Sister, can I become a maid too?

Chapter 25 Lin Jianxia's Secret

"..."

"......"

"Lin Tingwan, so you can talk!" Jiang Yubai exclaimed in surprise.

"Jiang Yubai!"

Lin Jianxia's voice rose a few decibels, but then she quickly stopped talking as if she realized something.

She bit her lower lip, her heart pounding, and couldn't help but lower her head, not daring to look at Jiang Yubai's expression beside her.

Before she even opened her mouth, she had already mentally rehearsed countless embarrassing scenarios of being mocked by him and dying on the spot.

Even after revealing the truth, a nagging sense of shame still lingered in my heart.

But after those words proving that she was "Lin Jianxia" actually came out, another kind of inexplicable fear quietly welled up inside her.

Like a tide, it slowly flooded my chest, making it hard to breathe.

—Will Jiang Yubai... feel that he has been lying to him all along?

—Could it be that... he thinks I'm just having fun and deliberately teasing him?

—Won't they feel that they've been helping so diligently, yet I won't even tell them the truth, and in a fit of anger, they turn around and leave?

Even though she had been thinking about cutting ties with him completely over the weekend and never having any contact with him again, when that possibility really came close, Lin Jianxia's heart couldn't help but shrink.

She didn't dare to look up at Jiang Yubai's expression, but just sat on the chair, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, waiting for him to ask the first question.

But after waiting and waiting, several minutes passed, and Jiang Yubai still did not make a sound.

"..."

Lin Jianxia finally couldn't help but cautiously raise her eyes, only to meet Jiang Yubai's gaze as he turned his head to look at her.

Her body stiffened slightly, but she forced herself not to lower her head and met his gaze.

It seems... she's not angry?

Lin Jianxia discerned the emotions in his eyes, hesitated, and asked softly, "Aren't you... going to say something?"

"What should we say?"

Jiang Yubai was stunned for a moment, realizing that he seemed to have been acting too calmly.

He belatedly exclaimed "Ah!", then, after thinking for a moment, drawled out:

"So—it turns out you were the one I was chatting with the whole time." (Read in a monotone tone)

"So you've been lying to me all along, how awful!" (Read in a monotone tone)

Lin Jianxia: "........."

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore," Jiang Yubai couldn't help but laugh, waving his hand. "Actually, I already knew."

He did want to act out a scene where an innocent young man is deceived by a bad woman and realizes he's being manipulated, but unfortunately, he couldn't pull it off emotionally.

Why not just be honest like this guy?

Seeing Lin Jianxia completely stunned, Jiang Yu blinked, a hint of guilt creeping into his voice:

"Uh...it's true, I'm not lying to you."

To be honest, I knew all along but didn't expose them. Instead, I kept teasing them. Thinking about it, I do seem a bit dishonest.

His gaze had just begun to wander when he noticed the girl beside him suddenly biting her lower lip, her eyes visibly reddening.

Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment, while Lin Jianxia's tears were already rolling down her cheeks, one drop after another, hitting the back of her clenched hand.

"Hey, hey—" Jiang Yubai panicked immediately, "Don't cry, it's my fault, I was wrong!"

He quickly sat down, frantically trying to reach out to comfort her, but he didn't dare to actually touch her.

"Sister, please don't cry, okay? I really shouldn't have teased you like that..."

At this moment, Lin Jianxia could no longer hear his voice.

She was trying to comfort herself, thinking that maybe it was just... the job she was promised was gone, and she could just find another one.

Even if they really can't afford the rent and have to move out, there's still time until next month, so they can always find a place to stay.

But another voice inside her grew louder and louder, making it almost impossible for her to breathe—

No, it's not just that.

She was afraid to return to that cold, silent world again.

He doesn't say a word all day, goes to and from school alone, and is as quiet as a shadow in the classroom.

There was no draft notebook that had been slowly moved over, nor were there any snacks placed on it.

There wasn't anyone... who would pick up their water glass and pour it into their mouth.

Perhaps it wasn't love, but simply a girl who had been immersed in silence for too long finally encountering a ray of light.

Just now, she almost thought she was going to lose even this ray of light.

-----------------

On the other side, Jiang Yubai was completely out of options.

He truly hadn't expected Lin Jianxia's reaction to be so strong.

Come to think of it, what I did... was indeed a bit inhuman.

Even though he knew perfectly well that the person in front of him was Lin Jianxia, ​​he still took advantage of her and kept asking her what she liked and disliked, almost revealing her ideal type.

They must be devastated to hear such terrible news today.

This is terrible! I haven't even moved into the house yet and I've already offended the maid. What if she poisons me while cooking...?

As Jiang Yubai's mind was racing with these random thoughts, the girl beside him had stopped sobbing at some point.

She sniffed softly, her voice thick with nasal congestion, and called out in a low voice:

"Jiang Yubai".

"arrive!"

Jiang Yubai was practically standing at attention.

"When did you first realize I wasn't Wanwan?" Lin Jianxia asked softly.

Jiang Yubai opened his mouth, but ultimately chose a version that was slightly more acceptable to her:

"It wasn't that long, it's just that your behavior this morning was really off."

"Thinking back to how you wouldn't let me talk to your sister when we were at your house... that's when I vaguely guessed it."

Lin Jianxia looked at him for a while, then narrowed her eyes: "Really?"

"real."

Jiang Yu rolled his eyes sincerely.

Lin Jianxia seemed to have thought of something, a dangerous glint in her voice: "...So, all those questions you asked this morning were asked on purpose?"

"I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please forgive me, I'm magnanimous." Jiang Yubai slid to his knees in a second.

Just kidding, he didn't want to suddenly black out while eating and become a wandering, wronged soul poisoned and sent away by a maid.

Lin Jianxia stared at him for a while before speaking softly, "You said... does the promise to have me cook still stand?"

"Of course it counts," Jiang Yubai nodded immediately. "I've already contacted the landlord. With the repainting and furniture replacement, we should be able to move in this weekend."

Just kidding, we finally caught a cook, if we don't count her, who will cook for him?

Lin Jianxia gave an "oh" and slowly swung her legs:

"Since you admit you're wrong, then as compensation... I want to lay down three rules."

"No problem," Jiang Yubai readily agreed.

"First, the agreed-upon salary must be paid on time, without delays or arbitrary deductions."

"Secondly, I'm only responsible for cooking and daily housework. I don't do anything else... I just leave work on time."

Jiang Yubai nodded readily, but after waiting for a while without hearing the third point, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at her:

"And the third one?"

"I haven't thought about the third one yet," Lin Jianxia pouted, "I'll tell you later."

".....OK."

Lin Jianxia remained silent, and Jiang Yubai did not speak either.

A subtle silence spread between the two, with only the twilight light slanting into the pavilion, turning the air a warm amber hue.

As the sun gradually set, the clouds on the horizon turned a gentle orange-red.

The silence lasted for a long time, so long that Jiang Yubai almost thought the conversation was over, when Lin Jianxia suddenly spoke softly:

"Hey, Jiang Yubai."

Her voice was soft, yet it clearly pierced the twilight.

"Do you want to know... why I'm going to school in place of my sister?"