Something felt off, but Lingyuan couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

“Thanks, class rep!”

Once he finished eating and let the class rep explain the problems, he could finally escape this terrifying place, right?

Though her cooking really was amazing—way better than Yanxi’s. When would Yanxi ever reach this level?

Watching Lingyuan wolf down the meal she’d made, a faint smile lingered on Yixinxue’s lips.

She rested her chin lightly on her palm, observing him with quiet amusement until he drained the entire glass of watermelon juice in one go.

“Hah—ahh—so good!”

Not a single grain of rice remained.

“Aren’t you eating?” Lingyuan finally noticed Yixinxue hadn’t touched her own meal, her eyes fixed on him the whole time.

“Mmm… I’m just happy you didn’t run away,” she murmured.

*[Run? Even if I could…]*

“I didn’t want to see you so upset…”

“Oh? How kind of you.”

*Thud thud—*

The sudden knock jolted them both.

“Xinxue? You home?”

Yixinxue’s fiery pupils widened in alarm. She grabbed Lingyuan’s hand and yanked him up. “Quick! Hide in my bedroom!”

“Huh?!” Lingyuan was completely baffled. “Didn’t you say you live alone? Are your parents back?”

“No time to explain! Just hide!” She shoved him toward the bedroom, then smoothed her clothes and hurried to the door.

Her expression tightened with unease.

“What brings you here, Yiyingnan?”

“Uwaaah! Xinxue, what were you doing? Taking forever to open up!” Yiyingnan planted her hands on her hips, scowling as she scanned the room. “I smell a guy’s scent.”

Yixinxue waved her hands frantically, forcing a strained smile. “Don’t be silly. I’d never invite a boy over. Men only slow down my study efficiency.”

Yiyingnan nodded but kept searching every corner. Her gaze landed on the table: one empty lunchbox, one untouched.

“Heh heh.” She leaned in close, whispering, “You like Lingyuan, don’t you? Did he say yes?”

“?!” Yixinxue’s face flushed crimson. *If she finds out I did all that to him and got rejected… it’d be this year’s biggest joke.*

“Ohh~” Yiyingnan grinned knowingly. “Your outfit’s weird today. You always wear a bra, but now? Thin top, no bra… and if you look closely—”

“Yiyingnan!” Yixinxue crossed her arms, turning away with a flustered shout. “It’s my own home! I’ll wear what I want!”

“Nope~” Yiyingnan wagged a finger. “Don’t fool your big sister. That skirt’s way too short—you’re trying to show off but holding back. Otherwise you’d wear those *weird* outfits in your closet.” She paused, mischief dancing in her eyes. “Most importantly… your face is redder than usual. Hiding a secret?”

“N-no…” Yixinxue twisted her long hair nervously, eyes darting away. The air turned thick with awkwardness.

“Seriously~ Did you buy some new *weird* clothes?”

“A-ah… yeah…” Yixinxue stood frozen, praying her sister wouldn’t check the bedroom.

“Meow~”

“Huh?! When did you get a cat?!” Yiyingnan scooped up the white kitten, delighted. “Same hair color as you! Did you name her?”

“Brought her home last night. Not yet…”

“Then I’ll call her Xinxin Mew!”

“What kind of silly name is that?” Yixinxue stared blankly.

“She looks just like you, except for the eyes.” Yiyingnan nuzzled the kitten’s soft belly. “So cute. Just like you~ I love her.”

*Why do I have such a weird sister?!* Yixinxue felt utterly dumbfounded.

“I came to share good news!” Yiyingnan set Xinxin Mew down and tickled her ears. “I’m transferring to your school next week!”

“But you’re supposed to study in Canada!” Yixinxue’s eyes widened. At Slovia International, qualified students transferred abroad for junior year.

“Hehe~ I wanted to stay with you.” Yiyingnan winked. “Oh, and let me check your bed size. Can two people fit?”

Before Yixinxue could react, Yiyingnan had already pushed the bedroom door open, halfway inside.

“Wait, Yiyingnan!”

…

A wave of drowsiness crashed over Lingyuan.

*So… sleepy…*

He braced himself against the wall, eyelids heavy as lead. His limbs felt weak, steps unsteady—as if he’d pulled three all-nighters gaming before an English lecture.

*Where to hide…*

Under the bed? No—storage cabinets lined the bottom, too small for a person.

*Can’t… stay awake…*

His gaze landed on the wardrobe against the wall. *So big…*

Staggering over, his foggy mind insisted it could hold him easily.

*Why so sleepy…*

He yanked the wardrobe door open—and collapsed inside.

*Smells like lavender… Yixinxue’s laundry detergent…*

*This’ll make for sweet dreams…*

…

“Why’s Xinxue acting so jumpy today?” Yiyingnan patted her chest, chuckling. “It’s just a bedroom.”

“Let me tidy up first—” Yixinxue blocked the doorway.

“Sisters don’t need privacy! I just wanna check the bed size—”

“No, really—”

Ignoring her, Yiyingnan slipped past.

“Whoa. Messy much?” Yiyingnan wrinkled her nose, pointing at scattered stockings and underwear. “And uh… what’s this?”