The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Her Dominance and Her Brand.

When Zhong Manjing woke up, she saw Lin Yuqing sitting beside her. Feeling the gentle breeze on her face, a smile spread across her lips.

Nice. This was the right feeling. How strange would it have been to wake up to Meng Luo’s face? It should be Lin Yuqing.

Lin Yuqing handed the sketchbook back to her. Zhong Manjing took it and asked, “Did I sleep for long?”

“Nearly an hour.” Lin Yuqing watched as she opened the book, showing the previous drawings without any hesitation.

“I drew these before. Do they look like you? When I first saw you, I felt you were very suited to be a model.” Zhong Manjing flipped through several sketches capturing different moods—eating, drinking water in the kitchen, standing in a high place enjoying the breeze.

With just a few strokes, she had captured her essence perfectly; anyone could tell it was Lin Yuqing at a glance.

Lin Yuqing asked, “Did you study art? It’s so lifelike. I have no memory of these scenes myself. This one, with the hand pressed against the window… is it unfinished? Is there only one person?”

With the help of the wind earlier, she had already seen every drawing inside. She flipped forward two pages to reveal a specific sketch, her expression remaining calm.

Zhong Manjing subtly flipped past two more pages. “I observe carefully. I just look at you often.”

Lin Yuqing asked, “When did you draw the one from last night?”

“At noon.” Zhong Manjing admired her own work with satisfaction, only to hear Lin Yuqing say, “While you were asleep just now, I received a call from Yuqiu City.”

Zhong Manjing’s voice faltered noticeably. “…Yuqiu City? What kind of call?”

“It seemed like a scam call,” Lin Yuqing said. “They asked if I wanted to buy insurance as soon as I picked up. I just hung up.”

Zhong Manjing didn’t speak. She fell silent, looking at Lin Yuqing’s expression for a long moment before suddenly laughing. “Those salespeople really work hard. I thought scam calls wouldn’t reach this far out.”

She stood up. “I’ve slept enough. Let’s head back.”

It seems the happy vacation is ending early, Zhong Manjing thought regretfully. On the way down the mountain, she and Lin Yuqing shared the weight of a heavy bag of wild persimmons, while the backpack remained on Lin Yuqing’s shoulders.

Inside Zhong Manjing’s bag were two lamb chops wrapped in foil, which she had intended to eat after her nap. The interruption of the phone call Lin Yuqing mentioned made her forget them. Although the scent of cumin lingered throughout the walk, no one brought up eating. By the time they got back, the meat was stone cold.

Zhong Manjing naturally had no appetite for it anymore.

Back at the bee farm, Feng Xiangxia was having Zhang Pingrui carry out a sealed box of forest honey. Seeing Zhong Manjing, she said, “Perfect timing. Open the trunk; I’ve packed everything for you.”

Zhong Manjing complied. Zhang Xiaohua and the other children ran out from the inner room like little tails behind her, chirping away: “Sister Manjing, what did you and Sister Yuqing do? You went for some ‘couple time’ without us!”

Zhong Manjing laughed and pinched Chen-chen’s cheek. “Watch your mouth. We just went hiking. That’s not how you use the term ‘couple time’.”

Lin Yuqing, who was counting honey jars with Feng Xiangxia, glanced over at the sound. Su Xiaodong chimed in: “Couple time is for lovers. You two aren’t lovers.”

Zhong Manjing replied, “Who says? Friends can have their own world too.”

“Sister Manjing, come to my parent-teacher meeting! Sister Manjing…” Su Xiaodong followed her most closely, whispering, “You just have to sit there. Sit there and read my essay. Really! I do great in other subjects, it’s just the literature teacher doesn’t like me.”

He moved behind her and caught the scent coming from her bag, swallowing hard. Zhong Manjing replied, “When? I can stand outside your classroom and listen to you read, and applaud for you.”

Su Xiaodong blinked, disappointed. “Sister, your bag smells so good. Nuonuo says she wants to eat.”

Zhong Manjing took the two long rib chops out of her bag and gave them to Zhang Xiaohua. “Warm these up and have the adults cut them for everyone. Don’t eat them cold. Once you’re done, come over; we’re getting ready to send you back.”

Once the kids were sent off, Meng Luo emerged from the house with her bag. “What a relaxing team-building trip. Why are the happy days so short? I really don’t want to go back to work.”

Zhang Pingrui shared the sentiment. “I think we ate an entire week’s worth of Sister Zhong’s employee benefits last night! Seriously, we’re all young, but why is everything you touch so delicious? Even the sweet potatoes you put in to roast turned out different!”

To prove his point, Zhang Pingrui specifically said to Lin Yuqing, “Really, Lin Yuqing, did you taste the sweet potatoes last night? That honey syrup inside was incredible!”

“I didn’t,” Lin Yuqing said flatly. “I’m not eating honey-yams anymore.”

Zhong Manjing leaned against the car door, smiling as she watched them talk. Her pensive gaze lingered on Lin Yuqing for a moment. “Lin Yuqing, put your electric scooter on Brother Wang’s truck. You two ride with me.”

She and Wang Cheng had come in two separate vehicles. With the kids and three adults, they still needed two cars for the return. The scooter was the extra item.

Lin Yuqing thought about it and agreed.

Meng Luo put her things in the trunk. Ever since the two returned from the mountain, she had been glancing at them from time to time. Taking advantage of Lin Yuqing going to load the scooter, she leaned in toward Zhong Manjing. “Did you and Xiao Lin have a fight?”

“No. Why do you ask?” Zhong Manjing looked at her curiously.

Meng Luo tutted. “It’s obvious! Only a dummy like Zhang Pingrui wouldn’t see it. Usually, you two never stop talking. Today, since you came back from the hike, you’ve said maybe three sentences to each other at most.”

Is that so? Zhong Manjing felt she was being her usual self. She turned to see Lin Yuqing returning. Meng Luo couldn’t whisper in front of her anymore, so she hopped into the back with Zhang Pingrui.

Since the children were riding with Feng Xiangxia and Brother Wang, the passenger seat in Zhong Manjing’s car was empty. She naturally called out to Lin Yuqing: “Sit in the front.”

Though there was room in the back, there was no need to squeeze.

Lin Yuqing didn’t object and got in. Zhong Manjing deftly turned the car and drove out of the bee farm.

On the road, with Zhang Pingrui and Meng Luo chatting constantly in the back, the atmosphere inside the car didn’t feel strange to Zhong Manjing. However, precisely because the two in the back were talking, she noticed Lin Yuqing’s silence.

Compared to usual, she was indeed much quieter, only offering a brief acknowledgment when necessary to show she was listening.

Zhong Manjing didn’t ask why. She thought to herself: Lin Yuqing is an insightful person. Even if she can’t remember the past now, it doesn’t mean she never will.

That alertness and caution were likely etched deep into her body. From those drawings alone, if she even had a hint of a thought, she could piece together quite a lot.

But there was one thing Lin Yuqing didn’t understand: Zhong Manjing never intended to hide it forever. It couldn’t be hidden.

All she could do was give Lin Yuqing a short-term refuge from those conflicts and buy some time for herself. But it wouldn’t last a lifetime.

“I saw you brought back two big bags of persimmons. What are you planning to make these next few days?” Meng Luo finally couldn’t hold it in on the way back.

Zhong Manjing answered, “Wine. Lots and lots of jars. I found several new recipes I want to try one by one.”

She had discovered that even her casually brewed wines were quite popular. However, the standard fruit liqueurs she made with summer fruits required at least two months of aging too long to wait. So, she was researching a few types that could be fermented and drinkable in the short term.

Once she finished those jars of wine, she had a task to attend to. Zhong Manjing had a suspicion in her heart, and she had to go verify it herself.

Brewing wine sounded like a time-consuming, exhausting job. Meng Luo blurted out, “Then aren’t you going to be staying up late again, forgetting to eat and sleep?”

Lin Yuqing spoke up, which was rare. “Does it require staying up late?”

“That’s just how she is when she starts something,” Meng Luo said. “Total disregard for everything else. Once she starts, she has to finish. She loves turning day into night like a vampire. When she was making sauerkraut, she was sending me videos of her chopping vegetables in the middle of the night, acting all proud of herself.”

Meng Luo couldn’t help but talk more: “But she’s always like that unregulated schedule. Since no one supervises her sleep, it seems the only two nights she had a regular routine were when she stayed at your place. I could actually see her coming down for breakfast in the morning.”

Zhong Manjing laughed helplessly. “Alright, stop exposing my flaws.”

Lin Yuqing glanced over, looking like she wanted to say something, but turned back to watch the scenery receding outside. Ultimately, she said nothing.

Zhang Pingrui asked, “Are there many kinds? Does it take long? If it’s quick, can we have another team-building feast?”

“Seven days to half a month will do. As for variety…” Zhong Manjing thought for a bit. “These two bags of persimmons can make two or three types. Then I’ll make a few jars of peach blossom with Angelica dahurica, wolfberry, and passion fruit. I shouldn’t let all that good honey go to waste. I can handle it.”

Zhong Manjing dropped Meng Luo and Zhang Pingrui at their homes before finally taking Lin Yuqing to the noodle house. While she had been away for the last two days, the shop had remained open. Xiaoying poked her head out from the back. “You’re back? It’s just in time for dinner. Sister Zhong, have a bowl of noodles before you go?”

Zhong Manjing waved her hand. “No, I have things to do back home.” But she still got out of the car, gave Xiaoying a small jar of honey, and then quietly placed two jars in Lin Yuqing’s refrigerator before coming back out.

Lin Yuqing had already put her scooter away and was preparing to enter the kitchen. Zhong Manjing waved to her. “Lin Yuqing, I’m off.”

Lin Yuqing said, “Tell me if you need help. Don’t do it all by yourself so late into the night.”

Zhong Manjing teased, “Or you could come over to my house and watch me, then drag me to bed when it’s time?”

Lin Yuqing fell silent. Zhong Manjing laughed aloud and reached out as if to playfully touch Lin Yuqing’s cheek. Lin Yuqing didn’t flinch, but Zhong Manjing’s fingertips shifted downward, adjusting the strap of her apron.

She stood right in front of Lin Yuqing, her arms partially circling her as she reached behind her waist and suddenly yanked the apron strings tight.

Lin Yuqing stumbled forward slightly, her hands instinctively pressing onto Zhong Manjing’s shoulders. She almost reflexively wrapped her arms around Zhong Manjing’s waist to hold her.

But the culprit was still smiling. Zhong Manjing looked up slightly, staring at the tip of Lin Yuqing’s nose. “Lin Yuqing, you’re really interesting. You’re so easy to tease.”

With that, she stepped back to a safe distance, left the shop, and drove away.

Lin Yuqing remained standing there. After a long while, she reached behind her back and slowly touched the bow Zhong Manjing had tied.

It was too tight… It made her feel like she couldn’t breathe, like a restriction or a brand etched onto her, declaring Zhong Manjing’s possession at every moment.

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