234 CH234

Lin Yi parked the car in his usual spot in the slums.

“Well… I’m going, then?” Tang Yin still couldn’t look Lin Yi in the eyes- she was still feeling pretty shameful over her crazed actions from earlier.

“I’ll walk you back.” Lin Yi said as he got off the car with Tang Yin.

He looked at the tattered clothes Tang Yin was wearing, and took off his own uniform for Tang Yin. “Here, wear mine?”

Tang Yin hesitated before accepting the offer. It hadn’t been that bad in the car, but there was no telling what the people in the slums would think if they saw her like this.

She took off her ruined shirt, handed it to Lin Yi, and quickly put on the uniform Lin Yi was handing to her.

That instant revealed the tight camisole Tang Yin was wearing, and Lin Yi gulped a bit. The eighteen year old girl had a perfectly developed body already! He didn’t expect a beauty as stunning as her to have come from a place like the slums.

In comparison to Mengyao’s thinner body and Yushu’s overly luscious one, Tang Yin’s figure had the best balance and proportions. Lin Yi wondered how she got herself a body like that.

Tang Yin slipped into Lin Yi’s clothes- boys and girls had different uniforms, but it wasn’t too obvious at night. It’d just look a bit loose, but that was it. Having finished changing, she turned back to Lin Yi to see him half naked from the upper half. “Uh……”

“It’s summer soon, don’t worry about it.” Lin Yi said with a smile.

“Then… you can wear mine..?” Tang Yin was both touched and embarrassed.

“Yours?” Lin Yi blinked. He didn’t know if he’d be able to fit in, but he did know that getting in direct contact with the scent of a young girl would get to him.

“Then just drape it over your shoulders. Don’t catch a cold.” Tang Yin suggested, realizing that her clothes might not fit on Lin Yi. Although, there were plenty of half naked men in the slums during summer, and Tang Yin had gotten used to it already.

But it was still spring- the air was getting warmer, but this wasn’t a time for people to be going around half naked like that.

Lin Yi threw on Tang Yin’s shirt a little enthusiastically as the scent hit him. For some reason, his hand went over and grabbed onto Tang Yin’s in the heat of the moment……

“Ah…..” Tang Yin tensed up instantly as Lin Yi held her hand- she wanted to pull away, but felt like it’d be a bit of a pity… Her palm started sweating a little as her breathing grew ragged.

It was the first time she’d held hands with a boy… It was technically the second time, since Lin Yi had done so already that time he pulled her into his car, but she didn’t really think about it at all then, with Li Erlan there and everything…

Yet now her heart was beating fast- it was like she’d gotten surged with electricity.

Was this… what first love felt like? Amidst the confusion, Tang Yin’s mind went blank as Lin Yi walked along with her.

Their shoulders were touching, and neither of them said anything as they walked, as if they were a couple going home together…

She’d almost reached her house when Tang Yin snapped awake, pulling her hand out of Lin Yi’s as she raised her head. “W-We’re here, uh… You should probably get going…”

“It’s just a couple steps- I’ve walked you all this way already.” Lin Yi smiled as he continued walking forward.

“Oh……” _Just a couple steps?_ What if her mother saw them, she’d definitely misunderstand!

But would that even be a… misunderstanding anymore..?

As they neared the place, Tang Yin noticed the lights in her house all lit up- even the porch was lit. They’ve always been a thrifty family, so why were the porch lights on for no reason?

She walked closer and spotted her mother, looking around all worried. “Mom-”

The words had just slipped out, and Tang Yin regretted it immediately. Lin Yi was still standing beside her! They weren’t holding hands anymore, but they were still walking together, this late at night… She’d planned on getting Lin Yi to leave after they get to the front door so her mom wouldn’t see, but…….

“Yin, you’re back!!” Mrs. Tang exclaimed, overjoyed upon seeing Tang Yin. “You’re finally back! I was so worried……”

“Ah? Mom, what…” Tang Yin didn’t understand the excitement coming from her mother.

“You didn’t go to the hospital, you didn’t come home… I asked Liu Xinwen and she said she didn’t know where you are, so I went and called the police, but they said you haven’t been missing long enough for me to make a report… I could only wait here for you! But now you’re back!” Mrs. Tang explained, suddenly noticing Lin Yi who was standing beside Tang Yin. She paused, a little awkward. “Ah, you’ve been out playing with Lin Yi…… Everything’s okay now, it’s okay now. But do remember to give mom a call next time you go out… I’ve been really worried…”

“Mom… I wasn’t… We weren’t playing……” Tang Yin started explaining subconsciously.

Lin Yi sighed- it was too late to stop her now. He’d wanted Tang Yin to go along with her mother’s assumptions at first, since the truth would probably choke her with shock, but that wasn’t possible anymore…

“Okay, okay, you were studying with him then…” Mrs. Tang seemed to be very delighted at her daughter being with Lin Yi.

“Mom, I……” Tang Yin didn’t know what to say- what was with her mom…

“Eh? Yin, your clothes?” Mrs. Tang noticed the boy’s uniform Tang Yin was wearing- it definitely wasn’t a girl’s, she’d seen her daughter wear hers to school every day! It was also one size bigger than her daughter’s uniform!

Whose uniform was Tang Yin wearing? She turned to look at the tattered shirt Lin Yi had over her shoulders… Wasn’t that… her daughter’s shirt?

Mrs. Tang’s eyes widened in shock. “Yin, you… and Lin Yi… You……”

Her daughter was wearing Lin Yi’s clothes, and Lin Yi was wearing her daughter’s… Could they have……? Mrs. Tang was starting to panic as she thought of what this entailed.

She wanted Tang Yin to get into a relationship with Lin Yi, but that didn’t mean she’d agree to _that_ kind of relationship so prematurely… After all, she hadn’t forgotten what had happened to Fen……

“Mom, calm down, it’s not like that……” Tang Yin knew instantly what her mother was thinking about with one look at her face. She turned to glare at Lin Yi. “Aren’t you leaving yet?”

“Ah, I’m going then. Bye aunty.” It might be hard for Tang Yin to approach certain topics with her mom with Lin Yi just standing here… He started walking away.

Lin Yi, Mengyao, and Yushu kinda remind me of Soma, Erina, and Alice from Shokugeki...

help me think of some patreon goals! I don't have time for quadruple postings anymore =(