Chapter 81: An Uninvited Interrogation

Suddenly, someone called out “Xiao Qing” to Lin Qing. Su Yao immediately turned her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

She then saw a middle-aged woman, cradling a Teddy dog, looking over with an expression brimming with gossip.

Upon seeing Su Yao’s beautiful face, the woman’s surprise deepened.

Realizing she was just an ordinary resident of the complex, Su Yao pondered for a moment before quickly guessing the woman’s identity.

‘She must be Lin Qing’s neighbor.’

Considering Lin Qing’s aversion to strangers, the fact that this woman knew him and used such an intimate address suggested their relationship went beyond mere acquaintances.

‘If that’s the case…’

‘I still don’t know about Lin Qing’s past. Perhaps I can learn something from her.’

While she could patiently wait for Lin Qing to reveal everything himself, Su Yao suspected that day might never come.

Thus, presented with a shortcut, there was no reason not to take it.

“Hello, Auntie. I’m Lin Qing’s girlfriend, Su Yao.”

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Su Yao offered a gentle smile. Her sparkling black eyes, combined with her lovely face, gave her an innocent, harmless appearance that instantly endeared her to others.

She captivated young and old, men and women alike!

Auntie Wang, Lin Qing’s next-door neighbor, was no exception. Seeing such a well-behaved young lady, she grew fonder the more she looked, thinking how excellent Lin Qing’s taste was.

‘His girlfriend is not only beautiful but also polite!’

“Oh, my! I wondered why Xiao Qing seemed so much more cheerful lately. So, he’s in love!” Auntie Wang exclaimed. “How did you two meet? Xiao Qing is a really good kid, just a bit reserved, but honest!”

As Auntie Wang spoke, she didn’t forget to put in a few good words for Lin Qing.

This made Su Yao’s smile even brighter. ‘Lin Qing isn’t reserved at all!’ she thought.

‘When he’s with me, he’s incredibly lively.’

‘Though usually because I’ve provoked him…’

“Lin Qing is very good to me, but sometimes… it’s like he’s always lost in thought, which makes me a little worried.”

Seeing the conversation naturally revolve around Lin Qing, Su Yao spoke a few more words, her face etched with a hint of concern, her tone entirely that of a worried girlfriend.

Auntie Wang, who had taken an instant liking to Su Yao, showed a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. However, she reasoned that since Su Yao was Lin Qing’s girlfriend, she wasn’t an outsider.

‘Sharing a little wouldn’t hurt.’

“Actually, Lin Qing is quite a pitiful child. Not only did his mother die of a heart attack a few years ago, but for nearly ten…”

“Auntie Wang, what are you doing here?”

Before Auntie Wang could finish her sentence, Lin Qing’s voice suddenly rang out from nearby.

As he approached, pulling the lively Shirley along, the Teddy dog, which had been comfortably nestled in Auntie Wang’s arms, abandoned its leisure. It immediately bared its teeth and barked furiously at Shirley.

It looked as if it wanted to leap down and challenge the larger dog, prompting Auntie Wang to quickly grab the scruff of its neck, preventing it from actually falling.

“Well, we discovered a dog thief today, didn’t we? So we formed a patrol team, ready to keep an eye out for any more appearances of the dog thief.”

After securing the Teddy by the scruff, and against the backdrop of its incessant barking, Auntie Wang looked at Lin Qing, speaking with a slightly guilty expression.

‘She had just been about to talk about Lin Qing behind his back, and now she’d been caught red-handed.’

‘How awkward!’

“Oh, I see. Then please continue your patrol, Auntie Wang! Su Yao, let’s go.”

Lin Qing didn’t comment further on Auntie Wang’s words. Instead, after speaking, he simply glanced up at Su Yao.

His eyes held a warning, telling her not to cross the line so easily.

Upon receiving Lin Qing’s gaze, Su Yao raised an eyebrow helplessly, knowing her attempt to probe his past had failed this time.

‘No need to be disheartened, there will be other opportunities.’

The more she discovered Lin Qing’s unusual qualities, the more excited she felt, her anticipation soaring.

‘Indeed.’

‘Not sending someone to investigate Lin Qing was the correct decision.’

When investigating Wang Fanran and Chen Sen, Su Yao hadn’t hesitated, as she held no great interest in them.

Were it not for Lin Qing, Su Yao wouldn’t have bothered to spare either of them a glance.

‘It’s like the difference between a rare treasure and a roadside pebble.’

‘A precious gem warrants careful attention; a worthless stone does not.’

“Are you angry?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t hear what you were talking about, so what’s there to be angry about?”

After parting ways with Auntie Wang, Lin Qing and Su Yao walked side-by-side. Shirley, trotting ahead, ran excitedly back and forth, its tongue lolling out.

The leash stretched taut.

Just like the current atmosphere between them.

Although Lin Qing claimed not to be angry, Su Yao observed his stiff back and slightly rigid movements. Even with his lowered hair obscuring his expression, she knew he was indeed upset.

‘What kind of extraordinary past could make him so tense?’

‘He shouldn’t continue to pique her curiosity.’

‘Otherwise, the consequences would be severe.’

“Lin Qing, you forgot to slouch. You’re giving yourself away.”

As Su Yao thought this, her sudden words made Lin Qing’s steps falter for a moment before he pretended nothing happened and continued walking.

Alas, he had already been exposed.

Just now, Lin Qing had been so preoccupied with being angry that he’d forgotten this detail.

‘But when did Su Yao find out?’

‘At school, he had disguised himself perfectly; there was no way he could have been discovered.’

Seeing Lin Qing still trying to maintain his composure, Su Yao smiled faintly. She didn’t press the issue, but instead used the slightly relaxed atmosphere to explain the recent incident.

“I was just refining the plan. After all, besides letting Wang Fanran see it for himself, we also need to create some gossip to make him truly believe we’re together.”

“…”

“So, when someone asked about our relationship, I said we were a couple, and they believed it without any doubt, you know~”

“…”

Having already been exposed by Su Yao regarding his height, Lin Qing no longer bothered to hide it. However, listening to her words subsequently made his head ache anew.

‘Of all things, Su Yao and Auntie Wang had to meet.’

As it was his first time walking a large dog, Lin Qing was a little flustered. However, Shirley was not a difficult dog to handle; on the contrary, it was very obedient.

This allowed Lin Qing to quickly get a handle on its movements, no longer being pulled along by it.

His initial excitement from walking the dog rapidly dissipated the moment he saw Su Yao and Auntie Wang standing together.

Lin Qing’s lips were tightly pressed together. Although he knew Auntie Wang was unaware of his ten-year captivity, she was intimately familiar with everything that had happened to the Lin family over the past decade.

It felt as if a wound had suddenly been torn open, exposing a grotesque and sickening reality.

Lin Qing did not want Su Yao to know about these things.

“Alright, alright. If you don’t like it, I won’t talk about it anymore. Calm down.”

When Lin Qing remained silent, Su Yao proactively linked her arm through his. Her soft body pressed close, and her distinctive, pleasant scent grew more potent.

As she spoke, Su Yao’s gaze flickered to a nearby corner. When the peeping observer quickly hid, a triumphant smile played in her eyes.

‘The plan began long ago. The outcome, then, must not disappoint her…’

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Desert Island Romance

Boys LoveComedyModern Setting

Read Now →
Not interested