Fake it on a dating show

Lin.

Lin Xingyue was sitting by the door, barefoot, resting her chin on her knees, her vision in front of her was a little loose.

This is the room she has lived in for more than twenty years, but it is already very strange to her.

It's not like the luxurious and dreamy bedroom of the ordinary daughter, except for the bed and the wardrobe, the rest are filled with bookshelves, and the desk is too clean. There is only a black simple pen holder on the corner of the table, and there is an ordinary black fountain pen, without any other decorations.

The wardrobe huddled in the corner was not as big as half a bookshelf, and most of them were already covered with a thick layer of dust at first glance.

Strangeness is not because of simplicity, but because of not returning for a long time.

Since entering university, she would only go home during the holidays. Later, she became so busy that she might not even be free to go home during the Spring Festival. Most of them stayed in the school dormitory.

Fortunately, I heard that she stayed overnight because of academic problems, and her parents never forced her to go home.

Her dormitory at school is smaller and more concise, but it has a bit of life atmosphere, such as the decorative cactus next to the computer, the hydroponic green plants by the window, and a golden retriever doll on the bedside...

Almost all of them were given to her by classmates and teachers in the school. For this young senior sister, even the junior sister took special care of her.

I don't know if my junior sister helped her take good care of those flowers and plants.

Lin Xingyue's thoughts gradually drifted away, and her mood gradually eased.

There was a sound of light footsteps in the corridor next to the door, and a moment later there was the sound of something being placed on the ground, and Lin Xingyue's mother knocked on the door outside.

"Xingyue, come out and eat something first. You haven't eaten since you came back last night." Mama Lin said softly, "I made something you like."

Lin Xingyue tried her best to open her eyes wide, looked up at the ceiling in a daze, and didn't answer.

Mother Lin tried to open the door, but as expected, she couldn't open it.

After coming back from last night, Lin Xingyue was locked in her room by Lin's father, but she got a job temporarily, so she gave the key to his wife.

Mother Lin probably felt a little guilty for cheating her daughter, and opened the door as soon as her husband left, wanting her daughter to come out for some activities.

But Lin Xingyue locked the door by herself.

Mother Lin came several times but did not get a response from her daughter, and finally began to panic.

"...I'm sorry, it's not good for my mother to lie to you. My mother apologizes to you. But my mother also hopes that your father and daughter can communicate well and reconcile as before... I'm sorry, it's all my mother's fault. Don't be angry, please come out to eat quickly , if you starve to death, your health will be bad...I'm sorry, mother shouldn't lie to you..."

Mother Lin apologized incoherently.

Lin Xingyue was still crying when she heard her mother coughing.

"...I don't blame you." Lin Xingyue lowered her eyelids, touched the lines on the floor with her toes, and finally said, "It's great that you're fine."

She really thought so.

When she came back after hearing the news that her mother was seriously ill, she saw the expectant but not pale face as soon as she entered the door. Until the expression on that face changed from joy to embarrassment and anxiety, she was not angry at all, only rejoicing.

It's great that mom is okay.she thought so.

Perhaps it was because of her such a bad character that she had no bottom line that she fell into such a fate.

Lin Xingyue thought to herself mockingly, and continued, "I'm just not hungry."

Coming back here will only make her feel so depressed that it is difficult to breathe, and she can't even arouse any appetite. She can't feel hunger. When she reacts, she has already started to pinch the soft flesh on the inner side of the other wrist with the tip of her nails.

But feel no pain.

Luckily I didn't have a blade handy.

Mother Lin never knew what her daughter did in a place she couldn't see, but she still had some love for her daughter, so she felt guilty. When Lin Xingyue said, "It's great that you're fine." As soon as she said it, she finally couldn't control it, and she covered her face with tears.

Lin Xingyue was a little numb when she heard the crying outside the door.

She didn't know how to comfort her mother, so she simply closed her mouth and didn't speak anymore.

She will always be able to leave after a while, which is one of the reasons why she no longer feels as hopeless as she was when she was a child. She is an adult, whether she goes back to school or goes out to work, even if she leaves, she will not starve to death on the street .

But being in a place once called "home" is not the same as feeling anywhere else.

The place that was supposed to be a safe haven has become a place of nightmares that she can't avoid.

How many times will this scenario be repeated?

Lin Xingyue felt a little tired. Maybe one day she could accept that she had completely become a rootless duckweed and cut off all delusions before she could truly be free.

At a certain moment, she thought of Zhao Minglang.

But in the next second, he was forcibly pushed back.

She didn't want to drag Zhao Minglang into the water, and she suddenly calmed down after returning home. If her parents found out about Zhao Minglang's existence, it would be hard to say what Father Lin would do in a fit of anger.

Although Lin's father was quite rational to the outside world, even gentle, Lin Xingyue didn't even dare to bet on the possibility of one in a million.

So she just locked the door behind her.

Mother cried outside for an unknown amount of time, and Lin Xingyue almost fell into a drowsy sleep.

When she regained consciousness, she realized that it was raining outside, probably because the sound of the pattering rain made her a lullaby, covering up the disturbing crying outside.

Mother Lin finally stopped her tears, put the dinner plate where it would not be kicked over, and finally knocked on the door: "I put the food at the door, come out to eat when you are hungry."

As she spoke, she paused, and then said, "Your father won't come back until evening, and I will try to persuade him."

Lin Xingyue gave a faint "hmm", regardless of whether her mother who was across the door heard it.

Although it doesn't matter if you hear it or not, Father Lin is furious because Lin Xingyue dropped out of school and ran away from home. If Lin Xingyue hadn't taken the initiative to admit his mistakes and made a series of promises, he would never turn off the fire.

Even if Mother Lin tried to persuade her, it would only add fuel to the fire.

Lin Xingyue was not sure if she still had the energy to compromise and bow her head.

She raised her head, and the drizzle outside the window attracted all her attention.

The sound of mother Lin's footsteps went away again. Lin Xingyue didn't go to count the time, but started doing arithmetic problems in her mind out of boredom. After calculating hundreds of thousands of additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions, only those pounds were left in her mind. The majestic number made my heart settle down again.

Not long after, mother Lin's footsteps sounded outside the door again.

This time it was much more urgent than last time, and soon there was a knock on the door.

"Xingyue, Professor Zheng from your school called just now and said he has something to do with you." Mother Lin said, "Come out first, wash your face, change into clean clothes, and go with the professor to finish the matter first." , let me tell you about your father's side."

Mother Lin knocked on the door, and she was even more determined: "It would be shameful for you to go out like this, and you don't want to lose face at school, do you? Xingyue, be good, listen to mother and come out first, okay? Let's talk about it later, so don't make trouble anymore."

Lin Xingyue was startled, feeling a little strange in her heart.

There are more than one professor Zheng in her school, and the only one she has a relationship with is not her professional professor, but just happens to have a good relationship with her tutor, and they will come to visit from time to time, so they are acquainted.

And before she left home, she had applied for a one-year leave of absence from school, and the procedures were complete. Even her immediate brothers and sisters never came to bother her. There was no reason for a professor who had nothing to do with her to come to her suddenly.

But for a family like theirs, it is very easy to confirm the other party's number, and no one will deliberately pretend to be such a thing.

Lin Xingyue couldn't figure it out, and didn't care about what her mother said.

"Professor Zheng asked me for something?" Lin Xingyue asked.

"He said that a man was hospitalized in a car accident at his side, and there is a shortage of manpower. I asked if you could go and discuss with him as soon as possible to see if he could help you temporarily." Mother Lin repeated the other party's words, "He said that there is really no way to do it. I’m a little embarrassed to come to you and keep apologizing. He also said that when a friend passes by later, his friend will come to pick you up, so you can go there.”

Mother Lin glanced at the time, and continued: "Look at the time, it's probably going to be a quarter of an hour later, you should pack yourself quickly."

There was no chance for Lin Xingyue to refuse.

Lin Xingyue didn't refuse either, she stood up and finally opened the door.

Mother Lin squeezed in, rummaging for suitable clothes, while directing her to the bathroom in the bedroom to wash again, and said some words of mediation, as if she suddenly saw the dawn of reconciliation.

"No matter what the situation over there is, you must come back early at night and have a good talk with your father. In fact, he still loves you and is strict with you for your own good. If it is someone else's child, he will not take so much trouble suspicious……"

Lin Xingyue ignored her mother's reassurance, and came up with some unbelievable thoughts for no reason, walked to the window, and glanced down.

A car was parked at the corner of the street amidst the rain. Although part of it was covered by branches and leaves, both its appearance and license plate matched the number of the car in her memory.

She saw someone get out of the driver's seat and put up an umbrella to cover his face.

But what she saw at that alternate moment made Lin Xingyue's heart beat wildly.

"Just this one, it looks more formal." Mother Lin picked out the clothes.

Lin Xingyue changed into it without saying a word, so obedient that even Lin's mother couldn't help but look sideways.

But Mother Lin thought that her daughter had figured it out, so she felt a little relieved.

"Do you want something to eat?" Mother Lin remembered this question when she was about to go out.

Lin Xingyue slowly felt a little hunger, but she still shook her head.

When she walked out of the room, she caught a glimpse of the food plate still on the ground out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes froze for a moment.

Maybe it's because she hasn't eaten at home for a long time, and her mother thinks that what she likes to eat is the one she mentioned when she was ten years old.

But in fact, she didn't like it long ago.

But the question has long been irrelevant.

When Mother Lin heard the doorbell, she hurried down the escalator to open the door. She looked at the young woman outside in surprise for a moment, but she still put on a decent smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Lin. I am the daughter of Professor Zheng's friend. My surname is Zhao. He should have greeted you. I heard that one of his students lives near here. I want to ask her to go to school for something, so I stopped by." Come on, is this Miss Lin Xingyue's house?"

The voices of people outside came in mixed with the sound of rain.

Familiar voice, speaking unfamiliar words.

Lin Xingyue walked behind her mother, met the gaze of the outsider, and the other party smiled slightly: "This is Miss Lin Xingyue."

Acted quite like it.

Lin Xingyue wanted to laugh for no reason.

But she still tensed.

Mother Lin didn't care about mentioning lunch, she secretly stuffed Lin Xingyue with some money so that she could buy something to eat on the way, and then let her push it out.

"Then trouble you."

"Where is it? It's just a matter of raising your hand. Then let's go first."

Zhao Minglang bowed slightly, and said goodbye to Mama Lin politely.

Perhaps her posture looked too natural, and Mother Lin didn't doubt it at all.

Zhao Minglang pulled Lin Xingyue's wrist and pulled him under the umbrella.

It seemed normal, but only Lin Xingyue knew how tightly the other party's hand was gripping, and she couldn't move after breaking free a few times, but was gripped even tighter.

They didn't stop until they reached a corner where they couldn't see the gate. Lin Xingyue heard the person next to her let out a long sigh of relief. Obviously, she was a little too nervous, and she took a breath before coming here.

"Why didn't you answer the phone?" Zhao Minglang asked.

"The phone was broken when I wanted to send you a text message." Lin Xingyue replied in a daze, "I didn't have time to buy it when I was brought back."

"The fourth one." Zhao Minglang sighed.

After only knowing each other for a few months, Lin Xingyue already broke four mobile phones.

Lin Xingyue smiled awkwardly, but felt something was wrong after not smiling for a few seconds, straightened her face and asked, "Why are you here?"

"The address given by your brother." Zhao Minglang explained while standing by the car while texting, "Do you still remember the Professor Lu you met before? By the way, I asked her for a favor. Her husband is Professor Zheng from the headquarters."

Looking at Lin Xingyue's reaction earlier, Zhao Minglang guessed that she and Professor Lu must have some overlap.

Since he is not a student of Chengxi Campus, nor is he a relative, then he is another professor of Professor Lu's family.

"I'm not asking this—"

"I know." Zhao Minglang put away his phone and tilted his umbrella a little towards Lin Xingyue.

In rainy days with wind, no matter how tilted the umbrella surface is, it cannot completely block the intrusion of rainwater.

There were more or less rain marks on the legs and arms of the two of them, but no one cared about it.

Lin Xingyue stood quietly, waiting for Zhao Minglang's explanation.

Zhao Minglang said, "I'm here to take you home."