11

As Lin Xin had said, the supermarket covered a vast area.

After grabbing a shopping cart at the entrance, she led Ye Linghua up the inclined escalator to the second floor. This level mainly housed household goods. Though it wasn't their primary objective, Lin Xin still took Ye Linghua around.

She ended up picking out quite a few items for Ye Linghua's room—from body wash and shampoo to various decorations, even a nightlight.

By the time they took the escalator back down to the first floor, their shopping cart was already half full.

The first floor was dedicated to food, offering everything from ready-made meals to seafood, fresh produce, frozen goods, and beverages.

Lin Xin was well aware that Ye Linghua's cooking skills weren't great, so she mostly took charge of picking out the food. Ye Linghua simply followed behind, pushing the cart while watching Lin Xin carefully select melons, examine durians, and then move on to the frozen foods and fresh vegetables.

Throughout their shopping, Lin Xin frequently turned back to ask:

"What do you feel like eating?"

"Is there anything you want to drink?"

"Do you like this?"

"Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Ye Linghua, feeling cared for at every turn, almost let down her guard. By the time they reached checkout, she realized just how dangerously seductive this entire experience was.

Standing at the cashier, Lin Xin waited for the final total, her delicate profile illuminated by the supermarket's lighting, looking stunning enough to make hearts race.

A beautiful woman who is considerate, buys you things with a smile, and even gives you pocket money—

This…

This was practically the ultimate life of a kept woman!

Ye Linghua couldn't help but chuckle bitterly. How had things turned out like this?

No, no, no—she had to remind herself constantly that Lin Xin was destined to return to the female lead. She loved that scumbag Zheng Lanwen.

Successfully hypnotizing herself, Ye Linghua helped push the cart towards the parking lot once Lin Xin had finished paying.

The spring sun wasn't too harsh yet. As they walked on the concrete path of the parking lot, the open air allowed the breeze to stir their hair and the hems of their skirts.

Lin Xin tucked a few strands of her long hair behind her ear, glanced up at the clear sky, and murmured, "I always used to come alone."

Ye Linghua paused, recalling the plot from the novel.

Lin Xin and Zheng Lanwen's marriage was filled with misunderstandings. Zheng Lanwen had once believed that Lin Wan's departure overseas was orchestrated by Lin Xin. Coupled with her struggles in the entertainment industry, she had eventually given in to Lin Xin's pursuit.

Meanwhile, Lin Xin had thought her perseverance had finally touched Zheng Lanwen's heart—that they had overcome all obstacles to welcome a beautiful future together.

But in reality, Zheng Lanwen, seemingly out of spite, had thrown herself into work after their marriage and rarely came home.

Since Zheng Lanwen had started from the bottom—coming from a talent show background, often looked down upon in the industry—she had little to no resources of her own. Marrying Lin Xin could indeed be seen as a step up.

When they wed, there were even rumors that Zheng Lanwen had 'climbed the social ladder'. And with her pride, she naturally couldn't tolerate such accusations—especially when they weren't entirely false. Just thinking about it made it hard for her to face Lin Xin.

Five years of marriage, yet they had never truly been a couple—not even holding hands more than a handful of times. It was a platonic relationship to an almost laughable degree.

Given such a marriage, Lin Xin had been considerate of Zheng Lanwen's emotions, willingly stepping back from her career to focus on maintaining the relationship.

For Lin Xin, those five years had been filled with nothing but mundane, everyday chores.

The novel hadn't gone into detail about what that daily life had looked like, but thinking about it now, it must have included grocery shopping alone, cooking alone, and eating alone.

Realizing this, Ye Linghua felt an ache in her heart. She couldn't help but comfort Lin Xin, "From now on, I'll try to go with you every time."

Lin Xin turned to look at her and suddenly laughed, pointing a finger at Ye Linghua. "You should be coming here alone—aren't you my personal assistant?"

Ye Linghua wasn't offended, smiling indulgently. "Alright, I'll come from now on."

Gentle people were always hard to resist.

Looking at Ye Linghua's soft expression, Lin Xin muttered under her breath, "It's not like I'd make you do everything alone."

Her voice was quiet, nearly drowned out by the rattling of the shopping cart, but Ye Linghua heard it clearly.

Lin Xin was just that kind of person—gentle to the point of keeping all the cruelty to herself.

Reaching out, Ye Linghua lightly ruffled the brim of Lin Xin's bucket hat, silently tousling her hair.

So this time, I'll share some of the burden for you.

You don't have to carry it all, and you don't have to be so considerate all the time.

Lin Xin felt warmth spreading through her chest. She glanced up at Ye Linghua in confusion, not understanding the gesture.

* * * *

The next day, Meng Kelin went to pick up the composer, while Lin Xin, not wanting to reveal her home address, arranged to meet in a tea house in the city center.

By the time Meng Kelin notified her that she had picked up the guest and was almost there, Lin Xin took Ye Linghua and left.

When they arrived, Meng Kelin had already ordered tea.

Seated beside her was a young man wearing black-framed glasses. He looked nervous, constantly fidgeting with his fingers.

Hearing the sound of Lin Xin entering, he grew even more tense. He looked up—his face was ordinary, just an average young man—but when he saw Lin Xin, he immediately stood and greeted her, "sister Lin Xin, hello."

Lin Xin nodded and took a seat with Ye Linghua.

The young man introduced himself, "I'm Wang Shisen. I just graduated from university, and Dusk is actually the first song I composed after graduation. You can listen to it first, and if any adjustments are needed, I can still modify it." As he spoke, he pushed a USB drive across the wooden table.

It was just an ordinary USB stick—clearly, Wang Shisen lived quite modestly.

Lin Xin had already listened to the song before, so there was no need to play it again.

She simply reminded him, "The music industry hasn't been doing well these past few years, and I'm not as popular as before. I can't guarantee the song will go viral."

Wang Shisen, looking flustered, quickly shook his head. "It's already beyond anything I dared to hope for."

Lin Xin smiled. "If the song weren't good, sister Meng wouldn't have bought it. She already let me hear it in advance, and I think it's excellent—deeply moving. I'm here today to finalize the contract."

Wang Shisen was so stunned that he looked dazed for a moment before nodding repeatedly in gratitude.

Meng Kelin had already prepared the contract in advance. The two quickly signed it, and afterward, Wang Shisen shyly asked for a photo.

Lin Xin didn't refuse. After they took the picture, Wang Shisen left, looking utterly satisfied.

Once he was gone, Meng Kelin turned to Lin Xin. "The melody is great, but the lyrics are just as important. I was thinking… maybe we could try to get Teacher Zhang on board."

Lin Xin was surprised. "Teacher Zhang? Hasn't he stopped taking projects? That'll be difficult."

Meng Kelin frowned. "I'll try my best."

Lin Xin nodded but said cautiously, "We should have a backup in case he declines. Our schedule is tight."

Meng Kelin agreed, then smiled approvingly. "You're finally back to your old self—thinking ahead again. Alright, you two head back. I'll contact his assistant first. You also need to report to the company soon, and they're planning to book you for an interview-style variety show to generate buzz for the song."

Lin Xin had no objections.

Once Meng Kelin left, she sighed in frustration.

Ye Linghua, guessing her concern was about the lyrics, asked, "Is it really that hard to get Zhang Kunshan?"

Lin Xin nodded.

Ye Linghua hummed in acknowledgment and, without another word, casually opened her phone and texted:

[Are you free these days?]

Zhang Kunshan replied almost instantly:

[Bro! Let's play chess!]

Ye Linghua: [I'm busy.]

Zhang Kunshan: "..." Then why are you even asking me?!