ABO: A Debt to Repay - Chapter 13
Early that morning, Xu Xi woke up in He Lin’s arms. Surrounded by the warm, mellow scent of pinewood pheromones, it felt as if she were basking in sunlight—comforting and serene.
She wasn’t sleepy anymore, so she simply stared at He Lin’s face.
From his forehead to the straight bridge of his nose, down to his soft lips—He Lin had such refined features. Xu Xi found herself lost in admiration, eyes fixed on those long eyelashes, until He Lin opened his eyes and he still hadn’t snapped out of it.
The first thing He Lin saw upon waking was Xu Xi staring at him in a daze, hers fair, tender face full of innocence—like a little kitten.
“Why are you staring at me like that? Have you fallen for me?”
Snapping back to reality, Xu Xi blushed and buried herself under the covers.
“I haven’t.”
He Lin laughed at her ostrich-like behavior. Just as he was about to pull her out from under the blanket, Xu Xi suddenly leapt out of bed, hastily looking for clothes. “The sun’s so bright! Am I going to be late for school?!”
“You are.”
With a stretch of his long legs, He Lin pulled Xu Xi into his arms. Xu Xi, thrown off balance, landed in his embrace, about to flare up with annoyance when He Lin calmly said, “But I already called in for you. You don’t have to go to school today.”
Xu Xi: “…”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
He Lin blinked innocently. “I didn’t get the chance.”
Thinking back, he did seem to have no opportunity to say it… but still! He definitely did it on purpose—just to mess with her!
But it was He Lin—Xu Xi didn’t dare get mad at him. She just turned her face away and sulked.
He Lin laughed even more at that. He pinched Xu Xi’s cheek. “Look at you, pouting like that. Only you would dare pull that face with me!”
“I’m not.”
“Alright, alright. If you say you’re not, then you’re not.”
Suddenly, Xu Xi realized something. He Lin’s tone was overly gentle and doting…
The way they were talking felt too intimate. She’d even started to act spoiled around He Lin without realizing it—more so than she did with her own mother. That wasn’t a good thing.
Their status difference was too vast, and the reason they were together wasn’t exactly proper. Xu Xi needed to constantly remind herself not to fall too deep.
She was still young and couldn’t hide her emotions. Every shift in feeling showed on her face. He Lin noticed, found it amusing, but didn’t say anything.
He lifted the blanket, put on his robe, and walked to the window. Drawing the curtains open, sunlight poured in, brightening the entire room. He turned back and saw Xu Xi sitting up in bed as well.
“I gave Aunt Wang the day off today,” he said.
Xu Xi: “…?”
“So, you’re cooking today.”
Xu Xi: “…”
Fortunately, Xu Xi had learned a few things from her mother before. She occasionally cooked at home, and after years of watching He Fang cook, even just observing had taught her quite a bit.
“Alright. What do you want to eat? I only know how to make some simple home-style dishes. Not sure if they’ll suit your taste.”
“That’s fine. I’ll eat whatever you make. I’m not picky.”
Xu Xi didn’t know why He Lin suddenly wanted her to cook, but a creditor’s word was law. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “How about tomato and egg noodles?”
“Sounds good.”
It was nearly ten in the morning, and they hadn’t had breakfast yet, so they needed something light first to fill their stomachs.
Xu Xi went to the kitchen, fried two eggs, and heated up two glasses of milk. They had a small bite, then she began preparing lunch.
He Lin leaned against the kitchen door, watching Xu Xi move back and forth.
Growing up, He Lin was mostly raised by his older brother. Their parents were always busy with business and were rarely home. Even his brother was often too preoccupied to look after him, so scenes like this were almost nonexistent in their home.
Maybe when he was younger, he’d longed for this kind of simple happiness—but eventually, he no longer needed it.
Because the strong have to keep moving forward. Certain things only become burdens, and he had to learn to let them go.
But now, watching Xu Xi’s figure in the kitchen, with the calming scent of locust blossom pheromones lingering in the air, He Lin felt a strange, inexplicable sensation.
He couldn’t quite name it—but it felt pleasant.
After the meal was done, He Lin even graciously brought his bowl to the table himself.
Looking at the steaming, fragrant tomato and egg noodles, He Lin didn’t hold back his praise.
“You’re a good cook!” He Lin took a bite and nodded repeatedly. “It’s delicious!”
Xu Xi blushed under the compliment and lowered her head to eat. “It’s not that hard to make. If you tried, you’d probably be just as good.”
Though deep down, she thought—someone like He Lin, who probably never even boiled water, would likely never set foot in a kitchen.
…
When Xu Xi returned to school again, everyone looked at her differently.
Gone were the disdainful looks. In their place… was pity?
Why pity?
Xu Xi didn’t quite understand until she entered the classroom and was immediately surrounded by classmates.
“Class rep, we know the truth now. We misunderstood you before.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you explain yourself back then? And Zhao Yuran—how could she did something like that? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!”
“Seriously, who would’ve thought she was that kind of person? She’s done for now!”
At the mention of Zhao Yuran, Xu Xi asked, “What happened to her?”
“You haven’t heard? She was the one trying to seduce a sugar daddy—the photos have gone viral. She even admitted to framing you! Those pictures of you and your cousin were all taken at misleading angles. And apparently, she came to withdraw from school yesterday. Guess that proves the sugar daddy rumor was true!”
Xu Xi was stunned. She’d only missed one day, and so much had happened?
Zhao Yuran… could it have been He Lin’s doing?