Su Manman acted as if she hadn’t seen him. When the bus arrived, she followed the crowd and boarded directly.
Qin Xingyun walked behind her and finally couldn’t help asking, “Where are you going?” This wasn’t the way home.
Su Manman ignored him and took a seat as soon as she found one.
Qin Xingyun felt embarrassed but said nothing more. He scratched his nose and sat in a seat behind her.
The conductor went around collecting fares. When it was his turn, she asked for 0.15 yuan for his destination.
Qin Xingyun reached into his pocket—his expression suddenly changed.
“My wallet is gone.”
The conductor looked at him with disdain. “You’re trying to evade the fare.”
At that, everyone turned to look.
Those curious and suspicious gazes made Qin Xingyun’s face burn red with shame. Angrily, he said, “Do I look like someone who dodges fares? Stop the bus!”
He hurriedly searched for his wallet.
But the conductor thought he was trying to escape after being caught and grabbed his arm.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
“What do you want?”
“Either pay the fare or come with me to the police station.” The conductor was convinced he was a fare dodger.
“I told you—I lost my wallet!” Qin Xingyun was furious.
Su Manman touched the cloth bag where she had put the wallet.
What a coincidence?
“How much money was inside?” she asked casually.
“My salary just issued, plus what I had left—around seventy or eighty yuan,” Qin Xingyun said painfully.
A month of hard work, not even spent yet—and it was gone.
How unlucky could he be?
Su Manman rolled her eyes and took out her small purse, pulling out the fare.
“Brother, don’t make things difficult for him. I’ll pay his ticket.”
The conductor frowned. “Little girl, don’t be fooled just because he looks decent. Some young men are bad. He might use repayment as an excuse to keep approaching you later. You’ll suffer for it.”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
Did he look like a scammer?
Su Manman smiled. “Thank you for the reminder. It’s fine.”
She paid the fare.
The conductor stopped targeting Qin Xingyun.
Qin Xingyun’s impression of her improved slightly. He cleared his throat. “I’ll pay you back later. Where are you going?”
Su Manman smiled sweetly. “Alright.”
……
After getting off the bus, Su Manman walked to a quiet spot and opened the wallet in her bag.
She counted the money.
76.3 yuan.
Inside the wallet was also a small ID photo.
It was Qin Xingyun.
So it really was his wallet.
This guy’s salary was quite high.
She put the wallet away and went to meet Chen Shuyi. When she arrived, Chen Shuyi had just finished a mediation case. Her face looked unpleasant. Seeing Su Manman, she immediately vented:
“You asked to come with me, then halfway you ran off and left me to deal with everything alone.”
Su Manman guessed the mediation didn’t go well, so she was taking it out on her. She didn’t indulge her.
“Who told you not to wait for me? Besides, for the kind of work we do, they’re already polite enough not to hit us.”
The cases they handled yesterday were all unreasonable parties causing trouble.
Today’s one was probably the same.
Chen Shuyi: “……”
Su Manman asked, “Are we going back to the unit? If we leave now, we can still catch lunch at the cafeteria.”
Chen Shuyi: “……”
All she thinks about is food!
……
At dusk, faint clouds tinted half the sky orange.
When Su Manman returned to the Qin household, she hadn’t even entered the main courtyard when she heard Old Master Qin’s voice:
“You think I’m easy to fool? You lost your wallet, but how come you didn’t lose yourself?”
Qin Xingyun looked helplessly at Qin Lin. “Uncle, can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back next month.”
Qin Lin said resentfully, “You borrowed thirty from me two months ago and promised to return it this month.”
Old Master Qin was shocked. “You also took thirty from your grandma. You just started working, but your salary isn’t low. Where did it all go?”
Qin Xingyun couldn’t explain. “Just… buying things. It’s gone.”
Old Master Qin: “……”
He silently broke into a sweat. Good thing he didn’t marry Manman to this guy.
Qin Lin said, “So you spent your salary and then lied that you lost your wallet.”
Qin Xingyun: “I swear I didn’t lie!”
“I believe that nonsense? If you have no money, go ask your father. Don’t come to me—I’m your grandpa, not your ATM.”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
Su Manman stepped into the room. “I can testify. He didn’t lie.”
Everyone turned to her.
Qin Xingyun looked like he saw a savior. “Yes! She was with me on the bus. She even paid my fare.”
Old Master Qin exploded. “She’s three years younger than you! When you were in first grade, she was still playing in the mud, and you’re already cheating a child’s money?! Get out of my sight!”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
Qin Lin: “So you spent your salary and lied about losing your wallet?”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
Before he could defend himself, Old Master Qin walked away in anger.
Qin Lin said, “We need proof.”
Su Manman calmly pulled out the wallet.
“I picked it up.”
She opened it and counted the money.
“I was going to keep it, but since it’s family, I’m returning it. However, he owes you thirty yuan, and I paid his fare, so I’ll deduct that. As for grandma’s share, I won’t touch it.”
Qin Lin was stunned.
Keep it?
His gaze shifted from her face to her fingers counting the money.
One note, two notes…
She even counted money so seriously.
Qin Xingyun suddenly said, “You stole it, didn’t you?”
Su Manman paused. “You have a pig brain. If I stole it, why would I take it out? Stop being a teacher if you’re this dumb.”
She tossed the wallet back to him, took her fare of 0.15 yuan, gave Qin Lin the thirty yuan, and left.
Qin Xingyun: “Uncle, she—”
Qin Lin replied expressionlessly, “She already returned it. That’s not bad.”
Qin Xingyun: “……”
As the saying goes—one blanket cannot produce two kinds of people.
……
Back in the room, Su Manman collapsed onto the bed.
The longer she stayed outside, the worse the itching on her skin became.
The marriage was done. The man was the one she liked.
Sleeping together at night, holding each other…
So what exactly was wrong?
“Manman, was work tiring?”
She looked up at Qin Lin’s concerned face.
“Not tiring. My body just feels uncomfortable.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
Qin Lin handed her a thermometer.
“Check your temperature.”
She pushed it away, sat up seriously, and looked at him.
“Since we’re sleeping together, shouldn’t we be doing something?”
Qin Lin: “……”
“You’re male and I’m female. Your chest is flat, mine is not. And you have—mmph.”
He quickly covered her mouth.
He glanced toward the door.
Qin Xingyun hadn’t left yet.
Su Manman’s skin touched his palm—warm and slightly rough. She shivered.
His voice turned hoarse.
“That’s private. You can’t say things like that.”
She removed his hand.
“I know it’s private, that’s why I’m only telling you.”
“Now answer me—shouldn’t we be doing something?”
Qin Lin: “……after the wedding banquet.”
Su Manman suddenly understood.
“So you knew all along. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“That’s why I’ve been so itchy.”
“When is the banquet? I want it now.”
Qin Lin: “……”
“It’s daytime. Someone’s still at home.”
She glanced outside.
“It’s already dark.”
Qin Lin: “……”
And somehow, a simple medical discussion had turned into something else entirely.