Chapter 105: Which Department Should I Take Lin’er’s Condition To...?

Qin Xuan was still puzzled when Liu Ruoxi pushed open the door and came in, seeing him sitting on the bed scrolling through something on his phone.
"What are you searching for?" Liu Ruoxi sat beside him, curious.
"I'm looking up which department to take Lin’er to for her condition..." Qin Xuan looked up solemnly.
Liu Ruoxi: ? What condition?
Qin Xuan didn’t elaborate. Although Liu Ruoxi was confused, she didn’t press further.
All she saw was Qin Xuan’s expression shift from a frown to sudden realization, then to awkwardness... probably coming to terms with Lin’er’s situation.
Qin Xuan spent the entire afternoon slumped in his chair, listlessly playing games. Several times he wanted to message Qin Lin’er but restrained himself, feeling that the girl was going down the wrong path!
Meanwhile, Qin Lin’er was sitting happily on the sofa, munching on papaya. Though her bottom hurt, it also felt strangely good... quite peculiar indeed!
"Zhi Yi, buy more next time, this isn’t enough," Qin Lin’er said, wiping her mouth with a tissue after finishing a piece, addressing Nan Zhiyi.
"Tsk tsk, you just said you wouldn’t eat it, what’s changed? Finally realized something about yourself?" Nan Zhiyi teased, giving her a knowing glance.
"What? I was just worried the kid might suffer from malnutrition..." Qin Lin’er retorted.
Nan Zhiyi was taken aback: "A kid? You’re thinking way ahead... By the way, whose kid is it?"
"Sorry to interrupt, I’m going back to get some sleep..." Qin Lin’er froze, then quickly grabbed the plate of papaya and slipped away.
Of course, she wasn’t really going to sleep. Back in her room, somehow she didn’t feel like reading.
Bored, she lay on the bed, scrolling through old photos on her phone, especially those with Qin Xuan, not even noticing when a faint smile crept onto her lips.
Half-asleep, Qin Lin’er squinted, as if she saw herself as a child falling often, being comforted by her older brother who, though still a kid himself, always pretended to be the adult and made her laugh.
...
On the sofa, Liu Ruoxi and Nan Zhiyi whispered softly to each other. No one knew what they were talking about, but Nan Zhiyi’s cheeks were slightly flushed while Liu Ruoxi seemed quite animated—after all, Liu Ruoxi was now the teacher!
It wasn’t until evening that Qin Xuan finally admired his game stats with satisfaction. Though he had been knocked out a few times, he still managed to win a round! Not a loss, but a small gain!
Looking out the window at the darkening sky, Qin Xuan finally stood up and left the room.
To his surprise, the house was empty; even Zhi Yi’s room was vacant. Strange. When he opened Qin Lin’er’s door, he found her still happily sleeping, her phone casually tossed aside, sprawled without a care, her little belly exposed.
Qin Xuan sighed and gently pulled the blanket over her, worried she might catch a chill.
As he tiptoed away, Qin Lin’er reached out to tug the blanket back, opened her eyes to watch him leave, wanting to call him back but ultimately stayed silent.

Qin Xuan returned to the sofa and noticed a piece of papaya left on the coffee table. Feeling a bit thirsty, he picked it up and bit into it; the taste was indeed pleasant.
Just as he finished and was about to message Liu Ruoxi and the others, he heard the door open. Two of them entered carrying several packages.
This reminded Qin Xuan of a night a few days ago...
"You bought more again?" Qin Xuan asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
Liu Ruoxi smiled brightly, eyes sparkling, and nodded.
Looks like tonight he’d have to cook a meal for Ruoxi alone?
"Heh, enjoy yourself then," Liu Ruoxi handed him the packages. "Help me open these, okay?"
"Sure!" Qin Xuan couldn’t refuse such a task.
"Hey, where’s the piece of papaya that fell on the floor?" Nan Zhiyi looked curiously at the empty plate.
"Fell on the floor?!" Qin Xuan froze. Damn.
"You ate it?" The two tried not to laugh, glancing awkwardly at Qin Xuan, who nodded innocently.
"No worries, I washed it," Qin Xuan said, pretending it was meant for her anyway...
A little embarrassed, he waved his hand: "Forget it, it’s already eaten, can’t spit it out now."
Dutifully, he unpacked the deliveries. Soon, he looked at the various clothes spread out on the sofa. They were quite nice; even better once Ruoxi wore them.
"Hey! These are mine," Nan Zhiyi grabbed several pieces and said to Qin Xuan.
"These are mine too. If you want to see, come to my room tonight!"
"Huh?" Qin Xuan was taken aback. You like these too? Then he recalled Nan Zhiyi’s carefree social media posts—yeah, of course you like them!
"First come, first served!" Liu Ruoxi hugged Nan Zhiyi, grinning.
"Ahem, you first, you first," Nan Zhiyi wisely took her clothes and dashed back to her room, eagerly unwrapping them.
Liu Ruoxi tidied up the clothes on the sofa, planning to wash them first, looking at Qin Xuan—this is definitely your job!
Fifteen minutes later, Qin Xuan obediently sat on the balcony scrubbing the clothes... much more tiring than watching!
Nan Zhiyi came out, saw this, and silently returned to fetch her own clothes.
"Hey, how about coming with me to meet my mom next week?" Nan Zhiyi handed the clothes to Qin Xuan.

Qin Xuan didn’t refuse.
"Alright then. Why the shy look? It’s not like you’ve never met her before."
"This counts as the first time visiting!" Nan Zhiyi patted Qin Xuan’s shoulder. "Just the two of us."
Qin Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Okay."
Receiving his confirmation, Nan Zhiyi bent down and kissed Qin Xuan on the cheek before happily running off.
Qin Xuan wiped his face and sighed helplessly.
Though it was only about a dozen pieces, Qin Xuan spent over half an hour washing them carefully several times.
When he came back inside, he saw Liu Ruoxi and Nan Zhiyi still leaning together, munching on apples.
"Want a bite?" Liu Ruoxi kindly offered the half-eaten apple to Qin Xuan.
"No thanks, I’m picky," Qin Xuan took another apple from the coffee table and replied with a deadpan expression.
Liu Ruoxi: ? You dare to be picky?! Don’t expect me to feed you next time!
"Is Lin’er a pig? Still sleeping?" Liu Ruoxi glanced at Lin’er’s tightly shut door.
Nan Zhiyi thought for a moment: "I don’t think she’s really sleeping. She’s definitely doing something she shouldn’t be. We’ll probably see her come out looking weak soon..."
Sure enough, not long after, Qin Lin’er opened the door, looking for water. Her lips were cracked and dry; she walked over and sat down, completely unaware of the odd looks from those nearby.
Without caring whose cup it was, she grabbed one and gulped down a full glass of water, still unsatisfied, handing the cup to Qin Xuan with a gesture.
Qin Xuan poured her a cup of warm water and asked, "What have you been doing to get this thirsty?"
Qin Lin’er was silent...
"Mind your own business! I’m thirsty, okay?" Qin Lin’er stubbornly took the cup.
"I bet she’s been doing something shameful in her room!" Nan Zhiyi said confidently, watching her.
"You’re talking nonsense!" Qin Lin’er almost choked, quickly explaining. But how does Zhi Yi know everything? Could it be you too?!