After Bringing Joy to the Short-Lived Mad Young Lady - Chapter 7

“Biological information has been recorded. You may come and go freely, but please note that between 10 PM and 7 AM is the family’s rest period. Noise is prohibited during this time.”

When Fang Yi arrived at the Lin family mansion, carrying a cake box disguised as barbecue, she was once again greeted by the white-gloved butler.

The butler bowed slightly, stepping aside to make way toward the grand hall. Her tone remained respectful, yet laced with an unmistakable chill.

“You currently do not have permission to access the third floor. Please restrain yourself. Additionally, do not enter the young mistress’s bedroom without her explicit consent.”

“Any violations will be treated as trespassing, and we reserve the right to take defensive measures.”

The butler lifted her gaze. Though her eyes were cast downward, the sharpness of her stare was like a blade of pale moonlight, glaringly piercing the ground.

“Lastly—I wish you a pleasant evening.”

With that, she turned and left, the tails of her coattails fluttering as she disappeared up the staircase without making a single sound, even on the marble steps.

The Lin residence was vast. The pendulum clock on the first floor still echoed softly, but the butler swept past like a gust of wind, amplifying the eerie atmosphere to its peak.

During her initial visit in the daytime, Fang Yi had already noticed that the butler was no ordinary person—her movements betrayed martial prowess. But tonight, with all these layered warnings, Fang Yi could distinctly sense killing intent emanating from her, a stark contrast to the kindly demeanor she had displayed earlier.

Most of the butler’s instructions were just amplified versions of what she had explained during the day. Fang Yi genuinely felt they ought to publish a “Lin Family House Rules” or perhaps a “Survival Guide to the Lin Residence.”

The system pondered for a moment: The butler is human too. A worker still on duty this late at night—it’s only natural she’d be full of resentment!

It slithered furtively around Fang Yi’s arm, whispering reassurance: I checked carefully just now—don’t worry, she has a shadow! Definitely not a ghost! Host, don’t be scared!

Though it knew only Fang Yi could hear it, the system’s voice was still much quieter than usual.

Clearly, it had been spooked by the butler’s icy aura.

Fang Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. She rested her hand on the insulated bag, silently relieved she’d disguised the contents. Otherwise, there was no telling whether these “street snacks” would’ve been allowed past the Lin family’s gates.

This was specially prepared for Lin Shuxing—it should be healthy enough.

Though the vendor had vehemently opposed “going light on the seasoning,” insisting it wouldn’t be fragrant enough, when Fang Yi lowered her eyes sorrowfully and mentioned her friend had been frail since childhood and had never tasted anything so delicious…

Before she could even finish, the vendor had already melted with sympathy, even hand-skewering fresh cuts of meat, each piece noticeably larger than usual.

If they couldn’t use spicy seasonings, they’d let the charcoal fire roast it slowly, layering the natural flavors of the ingredients, letting the juices bring out a rich depth!

Even the ultra-luxurious insulated bag used to carry the barbecue had originally held a birthday cake for the vendor’s daughter.

Fang Yi raised her hand and knocked three times. “It’s Fang Yi. Are you there?”

Silence lingered inside for a while, with no response. A faint light seeped through the door crack.

Fang Yi knocked three more times and sent Lin Shuxing a message.

Fang Yi: I brought late-night snacks. Want to share?

Fang Yi: Asleep? Then I’ll leave.

She switched the bag to her other hand, pacing in place—no more, no less. Just as she took her third step, the door creaked open, and the glow of the room framed the girl standing before her.

This was the third outfit Fang Yi had seen her in today.

A pale blue nightgown swayed gently, its hem flowing like smooth cream, the bow at the chest trembling slightly with her light footsteps.

Though it was just a nightgown, paired with her lazy yawn and slightly curled long lashes, she looked like a princess who had stepped out of a medieval oil painting.

“What’s this?” Lin Shuxing stretched, her sleepy eyes glancing at the cake bag in Fang Yi’s hand.

Upon realizing it was cake, the slight upward curve of her lips immediately drooped, her tone less than pleased. “I don’t eat sweets at night.”

“It’s not sweets,” Fang Yi unzipped the bag a little, and the aroma of grilled skewers instantly overpowered the floral scent in the hallway.

“!”

The girl’s eyes widened slightly, cat-like, and she swiftly zipped the bag back up.

“You…!”

“This place is really good, so I wanted you to try it too.”

Fang Yi thought for a moment, then added, “I didn’t know if you could handle spice, so I left it out.”

Lin Shuxing stepped aside, ushering her into the bedroom, then tapped twice at the surveillance camera in the hallway corner.

Fang Yi had deliberately brought extra plastic bags and gloves, laying them out one by one.

She was already full from eating at the shop, but noticing Lin Shuxing watching her, her throat moved slowly.

The young lady was probably still too shy.

Fang Yi picked up a skewer of willow-branch grilled meat and took a bold bite, demonstrating for her.

Golden grease smeared the corner of her lips, the tender beef darkened by charcoal fire melting between her teeth.

Gulp—

The girl’s dark gaze fixed on Fang Yi’s lips, now glistening from the food, swallowing before slowly shifting to the skewer Fang Yi offered.

“It’s fresh, original flavor, not too heavily seasoned.”

Lin Shuxing finally took the skewer, feeling the warmth from the willow branch slowly spreading through her fingertips to her palm.

She hesitated, her gaze lingering involuntarily on Fang Yi’s effortlessly elegant face—enough to cut through any greasiness—before slowly taking her first bite.

Soft chewing sounds filled the air. Lin Shuxing ate with refined grace, as if savoring some French gourmet meal, but ultimately couldn’t resist the delicious assault. The juices from the skewer inadvertently overflowed, trickling down the corner of her lips.

Instinctively, she flicked her tongue out, lightly licking the corner of her mouth, leaving it glistening.

When she looked up at Fang Yi again, she was eating earnestly, not sparing a single glance her way.

“…”

The system, noticing the girl’s gaze, couldn’t help but blurt out in urgency: Can you stop eating? Let her eat!!

Main Quest · Lin Shuxing’s Request: Craving Street Food. Completed.

Rewards Issued: 50 Points.

Current Points Balance: -753.

The system wept with joy: Good, good! Let her eat, let her eat it all!!!

Fang Yi paused, opening the window to air out the smell. The evening breeze rushed in, lifting the girl’s loose hair.

“It’s… acceptable,” the young lady tilted her chin slightly. “Is this what you usually eat?”

Fang Yi: “Not often. This place is a bit pricey, but it’s fresh and tasty.”

System: …

System: There are three things in this world you can’t hide—first is being broke, wuuuahhh sob!

Fang Yi asked, “Do you like it?”

Lin Shuxing turned her head away, not answering, only saying, “Then you should eat more.”

She ate slowly, taking small bites. Often, by the time Fang Yi had finished two or three skewers, she was only halfway through one.

Fang Yi was already feeling a bit full and slowed down, resting her chin on her hand as she watched Lin Shuxing eat.

She noticed that amidst the vast array of food, Lin Shuxing only took one bite of each dish.

Even though the corners of her eyes curled with happiness as she chewed, she never went back for a second taste.

The girl had clearly relaxed, the sharp edge in her demeanor softening considerably, as if she had returned to the claw machine shop, where the two of them quietly watched the glass, waiting for the silver claw to descend.

Fang Yi rarely let her gaze wander—after all, they were in someone else’s bedroom, and it would be impolite. But now, as she glanced around, she finally remembered the question she had overlooked.

Lin Qingwan had said that Lin Shuxing didn’t like plush toys, and indeed, at the claw machine shop, she hadn’t taken a single one home.

“You don’t like stuffed animals?”

The girl had just taken a crisp bite of golden cake when she lifted her eyes to Fang Yi and blinked.

After the second blink, that haughty air returned. “Yeah, I don’t like weak, useless things like that.”

Liar.

Fang Yi’s gaze flickered over her tightly clasped fingers, realizing that the issues within the Lin family were likely far more serious than she had anticipated.

Lin Shuxing was complicated—she never revealed her true thoughts, whether it was about her wishes or her feelings.

They had spent a lot of time together in that claw machine shop, and the joy in the girl’s eyes back then couldn’t have been faked.

She would hug the carrot plushie, smooth the fur of the biggest Stitch doll, press her cheek against the fluffy little red panda…

She had won many of them, but never took a single one home.

Aside from the ones she gave to Fang Yi, most were casually gifted to passing girls.

Plush toys weren’t ‘useless.’

In her past life, Fang Yi had picked up many in the ruins—fabric and stuffing had their uses. And in this life, her grandmother had sewn her a few cloth bears.

They could be hugged for comfort, tossed around for fun, or even used as punching bags when she was in a bad mood.

But there were none in Lin Shuxing’s room—not just plush toys, but even small trinkets were absent.

Fang Yi’s gaze drifted for a moment before she suddenly asked, “Who told you that? Was it Lin Lan?”

Lin Shuxing didn’t answer.

Her eyes lowered, the slight downturn of her lips betraying a hint of grievance, but her voice remained proud. “Who needs to tell me? I just don’t like them!”

Once, a classmate had given her a little dolphin plushie, softer than a cloud. The small girl had held it all day, excitedly showing it to her mother after school.

Back then, Lin Lan would still personally pick her up, sitting in the passenger seat on the phone as the fluffy dolphin swam from the girl’s tiny hands into her lap.

Lin Shuxing still remembered it vividly—how Lin Lan had impatiently pushed the toy away, her icy gaze drenching her daughter from head to toe.

“Take it away.”

“Weak, useless things like this…”

When her mother had said those words, she had been looking straight at her.

Was it really the toy that was useless?

A sharp pain pierced her heart. Lin Shuxing tossed down the skewer of willow-wrapped snacks and muttered, “I’m done eating. You should go.”

Lin Lan had long forgotten about it. When Lin Qingwan suggested buying her sister an identical plushie, she would only dismiss it with, “She doesn’t like stuffed animals.”

But I do, Mom.

I do.

Lin Shuxing pressed a hand to her chest, coughing softly.

“Are you okay…?”

Fang Yi quickly stood, but before she could step closer, Lin Shuxing lifted her head, the corners of her eyes faintly red.

Without hesitation, she issued the order: “I need to rest.”

“I’m really worried about you like this. Did you choke on something? Or are you feeling unwell somewhere? Should I call the doctor?”

The butler had mentioned that this floor had a resident physician on 24-hour duty, specifically responsible for Lin Shuxing’s health.

But Lin Shuxing raised her head, a few drops of reflexive tears glistening at the corners of her eyes from coughing, and suddenly flared up with anger. “Do you also think I’m sick, that I might drop dead any moment? I don’t need this kind of hypocritical concern!” she snapped sharply.

Her coughing grew more urgent, her brows knitted tightly together, making Fang Yi’s heart clench in tandem.

“That’s not what I meant…”

The girl’s face was deathly pale, her temples damp with sweat, her trembling fingers reaching for the medicine bottle on the cabinet. “Cough… get out!”

Fang Yi stepped forward to help her open the bottle cap, pushed it toward Lin Shuxing’s side, then raised her hands and slowly backed away. “Alright, I’ll leave. Don’t be angry.”

Though she agreed verbally, she waited until she saw Lin Shuxing shakily take the medicine before daring to leave.

Stepping into the courtyard, the evening breeze made her realize she was drenched in sweat too.

Her shirt clung uncomfortably to her back, but the image of Lin Shuxing’s fragile state during her coughing fit stuck even more stubbornly in her throat, like a fishbone she couldn’t swallow.

Wang Quan was still waiting for her in the inner ring. Seeing Fang Yi standing there dazed for so long, he couldn’t help but jump out of the car. “Boss! What’s wrong? Why that look?”

Fang Yi snapped out of it. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Wang Quan, heartbroken, became even more convinced that the Lin family had gone too far. He turned to glare viciously at the mansion’s gates.

The butler stood there quietly with his hands behind his back, a faint glimmer flashing between his white gloves, like an untouchable statue of a sacred guardian.

Startled by the butler’s sudden appearance, Wang Quan bared his teeth in a fierce grimace before pulling Fang Yi into the car. “The magnanimous shouldn’t stoop to the petty! Let’s get out of here!” he fumed.

Fang Yi leaned against the leather seat, her gaze drifting over the shifting nightscape outside the window. A thread of confusion twisted in her heart, but for now, she had no leads.

The system suddenly plopped to its knees with a thud: 【Host! I love you! I love you, the whole world!】

The mission had updated again.

Main Mission · Lin Shuxing’s Request: Wants a teddy bear.

Completion Reward: 200 points.

Failure Penalty: “You’re an unloved child.”