Lin Yilin had the bleeding debuff. She was down for the count!
Naturally, she had no interest in hanging around any longer and planned to head back to the dorm early to rest.
"Xiao Yilin, I'll walk back with you."
Jiang Linyuan sidled up to Lin Yilin with a grin.
My wingman plan hasn't even gotten off the ground yet.
Lin Yilin glanced at him, huffed, and turned away, not wanting to look at his face.
This senior teased me every single day. He was way out of line!
I'm not saying another word to him today! Let him reflect on his own!
Watching Binary Sister's "I'm really mad, hurry up and comfort me" expression, Jiang Linyuan stood beside her and said pitifully,
"Good junior, your senior was wrong. Please forgive me just this once. If you keep being mad at me, I'll have to go back to my dorm in the middle of the night, secretly wipe away my tears under the covers, then cosplay as a Teru Teru Bozu and hang outside your window..."
Seeing him get more and more ridiculous, Lin Yilin couldn't help shouting,
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting now?!"
After saying that, she felt a little embarrassed and annoyed with herself. Why had she responded to him again?!
"Junior, it's settled. I'm walking back with you!"
Seeing she wasn't really angry, Jiang Linyuan grinned and waved his hand, making the decision for himself.
Strangely enough,
Lin Yilin had planned to come up with an excuse to stop Jiang Linyuan from walking her back, but when the words reached her lips, she couldn't say a thing. She simply nodded.
The two walked side by side out of the villa and headed for the subway station.
It was dusk. The sun was sinking in the west, and great swathes of fiery clouds along the horizon glowed a brilliant red.
The two of them barely spoke along the way.
This left Lin Yilin feeling a little glum.
When her senior talked, she thought he was always teasing her, which made her huffy every time.
But when he stopped talking, she felt strangely empty inside.
He was usually so talkative. Why had he gone quiet now?!
Damn senior! Perverted senior!
After thoroughly insulting Jiang Linyuan in her mind, Lin Yilin gazed at his profile and decided to start a conversation herself.
"Senior..."
"Hmm? What's up, junior? Want me to carry you?"
Jiang Linyuan quickly picked up the conversation and asked with a smile.
"Of course not!"
Lin Yilin cried,
"How can you just casually throw yourself onto someone of the opposite sex?"
"Then you carry me, junior."
Jiang Linyuan said it without hesitation.
At his words, Lin Yilin was both angry and embarrassed.
"I can't carry you! Besides, I'm not feeling well right now!"
"So you really considered it, junior?"
Lin Yilin fell silent. Her cheeks were red as she swayed and deliberately bumped into Jiang Linyuan.
Jiang Linyuan didn't dodge. He just grinned.
"Then when you're feeling better, you can carry me, junior."
"Carry your own big head!"
Lin Yilin was so mad her teeth ached. She wanted to bite Jiang Linyuan, and, as if possessed, she blurted out,
"Why don't you get Yu Songsong to carry you!"
She regretted it as soon as she said it.
That sounded like it could easily be misunderstood as something more. It had crossed a line.
Lin Yilin slowed down, lowered her head, and secretly glanced at Jiang Linyuan.
Thump, thump.
Her heart wouldn't stop pounding. The girl's bashfulness beat against it like someone wildly pounding a cowhide drum.
Holy crap, how had I never realized Binary Sister was such a Downer Girl too?
Seeing how easy it was to read Lin Yilin's expression, Jiang Linyuan could roughly guess what she was thinking.
Come on, junior. It was just one sentence.
Did you really think I'd take that as proof you liked me?
"Junior, did Su Muzhi rub off on you? You're being a little Average and Confident."
Jiang Linyuan's blunt words pierced Lin Yilin's innocent heart, and the flirtatious atmosphere vanished in an instant.
The little deer in the girl's heart had gone from prancing around to being hit by a truck!
"Senior, you're the one who's Average and Confident, talking nonsense for no reason, with no sense of boundaries, teasing girls! You'll end up locked in Azkaban someday and tortured by Dementors every day! You're definitely—cough, cough, cough..."
Binary Sister's long-missed chatterbox mode had returned, but she was a little out of practice.
Halfway through, Lin Yilin started coughing nonstop, her little face turning red.
"Here, some water."
Jiang Linyuan cheerfully patted her back and took a bottle of water from his bag, handing it to her.
Lin Yilin took the bottle and hurriedly drank a big gulp. Then, still embarrassed and annoyed, she glanced at Jiang Linyuan and stomped on his foot.
She darted a few steps ahead like a little rabbit, deliberately putting some distance between them.
But halfway there, she seemed to realize something. With a stern little face, she shoved the water bottle into Jiang Linyuan's hands.
Then she ran off again.
Jiang Linyuan couldn't help laughing at the sight.
He strode after her.
"Junior, junior, there's nothing embarrassing about liking me. Just say it openly. I'll turn you down right away!"
At that, Lin Yilin abruptly stopped, took a deep breath, and glared at him with wide eyes.
"I don't like you, senior! I never could!"
I hope so.
Jiang Linyuan nodded in satisfaction.
"I knew it. My junior isn't the kind of person who'd harbor ulterior motives toward me."
You're the one with ulterior motives!
Lin Yilin shouted inwardly.
"Since that's settled, I'll consider you one of my own."
Jiang Linyuan suddenly turned serious, making Lin Yilin tense up beside him, thinking he was about to say something important.
"Junior, listen..."
Jiang Linyuan's voice dropped low. Lin Yilin held her breath.
"Become my wingwoman!"
"I want you to help me pursue a girl."
Lin Yilin laughed in disbelief.
"Are you going after Yu Songsong, senior?"
"Hmm..."
Jiang Linyuan pondered for a moment, then said,
"For now, yes..."
What did "for now" even mean?
Did he mean he was going to pursue other girls later and make her help him?!
"No!"
Lin Yilin flatly refused.
"Good junior, your senior's begging you just this once..."
"I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening..."
"Junior, have you forgotten about your studies at Hogwarts..."
"Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!"
Hearing Jiang Linyuan bring up her embarrassing past again, Lin Yilin's face turned as red as the sunset. She jumped up and covered his mouth.
Her little hand was quite soft, with a feel a bit like jelly.
Jiang Linyuan thought to himself.
Lin Yilin also realized she'd gone a little too far. She hurriedly pulled her hand back without daring to look at Jiang Linyuan, stammering as she quickly changed the subject.
"I can help you, senior, but you have to tell me why you're pursuing Yu Songsong."
"Because I'm kind."
Aaaaaah! This damn senior!
Lin Yilin clenched her fists.
"Hahaha, junior, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. Hear me out."
Jiang Linyuan tried to calm her down.
"I'm not asking you to do anything unreasonable. You just need to find out a few things about her for me."
"I haven't even agreed yet!"
"Don't worry about the details. Those who accomplish great things don't sweat the small stuff!"
"This isn't a small detail at all!"
Lin Yilin was already too exhausted to complain.
As they spoke, the two had entered the subway station. A train bound for Xingnan University was approaching in the distance.
Lin Yilin glanced at Jiang Linyuan beside her and suddenly said,
"Senior."
"What is it?"
"Am I prettier, or is Yu Songsong?"
In the subway station, the soft light fell across Lin Yilin's hair, making her look as if she were glowing.
Looking at her hesitant expression as she lightly bit her lip, Jiang Linyuan smiled and said,
"You're the second-prettiest, junior."
Lin Yilin felt a little pang in her heart at his answer, but didn't let it show. She raised her little eyebrows.
"Hehe, so Yu Songsong is number one?"
"Hahaha, what is she worth? How could she be? The prettiest one is me, your senior!"
At that, the little ache in Lin Yilin's heart vanished. She wore a sweet smile, but didn't want Jiang Linyuan to see it, so she turned her head away and said,
"Average and Confident... You Average and Confident guy, senior!"
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