After Flirting with the Wrong Stand-in, I Overturned (GL) - Chapter 35

Lin Shuyan shook her head hurriedly, her eyes flickering. She bit her lip in secret regret. “I was wrong.”

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan looked up helplessly, sounding amused, “Is that the point?”

No, Shuyan answered in her heart, but she didn’t dare make a sound. She shrank against the door, trying to diminish her presence bit by bit, while secretly praying that Ren Xuan would go back to her room quickly.

In the next moment, the person in front of her lowered her head and kissed her directly.

Lin Shuyan’s brain turned into a blur of mush.

She had started it, but she had only done it so lightly… warm breath swept in from all directions, and her body was held tightly by hands that allowed no escape. Soon, Shuyan couldn’t think of anything at all.

“Lin Shuyan,” Ren Xuan pulled away slightly from the girl’s lips and whispered a gentle reminder, “Breathe.”

Shuyan’s mind could no longer hold onto anything. She did exactly what Ren Xuan said, obediently parting her small mouth. Her beautiful eyes held a trace of daze, and her rosy, full lips were slightly upturned.

“Ren… Ren Xuan…” Shuyan clutched Ren Xuan’s sleeve tightly, taking a good while to catch her breath before calling her name.

“Do you hate it?” Ren Xuan asked.

Shuyan shook her head, her heart thumping violently. Of course she didn’t hate it—she didn’t hate it at all; it was even a little bit comfortable… Of course, she wouldn’t say that last part even if it killed her, let alone tell Ren Xuan.

The corners of Ren Xuan’s lips curled up slightly, and she patted the girl’s head. They stayed like that for a while. Just as Shuyan thought Ren Xuan would continue, Ren Xuan stopped and looked at her tenderly. “It really is time to rest now.”

“Huh?” Shuyan looked up.

“Reluctant to let me go?” Ren Xuan teased.

Shuyan shook her head quickly, her small fists lightly thumping Ren Xuan’s arm. She just didn’t quite understand why someone could be like that one moment… and then speak so rationally about resting the next.

“So Shuyan doesn’t want to keep me here at all?” Ren Xuan feigned disappointment, speaking with a smile.

“No,” Shuyan denied it lightning-fast, her cheeks a deep crimson. She didn’t dare raise her head after speaking, but she knew Ren Xuan was saying it on purpose.

“Ren Xuan,” Shuyan lowered her head shyly, “Goodnight.” After saying this, she pushed Ren Xuan away and ran into her room. Ren Xuan didn’t pull her back, simply replying, “Goodnight.”

The door closed again, and the room became deathly quiet. Shuyan pulled the covers over her head, wanting to bury herself. Thinking back to her behavior in front of Ren Xuan just now, she sat up straight and patted her cheeks. Lin Shuyan, don’t be so useless. It’s just taking the initiative to kiss someone and then being kissed back, isn’t it?

I didn’t lose out either way!

How could Ren Xuan be so calm while she was such a mess? Shuyan thought dizzily. It turns out that even for two people who have never dated, the difference in composure can be this huge.

Ren Xuan, back in her room, was of course not that calm. Her long eyelashes masked her expression as the warmth in her eyes faded bit by bit. She sat dazed on the sofa.

Do I regret it? Ren Xuan asked herself.

She couldn’t say.

Do I feel guilty? She still didn’t know.

Ren Xuan couldn’t untangle her emotions for a moment. Having been in this world for so long, she suddenly had the urge to summon the System.

The System had once said that once a mission was issued, she should try not to summon it, because the energy of a “newbie” host was pitifully low. Summoning the System required energy, though the System had been humane enough to gift her one free summon.

“Host,” the System appeared, bouncing in front of Ren Xuan.

Just as it was about to ask what was wrong, the System gasped, “Your Initial Mission is half-complete!” The host’s efficiency was incredible. The System had guided many hosts, and the romance scripts were always the hardest; some people stayed trapped for years without a single point of affection changing. Don’t let the name “Initial Mission” fool you; it was anything but simple. Human emotions are the hardest thing to control.

“Is that so?” Ren Xuan managed a faint smile.

“Host, are you not happy?”

Ren Xuan shook her head.

If having the female lead fall completely in love with “Ren Xuan” counted as a completed Initial Mission, Ren Xuan’s eyes flickered—Lin Shuyan’s feelings for her had unknowingly become this deep.

“Host, a half-completed mission earns you another summon,” the System said, checking the progress chart before asking why she had called it out.

“If,” Ren Xuan asked in a hoarse voice, not looking up, “what if I regret it?”

“Regret? Host, once a mission is issued, it cannot be regretted.”

“What if I force it?”

“Host, you are already dead in reality. If you cannot keep the plot on its final track, you will vanish completely. We will simply commission a new person to do the task.” The System couldn’t understand; Ren Xuan was doing so well, why would she think of breaking the contract?

“A new person?”

“Yes.” The System’s mechanical voice rattled on. “Host, have you encountered a particularly difficult problem? Summoning me can help you brainstorm.” It had, after all, completed many missions.

“No.”

The System was puzzled. The mechanical voice asked slowly, “Then why did the host call me?”

“Just wanted to chat,” Ren Xuan said casually. The System arrived confused and left just as bewildered, thinking the host was truly strange for wasting an opportunity just to talk. But since it didn’t have to use its brain to help the host think, the System became happy again.

After sending the System away, Ren Xuan went to her desk.

I am here to do a mission, Ren Xuan told herself. No matter how much this place felt like reality, it was not reality.

And her experience… Ren Xuan thought, you can just treat it as a script.

The next day, Lin Shuyan’s door was knocked open by the little one, Ren Ke. “Sister Lin! Sister Yan!” Ren Ke came bouncing over to the bed.

“Keke.” Shuyan opened the door and caught the pouncing Ren Ke, her eyes instinctively glancing toward Ren Xuan’s room.

“Sister Yan, I wanted to find you last night. Uncle Wang said I came back too late and shouldn’t disturb you. Sister Yan, did you sleep well?”

“I did.” It had been a dreamless night. Shuyan remembered her panic upon seeing the alarm—it was 8:30 AM. Although she was supposed to be resting, sleeping until this time in someone else’s house made her feel very embarrassed.

“Sister Yan, look at my dress!” Ren Ke did a little spin. “Sister took me to buy this. Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s beautiful.” Shuyan touched her chubby, fair face. “Keke is pretty, so everything looks good on you.”

“That’s what Uncle said too.” Ren Ke smiled shyly and hugged Shuyan back. “Sister Lin is pretty too.”

This time, Ren Ke didn’t get an answer. Following Shuyan’s gaze, she asked, “Does Sister Lin want to go see my sister?”

“N-no.” Shuyan denied it repeatedly, afraid Ren Ke had seen through something.

“Sister said there was something at the company and she had to go,” Ren Ke recalled Ren Xuan’s words carefully and repeated them to Shuyan. “Sister said I shouldn’t disturb Sister Lin’s rest because filming is tiring, and I should come up later. She also told Uncle Wang to have breakfast ready whenever Sister Lin wakes up.”

“Sister Yan, let’s go eat.” Ren Ke’s soft little hand led Shuyan downstairs.

Downstairs, Uncle Wang saw Shuyan come down and served breakfast immediately. While the food was being served, Shuyan checked her phone. The top contact had sent a message: “Shuyan, I’m sorry, something came up at the company that needs handling. I’ll join you for lunch.”

“No need.” Shuyan typed the words, but looking at the plain characters, she felt something was missing. She quickly deleted them and sent a cute emoji instead, indicating she understood and would wait for her to come back.

Is that too direct? Shuyan agonized over it, felt it wasn’t right, but when she tried to retract it, she found the time limit had passed.

“Miss Lin, the meal is ready.”

At the reminder, Shuyan reluctantly put down her phone. She kept her data on, secretly hoping a message would come quickly, yet also hoping it wouldn’t.

In this state of conflict, the phone went ding. Ren Xuan had replied—it was a voice message. In the living room, Ren Ke was playing on the sofa after her breakfast. Through the glass, the gardeners could be seen tending to the flowers.

Shuyan eventually chose to play the voice message cautiously.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Shuyan typed back a reply.

They only exchanged a few words because the sound of someone knocking on the door soon came through the recording. Shuyan quickly told Ren Xuan she would stop chatting for now.

No more voice messages came. Ten seconds later, Shuyan received an emoji: [I’ll be back to keep my girlfriend company soon, okay?]

Shuyan couldn’t help but start smiling.

“Sister Yan?” Ren Ke, not knowing what was happening, looked up in confusion.

“I,” Shuyan raised her phone awkwardly, “just saw something funny.”

She wasn’t lying; wasn’t she amused by the words on her phone? It didn’t count as lying to a child.

A child’s attention comes and goes quickly. Hearing the answer, Ren Ke went back to playing. Her playtime was limited; she had piano practice in the afternoon, so she had to cherish every moment.

Ren Xuan was decisive and true to her word, appearing at the door around 11:30 AM.

The two people sitting on the sofa watching a show turned their heads in unison. “Sister!”

“What did you do this morning?” Ren Xuan’s gaze swept over Ren Ke, lingered on Shuyan for a moment, and then she looked down to ask.

“Did some homework, built some toys, and Uncle Wang said I could watch some TV.”

“Is the homework done?” Ren Xuan asked.

“All done!” Ren Ke said cheerfully. She didn’t have much homework; if it hadn’t been for the birthday party yesterday, she wouldn’t have had any left today.

“Good girl,” Ren Xuan praised. She took the small hand and walked toward Lin Shuyan.

“Ren—” Shuyan suddenly realized that after only one night, she had instinctively started calling her by her name. Habit is a terrifying thing.