. What if he rejected her?

She rolled around on her bed for a while before quickly typing out a few words and sending them off. Then, she waited for Lu Chi to accept the request.

I wonder if Lu Chi has gotten home yet…

The faint “good night” from earlier still echoed in her ears, sending a tingling sensation through her body. Tang Yin’s lips curved into a wide grin.

On the ceiling, SpongeBob’s big toothy smile seemed to be grinning back at her.

“Inny, the crabs are ready,” Aunt Sun’s voice called from downstairs.

Tang Yin quickly scrambled off the bed, hastily tying her messy hair with a rubber band from the desk. Slipping on her slippers, she dashed out of the room.

Just as she reached the staircase, she slid down the railing like a shooting star, landing smoothly.

Jiang Qiuhuan happened to witness this and scolded her again. “How many times have I told you? This is dangerous. If I hadn’t replaced the staircase, do you think you’d land so safely?”

She used to do this as a child too—until she fell once. After that, the entire staircase was replaced as a precaution. From big to small, this habit of hers had never changed.

Just like her father, once she took a liking to something, she couldn’t let it go.

Hearing Jiang Qiuhuan’s words, Tang Yin blinked innocently and headed straight for the dining room.

On the table were already steamed river crabs, their vibrant colors making her mouth water. Condiments and side dishes were neatly arranged beside them.

Aunt Sun set out the bowls and chopsticks, smiling warmly. “Here we go. Last time you said the school cafeteria food wasn’t flavorful enough, so I added some spice this time. Let’s see how it tastes.”

Tang Yin praised, “Aunt Sun’s cooking skills need no introduction—it’s bound to be amazing.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Qiuhuan walked over, glancing at her with a sidelong look. “I’ve never heard you praise me like that.”

Tang Yin raised an eyebrow, casually mentioning, “Who was it that almost blew up the kitchen last time?”

Jiang Qiuhuan: “...You ungrateful child, wasn’t that for your sake?”

Aunt Sun didn’t intervene. These two bickered like clockwork. Though her mistress often lost arguments to Miss Inny, who stubbornly pushed back every time.

________________________________________

The next morning, as daylight broke, Tang Yin opened her eyes and stared at SpongeBob on the ceiling for a few seconds.

She picked up her phone. No response from Lu Chi, though there were plenty of other notifications.

Class 14 had a group chat titled [Did You Flirt Today?]. Everyone except the teacher was part of it. Once, someone accidentally added the homeroom teacher, but they were immediately kicked out. The chat never went quiet for long.

When Tang Yin entered the group, she saw that early in the morning, they were playing a mock flag-raising ceremony—posting images and emojis.

By the time she joined, Yu Chun was speaking: [Raising the national flag, playing the national anthem.jpg]~

A clip of the national anthem was instantly uploaded by the class monitor, turning the chaotic chatter into a moment of patriotic hilarity.

Tang Yin clicked to play it, filling the room with the stirring melody until she finished getting dressed. She exited the group and stared at her phone screen for a while.

Something was unexpected—Lu Chi hadn’t accepted her friend request yet. It was possible he hadn’t seen it, but her good mood had dropped slightly.

Could it be that he really wasn’t interested?

Tang Yin felt a pang of disappointment.

Lu Chi actually dared to reject her. Narrowing her eyes, she thought, Looks like I’ll need to train him a bit more. One day, I’ll make him sing “Conquered.”

She climbed out of bed, freshened up, and went downstairs.

Jiang Qiuhuan was sitting at the table drinking porridge. Seeing Tang Yin come down, she casually remarked, “Your father and I are going to the Civil Affairs Bureau later. He’s such a disappointment.”

Without looking up, Tang Yin gulped down a mouthful of porridge and mumbled vaguely, “Oh.”

It wasn’t that she was indifferent—it was just that she had heard this line countless times since middle school. Every single time, it was the same old story, but nothing ever came of it.

Still, after a moment, she asked skeptically, “Are you really going this time?”

“Yes.”

Seeing her so determined, Tang Yin found herself even less convinced.

As the last drop of porridge disappeared, Tang Youwei finally descended from upstairs, his beer belly leading the way. He sat down slowly at the table. “Dear daughter, did you miss your daddy? I got home late last night and didn’t get to see you.”

Tang Yin leaned sideways, patting his protruding belly. “Mom says she’s going to the Civil Affairs Bureau with you.”

“So what if we’re going?” Tang Youwei shot back, glaring.

Just then, Jiang Qiuhuan emerged from her room, having finished changing. Hearing his response, the two acted like sworn enemies, exchanging not a word as they put on their shoes at the entrance. One after the other, they left the house.

“Tsks tsks,” Tang Yin wanted to laugh.

Anyone unaware of the situation might think they were truly heading toward divorce.

Sure enough—

An hour later, she heard the door open.

Tang Yin tilted her head and glanced over. As expected, both her parents returned together, unsurprising as always.

“We forgot the marriage certificate,” Jiang Qiuhuan said, not the least bit embarrassed.

Beside her, Tang Youwei carried a bag, his usual smile plastered across his face.

“Mom, are you sure you didn’t forget it on purpose?” Tang Yin mercilessly teased. “Only Dad would keep playing along with you. Every time you come back, you’re all lovey-dovey. Isn’t that exhausting?”

Tang Youwei chuckled and headed into the bathroom.

Jiang Qiuhuan shot her a glare.

After lounging around all day, Tang Yin glanced at her phone again just before leaving for school in the afternoon. Still, no messages.

If he meant to reject her, shouldn’t there at least be some response?

The note with his number was still on the table. She saved the digits into her contacts and dialed the number. After a mechanical series of rings, someone finally answered.

“Hello?” A low, clear voice came through.

Tang Yin’s mood brightened slightly. Smiling, she teased, “So, you’re really not planning to add me?”

Silence on the other end.

“You’re sure about that?” Tang Yin furrowed her brow, then added coyly, “Do you still want to know the answer to last night’s question?”

At the mention of that, Lu Chi paused for a moment before hesitantly replying, “Didn’t I... already say it?”

“Oh...” Tang Yin dragged out the syllable teasingly. “That ‘good night’ doesn’t count.”

“...”

Lu Chi clutched his phone, feeling like he had fallen into a strange trap meticulously set by Tang Yin.

Her voice came through the receiver again. “In my book, that’s not sweet talk. Say something sweeter—really, really sweet. Sweet enough to make me cry, and maybe I’ll even give you a kiss.”

Lu Chi: “...”

He definitely didn’t want any kisses.