Chapter 156: You’re Being Double-Standard

Upon reaching the entrance, Lin Xi searched for a long time before finally locating the key inside a flower bed.

Since her parents passed away, the household staff had been dismissed, and no one had set foot in this place for many years. This key was one she had left behind before moving abroad.

The heavy front gate, weathered by years of wind and rain, creaked open automatically. Lin Xi stood at the threshold, hesitant to take the next step, until Qin Yu, standing beside her, said, "Let's go in."

As if waking from a dream, Lin Xi nodded and followed his lead. The path from the courtyard to the main entrance seemed even longer than she had imagined. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, with only a few stray wildflowers visible here and there, and the swing chair to the side was covered in rust.

Her memories of this place were frozen at the age of sixteen. When she was younger, she had lived primarily in the family compound. It wasn't until junior high that she began living here with her parents, though she would still sneak back to the compound every few days.

Reaching the front door, Lin Xi produced another key to unlock it. As the door swung open, a layer of dust cascaded down from the door panel.

"Cough..." Lin Xi stepped closer to Qin Yu.

Her parents' house consisted of five floors, including the basement, and was quite spacious. Lin Xi had no intention of exploring the whole place; she only wanted to visit her father's study. The study was on the second floor.

The doors were all left ajar. Lin Xi entered and brushed her hand across the desk, coming away covered in dust. Since she had left, no one had been here at all. There wasn't a single trace of anyone else.

Unlike others who preferred to decorate their desks with expensive ornaments, her father had filled his desk with picture frames. Aside from those, there was a pen rack holding two calligraphy brushes. Lin Xi picked up the photos one by one, wiping them clean with care.

"Do you want to take them with you?" Qin Yu asked, looking at the photos on the desk.

"I'll just take this one." Lin Xi didn't want to take them all; she only chose one group photo to place in her apartment. She was carrying a tote bag that day, which had more than enough room for a single frame.

They didn't stay long. Before leaving, Lin Xi glanced at the backyard. To her surprise, the Chinese roses her father had planted for her mother were still blooming. Lin Xi paused, stunned. "After all these years, they're actually still alive."

Her mother had loved Chinese roses, so her father had reclaimed a patch of land in the backyard and filled it with them. Of course, few had survived, and only a handful were blooming well now.

Qin Yu took a look. "Someone comes to water them regularly."

"Huh?" Lin Xi quickly guessed it was his doing, but she was still curious. "Third Brother, do you have a key?"

"No." Qin Yu gestured toward the perimeter fence. "I used a different method, spraying water over the wall from outside the yard."

Lin Xi was surprised, yet she didn't forget to express her gratitude.

In the end, Lin Xi picked one of the roses to take with her and placed it by her parents' graves. It was nearly noon by the time they left the cemetery.

Lin Xi checked the time. "Third Brother, if you're not busy, let's grab a meal together."

Since she had initiated the invitation, there was no way Qin Yu would refuse. They chose a French restaurant with a quiet atmosphere, perfect for conversation.

Midway through, Qin Yu left the table to take a work call. Lin Xi, having finished her meal, stared blankly out of the floor-to-ceiling window. Suddenly, the empty seat beside her was occupied, and a wave of thick, sweet perfume washed over her.

It was Su Ran again. Lin Xi was sensitive to scents; she didn't even need to look up to know who it was. She had moved past speechlessness to a state of numbness.

Seeing Lin Xi look over, Su Ran waved. "Hi."

"Are you following Qin Yu?"

Su Ran shook her head, saying candidly, "Not at all. I'm following you, of course."

Lin Xi gave her a sidelong glance, leaned back, and sighed helplessly. "What exactly do you want? Qin Yu is right over there." She pointed in his direction.

"I told you, I'm not here for him," Su Ran said with a smile.

She and Lin Xi were completely different in style. Lin Xi was a cold and elegant woman, while Su Ran leaned toward the sweet and youthful aesthetic. When she smiled, she looked like a quintessential "sweet girl," the kind who could easily make anyone's heart soften. This tactic worked on everyone else, but it was completely ineffective on Lin Xi.

Lin Xi was truly immune to her charms; she felt nothing at all. Seeing that her cute act wasn't working, Su Ran went straight to the point, concise and direct: "Add me on WeChat, and I'll leave as soon as I do."

Lin Xi frowned slightly. Seeing this, Su Ran hurriedly raised her hand as if swearing an oath. "Really, once I add you, I'll go back to Huaicheng. I promise, I absolutely won't bother you ever again."

"I don't have WeChat."

"Sister, that excuse is so worn out. Who would believe that? You could at least make up a decent one."

Lin Xi remained unflustered. "I have given you a clear answer. Whether you believe it or not is your business, it has nothing to do with me."

Su Ran finally realized what Lin Xi meant. Lin Xi knew the excuse was flimsy, fake, and dismissive, but her goal was never about whether others believed her words—it was that she had already given a polite response, which was already showing plenty of respect. If the other party continued to pester her, it would be a case of not knowing when to quit.

True, she was Lin Xi after all. She didn't need to worry about whether her words would arouse suspicion; for her, maintaining a superficial level of civility was enough. Most people wouldn't dare to call her bluff.

Su Ran clicked her tongue. "You're really a bit different from what I imagined."

"Well, you have a phone number, right? Give me that."

"We are total strangers. In my opinion, there is no need for us to stay in contact." Lin Xi looked at her, scanning her up and down, and for once, felt a flicker of curiosity. "Since you aren't tracking us for Qin Yu, what exactly are you after?"

"I just think you're very interesting. Didn't I tell you last time? I really like you!"

Lin Xi couldn't find any joy in that. She slowly began to realize the gravity of the situation. "This 'liking' you speak of—is it the same 'liking' you have for Qin Yu?"

This actually stumped Su Ran. She thought about it carefully and shook her head. "Not really. I like you because I want to be your friend, and of course... if you could become my sister-in-law, that would be even better!"

Su Ran seized the opportunity to pull out her phone and flip through photos to show Lin Xi. "Look, this is my brother. He's only a year older than you and is even in the same major. If my dad hadn't disagreed, he might have been your colleague by now."

"Look, isn't he handsome?" Su Ran pushed hard. "Although he's a tiny bit less impressive than Qin Yu, he's a different style, and I think my brother is a better fit for you."

"I observed you just now; you and Qin Yu hardly spoke to each other the whole time. You don't talk, and he doesn't talk—if you two were together, wouldn't daily life be incredibly boring?"

"It would be completely different with my brother. You'd get double the happiness! Because you'd have me!"

"Thank you," Lin Xi pushed her phone back. "But I have no interest in that."

"What about Qin Yu, then? You're being double-standard."