The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

"No need." March shook her head, her face bearing that familiar, slightly wicked grin. She pulled me aside, but instead of heading towards Lin Yin's room, which we were originally going to, we went to the sliding door of the bathroom. I could already clearly hear the sound of water inside.

Without any hesitation or evasion, March slid the door quickly to the side, and the scene inside was instantly revealed to me.

Ye Zi and Lin Yin were still washing themselves, with a few bubbles remaining on the floor as the water washed over their alluring bodies. The moment I opened the door, a gust of warm air carrying a fresh scent rushed in. I quickly discerned the fragrance; it wasn't the same as the one I'd smelled in March's room.

When the door opened, Yezi and Sanyue were both a little startled. They instinctively covered their bodies with their hands, trying to hide, but after a while, they both put their hands down and exposed their bodies to me.

"I just asked you to come and take a shower with the two of them. Now we can only wait until the hot water is heated in an hour or two, right?" March didn't seem to mind. After teasing me, she looked at her younger sister and said, "Xiaoyin, take a look around your room."

"Hmm... don't mind me." Lin Yin nodded. I could tell she was still a little shy and hadn't quite adjusted yet, so I turned slightly to the side and stopped looking at them.

After receiving Lin Yin's reply in March, I nodded: "Let's go."

"I'm closing the door now," March said, then slid the door shut again, turning back to look at me with a sly smile: "Didn't you have any ideas just now?"

"I still have a lot of ideas." I ran my hand over March's waist. "But let's wait until after breakfast, I'm still a bit hungry."

"Shall we go eat now?"

"You promised to show me around!"

"I can visit the exhibits while I play, I don't mind."

Even without the scent, I still reacted, but thankfully it wasn't just eroding my reason. I shook my head and continued walking towards one of the rooms. March seemed to have achieved her goal and didn't continue speaking. Instead, she pushed open a door in front of her and walked in with me. This room must be Lin Yin's room.

Compared to the room in March, this one had a more girlish feel, with decorations leaning towards a cuter style, and even the bed was piled with several plush toys. However, what I noticed first wasn't the layout of the room, but rather... a certain familiar scent permeating it. I was only just beginning to become sensitive to this smell, so naturally I wasn't going to let it go.

This is the fragrance that filled the room yesterday in March, but it wasn't as strong as it was back in March. You could still tell the difference without consciously trying to smell it. Perhaps this is because I've become more sensitive for some reason.

Although it was very bland, I didn't intend to let it go.

Following the momentum from March, I walked inside and arrived at this room, where I could see the entire room. The layout was similar to March's room, without too many decorations, but the overall style and color scheme were gentler and softer, very girly, and you could tell at a glance that it was a girl's room.

The room wasn't much different from March's; both rooms were designed and arranged according to the same idea, except that Lin Yin's desk had more books on it. My gaze lingered on it for a moment, and March answered my questions accordingly.

“Although Xiaoyin is very diligent, she’s not a particularly bright child. If she wants to get good grades, she has to spend a lot of time on it.” March looked at the pile of books and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. “I come over every now and then to teach her some things. Of course, I’ve taught her everything, whether it’s knowledge or anything else. She’s very eager to learn.”

"And what about you? Aren't you studious?"

“Me? Of course I prefer to try them one by one.” March’s hands became restless again, so I grabbed her hand and lifted it up.

"I don't have any strength right now."

I looked around the room but didn't see anything particularly out of place. I suspected that the thing had been hidden somewhere again, but I couldn't look for it now, with March right next door. I hesitated whether to try to subtly stimulate the scent, but then decided against it. If I treated it as something I hadn't discovered, it might not have been moved so quickly. Even if it had, I would only have lost a clue that I had almost figured out, which was much better than alerting it.

"It's a nice room." I nodded.

"If you've finished watching, let's move on to the next one."

March led me out of the room. I glanced at her briefly; she seemed far more interested than I'd expected. However, March's reaction struck me as odd. I'd been expecting her to do something to me, but instead, she was eager to get me out of the room. Perhaps there was something very important in that room, something March didn't want me to know. Maybe it was the sachet, or perhaps something else entirely.

I made a note of this, and then walked out of Lin Yin's bedroom with March.

"Then let's go eat."

I looked toward another door that I could see from Lin Yin's door, a place I had never been inside before.

"Aren't we going to go check over there?"

"What's so interesting about those two people's bedroom?" March dismissed the question with disdain.

My hand then climbed up March's waist, and the soft touch reached my hand once again: "Why don't you try it on that bed?"

I saw interest light up March's eyes, and then she was pulled along by my arm as we walked in that direction.

Chapter 216 An Unexpected Reunion

Entering March's parents' bedroom, I didn't find anything particularly surprising; it was just an ordinary bedroom. Unlike Yezi's parents' bedroom, which hadn't been cleaned in a long time, March's parents' room was very tidy.

But this is inevitable, since March's parents live here permanently, unlike Yezi's parents who often work away from home. They live in this town and constantly put pressure on the two sisters.

Upon entering the bedroom, you'll see a large bed. Although the bed is made very clean, it's immediately obvious that the bed, or rather, the space, is divided into two distinct areas.

The bedroom door opens from one corner of the room, but once inside, the space is divided in two completely different styles, or rather, layouts. What struck me as somewhat absurd was that the headboard of the bed was placed directly below the window, effectively dividing the room in two from the center of the window. Even the bed seemed to have been deliberately placed in this position.

I didn't know what to say, so I took two steps further inside to get a clear view of the room. Being there made me feel the mirror-like contrast even more strongly. Although there were a few differences, most of the objects in the room existed in a mirror-like, opposing way.

March led me to the bedside and I sat down. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I ended up sitting in the very middle of the bed. March gently pushed me down onto the bed, and then she straddled me, sitting on my waist. Fortunately, March wasn't heavy, and I didn't feel any discomfort.

"How is it? It's a room that makes you feel uncomfortable, right?" March put her hand on the hem of her clothes, about to lift it up, but I pulled her hand back: "This is a bit too tiring, let's wait until after dinner."

March looked at me with some dissatisfaction: "That's not what you just said."

“I didn’t say you should rest.” My hand slid up to March’s waist and slipped inside her clothes. March quickly realized what I meant and leaned down to kiss my lips. “Only if you’re comfortable will it be my turn after breakfast.”

I smiled and didn't say anything, letting March unzip my pants and begin to serve me. No matter how many times I experience this, I probably won't get used to it. Meanwhile, I focused my attention on observing the room. I looked around, but couldn't find what I was looking for in the somewhat empty room.

I can't find any photos of March's parents. Whether in March's room, Lin Yin's room, the living room, the dining room—anywhere I could think of where her parents might be, I couldn't find a single one. I haven't even seen a single photo of March and Lin Yin together.

Even a family this strict wouldn't be without a single photo, right? I don't even know what March's parents look like.

Moreover, the air in this room is quite good, and there are no other smells.

In other words, the information I'm looking for isn't in this room.

After receiving March's services, Ye Zi and Lin Yin had already emerged from the bathroom. Just like the night before, they were only wearing underwear, but neither of them seemed to mind. The four of them ate breakfast together, played for a while, and then I took a shower at Ye Zi's house. I was going to check if there was anything hidden in the bathroom, but before I could do anything, March, completely naked, followed me into the bathroom, and I didn't have a chance to check it.

It took me an hour to take this shower. I didn't feel like I gained anything this morning, and it's almost noon. I think I should go back.

In March, they wanted me to stay for lunch, but there was no chance of me gaining anything further by staying at March's house. I felt that all the clues that existed in this house before, except for the few remnants that I had already grasped, had been eliminated. Staying at March's house would only needlessly drain my physical and mental energy, so I made an excuse to leave before lunch. Yezi, on the other hand, stayed and ate with the two sisters.

"Come to the bridge at six o'clock, is that alright?" March asked me.

Aren't you tired?

"It was just going to school together."

I nodded, said goodbye to March and the others, closed the door, and went downstairs.

This trip to March's house yielded far less than I expected. I had hoped to at least uncover the true nature of March's parents, but I didn't even get that basic information; the gains were negligible. The thought of facing my sister's scrutiny when I got back gave me a headache.

I walked downstairs at a slow pace. The physical strength and energy I had squandered could not be replenished simply by eating. I was slowly recovering my strength.

Just then, I heard the sound of a door opening, which seemed to come from upstairs.

"Who is it this time?... Ah, I know, I'll be there soon..."

I didn't hear a second person speaking; he was probably on the phone. But for some reason, his voice sounded familiar, as if I'd heard it somewhere before.

I deliberately slowed my pace, waiting for the person above me to appear. The other person walked quite quickly, and in two or three seconds I saw him come down the stairs. I slightly shifted my body to make way for him, which allowed me to see his entire body.

I froze, and as he walked past me and said "thank you," that sense of familiarity suddenly became incredibly strong. It dawned on me immediately: although he wasn't in uniform and seemed to have forgotten me—but that made sense, because he hadn't actually seen me before, and even if he had, he probably wouldn't remember me; on a night like that, his attention was likely focused on some drunkard.

The officer who arrived with two other officers within minutes of me calling the police—the one I had spoken to before. We'd only met two or three times, but the moment I saw him, everything came flooding back.

Chapter 217 Fabricated Lies

I stood there, watching the person hurriedly walk downstairs with his phone in hand. When he had completely disappeared from sight, I couldn't help but glance upstairs.

I never expected to see him here, nor did I expect that the policeman I saw at my doorstep would be so close to the March house. I glanced upstairs and then continued walking downstairs; nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

When I could no longer hear him coming downstairs, I quickened my pace and followed. After a while, I spotted him. I stayed a short distance behind him, walking towards my home. Until we reached the intersection, he continued walking along the road, and over there stood the police station…

I continued to follow him, watching him enter the police station from a distance. After confirming his identity, I turned back.

This policeman, it really wasn't an accidental appearance in front of me. Although I had already made a judgment about him, I didn't expect it to be so deeply involved. I walked home, lost in thought.

If that policeman lives upstairs from March, I can't assume he's completely unrelated to March's current situation. There's still the question of whether March influenced the other person, or the other person influenced March, or whether the two were affected without any connection.

However, if this policeman lives in this area, then did that drunkard also live nearby?

As I pondered this, I opened my front door. Perhaps because I opened it quite loudly, I saw my younger sister standing in the doorway of my bedroom. The expression on her face, which had initially seemed somewhat happy, quickly turned into one of extreme displeasure.

"So you finally decided to come back?"

She spoke very rudely, but that was understandable, since I had promised her yesterday that I would tell her what I knew, but I didn't go back last night... In fact, I only just realized that I didn't ask about what happened that night, because as soon as I arrived at March's house, they pulled me into March's bedroom, and I didn't have a chance to ask that question at all.

In short, we need to find an excuse to get by now.

"What's wrong? Are you angry?"

"Of course I'd be angry! You said you'd tell me later, but you didn't come back all night, making me wait until 1 a.m.

"Don't you usually go to sleep around that time too?"

"Yesterday I decided to get a good night's sleep and be refreshed for next week's classes. And with your attitude, you're not even reflecting on your actions, are you?"

I took off my shoes and walked over to her, coming up behind her. I put my hand on my sister's shoulder, who seemed a little angry, and began to massage it attentively, just like Yezi did to me last night.

"Because something happened, I rushed back without even having lunch."

"Even if you want to eat lunch at home now, I haven't cooked for you," the younger sister snorted.

"That would be terrible. Cook mine too, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Now that things are out of the question, do you think such words would still be of any use to me?" I could sense the wavering in my sister's voice when she said this, but out of pride, she didn't agree.

"My sister is the best, she won't just abandon me like this." I flattered her, saying things I don't usually say. Although it felt a little awkward, the effect was surprisingly good.

"You, you rascal... if you run away again later, I'll never forgive you again." My sister glared at me and walked towards the kitchen.

I breathed a sigh of relief and began searching for a suitable excuse or reason for what had happened yesterday. My sister is much smarter than I thought; if I didn't carefully consider my words, she would quickly see through my lies.

As for what happened the night before last... I think I still need to find a more suitable excuse. Although March was already making lunch when I arrived, I didn't eat. The walk from March's house to my own wasn't long, and although the three girls didn't eat much, it was still a bit difficult to finish a meal in such a short time.

Furthermore, I checked my phone in my pocket. While it's possible my phone, like the one at home in March, might have Yezi's number saved, it's dead now, and calling Yezi wouldn't be very clear. Even if she knew, I don't think I can tell my sister everything, like what happened last night—I can't tell her.

I need to come up with a pretty good excuse now... I just don't know if my sister will find out.

I went into my room, took out my phone and plugged it in. I've had this phone for quite a while now. Although I haven't figured out all its functions, it seems to be getting old. Normally, it could last for one or two days if I didn't use it, which is why I don't have to charge it all the time. But this time, no, perhaps it's been draining the battery faster lately.

I just don't know when it will reach the end of its life, and I don't have the means to get a new phone.

He shook his head, putting the matter out of his mind, and focused on making up lies. Before his sister came into the bedroom, he changed what had happened to some trivial things, even claiming that he was allowed to stay overnight simply because she thought he was my girlfriend and wanted me to stay for dinner.

Perhaps because I made too many changes and they seemed a bit forced, my sister didn't accept my explanation right away. However, since I had already thought about the few questions she raised, I answered them without hesitation, which somewhat dispelled her doubts.

I sat on the bed, and my sister sat next to me. She crossed her arms and swayed from side to side, adopting a posture that clearly showed she was thinking. She leaned against me and said, "I was worried about whether you would be able to live alone in the future. I didn't expect you to have become like this without me even realizing it... It's really quite a sight."

"No matter how things change, aren't you still my dearest sister?"