Inheriting a Farm Made Me an Internet Sensation - Chapter 21

Tan Xiao was startled by the voice in her head, yet she didn’t feel entirely surprised.

She glanced toward Lin Muhan, and their gazes collided. In that instant, she could clearly hear her own heart rate accelerating. Not wanting Lin Muhan to see through her thoughts, she hurriedly averted her eyes and stammered a response, “You’re welcome.”

She couldn’t lie to herself anymore; she didn’t just have feelings for Lin Muhan—she had fallen for her.

Stay calm. Even if you admit you like her, so what? Didn’t Lin Muhan just say she already has someone she likes?

That person might not be you.

At that thought, a heavy, stifling sensation washed over her again, accompanied by a prickle of jealousy. She rolled over, facing the back of the sofa.

She comforted herself: This is fine. You were an outsider to this world to begin with. This way, if you ever return to your original world, you won’t have to feel guilty toward anyone.

Tan Xiao’s response was within Lin Muhan’s expectations, but even so, a sense of disappointment and defeat shrouded her. She told herself it was okay; this was only the beginning. As the saying goes, “With enough hard work, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle.” Even if Tan Xiao was a block of iron, she would grind her down.

Driven by exhaustion, Lin Muhan soon drifted into a dreamland, leaving only Tan Xiao tossing and turning on the sofa.

Rarely suffering from insomnia, Tan Xiao found herself unable to control her racing thoughts, which left her feeling irritable. Every time she turned over, she could see Lin Muhan’s peaceful sleeping face by the faint light, and the irritation in her heart would flare up a bit more.

It was a long time before she finally fell asleep.

Piercing light shone through the window, slanting into the ward and waking Lin Muhan. She opened her bleary eyes, feeling much of her physical fatigue and lethargy had dissipated. She propped her hands on the bed, intending to sit up.

However, her movement was too sudden, tugging at the needle on the back of her hand. The sharp sting made her let out an involuntary sound.

“What happened?” Tan Xiao bolted upright from the sofa, asking nervously.

Lin Muhan shook her head slightly. “It’s nothing.”

Tan Xiao rubbed her tired eyes and stood up half-doubtingly. Seeing that the tube on the back of Lin Muhan’s hand was stained red, she ran over quickly. She lifted Lin Muhan’s hand to let the blood in the tube flow back.

“If you need anything, you can call me. You don’t have to do everything yourself.”

Lin Muhan tilted her head. “I was afraid someone would give me the cold shoulder.”

Seeing that the blood had flowed back, Tan Xiao finally lowered the other woman’s hand. “You weren’t this polite when you were bossing me around before.”

Using that same hand, Lin Muhan hooked Tan Xiao’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. “So, are you blaming me for bossing you around before?”

Now that she had clarified her feelings for Lin Muhan, Tan Xiao felt a sense of trepidation when facing her, worried that an accidental look in her eyes might cause Lin Muhan trouble. Upon meeting Lin Muhan’s eyes, she instinctively tried to turn away.

“If you aren’t afraid of my blood flowing out through the tube again, go ahead and move.”

Hearing this, Tan Xiao could only stop and meet Lin Muhan’s eyes. When she saw the shimmering tenderness and emotion within them, she momentarily forgot to breathe.

The mouth can lie, but the eyes of someone who loves you cannot. This phrase surfaced in her mind.

So, Lin Muhan really does have feelings for me.

But I am not a person of this world.

At that thought, her leaping heart immediately settled down, and her voice held a hint of helplessness. “I don’t.”

“Not even a little bit?”

Tan Xiao: “…”

Naturally, that wasn’t true. Initially, there had been some.

While she was hesitating on how to answer, Lin Muhan had already withdrawn her hand. “I’m going to wash up. You can’t help with that.”

In reality, Lin Muhan had wanted to get closer to look at Tan Xiao’s sleeping face. Just as she had planned, she originally intended to finish her legal cases early to set aside a few days specifically to pester Tan Xiao. Who would have thought that before her plan could even begin, she would be sent to the hospital?

However, it was fine. Although it differed from her expectations, it didn’t stop her from flirting with Tan Xiao.

Seeing that Lin Muhan didn’t press her further, Tan Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. She checked the time on her phone; it was already eight o’clock.

“What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it.”

“I’ll eat whatever you buy.” Lin Muhan stopped and looked back at Tan Xiao. “How about it? I’m easy to provide for, right?”

I’d be a fool to believe you.

Tan Xiao teased her on purpose, “How about soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks?”

The smile on Lin Muhan’s face froze instantly. She gave a light huff and turned back toward the bathroom.

As expected, she shouldn’t have held expectations for Tan Xiao. This person was an expert at killing conversations and had no sense of romance whatsoever. Dough sticks were so high in calories and easily lowered one’s “class”—she didn’t want to eat them at all.

Fine, if Tan Xiao liked them, it wasn’t impossible for her to make do. She tightened her fists at her side and stopped again, calling out to Tan Xiao behind her, “Let’s try it then.”

This reply made Tan Xiao’s heart tremble again. Lin Muhan actually said yes? She shouldn’t be pointing at her nose and saying arrogantly: Are you looking for death, trying to fool me with that kind of stuff?

Was it because she wanted to accommodate her that she made this compromise?

Thinking of this, Tan Xiao felt a bit uncomfortable. Before she was sure whether she would return one day, she couldn’t give Lin Muhan a response. If she accepted Lin Muhan and they got together, only for her to suddenly disappear from Lin Muhan’s world one day, what would Lin Muhan do? What would happen to their relationship?

However, she had been here for nearly half a year. If time moved at the same rate in both worlds, her body back there would either be in a vegetative state or already cremated.

She stopped her train of thought and walked out.

Not long after she left, the nurse from yesterday arrived. While mixing the medication, she asked Lin Muhan, “The person you like didn’t come to stay with you today?”

Being called out on her feelings, Lin Muhan felt a bit embarrassed and stammered, “She went to buy breakfast.”

“In my view, she just says she doesn’t like you with her mouth, but she cares deeply in her heart. Aside from your parents, who else would force themselves to carry you so far?” The nurse glanced around, and after confirming Tan Xiao hadn’t returned, she leaned in and whispered to Lin Muhan, “In a relationship, being proactive isn’t entirely a bad thing. Just remember, don’t overdo it.”

Lin Muhan took these words to heart; she thought so too. In a relationship, if one is too proactive, it becomes difficult for the other party to notice one’s worth.

“I see you’re recovering well, but we still have to wait for Dr. Wang’s assessment for it to count.” After saying that, the nurse left the ward with a smile.

The nurse’s words boosted the confidence in Lin Muhan’s heart.

When Tan Xiao returned with breakfast, she entered the ward to see Lin Muhan with a smile on her lips and even a curve in her eyes. It was obvious she was in a good mood. The smile was dazzling, more breathtaking than a sky full of stars.

“Admit it, you’ve already been won over by my beauty.” Lin Muhan tilted her chin slightly, full of confidence.

Her voice pulled Tan Xiao’s thoughts back. She nodded and said, “Yes, Lawyer Lin’s looks definitely rank like this in the legal world.” As she spoke, she gave a thumbs up.

This greatly satisfied Lin Muhan’s confidence, leaving a sweet taste in her heart and mouth. Seeing her so happy, the corners of Tan Xiao’s mouth also curled up. She went to the bedside, pulled out the hospital-provided dining table, set the food on it, and motioned for Lin Muhan to eat.

“Isn’t it milk and soy milk?” Lin Muhan asked, looking at the shrimp congee in front of her.

Tan Xiao turned her head away, avoiding Lin Muhan’s gaze, and said with feigned composure, “I thought about it. The image of a beautiful lawyer from the legal world sitting cross-legged on a bed devouring a dough stick was indeed too much for me to bear, so I changed it to congee.”

Lin Muhan curled her lip. “Do you know which animal has the hardest mouth?”

Tan Xiao: “…”

Since when did Lawyer Lin start criticizing people in such a roundabout way?

“Are you not eating? If not, I’m taking it away.” As she spoke, her hand reached for the congee on the table.

Seeing this, Lin Muhan beat her to it and shielded the congee. “I’ll eat.” Thinking of something, she looked up at Tan Xiao. “You feed me.”

“Lawyer Lin, you can take care of yourself now,” Tan Xiao refused. Since she had made up her mind, she would try her best not to give Lin Muhan any false hope. She ignored Lin Muhan’s aggrieved look, picked up the other bowl of congee, and walked over to the sofa.

“You’re heartless,” Lin Muhan muttered under her breath.

After breakfast, Dr. Wang came for the rounds. Just like the nurse said, Lin Muhan was recovering quickly. After this IV drip, she could go home to recuperate.

By the time the IV was finished, the discharge procedures were handled, and they returned to the small courtyard, it was already noon. Fortunately, Tan Xiao had sent word ahead, and Chen Cuihua had saved food for both her and Lin Muhan.

Dr. Wang said Lin Muhan’s diet for the next two days should be as light as possible. To prevent Lin Muhan from feeling envious, Tan Xiao endured her own cravings and accompanied her in eating the congee and dishes cooked on the small stove.

Having already finished her work, Lin Muhan used her recovery as an excuse to follow Tan Xiao around constantly. When Tan Xiao was recording data in the greenhouse, she would sit in the corner of the greenhouse reading or daydreaming. When Tan Xiao was finished, she would ask Tan Xiao to explain knowledge about planting. In short, wherever Tan Xiao was, her figure could basically be seen.

One day, Tan Xiao returned to the small courtyard only to realize she had forgotten her notebook. She immediately rode her electric scooter back. Just as she entered the greenhouse, she heard voices discussing nearby.

“I see them following each other like shadows; they must be together.”

“What a shame, a beautiful flower planted in cow dung.”

“Go, go, go! If you can’t speak properly, shut your mouth. How is Xiao Xiao not good? She’s good-looking, great at farming, and treats people well.”

“Even if you praise her to the heavens, she’s still just someone who plays with mud.”

“He has a point though. I heard Lawyer Lin’s family background is really powerful. No matter how capable Xiao-Tan is, her family conditions can’t keep up with Lawyer Lin’s. It’s fine for the two of them to play around, but marriage? No chance.”

“Those wealthy city people care most about that… what do you call it, family background. Look at the girls from these nearby villages who married rich men; every time they come home, they’re all alone.”

Tan Xiao gave a light chuckle, picked up her notebook, left the greenhouse, and headed back to the courtyard.

When she reached the second floor and was about to push the door into her room, she heard a cry of pain from the room behind her. She turned around quickly, knocking on the door while asking, “Lawyer Lin, are you okay?”

Hearing no response, she asked again, “Lawyer Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Tan Xiao, help me.”

Hearing Lin Muhan’s response, she turned the doorknob and entered the room. As she walked, she searched for Lin Muhan’s figure. “Lawyer Lin?”

“I… I’m in the bathroom.”

Tan Xiao quickened her pace to the bathroom door. Guessing that Lin Muhan had been bathing just now, she asked softly, “Is it convenient for me to come in now?”

“Tan Xiao, are you trying to let me die of pain?” Lin Muhan furrowed her brows tightly, her voice getting louder.

She’d had a run of bad luck lately; she had just recovered from a cold, and now, while bathing in the bathroom, she had accidentally slipped and fallen. Fortunately, her reactions were quick, and she had grabbed the handrail in time. Even so, her buttocks hit the ground, and the pain brought tears to her eyes.

Hearing this, Tan Xiao didn’t hesitate anymore and walked straight in. Catching a glimpse of Lin Muhan completely unclothed, she immediately looked away, moving stiffly to reach for the bath towel hanging on the wall hook.

Seeing her so nervous, Lin Muhan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She laughed because, even in this situation, Tan Xiao was unwilling to take advantage of her. She cried because Tan Xiao was actually dawdling instead of quickly picking her up from the floor.

How could Tan Xiao know her thoughts? Having reached the towel, she stiffly twisted her body to cover Lin Muhan with it, saying nervously, “You… cover your body, I’ll… I’ll help, I’ll carry you out.”

Lin Muhan felt a delayed sense of shyness, her ears heating up. She tugged at the bath towel, and after covering the front of her body, she spoke, “O-okay, it’s done.”

Only then did Tan Xiao turn her head. She took off her own outer smock, had Lin Muhan place her hands on her shoulders, and with some effort, lifted Lin Muhan from the floor.

Once she stood steady, Lin Muhan raised her other arm, wrapping both arms around Tan Xiao’s neck and looking up at her. Tan Xiao did her best to ignore Lin Muhan’s gaze and the delicate sensation coming from under her hands as she carried Lin Muhan out of the bathroom.

“Since we’re like this, it counts as skin-to-skin contact. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for me?” Lin Muhan asked cautiously.

These words startled Tan Xiao significantly. Her grip on Lin Muhan loosened involuntarily. Seeing that the bed was beneath Lin Muhan, she didn’t tighten her hold again, letting Lin Muhan’s body slide down naturally. She hadn’t expected that the startled Lin Muhan would cling tightly to her neck, pulling her down onto the bed as well.

The bath towel, which had only been draped over Lin Muhan, slipped at one corner, revealing the scenery beneath.