The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: “Let Go.”

“Boss Lin, were these bought specifically for me?” As the scooter came to a halt, Zhong Manjing immediately spotted the small bouquet hanging from the grocery hook: a vibrant mix of Orange Barbie and Elsa spray roses, along with two champagne roses.

The styles were a bit mismatched clearly not a professionally arranged bouquet.

Lin Yuqing explained, “Xiao Zuo from the flower shop bumped into me on my way out and gave them to me. She said they were leftovers from a hotel wedding layout today, so she gave them to me as a return gift.”

Lin Yuqing slid forward on the seat to make more room in the back. Zhong Manjing noticed a child seat had indeed been installed in the front. “The dried flowers you made last time were truly lovely. I’ve put them on top of my fridge.”

“And these are for you to return the favor.” Zhong Manjing was also holding flowers: a cascading bunch that looked like a waterfall or a vine, with curled orange-yellow filaments. “Firecracker vines. I grew them on my rooftop; they grow so fast I can’t keep up.”

“Thank you.” Lin Yuqing took them and hung them on the hook on the other side. She gestured for Zhong Manjing to get on, both of them tacitly avoiding the “romantic” comment from the phone call.

She checked the time: 4:30 PM. There was plenty of time to get to the school.

“Did you take the day off today?” As she spoke, Zhong Manjing pulled two mung bean ice pops out of an insulated bag, handing one to Lin Yuqing. “It’s too hot. Let’s finish these before we head out.”

This time, Lin Yuqing didn’t take it. “Meng Luo said the coach took the afternoon off today, so I didn’t need to go in.”

Zhong Manjing simply tore open both wrappers herself. She popped one into her own mouth and stuffed the other into Lin Yuqing’s hand.

Lin Yuqing: “…” Now she had to eat it, or it would melt everywhere.

She took a light bite. The mung bean paste inside was dense, smooth, and subtly sweet perfectly refreshing. Lin Yuqing squinted slightly against the sun as Zhong Manjing steadied herself with a hand on Lin Yuqing’s arm and hopped on.

“Don’t be late to pick up the kids. Sit tight, we’re heading out.” Lin Yuqing pulled a helmet from the storage compartment for Zhong Manjing, but Zhong Manjing just held it in her lap for the moment. She tilted her head: “Are you going to eat and ride at the same time?”

Lin Yuqing held the ice pop between her teeth. Since these were homemade and smaller than store-bought ones, she could just barely keep it under control while riding.

The 4:30 sun was still biting. Zhong Manjing put on her sunglasses and her sun-protection jacket. Lin Yuqing didn’t ride fast; a gentle breeze brushed past their cheeks, carrying the mixed scents of firecracker flowers and roses. Zhong Manjing watched the rearview mirror she could see Lin Yuqing’s focused expression as she navigated.

They approached an intersection. The red light had five seconds left.

5

4

Lin Yuqing twisted the throttle, intending to speed through just as it changed, but Zhong Manjing’s arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.

Why did those slender arms feel so heavy the moment they touched her? Lin Yuqing’s core tensed involuntarily.

3

The scooter screeched to a halt. The mass of firecracker vines swayed with the momentum. Zhong Manjing’s cheek pressed against Lin Yuqing’s back. The culprit poked her head out and asked innocently, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yuqing reached up to grab the ice pop she had nearly bitten through: “It’s a red light. We couldn’t make it.”

Fortunately, it was a long light. Lin Yuqing devoured most of the ice pop in a few quick bites, her teeth aching from the cold. Zhong Manjing nudged her, “It’s green. I think the cop in the booth is looking at us. Let’s go.”

Lin Yuqing had to start moving, keeping the last bit of the ice pop in her mouth. Suddenly, a hand reached from behind and grabbed the stick.

“I’ll hold it for you. It’s hard to eat like that,” Zhong Manjing said slowly. “Let go.”

Lin Yuqing didn’t budge, her jaw tensing. “This is a driving hazard.” As she spoke, Zhong Manjing saw her opening and pulled the stick out but the scooter swerved slightly as they turned.

The pale green mung bean residue smeared right across the corner of Lin Yuqing’s mouth.

“I’m sorry! My bad!” Zhong Manjing’s other hand became busy, pulling out a tissue to wipe Lin Yuqing’s mouth. “Quick, open up. Finish this last bit so it doesn’t drip.”

One hand was wiping, so Lin Yuqing had to keep her mouth shut. Then she wanted her to open up, but Lin Yuqing was busy steering. She was a second late to react, and Zhong Manjing’s hand was already there with the ice pop this time nearly smearing it on her nose.

Lin Yuqing pulled the scooter over to the curb.

Zhong Manjing didn’t get off; she just leaned her body against Lin Yuqing’s back. With a clear view now, she used a wet wipe to clean Lin Yuqing’s nose properly. “Seems like it’s better to just stop and finish it, right?” she said earnestly.

Lin Yuqing laughed out of sheer exasperation. She took a deep breath and finished the last of it. “Behave yourself from now on.”

They arrived at the school gate just as the first wave of students poured out. Zhong Manjing pulled the cake and sesame sugar crackers from her backpack, along with some cranberry finger biscuits.

Lin Yuqing was looking down at her phone. The second-hand appliance shop owner had finally accepted her friend request.

She had about a hundred yuan more in her spare cash now. If she installed that window AC… she weighed the feasibility. It would make this month very tight.

Suddenly, something was stuffed into her mouth. Lin Yuqing snapped back to reality and chewed. It was a cranberry peach crisp. Zhong Manjing was already at the school gate, waving back at her: “Hurry! I see Chenchen.”

“Sister Manjing and Sister Yuqing are here for us!” Chenchen cheered, calling out behind him. But Su Xiaodong was walking behind a young woman, his ears bright red and looking rather dejected.

Zhong Manjing stood ready to greet the boys, but the moment she saw the young woman, she froze. In a split-second reflex, she looked back at Lin Yuqing.

Lin Yuqing had already caught up. Zhong Manjing wanted to block her view but knew she couldn’t. She quickly regained her composure.

“Xiaodong’s mother is busy today, so I’m here for him. Hello,” Lin Yuqing said, looking at the young teacher. “You must be Teacher Yang?”

“Yes, Xiaodong’s mother told me. I’m his homeroom teacher, Yang Zhaoying.”

“Ooh! Cake!” Chenchen lunged into Zhong Manjing’s arms. Zhong Manjing smiled and greeted Yang Zhaoying. Su Xiaodong, who was clearly closer to Zhong Manjing, also shuffled to her side. “Sister Manjing.”

Yang Zhaoying smiled: “Xiaodong, these two are your mother’s friends, right? Shouldn’t you call them ‘Auntie’ instead?”

Su Xiaodong let out a small “Ah,” and his red ears turned even redder. Zhong Manjing patted his head comfortingly and looked up at Yang Zhaoying: “Teacher Yang, we’re casual about titles. It doesn’t matter.”

“Fair enough. By the way, since Xiaodong’s mother isn’t here—he had a bit of an upset stomach today. Please let his parents know. He had an accident and ruined his pants this afternoon but was too shy to say anything… I helped him change into spares.”

Lin Yuqing nodded: “Understood.” Zhong Manjing realized that the boy was dejected because he’d had an accident at school.

Although she was squatting on the ground with an arm around each child, her peripheral vision never left Yang Zhaoying until the teacher turned and walked back into the campus.

She truly hadn’t expected to run into Yang Zhaoying in this life. She hadn’t even known Yang Zhaoying had taught here. If her return was changing the original timeline, would Yang Zhaoying still… end up by Lin Yuqing’s side this time?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lin Yuqing had already straddled the scooter and opened the child seat. “Did I do something wrong?” Zhong Manjing’s look was a mix of accusation and subtlety.

“Of course not.” Zhong Manjing smiled. Su Xiaodong climbed into the front seat himself. Zhong Manjing handed him the finger biscuits and a sesame sugar cracker. “Upset stomach, huh? And feeling shy? Eat some starch to settle it.”

Fried flour was a folk remedy for diarrhea; if she’d known earlier, she would have brought some.

Su Xiaodong’s face flushed. “I’m fine now! Don’t tell my mom!” He grabbed the food quickly and whispered a thank-you.

Chenchen was eating his black tea pudding cake in tiny, precious bites, sitting in the back with Zhong Manjing. Before they started moving, Zhong Manjing took the helmet she had been holding and buckled it onto Su Xiaodong’s head.

It was rush hour, and the roads were getting crowded. With four people on one scooter, plus a huge bunch of firecracker vines on the front, Lin Yuqing’s ride was quite the spectacle.

“The little flowers are so pretty, they smell just like Sister Manjing,” Chenchen said. “I thought they were just common weeds, I didn’t know they’d be so beautiful when they bloomed. They look like a flower curtain. What are they called?”

Lin Yuqing answered this time: “Firecracker vines. It’s a climbing plant. The dried parts can be used medicinally for lungs, and the stems can clear internal heat.”

Zhong Manjing added approvingly, “Even the most ordinary thing is useful if you know how to use it. Even a bad environment is fine if you know how to make use of it.” The first part was for the kids; the second was for Lin Yuqing.

Su Xiaodong bit into a crispy sesame sugar cracker, tasting the sweet, soft syrup inside. He murmured, “Can being ordinary be useful too?”

Zhong Manjing said, “Of course! What’s wrong? The accident today really doesn’t matter. If you don’t believe me, ask Sister Yuqing she had accidents when she was little, too.”

Lin Yuqing coughed twice. Could you please teach the kids something better?

Su Xiaodong wrestled with it for a long time before saying in a tiny voice, “But everyone laughed at me today… I-I tried to hold it in, that’s why I couldn’t hold it later. I don’t want to be laughed at! Tang Yifeng said I was embarrassing.”

Chenchen shifted in Zhong Manjing’s arms. “It was Tang Yifeng who laughed at Brother Xiaodong. He’s a meanie!”

Su Xiaodong said, “Don’t say that. Tang Yifeng has great grades. Teacher Yang said we should all learn from him. Mom says I should learn from top students too. She’s so happy when I get a hundred on a test.”

Zhong Manjing put the pieces together, finally understanding why Xiaodong was so depressed. She fell silent, weighing her words to explain things in a way a child could grasp.

Having seen what Su Xiaodong went through in her previous life, she understood one thing: every requirement gives way to survival.

The child was alive; what more could one ask? For Su Yun, this was even more true—Xiaodong had been snatched back from the brink of death. Even with impaired cognitive function, she felt she was ahead of the game.

Lin Yuqing spoke calmly: “Su Xiaodong, is the sugar cracker good? Are you happy eating it?”

Su Xiaodong blinked. “It’s… it’s good. I feel happy eating it.”

Lin Yuqing continued: “What about the finger biscuits? And Chenchen’s black tea pudding cake, are they good?”

Su Xiaodong said loudly: “Of course! The pudding cake is so fancy and delicious. If Sister Manjing hadn’t brought it, I’d only get to eat it once a week!”

“I see. Then how about you trade your sugar cracker with Chenchen for his pudding cake?” Lin Yuqing said. “But you have an upset stomach. Eating pudding cake might make the diarrhea worse. Eating the hollow sugar cracker can help you get better so you can eat dinner when you get home.”

Su Xiaodong clutched his half-eaten cracker, pained. “Can I not trade? They’re both good, I want both…”

“You are the sugar cracker, and Tang Yifeng is the fancy cake. The sugar cracker is ordinary, but it’s very useful. Both are delicious; there is no ‘better’ or ‘worse’ between them,” Lin Yuqing said. “Grades are not the tool used to measure your worth.”

Zhong Manjing smiled: “Exactly. Did you get that, Xiaodong?”

Su Xiaodong dazed for a while, then whispered, “I don’t get it. But I don’t want to be the cake that makes my tummy worse.”

But in his eyes, Sister Lin Yuqing’s image suddenly became monumental.

Sister Yuqing is like a lighthouse!

“Pull over! Pull over!”

At the familiar intersection, the traffic cop on duty flagged down Lin Yuqing’s scooter. He looked at them with disappointment. “When you left, the passenger wasn’t wearing a helmet. I saw you were picking up kids, so I didn’t stop you then. But coming back, you’ve got two little ones four people total! And you’re hanging all these flowers and plants like you’re afraid I won’t see you?! Get off! Everyone, safety education time! Kids, get down too!”

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