Lin Xiyue instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but He Mingchu stopped her sharply.
“Don’t move! I’m trimming your nails.”
When she lived in the countryside, she had to do farm work. No matter how short she kept her nails, dirt would still get trapped underneath. To make matters worse, she couldn’t break her habit of biting them, which made He Mingchu frown with disapproval.
Startled by his stern tone, Lin Xiyue became much more compliant.
But she wondered inwardly: Could a gentle male lead also have a fierce side?
She looked up at He Mingchu.
Her first sight of him yesterday had indeed taken her breath away, and though she was getting used to his appearance today, she still found herself unexpectedly stunned by his beauty at certain moments.
Like now, watching his focused profile.
The clean lines of his face curved down to his tightly pressed lips. He was cutting carefully, making sure to remove all the dirty parts while preventing the scissors from hurting her.
They say men look most attractive when they’re serious. He was already exceptionally good-looking normally, but when focused, he became even more captivating. Lin Xiyue found herself completely mesmerized.
He Mingchu held Lin Xiyue’s small hand, meticulously trimming each nail.
A little pet should be kept clean and flawless.
When Bai Xiaomei went to wash dishes at the well, she saw the heartwarming scene between the siblings and retreated with a knowing smile.
He Jianguo asked: “What’s going on?”
Bai Xiaomei praised: “Ming Chu really knows how to take care of his sister. Go see for yourself!”
He Jianguo peeked out from the kitchen.
Under the corridor, the two sat on small stools with chairs arranged as a makeshift table in front of them. He Mingchu was holding Lin Xiyue’s hand, carefully trimming her nails.
He Jianguo clicked his tongue: “The boy has learned to care for others! I tell you, he only used to look after small animals before!”
For some time recently, he had felt that his son seemed somewhat distant, not as close to him as before.
Previously, Ming Chu often brought injured small animals home, but during that period he stopped completely. Instead, he would go out early and stay away all day.
Now it seemed his son was still the same good-natured, gentle and sensible boy he always was. He must have been too sensitive.
After two days of classes, Lin Xiyue had adapted to the school schedule of this era, and the urgency she felt before her college entrance exams returned.
He Mingchu proved to be a competent tutor. Lin Xiyue found school much more relaxing than home.
At least there were breaks between classes at school, whereas when studying at home, He Mingchu would make her study nonstop until 11 PM.
Even He Jianguo couldn’t bear to watch.
“Ming Chu, what time is it already? Reading by kerosene lamp hurts your eyes. Studying properly during the day is enough. Xiyue is still young…”
Before he could finish, He Mingchu interrupted.
“Dad, she’s supposed to attend Qingbei with me. Although she has some foundation, she’s still far from Qingbei’s standards. The college entrance exam is only two months away! If we don’t push her now, who knows where Xiyue might end up!
“If she gets assigned to some random place through adjustment, would you and Aunt Mei be willing to let her go study elsewhere at such a young age? Could she even take care of herself?”
He Jianguo was left speechless by his son’s arguments.
The drowsy Lin Xiyue felt like crying but had no tears. I can, I can take care of myself, don’t worry about me…
She was at an age where her body needed growth and required sleep…
Lin Xiyue began to realize that this gentle person was actually quite formidable. She was starting to sense He Mingchu’s uncompromising dominance—he wouldn’t even listen to his own father and would lecture him instead.
“Dad, stop worrying about Xiyue. Aunt Mei hasn’t had any luck finding work these past few days either – you should be thinking of ways to help her instead.”
He Jianguo closed his mouth and retreated to his room, his mind troubled as he lay awake through the night.
Lin Xiyue suddenly jolted awake – finding work!
Didn’t that mean the storyline was about to begin?
The female lead was about to appear.
Early the next morning, while Lin Xiyue was still sleeping, noisy commotion at the doorway woke her.
“This is improper! A widow and orphan just staying in a widower’s home like this – how disgraceful!”
Hearing the crux of the argument, Lin Xiyue was startled and quickly got up.
He Mingchu also emerged from his room.
They exchanged a glance before rushing outside.
Bai Xiaomei was hiding behind He Jianguo, her face pale as she murmured: “That’s not true, it’s not like that.”
He Jianguo also looked grim as he addressed the man leading the group: “Bai Jiaxing, this is your own sister! How can you bring people here to bully her like this?”
Lin Xiyue quickly pieced things together.
Bai Jiaxing was Bai Xiaomei’s younger brother. Back then, Bai Xiaomei had gone to the countryside in his place, and now he was afraid she would stay in the city to compete with him for property and family assets. Even though she wasn’t living in their family home, that wasn’t enough – he wanted her to take her child far away.
That way, if anything happened to the family, she’d be too distant to know anything about it.
The bastard!
Lin Xiyue gritted her teeth in anger.
Those letters Bai Xiaomei had sent home back then had probably been intercepted by this scoundrel too, making the elderly couple suspicious of her.
“Uncle! My mother and Uncle Jianguo are already married! It’s perfectly legal and reasonable for them to live together. If you say it’s improper, what evidence do you have?”
Only then did Bai Jiaxing notice the slender girl behind He Jianguo.
Anger made the young girl’s eyes particularly bright as she stared at him fearlessly.
That spineless Bai Xiaomei had actually raised a gutsy daughter.
“I just took my wife and children to visit her parents for a few days, and when I come back I find this disgraceful affair happening at home! How will I ever face our ancestors after this!”
Morally cornered, Bai Xiaomei trembled, unable to speak.
Her parents were the ones who had abandoned her – how could her finally finding a place to stay be called disgraceful?
Lin Xiyue took Bai Xiaomei’s hand and looked up without any fear: “Disgraceful? Come, let everyone judge for themselves – which side is truly unreasonable, the family that drove their own daughter out?
“Now that my mother is married to Uncle Jianguo, isn’t it natural for her to live in his home? I really don’t understand what right my uncle has to come here and make trouble!”
Someone among the onlookers who knew the situation spoke up: “Jianguo and Xiaomei got married a few days ago – I even came for the dinner!”
Bai Jiaxing’s face stiffened before he roared: “Having dinner counts as marriage? Do you even know what marriage means? You have to apply for a marriage certificate! Do you have one?”
He Jianguo: “We do, we’ve already applied…”
Bai Jiaxing interrupted: “Applied? So you don’t have the certificate yet? Then you’re still living together without proper marriage! It’s improper and illegitimate!”
Seeing the troubled expressions on He Jianguo and Bai Xiaomei’s faces, Lin Xiyue thought: This is bad.
A couple of days ago, He Mingchu had reminded them to get their marriage certificate as soon as possible. One had been busy with work, the other with job hunting – they must have forgotten about it!
Now Bai Jiaxing is causing trouble, making a scene and insisting that Bai Xiaomei and she leave the city and return to the countryside.
If there were no marriage certificate to shut him up, he would definitely seize the opportunity to stir up more trouble.
The onlookers around had been swayed by his antics, staring at the few of them and demanding they produce the marriage certificate.
Leaning against the doorframe, He Mingchu said lazily, “Who said there’s no marriage certificate?”