The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 3

Lin Wan recalled the melodramatic TV shows the original owner of her body loved to watch, trying to channel the pitiful, delicate energy of the green tea supporting female characters.

But just the thought of Wang Jiang’s fake, lovey-dovey expression made her stomach churn. She attempted to soften her voice, but what came out was still slightly stiff.

Lin Wan puffed her cheeks in frustration.

Fortunately, she happened to have a cold at the moment, so her voice was naturally hoarse. Wang Jiang, panicking on the other end of the line, didn’t notice anything unusual about her.

“Y-you, don’t be scared, I… I’ll think of something.”

Wang Jiang was just a useless fool who had been bribed by Bai Yin’s stepsister, Bai Ru, to seduce the original owner. He had no real ideas of his own. After stammering a few words, he hung up.

Lin Wan wasn’t in a hurry. She went to the bathroom to freshen up, and by the time she came out, Wang Jiang had called again.

This time, his voice sounded much more confident. Clearly, he had discussed things with Bai Ru.

“Lin Wan, don’t worry. They don’t have any proof. They won’t trace it back to you. Just stay calm for now. Don’t contact us these next few days. Once things die down, we’ll figure something out.”

Everything went exactly as Lin Wan had expected.

After her warning, the guilty Bai Ru and Wang Jiang would be too afraid to make another move on Bai Yin anytime soon, giving Bai Yin some breathing room.

Lin Wan pretended to hesitate before reluctantly agreeing.

Seeing that Lin Wan was as gullible as ever, Wang Jiang relaxed and hung up after a few more insincere words of comfort.

Lin Wan set down her phone and quietly exhaled in relief.

For now, Bai Yin was safe; at least in the short term. But this wasn’t a permanent solution. To truly keep her out of danger, Bai Yin’s health needed to improve so she could fend for herself in this den of wolves.

However, Lin Wan was just a trainee caretaker at the moment, with no real opportunity to get close to Bai Yin.

After some thought, Lin Wan decided to start with Bai Yin’s diet. Improving her health first before tackling other issues.

The original owner had an uncle who ran a restaurant. While living with them, she had often been ordered around by her aunt to help in the kitchen. Over time, she had picked up excellent cooking skills.

As for everything else, since she couldn’t get close to Bai Yin yet, she’d just have to take things one step at a time.

Over the next few days, Butler Zhao did tighten security around Bai Yin. Strangely, though, while he strictly screened visitors and food, he didn’t launch a full investigation into who had tried to harm Bai Yin contrary to Lin Wan’s expectations.

Had Bai Yin been unconscious at the time and unaware of the attempt on her life?

…

Lin Wan couldn’t make sense of it. She spent several days on edge, but when nothing unusual happened, she gradually relaxed and began implementing her plan to improve Bai Yin’s health.

Butler Zhao assigned trusted staff to take shifts caring for Bai Yin. As a newcomer, Lin Wan naturally wasn’t on the roster. Instead, she spent her time working in the kitchen under Sister Zhang’s supervision.

Sister Zhang went to great lengths to get Bai Yin to eat more, but Bai Yin remained as picky as ever. Only taking a few small bites of each meal sent to her.

Lin Wan learned more. Bai Yin hadn’t been so picky before the car accident. But after the crash that took his mother’s life and left him with a leg injury, likely traumatized by the bloody scene. He could no longer stomach meat.

After observing for a few days alongside Sister Zhang, Lin Wan gradually formed a plan.

Early one morning, as Sister Zhang was once again fretting over Bai Yin’s diet, Lin Wan spoke up softly from the side.

“Sister Zhang, I learned some nourishing soups with little to no meaty taste while at my second uncle’s place. Could I give them a try?”

Sister Zhang glanced at Lin Wan.

Lin Wan met her gaze steadily, her eyes clear and unwavering.

In recent days, Lin Wan had shed the timid demeanor of the original owner, sweeping her bangs to frame her face. She worked diligently, handled tasks with care, and had grown much closer to Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang had heard about the original owner’s childhood experiences and knew she could cook. Still, she didn’t expect Lin Wan’s dishes to move Bai Yin. After all, Butler Zhao had previously hired many renowned chefs to cook for him, yet Bai Yin remained indifferent.

But making an extra soup wouldn’t hurt. Bai Yin wouldn’t eat anything he disliked anyway. Since Lin Wan was willing to try, even if Bai Yin refused, it might still earn her some favor with Butler Zhao.

After some thought, Sister Zhang agreed.

Lin Wan exhaled in relief.

Following her plan, she found a clay pot, went to the kitchen downstairs, and retrieved half an old hen. Carefully chopping it on the cutting board, she soaked the pieces in water and salt to remove impurities and blood. Then she sliced ginger and scallions.

So, she was making chicken soup!

Seeing Lin Wan’s method, Sister Zhang sighed inwardly. Chicken soup was indeed nourishing for recovering patients, but Bai Yin simply refused to drink it.

Lin Wan’s efforts were likely in vain!

…

Just as Sister Zhang predicted, Lin Wan spent nearly two hours simmering the soup.

Admittedly, she did an excellent job. When the lid was lifted, the broth was clear and fragrant, its rich aroma tantalizing.

“You really have a talent for cooking!” Sister Zhang marveled, impressed. “This soup looks delicious!”

“You flatter me!” Lin Wan smiled but, contrary to Sister Zhang’s expectations, didn’t ladle the soup into a tureen. Instead, she carefully skimmed off the oil and foam with a spoon.

What was she doing?

As the broth grew clearer and Lin Wan set it aside to prepare tofu and greens, Sister Zhang’s eyes widened in realization. She finally understood Lin Wan’s plan!

Originally convinced Lin Wan stood no chance, Sister Zhang now found herself wondering: Maybe this time, she just might succeed.

–

Before long, Butler Zhao called, asking Sister Zhang to bring the meal over.

With a complicated glance at the vibrant “tofu and greens soup” beside her, Sister Zhang placed it on the tray and headed to Bai Yin’s ward.

Lin Wan wasn’t idle either. After cleaning the kitchen and tidying up, she sat on her usual stool, waiting for Sister Zhang’s return.

Half an hour later, Sister Zhang came back.

The moment Lin Wan saw the faint pity in her eyes, she knew. She had failed.

She wasn’t surprised. After all, so many people had cooked for Bai Yin before, surely they had all put in great effort too. Lin Wan didn’t believe she could move Bai Yin with just one attempt.

“Don’t be upset, the young lady did take a couple of sips,” Sister Zhang said softly, kindly omitting the fact that Bai Yin had set down her spoon after just one taste. She added, “She just found it a bit too salty.”

This wasn’t a lie on Sister Zhang’s part.

Strangely enough, whenever the young lady disliked a dish before, she would simply put down her chopsticks. This was the first time Sister Zhang had seen her actually comment on the food.

…

Is that so?

Frowning slightly after hearing Sister Zhang’s words, Lin Wan picked up the barely touched soup tureen, fetched a clean spoon, carefully poured out a little, and tasted it.

She had measured the salt precisely. For most people, the flavor would be just right, perfectly savory. But for someone with a more delicate palate, it might indeed be a tad too salty.

“I see.”

Lin Wan wasn’t discouraged. Setting down the spoon, she sincerely thanked Sister Zhang, “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

Lin Wan knew when someone was being kind to her. If her soup had won Bai Yin’s favor, Sister Zhang’s position might have been threatened. That Sister Zhang had brought the soup to Bai Yin at all showed genuine goodwill toward Lin Wan.

“You silly child, no need for formalities with me.”

But Sister Zhang’s gaze held something peculiar as she looked at Lin Wan.

To most people, Bai Yin was seriously ill, and in this day and age where no one went hungry, people generally avoided tasting anything she’d touched for fear of catching her illness. No one had expected Lin Wan to do such a thing.

Initially, seeing Lin Wan’s exceptional cooking skills had indeed left Sister Zhang with mixed feelings. Now, though, all she felt was pity for the girl. This child must have suffered greatly in recent years, not even shying away from tasting leftovers. Life in the villa was probably the best she’d ever known, so it was understandable she’d try so hard to stay.

With these thoughts, Sister Zhang’s eyes grew even more compassionate as she looked at Lin Wan.

“Your creativity today was excellent. If you have any new ideas in the future, feel free to try them. Who knows you might just cure the young lady’s picky eating.”

Lin Wan remained unaware of Sister Zhang’s musings.

To her, this was simply a failed experiment. Naturally, she needed to identify where she’d gone wrong, and tasting it herself was the most direct method. As for the superstition about catching illnesses, Lin Wan had never even heard of such a thing before.

Still, Sister Zhang’s unexpected kindness caught her off guard.

Grateful for the goodwill, Lin Wan reciprocated by working even harder from then on.

The more time passed, the fonder Sister Zhang grew of Lin Wan.

Lin Wan had clear, unclouded eyes.

At Sister Zhang’s age, she’d met all sorts of people, but it was rare to encounter someone as sincere and diligent as this girl. Unlike others who only skimmed the surface, Lin Wan threw herself wholeheartedly into her tasks. She seemed to treat cooking for Bai Yin as her most important mission. Constantly experimenting with new approaches, even carrying a small notebook to record Bai Yin’s preferences.

But some things didn’t yield results no matter how hard one tried.

Despite Lin Wan’s painstaking efforts, she still hadn’t managed to move Bai Yin. For half a month straight, she prepared dish after creative dish, only for Bai Yin to taste a single bite before setting down her chopsticks each time.

Sometimes, Sister Zhang couldn’t help feeling sorry for Lin Wan when she saw her situation. Yet Lin Wan herself remained remarkably composed neither wallowing in self-pity nor giving in to frustration. She simply listened to the feedback about Bai Yin that Sister Zhang relayed, took careful notes, and worked on improvements for next time.

To Lin Wan, this truly wasn’t a big deal.

Back when she was conducting research, she would spend entire days in the lab, sometimes running experiments thousands of times before achieving the desired results. Success demanded extraordinary perseverance, after all.

Besides, Lin Wan had long prepared herself for the possibility that Bai Yin, as her “test subject,” would be an exceptionally challenging case.

Even so, though Bai Yin couldn’t stomach the meals Lin Wan prepared, she did start drinking slightly more congee; managing nearly half a bowl each time. It was a sign that her health was gradually improving.

Lin Wan felt immensely relieved.

She threw herself wholeheartedly into caring for Bai Yin. Studying recipes during the day and, at night, revisiting the original body’s professional knowledge to research the nuances of Bai Yin’s care. Her days were fulfilling, but in the process, she neglected her own well-being.

In her world, nearly everyone had exceptionally long lifespans and robust constitutions, unaffected by temperature changes. So, Lin Wan didn’t think much of the autumn chill until the cold snap hit, and she came down with a high fever. Only then did she realize she had overestimated this body’s resilience.

In that state, working was out of the question.

Lin Wan took sick leave and spent two days bedridden.

Once her fever broke, she bundled up in a mask and went to request a follow-up visit from the family doctor. It was only when she spotted Bai Yin sitting in a wheelchair at the other end of the hallway that she learned Bai Yin had recovered the day before and been discharged from the medical ward.

Bai Yin looked far better than the frail, half-dead figure from before. The autumn sunlight spilled over her; black hair, white dress, no makeup, yet an inexplicable, breathtaking radiance clung to her, impossible to look away from.

For a fleeting moment, Bai Yin’s gaze seemed to linger on her.

Remembering the way she had touched Bai Yin’s face that night, Lin Wan instinctively felt a pang of guilt and lowered her head.

By the time she looked up again, Bai Yin had already moved on, reaching the far end of the hallway.

Lin Wan exhaled in relief and cautiously waited a while longer, only resuming her steps after Bai Yin had entered the elevator.

As she passed the spot where Bai Yin had been, something in her peripheral vision caught the light. A tiny pink crystal hairpin, glinting faintly in the corner of the wall.