The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 12

Bai Yin’s hands were fair and delicate, with slender fingers that looked as if they had been carved from jade.

She held her palm open in front of Lin Wan, her eyes still shimmering with lingering amusement. She looked lively, a little coy, and undeniably soft.

Lin Wan met Bai Yin’s dark, glistening eyes, and her heart felt as if it had been struck by something. A strange, tingling sensation suddenly surged from deep within her.

Up until now, she had never experienced anything like this before.

At this moment, an odd thought arose in Lin Wan’s mind not only would she give Bai Yin the nougat, but even if Bai Yin wanted to take everything Lin Wan owned, it somehow didn’t seem impossible.

She had never expected Bai Yin to ask her for nougat, so naturally, she hadn’t brought any with her.

“I…”

But Bai Yin rarely asked her for anything, and Lin Wan couldn’t bear to leave those beautiful hands empty.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Wan clenched her hand, then as if guided by some inexplicable impulse. She reached out and placed her own hand on Bai Yin’s palm, giving it a light pat. With a smile, she said, “I’ll bring it to you in a bit.”

Bai Yin hadn’t anticipated this reaction from Lin Wan.

She narrowed her eyes, her eyelids twitching almost imperceptibly, and the amusement in her gaze dissipated like ripples disturbed by a sudden gust.

—A sharp, icy sensation brushed against Lin Wan’s neck, sending a chill down her spine.

But when she looked again, all she saw was Bai Yin’s expressionless face and the hand she was still holding.

Lin Wan’s gaze slowly lowered to their joined hands, and only then did she remember: Bai Yin had mysophobia. She hated being touched.

And Lin Wan had returned in such a hurry that she hadn’t had time to put on her gloves.

—As if scalded, Lin Wan yanked her hand back.

Bai Yin glanced at her, her eyelids twitching once more before she pressed her lips together and withdrew her hand.

Lin Wan shut her eyes in frustration, not daring to look at Bai Yin’s expression. She didn’t know what had come over her. Maybe it was because Bai Yin hadn’t been as delicate as she’d imagined these past few days, or maybe Bai Yin’s beauty was just too disarming. Despite being cautious all this time, she had still carelessly crossed Bai Yin’s boundaries.

“Miss, I’m sorry.”

Lin Wan took a deep breath and spoke softly, “I’ll go put on my gloves now.”

She stole a glance at Bai Yin, who remained silent, her head slightly bowed, her expression unreadable. The faint smile from earlier had completely vanished.

Lin Wan’s regret deepened. The atmosphere between them had been so good just moments ago. She had felt like their relationship was about to take a step forward, only to ruin it with her mistake.

Filled with guilt, Lin Wan returned to her room and meticulously put on her gloves. To remind herself not to forget in the future, she even wrote a note “Always wear gloves! Don’t touch Yin Yin!” and stuck it by the door.

Once that was done, Lin Wan grabbed the nougat and headed back to Bai Yin’s room.

She could only hope that, for the sake of the nougat, Bai Yin would forgive her for that earlier touch.

–

Because Lin Wan loved eating it, her grandmother had prepared a whole paper bag of nougat for her. Feeling guilty for her mistake, Lin Wan brought all of it with her. When she entered Bai Yin’s room, she didn’t dare look at her, and her voice was even quieter than usual.

“Miss, this is the nougat my grandmother made for me.”

“You don’t have much of an appetite, and nougat is hard to digest. It’s best not to eat it tonight. If you want some, you can save it for tomorrow morning.”

Lin Wan bit her lip. She knew she was seeking forgiveness right now, and logically, she should go along with Bai Yin’s wishes. But Bai Yin was so delicate and fragile—Lin Wan couldn’t bear to see her suffer any pain.

…

Bai Yin looked at Lin Wan, who didn’t dare to raise her head, and her fingers twitched slightly at her side.

Once, when she was little, Bai Jian—her father, had rarely held her. She had caught the scent of perfume and cigarettes on him. Back then, she didn’t understand anything and had loudly asked him why he wore perfume when her mother was allergic to it. The response she got was her mother’s tears and Bai Jian’s silence.

After that, Bai Jian never held her again.

And so, she learned too early that when people get too close, their gazes, their movements, even the scents on their bodies reveal too much.

When she was a little older, she had an “accident” she was nearly dragged into a van by a stranger. If not for Butler Zhao’s timely intervention, she might not have escaped.

Over the years, as she grew stronger, she seemed to fear nothing. But she never forgot that moment, the stench of the man who grabbed her, the rough scrape of his fingers, his heavy, ragged breathing.

Gradually, she grew to despise being touched.

She didn’t want anyone crossing the boundaries of social distance, so she refused to let anyone step into her guarded space.

When Lin Wan touched her, she had instinctively recoiled.

But unexpectedly, perhaps because Lin Wan’s gaze was too bright, she didn’t feel the usual wave of nausea.

This was already the second time.

Actually, the night Lin Wan changed her mind and saved her had been the same.

That night, she had sensed Lin Wan’s fear. Though Lin Wan had spoken harsh words, her movements, her breathing; everything betrayed her panic. Lin Wan didn’t want her to die.

When Lin Wan had pinched her cheeks, she had wanted to kill her in that moment. But looking back, she realized she hadn’t felt the slightest disgust afterward.

She had thought it was because she had been too furious to notice the usual revulsion.

But this time, it was under normal circumstances.

…

Bai Yin pressed her lips together, her fingers unconsciously rubbing against her side again before she lifted her eyes to look at Lin Wan.

Her fingertips still seemed to carry the warmth of Lin Wan’s touch. Even now, recalling it, she felt no resistance at all.

And the way Lin Wan hung her head pitifully, along with those dark, bright eyes that always watched her. It all reminded her of the little dog she had once kept.

She hadn’t wanted to keep that dog.

The stray puppy had somehow wandered into her life. Like Lin Wan, it seemed to think she was a weak, defenseless little girl, barking at her whenever she passed by.

At first, she hadn’t cared. But one day, after refusing to apply to film school, her mother had slapped her and thrown her out of the house.

When the dog barked at her again, she called security.

The guards came with sacks and clubs, ready to beat the dog to death.

As the dog was stuffed into the bag, whimpering softly, at the last moment, she stopped them; not out of pity, but because she didn’t want to become like her parents.

What others owed her, she would reclaim one by one herself. Unlike her parents, who would welcome people with smiles when they were useful, then discard them like a millstone after the donkey’s work was done, venting their anger on creatures weaker than themselves.

She hadn’t intended to save that dog, but afterward, the dog seemed to have imprinted on her. Whenever it saw her, it would follow her, wagging its tail incessantly.

Later, she yielded to her mother, Li Ruyue, and agreed to apply to film school for university. Li Ruyue, perhaps feeling a rare pang of guilt, spoke to her gently for once and allowed her to make one request.

She asked to adopt the dog.

Not out of love for animals, but because Li Ruyue was allergic to pet fur. If she kept the dog, her mother would visit her room even less, giving her time to lay out her own plans.

Li Ruyue agreed, and true to form, never stepped into her room again.

On good days, she would occasionally pet the dog.

The dog was well-behaved, never bothering her. Even when she rarely paid it any attention, its tail would wag furiously every time it saw her.

In all those years, the only one that breached her defenses, the only one she was willing to touch, was that dog.

The one thing she hadn’t anticipated was that, in the end, it would be that dog that saved her.

…

Bai Yin lifted her eyes, curling her lips slightly at Lin Wan as she said, “Alright.”

Just as she expected, Lin Wan instantly relaxed, believing she had been forgiven. She looked up at Bai Yin happily, chattering about the next day’s plans.

Bai Yin watched Lin Wan’s red lips thoughtfully.

She wasn’t sure when it had started, but whenever she saw Lin Wan, a strange, twisted yet pleasant sensation would surge through her…

But Lin Wan wasn’t as obedient as the dog.

Lin Wan had done wrong before. She deserved to be punished.

Recalling how Lin Wan had pinched her cheeks that night, and how she had let go of her hand in haste before, Bai Yin narrowed her eyes.

She wheeled herself to the table, opened an unlabeled candy jar, and picked up a piece. Then, lifting her gaze to Lin Wan, she curved her lips slightly, her voice coaxing.

“Want to try it?”

–

Lin Wan let out a sigh of relief.

Bai Yin truly was a kind-hearted fairy. Even after she had crossed a line, Bai Yin hadn’t blamed her. Perhaps out of politeness, Bai Yin had even offered her candy in return.

Maybe it was because Bai Yin’s smile was so captivating, but the candy was incredibly sweet, its flavor exceptional. After eating it, Lin Wan cautiously probed further and confirmed that Bai Yin still hadn’t received Bai Ru’s invitation.

Relieved for now, Lin Wan noticed how late it was and soon returned to her room.

Perhaps due to the exhaustion from traveling, Lin Wan slept deeply that night, unable to wake no matter what. She even had a strange dream.

In the dream, someone entered her room, as if confirming something or seeking revenge. That person pinched her cheeks several times with just the right amount of force.

She mumbled in protest and turned over, only to hear a soft, delighted laugh.

“So it really is like this!”