V2: Chapter 88: What Exactly were Her Feelings for Her?
"I... I just don't want you to go see Natalie."
This sentence, seemingly shameless, was full of coquettishness. Coupled with Liang Di's constant shaking of Liang Lin's middle and index fingers, it was even more endearing.
In reality, Liang Di was filled with anxiety while coquettishly acting this way. She was afraid that Liang Lin would suddenly shake her hand away, like before.
In fact...
Well, just as she thought, Liang Lin did shake her hand away. However, a suspicious blush appeared on her face, and she muttered something under her breath.
"I didn't really intend to go back. Chatting with her was too boring. I finally managed to sneak back, why would I go back! You're overthinking it."
She stood ramrod straight, like a scarecrow.
“I came back just to go to my own room, okay? But when I passed your room, I heard crying inside, so I came in to check,” Liang Lin said, a disdainful expression on her face (feigned).
“I have the utmost contempt for people who cry so easily. You're almost twenty, and you're still secretly crying. It's shameful.”
This was as if she were deliberately explaining to Liang Di why she had come into her room to check on her.
Liang Di blinked twice, sitting motionless on the edge of the bed, staring at Liang Lin.
Liang Lin felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze, her heart pounding. She felt as if those clear, ocean-like eyes could see right through her, revealing the hidden thoughts within her. So, she shifted her gaze and looked away.
"So, don't overthink it. I just can't stand seeing others cry, understand? It's not that I won't see Natalie just because you said I can't. I never planned to go back anyway. Don't overthink it, don't be delusional."
Liang Lin spoke coldly, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her supposedly "hidden" thoughts.
"Okay, I believe you."
Liang Di chuckled inwardly; her earlier sadness had largely subsided.
Liang Lin could tell that the other's tone had lightened considerably, which relieved her and allowed her to return to her room with peace of mind.
"Hmm, I understand now."
After saying this, Liang Lin strolled towards the door.
"Sister Liang Lin!"
Another loud shout came from behind, calling her name.
Liang Lin frowned.
Why wasn't this going on? Why does this guy always find something to do or ask me a few questions the moment I try to leave?
Tsk, is she doing this on purpose?
Liang Lin turned around, giving Liang Di a displeased look, only to see a beautiful face brimming with innocence.
Liang Lin froze for another second.
Then, she shook her head vigorously.
Damn it!
Liang Lin!
You need to stay rational! Don't be fooled by this monster's pitiful appearance! All these superficial things are just an act to lower your guard!
Well, she actually guessed right.
Our Liang Lin has never been this clever before; this is the first time she's guessed something correctly. However, even if she guessed right, it wouldn't do her any good.
"What else do you want to say? Can you just say it all at once?"
Liang Lin's tone was full of impatience.
This time, she wasn't faking it; she was genuinely impatient. To be fair, even a normal person would get impatient after being called over repeatedly, let alone someone with Liang Lin's fiery temper.
"Then, can't you stay and keep me company?"
Liang Lin's answer was firm, "No."
This little brat, she's really pushing her luck.
"Oh..."
"But, Sister, the way you pinned me down just now was really cool."
Liang Lin blurted out, "Isn't that inevitable?"
"Sister Liang Lin, don't you really want to pin me down again?" Liang Di still spoke arrogantly.
"No!"
This time it was Liang Lin's turn to explode. She glared fiercely at Liang Di.
"Oh... okay."
Liang Di lowered her head dejectedly again.
Tsk.
That annoying, pitiful act again, I wonder who she's trying to fool.
"Alright, stop overthinking."
Liang Lin awkwardly ruffled the other's hair, making it a messy jumble, like a tangled bird's nest.
Liang Lin walked away without looking back, leaving Liang Di staring blankly at her retreating figure.
"Sister Liang Lin just now,.."
"....touched my head...!"
Look at her, so pathetic.
Liang Lin worried that if she stayed any longer, she would soften her heart.
She really didn't go back to the back garden to chat with Natalie. She went to Gladys and Laura's room, took Carol back, and asked Gladys to go to the back garden to tell Natalie that her stomach wasn't feeling well and she wouldn't be going there, so she should go home first.
Liang Lin carried Carol back to her room.
As soon as she got back to her room, she tossed Carol onto the small bed next to her, then threw herself onto the soft bed, hugging the fluffy pillows and burying her face in them, her breathing becoming heavy.
A thought kept swirling in her mind:
"What kind of feelings do I have for Liang Di?"
First, Liang Di was the other mother of her child. Second, Liang Di was the girl who first stirred her heart. Finally, she and Liang Di had a childhood promise.
Thinking of this, Liang Lin sighed.
If Liang Di hadn't done those outrageous things, perhaps they would already be happily married? What a pity, what a tragedy, what a lament.
So what about now?
What kind of feelings did she have for Liang Di now?
The occasional racing heart, and… the inexplicable, deep-seated bitterness she felt when she saw Liang Di showing interest in other girls—what was that all about?
If—she meant if…
If she had fallen for the person who had once bullied her, wouldn't that mean there was something wrong with her? A normal person shouldn't feel this way.
Liang Lin sighed heavily, turned over, and took a deep breath of fresh air. Her eyes became vacant, like a goose lying on the roadside.
"Mommy! Look! Here! Look!"
Just as Liang Lin was contemplating life and doubting herself, Carol called out to her in her childish voice, waving her little hands as if she were holding something.
Liang Lin's eyes were glazed over. She slowly turned her head to look at her child. The instant her gaze met Carol's little hand, her eyes instantly changed from clear and foolish to bright and clear.
A sharp, loud bang came from Liang Lin's room, so loud that Gladys, who was secretly eating blood clots downstairs, almost bit her tongue.
"Carol!"
"You little brat!"
"What is that thing you're holding?!"
Liang Lin sprang from the bed, dashing to her troublesome child and snatching the object from her hand. Then, she ran, opened the window, threw it out, closed the window, patted her less-than-ample chest, and let out a long sigh of relief.
This series of actions was completed in one fluid motion.
"Ca!"
"Rol!"
"What are you doing holding a toad in your hand?!"
"You're even putting it in your mouth right in front of me?!"
Liang Lin shouted loudly, but Carol just blinked her big, watery eyes, looking at Liang Lin and smiling, showing no fear whatsoever.
Liang Lin was speechless with anger.
To outsiders, a single glance was enough to intimidate those delicate young ladies and maids. But this little girl in front of her was never afraid of her.
Perhaps it was because she was her own child; she was bold, which was quite good. She inherited this trait; she would definitely become a valiant swordsman someday.
"Who gave you the toad?"
"Sister Gladys..."
Liang Lin: "....."
Downstairs.
Gladys, whose mouth was bleeding from eating, wiped her mouth, feeling a tickle in her nose, as if she wanted to sneeze. So, she frowned and turned to look at Laura.
"Hey, were you secretly cursing me just now? Why do I feel like sneezing?"
Laura, sitting there in a daze: "?"
Sitting at home, trouble falls from the sky.
"I think you've gotten into some trouble again. The lady is coming to find you, isn't she?"
Laura just said casually.
"Gladys!!!"
Liang Lin stormed downstairs.
"Gah!"
This time, Gladys was genuinely startled, then bit her tongue. In an instant, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up.
But her first reaction was to stuff all the blood clots in her hand into her mouth, swallowing them whole. Her mouth was full of blood, yet she stubbornly and indistinctly explained, "I, I didn't steal any blood clots, Miss Liang Lin."
Liang Lin: "....."
Looking at her stupid appearance, she suddenly didn't want to say anything. It felt reasonable that she caught toads for Carol to cheer her up.
“W-what did I do? Miss Liang Lin.” Gladys swallowed the blood clot in her mouth.
“…”
“It’s nothing, go play.”
Liang Lin rubbed her forehead. “I just wanted to say, don’t catch those weird things for Carol anymore. Do you know, she actually tried to put them in her mouth just now.”
“Weird things?” Gladys’s eyes gleamed with a clear, innocent stupidity.
Liang Lin covered her face again, feeling like she couldn’t communicate with this girl.
“Don’t catch those small animals, insects, like toads, uh, and what else (can’t remember)… Anyway, toads and things like that.”
Gladys nodded, feeling confused. “I… I gave her toads?”
She’d forgotten.
“…Alright, it’s nothing, go play by yourself.”
It felt like punching cotton.
After all this commotion, Liang Lin returned to her room, exhausted. She collapsed back onto the bed, Liang Di's endearing face flashing through her mind.
Liang Lin felt a little lost.
"It seems..."
It seems she'd only ever felt a spark for Liang Di.
So, what about the future?
Will she ever accept Liang Di?
Will the lingering resentment she felt for Liang Di truly disappear completely?
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