Sister, can I be a maid too?

Jiang Yubai originally wanted to argue a bit more, but meeting the girl's increasingly dangerous gaze, he had no choice but to change his tune:

"I didn't hear anything, okay? This study is very soundproof... By the way, why are you so nervous? What were you two talking about?"

"...That's good."

Lin Jianxia muttered something softly, then straightened her back and said confidently:

"What's wrong? This is a little secret between sisters. What are you asking about?"

"Okay, okay, I won't ask."

Jiang Yubai casually agreed, sat down next to her, and squinted at her:

"So, you know what I'm going to ask, right?"

"...What do you want to ask?"

"Stop playing dumb," Jiang Yubai said, not beating around the bush. "What have you been up to these past two days? You've been so gloomy."

"Really? How come I didn't know that?"

Jiang Yubai was already used to her feigning ignorance. He stroked his chin and tentatively asked:

Did Zhao Yun bully you?

"Pah, why is she bullying me?" Lin Jianxia glared at her. "She's a nice person, don't talk bad about her."

—Damn, weren't you the one who was criticizing him the whole time? How come your deskmate has become such a nice person after just one week?

Jiang Yu thought about it for a moment, and finally voiced his thought:

"You...are you short of money?"

"No~ no~" Lin Jianxia drawled, "You're still paying me a salary, why would I need money?"

"Isn't tuition quite expensive?"

"It is expensive, but I'm only going to attend for half a semester, okay? I can still afford it."

The girl paused, then suddenly remembered something, and pulled two red envelopes from her bag, handing them over:

"Hey, I've been wanting to give it to you for a while now."

"What is this?"

Jiang Yubai was stunned for a moment.

"The red envelopes were from my aunt and uncle, two thousand yuan each for me and Wanwan,"

Lin Jianxia answered matter-of-factly.

"No matter what my uncle and aunt's intentions were when they gave me the red envelope, I shouldn't have taken the money."

"Hey, I've never used it. I wanted to give it to you sooner, but I kept putting it away and forgot about it until I was going through my savings to pay my tuition recently."

Jiang Yubai was silent for two seconds, then suddenly squinted and spoke:

“Hey... I’m starting to worry that you might suddenly say something like, ‘I’m actually seriously ill, and after I’m gone, you’ll be in charge of taking care of my sister.’”

"What Korean drama plot?!" Lin Jianxia angrily punched him. "I'm perfectly fine, okay?!"

Jiang Yubai was speechless:

"Then why did you pull this stunt? Are you entrusting your orphan to me? I didn't give you this money, so why are you giving it to me?"

"You, you can return it when you see it."

“If I don’t pay it back, I’ll be the one who gets scolded,” Jiang Yubai immediately refused. “Next time my parents come, you pay it back yourself. If anyone gets scolded, it’ll be you.”

Lin Jianxia gritted her teeth, but seeing his stubborn refusal to accept the red envelope, she finally pouted and took it back.

Seeing her puffed-up expression, Jiang Yubai became even more puzzled:

"No, if you're not short of money, then why?"

He now truly believed that this guy wasn't worried about money—the two red envelopes were still there, unopened.

"Why would I say that? Can't I just be in a bad mood?"

Lin Jianxia glared at him, and seeing his determined expression, she finally muttered softly:

"I was just in a bad mood... but after talking to Wanwan, I feel much better now, really."

Really? Didn't your Wanwan say she didn't know?

Jiang Yubai looked over with a suspicious expression.

The main problem is that this guy is only listless when he's at school, but he's full of energy at home, and I even have time to argue with him.

What is this, school syndrome?

Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, Jiang Yubai had no choice but to give up for the time being and planned to try to find out more later.

"Alright, alright," he stood up and said in a drawn-out voice, "If you're really having trouble thinking about something... how about I give you a hug?"

"Look, I've already taken care of your sister's autism, so this little problem of yours is a piece of cake, isn't it?"

As he spoke, he stretched out his arms, closed his eyes, and struck a pose of arrogance, as if to say, "I am very generous."

Jiang Yubai had only said this casually to tease her, and she was already prepared to get a cat punch and then be kicked out of the house.

But after I finished speaking, I didn't receive a response for a long time.

Jiang Yubai found it strange and squinted to peek, only to see Lin Jianxia bite her lower lip and suddenly stand up.

Under his astonished gaze, she slowly moved closer, her toes shuffling on the floor, as if she had hesitated for a long time. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she gently nestled herself into his arms.

"Just this once... don't let it happen again."

The girl's voice was soft and clear, with a slight humming sound, and it rang right next to his ear.

Chapter 185 Where will the pig's trotters go?

So warm.

This was Lin Jianxia's first thought when she came to her senses.

It felt comfortable and reassuring, and carried a faint scent of wormwood, making her secretly sniff it.

Suddenly, two arms hesitantly wrapped around her waist.

Lin Jianxia's body stiffened instinctively, then slowly relaxed.

The claws encircling her waist did not push their luck; instead, they tightened and loosened just the right amount of force.

This guy... is actually quite well-behaved...

that is.....

—How come you're so skilled?

For some reason, this thought quietly popped into my head.

Jiang Yubai had no idea what she was thinking; he just felt a little dazed.

He was just joking, but who knew Lin Jianxia would actually hug him?

To be honest, until the very last moment, he felt that Lin Jianxia would pull out a cushion from behind her back and slap him a couple of times, along with a comment:

'What! You're really interested, huh? You really think I'd hug you, you idiot!'

So what's with this guy actually hugging me now?!

Possessed by aliens? Or was it actually Lin Tingwan in disguise? Or perhaps...?

Is your troubles really that serious? You're so desperate you're resorting to anything, like asking for a hug?

No, Wanwan's improvement was just a fluke. I was just joking. It probably has nothing to do with my hug...

but....

It's so soft.

Unlike Lin Tingwan's gentle pull that almost made her snuggle in, Lin Jianxia's hug was initially stiff, with a hint of helplessness and tension.

But slowly, slowly... the girl's body softened little by little in his arms.

Even the hands that were tightly wrapped around her relaxed as the long, drawn-out breathing sounded in her ears.

Before Jiang Yubai could even feel it for a few more seconds, Lin Jianxia suddenly seemed to realize what was happening and darted out of his arms.

Jiang Yubai blinked and looked at the girl in front of him whose ears were bright red.

"Well, it's just so-so," Lin Jianxia coughed lightly, "It feels... just like that."

"It's so hard and uncomfortable to hug. I don't know why Wanwan asks you for a hug every day."

Despite saying that, the girl's eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yubai immediately became dissatisfied:

"No, who told you to say whether it's comfortable to hold or not? Does saying it even matter?"

Lin Jianxia was taken aback:

"What do you mean, is it useful or not?"

"Hey, are you feeling better now?" Jiang Yubai asked curiously. "I'm not saying hugs are... you know... but what's the deal?"

“…Oh, right.” Lin Jianxia blinked and turned her face away. “I’m in…not bad…”

—Huh? It can't actually work, can it?

"Is there still a risk of relapse?" Jiang Yubai stroked his chin and suggested, "How about... I let you hug me one more time? To consolidate the treatment or something?"

Lin Jianxia laughed in exasperation, looked around, grabbed a pillow and smacked him on the head, saying irritably:

"I already said this is the only time, and it won't happen again!"

"What if you get unhappy again?"

"...We'll talk about it when you're unhappy."

She turned her face away, making soft, muffled noises.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't—"