The Female Lead is Quite Unusual - Episode 9

Lin Wan’s eyes widened.

The worldline she had received ended with Bai Yin’s death, and there was very little information about Zhao Feng. It only mentioned that Zhao Feng had fallen in love with Bai Yin at first sight. Despite their limited interactions, he had bought a villa near Bai Yin’s house to pursue her.

Lin Wan had taken it for granted that Zhao Feng was deeply devoted to Bai Yin, but after hearing Butler Zhao’s words, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Had Zhao Feng truly fallen for Bai Yin at first sight, or was he after her immense wealth?

……

Butler Zhao must have known Zhao Feng would come, which was why he had brought so many bodyguards.

Thankfully, Butler Zhao had been vigilant. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have pushed Bai Yin straight into a den of wolves?

A cold sweat broke out on Lin Wan’s back as she shuddered at the thought, feeling a pang of guilt. She couldn’t help but look at Butler Zhao with admiration. “It’s a good thing Miss has you watching over her.”

“Miss’s affairs are my affairs,” Butler Zhao said, lifting his chin slightly and giving Lin Wan a meaningful glance. “Miss is so intelligent. She can see through any scheme at a glance. Of course, she wouldn’t take a fancy to such a scheming scoundrel.”

Lin Wan blinked, unsure what Butler Zhao meant by that look. In her mind, Bai Yin was indeed clever and quick to grasp things, but she was also naive and lacked vigilance. Without Butler Zhao keeping an eye on her, she probably would have fallen for Zhao Feng’s tricks long ago.

Zhao Feng had good looks and had been so attentive. Even knowing he was trouble, some girls would stubbornly ignore warnings and throw themselves at him, deluding themselves into thinking they could change him.

But Bai Yin had listened to reason. Since Butler Zhao told her not to engage with Zhao Feng, she had ignored him.

So, Lin Wan felt Bai Yin really did deserve some praise and nodded in agreement, turning to her. “Gambling is a bottomless pit. Those who get involved rarely end up well. Zhao Feng is no good, and Miss is truly amazing, dismissing him with just a few words.”

“Not that amazing,” Bai Yin replied unexpectedly, her tone serious.

As if recalling something, she chuckled lightly and glanced at Lin Wan. “There are some people I’ve spent a long time trying to figure out, yet they always manage to surprise me.”

Lin Wan was curious about who Bai Yin was referring to, but Bai Yin lowered her head and didn’t elaborate. By then, they had already returned to the villa, so Lin Wan didn’t press further. After putting away the oranges, she went back to the kitchen to help Aunt Zhang with dinner.

The villa couldn’t be left unattended, so the caretakers took turns with their days off. When Aunt Zhang heard Lin Wan was about to take leave, she chatted with her for a while, asking her to bring some food to her grandmother.

Lin Wan’s grandmother was kind-hearted and well-liked, which was why Aunt Zhang had always looked out for Lin Wan.

Lin Wan agreed, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how much she had to do.

After the incident with Zhao Feng, Lin Wan began to doubt the reliability of the original worldline. Protecting Bai Yin couldn’t be left to others. She had to do it herself.

At the same time, since she had inherited this body, she naturally had to take care of the original owner’s family.

Her grandmother ran a tofu stall in the market, but the area was about to be demolished, leaving her worried about what she would do in the future.

The original owner of the body had no intention of helping, treating her grandmother’s nagging as mere background noise. However, after Lin Wan recalled the matter, she took it to heart and planned to rent a storefront for her grandmother to open a shop. She had previously given the money saved by the original owner to her grandmother, partly with this consideration in mind.

But the elderly woman was reluctant to spend money and afraid to take risks. During this holiday, Lin Wan returned to visit her with the intention of persuading her.

Lin Wan quickly prepared dinner.

Perhaps tired from the outing, Bai Yin rested after finishing her meal.

Returning to her room to freshen up, Lin Wan noticed two missed calls from Wang Jiang on her phone.

Frowning, she hesitated over whether to return the call when Wang Jiang called again.

Afraid of arousing suspicion, Lin Wan had no choice but to answer.

Wang Jiang, as usual, showered her with empty pleasantries and endless promises.

Lin Wan responded half-heartedly until, finally, Wang Jiang revealed the true purpose of his call.

“Lin Wan, we have a new plan. Trust me, this time we’ll leave nothing to chance.”

“How many days is your leave this time? I’ve booked a private room. Let’s meet at the usual place on the day you return. We’ll discuss the details in person.”

Lin Wan showed no outward reaction and agreed to Wang Jiang’s request. But after hanging up, she clenched her phone tightly, her brow furrowed.

The original owner had previously shared her leave schedule with Wang Jiang. However, due to Lin Wan’s recent job transfer, her leave had been postponed by a week. She hadn’t spoken much to Wang Jiang lately, so how did he know about her leave this time?

There was only one possibility. Someone in the villa had leaked her leave schedule to Wang Jiang!

The villa’s leave policy was extremely flexible. Employees could choose how many days to take off at once, with a minimum of two days and a maximum of ten. Any unused leave would be compensated at triple the usual overtime rate.

Lin Wan had originally planned to take seven days off. Her grandmother was getting older, and she wanted to accompany her for a health check-up while also scouting locations for the shop.

But now, knowing there might be others in the villa connected to Wang Jiang, Lin Wan felt uneasy. She changed her mind and decided to return after just three days.

Upon hearing Lin Wan’s leave arrangement, Butler Zhao gave her a scrutinizing look and remarked, almost teasingly, “Don’t you want to stay home a bit longer? Didn’t expect someone so young to be so dedicated.”

Lin Wan thought to herself, It’s only because I don’t trust you to protect Bai Yin properly. Outwardly, she offered a vague half-truth: “I want to earn more overtime pay to rent a storefront for my grandmother.”

“How filial of you.”

Butler Zhao glanced at her again but said nothing more, approving the leave request without further comment.

Even with just three days off, Lin Wan couldn’t shake her unease. The day before her leave, she couldn’t resist inspecting every corner of Bai Yin’s room, repeating her warnings.

“Miss, while I’m gone, you must never go out alone.”

“Keep the room well-ventilated, and always have someone with you. Don’t be left alone.”

“Avoid unfamiliar people. Who knows, they might have pollen on them.”

By the end, Lin Wan felt a little embarrassed at her own nagging. But Bai Yin didn’t seem the least bit impatient. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she listened, agreeing to everything Lin Wan said.

Bai Yin was so well-behaved that Lin Wan’s sense of responsibility surged, further solidifying her determination to protect her.

During this time, thanks to Lin Wan’s tireless efforts to coax her into eating, Bai Yin finally started consuming more food, and a healthy flush returned to her cheeks.

Worried that Bai Yin might skip meals again during her days off. Since phones couldn’t be taken out of the villa, Lin Wan left her personal contact information with Bai Yin, telling her, “Miss, you must eat properly. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.” Only then did she reluctantly set her mind at ease.

On her day off, Lin Wan left the villa early in the morning.

She first went to the mall to buy a few sets of clothes for her grandmother, along with some health supplements and a new basic phone for seniors. Only then did she head to the market where her grandmother had her stall.

Even though news of the impending demolition had already spread, the market was still bustling with customers.

Her grandmother’s tofu was smooth and tender, made with high-quality ingredients, and she never shortchanged anyone. She had many loyal customers.

Lin Wan had initially thought she might feel awkward facing the family of the original body’s owner. But the moment she met her grandmother’s affectionate gaze and saw her aged face, she couldn’t help but think of her own family elders from her original world. A sense of familiarity welled up in her, and nothing felt forced.

The original owner had grown distant from her grandmother after starting university. In her mind, her grandmother’s home symbolized poverty and filth. In reality, her grandmother was diligent and hardworking, with skilled hands that could make all kinds of snacks. Despite being so poor that the house was nearly bare, she kept everything tidy and orderly.

Lin Wan hadn’t been there long before her grandmother sold out of tofu. Together, they packed up the stall and headed home.

On the way, Lin Wan tentatively brought up the idea of renting a shop for her grandmother. As expected, her grandmother strongly objected, refusing to let Lin Wan spend money on her.

Knowing it would take time for her grandmother to come around and with limited time at home, Lin Wan excused herself to use the bathroom and secretly called her youngest uncle.

Of all the relatives, her youngest uncle had been the kindest to the original owner. However, he had been deeply upset by her estrangement from their grandmother, and the two had barely spoken in recent years.

Despite his lingering resentment, he still answered the call. His tone was indifferent at first, but when Lin Wan mentioned wanting to rent a shop for their grandmother at her own expense, his voice softened. He promised to take care of the matter himself.

Relieved, Lin Wan knew that with her uncle’s help, she could spend the next three days simply enjoying time with her grandmother.

A few days earlier, upon hearing that Lin Wan was coming home, her grandmother had been overjoyed and had prepared a mountain of snacks for her. By the time Lin Wan arrived, the table was practically overflowing with homemade treats.

Amazed and overwhelmed with happiness, Lin Wan couldn’t resist taking a photo and sending it to Bai Yin.

“My grandma made these for me! So delicious! Let me know if you want anything.” She added an adorable feeding-themed sticker.

Bai Yin was probably eating at the time and took a while to reply. When she did, she sent a photo of her own. Unlike Lin Wan’s lavish spread, Bai Yin’s picture only showed her plate; clean, as usual, except for the half-bowl of congee and vegetables she had left untouched.

“Even the three-year-old next door eats more than you!”

Lin Wan sighed, walked to the window, and snapped a photo of the neighbor’s toddler’s bowl before sending it over, along with a cheek-pinching sticker.

Bai Yin didn’t reply after that.

Lin Wan didn’t dwell on it, busying herself instead with helping her grandmother wash dishes, feed the chickens, and make tofu.

With every task she completed, Lin Wan would snap a photo and send it to Bai Yin. Now that she was no longer in the villa and had shed the employer-employee dynamic, her mindset had relaxed considerably. She simply regarded Bai Yin as a good friend, eager to share the little details of her daily life.

Of course, it would be even better if this could spark Bai Yin’s interest in going out to have some fun.

Though physically exhausted, Lin Wan felt lighthearted inside. She still preferred days like these; free from constant anxiety.

Unfortunately, danger still loomed over Bai Yin’s side. Lin Wan had no idea how long it would take to eliminate all the threats, complete the mission, and finally live as carefree and happy as she did now.