Seeing Lin Ye enter the store, the salesperson immediately greeted her warmly: "Miss, buying for your boyfriend? You're so beautiful, your boyfriend must be very lucky." The salesperson always said flattering things to customers to boost sales.
Lin Ye carefully looked at the tie and found it more appealing the longer she looked at it. Tang Mingchuan would probably like it a lot, she thought to herself.
"Miss, you have great taste. This tie is our latest style, and there's only one left. Plus, giving a tie as a gift has a great meaning, it'll tie him down for life," the salesperson said, trying to persuade Lin Ye further.
"Tie him down for life... that sounds good!" Lin Ye nodded in satisfaction. "I'll take this one."
The salesperson happily went to make the purchase, and after a while, handed Lin Ye a delicately packaged small gift box.
Holding the gift box in her hands, Lin Ye looked gentle and affectionate. Seeing this, Song Yaya knew it was the gift Lin Ye bought for Tang Mingchuan, and she felt unhappy.
She couldn't help but feel resentful. She always seemed to be overshadowed by Lin Ye. Just now, Lin Ye didn't even bat an eyelid when paying for the tie, while she probably couldn't afford it even if she emptied her pockets.
Burdened with an inherent inferiority complex, Song Yaya felt suffocated, but she couldn't express it. Instead, she silently resented Lin Ye.
---
After a whole day of shopping, Lin Ye returned home feeling exhausted. She lay on the bed, feeling tired all over. Seeing the small box on the table, she wondered how Tang Mingchuan would react when he received the tie tomorrow.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It was Song Yaya.
"Lin Ye, can you come to my room for a moment? I'm not good at using the computer, can you teach me?" Song Yaya looked at Lin Ye, her eyes hiding a trace of calculation.
Lin Ye reluctantly turned over and followed her to the guest room. Song Yaya had scattered the broken glass shards she picked up yesterday near the computer, so if Lin Ye stepped on them, it wouldn't raise any suspicion. Lin Ye followed her in her socks, without noticing the glass shards on the floor.
Feeling a sharp pain in her feet, Lin Ye frowned. Her white socks were stained red with blood.
"Oh my, Lin Ye, what happened?" Song Yaya pretended to be surprised, but inside, she was thrilled.
Seeing Lin Ye's foot in such a state, she wondered how Lin Ye would meet Tang Mingchuan tomorrow.
Lin Ye sat on a stool, examining the wound on her foot. There was a large piece of glass stuck in it, causing it to bleed profusely. "Lin Ye, wait a moment, I'll call Auntie," Song Yaya said, running out. Her mouth couldn't help but curve into a victorious smile.
---
Half the night passed with Lin Ye being taken care of at the hospital. "Lin Ye, you must rest well these days and not go anywhere," instructed her mother, after they returned home.
When her mother left, Lin Ye carefully pondered the events of the evening. How could her dad, who was usually careful, not notice such a large piece of glass? Lin Ye couldn't help but think the worst. Though her foot was injured, she also noticed Song Yaya's mention of a computer issue, which she knew was not a big problem and could have been easily solved without her presence.
Was it intentional? Did she purposely place the broken glass there for Lin Ye to step on?
Lin Ye admitted her thoughts were somewhat dark, but Song Yaya didn't seem like an innocent girl. It wasn't surprising that she would think this way.
Although Lin Ye suspected, she had no concrete evidence to prove her suspicions. She decided to continue observing Song Yaya to see what she was up to.
Her foot hurt a lot, and Lin Ye couldn't sleep. She picked up her phone and messaged Tang Mingchuan. Thinking he might be asleep, she was surprised when he immediately initiated a video call.
Straightening her hair, Lin Ye answered the call. "I thought you were asleep," she shyly said, looking at Tang Mingchuan on the screen. They hadn't video called for a while, only exchanging messages.
"I was about to sleep, but when I saw your message, I wanted to see you," Tang Mingchuan's tone softened when he talked to Lin Ye.
Lin Ye glanced at her injured foot and said, "I might not be able to see you for the next few days. I hurt my foot, and the doctor said I shouldn't walk for a while."
Tang Mingchuan frowned, "What happened?" He'd only been away for a day or two, and now Lin Ye was injured. "I accidentally stepped on broken glass, but I'll be fine in a few days," Lin Ye replied. She didn't want to worry him, but she knew he would find out when they met.
Tang Mingchuan sighed, "Little girl, are Uncle and Auntie both out tomorrow?"
Lin Ye nodded.