Chapter 404: You Really Have No Shame

Just now we went straight to the Backyard; when Lu Cheng entered the house for the first time, he was stunned by the furnishings inside.

All the dark wooden cabinets against the walls were packed with books, as were the tables and every surface that could hold something; aside from books, there were few other household items.

The first impression is chaos, yet this kind of chaos feels oddly comforting.

It's practically a small library; if Wei Shu saw it, he probably wouldn't want to leave.

Feeling his way, he reached a small room that turned out to be the bathroom; opening the door revealed a flush toilet with a Water Tank.

What left Lu Cheng speechless was that, despite the bathroom being small, it still crammed a little bookcase inside.

While urinating, Lu Cheng wondered whether Professor Yang had hemorrhoids.

When taking a big pee, the biggest taboo is squatting too long; reading in the bathroom can easily engross you, making the squat duration extend.

After finishing, he felt refreshed, tugged the Water Tank's rope casually, lifted his pants and opened the door, only to be startled into a sudden jolt.

He didn't know when Yang Yin had come downstairs; she was standing in the doorway, smiling brightly.

Lu Cheng inhaled and said, "No way, what's your fetish, enjoying spying on people using the bathroom!"

Yang Yin still smiled and replied, "Who was spying on you while you used the bathroom! I came down just to remind you in case you didn't know how to use this kind of toilet."

Putting a bathroom inside a house is not unusual in later generations.

But in this era it's rare, just like Lu Cheng's Siheyuan, where everyone still queues for public toilets each morning.

Yang Yin's worry that Lu Cheng might not know how to flush the toilet is understandable.

Lu Cheng, washing his hands, said, "I often stay at a Guesthouse, and they also have this kind of flush toilet."

Yang Yin leaned against the doorframe and nodded, "Then your work must be quite hard, having to stay out often, eating poorly and sleeping badly."

Lu Cheng lifted his freshly washed face, and was a bit surprised by Yang Yin's caring words.

"Sure, I thought you were the type of willful, unreasonable, spoiled miss, but I didn't expect you also have a sensible side."

Yang Yin pursed her lips, "Then you're not a guest; I have to be like you, all talk, saying nice things—basic hospitality."

Lu Cheng laughed, flicked the water from his hand, pulled that hair tie from his pocket, and tossed it over.

Yang Yin quickly caught it with both hands, saw it was a pretty hair tie, and smiled.

"What does that mean? Did you buy it especially for me? Since when have you become so generous!"

"You're overthinking; I picked it up on the road."

Yang Yin immediately complained, "Are you ashamed, giving me something you just picked up! I don't want it…"

"If you don't want it, just throw it away!"

Yang Yin pursed her lips, still reluctant to discard it, and said, "Then I want that Jade Pendant on you."

Lu Cheng quickly covered it, "Don't even think about it; even if I gave you my life, I still couldn't give you the Jade Pendant."

Yang Yin extended her hand, "Then give me your life."

"No, I was just using a metaphor..."

"I took it seriously."

Lu Cheng was speechless; this girl is also someone who doesn't play by the rules.

Take the election for class president, for example; who could have guessed this girl would just pull a few random people off the street to fill the numbers.

Lu Cheng considered himself quite unlucky, but compared with Yang Yin, he was like a minor witch facing a great witch.

However, Lu Cheng suddenly had an idea about how to handle the Educated Youth next time.

These two times, he used every tactic he could; although the Educated Youth's emotions were pacified, it was only temporary.

By the third time, he feared the emotions accumulated from the first two would erupt all at once.

When three months actually pass, probably no one can keep it suppressed.

Lu Cheng gets a headache every time he thinks about it.

"Do you want this Jade Pendant?"

Yang Yin nodded, "As long as it's your most precious thing, I want it."

Seeing Yang Yin's serious expression, Lu Cheng felt a chill down his spine; this girl is a bit insatiably greedy.

"Ahem, you can have the Jade Pendant, but you have to do me a favor, or help me devise a solution."

Yang Yin said without hesitation, "Deal, tell me, what is it?"

It seemed Yang Yin truly wanted the Jade Pendant; without asking what the task was, she agreed outright.

Lu Cheng glanced through the window at the Backyard, where everyone was drinking tea, eating fruit, and chatting merrily.

Lu Cheng, not hurrying to go out, said, "Just say it at the bathroom doorway?"

Yang Yin lifted her chin, thought for a moment, and said, "Then come upstairs with me."

The wooden stairs creaked with each step.

At the stair landing, a glass window let scattered sunlight in, casting a kaleidoscopic glow on the steps.

In this era, most women are quite conservative; even when wearing skirts, they are ankle‑length.

Today, Yang Yin wore a goose‑yellow dress that fell just past the knees, exposing her calves fully—a rather bold outfit.

It might also be because she's at home.

Lu Cheng followed behind; whenever he glanced up, the gently swaying hem revealed two slender, pale‑white calves that constantly intertwined before his eyes.

The early‑summer sun was intense, and in that instant Lu Cheng felt a sense of beauty—a beauty of youth.

The very words "recalling youth" always seem to be accompanied by the appearance of a girl.

Without a girl, youth itself seems less perfect.

And Yang Yin is precisely the kind of girl that fits youthful memories—pure, lively...

Reaching the second floor, it didn't store as many books as the first floor; there were more household items, and the warm‑toned curtains made it feel very cozy.

Yang Yin entered the room, sat directly at the desk, and on the opened notebook there was an English word half‑written.

Lu Cheng stood in the doorway and took a look around; the room was likewise arranged very warmly, and there was a fluffy little bear by the bedside.

In later generations it's certainly not a rare thing; every major mall has it, even in ring‑toss and claw‑machine booths, it can be seen everywhere.

But in this era, not to mention whether the State‑owned Store even sells it, even if it does, this thing is very expensive, it can't be eaten or drunk, so ordinary families wouldn't waste money on it.

Yang Yin noticed Lu Cheng's gaze and hurriedly hugged the little bear in their arms.

"This was bought for me by my brother; he's abroad and sent it to me specially."

Seeing Yang Yin's careful demeanor, Lu Cheng plopped onto the bed and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I won't take yours."

When Lu Cheng sat on the bed, Yang Yin no longer cared about the bear; instead, they stared straight at Lu Cheng.

This is the first man besides her older brother and father to sit on her bed.

"Y-you, hurry up and tell me, what exactly is the matter?"

Lu Cheng rested both hands on the bed, thinking about where to begin.

To help Yang Yin understand better, Lu Cheng began by recounting how he first soothed the Educated Youth.

The view from the second floor was good; a gentle breeze drifted in, carrying the fresh scent of green grass, and the white sheer curtains fluttered lightly.

It was clearly a beautiful scene, but when Lu Cheng spoke of the second time he soothed the Educated Youth, Yang Yin felt it didn't match the current setting at all.

"You're really shameless!"