Chapter 9: Dead? The Living Dead?

After Lin Siyu backed down—or at least appeared to back down—the tense, confrontational atmosphere within the villa eased considerably. Though there was still some awkwardness, it was a world apart from the explosive tension that had filled the air just moments before.

Seeing this, Lin Muxue let out a quiet breath of relief. As a servant helped her tie an apron, she said, “Siyu, why don’t you keep Sicheng company for a while? I’ll go into the kitchen and make a few of my best dishes.”

“Keep him company? What’s there for me to talk about with him?” Lin Siyu snorted coldly, but then quickly realized something and exclaimed, “Wait, did I hear that right? You’re going to cook yourself today, sister?”

Li Sicheng asked in confusion, “Why? Is your sister a terrible cook? She doesn’t look like she would be.”

Though Lin Muxue always wore a stern expression, her face was not unkind. From Li Sicheng’s observations, her features foretold that she was destined not only to be a legend in the business world but also an excellent homemaker.

A woman like that couldn’t possibly be a bad cook.

Lin Siyu shot Li Sicheng a dissatisfied glare. “What nonsense are you talking about? My sister’s cooking is top-notch! She’s rarely in the kitchen, though—maybe only cooks during the Spring Festival. Why is she breaking her own rule today?”

As she spoke, Lin Siyu abruptly stopped. She realized the only reason her sister would break tradition and cook was probably because of this trickster, Li Sicheng.

“Unbelievable!” Lin Siyu’s glare at Li Sicheng grew even colder and sharper, jealousy swirling inside her.

Yes, she was jealous. The treatment Li Sicheng received from Lin Muxue was something even she, as a blood sister, had never enjoyed. How could she not be envious?

Lin Muxue smiled and nodded. “Since Sicheng is here, of course I’ll cook myself. Not just today—if I’m home, I’ll cook every day from now on.”

“Hmph!” Lin Siyu’s jealousy flared even more.

Lin Muxue didn’t notice her sister’s reaction and walked into the kitchen with a gentle smile.

Suddenly, Li Sicheng remembered something. “Muxue, don’t go to too much trouble. Simple porridge and a few light dishes will do. You know my current condition—I can’t eat anything too rich.”

“That’s a pity. I was thinking of preparing a whole feast.” Lin Muxue sounded a bit disappointed, but she heeded Li Sicheng’s words and made a simple meal: plain porridge, steamed buns, and a few home-style dishes.

Her skills were indeed superb; even with the simplest ingredients, the dishes she cooked were delicious.

Soon, the steaming food was served, and Li Sicheng, Lin Muxue, and Lin Siyu sat down together. They ate and chatted in an atmosphere that could be called harmonious.

Yet, this harmony was mostly between Li Sicheng and Lin Muxue. Lin Siyu barely spoke to Li Sicheng, occasionally chatting only with her sister.

“Sicheng, since you’ll be staying in Yong City for a few years, do you have any plans?” Lin Muxue asked curiously as she placed a piece of chicken in his bowl.

Lin Siyu frowned in the background, her jealousy rising again as she muttered, “Sister only serves food to that fraud and forgets all about me...”

Unlike Lin Muxue, Li Sicheng, who was skilled at reading people, noticed every subtle change on Lin Siyu’s face. He didn’t call her out, though—he simply made a show of enjoying the chicken, just to tease this sister-obsessed girl.

Of course, while teasing Lin Siyu, he didn’t forget to answer Lin Muxue’s question. “I’m thinking of enrolling in a school for a couple of years...”

“School?” Lin Muxue was momentarily taken aback, then realized that Li Sicheng was only fifteen or sixteen—precisely the age for high school.

Until now, she had been so impressed by his strength and poise that she’d forgotten his real age.

“You’re right, you should go to school.” Lin Muxue nodded and then said, “How about Nanshan High School? It’s the best private school in Yong City with excellent teachers. Last year, their college entrance exam rate for top universities was over sixty percent! Best of all, Siyu goes there too—you’d have someone to look out for you.”

Look out for me? Li Sicheng glanced at Lin Siyu. If she didn’t cause me trouble, I’d be lucky—look out for me? Impossible.

At the same time, when Lin Siyu heard her sister’s suggestion, her first thought was to protest. But before she could speak, Li Sicheng cut in first, “I don’t care about the quality of education, but I do have two requirements the school must meet!”

“Requirements? What requirements?” Lin Muxue was taken aback.

Lin Siyu was also curious, momentarily forgetting to protest.

Li Sicheng held up one finger. “First, the school must be set in a beautiful location, nestled between mountains and water, with at least fifty percent green space.”

“Nanshan High fits perfectly—it’s built into the mountains, with the Shiting River rushing past the campus. As for green space, it’s over sixty percent. The landscaping is so good it’s been called a garden school,” Lin Muxue replied, clearly well informed.

Li Sicheng nodded and held up a second finger. “Second, there must be more female teachers and students than male ones. Ideally, the ratio should be at least sixty to forty.”

“What kind of requirement is that?” Both sisters were dumbstruck.

They’d heard of people choosing schools for the education or environment, but never for the gender ratio.

Li Sicheng shrugged. “You wouldn’t understand. Just make it happen.”

His attitude immediately provoked Lin Siyu. “Hey, what’s with you? Are you asking us for help, or are we the ones begging you?”

Her suppressed anger finally erupted. She flung her chopsticks at Li Sicheng.

Li Sicheng instinctively dodged, but in doing so, he tipped his chair toward Lin Siyu’s side.

“My misfortune’s come as expected,” Li Sicheng thought. He reached out to steady himself, but instead grabbed the back of Lin Siyu’s chair, pulling her down with him.

With a thud, both tumbled to the floor.

“Are you both alright?” Lin Muxue jumped up in concern.

The fall didn’t bother Li Sicheng; he wasn’t hurt and even joked, “See? I told you I’d be unlucky. Do you believe me now?”

Lin Muxue’s expression was odd. “I believe you, I believe you. Now get off my sister!”

“Huh?” Only then did Li Sicheng realize he was sprawled atop Lin Siyu.

No wonder the fall didn’t hurt—he’d had a cushion underneath.

But his position was anything but dignified—downright indecent, in fact.

“Sorry, sorry,” he hurriedly got up.

“I—I’m going to kill you!” Lin Siyu snapped out of her shock and went berserk.

Chaos ensued.

It took considerable effort for Lin Muxue to calm her sister down. Then, in front of Li Sicheng, she took out her phone and made a call.

It didn’t take long to get an answer. “I had them do a quick survey. The exact ratio isn’t clear yet, but there are definitely more female teachers and students than male ones at the school.”

“You know the principal?” Li Sicheng was now curious.

“Of course my sister knows Principal Zhao—she’s a board member at Nanshan High. Principal Zhao works for her,” Lin Siyu said, rolling her eyes.

She hadn’t tried to take further revenge on Li Sicheng, but her tone and gaze were still full of hostility.

“No wonder it was so quick to find out the numbers,” Li Sicheng remarked. “Since Nanshan High meets my requirements, and you’re on the board, I’ll attend the school for a while.”

He spoke as if going to Nanshan High was a great honor for the school.

Lin Muxue was delighted. “Great, I’ll have Principal Zhao make arrangements. Tomorrow, you can go to school with Siyu. You really must work hard at your studies…”

She hadn’t finished when Li Sicheng interrupted, “No need for that. I’m not going to study—I’m just going to preserve my life. It’s not often I get to be alive again, you know!”

Lin Siyu snickered. “What do you mean, it’s not often you get to be alive? Were you dead before?”

“You guessed right—I really didn’t have a life before,” Li Sicheng said seriously.

“So you were a dead man?” Lin Siyu’s mockery grew sharper.

“To be precise, I was a living dead,” Li Sicheng replied with a grin.

His smile was charming, but paired with that slightly pale face, it appeared almost eerie.

Lin Siyu felt a chill run down her spine but still mustered a snort. “Playing tricks again! I’ll expose you sooner or later!”