In the dean’s office, a small desk lamp illuminated the room. Lin Zhao Xi sat cross-legged, feeling trapped. The trap called “making someone feel guilty by not punishing them”.
She didn’t belong to this world, so she didn’t need to be responsible for anyone. But the disappointment in the dean’s eyes was still imprinted in her mind.
Little me was such a rebellious girl. What were you expecting from her, Mrs. Dean…?
She scratched her head, wondering what she did wrong. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had lunch or dinner today.
I won’t play truant tomorrow. I’ll look for my old man after class ends.
Suddenly, Lin Zhao Xi caught a glimpse of a child outside the office. He was holding a bowl and looking around.
Seeing his face gave her an impulse to stand up, but she held it back. She propped her elbows on her knees, rested her chin on her hands, and asked, “Lin Aimin? What’s the matter?”
“Xi, big sister Xi!” The little boy ran in and crouched in front of her.
Lin Zhao Xi noticed that the bowl brought by the little boy contained two white buns and a salted duck egg.
“The dean asked me to bring it to you,” Lin Aimin said.
Being so close, and with the help of weak lamplight, Lin Zhao Xi noticed that Lin Aimin’s lip had a little cleft*. Because the surgery was not done perfectly, his smile was a little scary. Lin Zhao Xi, however, found it very cute. She reached out and pinched the little boy’s ear. “Thank you.”
T/N: *Birth defect – a slit on the upper lip.
Lin Aimin, overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, asked, “Sister Xi, have you transmigrated?”
The steamed bun she had just stuffed in her mouth was almost spat out.
“What are you talking about?” She reined in her shock, tripping on the words.
“The recently released ‘Love Through Time and Space’! People turn weird all of a sudden because they transmigrated.”
“Watch fewer TV shows even if you have nothing to do.” She advised.
“Okay.” Lin Aimin said, then whispered, “… But you love watching them the most.”
Lin Zhao Xi ate the buns silently, at times glancing at Lin Aimin. The Red Star Children’s Home had a family system. They were brought up by a “mother” surnamed Lin. Therefore, they were all surnamed Lin.
Lin Aimin was seven this year and would soon be in first grade. Lin Zhao Xi recently heard that a good family liked him and wanted to adopt him, but Lin Aimin himself was not very happy.
She ruffled the little boy’s hair. Lin Aimin opened his palms, revealing five well-packaged pine nut candies, and grandly said, “Sis, let’s share.”
Lin Zhao Xi remembered that the candies were the reward for catching her. “Wow, you want to show off the evidence of your betrayal?”
The little boy was stunned for a moment but recovered quickly enough to defend himself. “I… I didn’t betray you!”
“Just a few moments ago, who held my leg and wouldn’t let me go?” She pinched the little boy’s cheek. “Selling your big sister for candy tsk, it’s so like you.”
Lin Aimin was stunned.
“I thought you were beating people up again, so you didn’t dare come back.”
Beating people up again…
“Hmm…” Lin Zhao Xi grabbed another bun, cracked open the salted duck egg, dug out the egg yolk inside with her chopsticks, and evenly rubbed it on the bun. When she finished, she handed it to Lin Aimin. “Go on.”
“What are you talking about?” Lin Aimin asked, taking the bun in a hurry.
“You thought I was beating someone up, but what did the dean say?”
“The dean said that you were staying late after school to revise for the exam. She couldn’t let you walk down the alley alone, so she asked us to wait for you there.”
The explanation was far-fetched, but Lin Aimin was convinced. The dean very thoughtfully safeguarded Lin Zhao Xi’s dignity.
“Sis! You must pass the exam!” Lin Aimin stuffed the bun into his mouth and made a cheering gesture.
Lin Zhao Xi glanced at the ceiling, pretending not to have heard it. She was almost graduating from college, an elementary school exam would be a piece of cake.
But, what exam?
In the dean’s office, a small desk lamp illuminated the room. Lin Zhao Xi sat cross-legged, feeling trapped. The trap called “making someone feel guilty by not punishing them”.
She didn’t belong to this world, so she didn’t need to be responsible for anyone. But the disappointment in the dean’s eyes was still imprinted in her mind.
Little me was such a rebellious girl. What were you expecting from her, Mrs. Dean…?
She scratched her head, wondering what she did wrong. Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had lunch or dinner today.
I won’t play truant tomorrow. I’ll look for my old man after class ends.
Suddenly, Lin Zhao Xi caught a glimpse of a child outside the office. He was holding a bowl and looking around.
Seeing his face gave her an impulse to stand up, but she held it back. She propped her elbows on her knees, rested her chin on her hands, and asked, “Lin Aimin? What’s the matter?”
“Xi, big sister Xi!” The little boy ran in and crouched in front of her.
Lin Zhao Xi noticed that the bowl brought by the little boy contained two white buns and a salted duck egg.
“The dean asked me to bring it to you,” Lin Aimin said.
Being so close, and with the help of weak lamplight, Lin Zhao Xi noticed that Lin Aimin’s lip had a little cleft*. Because the surgery was not done perfectly, his smile was a little scary. Lin Zhao Xi, however, found it very cute. She reached out and pinched the little boy’s ear. “Thank you.”
T/N: *Birth defect – a slit on the upper lip.
Lin Aimin, overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, asked, “Sister Xi, have you transmigrated?”
The steamed bun she had just stuffed in her mouth was almost spat out.
“What are you talking about?” She reined in her shock, tripping on the words.
“The recently released ‘Love Through Time and Space’! People turn weird all of a sudden because they transmigrated.”
“Watch fewer TV shows even if you have nothing to do.” She advised.
“Okay.” Lin Aimin said, then whispered, “… But you love watching them the most.”
Lin Zhao Xi ate the buns silently, at times glancing at Lin Aimin. The Red Star Children’s Home had a family system. They were brought up by a “mother” surnamed Lin. Therefore, they were all surnamed Lin.
Lin Aimin was seven this year and would soon be in first grade. Lin Zhao Xi recently heard that a good family liked him and wanted to adopt him, but Lin Aimin himself was not very happy.
She ruffled the little boy’s hair. Lin Aimin opened his palms, revealing five well-packaged pine nut candies, and grandly said, “Sis, let’s share.”
Lin Zhao Xi remembered that the candies were the reward for catching her. “Wow, you want to show off the evidence of your betrayal?”
The little boy was stunned for a moment but recovered quickly enough to defend himself. “I… I didn’t betray you!”
“Just a few moments ago, who held my leg and wouldn’t let me go?” She pinched the little boy’s cheek. “Selling your big sister for candy tsk, it’s so like you.”
Lin Aimin was stunned.
“I thought you were beating people up again, so you didn’t dare come back.”
Beating people up again…
“Hmm…” Lin Zhao Xi grabbed another bun, cracked open the salted duck egg, dug out the egg yolk inside with her chopsticks, and evenly rubbed it on the bun. When she finished, she handed it to Lin Aimin. “Go on.”
“What are you talking about?” Lin Aimin asked, taking the bun in a hurry.
“You thought I was beating someone up, but what did the dean say?”
“The dean said that you were staying late after school to revise for the exam. She couldn’t let you walk down the alley alone, so she asked us to wait for you there.”
The explanation was far-fetched, but Lin Aimin was convinced. The dean very thoughtfully safeguarded Lin Zhao Xi’s dignity.
“Sis! You must pass the exam!” Lin Aimin stuffed the bun into his mouth and made a cheering gesture.
Lin Zhao Xi glanced at the ceiling, pretending not to have heard it. She was almost graduating from college, an elementary school exam would be a piece of cake.
But, what exam?
