The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 5

Lin Wan dozed off for less than half an hour before waking up.

When she noticed the notebook lying on the floor, the last remnants of sleepiness vanished instantly. She quickly picked it up and stuffed it into her pocket.

Cautiously, she glanced at Bai Yin’s expression. Bai Yin seemed entirely absorbed in her own world, oblivious to the commotion beside her.

Lin Wan let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She checked the clock. It was just past two in the afternoon, still several hours until dinner.

Was she really going to waste the day like this, trailing behind Bai Yin like an invisible shadow?

Lin Wan bit her lip as she studied Bai Yin’s serene profile.

If it were someone else, Lin Wan might have observed them for a few more days, gauging their temperament before figuring out how to win their trust.

But this was Bai Yin.

After just half a day together, Lin Wan already had a clear grasp of Bai Yin’s personality.

Just as Sister Zhang had described, Bai Yin was quiet and reserved. Aside from being a little picky with food, she seemed easy to get along with.

As long as she didn’t cross any boundaries, even if she did something slightly presumptuous, Bai Yin would probably forgive her.

Trying out different approaches. Sooner or later, she’d find a way to please Bai Yin.

Lin Wan pressed her lips together.

Even setting aside the mission, Lin Wan genuinely wanted Bai Yin to be happier. Someone as gentle and kind as her, blessed by fate as the heroine of this world, shouldn’t be confined to solitude in the shadows. She deserved a joyful and fulfilling life, just like the protagonists of other worlds.

With this thought in mind, Lin Wan had an idea. She took out her pen again and began sketching Bai Yin.

Unlike the original host, who had suffered a tragic life, Lin Wan had grown up in a comfortable middle-class family. Though not extravagantly wealthy, her parents had spared no effort in nurturing her talents.

As a child, Lin Wan had taken art lessons for a while and was praised by her teacher for her natural talent. However, she later became obsessed with studying space-time and devoted herself entirely to that pursuit, neglecting her drawing skills.

Still, the foundation was there. Before long, Lin Wan had completed a sketch of Bai Yin.

Just as she expected, her lingering gaze caught Bai Yin’s attention. Bai Yin lifted her eyes expressionlessly and glanced at her.

“Is something wrong, Miss?”

Pretending not to understand why Bai Yin was looking at her, Lin Wan flashed her a bright smile.

“Nothing.”

Meeting Lin Wan’s radiant expression, Bai Yin pursed her lips but said nothing more, lowering her head again to continue reading.

By the time Lin Wan finished the drawing, it was already past four in the afternoon.

“Miss, this is for you!”

Carefully putting the finishing touches on the portrait, Lin Wan tore the page from her notebook, stood up, and handed it to Bai Yin.

Having not drawn for so long, her skills were a bit rusty but that actually fit the original host’s background. The original host wouldn’t have had the means to take professional art lessons, so drawing too well might raise suspicions.

Bai Yin looked up at Lin Wan’s smiling face, then lowered her gaze to the portrait in Lin Wan’s hand. The figure in the drawing bore Bai Yin’s likeness, but with a pair of white wings sprouting from her back.

Though the technique wasn’t flawless, the atmosphere was striking. The Bai Yin in the sketch appeared both lonely and ethereal.

“Thank you.”

Bai Yin’s eyes darkened slightly as she accepted the drawing and casually tucked it into the book she was reading before resuming her reading.

Her expression remained unchanged; her demeanor polite yet distant.

Apart from that first night when Lin Wan transmigrated and Bai Yin showed a flicker of vivid anger upon being touched, Bai Yin had remained as indifferent as she was today, as if nothing in the world could stir her emotions.

Lin Wan wasn’t discouraged. It seemed she didn’t even notice that the painting she had worked on for over two hours had been casually set aside by Bai Yin. Her smile remained unchanged as she asked, “Miss, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go help Sister Zhang in the kitchen! What would you like to eat?”

Bai Yin didn’t look up, but this time, she at least offered a few more words: “Anything. Just keep it light.”

It might as well have been no answer at all.

Lin Wan blinked, pretending not to notice Bai Yin’s indifference, and pressed on, “Then, Miss, can you eat boiled eggs?”

Bai Yin pursed her lips. Just when Lin Wan thought she wouldn’t respond, Bai Yin finally spoke softly, “Yes.”

“Then I’ll head to the kitchen now! See you later, Miss!”

Without further questions, Lin Wan turned cheerfully and left for the kitchen.

Lin Wan had always maintained a positive mindset and steady emotions. Back when a long-cultivated lab model had been declared a failure, even her advisor had drowned his frustrations in several rounds of drinks. Yet Lin Wan had calmly organized the failed data and started brainstorming new approaches.

To her, Bai Yin’s cold demeanor didn’t matter. What truly counted was the mission itself.

That day, Lin Wan employed another small tactic while cooking. Timing it just as Bai Yin was about to eat, she and Sister Zhang brought dinner to Bai Yin’s room.

By the time Lin Wan entered, Bai Yin had already set aside her book and was typing an email on her computer. The moment she noticed Lin Wan and Sister Zhang, Bai Yin immediately turned off the screen.

Lin Wan kept her gaze neutral, waiting until the screen had fully darkened before pushing Bai Yin’s wheelchair to the dining table.

There was no boiled egg on the table, despite Lin Wan’s earlier inquiry.

Bai Yin’s eyes dimmed slightly as she lowered her head to sip some porridge, then mechanically opened the accompanying soup tureen.

This time, the tureen was larger than usual. Instead of the customary nourishing broth, it held a single boiled egg and a small bowl of steamed egg custard.

Bai Yin’s gaze lingered.

Lin Wan, prepared for this moment, spoke up almost sheepishly.

“Miss, it’s my fault. I got carried away. As a cooking enthusiast, I felt a boiled egg wouldn’t do justice to my skills, so I made some custard too.”

“Would you like to try it?”

Having spent so much time in the kitchen, Lin Wan knew Bai Yin could eat eggs, though she typically only nibbled at the whites, never finishing a whole one.

This was exactly why Lin Wan had done it.

Her previous attempts to vary meat-based dishes hadn’t worked, so she shifted focus to foods Bai Yin could tolerate, reshaping them to coax her into eating more.

Lin Wan watched Bai Yin’s expression closely. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw the corner of Bai Yin’s lips quirk upward.

But when she looked again, Bai Yin’s face was as impassive as ever.

Lowering her eyes slightly, Bai Yin ignored Lin Wan’s words and picked up the boiled egg first, eating a couple of bites of the white as usual.

Then, under Lin Wan’s expectant gaze, she finally picked up the spoon.

This time, Bai Yin took three mouthfuls of custard before setting the spoon down. Parting her red lips, she delivered her usual critique: “Too smooth!”

Smooth?

Lin Wan’s eyes widened slightly.

She could make sense of Bai Yin’s past criticisms, but what did “smooth” even mean?

Lin Wan blinked, unsure why, but she felt that Bai Yin’s use of the word “slippery” was a subtle jab at her for cutting corners with the food. Playing tricks with the ingredients.

But how could the kind and innocent female lead possibly resort to such veiled sarcasm?

Lin Wan decided she must be overthinking it. Perhaps Bai Yin simply didn’t like the smooth, custardy texture of the steamed eggs.

“Got it!”

Lin Wan agreed with a smile, her voice unconsciously laced with a hint of indulgence. “I’ll improve it next time.”

No matter what, the fact that Bai Yin had eaten a few more bites today was a good start.

Bai Yin glanced at her, met her smiling gaze, then lowered her head and said nothing more.
“From now on, return to your own room after dinner.”

After dinner, Butler Zhao came in again and handed Lin Wan a phone. “This is a newly assigned mobile. You can carry it with you from now on, and the young lady can contact you anytime if needed.”

To protect Bai Yin’s privacy, staff were generally not allowed to carry phones during work hours, only in their own rooms.

The phone Butler Zhao gave Lin Wan functioned like a normal one but had been specially modified with monitoring software to track app activity, preventing the user from uploading anything harmful to Bai Yin.

Only long-standing staff like Butler Zhao had access to such phones, so Lin Wan was surprised to receive one.

“Understood! Thank you, Butler Zhao.”

Taking the phone, Lin Wan felt both joy and anxiety.

She was happy that Butler Zhao trusted her. If she worked hard, staying by Bai Yin’s side wouldn’t be a problem. But she was also worried about how easily Butler Zhao placed faith in others. No wonder Bai Yin had fallen victim to the original host’s schemes so effortlessly.

With security as porous as a sieve around Bai Yin, there would surely be plenty of headaches in the future.

Lin Wan sighed inwardly, accepted the phone, and stepped out of the room.

As she left, her peripheral vision caught Bai Yin wheeling herself back to the computer. Recalling what she’d seen before dinner, it was clear Bai Yin had something to hide. But everyone had their secrets, so Lin Wan didn’t dwell on it, considerately closing the door behind her.

Exploring the phone’s functions, she tried opening the monitoring software as per Butler Zhao’s instructions, only to find it repeatedly failed to connect to the villa’s network.

Meaning this phone wasn’t actually under the villa’s surveillance.

After several failed attempts, Lin Wan gave up, assuming the software might not have been installed properly. She decided to return the phone to Butler Zhao the next day for a reinstall and moved on to testing other features.

When she discovered the phone could access video apps, her excitement soared.

The long afternoons wouldn’t have to be filled with portrait sketches every day. With video access, countless ideas sprang to mind. Ways to both please Bai Yin and pass the time.

Lin Wan ordered some materials from an online store, opting for express delivery the next day. With that settled, a weight lifted from her mind. After washing up, she quickly fell asleep.

The next day unfolded much like the one before.

By morning, Bai Yin had finished her health checkup, and Lin Wan had revised the menu. Soon enough, it was time to prepare lunch.

Bai Yin spent the entire day working tirelessly in front of her computer.

Knowing Bai Yin preferred privacy, Lin Wan didn’t go over to look. After finishing her recipe notes, she headed to the kitchen.

Even after lunch, Bai Yin remained glued to her computer.

Lin Wan dozed off in the corner for over ten minutes before being woken by her phone. Her online order had arrived.

She went downstairs to collect the package, disinfected it, and when she returned to the room, Bai Yin had already fallen asleep at her desk.

Bai Yin was sleeping soundly, completely unaware of Lin Wan’s return.

Lin Wan frowned slightly. Bai Yin’s loungewear was thin, and sleeping like this in front of the computer could easily lead to a chill.

Still, it was good for Bai Yin to rest.

Not wanting to disturb her, Lin Wan quietly draped a blanket over Bai Yin.

As she leaned in, Lin Wan inadvertently caught a glimpse of the screen. It was a document containing pharmaceutical formulas from the drug company left behind by Bai Yin’s mother.

Bai Yin’s mother had long known about her husband’s infidelity and had already drafted a will leaving her assets to Bai Yin.

This pharmaceutical company had surged in prominence this year, with its new drugs gaining market popularity and generating substantial profits. Now, Bai Yin’s wealth even surpassed her father’s.

Bai Ru’s urgency to kill Bai Yin stemmed largely from her desire to seize Bai Yin’s inheritance. If Bai Yin died, her father could rightfully take over the company.

No wonder Bai Yin was so guarded. She was reviewing the formulas!

Lin Wan sighed inwardly. After a brief glance at the title, she averted her eyes, considerately turning off Bai Yin’s screen before retreating to her corner to unpack her delivery.