Chapter 247: Is Dropping a Little Pearl Really That Embarrassing?
Autumn was getting deeper, and the air was getting cooler. Lin Yibai washed the thin silk blanket and brought it up to the rooftop of the apartment to dry.
Luckily, Xia Changyu still had some conscience. He knew the silk blanket only got dirty mostly because of him, so the next day, he brought a new blanket over.
As for the thick winter comforter, it arrived a few days later. Xia Changyu personally delivered it and explained,
“My mom heard that you didn’t have a blanket for winter, so she went out and carefully picked one out for you herself. I hope you don’t mind it.”
Lin Yibai quickly said, “What are you saying? Of course I don’t mind!”
But the situation was getting more and more strange. Why did it feel like Xia Changyu’s mom, or maybe her future mother-in-law, was already very familiar with her?
That didn’t make sense! They had never met before, so why would it feel that way?
Was it really true what people say that parents always look at other girls like they’re already future daughters-in-law?
Lin Yibai thought for a moment and then asked carefully, “Your mom... what kind of person is she?”
Xia Changyu replied, “She’s pretty nice.”
Lin Yibai frowned and said, “Can’t you explain better than that? ‘Pretty nice’ is way too vague!”
Xia Changyu hesitated, then said, “Well… how do I put it? I can only promise you that you and my mom will definitely get along great.”
Lin Yibai didn’t believe him. She replied with a little sarcasm, “Liar. Just forget it. Anyway, relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are always tricky. There’s no such thing as perfect harmony!”
Xia Changyu raised his hand, “I swear.”
Lin Yibai: “Oh~”
Hearing that plain and flat response from her made Xia Changyu panic a bit. He really wanted to just tell her the truth.
But his mom had told him she wanted to keep a bit of mystery between the two of them. She said she wanted to give Lin Yibai a big surprise when they officially met as in-laws.
Seeing that Lin Yibai still had a bunch of questions, Xia Changyu quickly changed the topic and asked,
“Oh, by the way, your neighbor, Zheng Siyen. She hasn’t caused you any more trouble, has she?”
Lin Yibai nodded, “Nope. She’s actually acted decently lately. I heard she’s been busy moving out these past couple of days. Probably too embarrassed to keep living here.”
Xia Changyu snorted, “Good.”
Lin Yibai gave him a sideways look and said playfully,
“You’re kind of strange, you know? Any other guy in your shoes would probably want to be surrounded by girls. At least try to play both sides. But you? You just go and announce the ending right away?”
Xia Changyu laughed, “Because I know what’s best for me. And besides, that Zheng Siyen is not as pretty as you, not as kind as you, not even as capable as you. I just don’t see the point of messing around with her.”
Lin Yibai made a sound and gave him a cold smile, “So what you’re saying is, if someday a girl who’s better than me shows up, you’ll just dump me for her, right?”
Xia Changyu sighed, “Now you’re being unreasonable. If you think like that, then I guess there are no good guys left in the world.”
Lin Yibai replied: “Of course there are good guys.”
Xia Changyu narrowed his eyes and said sharply, “Who? I’d like to see who has the nerve to steal your heart. I’ll challenge him to a duel!”
Lin Yibai pointed at him and then burst into a laugh:
“Let’s say you count as one for now. As for the other good guys... Well, I haven’t met them yet. I’ll tell you when I do.”
A few moments later, both of them were laughing together.
When lovers tease each other like this, in the quiet morning light, there’s a soft kind of happiness in the air.
Time passed gently. Zheng Siyen, the neighbor, moved out. And Lin Yibai went to see her off.
If no one fails, maybe this would be the last exam of their college life?
Most of the test questions were based on what the teacher had marked as important. Lin Yibai had already reviewed those topics while studying for the civil service exam. So she didn’t think there would be any major problems.
But her dorm mates were a different story.
They looked kind of worried. Lin Yibai walked over and asked, “Hey, you guys aren’t actually about to fail, are you?”
Yang Chenjun had the biggest frown on his face. He looked like he was about to cry:
“If I really fail, I’m doomed. I’d have to rush all the way back here from the far northwest just to retake it!”
The second guy was hitting his chest in regret, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have played so many video games.”
The third guy looked like he had just escaped death, “The important topics were only printed yesterday. But luckily I guessed right, hahaha.”
Lin Yibai gave them a helpless look and said, “Come on, you guys… We’re about to start our internships soon. Can’t you at least try to be a bit more reliable?”
Yang Chenjun replied, “It’s no big deal if we mess up. But you, Baiyi, you’re too kind and easy to convince, that’s what worries me more. If I go to the northwest, I won’t be able to come back and help you if something happens.”
Yang Chenjun really was a good guy. If something needed to be done, he would always step up.
As for the second and third brothers. Sure, they were brothers too. But their bond with Lin Yibai wasn’t quite as deep as Yang Chenjun’s.
Of course, Lin Yibai didn’t expect to rely on anyone else anyway.
To lighten the mood, she smiled and asked, “The school’s fall job fair is next week. You guys really aren’t planning to check it out? Maybe you’ll find a job you like and stay here in Fucheng?”
But all of them said no.
Yang Chenjun was determined to go work with stainless steel in the far northwest. The other two had jobs arranged by their families.
Still, it wasn’t too bad. After all, it was only the first semester of senior year. They still had one more semester left next year.
After exams, some people stayed on campus doing nothing much. Others skipped the school job fair and went to apply directly to companies they liked, and some of them even got job offers that way.
Lin Yibai said goodbye to the second and third brothers separately. But when it came to Yang Chenjun, she brought Xia Changyu with her to say goodbye.
Because of how the system had adjusted the world’s “timeline,” no one ever brought up the fake story she once told about being intersex. Now, everyone just naturally thought of her as a girl.
She said, “You’re the best brother I had in college. I’ve thought about it for a while, and I decided to bring him to meet you.”
Then she pushed Xia Changyu forward.
The awkward scene she imagined like Yang Chenjun getting jealous or competitive didn’t happen at all.
Yang Chenjun was an open-minded person. Even though he didn’t quite understand why his best brother had actually been such a pretty girl all these years, and why he never had feelings for her, he still accepted it all calmly.
Because in the end, a good brother is always a good brother.
Yang Chenjun raised his big fist and gave Xia Changyu a few friendly punches on the shoulder, then laughed loudly and said, “I’m leaving Xiao Bai in your hands! But I’ll say this, if you ever make her cry, I’ll fly back here the next day and beat you up.”
Xia Changyu promised, “I won’t.”
Yang Chenjun looked at his best friend one last time, seeming a little sad, then turned and walked onto the high-speed train.
“Xiao Bai, goodbye.”
“Goodbye,” Lin Yibai replied.
At that moment, her eyes started to tear up. Even though she told herself this wasn’t their last time seeing each other. They’d still come back next spring for their thesis defense.
They hadn’t even taken their graduation photos yet. They had come from all over the country, and now they were just going off to different places for their internships.
Still… crying little tears like this was so embarrassing!
She couldn’t help wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Then Xia Changyu gently pulled her into a hug to comfort her.
She whispered, “Thank you.”
This was a new kind of feeling for her. Lin Yibai, now facing this farewell as a girl, felt it in a different way.
She started to feel a little more at peace, like she had truly become a complete woman inside.