The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Regarding Orientation

Lu Chaoqing and Lin Chumu arrived home one after the other.

There were two reasons for the rush: first, they had nothing to do for the moment; second, the massive pile of packages in the storage room was taking up too much space. Moreover, the nanny mentioned there was something seemingly “alive” inside—a box had vibrated. The courier left without saying what it was, leading the experienced nanny to involuntarily imagine something terrifying, like a death threat or a trapped rat.

She hadn’t dared to open it when the girls arrived, so she called over a few security guards.

“Dad, Mom?”

Lu Chaoqing, arriving first, saw her parents sitting on the sofa and greeted them with a smile. Although she was no longer on their household register, the Lu parents treated her exactly as before, showing no intent to differentiate between the two children. They even told her to keep calling them Mom and Dad, a kindness she naturally accepted.

“Xiaoqing.”

Mother Lu, whose maiden name was Jiang, was a beautiful woman who maintained herself well and looked much younger than her peers. While she was iron-fisted in business, she was as gentle as water with her children. She pointed toward the boxes the guards had moved to the open space in the living room—there were about twenty there, with more still in the warehouse. Her tone held no blame for her daughter spending money recklessly: “Did you buy all of these?”

Lu Chaoqing glanced at them and immediately replied, “No.”

The nanny chimed in just as she finished: “There’s something alive here. I thought it was something else at first… but when we were moving it just now, I think I heard a dog bark?”

A dog bark?

Lu Chaoqing stepped forward quickly. Before she could touch it, the box shifted, and a rounded “woof-woof” came from inside. A guard pulled out a utility knife and carefully sliced the seal. Inside the crate sat an energetic little Samoyed puppy. Seeing so many people, it barked excitedly and tried to curl back into a corner.

Lu Chaoqing, who had always loved cats and dogs, was instantly delighted. She pulled open the crate and lifted the puppy—which was only about the size of her forearm—petting its back. The panicked Samoyed gradually stopped struggling and lay in her arms, looking around warily.

“Woof!”

The Samoyed suddenly barked fiercely, its black bead-like eyes fixed on Lin Chumu, who had just walked through the door. Lin Chumu had been in a hurry, but she froze at the entryway. Seeing the floor covered in delivery boxes, her expression turned stiff. She swapped into her slippers and immediately came over to flip one over to check.

—As expected.

Father Lu saw her expression. “You didn’t buy these either?”

Lin Chumu: “…”

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to say yes or no.

On her way home, she had received several texts. Aside from delivery notifications, there was an apology from the company that managed the support screens. They explained that there had been a mistake in the merchandise shipment: one of the “lifelike Samoyed plush toys” she ordered had been replaced by a real Samoyed puppy. To compensate for the error, they hadn’t asked her to pay the price difference.

A real Samoyed was, obviously, much more expensive than a plush toy.

She hadn’t quite understood at first, but then she remembered the support screens she had bought for Lu Chaoqing. She’d had to fill out an address for the “gift package,” but she hadn’t expected it to be this much.

Looking at it now, it was likely all “Little Green Tea” merchandise.

Lin Chumu was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Seeing Lu Chaoqing’s radiant smile as she played with the dog, a sudden sense of mischief rose in her heart. She decided to just embrace the embarrassment. “I bought them. These are all her birthday support merchandise.”

Upon hearing the second half of the sentence, Lu Chaoqing nearly dropped the dog.

She turned her head to stare at Lin Chumu in utter shock, only to find that the other woman had successfully moved past her initial awkwardness and was now attempting to transfer that awkwardness onto her.

“Anyway, I can’t take them all, and there’s no room in my place. Please help me unpack them and we’ll distribute them to everyone.”

The house had plenty of servants who could help clear things out. Lin Chumu would, of course, keep the more private items for herself, but things like photo cards and folding fans were fine to give away.

Lu Chaoqing wanted to ask why she had suddenly bought her merchandise, but she remembered the discussion from her livestream earlier.

The fans had mentioned a “rich woman” who spent over 100,000 yuan on support screens for her alone. She had been feeling guilty and uneasy, wondering what kind of person would drop six figures on a whim for an idol. But if that “rich woman” was Lin Chumu…

While she didn’t know the exact extent of Lin Chumu’s assets, 100,000 yuan wasn’t a huge amount to Lu Chaoqing, so it certainly wouldn’t be to Lin Chumu.

But why would Lin Chumu buy support for her…?

While she pondered, the guards opened several more boxes. They were filled with common support items like photo cards and posters. Some were even handed to the Lu parents. Father Lu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, while Mother Lu excitedly flipped through a photobook, commenting on Lu Chaoqing’s styling.

The awkward person instantly shifted from Lin Chumu to Lu Chaoqing.

After clarifying the puppy’s origin, Lu Chaoqing handed the dog (of unknown vaccination status) to the nanny to book an appointment at a vet. There was a family gathering tonight, and since neither had to return to the company, Lu Chaoqing dragged Lin Chumu to her room.

Under the pretext of “organizing merchandise.”

Lin Chumu didn’t object, letting Lu Chaoqing unbox the gift sets one by one.

The first few were very common items: banners, albums, transparent cards, badges—nothing unusual. However, toward the back, she unearthed a wristwatch. It looked like a “couple’s set” matching one Lu Chaoqing had worn at an event, though this one was the men’s version.

Lu Chaoqing didn’t think much of it. With Lin Chumu’s permission, she turned it over in her hands before concluding: “This isn’t really for girls. But this brand has great quality even if it’s not super expensive. Sister, if you want, you could give it to a boyfriend in the future.”

The moment the word “boyfriend” left her mouth, she saw Lin Chumu’s relatively good mood suddenly stiffen.

Lu Chaoqing, confused, apologized immediately. Thinking Lin Chumu might have trauma because of Jiang Yang, she quickly tried to comfort her: “I definitely don’t mean someone like Jiang Yang! That kind of person isn’t worthy of you! He’s a toad dreaming of swan meat; he should look in a mirror!”

Lin Chumu’s lips were pressed into a tight line. She paused. “I wasn’t thinking of him.”

Across her past and current lives, she had seen countless men—true gentlemen, hypocrites, men far more handsome than Jiang Yang, and gentle, considerate suitors. If Lu Chaoqing hadn’t mentioned the name, Lin Chumu would have almost erased him from her memory.

But since she attained a level of maturity, she had known clearly that her attraction was not toward men, but women. Whether it was the successful, kind young men pursuing her or someone as pretentious as Jiang Yang, she felt nothing.

Because she only liked women.

And…

“Then I get it. You just don’t want a boyfriend right now, right?” The girl’s crisp voice interrupted Lin Chumu’s thoughts. Thinking of their parents’ personalities, Lu Chaoqing comforted her: “It’s okay. I don’t think Mom and Dad are the type to force a marriage or make us marry someone for status. They didn’t even mind us debuting. They’re very open-minded, so don’t worry.”

“Besides, you have me! I definitely won’t start dating until you find a boyfriend!”

Lu Chaoqing figured her fans probably wouldn’t mind if she dated. Most of her fans were “mother fans.” Usually, only “girlfriend fans”—who mostly follow male idols—get upset about dating. Lu Ziqi, for instance, had to carefully avoid physical contact with Lu Chaoqing on that show to avoid rumors. It would be a hassle in a girl group, but as a solo artist, it wouldn’t be a huge problem as long as it didn’t hurt her career.

Lin Chumu remained silent.

After a moment, Lu Chaoqing continued unboxing, skillfully sorting the items into categories. Just as she thought Lin Chumu wasn’t going to answer the question, the woman’s voice rang out softly in the room. It was quiet, but unmistakable.

“I won’t find a boyfriend. Not now, not ever.”

“…Because I like girls.”

The end of her sentence was slightly husky, as if it had been brewing for a long time. Finally letting the secret out made Lin Chumu feel a sense of relief. Because of a past incident, and because she didn’t want to see the biased looks of others, she hadn’t mentioned her sexual orientation to anyone except a few close friends.

She had seen girls who, upon hearing those words, would pull away with a “half-joking, half-serious” look, as if afraid she would harass them. She had seen people look with disdain or confusion, attacking others’ orientations with foul language.

But the girl in front of her was only surprised for a fleeting second. Various emotions flashed through her eyes before settling into a deep, growing flush on her cheeks. Lu Chaoqing’s hands stopped; the utility knife fell to the floor with a crisp clatter.

“So… does Sister like girls of my type?”

Her soft, sweet voice sounded like a question, but her expression carried a look of complete understanding. Lu Chaoqing stared directly into her eyes, giving her no chance to escape or change the subject.

“Or is it that… the one you like is me?”