Lin Yiren followed a mother and daughter inside and found that it was quite a spacious shop.
On the wall behind the front desk were the words “Qinzi Hall” carved into it, accented with warm yellow lights all around, giving the place a cozy feeling.
The woman with the child in front exchanged a few words with the receptionist, then led her bouncing, lively child around the side corridor and disappeared inside.
Just as Lin Yiren wanted to look around some more, the receptionist young lady asked her, “Excuse me, are you here for a class?”
There was a bit of confusion in her eyes—compared to the other parents, Lin Yiren looked much younger and didn’t have a child with her.
Lin Yiren shook her head. “May I ask, what classes do you offer here?”
Sensing a potential customer, the receptionist immediately began promoting with a bright smile: “At Qinzi Hall, we help foster parent-child relationships, nurture children’s interests, improve their communication skills, and provide all-round care for your child’s growth. If you’re interested, please turn right to enter the consultation room.”
The sudden enthusiasm made Lin Yiren a little uncomfortable. She hesitated about whether to go in—after all, Chen Zhaoyue had already found a teacher for Xing Yao.
Just then, a lively voice sounded: “Is this little sister here for a consultation?”
Lin Yiren turned and saw a girl in a plaid shirt and ripped jeans, with neat, short hair, walking out from the corridor.
“Miss Deng,” the receptionist greeted the girl.
“Hello!” She waved, her big round eyes staring at Lin Yiren.
Deng Min was surprised—this girl in front of her looked even younger than herself. Was she really here for a parent-child consultation?
Lin Yiren met those sparkling eyes. She thought to herself that this person had such a dashing aura, but her face remained expressionless as she hesitantly nodded.
“Leave it to me, I know this place inside out!” Deng Min warmly took Lin Yiren’s hand.
Caught off guard by the longer, slender hand, Lin Yiren felt a rush of warmth from the touch.
Girls’ hands tended to be warmer than boys’, and lately, she herself had felt a gentle warmth in her own body—but Deng Min’s hand was even hotter, as enthusiastic as the girl herself.
The receptionist introduced, “This is our manager’s younger sister. She often comes by to help out.”
Holding Lin Yiren’s hand, Deng Min thought it felt like the finest mutton-fat jade—smooth, tender, and warm. Glancing at her height—around 1.6 meters, half a head shorter than herself—she was surprised this girl was already a mother.
A fondness arose in Deng Min’s heart. She pulled Lin Yiren into the consultation room, intending to answer her questions thoroughly.
Deng Min poured a glass of water for Lin Yiren and said, “Let me introduce myself first. I’m Deng Min, the manager’s sister here. If there’s anything you want to know, just ask me.”
“Thank you. My name is Lin Yiren. My child is three years old this year. I’d like to know…” Lin Yiren hadn’t finished speaking before Deng Min, standing stunned in place, stared at her in shock.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Yiren, a little uneasy, rubbed the hem of her skirt.
“Your child is already three? So you… had her before you were an adult?!”
“No, I’m already 22!”
“Nineteen and already had a child? That’s way too early!”
“Eh?” Lin Yiren’s arm was grasped by Deng Min. The girl’s shirt collar left her delicate collarbone exposed, right in front of Lin Yiren’s eyes.
Do girls always get this close at the drop of a hat? Don’t look, don’t look! She turned her gaze aside, her face slightly red.
“Yiren, did he marry you?”
Another explosive question left her dizzy, and she could only keep her face straight and shake her head.
“So you had a child before marriage? That man’s no good! Did he not come with you this time, either?”
Lin Yiren felt a little dazed but realized Deng Min was just concerned about a young girl who’d had a child so early.
She secretly admired the girl’s enthusiasm but still raised her hand and gently pushed Deng Min, signaling her to calm down.
Deng Min sat back down, looking at the graceful and delicate girl before her, cheeks flushed, and said, “Thank you for your concern, but the child’s… other parent treats me quite well.” As soon as she finished, she seemed to remember something, averted her gaze, and blushed even deeper.
Other parent? What kind of wording was that? Deng Min’s eyes still held a trace of pity.
Left with no choice, Lin Yiren could only keep praising Chen Zhaoyue’s kindness until Deng Min finally looked less worried.
I’m practically praising Chen Zhaoyue to the skies as the perfect lover, Lin Yiren muttered inwardly. Supporting her smooth, round thighs with one hand, she cupped the water glass and said, “I want my daughter to learn to make friends, to adapt to the outside world. She’s… a bit of a homebody.”
Lin Yiren thought that her daughter would be four soon and would need to enter kindergarten. Before learning normal skills, it would be good for her to make some friends first and get used to interacting with peers.
“Of course. We can help children here find like-minded friends and develop interests together.” Deng Min sat next to Lin Yiren and explained in detail.
After a good conversation, Lin Yiren learned about Qinzi Hall’s “childcare model,” and her mind gradually relaxed thanks to Deng Min’s warm and humorous manner.
Seeing Lin Yiren finally relax and reveal a charming smile from time to time, Deng Min felt happy as well, silently praising, Truly a beauty whose smile can topple a city!
“Yiren, next time you come, contact me first, okay? And be sure to bring your boyfriend. I want to see if he’s reliable or not.” Their conversation had brought them closer, and Deng Min winked as she stuffed some materials into Lin Yiren’s bag.
“Okay.” The “boyfriend” label felt a little strange to Lin Yiren. She straightened the creases in her skirt, slung on her backpack, and walked to the door.
“Do you work here, Deng Min… sister?” She had found out earlier that Deng Min was two years older than her.
“Nope, I’m a Writer.” Deng Min chuckled with a touch of pride.
“A Writer.” Lin Yiren’s eyes widened slightly, and suddenly she was moved.
“That’s right, I have several works online. I’ll send them to you on WeChat later.”
After saying goodbye to Deng Min, she got into Uncle Xu’s car and went home.
***
In the evening, after returning to Chen Zhaoyue’s villa, Lin Yiren sat in the room she shared with Xing Yao, holding an old notebook.
She hadn’t brought many things with her, and this notebook had been stashed in the side pocket of her bag.
“Writer…” Lin Yiren mumbled to herself, still savoring Deng Min’s words from earlier.
She wasn’t the active type. Back when she was a boy, she’d loved reading novels and jotted down many ideas in this old notebook. She’d even tried imitating online writers’ styles to practice, but, unfortunately, hadn’t managed to stick with any stories for long.
She touched her smooth chin, gazing at the empty villa. Chen Zhaoyue had taken Xing Yao to visit Chen Shu and the others, so they’d be back late.
Chen An had promised to help her find a job after graduation, and Chen Zhaoyue had said she’d have enough money while raising the child. But deep down, she still wanted to be financially independent.
Now that she was home taking care of the child, maybe writing novels was a good choice?
Spinning around in her chair, she finally tossed the notebook onto her soft, springy thigh and decided to give it a try.