The Neighboring Twins Are Cute Today Too

Knock, knock, knock.

Crisp knocking echoed through the hallway.

Faint footsteps came from behind the door, then everything fell quiet.

After waiting a while with no one opening up, Jiang Yubai leaned toward the peephole and waved.

A few seconds later, the security door finally opened a crack.

Lin Jianxia kept the door half-shut and poked half her face through the gap, her eyes filled with obvious confusion.

"...Why are you here?"

Jiang Yubai blinked, unable to speak for a moment.

Having seen her younger sister, Lin Tingwan, so often, it was only upon seeing the older sister, Lin Jianxia, again that he truly realized just how startlingly different the two were despite being twins.

Lin Tingwan at school was always quiet, so calm she practically seemed devoid of life.

Yet setting aside the times she pretended to be her younger sister at school, the Lin Jianxia before him had the exact same face, but there was something sparkly about her expressions and features.

Well, don't ask him what "sparkly" tasted like.

Who said twins were hard to tell apart? You could spot the difference at a glance!

When Jiang Yubai kept staring at her face, Lin Jianxia's expression finally gained a hint of wariness again.

"Hey, what exactly did you come here for?"

Jiang Yubai opened his mouth, but the words on the tip of his tongue took a turn. "It's something important. Let's go inside and talk."

Lin Jianxia looked at his serious expression. After hesitating briefly, she stepped aside and let him in.

Only then did Jiang Yubai notice that Lin Jianxia was wearing an apron, her hair tied in a low ponytail. She looked like a little home cook.

Come to think of it, he had only visited three times, yet he had unlocked a different form every single time.

The first time had been her "a bully had come knocking, but she dared not speak up" guarded form.

The second had been her "an unscrupulous business withheld her wages, then a heartless landlord came demanding rent" pitiful form.

And this time...

Jiang Yubai tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the little bear printed on Lin Jianxia's apron and the low ponytail that swayed gently with her movements.

It probably counted as the cute "wearing an apron and cooking at home" form...

Ahem.

Naturally, Lin Jianxia had no idea what was going through this guy's head. She merely led him to the sofa, crossed her arms, and frowned.

"So... what exactly is this important matter? Hurry up and say it. I'm still waiting to cook."

Jiang Yubai did not answer immediately. He simply lowered his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

His hesitant, conflicted look made Lin Jianxia nervous as well.

She asked uncertainly, "Is it about the rent?"

"It is... but it isn't." Jiang Yubai shook his head. "Actually, it's about the apartment next door."

"The apartment next door?" Lin Jianxia froze.

"Yeah, it was an oversight on my part." Jiang Yubai did not beat around the bush. "I only found out today that my mom has already rented out the apartment I'm staying in."

He paused, a trace of helplessness in his voice.

"I didn't get around to contacting home while I was at school. When I called after class to ask, I found out she'd already listed it and rented it out."

Lin Jianxia listened blankly, her eyes widening slightly as though she had not quite processed it.

"The apartment... was rented out?"

"Right, and the tenant is moving in tomorrow." Jiang Yubai spoke sincerely. "So the arrangement we discussed before... will probably have to be reconsidered."

Seemingly finally understanding what he meant, panic flickered in Lin Jianxia's eyes.

"So, the cooking and housework you mentioned before..."

"Yes." Jiang Yubai answered with slight helplessness. "This place was pretty ideal, and it was convenient for you to come and go. Unfortunately, things didn't work out."

He shook his head. "Since I can't stay here, then what we agreed on before... let's forget it."

Lin Jianxia's lips moved, and her voice became a little urgent. "If, if you find somewhere else, I can go with you—"

"Find another place?" Jiang Yubai gave her a surprised look.

"I do have other options, but they're all pretty far from here. Are you sure you can handle going back and forth every day?"

"Forget it. It'd be too much trouble for you."

He shook his head, putting on an act of considering Lin Jianxia's wellbeing.

"I'm not afraid of trouble!" Lin Jianxia took half a step forward, her tone urgent. "I really can do it, I—"

The girl's words abruptly stopped, her brows slowly knitting together.

Because Jiang Yubai, standing before her...

Had an odd expression on his face, desperately trying to hold back laughter but unable to. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, making him look rather ridiculous.

Finally, Jiang Yubai could not hold it in any longer. He collapsed onto the sofa laughing. "Sorry, sorry, hahaha. It's mainly just... well, nothing, hahaha."

It's mainly because teasing you is kind of fun... He swallowed those words back down.

Well, he did not want to die yet.

He could not help it. After spending so much time around that block of wood, Lin Tingwan, he simply could not restrain himself when faced with a Lin Jianxia who was this fun.

Only human nature!

As Lin Jianxia watched him laughing himself silly, the expression on her face gradually vanished, and her voice took on a dangerous edge.

"So... all that stuff you said just now..."

Jiang Yubai hurriedly waved his hands, trying hard to calm his laughter.

"No, no. The place next door just finished renovations. Landlord Li called and asked me to come take a look. Since I was already here, I thought I might as well stop by."

He paused, but could not resist continuing to tease her with a complete disregard for his own life.

"But seriously, I really couldn't tell that you, Lin Jianxia... wanted so badly to be my little maid—"

Before he could say the word "maid," Lin Jianxia had already grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and hurled it straight at his face without another word.

"Hey, damn it! A gentleman argues with words, not fists!"

Jiang Yubai quickly raised his arms to shield his head, curling into a ball on the sofa.

"My bad, my bad! It was just a joke—"

Lin Jianxia turned a deaf ear, gritting her teeth as she swung the pillow at him again and again, each strike quick and accurate.

The light gray pillow even whistled through the air in her hands. Its soft fabric thudded against his arms and shoulders, occasionally slipping past his defenses to hit the top of his head, leaving his mind buzzing.

Even while getting beaten, Jiang Yubai was somehow still able to laugh, though he did not dare make it too obvious. His muffled voice came out in broken bursts from beneath his arms.

"I really am sorry... I won't do it again... Ow—easy, easy!"

After who knew how long, perhaps she had grown tired, and the pillow finally stopped falling on him.

He secretly peeked through the gap between his arms. Lin Jianxia was breathing lightly, her pretty eyes glaring at him.

Looks like she didn't really beat me to death...

The thought had barely surfaced when the pillow smacked right into his forehead with a bang.

"You still have the nerve to look!?" Lin Jianxia gritted out.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's time to cook," Jiang Yubai hurriedly said. "If you don't start cooking now, your sister will go hungry."

At those words, Lin Jianxia's hand paused slightly.

She narrowed her eyes. "Then shouldn't Young Master Jiang be heading home too? Our little household can't accommodate a great Buddha like you."

Seeing that Lin Jianxia seemed to have finally calmed down, Jiang Yubai dared raise his head.

He cleared his throat and shamelessly said, "Well... set out one more pair of chopsticks. I'll eat whatever you make. I absolutely won't be picky."

Come on, he had finally made it here. Leaving without mooching a meal would be an insult to the pig slop he had eaten all week.

"Just wait till I poison you!"

Lin Jianxia glared at him again before turning and heading for the kitchen.

Watching her apron-clad back, Jiang Yubai made a victorious gesture in his heart.

Oh yeah, I scored another meal.

Just as he sat up with satisfaction, he saw Lin Jianxia suddenly turn back.

"What?" Jiang Yubai immediately shrank back, warily saying, "Let me make this clear first: even if you kick me out now, I'm not leaving. I'll leave on my own after I eat."

But Lin Jianxia did not trade banter with him. She merely stared at him for a while, her expression somewhat complicated.

Just as Jiang Yubai was beginning to feel puzzled, Lin Jianxia seemed to finally make up her mind and spoke softly.

"Would you... keep Wanwan company and talk to her for a while?"