Chapter 10 Is it wrong to have a normal, competitive hobby? ...
All that could be seen was a chaotic blackness. Yin Xiao blinked in confusion, "Where to?"
“I have an apartment in Qiyuan. I’ve only lived there for half a semester. I go back there when I’m not busy at school. I have someone clean it regularly.” Yi Zhiyan pulled her hand forward and said gently, “It’s not far, only a 20-minute drive. If you need to go back to school during the day, I can take you.”
Yin Xiao hadn't recovered from the smoke yet; she pursed her lips and remained silent.
"Are you staying here tonight?" Yi Zhiyan's tone suddenly became a little sharp.
"Huh? No, the school has arranged a hotel nearby. We'll wait for the bus to arrive..."
"Don't wait any longer, come with me now." Yi Zhiyan looked down at her, his attitude unusually firm.
Yin Xiao looked back hesitantly, clenching her fingers.
Yi Zhiyan's phone screen suddenly lit up. He glanced at the contact name, relaxed all his muscles, and quickly answered the call.
"Mom... well, she's with me now, she's fine, don't worry." He spoke respectfully, his deep brown eyes fixed on her with a meaningful look.
Yin Xiao's expression hardened; she sensed something was wrong.
He remained calm. "Mom asked why you didn't answer the phone?"
Yin Xiao gripped the cold phone in her hand and asked uncertainly, "Mom?"
"Your mother."
A sudden surge of unease and guilt welled up inside her, and she murmured, "It shut down because of a dead battery."
"You tell her yourself." Yi Zhiyan handed her the phone.
Yin Xiao reluctantly accepted it, "Mom?"
"You scared me to death, Xiaoxiao! You..." The other person coughed violently a few times.
Yin Xiao said anxiously, "Mom, don't get agitated. Are you feeling unwell again? Take your medicine and take care of yourself! I'm really fine."
There was a moment of silence on the other side, followed by a hoarse voice.
"Okay, we'll eat later... Don't stay at school anymore, hurry home with Xiaoyi. You're such a child, you promised your husband and I would live together, but you insisted on staying at school saying it would be convenient for writing your thesis. You can't write anywhere..."
Yin Xiao took a deep breath, unconsciously rubbing her smooth nails. "Mom, stop talking. Go take your medicine, I..."
She looked up at Yi Zhiyan and slowly replied, "I went back with him."
After the call ended, Yin Xiao let out a breath, twisted her stiff neck, and reached up to button up his coat.
"Wait a minute, let me explain to my roommate."
After she finished speaking to Dai Lan and turned around, Yi Zhiyan had already turned his back and walked to the intersection. The streetlights cast a long shadow of him, blurry like a dream.
Yin Xiao suppressed the strange turmoil in her heart and stepped forward to stand beside him.
"Let's go."
After getting in the car, Yin Xiao borrowed a power bank from Yi Zhiyan's car to charge her phone. She immediately turned it on to reply to messages and reminded her father, Yin Dacheng, to take care of her mother taking her medicine.
Since her sister came back, Qian Yue's condition has gradually improved. She no longer stays up all night and throws herself into work like crazy, but she is still worried.
After sending the message, she looked down to fasten her seatbelt, just as her sister Yin Yi called.
Yin Yi spoke at breakneck speed, one sentence after another without giving any room for rebuttal, her tone rising sharply.
"Sis, I'm fine... The power bank in the next dorm was smoking. Because no one was home, we noticed it late, and it made a lot of noise. Actually, all the students are fine, and the dorm is fine too."
After listening quietly to her sister's angry concern, Yin Xiao gently comforted her.
"Okay, I'm with my husband, don't worry."
The call was immediately disconnected. Yin Xiao smiled and tapped the screen, then sent a WeChat message to her sister to apologize and emphasize that she was fine.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side; it was clean and slender, with a faint citrus scent.
Yin Xiao tilted her head back, her fingers brushing against her dry fingertips, causing her eyelashes to tremble involuntarily.
"His face was covered in dust."
Yi Zhiyan's finger hovered in mid-air, his bent fingertip tapping as he frowned and stared at the dark mark on the corner of her eye.
Are you really alright?
"real."
Yin Xiao sat up straight, raised her hand and rubbed her face vigorously, trying to wipe away the ash.
Yi Zhiyan glanced at her lightly, then silently turned his head, bent down, opened a drawer, took out a pack of wet wipes, and tossed it into her arms.
Yin Xiao pulled out a wet wipe and slowly uttered two words, "Thank you."
—
Unlike the retro manor houses I've seen before, Yi Zhiyan lives in a large, single-level apartment with a simple yet elegant decor. At first glance, apart from the essential household items, there are no unnecessary decorations.
Yi Zhiyan placed a large bag of daily necessities that had been delivered on the island counter, turned on the heater, and took a porcelain cup to pour tea.
Yin Xiao looked around and was shocked by the empty house. "Do you usually live alone?"
Yi Zhiyan put down his teacup, the sound of it hitting the marble countertop ringing out clearly. He walked slowly to her, his gaze subtle.
"certainly."
"..." Yin Xiao's mind went blank for a moment before she realized she had asked a very personal question. She chuckled awkwardly and changed the subject, "Where am I sleeping tonight?"
"The first room on the right has new sheets and duvet covers on the bed. The room has a separate walk-in closet and bathroom."
“Okay…” Yin Xiao hesitated for a moment, but still asked, “Did you tell your aunt that we are living together in Anlin?”
Yi Zhiyan braced his hands against the edge of the table, crossed his legs, and slightly raised his eyebrows.
Yin Xiao pointed to the entryway, then rotated clockwise, passing over the sofa, carpet, and kitchen island.
"I noticed that your slippers, water cups, cushions, and other items are all matching couple items, and they were obviously prepared in advance. Is it because the cleaning staff you hired knows your aunt, and you're just putting on an act?"
Yi Zhiyan didn't deny it, and chuckled, "You're very observant... my wife."
Yin Xiao paused for a second, then noticed his serious demeanor and immediately felt like teasing him, so she smiled sweetly.
"Thank you for the compliment, husband."
She herself did not expect that the name that was originally difficult to say would become more and more natural after she said it a few times.
Without realizing it, a tacit rivalry had developed between them.
Yi Zhiyan showed no reaction, his expression calm, and turned to go to the other room with his teacup in hand.
Yin Xiao relaxed completely, patted her face, picked up the bag from the island counter and went back to her bedroom.
After this sudden chaos, her recent shower was completely wasted. Her hair was a mess, she was sweating, and her underwear was stuck to her chest, making her feel stuffy and uncomfortable.
She rummaged through the bag for a towel and a change of clothes, then went straight into the bathroom to shower. A complete set of toiletries was neatly arranged on the shelf next to the sink, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, face cream, and serum, all still unopened.
She picked up the blue box and looked at it under the light for a while.
It turned out to be a brand she often uses.
Uh-huh?
Something felt off, but Yin Xiao slowly put it back in its original place and didn't look at it again.
She quickly rinsed her hair, wrapped it in a towel, and went back to her bedroom.
Just then, a message popped up on the phone on the table from the dormitory group chat.
Dai Lan sent dozens of messages to their [322 Magic Fairy Castle], praising the hotel arranged by the school and complaining about the fragile dormitory that was always in need of repairs.
[Xiaoxun: Xiaoxiao, are you at your sister's yet?]
Yin Xiao closed her eyes and silently repeated "sorry" three times before replying.
[Yes, we've arrived.]
[Dai Lan: I can't take it anymore! It's too uncomfortable! I'm going to take a shower! Even if it takes half an hour to dry my hair, I'm going to shower!]
[Xiaoxun: I washed! I washed my hair as soon as I got to my cousin's house, and I'm blow-drying it now.]
Yin Xiao reached out and untied the towel, tugged at her wet hair, hesitated for a couple of seconds, then grabbed her phone and opened the door. She walked through the living room to the end of the hallway and gently knocked on the door.
Footsteps soon echoed in the room, the door opened, and Yi Zhiyan turned to look at her. He was wearing black-rimmed glasses, and a Bluetooth earphone was plugged into his right ear; he was clearly busy.
Yin Xiao was about to back out and wave goodbye when he pressed down on his earphone.
"Excuse me, my wife is looking for me. Please take a look at the architecture first, and we'll continue in ten minutes."
Yin Xiao blinked in surprise and rubbed the corner of her eye uncomfortably.
No... how come he calls her that more smoothly than she does?
Yi Zhiyan took off his headphones, frowned at her, and reached out to touch her hair.
"Why did you come out without drying your hair?"
"..." Yin Xiao said helplessly, "I just wanted to ask you, where is your hairdryer? I don't have one in my room."
Yi Zhiyan pushed open the door to the living room, and returned a few dozen seconds later with a pink hairdryer. It was brand new and unopened.
"Thank you." Yin Xiao took it, lowered her eyes and paused for a second, then looked up and asked him, "Were you already prepared for us to live together? There are so many daily necessities prepared in advance at home."
"Yes, it's normal to live together after marriage." He said calmly and frankly, "I can't think of a reason not to live together, but you have, and both sets of parents basically agree, so I haven't brought it up again."
“Oh…” Yin Xiao lowered her eyes.
"Go blow-dry your hair and get some rest. You have to go to the school drama club for a rehearsal tomorrow."
"Huh?" Yin Xiao asked in surprise, "You know?"
"You posted on your WeChat Moments last week to promote your new play, and one of the comments mentioned it."
Yi Zhiyan casually rested his wrist on the metal handle. "By the way, I have to go to a friend's company early tomorrow to take care of some things. I'll leave at seven. Someone will bring breakfast; I'll leave it on the table. Remember to eat it."
Yin Xiao nodded, vaguely sensing that his words implied a reporting or notification.
She pinched her fingertips, subconsciously explaining her plans, "I'm going back to school tomorrow afternoon, and I might need to use the kitchen for lunch, is that okay? I'll clean it up after I'm done."
"It's okay, use it as you like."
Yin Xiao thanked him sincerely. Yi Zhiyan didn't close the door, but turned around with his earphones in hand, took a few steps, and then came back.
“Yin Xiao, we are legally partners now, you don’t need to be so polite.” He spoke calmly and clearly, “This is your home.”
Yin Xiao's hand trembled, and she bent down to catch the slipping hairdryer. Strands of her hair clung to the side of her face, and water droplets dripped from her chin onto the floor.
She stared at the water stains spreading on the floor, adjusted her breathing, raised her chin, brushed aside her tangled bangs, and nodded generously.
"Okay, I understand."
She turned to leave, and her phone suddenly vibrated several times in a row. She unlocked it with one hand and put it to her ear to listen to the voice message in the group chat.
"Sisters, how are you all doing?"
Chen Weiqi had probably just finished her internship and was still on her way; the sound of wind could be faintly heard in the background.
[Xiaoxun: We're all fine, don't worry about us.]
[It's okay! You should hurry home and don't look at your phone on the way.]
Yin Xiao stood in the center of the living room, typing a reply. Just as she sent it, Dai Lan also sent a voice message to the group.
"It's alright, don't worry. Eat well and have fun. The hotel is much more comfortable than the dormitory!"
She had just finished listening when Dai Lan sent another message, this time lasting a full twenty-eight seconds.
"To lift my spirits, I've been browsing photos of handsome guys! Look at their Adam's apples and veins! And their chest, back, and abs! I'm going to share this in the group chat right now, hehehehe... Xiaoxiao, look! Isn't this your favorite type? Don't miss out!"
Sure enough, a link to Xiaohongshu popped up in the group chat. Yin Xiao tapped the screen and clicked on it.
"This is your favorite type?"
A low, husky voice suddenly sounded behind her, startling her so much that she immediately turned off her screen.
She slowly turned around and looked at the person leaning against the bedroom door, her brows furrowed, carefully hiding the embarrassment in her eyes. "Why haven't you gone in yet?"
Yi Zhiyan remained silent, leaning his arm against the door as he watched her. His knees were bent, and he leaned lazily against the wall, his glasses untouched and held in place by his fingers, exuding an air of nonchalance.
Yin Xiao secretly observed for a moment.
Something's wrong, something's very wrong...
The person who was originally indifferent and aloof now showed a playful expression.
Yin Xiao felt awkward under his gaze. She tried to smile, but then thought that it wouldn't matter if her fake husband heard her, so she decided to just let it go and shrugged indifferently.
"Can't I have normal hobbies?"
She raised her chin, not wanting to lose face, and gave a defiant snort.
"Don't you have any?"
A note from the author:
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