Chapter 28 You smell like her perfume
"…This definitely has problems."
Waking up startled from sleep for the third time, it was truly impossible to sleep normally anymore.
Looking at the glowing scale on the luminous watch face in the darkness, Li Lin stared with bloodshot eyes, feeling he was cursed.
Although there was nothing wrong outside, something major had definitely happened inside Penguin Logistics. Whether it was the subtle gossip coming from the next room, or the snoring from the bed downstairs that suddenly increased by thirty decibels for some unknown reason, or Croissant waking up from being drunk and ramming her head into the washroom with a muffled thud, all proved that something he didn't know had definitely happened inside Penguin Logistics. And it was intentionally hidden from him.
The evidence was Croissant ramming her head through the doorframe and actually not calling him! If it were before, when drunk late at night, Croissant would have definitely dragged him down with her, but now Croissant actually avoided suspicion and dealt with it herself. What did this mean? Did it mean the bread person (Croissant) had grown a brain?
No no no, this means Croissant is concerned about something.
Heavens, she actually has concerns about something!
Unsettling.
This feeling of being abandoned by the group made Li Lin stare at the luminous watch face, his heart filled with an inexplicable sense of unease. Even Lappland's heart-wrenching snores from the lower bunk couldn't calm the stormy waves in Li Lin's heart. More importantly, he thought of the most likely possibility.
Finally, finally, under the reminder of the newcomer Angelina, are the others at Penguin Logistics finally going to realize this? The abnormality of living under the same roof with a young person of the opposite sex. Although it felt very disappointing, and afterwards he might have to live with a bunch of smelly old men, causing some unease, Li Lin felt if he was reminded, he would definitely move out. After all, there was still the issue of gender.
But they weren't saying anything, and then inexplicably putting on this kind of posture, what did this mean?
'…Go out and check on Croissant's situation.'
Staring at the luminous watch face from three in the morning until four, Li Lin finally made up his mind and somewhat clumsily tiptoed down from the upper bunk.
Just because his body seemed somewhat unstable due to adjusting to the time, when getting off the lower bunk, he accidentally stepped on the tail of Lappland, who was sleeping sprawled out (大敞四開 - dà chǎng sì kāi). Causing her to yelp 'Aoo!' in her sleep, unsure what nightmare she had, she immediately curled up, muttering something.
Apologizing to Lappland in his heart, Li Lin tiptoed, pulled open the main door, and walked out of the room. Peeking around the narrow corridor outside. Then he discovered Angelina sleeping at the end of the corridor, wrapped in a blanket, looking particularly insecure. She hadn't joined Penguin Logistics, so she used this very pathetic-looking (窩囊 - wōnáng) way to tentatively express her stance and position. However, Li Lin felt it was meaningless.
Such a young girl, running to this place amidst war and chaos, what stance is there to speak of. Just peacefully accept others' kindness.
Li Lin thought for a moment, went back to his room, took an unused quilt, covered the girl with it, and then observed again himself. Then he saw Texas seemingly walk out of her room during the process of him going back to get the quilt, sitting on the sofa.
Looking at the tiptoeing Li Lin, Texas, for some unknown reason, was holding a cigarette she hadn't smoked for a long time, sitting on the sofa puffing clouds. Directly facing Li Lin, who looked like he'd been caught red-handed, the expression on her exquisite face paused slightly, then she silently made a gesture to Li Lin, signaling him to go to the rooftop to talk. Li Lin, also going with the flow , lightly followed behind Texas up to the rooftop. Passing by, he also saw Croissant with her head plunged into the washroom.
But clearly, she no longer needed Li Lin's worry. Texas had already silently, by some unknown method, tied her to the sofa.
Silently mourning for his drinking buddy for a second, Li Lin walked onto the rooftop.
Looking at Texas smoking a cigarette, he couldn't help but ask somewhat strangely:
"Didn't you quit smoking?"
"…There's something I can't figure out, so smoking to think about it."
"What is it? If you can say, can you tell me? I'm a relatively good listener, for what it's worth."
"Okay, it's not a big deal, just can't quite figure it out."
Looking at the sincere-faced Li Lin, Texas opened her mouth, lowered her head to think and sort out her emotions, then said in a low voice:
"I have a friend, how should I put it, he's a pretty good person. Has some rather subtle past, many secrets he's unwilling to tell others. But is a very good person, likes to work, gets along well with others. Any misunderstandings are quickly resolved. He has many friends, all very good people. But recently, it was suddenly discovered that some people, because some things happened, seem to have a different view of him."
"But how should I say, although that friend is a good person, because of his own problems, it's wrong for something to happen with others. Although it's very sad, and makes people feel something isn't right, even though knowing it's wrong, something that cannot be tolerated, one still can't help but feel somewhat happy. Because everyone is still friends."
"Do you think such a person is very excessive? Is thinking like this very self-centered?"
…This friend you're talking about, isn't it yourself?
Recalling Texas's subtle and complex interpersonal relationships, Li Lin looked sympathetically at the serious-faced girl before him.
Look, subtle past, Texas's past is also very subtle. Because of her own problems, can't have anything happen with other people; she's a girl, what can happen with other girls? Happy? Of course happy, so happy with friends. Just don't know who was brave enough to break the window paper (reveal a hidden truth)… Sora?
Li Lin instantly understood why everyone was acting crazy last night. How could they not be crazy? Originally, everyone was ambiguous with each other, engaging in some platonic yuri, looking like that was the case. But someone broke the window paper, so naturally, it became awkward no matter how you looked at it. But Texas also seemed undecided, Lappland and Sora also didn't seem to have directly expressed their thoughts.
Li Lin lowered his head and thought for a moment, mulled over his words, and decided to use tactful yet reasonable language to make Texas slightly aware of her interpersonal problems.
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