Chapter 86

The bag Yu Min had left behind was still with her, and she had to go over to get it.

Lin Baixin had come specially to pick up the bag. She had informed Jiang Zhou in advance, but she hadn’t said she was coming to see anyone.

In fact, Yu Min had already received Jiang Zhou’s message that morning. Jiang Zhou didn’t know Lin Baixin would be at the hospital and assumed she was going to the apartment, so all she passed on to Yu Min was that someone would stop by during the day to pick something up.

The injury on the back of her hand didn’t affect her ability to drive. At this hour, traffic outside the hospital was jammed solid; for a few hundred meters, walking would have been faster than driving.

Yu Min sat in the front passenger seat. Two large shopping bags were stacked in the back, leaving no room to sit; only the passenger seat was empty.

Once they got in, the door shut, and the car’s soundproofing cut off the street noise in an instant. Lin Baixin didn’t start the car right away. She turned to look at Yu Min. Only after seeing her buckle her seat belt did she start driving.

The car stopped and started along the way; even after ten minutes, they were still near the hospital. Yet neither of them showed the slightest impatience. Both were calm enough to wait it out.

Once they got farther out and the road cleared, Lin Baixin broke the silence in a warm voice. “Have you eaten?”

It had only just been after work; of course she hadn’t.

“Should we eat first?” Lin Baixin’s tone stayed as soft as possible, as if she couldn’t sense the faint awkwardness in the air. “There’s supposed to be a pretty good restaurant about two kilometers ahead. It just opened, and it’s pretty popular.”

Yu Min looked straight ahead, her eyes fixed on the road.

“No need. I ordered takeout.”

“Takeout can sit overnight; you can eat it tomorrow.” Lin Baixin said, deliberately ignoring the refusal in her words. “Why not try it? We’ll be there soon, and since it’s a weekday, there probably won’t be a line.”

“I’m not going.” Yu Min was blunt. “I still have something to do later. No time.”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“Going out?”

“Not sure. Maybe.”

“Where to?”

“Outside.”

As if she didn’t notice Yu Min’s perfunctory answers, Lin Baixin only kept talking. She asked one thing after another; even when Yu Min gave almost no response at all, Lin Baixin didn’t mind. Instead, she turned the wheel, made a U-turn, and drove onto another road, then suddenly brought up Zhou Jin.

“He’s coming to see you, probably next week.”

Lin Baixin had video-called Zhou Jin that morning. What Zhou Jin had actually said wasn’t quite that; he’d said he was coming to Kyoto for fun and would visit them while he was at it.

Yu Min knew about this too. Zhou Jin had already told her; he’d been the first to tell her.

“Is Xiaojin dating someone?” Lin Baixin asked curiously. She usually wasn’t one to fuss over these things, yet even this had become casual conversation.

“I don’t know. That’s his business.” Yu Min’s tone was cool; she didn’t care at all.

“He probably is. Last time I saw him post a Moments update about going to a concert, there was a two-person photo. Uncle Zhao said he was still chasing her then and hadn’t succeeded. Now they’re even traveling together, so they must’ve made it.”

“Mm.”

“He told you?”

“No.”

“Uncle Zhao and the others are pretty concerned about this.”

“Oh.”

In truth, Zhou Jin had told Yu Min. She was the only one in the family he hadn’t hidden it from. Zhou Jin really was dating a girl, and the two of them really were traveling together; their destination was Kyoto. But Yu Min didn’t really want to talk about it, especially since Lin Baixin wasn’t genuinely interested in the matter.

She was only looking for something to say. After Zhou Jin, the topic moved to her junior colleague. Lin Baixin got along well with the junior; the junior hadn’t told Yu Min, but she’d added Lin Baixin on WeChat and chatted with her quite a bit. She had an excellent impression of Lin Baixin: beautiful, gentle, generous, and easy to like. Who wouldn’t be fond of a sister like that? Since they were treating each other like friends, it practically made the relationship even closer.

When Yu Min heard that the junior had added Lin Baixin as a friend, her brows twitched slightly. She turned her head and glanced at Lin Baixin.

“She’s only one year below you, right?” Lin Baixin said. “But the two of you don’t seem to be that far apart in age.”

She knew a lot; she knew every little detail.

Yu Min’s mouth tightened, and her stiff tone sounded a little sharp.

“If you’re that interested, you can ask her yourself next time.” As soon as the words were out, she realized they sounded a little off. Yu Min pressed her lips together, and after a moment, she forced down the inexplicable irritation and said in a lower voice, “I don’t really want to talk about this. It’s meaningless. It has nothing to do with me.”

Lin Baixin was still gentle. She gave a soft “Mm” and said, “Then I won’t talk about it.”

Yu Min didn’t want to go to the restaurant, and Lin Baixin didn’t press her. She followed the route back toward the residential area, and after that she fell silent, no longer bothering the other woman.

Once they entered the complex, she asked again, “When is Jiang Zhou coming back?”

The car quickly went into the underground parking lot, and the light dimmed.

“I don’t know,” Yu Min said.

Jiang Zhou had ordered a bag from a shop. She’d seen the photos online and placed the order; the store had already prepared the goods, waiting only for Jiang Zhou to return before delivering them.

But the address Jiang Zhou had given wasn’t this place; it was another upscale residential complex not far from here. Lin Baixin didn’t ask why, nor did she ask why they lived here while the delivery was going somewhere else.

They parked and went up by elevator.

It was the after-work rush, and there were quite a few residents waiting for the elevator. They missed the first one and stood behind to wait for the next.

The second elevator was crowded too. They squeezed in first and were pushed into a corner. Lin Baixin nearly lost her footing after being bumped, but she was steadied in the next second. Yu Min was standing behind her, one hand braced firmly at her waist.

Lin Baixin was wearing a long dress. The warmth of Yu Min’s palm seeped through the fabric; she could feel it clearly. In front of them, someone was holding a stack of cardboard parcels, leaving no room to move forward. If she stepped back even half a step, she would bump into Yu Min.

Standing stiffly in place, they reached their floor first. Ding—Yu Min called for the people blocking the front to make way, and the others stepped aside.

Lin Baixin followed two or three steps behind and came out.

The elevator doors closed. The corridor on this floor was quiet. Yu Min walked ahead without waiting for anyone, reached the door, pressed her fingerprint to unlock it, and opened the door.

Inside, the apartment was much tidier than last time; it was no longer cluttered and messy, spotless everywhere.

The cat from Jiang Zhou’s Moments post still wasn’t here; there was no sign of it.

After scanning the living room once, Lin Baixin noticed these things immediately. The shoes in the cabinet at the entrance were basically still the same ones from last time; nothing had changed.

Jiang Zhou, who was supposedly traveling, hadn’t taken a single pair of shoes with her... Lin Baixin lowered her eyes and went inside to use the bathroom. Yu Min nodded and let her do as she pleased.

In the bathroom, among the pair of toothbrush cups, only one was wet. Since Jiang Zhou wasn’t here and Yu Min was the only one using it, that was normal. But looking closer, Lin Baixin’s sharp eyes caught that the dry cup and toothbrush were both new, with no sign of being used.

The towels on the rack, and the other toiletries too; only one set had been used, while the other looked untouched.

She went in, turned on the tap, and washed her hands. She stayed inside for a while, moving slowly; after washing her hands, she still didn’t come out.

By the time she returned to the living room, Yu Min had already gone into her room. The living room lights were bright, and white points of light reflected on the stone coffee table, making the large apartment seem empty and hollow.

The bedroom door hadn’t been closed; it stood wide open.

Inside was pitch-dark, probably because the curtains had been drawn. From the angle by the coffee table, she could only make out the vague outlines of the furniture inside.

She walked over and knocked. Lin Baixin stopped at the doorway and didn’t step inside. When the person by the bed finally reacted, she said softly, “Can you help me get the bag? I don’t know where it is.”

“On top of the TV cabinet,” Yu Min replied crisply.

“I can’t find it.”

You could see it as soon as you walked over; the bag was placed very conspicuously on top of the cabinet. There was no way she couldn’t find it.

Half a minute later, Yu Min still came out, retrieved the bag from the living room, and crossed the room in a few quick steps. It had clearly been right under Lin Baixin’s nose the whole time; she simply hadn’t been paying attention.

With the bag in hand, Lin Baixin still didn’t leave. She once again stood in Yu Min’s way, quietly blocking her path.

Yu Min wasn’t stupid; she noticed what she was doing. She lifted her eyelids and looked straight at her without saying anything, waiting for Lin Baixin to continue.

Instead, Lin Baixin focused on something completely unrelated. “Your takeout still hasn’t arrived.”

The traffic from the hospital back here had been terrible; nearly an hour had passed. By now, the takeout Yu Min had ordered should theoretically have arrived, but there was still no sign of the delivery rider.

The meaning was obvious to Lin Baixin. She had long known that was just an excuse, and now she was waiting for Yu Min’s explanation in return.

Yu Min gave no explanation at all. She shifted slightly and went around her, saying only:

“You should go back.”

Lin Baixin faced her. “Can we talk?”

No.

Yu Min’s attitude was plain, and her actions made her intentions clear; after finding the bag, she went back inside.

This time, she left the door half shut instead of wide open.

Frozen in place, Lin Baixin looked that way, but she wasn’t angry. She had already expected this and had mentally prepared for it, accepting the whole thing.

The bag had been an excuse. It was just a bag; there was no need for her to come get it personally. Both of them knew that perfectly well. Since Yu Min wouldn’t agree, Lin Baixin stayed, set the bag down on the coffee table, and waited there.

The so-called takeout never arrived; there was no sign of it at all. Instead, Lin Baixin placed her own order through a courier service and had them pick up the dishes from the restaurant she had mentioned earlier, sending them here.

She didn’t pressure Yu Min, nor did she say much. In short, she waited for Yu Min to make up her own mind. Lin Baixin sat on the sofa until the takeout she had ordered arrived; after putting the dishes on the table, she knocked on the door again.

It was already nine-thirty. Yu Min still had work tomorrow, and Lin Baixin didn’t want to drag this out. She left right on time, reminding Yu Min that the takeout was on the table. After a brief hesitation, she said softly, “I’ll come again tomorrow.”

Only after Lin Baixin opened the door and left with a heavy thud did the person in the room finally turn slightly, angling herself toward the doorway.

Everything Yu Min did had been expected; it was even a little better than Lin Baixin had anticipated. At the very least, she had let her come upstairs and hadn’t thrown her out, had she?

That was already pretty good. At least it wasn’t that bad.

It was after ten when she got home. Lu Dagun had been waiting at the door to greet her in advance. Lin Baixin had specifically gone out of her way to buy some jerky for the little one. She’d returned just in time; the moment she stepped in, it started raining. Dense raindrops pattered against the window glass as if they were crashing down.

Maybe because her mood had been getting better lately, Lu Dagun actually didn’t turn up its nose at the jerky this time. It liked it; after chewing through one strip, it raised its tail and followed along beside Lin Baixin’s leg, rubbing against her and meowing, signaling that it wanted more.

Lin Baixin didn’t give it any more. Too many snacks weren’t healthy for a cat; like people, they had to be kept in check.

She posted a Moments update about Lu Dagun. Then she lay down on the bed, didn’t block anyone, and after posting, opened Yu Min’s chat window.

It was still the same as before. The conversation had stopped at their last chat, and there was nothing on Moments. She didn’t know whether she’d been muted, blocked, or whether Yu Min had simply turned off permissions, since she hadn’t posted anything relevant in too long.

Jiang Zhou and the junior both liked that post. The junior left a comment: - So cute.

Jiang Zhou screenshot the post and forwarded it to someone, asking for confirmation: - It really looks a lot like my little dumpling, doesn’t it?

The other side didn’t reply, as if they hadn’t received the message.

Jiang Zhou also said: - I only started keeping a cat back then because I saw you had one. I never expected it; my little dumpling was only palm-sized when I brought it home, and now it’s gotten fat and never goes back. It’s already eleven jin. If it gets any fatter, I’m going to have to put it on a strict diet.

Last time they still hadn’t fully made up. Jiang Zhou’s casual chatter sank without a trace, the other side stubbornly not replying a single word, treating her like air.

The next day was overcast, and the rain came and went in a fine drizzle. Lin Baixin went to the hospital in the afternoon to change her dressing and, true to her promise of “I’ll come again tomorrow,” she really did come again that day.

It was the same routine as the day before; after changing the dressing, she went to the dermatology department to wait for Yu Min and pick her up.

The junior was enthusiastic. The first thing she did upon seeing Lin Baixin arrive was turn around and report to Yu Min, “Senior, Sister Baixin is here again. She’s waiting on the bench outside.”

Yesterday it was still “your sister”; today it had become “Sister Baixin.” The junior’s knack for acting familiar was no less impressive than Jiang Zhou’s, and she reported Lin Baixin’s movements in real time. As long as she saw anything while going out, even if Lin Baixin only stood up in the middle to buy a bottle of water, she would come back in and tell Yu Min all about it.

Yu Min no longer wanted to hear it. She gave her a sideways glance. “You’re done with your report? Nothing else to do?”

The junior answered with perfect confidence, “Not yet. I’m not in a hurry; there’s still time. It’s not due right this second.”

There were plenty of ways to handle her. Yu Min gave a quiet hum and said without changing expression, “Professor Cui was just hurrying you a moment ago. Then I’ll ask her whether you’re not in a hurry anymore.”

“No, no, no, don’t! Senior, what are you doing? Trying to kill me?” The junior hurriedly stopped her, afraid Yu Min would really go find Cui Zhen. She was scared of Cui Zhen. With a string of ingratiating laughs, she quickly admitted defeat. “Fine, fine, I was joking. You’re really something, don’t hold it against me. I’ll write it right now!”

Lin Baixin had come to dermatology to find her for several days in a row. Anyone with eyes could tell there was something going on. Some would think Lin Baixin and Yu Min were very close; otherwise, why would she come every day to pick her up?

Yu Min heard none of the things her colleagues said. Most of their guesses were wrong. Her feelings for Lin Baixin hadn’t reached that point; they had already broken apart.

The one Lin Baixin chose wasn’t her.

Today Lin Baixin was on the night shift. Yu Min couldn’t stop her, and she didn’t want to control too much. If Lin Baixin wanted to wait, then she could wait; if she wanted to wait the whole night, that was Lin Baixin’s freedom.

Lin Baixin didn’t know this. It was only later that the junior came out, saw that she was still there, and after checking the duty roster reminded her that she shouldn’t wait in vain. If she wanted to wait for Yu Min to get off work, it would be in the year of the monkey; she wasn’t getting her today.

Lin Baixin hadn’t expected that. She didn’t mind. Since she’d already waited, and since Yu Min was working the night shift, she would just come again in the morning.

Before leaving, after some thought, she still opened the chat window and hesitated for a long time before sending a message to say she’d come again tomorrow.

The message was successfully sent—Yu Min hadn’t blocked her; she’d still left her there.

Staring at the phone screen for a long time, Lin Baixin fell dazed. The top of the interface remained completely still.

It was obvious that the other side had received the message, but had chosen to ignore it.

Ignoring it was still better than deleting or blocking her; at least she was still there. Lin Baixin sat in the car for a while, then went home.

She didn’t pay much attention to when the burn stopped hurting. She had never been especially invested in it. If it hurt long enough, you got used to it; once it no longer hurt, you gradually got used to that too.

There was no sign of infection, and it was healing fairly well. The doctor had used the best imported medicines available in the hospital. Suddenly, Lin Baixin became a little worried about whether it would scar. Scars looked bad after all; they were an indelible mark. She didn’t want anyone to see it... didn’t want that person to see it.

Even though the doctor assured her that under normal circumstances it wouldn’t leave a scar, Lin Baixin still took great care of it. She also did some research on her own and began paying attention to her appearance, something that had originally been the least important thing to her.

In the morning, she still hadn’t managed to pick Yu Min up. She’d gone too late and missed her. By the time Lin Baixin arrived at the hospital at eight-thirty, Yu Min had already finished work and left. Lin Baixin didn’t know her exact schedule, but since she was already there, she might as well change the dressing first.

After working the night shift, getting some sleep was the most important thing. Lin Baixin delayed going to find her again and let Yu Min sleep first.

Yu Min was hiding from her on purpose.

Lin Baixin understood. Just as she had once hidden away, Yu Min hadn’t gone nearly that far.

Or rather, she didn’t have the conditions to do that. She had to graduate and get to work before she could be free. For now, she was still trapped here, and it was hard for her to hide far away even if she wanted to.

This time, Lin Baixin looked for her for three days in a row. Only on the third day did she catch Yu Min getting off work normally; she wasn’t doing overtime, and she wasn’t on the night shift.

Lin Baixin’s behavior had been witnessed by the entire department. It had already caused Yu Min trouble, and this had to be dealt with; it couldn’t be left alone any longer.

They still went to Yu Min’s place. On the way, not a single word passed between them. Both of them stayed silent, and once they got inside, Yu Min didn’t go back to her room; instead, she sat on the sofa.

Lin Baixin was a beat behind her. They faced each other. After waiting so long, Lin Baixin had nothing much to say. This time, she really didn’t have anything to ask Yu Min about.

“The bag’s already been taken away. What else is there?” Yu Min asked directly. “I don’t know what else of yours is still here. If I did, I would’ve sent it to your place.”

Lin Baixin said, “There isn’t anything.”

“Then what is it? What do you want to talk about?” Yu Min frowned deeply. The past few days’ actions had probably already crossed the line between them; she had overstepped. Her tone grew heavier. “I don’t really understand you. What do you mean by this now?”

Lin Baixin was silent for a moment. In fact, she didn’t even understand herself. Last time, she’d said she wanted to talk; but once they were face-to-face, she still hadn’t figured it out. She just had that feeling, as though a wooden puppet on strings had moved without reason; instinct alone had driven her to do these things.

Unable to give a reasonable explanation, she held it in for a long while before finally saying, “A few days ago... you helped me reserve a single room and brought me food...” She wanted to say thank you, but the words stuck somewhere in the middle. This wasn’t the right time to thank her. Yu Min didn’t need it; she understood that better than anyone.

Yu Min acknowledged those things, but her starting point was completely different from what Lin Baixin had assumed. Yu Min was frank: if she were the kind of person who helped other people, like Lin Qi or anyone else she knew, then within what she was capable of she would do the same. It wasn’t because of some other special reason.

“Back then you helped me; now it’s my turn. That’s how it should be,” Yu Min said. “If you’re bothered by that, there’s no need. You don’t have to.”

Lin Baixin nodded. “Mm. I just wanted to say it to you in person.”

Clearly she had misunderstood. Yu Min’s next words were even more direct, leaving no room for retreat. “I didn’t do those things to get close to you, or to make you owe me anything. You can rest assured. If that’s what you’re worried about, there won’t be a next time.”

Lin Baixin’s back stiffened. She immediately denied it. “No. That’s not what I thought.”

“That’s good.”

“I...”

Unconsciously, she was about to find something else to smooth things over with, to change the subject. That had always been Lin Baixin’s way; she never faced the core issue directly. Zhou Jin became the new shield. Since he was coming, Lin Baixin would naturally have to invite him and his girlfriend over. Since Zhou Jin was coming to see the two of them, she should of course ask Yu Min what she thought.

“What am I going there for?” Yu Min said. After a pause, she added, “Didn’t Zhou Jin tell you he wanted to see us separately?”

He had; he’d said so yesterday.

Lin Baixin had nothing to say. After a moment, she threw the question back at her. “Do you want to come?”

“I don’t quite understand. Is Zhou Jin asking me to go?” Yu Min asked, lifting her eyes to meet hers. “Or do you want me to go?”

Lin Baixin couldn’t come up with a suitable answer and was even more at a loss for words.

Lin Baixin’s expression wasn’t looking good. It darkened, and she no longer wanted to let Yu Min sit in silence. Her words turned sharp as knives. “You’re not worried anymore that I’m a lesbian and will drag you down with me?”