The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 40

Lin Wan had a very peaceful night.

She had another strange dream—in it, she was desperately running through a forest, chased by a giant serpent. No matter how she tried to hide, it was useless, and in the end, the serpent swallowed her whole with a gulp.

Lin Wan broke out in a cold sweat in her dream and woke up with a start.

Sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains into the room. She lowered her gaze slightly and saw Bai Yin sleeping beside her, her flawless profile serene in the morning light.

In the dawn’s glow, Bai Yin’s sleeping face was tranquil, her skin radiant and pure, making her look like an angel.

How could such a beautiful girl have such a difficult fate.

A wave of emotion rose in Lin Wan’s heart. The more she looked, the more she felt sorry for Bai Yin. The only silver lining was that, thanks to her persistent care, Bai Yin’s complexion had improved significantly. No longer the pale, fragile state where it seemed a gust of wind could knock her over.

Lin Wan couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Though she had been unsettled by Wang Jiang’s phone call the previous night, she now felt reinvigorated: under her protection, Bai Yin’s future was bound to get better and better.

Lin Wan quietly shifted, intending to get up and help Sister Zhang prepare breakfast for Bai Yin, only to realize that her hands seemed to be wrapped around Bai Yin’s waist, holding her in a tight embrace.

The sensation under her hands was soft and silky. Lin Wan recalled the nightgown Bai Yin had worn the night before, and her face grew warm again. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her suddenly flustered heartbeat, telling herself that what she was touching was just the fabric of the nightgown. Then, carefully and slowly, she began to withdraw her hands.

But the more she moved, the more something felt off. That smooth, silky texture didn’t seem like clothing at all.

Lin Wan remembered Bai Yin’s loosely tied sash from the previous night, and her eyelids twitched violently.

As if fearing the worst, even her slight movements seemed to disturb the sleeping Bai Yin. Drowsily, Bai Yin snuggled closer to Lin Wan, wrapping an arm around her neck and nuzzling against Lin Wan’s neck like a small animal before drifting back to sleep.

Lin Wan didn’t dare move anymore.

She froze in place, her cheeks flushed red, her entire body feeling like a boiled shrimp.

The moment Bai Yin leaned in, Lin Wan had clearly seen the elegant curve of her shoulders and neck beneath the blanket. Bai Yin’s clothes must have come undone.

Lin Wan didn’t dare imagine what Bai Yin looked like under the covers at that moment.

If she moved again, she might accidentally touch places she shouldn’t.

Lin Wan bit her lower lip, deeply regretting her distracted state the night before. She hadn’t reminded Bai Yin to tie her sash properly, leading to this awkward situation.

She wanted to simply get up without a care, but doing so would likely wake Bai Yin. Given Bai Yin’s temperament, if she discovered this embarrassing scenario, she would be extremely shy.

The only option now was to pretend to be asleep. That way, even if Bai Yin woke up and realized her clothes had come undone, seeing Lin Wan asleep would give her enough time to compose herself, however awkward it might be.

Lin Wan closed her eyes.

Though she had made up her mind, her heart refused to calm down. The skin where Bai Yin held her felt as if it were on fire, burning relentlessly. Every second that passed felt like an eternity of torment.

Before she knew how much time had passed, Bai Yin finally stirred. Lin Wan heard the soft sound of Bai Yin yawning.

Under the covers, Lin Wan’s hands clenched nervously, her back stiffening as she dared not move a muscle. She was afraid of seeing Bai Yin, who was as skittish as a startled bird, in a panic. If Bai Yin were to scream, her feigned sleep would likely be exposed.

Sure enough, once awake, Bai Yin was no longer clingy. She released her hold on Lin Wan and moved out of her embrace.

Lin Wan waited for half a minute, sensing rustling movements under the covers. Bai Yin had probably noticed her undone sash and was tying her waistband.

She had overreacted!

Bai Yin’s calm demeanor was entirely unexpected, and Lin Wan couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief wash over her.

She planned to return to her own room once Bai Yin went to the bathroom, neatly avoiding any awkwardness.

Just as she was thinking this, the bed beside her suddenly dipped again. Bai Yin rolled over under the covers and snuggled back up to Lin Wan.

Lin Wan’s heart leaped into her throat once more.

Had Bai Yin discovered she was pretending to sleep?

Her scalp tingling, Lin Wan held her breath, unsure how to react, when she heard Bai Yin chuckle softly in front of her.

“So nice,” she heard Bai Yin murmur softly, tucking the covers around her. Her tone was filled with unmistakable amusement.

“Waking up and seeing Wanwan makes my mood instantly better.”

Bai Yin seemed to be talking to herself, then chuckled again. After speaking, she got out of bed from the other side and went into the bathroom.

Only when she heard the bathroom door close did Lin Wan let out a sigh of relief, pressing a hand to her wildly thumping heart.

She felt utterly pathetic for getting so worked up over a casual remark from Bai Yin.

But this quiet, heartfelt sigh was even more touching than open praise. It showed that Bai Yin had always been aware of her efforts and genuinely acknowledged her as a good friend.

Not just today, but every day from now on, she would strive to keep Bai Yin in good spirits.

The more Lin Wan thought about it, the happier she became, a smile tugging at her lips. In that moment, a surge of motivation welled up inside her. She would protect Bai Yin and live up to her trust.

After returning to her room to freshen up and coming back to Bai Yin’s room, Lin Wan noticed that Bai Yin had changed into an outfit she had never worn before and had styled her hair up.

Bai Yin wore a fitted long dress that accentuated her slender waist, so tiny it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand. Though it was a winter dress, the neckline was cut quite low, fully revealing Bai Yin’s delicate neck.

“Yin Yin, you look absolutely stunning,” Lin Wan blurted out after a moment of stunned silence, her gaze fixed intently on Bai Yin.

Sensing Lin Wan’s stare, Bai Yin’s lips curved almost imperceptibly, though she replied softly, “Wanwan, you’re beautiful too.”

“How could I compare to you?”

As Lin Wan observed Bai Yin, whose manner of speaking hadn’t changed much, she felt an increasingly strong sense of strangeness.

It wasn’t that the outfit didn’t suit Bai Yin. In fact, given Bai Yin’s looks, Lin Wan thought she’d look gorgeous even in rags. But something about it felt off to her: Bai Yin usually dressed casually and rarely wore such form-fitting dresses.

This feeling was akin to watching a well-raised, obedient daughter suddenly grow up and start experimenting with makeup. Lin Wan couldn’t help but suspect that Bai Yin had developed a crush on some wild boy outside, which was why she had started fussing over her appearance.

“Yin Yin, you’re dressed so beautifully today. Are you planning to go out later?”

Lin Wan couldn’t resist asking, determined that if Bai Yin went out, she would stubbornly follow along to see exactly whom Bai Yin intended to meet.

Bai Yin’s gaze lingered on Lin Wan’s face, her eyes shifting subtly as she shook her head. “I’m just in a really good mood today and felt like trying a new style. Wanwan, do you not like this look?”

The moment Bai Yin mentioned being in a good mood, Lin Wan couldn’t help but recall what Bai Yin had said that morning, and her ears involuntarily flushed with warmth.

But since Bai Yin hadn’t been deceived by some wild boy outside, Lin Wan felt a wave of relief.

“Of course not. In my eyes, Yin Yin is the most beautiful.”

Since Bai Yin wasn’t going out, things were much simpler.

Lin Wan turned and headed to Bai Yin’s walk-in closet, expertly finding a large scarf and draping it over Bai Yin’s shoulders, covering the exposed skin of her neck and collarbone.

This made the overall look much more pleasing to the eye.

“Yin Yin, it’s cold outside,” Lin Wan said, noticing the inscrutable expression in Bai Yin’s eyes. For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt, but after a moment’s thought, she convinced herself that her concern was justified. Bai Yin trusted her so much, she couldn’t let Bai Yin act recklessly. Summoning her courage, she continued, “Even though the heating is on indoors, you have a weak constitution and could easily catch a cold. It’s better to dress more warmly.”

Lin Wan’s expression was utterly sincere, without a trace of discomfort.

Bai Yin narrowed her eyes slightly, adjusting the scarf around her shoulders. When her gaze returned to Lin Wan, it carried a clear hint of amusement. “Wanwan, you don’t need to explain. I know you’re looking out for me.”

As she spoke, Bai Yin seemed to grow a little shy and took Lin Wan’s hand. “But there’s another reason why I dressed like this today.”

“Wanwan, I… I’ve actually always wanted to take a set of private photos to capture the best years of my youth, but I never had anyone I trusted enough to help me, so I never dared to do it.”

“You’ve been learning photography lately, right?” Bai Yin blinked; her eyes filled with earnest hope. “Could you help me take a set?”

In the days that followed, Lin Wan felt immensely proud of her quick thinking at the time.

After Bai Yin made her request, Lin Wan remembered her plan to attract fans for Bai Yin on short-video platforms. To gather material, she set aside her still-nascent photography skills and agreed almost immediately.

But she employed a strategy of retreating to advance. First admitting her lack of skill, saying she needed more practice and that she wanted to wait until she improved before taking Bai Yin’s private photos. For now, she would take other types of photos of Bai Yin.

Lin Wan also mentioned uploading Bai Yin’s photos online. She didn’t frame it as a way to attract fans for Bai Yin but instead said she wanted to post the photos to seek advice from netizens on improving her photography.

Bai Yin, always naive, didn’t notice Lin Wan’s subtle manipulation and readily agreed. Every day, she wore various beautiful outfits, patiently posing for Lin Wan’s photos.

Lin Wan was utterly captivated by Bai Yin’s stunning beauty every day, but perhaps due to her limited mobility, Bai Yin’s clothes often ended up revealing more than intended. Each time, Lin Wan had to check and adjust them repeatedly before taking photos. Tugging down a neckline that was too low, smoothing out a skirt that had inexplicably ridden up, or zipping up a forgotten zipper.

Whenever this happened, Bai Yin would gaze at Lin Wan with a faintly melancholic look. Lin Wan understood this as Bai Yin’s shyness and would always tactfully let the matter drop.

Perhaps because Bai Yin felt increasingly secure, she grew more and more clingy, frequently looking at Lin Wan with eyes full of attachment and insisting that Lin Wan sleep with her every night.

To make matters more complicated, Bai Yin seemed to have recently developed a fondness for silk clothing, which easily came undone. Lin Wan had experienced several awkward moments because of this, but Bai Yin appeared completely unbothered. Gradually, Lin Wan began to take it in stride as well.

Butler Zhao and Sister Zhang seemed to have accepted the situation, with Sister Zhang even starting to prepare breakfast for Lin Wan as well.

Meanwhile, Lin Wan remained steadfast in her daily routine of riding her electric scooter to study photography, and her skills improved by leaps and bounds.

A few days later, after taking a photo that even Bai Yin praised, Lin Wan created a social media account and uploaded the picture.

Bai Yin’s unparalleled beauty quickly attracted a flood of admirers.

To maintain her original excuse, Lin Wan captioned every photo with, “Please give me some photography advice.” However, the comments section was flooded with people calling Bai Yin “wife,” while others playfully riffed on her captions:

“The model is too beautiful, suspected to be AI-generated.”

“Advice: Give me the model’s contact info.”

“A few photos a day aren’t enough for me to change my wallpaper. Please post more.”

“You’ve stolen my wife, and you still want advice from me?”

…

Afraid that Bai Yin might feel embarrassed, Lin Wan never showed her these comments. Instead, she only shared screenshots of the compliments about Bai Yin’s beauty, hoping to boost her confidence.

In no time, the account amassed tens of thousands of followers.

This was an impressive achievement, but for Lin Wan, it didn’t serve her immediate purpose.

As Li Ruyue’s memorial day approached, Lin Wan grew increasingly anxious. She still hadn’t managed to uncover Li Pei’s full plan.

And soon, it was the day before Li Ruyue’s memorial.