Chapter 28: Caught Stealing Underwear

That night.

Cheng Minghao’s bedroom.

“It’s a rash… I haven’t changed my underwear in too long. I’m sick. So itchy~”

Lin Qingya murmured, hiding in the moonlight’s shadow, quietly scratching her chest with her top half bare.

After scratching for a while, Lin Qingya found the ‘universal’ ointment, which was actually Erythromycin Eye Ointment, applied it carelessly, and then went to sleep.

Lying in bed, Lin Qingya frowned, thinking:

“I need to buy underwear, but I have no money. I can’t just use Haohao’s money. I need to earn it myself. Besides, he doesn’t have any money left, either.”

“Right, for food, clothing, shelter, I need to pay back the money from these past few days.”

“Called a girlfriend, but actually not. Unless I really exchange myself for rent, otherwise…”

Lin Qingya, lying on the bed, suddenly blushed and shook her head.

“Sleep! I’ll pay the money back later!”

Lin Qingya set her goal and decided to find a way to earn money to buy underwear.

—

Morning.

Today seemed to be Thursday, still a school day.

“Haohao, wake up?”

Lin Qingya put on her clothes and naturally walked out of the bedroom to the sofa and coffee table.

She moved as if she belonged there.

She had already adapted to Cheng Minghao’s home environment.

“Mm, morning!”

Cheng Minghao didn’t answer her ‘question,’ but just picked up the soy milk, greeted her, and called out:

“Just bought, still hot, come drink.”

“I’m going to wash up. Wait for me. I’ll be right back.”

After speaking, Lin Qingya ran quickly into the bathroom and came out soon after washing up.

Brushing damp hair behind her ear, Lin Qingya sat down to Cheng Minghao’s left and glanced at the breakfast on the table:

“Buns, fried dough sticks, ham, eggs.”

She nodded, then looked to the right at what Cheng Minghao was eating and drinking.

Cheng Minghao was chewing on fried dough and drinking soy milk.

Lin Qingya asked, “You eat so fast? Did you eat your ham and egg?”

“Mm, ate.”

Cheng Minghao nodded blandly, then continued gnawing on the fried dough stick, deliberately tearing off a big piece and stuffing it into his mouth.

‘Lin Qingya’ had a cleanliness obsession—not serious, but disliked ‘boys’ eating with their hands.

More precisely, she hated Chen Qing not washing his hands and stuffing things in his mouth.

But now, Lin Qingya just nodded and ignored Cheng Minghao’s careless table manners.

She only glanced at the coffee table, then hesitated and asked:

“You ate the eggshell too?”

As she spoke, Lin Qingya lowered her head and began peeling her own egg.

Bits and pieces of shell, sometimes in layers or stuck together, fell into the plastic food bag on the coffee table.

Watching Lin Qingya peel her egg, Cheng Minghao wondered why ‘Lin Qingya’ was no longer obsessed with cleanliness.

But it was a small matter.

After all, to him, Lin Qingya even ate that, so of course, she wasn’t a neat freak around him and was quite tolerant.

Cheng Minghao froze for a moment, then looked embarrassed as he watched Lin Qingya fill the bag with eggshells.

He explained again:

“Of course I threw it away after eating.”

Lin Qingya was momentarily stunned, then rolled her eyes at Cheng Minghao:

“Where did you throw it? Garbage has to be packed before going out, or do you plan to wait until tomorrow?”

“The trash can?”

Lin Qingya put down her egg and bent down, pulling out a small, delicate but impractical trash can from under the coffee table.

Cheng Minghao said it was a free gift with a purchase.

So they kept it.

She pulled it out and stepped on the pedal, but there wasn’t even a garbage bag inside, just one that had held breakfast.

“No~”

Lin Qingya muttered, then looked up at Cheng Minghao.

“Oh~ I threw it… in the kitchen.”

Cheng Minghao explained calmly.

“I’m going to the kitchen to wash my hands!”

Lin Qingya stood up and dashed to the kitchen.

“Hey!”

Cheng Minghao called out, “I’m dieting, why do you care so much?”

“Dieting but still lying?!”

The sound of washing hands came from the kitchen as Lin Qingya shouted:

“No money means no money, why pretend to be a rich guy? Who are you trying to impress?”

“A toad wanting to eat swan meat… and he actually got it.”

Lin Qingya muttered softly, unhappy, with her eyebrows furrowed again.

She came out of the kitchen.

Cheng Minghao had already finished eating, cleaned up his trash, and ran to the balcony.

“Hey! Don’t play dead or stand in the corner, come here. Eat with me.”

Lin Qingya called toward Cheng Minghao on the balcony.

“Mm? I finished. You eat.”

Lin Qingya laughed, asking:

“So, are you full? Dear? Come over, I need to diet too. If you don’t come eat… I’ll feed you. I’ll stuff the ham in your mouth, so you can taste your throat being… stuffed… cough!”

Lin Qingya blushed and shut up, then fiercely bit the ham.

“Serves you right for talking nonsense, look at yourself, embarrassed now?”

“Hmph!”

Lin Qingya took another bite of ham for relief, then shouted at Cheng Minghao with her mouth full:

“Hey! Hurry and… come… cough cough! Cough cough cough!”

Suddenly, Lin Qingya coughed violently and took a sip of soy milk.

“Mm?! What’s wrong?!”

Cheng Minghao rushed over.

“Cough cough! Cough cough!”

Lin Qingya’s face was red as she coughed.

Cheng Minghao patted her back, scolding, “You don’t know to be careful? Really makes me worried.”

“Mm?!”

Cheng Minghao suddenly fell silent, even closing his mouth.

A long, thin half-stick of ham had suddenly been stuffed into his mouth.

Deep and long, it poked his tongue and made his mouth uncomfortable, even triggering a gag reflex.

In the haze, along with uncertain memories, Cheng Minghao felt Lin Qingya’s hardship.

“Cough!”

Cheng Minghao grabbed the ham, bit off a piece, and asked, “What are you doing?!”

Lin Qingya coughed lightly.

“I told you to come over, but you didn’t, and you made me choke, so I’m poking your throat too!”

“Too?”

Cheng Minghao questioned, then his face slowly turned red.

“Cough! Never mind, let’s just eat.”

Without realizing it, Cheng Minghao started eating Lin Qingya’s ham, finishing the remaining half in a couple of bites.

“Too?”

Lin Qingya blushed, looked away to the left, then quickly finished her soy milk, put down the cup, and argued shyly:

“I didn’t. You heard wrong.”

Then she reached for an egg.

But…

“Oh, I see. You weren’t poked either… mmph?!”

Suddenly, Lin Qingya pounced on Cheng Minghao, easily straddling his waist and covering his mouth.

“Say one more word?!”

Lin Qingya’s face flushed red as blood, her skin burning beneath, hot air rising to her cheeks as she leaned close to Cheng Minghao’s face.

“Mmph!”

Cheng Minghao shook his head wildly, eyes wide, expressing surrender.

Normally, Lin Qingya wouldn’t be able to pounce on him or pin him down.

After all, their weights were obviously different.

But one wanted to pounce, the other didn’t resist, and Cheng Minghao worried she’d fall and hurt herself, so he just let her.

Besides, having her ‘little butt’ on his waist, the soft squirming and pressing felt surprisingly comfortable.

“Hmph!”

Lin Qingya snorted, got up, and left Cheng Minghao’s body.

She bent over, then shoved an egg toward Cheng Minghao’s mouth.

“Open your mouth!”

Lin Qingya ordered.

Cheng Minghao opened his mouth instinctively.

Lin Qingya held the egg in her right hand, pressing it to Cheng Minghao’s lips.

Her left hand pushed up his chin as she stood over him on the sofa, commanding:

“Eat, you! Hmph!”

Lin Qingya pressed hard, mashing the egg so it smeared over her hand and Cheng Minghao’s mouth.

Seeing some of the egg about to fall, she suddenly lifted Cheng Minghao’s chin.

Then…

Cheng Minghao’s cheeks lifted, lips parted, with egg yolk and white all over, looking like a ‘princess’ waiting for a kiss.

And Lin Qingya was the ‘prince’.

Bending over, face tense, she stared at Cheng Minghao’s mouth, watching his egg-filled lips.

“Well, eat! Don’t waste it! Hurry up!”

Lin Qingya scolded.

“Oh~ oh~”

Cheng Minghao responded, using his hand to push the sticky yolk and white into his mouth.

“I’ll wipe it for you!”

Lin Qingya turned, a smile appearing, happy that Cheng Minghao finished most of the egg, then carefully wiped his mouth.

“Good boy! Mwah!”

With a playful grin, Lin Qingya kissed Cheng Minghao’s cheek.

Like coaxing a child.

But after kissing him, Lin Qingya remembered their relationship in bed…

“Cough! I’m going to wash up and head to school. Bye~”

Lin Qingya ignored Cheng Minghao.

They were an old couple by now, and she didn’t want to act shy.

No need to put on a show.

Her face turning red? That was her skin’s problem, nothing to do with Lin Qingya herself.

Anyway, she just made a quick escape.

And after school, she wanted to skip class and try to solve the money and underwear problems early.

“Hey, wait. Your ponytail, let me tie it for you.”

Cheng Minghao reminded her.

“Oh~ got it~”

Lin Qingya stopped, a trace of proud honor on her face.

Even a beautiful smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

—

Afternoon.

Last period.

“Hey, Jingjing, can I borrow your notes tonight—no, never mind.”

Lin Qingya suddenly changed her mind, remembering she was living with Cheng Minghao.

She could have him tutor her instead.

“Sure!”

Her quiet deskmate ‘Jingjing’ replied softly.

“No, it’s fine. I have another way. Cheng Minghao lives across from me.”

Lin Qingya explained.

“Oh, right.”

The quiet girl answered.

Then, after class.

“Ding ling ling~”

When the teacher left.

“Let’s run!”

Lin Qingya grabbed her notebook, clutched her plan, and rushed for the back door.

“Qingya!”

Cheng Minghao caught up, grabbed Lin Qingya’s left arm, glanced at the notebook in her right hand, and asked:

“Where to?”

“To buy…”

Underwear…

Lin Qingya stammered and blushed.

She had originally planned a series of steps to earn money for household expenses.

But, her chest had broken out in a rash.

So she might need to buy underwear first, or even go to the hospital for medicine or a checkup.

But buying underwear or seeing a doctor couldn’t be done with Cheng Minghao tagging along, so…

Cheng Minghao spoke.

“Why so anxious? Let’s go together.”

As he spoke, he took Lin Qingya’s hand.

Lin Qingya didn’t want him to see her clumsy self buying underwear.

Nor did she want a male doctor to check her chest and have Cheng Minghao know.

But now…

Could she still see a doctor or buy underwear?

How should she shake off Cheng Minghao?

Send him off to play somewhere?