Chapter 32: Big Sister Enters the Scene
The first person to snap out of it was Ye Ziming. The one closest to Lin Muqing and also the one who knew her best.
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
He couldn’t really understand what was going on in her head. After all, back at the cafe when she was wearing a maid outfit, she didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. She even looked kind of happy.
But now, it was clear to him that Lin Muqing really didn’t like these dresses. Thinking of that, a trace of guilt appeared on Ye Ziming’s face.
He looked around the store and realized the atmosphere had gotten awkward, so he quickly took Lin Muqing’s hand and led her out.
“Just… please, nothing with a skirt.”
This time, when he grabbed her hand, Lin Muqing didn’t resist at all. Instead, she hurried to keep up with his pace, walking out of the store with him.
Just as they stepped out the door, she whispered that to him.
“…Okay.”
Ye Ziming turned his head and looked back at her, his expression shifting slightly before nodding in agreement.
But as he turned back around, he furrowed his brows.
He wanted to ask why she couldn’t wear skirts, but he didn’t know how to bring it up.
Could it be that she had some kind of trauma related to skirts? He was honestly puzzled.
“Sigh~”
Looking at Ye Ziming’s back, Lin Muqing let out a silent sigh in her heart, feeling a bit helpless.
She had originally thought they’d be shopping for clothes that were more unisex. At least ones that looked kind of like boys’ clothes.
But to her surprise, everything was just… skirts. That totally caught her off guard!
Besides, do girls have to wear skirts?! She couldn’t help but feel a bit confused by that too.
Luckily, no one they knew was around. Some passersby looked at her with surprise, but nothing else happened.
However, just as they were about to enter another well-known brand store nearby, a woman suddenly appeared in front of them and blocked their way.
“Ziming, long time no see.”
The woman greeted Ye Ziming with a bright smile and glanced at the girl standing behind him.
“Huh? You’re…”
Ye Ziming stopped in his tracks the moment he saw her, opening his mouth to say something.
But before he could finish, he suddenly felt a bump from behind that cut him off.
“Ugh~ What’s going on?”
Ye Ziming had stopped so suddenly that Lin Muqing didn’t have time to react. She walked right into his back, bumping into him hard.
The two ended up a little too close, anyone who saw them might’ve thought it was on purpose.
“Eh? Who’s this?”
While being dragged along earlier, Lin Muqing had been lost in thought. She’d zoned out a little.
Now that she was back to her senses and rubbing her sore nose, she finally noticed the tall woman standing in front of Ye Ziming.
The woman looked to be about 170 cm tall, while Lin Muqing was only 160. To her, the woman looked super tall.
“Pfft~ Is this your girlfriend?”
The woman couldn’t hold back a laugh when she saw Lin Muqing’s dazed and adorable expression.
From the moment she walked through the mall entrance, she had been following the two, quietly observing them as they shopped together.
Originally, she hadn’t planned on revealing herself so soon. Her idea was to watch them secretly and only show up right before leaving.
But what happened back in the clothing store totally caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected to see a girl like that.
At that moment, the woman standing in front of them gave a soft chuckle, then asked.
“Actually, I…”
“Yeah, we just started dating.”
Lin Muqing froze when she heard the question. She was just about to explain that they weren’t that kind of relationship. But before she could say a word, Ye Ziming suddenly squeezed her hand and pulled her closer so their bodies touched.
Then, with a calm voice and a slight smile, he looked at the woman and answered. At the same time, he gave Lin Muqing’s hand a gentle squeeze.
“!?”
Lin Muqing’s eyes went wide in shock. She looked up at him, totally confused.
Since when was she someone’s girlfriend? And Ye Ziming’s girlfriend at that!?
“Ooooh~”
The woman drew out her response with a knowing look and a playful smile.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m your boyfriend’s big sister, my name is Ye Mengze.”
She stepped forward and smiled at Lin Muqing, squinting slightly as if sizing her up.
“Uhh…”
Lin Muqing was totally thrown off. She didn’t know what to say, and her awkward expression said it all.
If she had to introduce herself… what should she say?
Should I really say I’m his girlfriend? I can’t say that!
In this awkward moment, she instinctively turned her head and looked at Ye Ziming, blinking as if asking for help.
“Ahem… Lin Muqing. My girlfriend.”
Coughing twice, Ye Ziming took the lead and introduced her in a short and simple way.
He also gave her a quick glance that basically said, Just play along for now, I’ll explain everything later.
“Hello, big sister.”
Catching the hint, Lin Muqing turned back to Ye Mengze and gave her a polite bow.
Wait… was that necessary? Just raising my hand and greeting her would’ve been enough, right?
But by the time she realized it, her body had already finished the motion, making her feel even more awkward.
“Mhm.”
Ye Mengze nodded and covered her mouth with one hand, finding Lin Muqing absolutely adorable.
She suddenly had a strange urge to take Lin Muqing home and dress her up in all sorts of cute outfits.
“Did you… just call me big sister?”
She raised an eyebrow. The way the two had exchanged glances didn’t go unnoticed, and it made her even more curious.
What kind of person could win over her little brother, the same cold and distant guy who people used to think might never like anyone at all?
She glanced at Ye Ziming as if to say, I saw that, but kept her attention on Lin Muqing. She clearly wasn’t done having fun yet.
“Uh… should I have said ‘miss big sister’ instead?”
Lin Muqing scratched the back of her head, still lost, unsure of what she’d said wrong.
She’d learned the word “miss big sister” online. People said it was a cute way to compliment someone and make them feel young.
“Pfft~”
Ye Mengze couldn’t hold it in and let out a strange laugh.
She quickly covered her mouth with her right hand, eyes wide, trying not to burst out laughing.
“Sis, it’s getting late. We still need to shop for clothes.”
Seeing how nervous and flustered Lin Muqing looked, Ye Ziming sighed to himself, then spoke up to cut things off.
As he spoke, he gently pulled Lin Muqing behind him and used his body to block Ye Mengze’s line of sight.