Chapter 26

Lin Baixin was still at the shop then. She had just finished serving a major client, and with so many orders in hand today, she still had another customer to deal with later. Yu Min’s call threw the rest of her schedule completely off.

Hearing Yu Min’s voice on the other end, Lin Baixin paused what she was doing. “Xiao Min?”

Yu Min answered. Lin Qi’s searching gaze on her made her feel stiff and awkward. “Baixin jie.”

The moment she called out to her, Lin Qi took the phone and urged, “It really is someone you know. Come over already. I can’t deal with this. She said she knew you from before, and I thought she’d gone to the wrong place.”

Lin Qi had come to help Lin Baixin pick something up. Lin Baixin had left important documents at home and couldn’t make it back herself, so she had asked Lin Qi to stop by on the way.

Luckily Lin Qi had made this trip. Otherwise, Yu Min would have been left waiting half the night. Sometimes when Lin Baixin got off work late, she would sleep in the shop’s break room and not come back here at all. She probably wasn’t coming home tonight either. If Lin Qi hadn’t happened to be here, Yu Min would almost certainly have waited until midnight and still not seen anyone.

“Which side of the family are you from? The one with that brat surnamed Zhou?” Lin Qi knew about Uncle Xiao and the others, but she didn’t know Yu Min well. “Why haven’t I heard Lin Baixin mention you? What are you doing here? Did your family send you, or did you come on your own?”

Lin Qi asked one thing after another, clearly curious about Yu Min. She and Lin Baixin saw each other every day, so she could be said to know Lin Baixin best. Now, some girl she had never seen before had suddenly shown up, and Lin Qi was dying to know what on earth her relationship with Lin Baixin was. It had to be something important enough for Lin Baixin to keep hidden so tightly, even from her.

Yu Min was shy around strangers. Lin Qi’s approach made her retreat two steps, warily keeping her distance. She tugged at the strap of the bag at her side and simply refused to answer. No matter how Lin Qi questioned her, she ignored her.

“What, are you scared of me? I haven’t done anything,” Lin Qi teased, a little obnoxiously. “Didn’t I just let you listen to the call? I’m not an outsider anymore. We’ve met now, right? My name’s Lin Qi; I’m Lin Baixin’s friend, and also her relative, same as you.”

Noticing that Lin Qi also had the surname Lin, Yu Min lifted her eyes and guessed that this person must be one of Lin Baixin’s distant relatives in Hai City. She looked at Lin Qi; the two of them had a few similar features, but Lin Baixin had a gentle, intellectual beauty, while Lin Qi was the opposite. She had a sharp, cool look, with short-to-medium-length hair and a bit of that old Hong Kong star vibe from posters.

Since Lin Baixin hadn’t mentioned any of this, Yu Min naturally wasn’t going to tell Lin Qi. By then she had nearly backed herself against the wall and could only say, “I’m not scared of you.”

Lin Qi had a knack for putting people on edge. “You came to see her and didn’t even tell her in advance? You sneaked over here?”

Yu Min didn’t know how to answer and denied it. “No.”

“Then why are you too scared to say whose family you’re from?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Well, fair enough.” Lin Qi’s temper was softer than her looks suggested. She didn’t get annoyed; she just smiled, then after a moment shook the mechanical key hanging from her little finger. “Fine. If you won’t say, I’ll ask Lin Baixin later. Come inside and wait first. Standing out here all the time isn’t great. If the neighbors next door come back and see us glaring at each other like this, they might think I’m abducting a kid or something.”

She turned the key and the door opened. Lin Qi came here often; she went in, found a pair of disposable slippers, and tossed them in front of Yu Min. “What are you standing there for? Come in. Don’t worry, I don’t bite.”

Yu Min thought for a moment before changing shoes and going in.

Lin Baixin’s place in Kyoto was fairly spacious. At more than 140 square meters, it was a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. It couldn’t compare to the grandeur of the villa in Heyuan, but this was Kyoto, where every inch of land cost a fortune. This one apartment alone could buy several villas in Heyuan.

The room was neat and clean to the point of looking barely lived in. One glance inside made it obvious that Lin Baixin lived alone; under normal circumstances, there wouldn’t be a second person staying here.

Yu Min took a quick look around and paid special attention to the shoe cabinet by the door. Sure enough, there was only Lin Baixin’s footwear, no one else’s. Lin Qi wore disposable slippers when she came in. Lin Baixin didn’t like other people intruding on her private space, and she certainly wouldn’t prepare things specially for anyone.

There were also the cups beside the coffee machine, the toiletries in the bathroom, the toothpaste, toothbrush, towels—all of it was single-use, one person’s share, nothing extra.

Yu Min had no intention of prying into Lin Baixin’s private life. She put down her backpack and went to wash her hands in the bathroom, only noticing these details by accident.

“Want to watch TV, or play games? She’ll probably still be a while before she gets here. It won’t be quick. If you want to play games, we can hook it up to the projector; do you know how?” Lin Qi asked as she opened the fridge for something to drink. “Juice or soda, or do you want something stronger?”

Yu Min didn’t play games or watch TV. She asked for juice; she didn’t drink alcohol and didn’t touch that stuff.

Lin Qi drank juice with her and said casually, “Not an adult yet?”

Yu Min objected, “I am an adult.”

“How old are you?”

She refused to say. Yu Min stayed silent, continuing to ignore her.

Lin Qi found her amusing. In truth, she had done that on purpose. Yu Min was obviously a high school student; most girls that age wouldn’t dare run off to Kyoto alone at this time. Either their families were strict, or they were back at school for extra classes. Anyone who could come to someone’s house without parental control was definitely a soon-to-be college student. And since Yu Min had bought her own ticket, she was probably old enough to be this independent.

Lin Qi turned on the projector and casually picked a drama. Thinking younger girls might like idol dramas, she searched for a mindless romance and put it on.

Yu Min didn’t like that kind of thing, but Lin Qi watched it with great interest afterward. Mindless dramas were kind of fun, actually pretty absorbing.

Traffic was bad, so Lin Baixin took nearly fifty minutes to get back. When she opened the door, Lin Qi was sprawled on the sofa laughing like crazy. There weren’t any snacks to quiet her down, so she’d brought out all the fruit from the fridge. Under the excuse of entertaining Yu Min, she helped herself to whatever she wanted.

As for Yu Min, because she was still on guard, she hadn’t touched the oranges Lin Qi had peeled or the apples she’d cut up. She sat at the edge of the sofa, far away from Lin Qi, as if Lin Qi were some fierce beast that couldn’t be approached.

The moment she saw the main person had returned, Yu Min straightened at once and looked toward the door; her body reacted before her thoughts did.

Lin Qi stood up, instantly relieved. “Good heavens, you’re finally here. I was about to suffocate. Come on, come on, I’ve been waiting for you. She won’t talk to me and ignores me completely. Hurry up; I don’t know how to look after kids, so I’m handing her over to you.”

She had only just met her and was already complaining. It was impossible to tell whether that was a joking complaint or teasing. Lin Qi meant no harm; she was just trying to ease the atmosphere. Yu Min was serious, and after a beat she had wanted to say something, but the words were blocked all at once and stuck there.

Lin Baixin closed the door and came in. Stopping in front of them, she first asked Yu Min, “What time did you arrive?”

Yu Min lied. “Not long ago. I just got here...”

Before she could finish, Lin Qi exposed her. “She’s been here for ages. How is that not long ago? Just the time it took me to bring her in, two episodes of the drama had already played. If you’d been any later, I could’ve finished the whole series tonight.”

“Thanks for your trouble.” Lin Baixin said it, but not to Lin Qi; her gaze was on Yu Min. “You waited so long. Next time, just call me directly. I’ll pick you up at the airport.”

Yu Min stood too. Since there was someone else there, she couldn’t say much. Lin Qi was in the way; it made her embarrassed and unable to relax.

It was already past eight, and none of the three had eaten yet. Since Yu Min was here, tonight was definitely on Lin Baixin; she had to treat them. There was a restaurant nearby they often went to, and they hadn’t eaten there in a long time. Lin Qi had been hungry for ages; fruit didn’t fill her up, and she didn’t mind staying in the way. First she needed a proper meal.

Lin Baixin wasn’t in a hurry. She asked Yu Min for her opinion on whether they should eat first or get settled first.

Yu Min had stood outside in the heat all afternoon, sticky and uncomfortable from the weather. Of course she wanted to freshen up first; otherwise going out like this would be too shabby and miserable.

“Then wait for me ten minutes. I’ll be out soon.” With Lin Baixin’s assurance, Yu Min let out a long breath. Perhaps influenced by Li Xue Ting over the past while, she had also started caring more about how she looked. In truth, ever since she came in, she had been wondering whether she should wash up. When Lin Qi suggested going out to eat, she had hesitated; being able to take a shower now was best. At least she wouldn’t look so awful.

Her luggage was still on the way, so she had no change of clothes. Lin Baixin found her a set of her own to wear.

Four years later, Yu Min had grown taller and was well over 170 centimeters now. She was 174 centimeters; she had shot up after entering high school, but she was still a little shorter than Lin Baixin.

Yu Min could wear Lin Baixin’s clothes; the height difference was only two centimeters, so they fit her pretty well. She was quick, and her shower took less than ten minutes. Before coming out, she even took a moment to fix her hair and everything else. She had rushed through her flight looking a mess, and now she regretted it a little. If she had known Lin Baixin wouldn’t get off work that early, she should have tidied herself up before coming. Lin Baixin had seen her looking dust-covered and windblown. It had all been too rushed.

Actually, Lin Baixin wouldn’t care about so many details. Besides, Yu Min looked fine. A young girl in her prime was bright and eye-catching even without any deliberate grooming.

“Don’t rush like that. There’s no need. We can go out later too.” Lin Baixin said gently when she saw Yu Min hurrying around. “I just booked the table. It’s only a few minutes away, so take your time.”

Yu Min couldn’t take her time. It wasn’t just the two of them here; Lin Qi was here too. She was worried she’d cause trouble for Lin Baixin, so she hurriedly got herself together and came out.

Outside, Lin Qi had been thinking they’d have to wait a bit. Who would’ve thought that ten minutes really meant ten minutes? She had even opened the next episode of the drama and just peeled another orange. When she turned around, she found the two of them waiting for her instead. Lin Qi found that funny and could only pause the drama.

Since Yu Min had arrived at the last minute, it was only the three of them eating together tonight. They didn’t call anyone else; there wasn’t time, and the timing wasn’t right. Besides, if they suddenly made Yu Min meet so many strangers, she would only feel more uncomfortable.

The restaurant was a Western place. As they ate and talked, Lin Qi finally pieced together their relationship from their brief exchange and realized Yu Min was actually X University’s incoming freshman.

“So it was you,” Lin Qi said, understanding at last. “No wonder. How could someone come straight to the door looking for Lin Baixin? I’ve lived next door to her for more than a year and never once saw her bring any relative home. I should’ve figured it out sooner; it could only be you. There couldn’t be anyone else.”

Yu Min didn’t understand what Lin Qi was getting at and turned to look at Lin Baixin, confused.

“Lu An often talks about you; you’re the one she asked Lu An to take care of,” Lin Qi added. She was an old acquaintance of Lu An’s too; they had all come out of the same university.

Yu Min cut a small piece of steak and put it in her mouth. Without waiting to be asked, Lin Qi spilled everything herself. Of course, it wasn’t that Lin Baixin had gone around saying too much; the information had come out by accident through Lu An. Everyone was in the same social circle; how could not a single whisper leak out?

To think that someone around Lin Baixin actually knew her—Yu Min ate in small bites, which was not something she had expected.

But what Lu An revealed clearly wasn’t everything. Lin Qi didn’t know Yu Min was really a relative of Zhou Jin; that had been her own wild guess. As for family connections, the relatives Lin Qi knew on Lin Baixin’s side in Hai City were basically all of them. The only ones she wasn’t familiar with were Uncle Xiao’s side. The distant relatives from Hai City and Uncle Xiao’s family didn’t get along very well; the two sides had very little contact, practically none. So Lin Qi had no idea Yu Min even existed.

After figuring out the tangled relationship between them, Lin Qi raised her brows. This was a little beyond her expectations.

From Lin Baixin and Lin Qi’s conversation, Yu Min also realized Lin Qi’s appearance that afternoon hadn’t been a coincidence. In fact, whether Lin Qi had come to pick up the documents or not, she would still have discovered Yu Min. The apartment building had two elevators and two units on each floor; Lin Qi was the owner of the other unit on the same floor, Lin Baixin’s neighbor.

“Ah, sorry, I forgot to mention it before. It just slipped my mind for a moment.” Lin Qi smiled, her eyes curving as she spoke with a perfectly innocent expression, as if it were true. “Don’t mind it, little sister. Come sit over at my place when you have time later. We’re all family; you’re welcome anytime.”

Since they were family, there was no need for so much ceremony after dinner. Once they got upstairs, Lin Baixin firmly refused to let Lin Qi follow her into her own place, telling her to go back to her side and stop teasing Yu Min.

“Hey, what do you mean ‘teasing’? I just didn’t know her at first, that’s all. I honestly forgot to mention it. I haven’t even finished that drama yet; I’m going to watch a bit before I leave.” Lin Qi had a thick skin and still insisted on joining the fun.

Lin Baixin gave her no face at all, shoved her outside, then closed the door behind her. No matter how Lin Qi shouted from outside, she didn’t react.

With the annoying disturbance gone, they could finally talk alone.

Today Yu Min had only carried one bag on the plane, with her ID, admission letter, charger, and other important things inside. Nothing else.

Lin Baixin had what she needed here; whatever was missing could be bought later. Yu Min didn’t hide anything and told Lin Baixin everything she had agreed on with Yu Shengyu before leaving. She had come prepared.

“You didn’t come earlier because you were worried about what your dad might do to me?” Lin Baixin cut straight to it, not at all surprised. She had already guessed.

Yu Min said, “Not entirely.” She used waiting for her admission packet as an excuse, not wanting Lin Baixin to feel burdened.

There was no point in talking about it too much. In any case, she was here now.

The three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment had only two bedrooms; the other room was a study. Both the second bedroom and the study had been prepared for Yu Min. The bed still had to be made up, and because Yu Min hadn’t told her in advance, Lin Baixin had assumed she really would only come after school started, so many things still hadn’t been prepared.

“Make do for tonight. I’ll buy the rest tomorrow,” Lin Baixin said. “When do you have to report to school?”

Yu Min gave her the date. X University’s military training started in late August; there were only a few days left.

Her timing was just right, neither early nor late.

“Then I’ll take you to school then,” Lin Baixin said. “Registration is probably a day or two in advance, and you’ll still need to pick up your training uniform. I’ll be free after the next two days, so I can go with you.”

Yu Min nodded. “Okay.”

That first night in her new place, Lin Baixin gave Yu Min the door password as usual, added her fingerprint, and handed her a mechanical key. She also went over the layout of the house and where the necessary things were kept, explaining everything in detail. Since they were living together, this was necessary; otherwise Yu Min wouldn’t be able to find what she needed when the time came.

Sleeping here in this new place didn’t carry the same suffocating feeling as before. It was much more relaxing.

Only that night, Yu Min still couldn’t sleep. She lay stiffly on the bed, listening to Lin Baixin go into her own room outside and settle in for the night, but she still couldn’t calm down; her heart kept pounding.

Everything had gone too smoothly. She felt lucky, and also some indescribable emotion... She was living with Lin Baixin again, but this time it was different. She could stay here for a very long time.

She turned over. Kyoto’s night was darker than Four-Peak County’s, with no stars or moon; the sky above was a dull gray. Yet below, the lights were brilliant, the city bustling and noisy, and in the distance the tall buildings stood in rows, one after another like mountains.

Yu Min didn’t feel oppressed. Pressing the pillow down, she curled a little deeper under the blanket, then poked her head back out and reached out to touch Bugs Bunny.

It was so nice.

She was with Lin Baixin again... She was free.