Chen Xiaoxi looked up and saw this scene. "Yinuo, what are you grinning about?"

Lin Yinuo's thoughts were interrupted, and she exclaimed in surprise before suppressing her inner turmoil. "It's nothing. You sit for a while, I'm going to the restroom."

The sound of high heels clicking on the marble floor gradually faded away, and Chen Xiaoxi stared at her back with a slight frown.

At this moment, in her mind, two little figures are engaged in a fierce tug-of-war.

When Lin Yinuo returned, she caught Chen Xiaoxi staring at the empty plate with a troubled expression on her face!

The steak in front of her had long since gone cold, the sauce congealed into a dark red crust, reflecting the cold light of the chandelier. "Cousin, you seem distracted. What's wrong?"

Lin Yinuo stared at her face and gently shook her shoulder.

At this moment, the two little figures in Chen Xiaoxi's mind finally determined the winner.

Chen Xiaoxi suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Lin Yinuo, as if she had made some decision.

"Ino, I have something to tell you about that pendant!"

When she suddenly brought this up,

Lin Yinuo thought Chen Xiaoxi was trying to tease her again.

After sitting down, she moved her chair forward a little and casually twirled the knife and fork on her plate: "Oh? What does my cousin want to say? I'm listening."

It wasn't until Chen Xiaoxi took a deep breath and said, "Actually, I know who saved you,"

The knife and fork in her hand clattered to the ground.

"What?" Lin Yinuo suddenly stood up, the wooden chair dragging on the ground with a long, grating sound.

The guests at the next table all turned to look, and one old lady even clicked her tongue softly.

Seeing the strange looks from everyone, Chen Xiaoxi felt her face getting hot. She hurriedly reached out and pressed down on her arm, her voice filled with undisguised embarrassment: "Sit down quickly!"

Lin Yinuo glanced to the side and realized that she had just lost her composure. She immediately sat down slowly like a punctured balloon.

She leaned forward slightly, craning her neck to look at Chen Xiaoxi: "What...what you just said, was it true or false?"

Chen Xiaoxi didn't respond to her immediately, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on the tablecloth.

She looked into Lin Yinuo's eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "I can sue you, but you have to agree to one condition!"

It was obvious that this had whetted Lin Yinuo's appetite.

Lin Yinuo wasn't stupid; upon hearing this, she instantly became wary: "What are your conditions?"

Chen Xiaoxi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and waved to her.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yinuo frowned slightly, having a bad feeling.

Chen Xiaoxi whispered a few words in her ear.

Lin Yinuo's pupils contracted sharply, and the tips of her fingers, which were bracing against the table, turned bluish-white.

After Chen Xiaoxi finished speaking, she said calmly, "So, you have no problem with this condition, right?"

Lin Yinuo had a huge "fuck" in her mind, and almost blurted it out.

Unexpectedly, Chen Xiaoxi would make this condition, clearly intending to trap her in the cage of 'sister'!

'You, Chen Xiaoxi, you actually thought the same thing as me... I'll just have to bear with it for now.'

She grumbled inwardly, but put on a sweet smile and whispered, "Cousin, what are you saying? Since we've all followed him, we'll definitely be family from now on."

Our relationship is so close that it's like family, why bother with these empty titles? It's unnecessary, absolutely unnecessary.

Besides, I've always called you "cousin," don't you think?

Her voice was sweet as honey, and her words were so sincere that she almost believed them herself...

Seeing how sincere and earnest she was, Chen Xiaoxi began to wonder if she had gone too far.

I felt a pang of shame for actually making such an 'excessive request'.

But it was only for a moment; all the guilt instantly turned into vigilance.

Because she was under the fluttering eyelashes of that little girl, Lin Yinuo.

I noticed a hint of the same ulterior motive she had—scheming!

I almost coughed up blood. 'You little liar, your mouth is full of lies.'

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Then, with a stern face, he said, "Just tell me, do you agree or not?"

Lin Yinuo gritted her teeth secretly. "Trying to compete with me for the fourth position? Dream on! Once you're in, we'll each have our own rules. I'm taking this older sister position." Hehe!

I'm going to find my brother Qingzhou in a bit. Time to get in position! Hmph!

She inwardly grumbled, but outwardly smiled sweetly, her eyes curving into a gentle arc: "It's no big deal, I'll do as you say."

With Lin Yinuo's permission, Chen Xiaoxi's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a slightly smug smile appeared on her lips.

She lightly swiped her finger across the phone screen, then handed it to Lin Yinuo: "Take a look at this."

When that photo with the warm yellow filter appeared on the screen, it felt as if time had suddenly reversed.

In the photo, the sunlight of their youthful days filters through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, illuminating Chen Xiaoxi and Lu Qingzhou.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, their clothes almost intertwined.

The two stood under the sun-drenched sycamore tree, smiling brightly.

Lin Yinuo stared at the photo, unable to make heads or tails of it for a moment, her tone full of impatience: "Isn't this a photo of you and Brother Qingzhou from high school? What does it have to do with the person who saved me? Are you showing off to me?"

Chen Xiaoxi scoffed lightly, a hint of speechlessness in her eyes: "Take a closer look, what is Lu Qingzhou holding in his hand?"

Lin Yinuo paused, her slender fingers tentatively zooming in on the photo.

As the image gradually became clearer, her breath caught in her throat.

In the photo, Lu Qingzhou's slender fingers hold a jade pendant, and the sunlight flows over the character "舟" (zhou), making the smile in his eyes even brighter.

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