She instinctively shrank her neck.
Fortunately, this time Lin Yuqing didn’t ask her to borrow more money to fund another shopping spree.
She merely stretched lazily.
At that moment, the sales clerk handed over a neatly wrapped package.
“Comrade, your Snowflake Cream has been wrapped up.”
Lin Yuqing turned around and smiled.
“Thank you.”
Today she was wearing a pale-yellow bulaji dress. Its large sailor-style collar was fashionable and uncommon, making her look elegant and strikingly beautiful.
The sales clerk couldn’t help taking a second look.
Working at the department store, she saw beautiful customers every day.
Most relied on their clothes to enhance their appearance.
But the young woman before her was different.
She was the one elevating the dress.
On her, the simple garment seemed vibrant and full of life, carrying an almost poetic beauty.
Unable to hold back, the sales clerk complimented her.
“Comrade, you’re truly beautiful.”
Lin Yuqing smiled politely.
“Thank you.”
She picked up a small mirror from the counter and checked her reflection.
As she adjusted her wind-tousled bangs, she glanced casually at Su Jinjin through the mirror.
“I’m alright, I suppose.”
“It depends on who you’re comparing me to.”
Su Jinjin: …
She nearly exploded from that deliberately pointed look.
Her face turned green with anger.
That’s all it took for her mask to crack?
This was only the beginning.
Catching the change in Su Jinjin’s expression, Lin Yuqing decided to twist the knife further.
“Oh dear!”
She suddenly covered her mouth.
“I spent all the money you’ve been saving.”
“You don’t blame your big sister, do you?”
Su Jinjin opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, Lin Yuqing continued on her own.
“Of course you don’t.”
“After all, I’ve given you plenty of good things growing up.”
“And me?”
“I’m only getting married once in this lifetime.”
Lin Yuqing understood perfectly that tormenting someone required alternating pressure and relief.
As expected, the moment Su Jinjin heard the word marriage, her expression visibly softened.
Lin Yuqing watched and smiled.
At last, she truly understood why leaders loved making empty promises.
Because it worked.
And it felt fantastic.
Loaded down with shopping bags, the two returned home.
The house was unusually lively.
Yang Lan was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
When she saw Lin Yuqing enter, she forced a smile onto her dark face.
“Xiao Zhong and your father are in the living room discussing the wedding. They’re just waiting for you.”
They were clearly eager to marry her off as quickly as possible.
Lin Yuqing nodded.
“You.”
She pointed at Su Jinjin.
“Take my things back to my room.”
Then she walked into the living room herself.
The moment Su Yong saw her, his face darkened.
The old scumbag and the young scumbag sat side by side.
Then, as if performing Sichuan face-changing opera, both instantly plastered smiles onto their faces.
“Why are you only getting back now? Xiao Zhong has been waiting all afternoon.”
“We’ve already prepared the Three Turns and One Ring. Would you like to take a look?”
Zhong Shuwen’s voice sounded like one of those male hosts at a nightclub deliberately softening his tone to sound charming.
It made her skin crawl.
Lin Yuqing dug at her ear.
A bicycle and sewing machine were highly sought-after items.
The fact that they’d managed to obtain everything within a single morning was impressive.
She glanced at Su Yong.
He had definitely pulled some strings.
Sitting down leisurely, she replied,
“No rush.”
She wasn’t in a hurry.
Su Yong certainly was.
The bride price had been prepared.
The dowry money had already been spent.
And now she was saying she wasn’t in a hurry?
The Lin family’s status was no joke.
They could come looking for her at any moment.
Every extra day was a risk.
Slapping the table, Su Yong adopted the tone of a stern elder.
“You child! How can you not be in a hurry when it’s something as important as marriage?”
“I’ve already discussed everything with Xiao Zhong.”
“The wedding will be held in his hometown.”
“You’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
“The sooner the better.”
As he spoke, his probing gaze never left Lin Yuqing’s face.
For some reason, he’d been feeling uneasy these past two days.
It was as if Lin Yuqing had become an entirely different person.
The sooner she disappeared, the safer he’d feel.
Then, when the Lin family came looking for her, he could smoothly push Su Jinjin forward as the replacement bride.
The more he thought about it, the more perfect the plan seemed.
He stared at Lin Yuqing.
If she dared refuse, he’d simply drug her and have her carried away.
The calculation was practically written across his face.
Knowing she’d lose if she confronted him head-on, Lin Yuqing’s eyes flickered.
Then she nodded.
“You’re right.”
“Then we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
Su Yong smiled.
The smile hadn’t even fully formed before she added,
“But before I leave, I need to write a letter.”
“A letter? At a time like this?”
Su Yong was losing patience.
Lin Yuqing sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.
“What’s with that look?”
“If I disappear without a word, what if Dad Lin reports me missing to the police?”
“You’re already this old and still can’t think of something so simple?”
“Tsk. Intelligence really is hereditary.”
“You—!”
Su Yong nearly choked on his anger.
Fortunately, Yang Lan stepped in to smooth things over.
“Of course you can write one.”
“There are paper and pens in the room. Write whatever you want.”
“A family letter is important.”
Then she shot Zhong Shuwen a meaningful look.
“You should go with her.”
Officially, he was accompanying her.
In reality, he was there to supervise.
Which happened to suit Lin Yuqing perfectly.
“Come with me.”
She nodded.
The bedroom door closed.
Inside the small enclosed space, even the sound of their breathing seemed loud.
It was the first time Zhong Shuwen had been alone with Lin Yuqing at such close range.
His heart began itching with desire.
Looking at her bright and beautiful face, he couldn’t resist stepping closer.
“Qingqing, you’re especially beautiful today…”
“Didn’t you hear them urging us to hurry?”
Lin Yuqing sidestepped him.
“Let’s deal with business first.”
She pulled paper and a pen from a drawer and pushed them toward him.
Then she raised her chin.
“You write.”
“I write?”
Zhong Shuwen blinked.
“Why would I write your family letter?”
“Are you stupid?”
Lin Yuqing blinked innocently, completely shedding the aggressive attitude she’d displayed in the living room.
“Write about how much you’re in love with me.”
“The important thing is convincing Dad Lin of your sincerity.”
“Only then will he feel comfortable marrying me to you.”
Zhong Shuwen hesitated.
But Lin Yuqing insisted.
To ensure the wedding proceeded smoothly, he finally picked up the pen.
As a high school graduate with excellent grades, he wrote quickly.
Less than half an hour later, he had finished a love letter.
“Qingqing, I’m done.”
Lin Yuqing accepted it and skimmed through it.
Then she shook her head.
“No.”
“Rewrite it.”
“The wording is too subtle.”
“How is this supposed to move Dad Lin?”
Noticing his hesitation, she encouraged him.
“Don’t be shy.”
“We’ll be family soon.”
“And this letter is only for Dad Lin to see.”
“Be bold.”
Still uncertain, Zhong Shuwen revised it.
A while later, he presented the second version.
Lin Yuqing shook her head again.
“Still not enough.”
“You need phrases like ‘I’ve been secretly in love with you since childhood.'”
“That way your devotion will stand out.”
“Alright.”
Grinding his teeth, Zhong Shuwen agreed.
Twenty minutes later, version three was completed.
By now Lin Yuqing was nearly falling asleep.
Squinting at the paper, she skimmed a few lines.
Then shook her head again.
“What’s wrong with it this time?”
Zhong Shuwen was beginning to suspect she was doing this deliberately.
His tone had lost much of its earlier gentleness.
Yawning, Lin Yuqing replied,
“I’ve read the same thing three times now.”
“I can’t even tell which version is best anymore.”
“Why don’t you write a few completely different ones so I can compare them?”
The clock on the wall continued ticking.
Su Jinjin came in several times under the excuse of calling them to dinner.
Every time, Zhong Shuwen tried to stop writing.
“Qingqing, this version is already good enough…”
“How could it be?”
Lin Yuqing interrupted immediately.
Pouting, she looked displeased.
“I remember your essays used to be passed around the entire grade as model examples.”
“How could you possibly be incapable of writing something better?”
“You’re just not sincere.”
“And you still claim to like me?”
Throwing a spoiled-young-lady tantrum, she stubbornly refused to budge.
“Fine.”
Zhong Shuwen sighed.
“I’ll write.”
Four hours later.
Eleven letters lay stacked together on the desk.
The moment Zhong Shuwen set down the pen, his wrist felt numb.
Even his voice had gone hoarse from all the coaxing.
“It’s late, Qingqing.”
“This time it should be enough, right?”
“It is.”
Lin Yuqing glanced through them and neatly gathered the thick stack of letters.
Smiling, she nodded.
Just as she was about to speak, her expression suddenly changed.
“Oh no!”
“Look at me—I forgot the most important thing!”
Zhong Shuwen’s patience was finally wearing thin.
Frowning, he asked irritably,
“What now?”
Lin Yuqing smiled sweetly.
“You still need to write one more letter for me.”
“What letter?”
“Just write that…”
Her smile widened slightly.
“…running away from home was actually something you forced me to do.”