The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Zhong Manjing is a Pearl; She is the Sludge.

By the time Zhong Manjing woke up, it was already quite late. She reached out her hand, but instead of her phone, she touched someone’s face.

Opening her eyes, she saw Meng Luo staring at her curiously by the bedside, her face practically screaming with suppressed inquisitiveness.

“Stop looking,” Meng Luo said. “It’s just me. It’s ten in the morning; you are the last person in the entire bee farm to wake up.”

Zhong Manjing silently grabbed her phone, rubbing her temples as she recalled the night she was certain nothing had happened. She and Lin Yuqing had bathed and then shared a perfectly dull, well-behaved night of sleep.

Actually, she wanted to shower again. What was the difference between that bath last night and not bathing at all? She had only fallen asleep because she was tired and because Lin Yuqing was there.

“Has anyone ever told you it’s terrifying to wake up and see a face staring right at you?” Zhong Manjing pushed the inquisitive Meng Luo away and stretched. The morning bustle outside filtered in.

Zhang Pingrui seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with the kids again, running all over the yard. Someone was chopping wood, and the air carried the faint scent of sweet porridge. Birds chirping, bees buzzing, the sound of the wind it was all kneaded into the sunlight.

“I have something to ask you,” Meng Luo said.

Zhong Manjing got up to change. “Where’s Lin Yuqing?” she asked, acting indifferent.

“She got up incredibly early. She ran several laps, ran into Zhang Pingrui, and then dragged him out to run for a long time. Poor Xiao Zhang is half-dead.” Meng Luo followed behind Zhong Manjing, her eyes dazzled by the sight of her bare back. “Put some clothes on, I’m too embarrassed to look. Hey, wait! Don’t go! I haven’t finished. What’s up with Lin Yuqing today? She’s got the strength of an ox.”

“After running, she went to help Brother Wang chop wood. Zhang Pingrui had to rest for half an hour before he could play with Xiaodong and the others.”

“How should I know?” Zhong Manjing turned around with a smile, pulling on a loose, cropped sweatshirt and tying her hair up. “Maybe this place recharges her. Like I said, you shouldn’t keep yourself so wound up; you need to relax sometimes.”

Meng Luo imagined Lin Yuqing’s intense focus while chopping wood. Relaxing? Is that what she calls it?

Zhong Manjing went to wash up, and Meng Luo followed. While Zhong Manjing applied her skincare, Meng Luo watched from the side. Even when she went to shower, the hot water soothing her unsatisfied heart, Meng Luo was still there waiting when she came out.

Zhong Manjing couldn’t stand her acting like a shadow. “Fine, what do you want to ask?”

“Did you drink too much last night?” Meng Luo finally blurted out.

Zhong Manjing shook her head. “I had two glasses at most. Aside from me, all of you were wasted.”

Meng Luo’s eyes darted around shiftily. She lowered her voice. “Listen, bestie… is there a chance that you, uh… might, well…”

Zhong Manjing had known Meng Luo for a long time and had never seen her this hesitant. She remembered that Meng Luo and Zhang Pingrui’s sleeping bags were right next to each other. Did something happen? No, impossible. They’re just colleagues.

But she and Lin Yuqing had been out for over an hour. “Did something big happen?” she tested.

“Big but not that big.” Meng Luo nodded solemnly.

Zhong Manjing swallowed. “You and Zhang Pingrui didn’t actually—?”

“What?! No!” Meng Luo snapped, exasperated. She said it out loud: “I want to ask if there’s a chance you like girls.”

Zhong Manjing froze for half a second, then looked at Meng Luo with a peculiar expression. “What are you…?”

“Oh, it’s not me! I don’t like girls,” Meng Luo whispered. “I just feel… I feel like Boss Lin might have a thing for you, but I’m not sure.”

Zhong Manjing: “Who did you say?”

“Lin Yuqing! I said Boss Lin, Lin Yuqing!” Meng Luo said loudly, recalling the previous night. “I didn’t think much of it while I was drunk, but when I got up to use the bathroom this morning, I caught her looking at you.”

Meng Luo couldn’t describe that look. For a moment, it was as if Lin Yuqing had become a different person the cold, distant woman who first arrived in town, but with an added trace of ferocity she hadn’t managed to hide.

She was tucking Zhong Manjing in, her movements as gentle as if she were handling a treasure, but the predatory intensity in her eyes looked like she wanted to bite her neck.

“Won’t happen.” Zhong Manjing wasn’t afraid at all; she actually smiled. “Don’t talk nonsense. We’re friends. Why would she like me?”

It’s not time yet, Zhong Manjing knew.

She walked out, and Meng Luo followed anxiously, wanting to say more, but stopped abruptly when she saw the person standing at the door.

Lin Yuqing’s hand was frozen in a knocking position. Her eyes met Zhong Manjing’s. “You’re up. Go eat something,” she said naturally.

Zhong Manjing smiled and walked out with her. “Did you sleep well?”

Lin Yuqing didn’t answer. Instead, she handed over a freshly steamed custard bun and some honey milk.

“So plain? Weren’t there leftovers from last night?”

Lin Yuqing said helplessly, “You just woke up. Eat something light. Brother Wang said we’ll stir-fry the leftovers for lunch, okay?”

“Whatever you say. I’ll listen to you,” Zhong Manjing replied.

Meng Luo trailed behind, eavesdropping. Seeing them interact as usual—no awkwardness, no shyness, just perfect poise—she wondered if she really had just been seeing things through a drunken haze. She blinked and decided to quit drinking for a while.

Zhong Manjing noticed the faint dark circles under Lin Yuqing’s eyes. She knew Lin Yuqing hadn’t slept well, but she also knew she wouldn’t get an answer if she asked why.

By unspoken agreement, neither mentioned the previous night. At lunch, they ate “firewood rice” cooked with the wood Lin Yuqing had chopped. Wang Cheng praised her at the table: “Xiao Lin is great at physical labor. I didn’t realize she was so efficient. The wood she chopped this morning is enough to last me three or four days.”

Food cooked over a wood fire was exceptionally fragrant. The table was full: preserved meat with garlic sprouts, garlic black pepper beef cubes from last night’s leftovers, honey chicken wings for the kids, and Zhong Manjing’s spicy chicken and vinegar-glazed cabbage.

They also had taro, sea-salt potatoes, and sweet potatoes roasted in the embers, along with bread rolls Zhong Manjing had started baking.

Feng Xiangxia laughed, putting meat in her daughter’s bowl. “You have the nerve to say that? You’re just lazy. How can you compare to Xiao Lin? She’s quick and thoughtful. It was cold this morning, and our heater struggles to get water up, so she specifically boiled a big pot of water for Manjing to wash with.”

“She carries water so fast, and she wouldn’t even take a break when I told her to.”

Meng Luo, her head buried in her bowl, peeked up and started darting her eyes between Zhong Manjing and Lin Yuqing. Her gossipy heart was thumping again.

Zhang Pingrui, oblivious to everything, placed a steaming roasted sweet potato by Lin Yuqing’s bowl. “That’s because Comrade Lin is strong and a hard worker. Seriously, ask Sister Zhong. She can pull Sister Zhong out of the water with one hand. Eat up, you need the nutrients.”

“Ow!” As soon as he finished, Zhang Pingrui felt his foot being stomped on by the person to his left. Meng Luo shoved a sweet potato into his mouth. “You talk too much.”

Only then did Zhong Manjing realize her morning bath water had been prepared in advance. Her gaze landed on Lin Yuqing.

Lin Yuqing looked at the honey-yam next to her and prepared to put it back. “It’s fine, I won’t eat the sweet potato.”

Zhong Manjing took it. “I’ll eat it. Don’t waste the effort. Boss Lin is indeed strong, but she wastes a lot too. Remember to eat your fill.”

This time, she peeled the potato herself. She scooped a spoonful of beef and cabbage into Lin Yuqing’s bowl and said with a smile, “Thanks for the hard work. Eat more.”

Lin Yuqing gave a quiet acknowledgement and focused on eating, avoiding eye contact with Zhong Manjing, who was munching on the sweet potato.

Having woken up late, Zhong Manjing didn’t feel like napping. She spent the afternoon by the oven, tinkering with bread and two lamb chops; she couldn’t stay idle.

By the time Lin Yuqing finished helping Feng Xiangxia with the dishes, Zhong Manjing had packed her bag and was holding two cups of green grape lemon juice.

“Where to?” Lin Yuqing saw the trekking pole hanging from her bag. Zhong Manjing handed her a warm salted egg yolk custard bread. “Climbing the mountain to pick persimmons.”

Lin Yuqing took the bag from her, leaving her only with the trekking pole, and prepared to set off.

Zhong Manjing teased her, “You knew I wanted you to come?”

“You prepared everything in pairs, and you were waiting for me.” Lin Yuqing had seen everything through the window while washing dishes. “What are you doing with persimmons?”

“Persimmon wine for the winter. It doesn’t use a drop of water. It’s sweet, needs yeast, and the alcohol content isn’t too high. Anyway… it’s the kind of wine where you won’t pass out even after 200ml.”

Lin Yuqing pressed her lips together and followed silently. Even if she didn’t respond, it didn’t dampen Zhong Manjing’s mood. She ran ahead with a laugh.

She stopped far up the trail and waved her pole. “Lin Yuqing, run faster! You have to run to keep up with me!”

Lin Yuqing continued at a steady pace. She didn’t chase, but her eyes never left Zhong Manjing. Her calm, reserved nature was a stark contrast to Zhong Manjing’s vibrant energy.

Zhong Manjing watched Lin Yuqing approach.

“Why did you stop running?” Lin Yuqing asked.

“I was waiting for you.”

Lin Yuqing looked at her for a moment, then touched the trekking pole. “No need to wait. Run if you want to. No matter how far you go, I can keep up.”

“That would be tiring, wouldn’t it? I’ll be out of breath soon.” Zhong Manjing broke the bread in half and gave it to her. It was filled with salted egg yolk, meat floss, and taro mash.

“I’m strong,” Lin Yuqing said. “I can carry you down the mountain.”

What a strange angle. Why down the mountain? They were clearly climbing up. As Zhong Manjing took a bite, Lin Yuqing handed her the juice. “Why not carry me to the summit?”

In the quiet mountains, there were only them and the sounds of nature. Lin Yuqing stared into Zhong Manjing’s eyes.

Those bright, proud eyes hadn’t changed from the dream to reality. When she smiled, she was radiant. In the dream, her tears were like broken pearls, burning her where they fell, making Lin Yuqing see herself as nothing but mud.

Zhong Manjing was the pearl; she was the sludge.

Lin Yuqing lowered her gaze. “Because you already belong at the summit. You don’t need to climb any higher. Zhong Manjing, I know you don’t belong here. We come from the same place.”

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