Interrogating Binary Sister

A week had passed since the Reward Card dropped from Liu Tingting.

Over the past week, Jiang Linyuan had used [Wall Street Pervert] to climb the long, arduous path to stock-market godhood, one step at a time.

The shy red lines of the stocks were slowly giving way beneath him, revealing their alluring forms bit by bit.

I've got it! I've got it! I've got poetry and far-off places!

Yah, I'm destined to become an unrivaled stock god!

"Senior, are you free tonight?"

Just as Jiang Linyuan was admiring his vast, glorious domain, a text message interrupted his thoughts.

Binary Sister, huh.

"What's up?"

"...I promised to treat you to dinner, Senior! You didn't forget, did you?"

Jiang Linyuan jolted, sitting bolt upright as if he'd risen from his deathbed.

Had he forgotten?

He sure had.

He'd spent the past few days flirting with Miss Stock Market, and the cold, steadily growing balance in his account had gradually chilled his heart. He'd started neglecting the warmth of real life.

Money really was the root of all evil!

It had corrupted his principles!

"Junior, send me the location. I'm on my way."

When Jiang Linyuan walked into KFC, he spotted Lin Yilin sitting there by herself at once.

Her delicate lips were pressed together, forming a cool, straight line. She looked solemn and serious, giving off the impression that she wasn't easy to get along with.

Binary Sister was feeling gloomy.

"Haha, you look lovely today, Junior."

Jiang Linyuan greeted her with a cheerful grin.

Lin Yilin kept her expression stiff.

"If you'd remembered I was treating you, Senior, I might have been happy to hear that."

She shook her head, then asked directly, "What would you like to eat, Senior?"

That was one nice thing about Binary Sister: her moods came and went quickly.

Unlike a certain petty, smiling tiger.

Jiang Linyuan ordered a few things at random, then asked, "Have you gotten used to college life lately, Junior?"

Lin Yilin nodded.

"It's a lot easier than I expected."

Then she looked at Jiang Linyuan, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

"Go ahead, Junior. Say whatever's on your mind."

Jiang Linyuan noticed her hesitation and cut straight to the point.

Lin Yilin hesitated before speaking. "I've heard a few things about you these past few days... rumors, I guess."

"My reputation precedes me. Some good, some bad. I used to be one thing; now I'm a pervert."

Jiang Linyuan spoke frankly.

Other people's mouths were their own. There was no way to control them.

Better to blame others than wear himself out worrying.

After hearing Jiang Linyuan's response, Lin Yilin struggled to keep a straight face. Putting on a serious air, she said, "A lot of people say you're a green-tea simp... I mean, that you're always unlucky in love, and that none of the girls you like are any good. Those rumors are awful."

"Come on, Junior, you don't have to tiptoe around it. You can call me a green-tea simp."

Jiang Linyuan didn't seem bothered at all.

"How can they say that!"

Lin Yilin raised her eyebrows and said solemnly, "They're slandering you, Senior! They're making up all these weird rumors about you for no reason! Isn't that awful? You should clear your name!"

"..."

Looking at her earnest face, Jiang Linyuan turned away and coughed.

"Then let me clear things up. What they said isn't a rumor."

Lin Yilin, who'd been full of righteous indignation, froze. Her lips parted slightly as she asked in disbelief, "Really?"

"Really."

Wait, what?

I thought Senior was the sort who could stand firm through any storm, which was why he never bothered responding to all that talk. Turns out he stayed quiet because he couldn't deny the truth!

Seeing that Lin Yilin had fallen silent, Jiang Linyuan put on a proud expression.

"Haha! So if you ever meet a Little Green Tea, Junior, make sure you introduce her to me."

What was he talking about?

Lin Yilin stared blankly at Jiang Linyuan, completely unable to understand what he meant.

After a long while, she managed to say, "Senior, you should have some self-respect."

Hehe, Binary Sister was so cute.

After spending so much time with a woman as awful as Su Muzhi, looking at this innocent junior made Jiang Linyuan feel refreshed.

Lin Yilin suddenly seemed to think of something. Her face flushed, and she darted her eyes away, looking a little embarrassed.

"So when Minister Shen said you liked harassing girls, was that true too?"

Hmm? This girl was a bit dense. Did she realize that one sentence could offend two people?

Jiang Linyuan said earnestly, "Minister Shen is actually tsundere. Nine times out of ten, she means the opposite of what she says."

"Obviously, that was just an excuse because she was embarrassed by how warmly I expressed my feelings."

T-tsundere?

Shen Wanyu's icy face came to mind, and Lin Yilin couldn't imagine her acting bashful.

"Yeah. Don't be fooled by how she acts like she wants nothing to do with anyone. She's actually really warm toward me. She asked me to have coffee with her, even sent me a red packet to pursue me."

Jiang Linyuan sighed.

"See? She must have a secret crush on me, but she's too embarrassed to say it outright. She thinks you might be a threat, Junior, so she deliberately badmouths me."

R-really?

Lin Yilin shook her head, her face set.

"Are you making things up again, Senior?"

"Everything I said is true. You're so pretty, Junior, and you've got such a great personality. It's not impossible I might fall for you, so it makes sense for the Department Head to worry."

Jiang Linyuan spoke with a cheerful grin.

Lin Yilin had been a well-behaved girl all her life. She'd never heard anyone speak so bluntly. Her face turned red from her neck to the tips of her ears, and she said, both embarrassed and angry, "I would never like you, Senior!"

"Aw, did I just get rejected? I'm heartbroken. I want to transfer to Hogwarts."

"Senior!!!!"

Binary Sister let out a piercing shriek, her face so red she was about to turn into a steam engine!

"Hahaha, I'll stop, Junior. I think the food's ready. I'll go get it."

Seeing how she was, Jiang Linyuan stopped teasing her, laughed it off, and quickly turned away.

Good, the threat had been neutralized.

People said the hero-rescues-beauty trope never went out of style, and they weren't wrong.

A young woman who'd just started college was being treated unfairly, and then a handsome guy stepped forward, stood in front of her, and spoke up on her behalf.

It was only natural she'd start imagining something nice.

If Lin Yilin had been a bad woman, Jiang Linyuan wouldn't have minded taking things further.

But she was just an innocent girl. He shouldn't mess with her.

By now, I've probably completely ruined my image in Binary Sister's eyes.

Wah! That senior—he's always teasing me!

He's so frivolous! I used to think he was so dependable and mature!

Lin Yilin watched Jiang Linyuan's retreating back and patted her cheeks.

They were burning hot.

She turned her head so she wouldn't look at him, but couldn't help sneaking glances over anyway.

She was looking at his back, and that was all she dared to do.

My face is so red, but I can't see it myself. Senior must have noticed.

The thought made her anxious, and her cheeks flushed even more.