A rollback after death? Then let them offer their loyalty!

Chapter 46 Confidentiality

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting dappled shadows on the living room floor.

A faint, lingering scent from last night still hung in the air.

Lin Yu had already gotten up and dressed. He glanced at the closed door of the master bedroom. Su Wan was still fast asleep; she had used up a lot of energy last night.

Lin Yu then walked to the door of the second bedroom and gently knocked.

"Xiaoya, wake up and have breakfast."

It was quiet inside; there was no response.

Lin Yu waited a few seconds, then knocked again: "Xiao Ya?"

Still no sound.

He frowned slightly, reached out and twisted the doorknob, only to find it unlocked.

Lin Yu pushed open a crack and looked inside.

The room was small, you could see from one end to the other at a glance. The bed was a bit messy, but no one was on it.

Where did Su Xiaoya go?

Lin Yu pushed open the door and walked in, his gaze sweeping across the room.

His gaze then fell on the side of the bed against the wall.

There was a makeshift "partition" made from a large piece of cardboard, which I don't know when it happened.

Extending from the bedside table all the way to the wall, it creates a small, private space between the bed and the wall.

The cardboard wasn't tall, only about 20 or 30 centimeters higher than the mattress, and a thin blanket was placed on top for cover.

This looks like a "secret base" built by a child.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, finding it both amusing and strange.

Su Xiaoya is already eighteen years old, why is she still playing this?

Lin Yu took two steps closer, wanting to see what she was doing inside.

He then noticed that a fist-sized hole had been deliberately cut out of the cardboard near the bottom of the bed, facing outwards.

The edges of the cave entrance were trimmed fairly neatly, but what truly caught Lin Yu's eye was a line of small characters written in delicate yet slightly trembling handwriting beside the entrance:

[For Mr. Lin Yu's exclusive use]

Dedicated? Dedicated to what?

An absurd yet vaguely predictable thought surfaced in Lin Yu's mind.

His gaze deepened as he stared at the dark opening.

Just then—

"Slap...slap..."

A soft, rhythmic tapping sound came from behind the cardboard.

The voice was soft, somewhat urgent, yet tinged with hesitant probing.

It seemed as if the people inside were nervously doing something, yet somewhat clumsy due to their lack of experience.

Lin Yu stood in front of the cardboard for two seconds in silence.

He then slowly bent down, knelt on one knee, and aligned his gaze with the designated opening.

Lin Yu didn't look inside immediately. Instead, he stretched out his finger and gently touched the edge of the hole with his fingertip.

The patting sound behind the cardboard suddenly stopped.

Lin Yu could sense that, through the thin cardboard, the person behind him seemed to be holding their breath, extremely tense.

He tilted his head slightly and brought his eyes closer to the hole.

The cave was dimly lit, and one could only vaguely make out the outline of a huddled figure, and... a blinding expanse of creamy white.

However, before Lin Yu could see clearly, Su Xiaoya leaned in and kissed him.

A scent, a blend of a young girl's fresh body fragrance and a hint of something indescribable, filled my nostrils.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

Two and a half minutes later, Su Xiaoya hurriedly stepped back, saying shyly, "Brother Lin Yu, give it to me..."

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow but did not refuse, and then approached the cardboard.

...

About half an hour passed.

"Ugh...!"

A muffled groan, filled with panic and bewilderment, came from behind the cardboard.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Yu felt the warmth suddenly disappear.

Immediately, he heard a flurry of rustling sounds, and a soft sob mixed with frustration and shame.

"Yes, I'm sorry... I... I... I didn't mean to..."

Su Xiaoya's voice came through the cardboard, thin and trembling, as if she was about to cry.

Lin Yu could even imagine the disheveled scene behind the cardboard at that moment.

He slowly straightened up and took a step back: "Xiaoya."

Silence fell instantly behind the cardboard sign; even the sobbing stopped.

"Come out first," Lin Yu said.

"No, don't..." Su Xiaoya's voice was filled with deep shame:

"Brother Lin Yu... could you please go out first? I'll eat later."

She paused, her voice lowered, and she pleaded cautiously:

"Oh, and another thing. Could you please not tell my sister about this? This...this is our secret, okay?"

Lin Yu paused for a few seconds and then said:

"Okay, I won't tell your sister. This is a secret between us."

"Really?" Su Xiaoya's voice brightened a bit.

"Hmm." Lin Yu turned and walked towards the door.

"Come out for dinner when you're all ready, I have to go to work."

He opened the door and went out, closing it behind him.

From inside the door, a long sigh of relief came from behind the cardboard, followed by even more frantic and hurried sounds of tidying up.

Su Xiaoya collapsed into the narrow space.

My face was wet and a little sticky.

She fumbled around in a flustered manner, grabbed a pre-prepared wet towel, and wiped her face haphazardly.

My heart was still beating fast, and it was pounding so hard it hurt my chest.

She fumbled for another clean towel, quickly wiped herself down, then grabbed her pajamas that were lying to the side and struggled to put them on in the cramped space.

After doing all that, she leaned against the wall and listened to her breathing gradually calming down.

My face started to feel hot again.

Just now... just now, how could she...?

But then I remembered Lin Yu's last words, "Okay, I won't tell your sister. This is our secret."

A secret, burning sweetness welled up in my heart.

She sat in the dark for a while until she heard the clear sound of Lin Yu fiddling with the bowls and chopsticks outside. Then she took a deep breath and crawled out from behind the cardboard.

She didn't go out immediately, but rushed to the small bathroom in the room, turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face, then carefully looked in the mirror.

Her eyes were a little red, but not very noticeably. She ran her fingers through her messy hair, straightened the collar of her pajamas, and took several deep breaths before turning the doorknob.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Lin Yu was already sitting at the table, holding a newspaper in his hand.

Breakfast consisted of simple white porridge, fried eggs, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Su Xiaoya pulled out the chair opposite Lin Yu and sat down very quietly.

The bowl of porridge was pushed in front of me.

"Thank you, brother." Su Xiaoya lowered her head and picked up the spoon to drink the porridge in small sips.

The porridge was a little hot, so she blew on it very carefully.

The living room was quiet, with only the occasional soft sound of a spoon hitting a bowl.

Su Xiaoya didn't dare to look up.

She could feel Lin Yu's gaze sometimes sweeping over from above the newspaper and landing on her.

It was very calm, just like usual.

But the more ordinary it was, the hotter her cheeks felt. Su Xiaoya tried hard to focus her attention on the porridge.

"The fried egg is getting cold," Lin Yu's voice suddenly rang out.

"Huh? Oh..." Su Xiaoya quickly picked up the fried egg from her plate and took a small bite, but she couldn't taste it.

She finally mustered a little courage and quickly looked up at the other side.

Lin Yu happened to be looking over as well.

When their eyes met, Su Xiaoya immediately lowered her head as if she had been burned, her ears turning bright red, wishing she could bury her face in the porridge bowl.

Lin Yu didn't show any particular expression; he simply looked away and continued reading his newspaper.

But Su Xiaoya felt that he understood everything in that one look.

Lin Yu knew why she didn't dare to look up, why she blushed, and what turmoil was churning inside her.

He just doesn't say it.

This unspoken understanding gave Su Xiaoya a sense of security and acceptance.

...

Breakfast was eaten quietly and slowly.

"Brother~ I'm done eating." Su Xiaoya put down her spoon.

"Okay, brother's going to work now," Lin Yu said, tidying up his things.

Su Xiaoya stood up, cleared away her dishes, and put them down by the sink.

When he turned around again, Lin Yu had already reached the entrance hall to change his shoes.

Su Xiaoya leaned against the kitchen door frame, looking at him, and hurriedly said, "Goodbye, brother."

Lin Yu opened the door, paused, and glanced back at Su Xiaoya.

The morning light streamed in from outside the door, giving his silhouette a fuzzy, golden edge.

"Stay home and take care." Lin Yu smiled slightly.

His tone was the same as when he usually gave her instructions.

"Mm." Su Xiaoya nodded.

The door closed, and the room fell silent again.

Su Xiaoya stood there for a while before slowly walking back to the living room and sitting down in the spot where Lin Yu had just been sitting.

His body heat seemed to still linger on the chair.

Su Xiaoya looked at the empty bowls and plates opposite her, and at the morning newspaper that Lin Yu had read on the table. She gently touched the rim of the bowl he had used to drink porridge.

My face feels a little hot again.

But this time, besides shame and panic, a touch of sweetness also welled up in my heart.

This is a secret that belongs only to her and Lin Yu.

Nobody knows, not even my sister.

This realization stirred a strange, guilt-ridden yet captivating feeling within her.

Su Xiaoya lay on the dining table, pressed her burning cheeks against where Lin Yu had just placed the newspaper, and closed her eyes.