The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

After finishing all this, she straightened up, wiped the fine sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's bandaged up. Don't get it wet for the next couple of days." She looked at Lin Feng with a serious expression. "I'll take your wet clothes to wash; they'll dry quickly in the dryer. You can change into these first—they're old ones I bought before, but I've never worn them."

Before Lin Feng could answer, she had already hurried upstairs. The stairs were old-fashioned wooden structures, making a slight creaking sound when stepped on.

I heard noises coming from upstairs: people opening wardrobes, pulling out drawers, and rustling as they rummaged through fabric.

A moment later she came down, holding a neatly folded set of short-sleeved shirt and shorts. It was a very ordinary men's loungewear set, the fabric was a little faded from washing, but it was clean and had a faint scent of laundry detergent.

"Please change into these first, don't mind that they're old. Wearing wet clothes can easily make you catch a cold. I'll take them to wash, they'll be ready soon." His eyes were firm, as if if Lin Feng refused, he would never be able to repay this favor.

When Lin Feng reluctantly changed his clothes and went downstairs, the other person had already taken his wet clothes to the washing machine upstairs.

Sitting at the small dining table in the living room, her gaze swept across the entire room without making a sound: there were only her and her child's shoes on the shoe cabinet, no wedding photos on the wall, and several photo frames next to the TV cabinet, all of them photos of her and her son, without a trace of the adult man.

In the corner, a little boy was lying on the coffee table building blocks, creating a crooked and distorted structure.

The child looked to be around seven years old, with fair skin, delicate features, and a vaguely familiar look in his eyes and brows.

Lin Feng quickly calculated the timeline in his mind. If Wang Yuqing was already pregnant with Chen Liangliang's child when she left Binzhou six years ago, her age would match up perfectly.

Having figured it out, but showing no sign of it on his face, he walked over, squatted down, pointed at the blocks, and smiled: "The castle is really well built. Is the tallest one the tower?"

The little boy looked up at him, his eyes sparkling, and earnestly pointed to the blocks, explaining, "It's not a tower, it's a lighthouse. The teacher said that a lighthouse can guide a lost ship."

The little guy spoke with unusual seriousness.

Lin Feng's heart stirred slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. He simply nodded and said, "Your teacher is really good."

The woman came downstairs and went straight into the kitchen. While tying her apron, she said, "You saved Xiaoyu and got injured, so I had to make sure you had a hot meal. We don't have anything fancy, just a few simple home-cooked dishes, please don't mind. Oh, and I haven't asked your surname yet?"

"My surname is Lin. I'm a tourist from Jiangbei Province. I heard that the Qingxi Tea Garden has beautiful scenery, so I came to take a look."

"My surname is Wang, and my given name is Fang. You can just call me Xiao Wang." Her voice was soft and gentle, with the characteristic Wu dialect of a woman from Jiangnan, making even ordinary small talk pleasant to listen to. "Mr. Lin, what do you do for a living?"

"I run a small business, dealing in medicinal herbs and local specialties." Lin Feng leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching her busy figure, his tone casual as if chatting with someone. "Miss Wang, you're raising a child alone, running a shop, and taking care of your family. It must be tough, right?"

The other person paused for a moment while chopping vegetables, then deftly sliced ​​the green peppers into thin strips, their knife skills were even and clean, clearly showing that they were used to doing it all by themselves.

With her head down and her tone flat, she said, "I'm used to it. I lived in other places for a few years before, but I felt this place was quiet, so I moved here and opened this shop. Qingxi is a bit remote, but the people around here are nice, and I feel at ease living here."

"Where's the child's father? We haven't seen him at all!"

Wang Fang put down the cleaver, scooped the shredded green peppers into the plate, and remained silent for several seconds before speaking. Her voice was lower than before, with a deliberate tremor: "He... died in a car accident a few years ago. Xiao Yu was only a little over a year old then, and couldn't even call me 'Dad' yet. I moved here with him all by myself, just for some peace and quiet."

He kept his head down as he spoke, his fingers rubbing back and forth on his apron, creating a fine crease along the edge of the fabric.

Lin Feng saw this but didn't press further. He simply softened his tone and said, "I'm sorry to have brought up your painful memories. It's not easy for you to manage the shop so well and take such good care of the children all by yourself."

Wang Fang suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, then smiled slightly and said softly, "Thank you."

The smile was fleeting, disappearing in an instant...

At mealtime, four dishes and a soup were laid out on the table: shredded pork with green peppers, braised pork ribs, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, cucumber salad, and a bowl of tomato and egg drop soup.

They were all home-style dishes, but they were made with extra care.

She filled Lin Feng's bowl to the brim with rice and then placed several pieces of pork ribs on his plate: "Try these ribs. I marinated them for several days; they should be well-seasoned. Mr. Lin, you're from Jiangbei, do you prefer your food saltier or milder?"

"It's a bit too salty. Yours is marinated just right, not too salty or too bland." Lin Feng picked up a piece of rib and put it in his mouth. The meat was tender and the sauce was rich and flavorful.

"That's good. Our food here tends to be sweet, and most people from other places aren't used to it when they first come here. I'm glad Mr. Lin likes it." As she spoke, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, a soft arc that carried the unique reserve and restraint of a woman from Jiangnan.

When they pick up their chopsticks to eat, they eat with refined manners, chewing each bite slowly and gracefully, their movements as they pick up food with ease and elegance.

This temperament isn't something you can fake; it's something you've cultivated in the Jiangnan region and through your upbringing—it's ingrained in your very being.

The little boy sat next to him, holding a small bowl with cartoon patterns on it. He wasn't very good at using chopsticks yet. He kept his head down, eating his rice, and occasionally looked up to steal a glance at Lin Feng, his eyes full of curiosity.

Lin Feng smiled and asked him his name and age.

"My name is Xiaoyu, I'm seven years old, and I'm in first grade!" The little guy put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and answered, then tilted his head to look at Lin Feng. "Uncle, did you come from a very far place?"

"Yes, they came from Jiangbei Province."

"Where is Jiangbei Province? Is it bigger than our place?" The child's curiosity was completely piqued, and his eyes stared at him with bright eyes.

"Xiaoyu, stop asking your uncle. Let him eat properly." The woman gently stopped him, her tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable force.

The little boy obediently lowered his head and continued eating, but he still stole glances at Lin Feng while eating, his lips curling into a barely suppressed curiosity.

Raymond Lam couldn't help but laugh: "It's okay, it's a good thing that kids are curious."

After the meal, she brewed Lin Feng a cup of tea, a locally produced green tea with a clear broth and a faint aroma of soybeans.

When she brought the tea over, she repeatedly expressed her gratitude, saying that if Lin Feng hadn't passed by today, she really didn't dare to imagine the consequences, and she would remember this kindness for the rest of her life.

Lin Feng waved his hand and said it was only right; anyone would have reached out if they saw it. They chatted for a while longer, but he didn't dare stay too long for fear of arousing suspicion.

When he got up to leave, the other person insisted on giving him a bag of osmanthus cakes that they had steamed themselves. The plastic bag was neatly sealed, and they said that they had just made them that morning and that he should take them back and try them.

"Mr. Lin, will you still be in Qingxi tomorrow?" She saw him to the door, hesitated for a moment before speaking, her tone filled with a cautious expectation. "I heard you're here for tourism. There are a few tea gardens around here with beautiful scenery. If you'd like to go, I can give you directions. Also, regarding your foot injury, it would be best if you came back tomorrow to have the dressing changed again. I'll check how it's healing. You got injured because of Xiaoyu, and I'd feel really bad if I didn't take care of it."

"I think I'll be staying a few more days. I'll have to trouble Miss Wang then." Lin Feng took the osmanthus cake, nodded to her, and turned to walk into the twilight of Qingxi Town.

A thin layer of bluish-gray mist spread across the river, enveloping the entire town, with white walls and black tiles appearing and disappearing in the fog.

Back at the hotel, Lin Feng sat on the edge of the bed, going over every detail of the afternoon in his mind.

The wound on the sole of her foot was still throbbing, but it became the best knock on the door. Her gesture of inviting him to dinner and the words she said before leaving showed that she had lowered her guard against him.

But... she said her surname was Wang, not Wang (汪).

But the outline of those eyes, the seven-year-old boy, the pet shop with no trace of a male owner…

Every clue points to the same answer.

Wang Fang could very well be Secretary Wang!

The next step is to confirm her identity, but we must not rush things. She has managed to remain anonymous in Qingxi Town for so many years; she must be extremely wary. Any sudden action could force her to disappear again.

We need to take it slow. First, let's use this life-saving grace to build a relationship. Once we have enough trust, we can find an opportunity to confront each other.

Lin Feng leaned against the headboard and lit a cigarette.

Going to the pet store to change the dressing tomorrow is the perfect excuse; they've already agreed, so going won't seem abrupt.

Looking out the window at the hazy river in the twilight, I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray.

The next step is already planned in my mind.