The woman deliberately paused before speaking, then waited until Lin Qingya turned to look at her before smiling and continuing:
“I do know that this recognition could give you enormous help. You wouldn’t have to struggle through life anymore—you could stand directly at the top of the pyramid. So, are you interested?”
“Oh?”
Lin Qingya stared to the left at the woman, explaining:
“Not interested. My life is going well. I’m not interested in doing anything for you just to stand at the top of the pyramid.”
The conversation between Lin Qingya and the woman wasn’t quiet.
Such odd banter, plus two beautiful women walking together and chatting, drew curious glances from many passersby.
“Is that so?”
The woman’s smile didn’t fade; instead, it grew even more dazzling.
She asked, “Then your secret—does it not matter anymore? What if your little secret gets exposed, then…”
“…What secret!? I don’t have any secrets!”
Lin Qingya paused for two seconds, unable to help stopping in her tracks and retorting.
“Oh? Really?”
The woman glanced back at the silver, low-profile business car slowly following them.
She smiled at Lin Qingya:
“No secrets… Yet you seem so anxious. You even stopped to argue with me about having no secrets? That’s really… truly having no secrets~”
Her gaze was ambiguous as she spoke about secrets, sweeping over Lin Qingya’s chest, whether intentionally or not.
This made Lin Qingya uncomfortable, a chill running through her.
She raised her right hand to cover her chest and quickened her pace to leave.
“Whether I have secrets or not has nothing to do with you people, you…”
“It has nothing to do with us, but it does have to do with you and Cheng Minghao.”
The woman behind her spoke lightly, as if explaining or reminding.
Lin Qingya, who had sped up, suddenly halted.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and asked,”What exactly is the secret you’re talking about? Is it strange for people to have secrets?”
The woman, still smiling ambiguously, walked up to Lin Qingya, folded her arms, and explained:
“Chen Qing? But if your man found out…”
“Shut up!”
Lin Qingya’s face turned pale.
She didn’t understand, didn’t comprehend why—even after graduating, even after leaving her old Chen Qing and Lin Qingya circles for so long, even after dating and living with Cheng Minghao peacefully for so long—now Cheng Minghao’s so-called family actually…
They actually seemed to know the truth?
Lin Qingya’s body trembled.
Even standing under the blazing noon sun, fear of loss made her face and body turn pale and cold.
The woman in front of her muttered,”So it’s really a man turned into a woman? Fantasy Disorder, huh?”
Apparently, while the woman might have learned something, she clearly didn’t want to believe a man could suddenly become a woman.
“None of your business!”
Lin Qingya tried to dodge, then quickly turned and left.
“Fine, not my business. Then I’ll go ask Cheng Minghao and see what he thinks.
In our Family, there are plenty of pretty girls of the same age.
Our Family is big, whether it’s beautiful girls from outside the third generation or young ladies from long-standing allied families, we have everything.
If you want to compete with them… that’s not impossible either.”
The woman laughed, remaining in place.
She waited for Lin Qingya to turn back, while Lin Qingya stood ahead, her back turned.
After a long while, Lin Qingya slowly turned back and spoke to the woman.
“Pick a time tonight, let’s talk again? I have to go to Work.”
“If you just agree—”
The woman originally wanted to say if you just agree, you wouldn’t have to Work to earn money anymore.
But seeing Lin Qingya’s expression, she hesitated slightly and just nodded with a smile.
She said,”Then see you tonight. I’ll leave you a phone; call me tonight.”
“Mm.”
Lin Qingya nodded, standing still, breathing heavily.
She watched as the woman lowered her head and fiddled with her own phone for a moment.
Then…
“Here, the number’s inside.”
The woman explained.
“Okay, I’ll make a note.”
Lin Qingya reached out, realizing her right hand was still holding her own phone, so she slipped it into her right pants pocket.
Then she took the woman’s phone and checked the saved number.
She bowed her head, seriously copying the phone number, one phone in each hand.
“Done.”
Lin Qingya raised her head lightly, only to see the woman already walking away.
She shouted,”Hey, your phone!”
“Don’t need it anymore,”
The woman said,”It’s already been reset. Just sell it on Fried Fish for a few thousand bucks or whatever. If you like, keep it.”
Saying this, she opened the car door, then got into the car as Lin Qingya hurried closer.
“Hey, no, I can’t…”
Lin Qingya stood outside the front passenger window.
Inside, the woman waved at her through the glass.
Lin Qingya watched as the car slowly turned and drove off into the distance.
“This…”
Lin Qingya looked at the snow-white silver phone in her left hand, then at her own phone with the Pink Phone Case in her right hand.
She was speechless toward the woman.
She said she’d leave a phone, and she really did?
Is this what it means to be rich and willful?
Lin Qingya lowered her head, staring at the phone in her left hand.
It felt like a hot potato.
She hesitated for a while, then stuffed it into her Left Pocket, planning to return it when they met at night.
Thinking this, she quickly ran to the roadside and caught a taxi to rush to Work.
—
Night.
Cheng Minghao’s Home.
It was Dinner time.
Cheng Minghao noticed Lin Qingya had something on her mind, as if she wanted to say something but held back.
But he just smiled at her, sitting beside her comfortably and chatting.
He didn’t ask about things that might upset her.
If Lin Qingya wanted to talk, she’d naturally bring it up.
If not…
Then just talk about happy things and forget the worries.
After Dinner, Cheng Minghao was still tidying up the table.
Lin Qingya stood beside the table, not helping—just watching Cheng Minghao work.
In her heart, she hesitated, debating whether to tell him about this matter.
If it was just about Cheng Minghao’s own background, maybe she could ask for his opinion.
But this was a secret about herself that she didn’t want him to know.
She was afraid that, after he found out, it would create distance between them or ruin her perfect image in his heart.
Lin Qingya stood by the table for a long time.
Until Cheng Minghao had gone in and out of the kitchen, finished washing dishes, and returned.
He smiled at her, shaking off the cold water from washing.
Then, laughing, he held both her hands.
“Let’s go inside and rest? Hmm?”
“I…”
Lin Qingya looked away, her eyes downcast.
Her heart was heavy and nervous as she spoke.
“If your… if you weren’t…”
She wanted to ask if your girlfriend was once a man, but suddenly changed her words.
She asked instead if you weren’t an orphan…
Lin Qingya hesitated, continuing.
“If you weren’t an orphan, would you want to recognize your Family?”
Cheng Minghao paused, thinking carefully, then frowned.
“They contacted you? I see. I understand. I’ll go—”
“No!”
Lin Qingya hurriedly interrupted, explaining:
“I… I don’t want you to get involved with them…”
“Then don’t get involved.”
Cheng Minghao smiled gently, his tone calm as he lightly held her hands.
He tried to comfort her deeply.