Lin Xiyue fled in panic with the items in hand.
Jin Yao looked at Jin Yu with confusion. “Second Brother, why are you so interested in Lin Xiyue?”
A frenzied glint flashed in Jin Yu’s eyes. “Can’t you see? This girl appears obedient and gentle on the surface, but her eyes are full of schemes. She’s… wildly untamed!”
You might not even be able to outmaneuver her.
Of course, Jin Yu kept that last thought to himself.
He understood his sister’s temperament well – willful and competitive, yet lacking the inherent ruthlessness of the Jin family. That’s why their father had no high expectations for her; she only needed to marry someone she liked and live a peaceful life.
He’d heard she’d been getting close to a boy in her class recently and had investigated his background. The boy came from a blended family, his father being an ordinary factory worker struggling to support the household. Rumor had it the stepmother was someone the boy had found himself, and she came with a daughter.
Jin Yu collected his thoughts. “So this is the stepsister of the boy you like?”
After all, she was his sister. No matter how little he cared for her, he would still clear away unnecessary troubles for her.
Jin Yao nodded. “Yes, is there a problem?”
Jin Yu let out a cold laugh. “You and that boy have no future together.”
Jin Yao glared. “Why?”
The corner of Jin Yu’s mouth lifted as he turned to look at her, brushing non-existent dust off his white suit. “Because I won’t allow you to be together.”
Jin Yao’s face flushed crimson instantly. “Second Brother, if you want to sell out your own marriage, that’s your business! Don’t interfere with my personal life!”
At the mention of his marriage, Jin Yu’s expression turned cold. “Whether I interfere or not is my decision. If you can withstand it, I’ll acknowledge him as my brother-in-law. But if you can’t handle it, don’t blame me.”
When Lin Xiyue returned to the He residence, her face remained pale. The items in her hand felt like timed bombs.
She took them to her room, stuffed them into a corner, and covered them with miscellaneous items until they were completely hidden. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
He Mingchu had seen Lin Xiyue carrying a bag into the courtyard, but her complexion looked terrible. Had she been bullied at the Jin family’s place? Considering Jin Yao’s habit of acting on whims, it wasn’t impossible for his little pet to have suffered there.
He Mingchu’s face darkened. Putting down his pen, he quietly moved to his doorway.
Both their bedroom doors were open. Their rooms were diagonally opposite, so from his doorway, He Mingchu could clearly see Lin Xiyue’s desk.
She sat absent-mindedly on her stool, face pale. Bai Xiaomei hadn’t returned with her, meaning she had stayed to work at the Jin residence. Lin Xiyue should have gotten what she wanted, so why did she look so awful?
Lin Xiyue closed her eyes, remembering Jin Yu’s final words. Jin Yu wasn’t as easily fooled as Jin Yao, nor did he share her sense of morality. He was a complete Pervert – a well-disguised scoundrel in gentleman’s clothing.
In this period novel, offending anyone was better than offending him. Even Jin Yao’s father and older brother were more humane than he was.
Recalling the plot from the book, Lin Xiyue could vividly picture Jin Yu committing murder—his face splattered with blood, crimson liquid staining his pearly white teeth as he wiped the stains with a silk handkerchief, all while his eyes remained fixed on her.
Lin Xiyue jolted awake, realizing she had unknowingly fallen asleep at her desk.
A blanket was draped over her.
Only she and He Mingchu were home.
He must have covered her with it.
Had He Mingchu forgiven her?
That would be wonderful!
Rising to find him, she noticed he wasn’t home.
“Where did he go…”
Frowning at having wasted most of the day, she spread out her exercise book and resumed studying.
He Jianguo and Bai Xiaomei returned home one after another.
Lin Xiyue had already prepared dinner: corn porridge, leek pancakes, and greens stir-fried in lard.
The comforting aroma of home-cooked food wafted through the air.
Aunt Li encountered the couple at their gate.
Nodding toward the courtyard, she remarked, “Moon Maiden’s cooking is impressive! I could smell your delicious dishes all the way from my house!”
He Jianguo beamed, his eyes crinkling into slits. “Aunt Li, join us for dinner!”
She shook her head. “My family’s meal is ready! You old rascal—blessed to marry your sweetheart and gain such a fine daughter for free!
“That Bai family pales in comparison…”
Recently, the He family’s affairs had become neighborhood gossip. Everyone knew they had a prodigious son and now an equally brilliant daughter, both destined for Qingbei.
What’s more, these two excelled not only in studies but also in cooking, laundry, and chores—perfect in every way.
Neighbors gnashed their teeth with envy watching the He siblings.
No amount of beaten broomsticks had produced a third Qingbei candidate on their street.
The Bai family was especially bitter.
Whenever they crossed paths, Bai Jiaxing and Bai Yongjun’s family would glare coldly.
Yet passersby often heard Bai Jiaxing yelling during his son’s beatings:
“Why can’t you be smart like your cousin? All these years raising you for nothing!
“Your cousin spent over a decade in the countryside, returned for senior year, while you—after six full years—are still a middle schooler!”
The Bai boy stubbornly retorted, “My cousin told her teacher it was Auntie who taught her well! If I’m failing, it’s your fault! You’re useless!”
Chaos would inevitably follow.
Bai Yongjun and his wife would intervene to stop the beating, escalating the turmoil.
In stark contrast, the He family had become the street’s model household.
He Jianguo refrained from commenting on the Bais, simply smiling. “I feel all my life’s luck culminated here… I’m content with how things are!
“In ten years, when Ming Chu marries a good girl and Moon Maiden weds into a fine family, my life will be complete!”
Dinner was already served when He Mingchu returned, hiding something in his room before washing up to eat.
Lin Xiyue humbly served everyone rice, carefully observing He Mingchu’s expression as she placed his bowl before him.
His face remained unreadable, but recalling the afternoon blanket, she thought he must have forgiven her.
Bai Xiaomei eagerly began sharing news about her work at the Jin residence.
“The kitchen staff have been quite kind to me, and the tasks are all things I’m used to doing regularly. When there are ingredients I don’t know how to handle, someone teaches me. I don’t need to work at the stove myself, so the job is quite relaxed…”
He Jianguo finally understood – Bai Xiaomei didn’t need to do those serving tasks like pouring tea and waiting on people, just like when she washed dishes at the restaurant before. He felt relieved.
He Mingchu curled his lips.
Lin Xiyue had sold him out to get this good job for her mother.
The mere thought of this matter made him furious.