Sister, can I be a maid too?

Jiang Yubai thought about it carefully and realized that he had only drunk the water from Lin Jianxia's cup, and he hadn't even touched the rim of the cup.

It shouldn't be enough to make her so angry that she'd want to hire someone to beat her up.

Since it's not about challenging him to a fight, then there's another way...

After school, a beautiful girl, blushing, a grove of trees.

These words together... they just don't sound right at all...

Jiang Yubai muttered to himself, carrying his schoolbag, stepping on the rustling fallen leaves, and walking along the path into the depths of the woods.

It's called a grove of trees, but it's really just a small grove of trees next to the hill behind the school.

The trees weren't very dense, so the school didn't trim them much, only building two pavilions and an archway covered with ivy.

Because of its tranquil environment nestled against the mountains and beside the water, this place has gradually become a favorite secret corner for young couples.

Just after crossing the arched bridge, Jiang Yubai spotted Lin Jianxia in the pavilion.

The girl was still wearing her clean and tidy blue and white school uniform, her legs together, her schoolbag in her arms, sitting quietly on the stone bench.

She wore her hair in a high ponytail and turned to look out of the pavilion. Her delicate profile was bathed in the dappled light and shadow of the evening, making her look like a painting.

Jiang Yubai unconsciously slowed his pace, leaned against the arched bridge, and began to admire the view with an open and generous air.

You know what, you really shouldn't say—

It's really beautiful.

Even if they're just wearing oversized blue and white sportswear, even if they're just sitting quietly, their youthful and vibrant energy still radiates outwards.

After Mei Mei had feasted her eyes, Jiang Yubai finally stepped forward with satisfaction.

Only when he got closer did he realize that Lin Jianxia was looking at the distant scenery with a dazed expression, clearly lost in thought.

—What are you thinking about? You're so close and you still don't react?

Jiang Yubai stroked his chin, a mischievous thought creeping into his mind.

He had intended to reach out and pinch the girl's soft cheek, but he paused halfway through the movement. Instead, he took out a notebook from his bag and gently poked her face with the corner of the notebook.

"——!!!"

Lin Jianxia jumped up like a startled deer, her chest heaving slightly, her lips parted but no sound came out, she just stared at him blankly.

—Wow, so dedicated! Even when you're scared, you don't even scream.

Seeing her looking over, Jiang Yubai greeted her very kindly:

Hello hello~

Lin Jianxia bit her lower lip and stared straight at him, her cheeks flushed, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

Unfortunately, that gaze had no deterrent effect on Jiang Yubai.

He sat down on the stone bench as if he knew the place well, shrugged, and said, "So... what did you want to talk to me about? And why did you have to come all the way to the grove?"

Lin Jianxia looked at him for a few more seconds, then silently sat down beside him.

She pursed her lips, her gaze falling on the draft paper in Jiang Yubai's hand, and for some reason, her expression became somewhat conflicted.

Seeing her neither speaking nor writing, and just acting so strangely, Jiang Yubai frowned and asked suspiciously:

"Hey Lin Tingwan, is it possible that your sister has finally fallen for me and sent you to sound me out?"

He stroked his chin and said regretfully:

"Sigh... I knew it. Someone as charming as me shouldn't get too close to your sister."

"It's a pity that I'm focused on my studies and have no interest in romance, which will only end up hurting her."

Lin Jianxia was clearly not expected to hear such a shameless remark before she even opened her mouth, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

Jiang Yubai was still stroking his chin with his eyes closed, looking regretful, when suddenly he felt the draft notebook in his hand being snatched away with a 'whoosh'.

The moment he opened his eyes, the notebook slammed onto his head with a loud thud.

"Damn it, what are you doing? A gentleman uses words, not fists!"

Jiang Yubai quickly reached out to block, but the girl opposite him bit her lip and wouldn't let it go, clearly furious.

He was hit on the head several more times before he finally grabbed Lin Jianxia's wrist.

The wrist was slightly cool and smooth to the touch, like holding a piece of fine mutton fat jade.

However, Jiang Yubai had no time to ponder this; he was simply staring at the girl glaring at him, utterly bewildered.

No, has Lin Jianxia gone mad today?

Why aren't you pretending at all anymore?

He tentatively asked, "Lin Tingwan, why are you... so different from how you are at home?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jianxia's angry expression stiffened slightly, and even her struggling movements weakened a bit.

She pursed her lips and shook her wrist, signaling Jiang Yubai to let go.

Jiang Yubai wasn't letting up; what if he slapped himself twice more?

"You promise not to lay a hand on me first."

Lin Jianxia stared at him for a few seconds and nodded slightly.

Seeing that she nodded, Jiang Yubai first moved a few inches away without leaving a trace, and then slowly let go of her hand.

After all, although this grove of trees is quite quiet, it is not an uninhabited area, and students still pass by.

Judging from their current posture, anyone who didn't know the situation would think he was about to do something.

If his classmates really saw him grabbing Lin Jianxia's wrist in the pavilion in the grove, and then added fuel to the fire, there would be no way to clear his name.

Feeling the pressure on her hand loosen, Lin Jianxia quickly pulled her hand back, rubbed her reddened wrist, and glared at him fiercely.

Jiang Yubai shrugged, looking helpless.

"So what exactly did you want to tell me when you called me here?"

"We can't just be sitting here alone in this little pavilion, and you suddenly pull out a math test paper and say, 'Let me explain the problems to you,' can we?"

Lin Jianxia ignored his nonsense, lowered her eyes and remained silent for a few seconds, as if she had finally made up her mind.

She pulled a ballpoint pen from her bag, quickly wrote a few lines in her notebook, and then handed it to the side.

Jiang Yubai took the paper and saw five neatly written characters on it:

"I am Lin Jianxia."

After confirming several times that he hadn't misread it, his mind was filled with question marks.

No, what does this mean?

Why did Lin Jianxia suddenly introduce herself? Why isn't she afraid of him finding out now?

He hasn't even teased... no, I mean, he hasn't had enough fun yet!

Looking at the girl before him, her ears flushed red, biting her lower lip and refusing to look at him, Jiang Yubai, clinging to the last shred of hope, tentatively spoke:

"Lin Tingwan, why are you lying to me? How could you possibly be your sister?"

Hearing this, Lin Jianxia took a deep breath, her tone filled with shame and anger, and her voice even lowered a few decibels:

"You bastard... now you know!"

Chapter 25 Lin Jianxia's Secret

"..."

"......"

"Lin Tingwan, so you can talk!" Jiang Yubai exclaimed in surprise.

"Jiang Yubai!"

Lin Jianxia's voice rose a few decibels, but then she quickly stopped talking as if she realized something.

She bit her lower lip, her heart pounding, and couldn't help but lower her head, not daring to look at Jiang Yubai's expression beside her.

Before she even opened her mouth, she had already mentally rehearsed countless embarrassing scenarios of being mocked by him and dying on the spot.

Even after revealing the truth, a nagging sense of shame still lingered in my heart.

But after those words proving that she was 'Lin Jianxia' actually came out, another kind of inexplicable fear quietly welled up inside her.

Like a tide, it slowly flooded my chest, making it hard to breathe.

—Will Jiang Yubai... feel that he has been lying to him all along?

—Could it be that... he thinks I'm just having fun and deliberately teasing him?

—Won't they feel that they've been helping so diligently, yet I won't even tell them the truth, and in a fit of anger, they'll turn around and leave?

Even though she had been thinking about cutting ties with him completely over the weekend and never having any contact with him again, when that possibility really came close, Lin Jianxia's heart couldn't help but shrink.

She didn't dare to look up at Jiang Yubai's expression, but just sat on the chair, feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles, waiting for him to ask the first question.

But after waiting and waiting, several minutes passed, and Jiang Yubai still did not make a sound.

"..."

Lin Jianxia finally couldn't help but cautiously raise her eyes, only to meet Jiang Yubai's gaze as he turned his head to look at her.

Her body stiffened slightly, but she forced herself not to lower her head and met his gaze.

It seems... she's not angry?

Lin Jianxia discerned the emotions in his eyes, hesitated, and asked softly, "Aren't you... going to say anything?"

"say something?"

Jiang Yubai was stunned for a moment, realizing that he seemed to have been acting too calmly.

He belatedly exclaimed "Ah!", then, after thinking for a moment, drawled out:

"So—it turns out you were the one I was chatting with the whole time." (Read in a monotone tone)

"So you've been lying to me all along, how awful!" (Read in a monotone tone)