Chapter 32: “It’s Me, Sister Ruan Yuan…”

But her steps were no longer as light as before.

Bai Linlin held A’Li in her arms and continued walking forward along the route in her memory.

The little fox in her arms was warm and fluffy. It occasionally moved, nuzzling its head against her chest.

This little guy seemed especially clingy, always trying to burrow into her embrace whenever it had the chance.

“You’re the best,” she whispered softly, looking down into A’Li’s amber eyes.

“At least you won’t bully me.”

A’Li let out a “wuu,” extended its little tongue, and licked her finger as if it understood.

After turning a corner, the street where her house was located appeared in her sight.

Then she saw a person.

Standing near her front gate, pacing back and forth, occasionally glancing toward both ends of the street, as if waiting for someone.

Black hair, quite tall, wearing casual clothes.

Linlin narrowed her eyes and looked carefully.

The facial features weren’t sharp but rather soft, somewhat like… the “Ruan Yuan” from her memories.

Yes, it was that “Ruan Yuan” who had been reported by her for bullying Yuan Yiyi and then expelled from school.

Sister Ruan Yuan had mentioned before that she had become someone with the same name as her and had been expelled by “Bai Linlin.”

So the person in front of her…

Linlin’s heart skipped a beat.

Holding A’Li, she cautiously approached.

Her footsteps were very light, as if afraid of startling some small animal.

After taking a few steps closer, the person seemed to sense something and turned her head.

Their gazes met.

Linlin saw a flash of confusion in the other’s eyes, followed by scrutiny—from top to bottom, then bottom to top—finally settling on her face.

She took a deep breath and asked in as small a voice as possible:

“Sister Ruan Yuan? Is that you?”

Ruan Yuan was stunned.

She had been waiting here for nearly an hour, from dawn until the sun had risen high. Her anxiety had grown so bad she felt like her hair was going to turn white.

Linlin had said “I’ll be back soon,” but this “soon” had been way too long!

Just as she started worrying that something might have happened, someone suddenly called out to her.

The voice came from below.

She looked down.

Standing a bit below her line of sight was a pink-haired girl.

The girl was very small, probably only reaching below her ears.

She was holding a similarly pink fox. The little fox had poked its head out, its amber eyes watching her warily.

The girl’s hair was a little messy, and her clothes clearly didn’t fit properly.

There was still some residual swelling on her face that hadn’t fully gone down, and the corner of her mouth was slightly cracked.

But her features…

Were very delicate.

Her eyes were large and light-colored, with long lashes.

Her face was small, and her skin was fair.

The whole person looked like… a finely crafted porcelain doll.

Cute.

Very cute.

This evaluation popped up in Ruan Yuan’s mind.

Then she subconsciously compared the girl in front of her with her own Linlin.

Hmm, her own Linlin was still cuter.

After all, Linlin had white hair, which was more special.

Plus, Linlin had that fragile, protective aura about her. Although this girl was also cute, she somehow gave off a sense of… inexplicable exhaustion?

While she was still comparing cuteness levels in her head, the girl spoke again.

“Sister Ruan Yuan? Is that you?”

Ruan Yuan blinked.

Wait.

She suddenly realized something.

She knew this girl.

Wasn’t this the “Bai Linlin”?

The culprit who had exposed her for bullying Yuan Yiyi and got her expelled from school!

Why was she here?

Why was she calling her Sister Ruan Yuan?

How did she know her name?

A string of questions flashed through her mind, followed by an even more important thought.

She had considered before that if she ever met this “Bai Linlin,” she would bully her a little.

After all, she had nearly gotten her own Linlin in trouble, so she deserved to vent a bit.

But now…

Ruan Yuan looked at the small pink-haired girl in front of her, holding a fox, with injuries still visible on her face.

Then she looked at those light-colored eyes.

There was nervousness, anticipation, and a careful “have you recognized me?” look in them.

A light bulb suddenly went off in her head.

She herself had become someone with the same name as “Ruan Yuan.”

Then what about Linlin?

Could Linlin also have become someone with the same name as “Bai Linlin”?

Then the person in front of her…

Wasn’t this Linlin?!

She sucked in a sharp breath.

She had almost—almost bullied her own Linlin!

She quickly threw those “bully her a little” thoughts out of her mind. With an expression of obvious doubt and uncertainty, she cautiously asked:

“You are… Linlin?”

As soon as she said it, she wanted to slap herself.

What kind of question was “You are Linlin”?

She was also called Bai Linlin!

Calling her Linlin was basically calling her by her name!

Of course she was!

What a stupid question!

Linlin watched the complex changes in expression on her face—going from confusion, to comparison, to sudden realization, and finally to self-disgust. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes inwardly.

As expected.

Ruan Yuan, just like her, couldn’t recognize the other person at first glance.

After all, both of them had changed.

She herself had gone from white hair to pink hair, grown from 1.37 meters to nearly 1.5 meters, and her facial features had changed too.

The only thing that hadn’t changed…

Linlin looked down at her own chest.

Mm. Still the same familiar size that Xiran had scorned as “not much.”

She raised her head. The corners of her mouth curved slightly into a helpless expression that said “fine, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

She said.

“Sister Ruan Yuan.”