The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 23.1

Bai Ru’s words were resolute.

Lin Wan glanced at her and lowered her eyes without a trace. She had just learned another new ability of Bai Ru’s. Bai Ru might be able to sense the protagonist’s condition.

As long as Bai Yin was alive, that was the best news for Lin Wan.

Bai Yin’s phone being here confirmed that she had indeed come this way.

But where was Bai Yin now?

“Let’s go check over there!”

Bai Ru looked around, her eyes suddenly flickering as she pointed in a certain direction and spoke softly.

Lin Wan’s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze swept imperceptibly over the other areas but found nothing unusual for the moment.

Yet Bai Ru’s sudden suggestion was definitely suspicious perhaps she had discovered some clue.

Bai Ru carried an arrogance as if she were above the world’s laws. She seemed to disregard all rules now, wanting only Bai Yin dead.

In such a situation, even if Bai Ru had found something, she wouldn’t tell Lin Wan. Instead, she would lead her in the opposite direction.

“How about we check over there? The woods are denser there, better for hiding.” Lin Wan pointed to the opposite side of where Bai Ru had indicated.

“Fine.” Bai Ru’s eyes flickered briefly before she agreed.

Lin Wan pressed her lips together.

This wasn’t right.

Bai Ru had agreed far too easily.

Could the clue be in one of the other two directions?

But now, Lin Wan was at a disadvantage. She had already pointed out a location, and under Bai Ru’s watchful gaze, she had no choice but to walk in the direction she had suggested.

As she walked, Lin Wan kept her eyes peeled, carefully observing the surroundings.

Under the dim streetlights, something suddenly glinted in the distance.

Lin Wan squinted and spotted a shiny hairpin.

That hairpin looked all too familiar. It was the very one Lin Wan had found before, which had led her to Bai Yin in the first place.

And the hairpin’s location was precisely the direction Bai Ru had initially pointed to.

“Wait! What’s that over there?”

Lin Wan stopped in her tracks and turned toward that path, picking up the hairpin.

Sure enough, Bai Ru didn’t seem the least bit surprised. She must have noticed the hairpin earlier and anticipated Lin Wan’s suspicion, deliberately pointing this way to make Lin Wan rule it out first.

Seeing Lin Wan pick up the hairpin, Bai Ru’s expression darkened slightly, the smile fading from her lips. “So, you really do care about Bai Yin.”

“I’m not as crazy as you, blinded by jealousy and losing all reason.”

Lin Wan frowned, carefully choosing words that fit her character. “Even if I want the money, now that I’m involved, I’d rather come out of this clean without spending the rest of my life in prison.”

“No matter what, I’m taking Bai Yin back.”

Bai Ru stared at Lin Wan for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Whether she believed Lin Wan’s words or not, she didn’t say anything further, lowering her head and walking behind Lin Wan.

The further they went, the more ponds they encountered, and the dimmer the light became.

Lin Wan turned on her phone’s flashlight to illuminate the path.

The night wind carried a chill. Even wrapped in a thick coat, Lin Wan felt freezing. Let alone Bai Yin, who had left without one.

After walking for a while without finding any more useful clues, Lin Wan grew increasingly anxious. Finally, when they reached the dense woods at the construction site’s edge, a shadowy figure seemed to dart between the trees.

Was that—?

Lin Wan quickened her pace and called out, “Bai Yin! Is that you?”

No response.

Bai Ru, walking behind her, had clearly seen the figure too, as her footsteps also sped up.

Lin Wan rounded another pond and was about to step into the woods.

“What is that?”

Bai Ru suddenly shouted from behind. Lin Wan looked up ahead just as an immense force shoved her from the back.

Lin Wan was pushed into the pool.

“You make a good point. If I had more time, I’d take it slow and not expose myself. But I don’t have that luxury now.”

Bai Ru took out her phone, looking down at Lin Wan from above, leaving behind an ambiguous remark before walking away from the pool and disappearing into the woods.

Lin Wan could hear her making a call. It turned out Bai Ru hadn’t just relied on Lin Wan. She had arranged for others to come as well. Even without Lin Wan, her hired hands would have likely schemed to kill Bai Yin.

This call was Bai Ru summoning them to carry out the murder.

Lin Wan had fallen into a hot spring pool. The water was warm, but at that moment, she felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss.

In such a situation, it would have been easiest for Bai Ru to do the deed herself. But she had called others instead. Considering how she had previously bribed Lin Wan’s original body to kill Bai Yin, it was easy to guess—Bai Ru was bound by some restriction in this world, unable to kill Bai Yin directly and forced to act through others.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.

The immediate priority was getting out of this pool.

Lin Wan had fallen into an excavation site, a pit about the height of a person. Fortunately, the water wasn’t deep, just past her chest, but the edges were all dirt with no steps, making it nearly impossible to climb out.

Pits of this height were common here. While not a major danger to her, they would be a death sentence for Bai Yin, who couldn’t walk.

Lin Wan quickly pulled out her phone to call the police, but it had been soaked and was now completely unresponsive.

She set the phone aside, pressing her lips together.

Her heart felt as though it were being seared, agonizingly so, and her head throbbed violently, as if something were hammering inside her skull.

But panic wouldn’t help now.

Every second counted, and staying calm was the only way to escape.

Lin Wan took a deep breath, forcing herself to analyze the situation.

During the day, workers had been digging these pools. They would have needed a way to climb out themselves, so there must be makeshift footholds along the edges. But with her phone broken and the surroundings dimly lit, the only light source was the flickering red dot of a malfunctioning security camera in the trees.

The camera seemed deceptively functional, its red light blinking steadily, matching the accelerating rhythm of Lin Wan’s heartbeat.

She would have to feel her way out!

Lin Wan inhaled sharply, slapped her cheeks to focus, and ignoring the grime began searching inch by inch along the pool’s edge, estimating where footholds might be based on a person’s stride.

The more dire the situation, the more careful she had to be.

Lin Wan narrowed her eyes, meticulously feeling her way. Her hands were scraped by the rough soil and rocks, but she barely noticed.

Finally, her persistence paid off. She found a distinct depression. Just deep enough to fit a foot, with a sturdy rock beneath to support her weight.

Her heart surged with hope, and soon she located another foothold nearby.

Mentally mapping the positions, she began climbing, feeling for additional holds as she went.

One step, two steps, three steps…

Lin Wan didn’t dare relax for a second, her heart in her throat, until at last, she hauled herself out of the pool.

The moment her body hit solid ground, she collapsed.

She felt as though her entire body had fallen apart, aching everywhere, especially the wounds from her nails digging into her flesh. The cold wind made the pain seem to seep deep into her bones.

But now was not the time to rest.

Even though she hadn’t heard any footsteps from above, there was no guarantee that the person who had harmed Bai Yin hadn’t entered the woods from another direction.

Lin Wan scrambled to her feet without hesitation and strode into the forest.

The woods were pitch black. To avoid alerting the hidden assailant, Lin Wan treaded lightly, not daring to let her guard down for even a moment.

The surroundings were eerily silent, and for a while, the only sound she could hear was her own breathing.

In the dim haze, Lin Wan thought she heard something being dragged across the ground.

A chill ran down her spine, and she froze in place.

The sound vanished as quickly as it had come. Straining her ears, Lin Wan listened carefully, but all she could hear was the rustling of leaves in the wind.

She let out a sigh of relief and waited a while longer, making sure there were no unusual sounds before taking a deep breath and continuing forward.

Having been soaked in water for hours and now battered by the cold night wind, Lin Wan soon realized something was wrong with her.

Her forehead burned with fever, and her nose itched unbearably. She desperately wanted to sneeze.

But sneezing now could easily alert the killer. Lin Wan could only cover her nose with her hand, fighting the urge with all her might.

Yet a sneeze wasn’t something she could suppress so easily.

Despite her best efforts, a moment later, she couldn’t hold back—Achoo!

A faint rustling seemed to come from the darkness around her.

Lin Wan’s eyes widened, her body stiffening. She had hoped that the forest was vast enough that the killer might not be nearby, but now.

Thankfully, darkness was the best hiding place.

For a moment, only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard. Yet, for some reason, Lin Wan couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was silently watching her from the shadows.

She slowed her breathing and stayed still, but as if mocking her fears, her nose tickled again—Achoo!

This time, the movement in the dark grew even more pronounced.

Lin Wan tensed up completely, ready to bolt at the slightest sign of danger, every second stretching unbearably long.

Suddenly, a cautious voice called out from the darkness.

“Lin Wan, is that you?”

Hearing Bai Yin’s unmistakable voice, Lin Wan’s eyes welled up with tears. In that instant, she nearly broke down crying.

Thank goodness, Bai Yin was alive!

Sniffling, Lin Wan lowered her voice and replied with a soft “Mm.” Suppressing the storm of emotions in her heart, she whispered, “Don’t speak. Stay quiet. I’ll come to you.”

Lin Wan had countless questions she wanted to ask, but with Bai Ru and the other assailant possibly still lurking nearby, she didn’t dare take the risk. Carefully, she followed the sound of Bai Yin’s voice until she reached her.

Only when her hands touched the wheelchair Bai Yin sat in did Lin Wan feel her floating heart finally settle. She had returned to the world of the living.

Belatedly, she became aware of the filth and pain covering her body, but now wasn’t the time to worry about Bai Yin’s cleanliness. Taking a deep breath, Lin Wan leaned close to Bai Yin’s ear and whispered, “Bai Yin, I know you’re scared, but this forest is dangerous. There might be wild animals. Let’s talk more once we’re out of here.”

Fortunately, Bai Yin wasn’t frightened by the night’s unexpected events. She gave a soft hum of acknowledgment and quietly allowed Lin Wan to push her out of the woods.

Lin Wan moved swiftly, not daring to look back. She feared that Bai Ru or someone else might chase after them. After all, pushing Bai Yin in her current state made escape difficult.

Yet, to Lin Wan’s surprise, no one pursued them. She made it all the way out of the construction zone and even encountered Shen Shen, who had been waiting impatiently at the agreed-upon spot, unable to reach Bai Ru by phone.

“Where’s Bai Ru?”

Shen Shen frowned deeply. His gaze swept over Bai Yin in the wheelchair, noting that despite her disheveled appearance, there were no signs of assault. He exhaled slightly in relief.

“Why isn’t she answering my calls?”

“She got a call from her mother shortly after we arrived and had to leave first,” Lin Wan lied smoothly, unwilling to reveal Bai Ru’s whereabouts.

Shen Shen didn’t question it and put his phone away without further attempts to call.

At this point, staying with Shen Shen seemed much safer. Lin Wan set aside her previous reservations and extended an invitation: “Mr. Shen, would you like to return with us?”

As soon as she spoke, both Shen Shen and Bai Yin looked up at her.

Shen Shen was taken aback. The caregiver by Bai Yin’s side had always seemed to harbor a subtle hostility toward him, so her sudden change in attitude was unexpected.

But upon reflection, it made sense. Perhaps this incident had forced them to face reality. A helpless orphan, with no mother and an indifferent father, could only rely on a man to survive in this world.

And he was undoubtedly the best candidate at the moment.

Even if Lin Wan hadn’t asked, he would have suggested accompanying them back. Every time he saw Bai Yin, an inexplicable stirring arose in his heart. The sight of her, fragile and pitiable, made him yearn to protect her.

“Of course!”

Shen Shen agreed immediately. However, recalling Bai Yin’s previous aloofness, he added, “Since Bai Ru has already left, there’s no point in me staying here in the cold.”

He deliberately mentioned Bai Ru, expecting Bai Yin to react with disappointment. But contrary to his expectations, Bai Yin didn’t give him that pitiable look he anticipated. Instead, she pressed her lips together slightly, her expression unreadable.

After he agreed, the caregiver smiled and said, “That’s perfect!” as if relieved, then paid him no further attention.

Shen Shen suddenly felt an odd sense of being superfluous between the two of them.

A flicker of resentment rose in him. For a moment, he considered taking over the wheelchair from Lin Wan. But upon noticing the mud and blood staining the backrest from Lin Wan’s hands, he hesitated and ultimately didn’t act.

The caregiver looked truly disheveled!

Right now, it should be Bai Yin trying to cling to him. He had no intention of lowering himself.

With that thought, Shen Shen remained silent for the rest of the journey, holding his head high with pride as he followed the two. Yet, his peripheral gaze couldn’t help but linger on Bai Yin.

Bai Yin’s face was expressionless, her eyes never once turning toward him. Instead, she occasionally glanced back at the caregiver pushing her wheelchair.

The nurse seemed oblivious to Bai Yin’s gaze. Her condition looked terrible. Drenched from head to toe, cheeks flushed an unnatural red, and turning away to sneeze several times. Clearly, she had caught a chill.

The three of them walked back to the banquet hall in silence.

Though they had been gone for less than two hours, Lin Wan felt as if an entire century had passed when she saw the lively scene of clinking glasses and cheerful chatter.

Bai Yin and Lin Wan’s disheveled appearances naturally drew everyone’s attention.

The guests crowded around, and only then did Bai Yin recount her ordeal.

According to her, she had initially followed behind Li Pei but suddenly realized her phone was missing. After searching for it in vain, she decided to head back when a man in worker’s clothes approached, holding her phone and claiming Li Pei had sent him to find her.

At first, she didn’t suspect anything. Uncomfortable with being touched, she pushed her wheelchair behind the man, only to realize he was leading her to a secluded area. Growing increasingly uneasy, she took advantage of him stepping aside to answer a call and quietly hid in the woods.

Too afraid to reveal herself afterward, she lost her phone during the ordeal. She had planned to wait until dawn to figure out her next move, but upon recognizing Lin Wan’s sneeze, she finally dared to call out.

Gullible, weak, and timid. It perfectly matched the impression Bai Yin always gave.

No one doubted her story. The guests were outraged, clamoring to check the surveillance footage and catch the culprit. But just then, word came that the cameras had conveniently malfunctioned.

Many present were shrewd, and such coincidences naturally raised suspicions.

Some exchanged meaningful glances. Bai Yin, the eldest daughter of the Bai family, might be naive and foolishly trusting of Li Pei, but they weren’t so easily fooled. For all they knew, this entire ordeal had been orchestrated by Li Pei herself. Had Bai Yin not been lucky enough to escape, they might have been staring at a corpse by now.

When Bai Yin mentioned the man claiming to act on Li Pei’s orders, Li Pei’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately denied it. Though Bai Yin later clarified that she had been too trusting of the stranger, many remained unconvinced.

Li Pei noticed the suspicious glances directed her way.

While she had indeed harbored ill intentions toward Lin Wan, the person who led Lin Wan into the woods wasn’t her doing. Yet, with no one voicing their suspicions outright, Li Pei had no way to defend herself. She could only shower Bai Yin with exaggerated concern to dispel any doubts.

Before long, word came that the surveillance system had been repaired, reassuring the guests.

The timing of the repair was all too convenient.

After this incident, if anything were to happen to Bai Yin in the future and the cameras “coincidentally” failed again. Li Pei would be the first suspect.

Under such circumstances, Li Pei wouldn’t dare make another move. Any plans to harm Bai Yin would have to be abandoned.

Lin Wan stood nearby, listening as Bai Yin recounted everything.

Bai Yin seemed uncomfortable in the crowd, her head perpetually bowed and her voice barely above a whisper.

Most were focused on extracting information from her, paying little attention to her nervous, fearful state. Perhaps Li Pei noticed, but her feigned comfort wasn’t sincere. It was merely a performance to convince everyone of her close relationship with her stepdaughter.

At such a banquet, everyone seemed to wear a mask, with almost no one acting from the heart.

Lin Wan suddenly felt exhausted.

Perhaps Bai Yin’s method of shutting herself away was indeed the right one. It was also a way to protect herself.

After all, extraordinary beauty without the means to defend itself would only invite disaster.

Lin Wan could only feel immensely grateful that her naive and trusting young mistress had, in the end, retained a sliver of caution, allowing her to avoid danger.

Now, all suspicion pointed to Li Pei, and tonight, Li Pei would certainly not dare to act again!

Watching Li Pei hover around Bai Yin, fussing over her. Arranging a change of clothes, insisting on calling the police. Lin Wan finally let out a sigh of relief. The tension that had been coiled tightly in her mind at last loosened, and the pain in her body surged belatedly through her limbs. Her vision blurred, and she swayed before completely losing consciousness.

In a hazy daze, Lin Wan had a long dream.

At first, she dreamed of her childhood “rival” from elementary school. She had been so kind to that person, yet they always snatched first place from her.

She thought that person was truly insufferable, secretly competing with them. But one day, they suddenly disappeared. Lin Wan pretended not to care on the surface, though deep down, she felt a lingering melancholy for a long time.

Later, Lin Wan encountered a peculiar roommate in college.

This roommate didn’t steal her top spot. Her grades seemed unremarkable but Lin Wan always felt she was hiding her true abilities. Lin Wan remembered clearly: once, she had struggled with a problem for days without solving it, only for her roommate to glance at it briefly and effortlessly provide the answer.

Lin Wan later tried to unravel the mysteries surrounding her roommate, but by the second semester of their third year, the girl suddenly took a leave of absence.

It was strange. Perhaps too much time had passed, but in her dream, Lin Wan could no longer recall the faces of those two people clearly. She only remembered that both had strikingly beautiful features. The kind of beauty that even those of the same gender couldn’t help but admire.

After that, Lin Wan couldn’t remember what else she had dreamed. When she tried to recall, her mind was blank, yet her heart ached dully for no apparent reason.

“Does it hurt that much?” Lin Wan groggily opened her eyes to find Bai Yin’s flawless face gazing down at her.

Bai Yin frowned slightly, holding a tissue as she gently wiped the corners of Lin Wan’s eyes.

Strangely, the dull ache in Lin Wan’s chest vanished the moment she saw Bai Yin’s face.

Bai Yin didn’t seem surprised by Lin Wan’s awakening. Meeting her gaze, she pressed her lips together and remained silent. Instead, Butler Zhao, standing nearby, took over with a tone of exasperation: “Why are you so reckless?”

“You were supposed to protect the young mistress, yet you ended up covered in injuries, running a high fever and now she has to take care of you!”

Lin Wan realized she was back in the car they had arrived in. Perhaps shaken by the night’s events, Butler Zhao had also boarded the vehicle.

Though his tone was reproachful and he rambled on, his attitude toward Lin Wan had softened considerably. Clearly, he was deeply grateful that she had found Bai Yin.

“Because I promised you I’d bring the young mistress home safely!” Lin Wan didn’t mind Butler Zhao’s nagging and replied with a smile.

Seemingly caught off guard by her response, Butler Zhao’s expression turned odd. He snorted, “Now you’re grinning like a flower, but just moments ago, you were crying so pitifully in your sleep as if we’d bullied you or something.”

“I was crying that hard?”

Lin Wan blinked, trying to remember, but her mind held no trace of it.

She looked inquiringly at Bai Yin, who seemed momentarily stunned.

“Don’t dwell on the past.”

After a pause, Bai Yin spoke in a stiff voice.

She appeared to be trying her best to comfort Lin Wan, awkwardly patting the top of her head as she softened her tone.

“Welcome home.”

Lin Wan averted her eyes uncomfortably.