Chapter 51: Returning Home (Eleventh Update)

“Let me ask you something. You said Zhao Jing is dangerous—what do you mean by that?”
Lin Ruo paused in her actions. After some thought, she replied, “That day in the maze, Xia Yufei was the first to finish, and Wu Qian was the second. The less skilled the participant, the easier their path.
When Wu Qian arrived, Lin Xi and I had taken thirty steps, still seventy steps away from you.”
“And what about Zhao Jing?” Yang Fan asked.
“She had only taken five steps—ninety-five away from you. That’s why I say she’s dangerous. If my guess is correct, she’s probably an esper.”
“Don’t make wild guesses,” Yang Fan said.
“Believe it or not. Haven’t you heard of women’s intuition? When it comes to judging other women, we’re rarely wrong.”
“Then what do you think of me?” Yang Fan couldn’t help but ask.
“You’re a scoundrel. Seriously—wanting both the younger and the older sister. If that’s not shameless, I don’t know what is.”
Yang Fan was speechless. He picked up a drink and took a few sips.
“As your future sister-in-law, for the sake of my sister’s happiness, I think we need to sign an agreement!”
“You want to sign one too?” Yang Fan nearly choked on his drink.
“Of course! There’s paper, a pen, and an ink pad in the back. I’ve prepared everything. I’ll dictate, you write it down, then sign and stamp it with your fingerprint!”
“All right, I’ll sign.” Yang Fan took the paper and pen while Lin Ruo continued, driving as she spoke:
“First rule: You can’t stay out overnight more than five times a month. Second rule…”
She kept coming up with restrictions, listing all sorts of what was and wasn’t allowed. Yang Fan’s scalp tingled, but he signed anyway.
Lin Ruo was quite satisfied. “You have a wife at home, but there are wildflowers everywhere outside.”
“You’re making me sign, but you’re not signing?”
“What do you want me to sign?”
“Give me massages!”
“Fine—add it to your agreement. Write: Article Fifteen: Lin Ruo will give Yang Fan massages on demand—except in special circumstances, Yang Fan mustn’t initiate physical contact with Lin Ruo.”
“What counts as special circumstances?”
“Special training!” Lin Ruo declared.
After Yang Fan nodded, he wrote down the clause as she’d said.
“Remember your restraint and boundaries with me!”
“What if… I fall in love with you?”
“If you do, so be it. What’s that got to do with me?”
“I…” Yang Fan had nothing more to say.

At three in the afternoon, Lin Ruo exited the highway half an hour from Lake City.
“What’s up?”
“Time to sign your agreement, and have a chat.”
They found a decent café. Lin Ruo signed the agreement on the spot.

“Should we make two copies?”
“No need, you keep it,” Yang Fan said.
Lin Ruo nodded and continued, “Ai Xiaomei already told the family you’re bringing your girlfriend home. But if Lin Xi goes with you, I can’t rest easy. So I’ll go in her place. Don’t get it wrong.”
Thank goodness Ai Xiaomei isn’t here right now—she’s still causing me trouble from afar!
Yang Fan drank his coffee gloomily, sitting from three until five thirty. By his calculations, Lin Xi and the others should be arriving soon.
Finally, it was time to set off. It had been three or four months since Yang Fan’s last visit, but everything was still as familiar as ever.
Half an hour later, in Lake City, both cars arrived almost at the same time.

“Brother!” Ai Xiaomei nearly threw herself at him.
Yang Fan tapped her on the head—this is for causing me trouble from a distance.
“Yang Fan! Lin Ruo!”
“So, Lake City’s not bad, right?” Yang Fan said proudly.
“It’s quite nice. The development’s been good these past few years.”
Lin Ruo and Lin Xi stood together. It was already dusk at six o’clock.
“Since you’re here, stay at my place! You must try Lake City’s snacks, and my mother’s cooking!”
“That sounds good, but we can only stay two days. Then I have to go to Zecheng to film, and after that, we’ll return to Tianning.”
“Alright, let’s go. We’ll pick up my little sister from Lake City High first, then head home.”
Everyone got back in the cars—two luxurious white SUVs. It was clear that Lin Ruo and Lin Xi really were twin sisters, even their tastes were identical.
From food to daily necessities to cars—yes, even their clothes matched, as Lin Ruo had once explained to him.
At Lake City High, it was just the end of the school day. Yang Fang peered around nervously, knowing her brother and sister were coming home today and would pick her up first.
Just then, the two white SUVs stopped in front of her and the window rolled down.
“Little sister, little sister!”
That was Ai Xiaomei’s voice. Though it was her first time back, ever since she bonded with Yang Fan, she’d read his memories and altered the causal links.
“Sis! Where’s my brother?”
“Little sister, I’m right here—why do you only see her and not me?” Yang Fan complained.
“Come on, let’s go home.”
“Little sister, come with me! I’ve got snacks!”
Yang Fan just about collapsed…

Yang Fang finally got into the second car.
“Come here, little sister. This is your Sister Xu Zihan, and the one driving up front is your brother’s girlfriend.”
Yang Fang was still just a little girl and didn’t know how to address everyone, but Xu Zihan—that was the hottest celebrity at the moment!
“Hello, little sister!” Xu Zihan greeted, and even Lin Xi turned to smile warmly at Yang Fang.
“Hello, sisters!”

“Here, have some snacks!”
Ai Xiaomei was especially excited—finally, she got to be the older sister for once.
From the high school to Yang Fan’s home was a ten-minute drive, right on the city’s edge, in a rural area.
The houses were all independently built with their own courtyards; the government had long planned to develop the area, but the plans had always been shelved.
Yang Fan’s parents were already waiting at the gate, watching for their son in the car.
When the cars stopped and everyone got out, even the neighbors stared—after all, the Yang family’s son and daughter had returned, and by the look of things, they were doing quite well.
Especially when several stunning girls stepped out of the cars, and with such vehicles—these were things beyond the neighbors’ reach.
“The Yang family’s son has really made something of himself!”
…

“Dad, Mom!”
“Xiaomei, come on in, everyone!”
Yes, let’s go inside first. The luggage could wait.
“Dad, Mom, let me introduce you—this is Xu Zihan, my and my brother’s close friend. She’s also a celebrity.”
“Oh, oh, right! Xiaofang was just watching her on TV the other day. I remember Xiaomei mentioning her, but your mother and I forgot.”
“Now that you say it, I remember too.”
Yang Fang’s wide-eyed, dazed look was adorable—her idol was actually in her house!

“Hello, Auntie, Uncle!”
“Hello, hello!”
“Mom, these two—one is Lin Ruo, our future daughter-in-law!”
Yang Fan’s parents looked over quickly, just in time for Ai Xiaomei to add, “the older sister!”
Yang Fan shot her a glare…
“This one is your real daughter-in-law, Lin Xi!”
“Hello, Auntie, Uncle!”
…

Lin Ruo and Lin Xi greeted the parents. Suddenly, any trace of their usual coldness melted away.
“What beautiful girls! Come, have a seat!”
“So, did I do a good job finding you a daughter-in-law?”
“Sit and eat!” Yang Fan nudged her—it was hardly all her doing!

“Little sister, come sit with me!”
“I’ll go get the luggage,” Yang Fan said.