The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Wu Liyuan Stood Frozen. After Her Gaze Lingered on Lin Yuqing’s Face for a Second, She Immediately Looked Toward…

Wu Liyuan stood frozen. After her gaze lingered on Lin Yuqing’s face for a second, she immediately looked toward Zhong Manjing.

This wasn’t the first time she had faced such a situation. Although surprised, Wu Liyuan didn’t lose her composure. She forced a smile, making a split-second judgment.

“Hello, may I ask who you are?” Wu Liyuan waved at the intern doctors behind her. “You all go ahead; class is dismissed for today.”

These were her students, following her for clinical rounds.

Wu Lishan also came running over, breathless, squeezing herself between Wu Liyuan and Lin Yuqing. “Patient, patient! If you don’t have relatives in the inpatient building, there’s no use going there now…”

Seeing Wu Liyuan, she added, “Director, they came without an appointment. Ms. Zhong was here yesterday; you should remember her, right? She waited a long time without a slot yesterday. She probably didn’t know you weren’t consulting today.”

Wu Liyuan looked gentle and checked her watch. Since Lin Yuqing had brought Zhong Manjing here herself, she spontaneously took on the role of spokesperson. She said, “Director Wu, we traveled specifically from the county town for a consultation. She just wants some medicine to help her sleep. If you have a moment, we can wait for you?”

Wu Liyuan replied, “Has Ms. Zhong completed the assessment scales, or has she been seen here before? If not, the hospital requires some examinations before I can prescribe medication based on your specific condition.”

Lin Yuqing had been holding Zhong Manjing’s wrist the whole time, only letting go once Wu Liyuan stopped. Zhong Manjing thought for a moment and smiled. “I’ve been here before. Director Wu, you’ll definitely find the records in your system. The doctor I saw last time was Dr. Du Lanxiu, on the 12th of last month. You can check.”

This was, of course, a lie. She had simply picked Dr. Du Lanxiu’s name from the directory outside. It didn’t matter; as for how the rest of the play would go she had already tossed this “bomb” to Wu Liyuan and the others.

Seeing Lin Yuqing, Wu Liyuan definitely wouldn’t let her leave so easily. Zhong Manjing knew that since she had arrived and met them, she shouldn’t think about an early departure.

Wu Liyuan would surely test how much Lin Yuqing remembered. For now, everything seemed normal.

Wu Liyuan smiled. “Very well. I happen to have time now. Come to my office. Lishan, have Dr. Cui take over the rounds for me.”

Wu Lishan lowered her head. “Understood.”

“This way, please.” Wu Liyuan led them into the elevator and to her office door.

Zhong Manjing suddenly pulled Lin Yuqing’s hand. “That egg burger from this morning was a bit heavy. I want something to drink.”

Lin Yuqing nodded. “What would you like? I’ll go buy it.”

“Milk tea, black tea base, from any shop. If they sell peach crisps, get a few of those too.”

Just as Zhong Manjing finished, Wu Liyuan interjected, “If you have sleep issues, you should drink less tea.”

Lin Yuqing, who was about to head to the elevator, stopped in her tracks. “Better listen to the doctor. Director Wu, she usually loves tea and coffee, though they aren’t store-bought; she makes them herself.”

Zhong Manjing: “…” Seriously, Wu Liyuan is really treating me like a patient.

Wu Liyuan said, “It’s best not to touch caffeinated items during treatment. They don’t just affect your nerves; they might interfere with the medication’s effectiveness. It’s best to have someone supervising the patient.”

She ushered them into her office. Lin Yuqing said, “I can supervise her.”

Wu Liyuan looked up. “Are you her… family, or…?”

Zhong Manjing said, “She’s my family, Director Wu.”

Wu Liyuan smiled again. “I see. Family, please wait outside. We are ready to begin.”

Lin Yuqing said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Zhong Manjing added, “Remember to buy that milk tea. I want it. I’ll just have one sip and you can have the rest. Really, it’s fine. Dr. Du said before I could drink it in moderation. I don’t know why Director Wu is being so strict.”

Once Lin Yuqing left, Zhong Manjing sat down and met Wu Liyuan’s gaze in silence. Wu Liyuan didn’t even log into the computer system, let alone look for medical records.

“Speak plainly,” Zhong Manjing said. She wasn’t one to wait in an awkward silence. “I should thank you, though. You let me find out what I wanted to know.”

Wu Liyuan said, “It seems I made the right bet.”

The person across from her was, after all, Zhong Suyuan’s sister.

Yesterday, when Cui Ran found out Wu Liyuan had trusted Zhong Manjing, she called her crazy. Who didn’t know who Zhong Suyuan was? To trust his sister was no different from handing Lin Yuqing over to the Zhong family on a silver platter.

As it turned out, her bet had paid off. A person who could earn Lin Yuqing’s trust, make her laugh, and know her tastes was, as Wu Liyuan suspected, someone who truly cared for her. If the bet had failed, she wouldn’t have seen Lin Yuqing today; the Zhongs would have taken her long ago.

Zhong Manjing said, “Aren’t you afraid I’m tricking you, Director Wu? I could very well have brought Lin Yuqing here just to show her to you, then have my brother come and take her away.”

“If you truly intended that, you wouldn’t have that expression.” Wu Liyuan didn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth, only what she saw with her own eyes. “Bringing her here is a huge risk. What do you want?”

Zhong Manjing: “…I originally planned to leave after a bit.”

Helplessly, she told Wu Liyuan about meeting Auntie Zhu at the guesthouse. Wu Liyuan fell silent.

After a pause, she said, “If you want some medicine, I’ll prescribe some to calm your nerves.” It was also to give Lin Yuqing an explanation. Since Lin Yuqing brought her here, she would surely ask if they left empty-handed.

Zhong Manjing indicated she had no objection.

“She treats you very well.” Lin Yuqing hadn’t even corrected Zhong Manjing when she claimed they were “family.” Wu Liyuan had never seen Lin Yuqing like this.

Zhong Manjing said, “Because she doesn’t remember.”

No, it’s different, Wu Liyuan thought. As a longtime friend, she knew. She just didn’t understand how Zhong Manjing had gained Lin Yuqing’s trust in such a short time; it was almost a miracle.

Zhong Manjing and Wu Liyuan didn’t have much to talk about. Wu Liyuan showed Zhong Manjing the previous treatment records, originally intending to make her back off. But Zhong Manjing leaned in instead. Hadn’t she seen it? In Lin Yuqing’s plan, she was the foolproof backup—the “innocent” sister raised by Zhong Suyuan.

Meeting her in person, Wu Liyuan realized Zhong Manjing was nothing like the rumors. Either she was hiding her true self, or she had undergone a profound change—and she truly was on Lin Yuqing’s side.

“What do you want?” Wu Liyuan asked.

Zhong Manjing shook her head. “I don’t want anything. I have no plans to leave Yuhai. I will help you all; I won’t stop her from doing what she wants.”

“You have no plans to leave?”

Zhong Manjing nodded. “I’m on vacation. The vacation isn’t over, and I don’t want to go back.”

Just then, there was a knock. It was Lin Yuqing. “Sorry, may I come in?”

Wu Liyuan masked her complex expression. “Come in.”

Lin Yuqing returned with the milk tea and peach crisps, still carrying the chill of the rain. She opened the bag; there was a coffee for Wu Liyuan too.

“Director Wu, I didn’t know what you like, so I just got a random coffee.” Lin Yuqing handed it over.

However, there was definitely a difference in treatment. For Zhong Manjing, she had even brought a cranberry mille-feuille cake with a little bunny topper. Treating her like a child… Wu Liyuan silently looked away.

Zhong Manjing said to Lin Yuqing, “I’m going to use the restroom. Director Wu is still writing my prescription; wait for me, okay?”

Lin Yuqing said, “Okay.” Zhong Manjing left immediately. Wu Liyuan knew she was intentionally giving them space.

It had been a long time since Wu Liyuan had seen Lin Yuqing. Sitting across from her, she had to deliberate several times before deciding what to ask.

“You…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin Yuqing spoke first. “Director Wu, is her prescription ready? If it’s convenient, could I see her previous medical records?”

Wu Liyuan was momentarily speechless. You two are really something—both of you just want to see medical records. One was fake, and the other didn’t exist; how was she supposed to show them anything?

She shook her head, clicked a few things on the computer, and looked up. “I’m sorry, I can’t show you.”

Lin Yuqing said, “Don’t misunderstand. I just want to know what medicine she took before. I’ve never seen her take any at home.”

Lin Yuqing was sharp. She had noted when Zhong Manjing told Wu Liyuan she had been here last month. Now that she was asking, Wu Liyuan didn’t know what to say. Since the lie had already been told and Zhong Manjing wasn’t here to correct it, she had to play along.

What a troublemaker, Wu Liyuan thought. No wonder Zhong Manjing stepped out she dumped the hot potato in her lap and washed her hands of it.

Wu Liyuan said, “I really can’t disclose that to you; you aren’t her relative, after all. By the way, you and Ms. Zhong are quite close, aren’t you?”

Lin Yuqing said, “We are neighbors. We look out for each other.” Of course, Zhong Manjing looked out for everyone in the neighborhood, not just her.

Wu Liyuan nodded, made some notes, and said, “Ms. Zhong has some significant anxiety, likely due to recent life stress. But her sleep isn’t a major issue not enough to warrant sleeping pills.”

Wu Liyuan showed Lin Yuqing some indicators on her screen. “Her main issue is anxiety. Whether it’s talking to someone close or coming here for counseling, the most important thing is for her to open up.”

“Open up…” Lin Yuqing murmured. She thought of Zhong Manjing weeping on her shoulder yesterday. Thinking back, she realized she had never seen Zhong Manjing show any negative emotions in all the time they’d known each other.

Wu Liyuan placed a medicine bottle in Lin Yuqing’s hand. “Take this. It’s for calming nerves, to help her eat and sleep well.”

“This is?”

Wu Liyuan smiled. “Vitamins. It’s for psychological comfort. You don’t need to tell her they are vitamins just one before bed. Once her sleep improves, her state will naturally follow. Spend more time with her, talk to her, go along with her. If possible, her parents should be informed.”

Lin Yuqing looked down at the bottle and whispered, “Thank you, Director Wu.”

Before Wu Liyuan could say more, Zhong Manjing knocked and came in right on cue. She was holding her half-finished milk tea and waving a colorful flyer. “Director Wu, is it true your cafeteria is having an event today? This says patients can try cooking their own dishes.”

Wu Liyuan laughed. “The hospital holds events sometimes. Our cafeteria food is actually quite good.” Whenever the cafeteria hosted events, they didn’t create new dishes; instead, they invited dissatisfied patients to cook themselves. If a dish was good, it would be added to the menu. No one ever took them up on it, yet somehow a flyer had found its way into Zhong Manjing’s hands.

“Let’s stay for lunch, then leave. I haven’t cooked in two days; I want to make something. Lin Yuqing, can we?” Zhong Manjing stuffed the flyer into Lin Yuqing’s hand and looked at the bottle on the desk. “Is this mine? I’ll—hey!”

Lin Yuqing took the bottle. “I’ll keep it for now. Let’s go check out of the guesthouse first, then come back for lunch.”

Zhong Manjing tried to grab her medicine, but she didn’t want to drop her milk tea. She lunged with one hand; Lin Yuqing leaned back, and Zhong Manjing ended up falling right into her arms.

Lin Yuqing loosely held her with one arm to steady her. “Director Wu said I have to supervise you. Ask her if you don’t believe me.”

Zhong Manjing turned to Wu Liyuan as if she had just remembered she was in the room.

Wu Liyuan smiled. “That’s correct.” Watching the two of them, she had a very strong feeling—one she needed to discuss with Cui Ran immediately.

Zhong Manjing said, “Director Wu, we’re off then. By the way, why don’t you try the coffee? I wonder if Boss Lin’s random choice suits your taste.”

Wu Liyuan looked down at the coffee Lin Yuqing had brought her.

It was a Yuan Yang Latte—a coffee with a black tea base. It was her favorite flavor, something only her close friends knew.

She snapped her head up, but Zhong Manjing and Lin Yuqing were already gone.

She took a deep breath and called Cui Ran. “Come over for lunch. You were wrong about one thing last night—I don’t think this plan is going to work.”

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