After Transmigrating Into a Book, I Was Played by the Black Lotus – Chapter 97

Extra 7

Parallel World IF Line 6

Upon waking up, Lin Xingzhu felt that her head hurt a bit.

She rubbed her temples to alleviate this feeling of pain, and slowly, the memories concerning last night completely revived.

Bai Xiying…

The hand rubbing her temples paused; Lin Xingzhu pressed her lips together, and it was unknown what she was thinking in her light-colored eyes.

After a long moment, Lin Xingzhu put down her hand, got up, and pulled open the curtains; the high-hanging sunlight immediately met her eyes.

Today was a good weather day.

Opening the bedroom door and walking out, Lin Xingzhu saw Bai Xiying nestled on the balcony sunbathing with a single glance.

A book was placed upside-down over her face, as if she were feigning sleep.

Hearing the movement, Bai Xiying moved away the book covering her face, turned her head, and said with a warm smile, “You’re awake?”

There was not the slightest bit of awkwardness on her face.

Lin Xingzhu nodded.

Neither of them mentioned the matter that had happened last night.

Bai Xiying slowly sat up from the lounge chair, smoothed out her hair that was somewhat messy from being pressed down, and asked, “Do you want to eat something? I’ll make something for you.”

Lin Xingzhu refused; she had just glanced at the time—it was past ten o’clock, and they could eat lunch after waiting a little while longer.

She looked at Bai Xiying, “Do you want to go out to eat together today?”

Bai Xiying, “Go out?”

Lin Xingzhu nodded, “We… haven’t gone out to eat in a long time.”

Actually, when Bai Xiying had just arrived, Lin Xingzhu had taken her out to the mall. It was just that later on, she became busy with work and could no longer attend to these things.

Just thinking about it, one could also know that for Bai Xiying to be here by herself without identification, going out alone would certainly be especially troublesome.

She looked at the unconcealed smile on Bai Xiying’s face after hearing these words and slightly averted her eyes.

After the two of them got ready, Lin Xingzhu drove the car that He Yudong had someone bring over early in the morning and went to the restaurant she had booked previously.

It was a place that Bai Xiying had seen online previously and had very much wanted to go to.

Upon arriving at the place, Bai Xiying looked at the restaurant’s name and at once thought of a casual remark she herself had made several days ago.

She had not expected that Lin Xingzhu had actually kept it in her heart all this time.

Lin Xingzhu had already parked the car and walked in. When she saw Bai Xiying standing outside the door and not entering, she smiled a little and said naturally, “It just so happens that I want to try the shrimp here; I hear it’s very famous.”

Bai Xiying curved her lips, “Many people recommend this place.”

The two of them walked in together.

Lin Xingzhu had reserved a spot in advance, so after she reported her name and phone number at the front desk, she was led by a waiter to an empty seat to wait. It happened to be a seat by the window, which looked very comfortable.

When the menu was handed to them, both of them first chose the recommended signature shrimp, and then ordered several more dishes one after another before the menu was taken away.

After the waiter conveniently left, this space suddenly quieted down.

Bai Xiying looked at the wood grain on the tabletop and said, “Thank you.”

Lin Xingzhu, “Hm?”

Bai Xiying curved her lips and did not say any more.

Seeing this, Lin Xingzhu also suddenly understood.

The two of them lowered their heads and played on their phones for a while. Before long, a waiter came carrying a tray and presented their dishes one after another.

The fragrance of the shrimp placed in the center between the two of them assailed the nostrils; just smelling it made one’s index finger move greatly¹.

The two of them began to eat with concentration.

Bai Xiying was lowering her head and concentrating on eating when a peeled shrimp was suddenly placed before her eyes.

She could not help but raise her head to look at Lin Xingzhu opposite her.

The oil stain on the corner of her lips had already been wiped clean. Lin Xingzhu met Bai Xiying’s eyes and explained very plainly, “If you like to eat it, then eat more.”

It seemed she did not feel that peeling shrimp for someone was any kind of strange matter.

The confusion in Bai Xiying’s eyes flashed and disappeared, and pleasure subconsciously grew in her heart.

Her mentality toward Lin Xingzhu had changed, so a small action from the other party would easily affect her state of mind.

She remembered how before, at her request, Lin Xingzhu had started by bringing her cake after work, and then later, even without her request, she had also begun to bring her a box of small cakes day after day after returning home from work.

Bai Xiying thought of the familiar flavor she had tasted in the middle of the night yesterday, and the curve at the corner of her lips involuntarily deepened.

However, at this moment, Bai Xiying still had not completely figured out Lin Xingzhu’s attitude toward her, so she did not open her mouth with a stream of flirtatious words as she had before.

Actually, Bai Xiying was able to feel Lin Xingzhu’s goodwill toward her—that kind of all-encompassing goodwill, gentle in the silent places, that very easily makes people who have fallen into an abyss unable to resist drawing warmth from her.

So, that she would come to like Lin Xingzhu was actually not surprising, was it?

It was just that she did not know how Lin Xingzhu saw her, but Bai Xiying pondered that it was certainly not with dislike.

Didn’t you see that after I sneak-attack kissed Lin Xingzhu yesterday, she still in turn, pushing her heart and placing it in her belly², persuaded her?

Thinking of this, Bai Xiying lowered her head, picked up that piece of shrimp meat, and slowly put it into her mouth to chew.

Where there was one, there were two; afterward, Lin Xingzhu peeled quite a few more shrimp for her one after another.

Just as Lin Xingzhu was lowering her head to deal with the shrimp shells, she suddenly heard someone call her.

“Xingzhu?”

Lin Xingzhu raised her head and said in surprise, “Zhengke?”

The acquaintance calling her name was precisely Qin Zhengke³, the true Eldest Miss of the Qin family.

Qin Zhengke’s gaze circled on her hands, and as she walked over, she still smilingly said, “I thought I had seen the wrong person; I didn’t expect that a closer look would reveal it really is you.”

She looked at the outstandingly beautiful woman sitting opposite, raised an eyebrow, and said, “Eating with a friend?”

Her gaze swept past the plate in front of Bai Xiying.

Lin Xingzhu nodded, “Mhm.”

She looked at Qin Zhengke’s girlfriend standing not far away, her attitude also very gentle, “Have you two finished eating?”

Qin Zhengke shrugged, “Yeah, you two take your time eating. I just came to say hello.”

Saying this, she did not plan to further disturb Lin Xingzhu and the beautiful woman enjoying lunch together; with a move of her toes, she was about to turn and leave.

Lin Xingzhu suddenly spoke out and stopped her, “Wait a moment, I have a matter I’d like to ask you a favor for.”

After speaking, Lin Xingzhu turned her head to look at Bai Xiying, who had been paying attention to this side, “You take your time eating first; I’ll just say a few words and be right back.”

Bai Xiying nodded, and then watched the two of them leave.

Once outside, after finding a place with no people, Qin Zhengke then smilingly asked, “What matter do you want to ask me a favor for?”

How strange; unexpectedly, there was a matter that even Lin Xingzhu could not handle.

Qin Zhengke touched her chin and guessed with great interest, “It couldn’t be that you’re asking me for a favor regarding a relationship problem, right?”

Lin Xingzhu, “…”

She shook her head, “I’m talking about serious business.”

Tsk, how are relationship problems not serious business?

Qin Zhengke could not be bothered to argue with this from-the-womb-single-dog⁴ about the wonderfulness of love, shrugged her shoulders, and said relaxedly, “Then say it.”

Lin Xingzhu, “Do you know any friends who can help get someone household registration⁵ and verify their identity?”

Qin Zhengke was startled; her originally relaxed appearance restrained a few degrees, and she looked at Lin Xingzhu somewhat seriously, “What matter have you encountered?”

Otherwise, why bring up getting someone household registration for no reason?

Lin Xingzhu, “A friend I know has some problems with her identity and is in relatively great need of this…”

She did not say everything, but Qin Zhengke understood her meaning.

She gave Lin Xingzhu a deep look, thought for a moment, and said, “You know, you also know all these friends I got to know later on. To find you someone who can properly handle these matters in a short amount of time is really not too easy.”

She could not help but glare at Lin Xingzhu, “You really are something; not asking for favors is one thing, but as soon as you have a matter, it’s such a thorny problem.”

Lin Xingzhu was also a bit embarrassed, “I’m troubling you. I’ll treat you all to a meal another day.”

Qin Zhengke snorted, “You’d better not talk about treating me. The day you can come home to eat a meal will count as thanking me.”

After a pause, Qin Zhengke said seriously, “Xingzhu, you know I’ve never blamed you. Dad and Mom, they also… miss you quite a lot. I actually don’t mind.”

Back then, she and Lin Xingzhu being switched at birth was an accident to begin with. And the Lin family, who raised Qin Zhengke, was especially good to her from beginning to end. Although the family conditions of the Lin family and the Qin family could not be compared, Qin Zhengke never felt that Father Lin and Mother Lin were not good.

It was just that in the year she graduated from university, Father Lin and Mother Lin unexpectedly passed away in a car accident. Later, when the truth of her and Lin Xingzhu’s life stories became greatly clear⁶, Qin Zhengke actually still felt some guilt in her heart.

She felt guilty that Lin Xingzhu had never truly met her dad and mom.

So she did not mind Lin Xingzhu’s existence at all; Father Lin and Mother Lin were so good to her, they were her other pair of parents. And since Father Qin and Mother Qin raised Lin Xingzhu to adulthood, it was very normal for there to be a family affection between them that was hard to part with, was it not?

Lin Xingzhu was startled; she understood Qin Zhengke’s meaning, “…It’s my fault. I should have gone to see them long ago.”

Hearing these words, Qin Zhengke grinned, “Actually, according to reason, you should call me ‘jiejie.’ After all, I was born a few minutes earlier than you. It’s only right for your jiejie to help you handle matters.”

Before Lin Xingzhu could even be moved, she only heard Qin Zhengke looking at her with ill intent, “Come on, let me hear you call me ‘jiejie.’”

Lin Xingzhu, “…”

She did not want to open her mouth, but the person before her had an air of ‘if you don’t call me, I won’t handle your matter properly.’ She felt wronged for two seconds and, with a stiff face, opened her mouth, “Zhengke-jie.”

Fine, Zhengke-jie is also a jiejie.

Although Qin Zhengke was not completely satisfied, she also knew it was more or less okay.

“You can rest assured; I will pay proper attention to this matter for you.”

Returning to her seat, Bai Xiying saw Lin Xingzhu’s pair of eyes staring fixedly at her.

Before she even had time to ask who that person just now was, Bai Xiying looked at this gaze and only felt it was a bit inexplicable.

Lin Xingzhu withdrew her gaze and, while peeling a shrimp shell, suddenly asked her how old she was.

Bai Xiying, “…?”

She answered truthfully.

The lightly furrowed crease between Lin Xingzhu’s eyebrows completely smoothed out.

She put the shrimp meat onto Bai Xiying’s plate and said very naturally, “Then I’m half a year older than you.”

So what? Why suddenly talk about age?

Bai Xiying was puzzled. Could it be that Lin Xingzhu was going to suddenly tell her that she likes yujie⁷ who are older than her?

In that case, the topic has strayed too far!

Lin Xingzhu thought of the scene where Qin Zhengke forced her to call her ‘jiejie.’ Once she thought that this opportunity was ultimately still for the sake of allowing Bai Xiying to be able to truly enjoy freedom in this society, in this world, her eyes moved.

“I’m half a year older than you. According to reason, it wouldn’t be too much for you to call me ‘jiejie,’ right?”

---

---