Chapter 68
August 12th was Lin Li's birthday.
Carrying the carefully prepared gift, Lin Li took a deep breath and knocked on Tong Yao's door again. This time, he was dressed appropriately, with a sunny smile, and came openly and honestly as "Lin Li."
Tong's father opened the door and, as always, warmly welcomed him inside. When Tong's mother saw him, although she didn't immediately give him a cold shoulder like last time, her attitude was noticeably distant and polite, as if she were entertaining a distant relative she wasn't very familiar with.
Lin Li presented the gifts: two boxes of fine tea and an exquisite tea set, clearly catering to Tong's parents' tastes.
He chatted with Tong's father for a while, mainly about university and major. When his "feng shui" major was mentioned, Tong's mother paused almost imperceptibly in her hand holding the water glass. Although she tried to hide her disapproval well, a trace of it still slipped through her eyes.
The atmosphere at lunch was fairly harmonious, but not long after the meal, Tong's mother politely but firmly asked Lin Li to leave the house, citing reasons such as "Yao Yao still has to study in the afternoon" and "I don't want to delay your plans as young people."
Standing in the familiar stairwell, Lin Li looked at the gift in his hand—a necklace he had been eyeing for a long time—that he had originally intended to give to Tong Yao, but hadn't had a chance to present to her. He pursed his lips helplessly. Sure enough, the battle wasn't going to be easy.
But when has Lin Li ever given up so easily?
An hour later.
"Ding-dong—" Tong Yao's doorbell rang again.
As Tong's mother wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen, she muttered, "Who is this?" She opened the door, and when she saw the person standing there, her face instantly lit up with a genuine and radiant smile.
"Oh my! Lili! It's you! Come in, come in! Auntie hasn't seen you in so long!" Tong's mother warmly took "Lin Lili's" hand and welcomed her into the house. The warmth in her tone was completely different from how she had treated Lin Li earlier.
Today, "Lin Lili" wore an elegant dress, a long, straight black wig, and light makeup, looking quiet and well-behaved. She was also carrying a delicate gift bag.
"Auntie, it's been a long time. This is a small gift I brought for you and Uncle." "Lin Lili" said in a sweet voice as she handed over the gifts: a box of imported pastries and a silk scarf.
"Oh, you've come all this way, why bring anything! You're too kind, child!" Tong's mother accepted the gift, beaming from ear to ear, and the more she looked at "Lili," the more satisfied she became.
The group sat down to chat, and Tong's mother asked with concern, "Lili, how did the college entrance exam go? Have the admission results come out yet? Which university did you get into?"
Lin Lili smiled slightly and answered frankly, "Auntie, Tong Yao and I were admitted to the same university."
"Really? That's great!" Tong's mother was delighted at first, but then, as if remembering something, she asked, "So... what's your major?" She secretly hoped that this "other people's child" would choose a respectable and prestigious major.
Lin Lili maintained her polite smile and clearly stated, "Ancient architecture preservation and geomancy culture research."
The air fell silent for a second.
The smile on Tong's mother's face froze for a fraction of a second before quickly returning to normal, though a hint of regret and confusion flashed in her eyes.
She chuckled dryly, "Oh...oh, this major...it's...it's pretty good, quite unique..." She really couldn't connect the gentle and pretty "girl" in front of her with that seemingly mysterious major, and wondered to herself: Why do all the good kids go to study this?
After chatting for a while, "Lin Lili" made an excuse to go to the restroom.
Only Tong's mother and Tong Yao remained in the living room. Looking in the direction "Lili" had left, Tong's mother couldn't help but sigh heavily. She took Tong Yao's hand, lowered her voice, and spoke with heartfelt regret:
"Yaoyao, look at Lili! What a wonderful girl! Sensible, considerate, and pretty too. She even brought us gifts when she visited—so thoughtful! She's also a good student, and she got into the same university as you! Sigh..."
She paused, patted Tong Yao's hand, and said the words that almost made Tong Yao's soul leave her body:
"If only this were a boy! Mom would definitely make him our son-in-law! He's so much better than that Lin Li...!"
"Pfft—cough cough cough..." Tong Yao, who was drinking water, choked on the water when she heard this. She coughed violently, her face turned red, and tears streamed down her face.
"Oh dear! How could you be so careless when drinking water!" Tong's mother was startled and quickly patted her back.
While Tong Yao was coughing violently, her mind was racing.
She couldn't even imagine what a scene it would be if her mother knew that the "sweet little girl" in the bathroom was Lin Li, whom she had just "invited" out.
Meanwhile, in the restroom, Lin Lili, who had just finished relieving herself and was about to wash her hands, seemed to vaguely hear the commotion outside and Tong Yao's cough. She adjusted her wig in front of the mirror, a sly yet somewhat helpless smile curving her lips.
It seems that Lin Lili's journey is far from over.
Lin Li left Tong Yao's house feeling resentful. Taking advantage of the fact that it was her birthday, she used her "Lin Lili" voice to coax and plead with Tong Yao until she finally managed to "lure" her out.
Inside Wanda Plaza, the two sat down at a restaurant.
Lin Li, with her long, straight, smooth black hair, looked perfectly natural in a dress.
He rested his chin on his hand, staring at the food in Tong Yao's bowl, blinking his eyes, and said in a coquettish tone, "Yao Yao, that looks so delicious! Can I have a bite?"
Tong Yao glanced at him helplessly at his affected manner, but still scooped up a spoonful and brought it to his lips.
Lin Li immediately beamed with joy, leaned over to eat it, and even deliberately licked his lips, which made Tong Yao lightly kick him under the table.
The two finished their meal in an atmosphere that appeared to outsiders as intimate "best friends," but was actually rife with undercurrents.
After dinner, they went to the arcade. Amidst the loud music and flashing lights, Lin Li had a great time. However, after a few drinks, a familiar sense of urgency crept in.
"I'm going to the restroom," Lin Li said to Tong Yao in a low voice.
Tong Yao understood, nodded, and waited with her arms crossed not far from the entrance of the men's restroom. Just then, a slightly surprised voice rang out:
"Sister Tong Yao?"
Tong Yao turned her head and saw her neighbor's younger brother, Song Tianzheng, smiling and waving at her.
"What a coincidence, you're here to play too?" he said in surprise.
"Hmm." Tong Yao nodded slightly, watching Song Tian naturally push open the door to the men's restroom and walk in, unaware that anything was amiss.
Inside the men's restroom.
Lin Li pushed the door to the cubicle, only to find it completely occupied. There was nothing she could do.
Lin Li found a urinal in a relatively corner, praying to finish quickly, preferably before any of the stall doors opened. He kept his head down, concentrating on speeding up the process.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the side, and another figure jogged to the urinal not far away.
Song Tian relaxed as he relieved himself, subconsciously tilting his head and casually glancing at the profile of the "girl" next to him, who was wearing a skirt and whose figure seemed strangely familiar and tall.
At that one glance, his movements froze instantly, his eyes widened as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable, and even his breath stopped.
"Li... Sister Lili?" The call was accompanied by an incredulous tremor and broken syllables.
Lin Li was startled by the sound and trembled, instinctively turning her head—
Their eyes met.
The air seemed to freeze and explode at that moment.
Song Tian's gaze seemed fixed on Lin Li's face, his brain seemingly refusing to process the contradictory information he was receiving—
That delicate face that belonged to "Lin Lili" and that he had secretly admired was now standing in the men's restroom, in front of the urinal!
Song Tian's gaze gradually moved down from Lin Li's face.
The next second, shock, confusion, and a sense of bewilderment as if his worldview had been turned upside down swept over Song Tian like a tsunami. He even forgot what he was still doing.
"Ah—!" A short, terrified scream escaped from Song Tian's throat.
He frantically zipped up his pants, the process incredibly disarrayed, as if a demon were chasing him. Without looking back, he practically tumbled out of the men's restroom, forgetting even to wash his hands.
Almost at the same time, the sound of a flushing toilet came from one of the cubicles.
Startled awake by the sound of the flushing water, Lin Li didn't care about anything else. She quickly shook herself off, pulled up her pants, and let her skirt fall down. Like a gust of wind, she rushed out of the crime scene that had caused her social death.
Outside the restroom, Tong Yao watched as Song Tian, looking as if he had seen a ghost, stumbled out, his face pale, and disappeared into the crowd of people in the arcade without looking back.
Immediately afterwards, they saw "Lin Lili" running out, looking equally panicked and unsteady on her feet.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same message in each other's eyes—it's over, we've been exposed!
"Let's go!" Tong Yao made a quick decision, pulling up the still dazed Lin Li. Forget about playing the game, they quickly headed towards another exit of the arcade.
As Tong Yao dragged her away, Lin Li wailed, on the verge of tears, "It's all over! Tong Yao! My reputation as 'Lin Lili'... no, my identity! It's completely exposed! Song Tian... he must have seen it! Will he tell everyone?!"
Tong Yao glared at him, annoyed: "Now you're scared? Where were you before! Who told you to dress like that and run around like that!"
This birthday was destined to be spent in shock and trepidation. And Song Tian's pure, innocent heart will likely need a long time to recover from the devastating impact of tonight.
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