I Really Didn’t Want to Increase My Favorability! - Chapter 229

“I need to use the bathroom.”

At first, Jiang Zimeng thought her mom had noticed something, but hearing this, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Mom, just use the bathroom upstairs. I’m already drenched here.”

“We’re both women, why are you shy? Let me see if you’re growing normally~”

“Mom, stop it!”

Seeing Xu Lin’s face, Jiang Zimeng blushed even more.

“Haha, alright, alright, I’ll go upstairs. Don’t stay in there too long; you might faint.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“That’s good.”

“I’ll come in to wash up after you’re done.”

“Isn’t there a shower upstairs?”

“I prefer the big bathtub.”

Jiang Zimeng felt bitter. If she had known last year when her mom wanted to install two bathtubs, she wouldn’t have objected.

“I’m going to the bathroom now.”

After saying that, her mom’s footsteps grew more distant. Xu Lin also let out a sigh of relief and stood up.

“How do I get out of here?”

“Change into your pants now and just leave.”

“Okay.”

Xu Lin quickly took the pants and hurriedly put them on, making Jiang Zimeng burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing, it’s just seeing you like this… Doesn’t it remind you of that scene in your novel where the male lead sneaks into the female lead’s villa? It’s quite similar.”

“How would I know I’d end up in a situation like this… This plot is too anime-like.”

“Don’t waste time, go back first. We’ll talk on the phone later. I left the camera in the cabin; just grab it and leave.”

“Okay.”

Xu Lin opened the door carefully and peeked outside. Just as he was about to step out, he heard footsteps.

He quickly shrank back and saw Jiang Zimeng filling the bathtub with water, trying to make it look more convincing.

“Is your mom coming downstairs again?”

“Let me check.”

She didn’t stick her head out directly but extended her phone with the camera on and took a photo. She saw her mom sitting on the living room sofa and turning on the TV.

“This…”

“Is there another way?”

“No, to get to the cabin, you have to go through the living room…”

“So what now?” Xu Lin was really panicking.

Being simply misunderstood was one thing, but this was the landlord’s house. If she told Chu Qingchan and the others tomorrow, what would they think of him?

Going back home and secretly meeting the young landlord while lying to his parents about having other things to do.

“How about you go out and explain everything?”

“Are you crazy?” Jiang Zimeng quickly pulled Xu Lin back and glared at him.

Her mom, though good to her, had a temperamental and strong-willed personality.

Once she made up her mind about something, no one could change it.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Take a shower first.”

“Why?”

“To bath.”

Jiang Zimeng said she was going to take a bath, but she went straight to the bath instead and dunked her head in. Instantly, her hair got wet.

She jerked her head up, and water streamed down her face and neck, soaking her clothes.

The black long-sleeve T-shirt clung to her body, and Xu Lin caught a glimpse of the curves hidden beneath the mist.

Quickly, he turned his head away but couldn’t help but marvel at the good nutrition girls have these days. She looked so skinny and not that tall, yet who would’ve thought?

Jiang Zimeng, completely unaware of her clothing situation, went straight to the door.

“Mom, I forgot to bring a change of clothes!”

She stuck her wet head out and shouted outside, seeing her mother glance back at her.

“How do you forget clothes when taking a bath? I’m watching a show. Just go upstairs after you’re done.”

“I’m too old to walk upstairs naked!”

“Then wait till I’m done watching. You’ll need some time to finish bathing anyway, right?”

“Yes.”

Jiang Zimeng turned around and saw Xu Lin staring blankly. She suddenly realized they were alone, a man and a woman. If he tried to do something to her, should she scream?

Her mom would surely send him to jail if she heard. But looking at Xu Lin’s innocent eyes, she felt she was overthinking, probably watching too many anime.

“So, we’re just going to wait for your mom to get your clothes upstairs?”

“Let me think, maybe there’s another way…”

Jiang Zimeng glanced around and saw her mom’s large bathrobe on the rack. An idea sparked.

“This will work. It’s big enough. You can hide behind me. She usually doesn’t turn around. Even if she glances, she won’t notice. We can go to my room without passing through the living room. Mom will definitely be in bed by 11.”

“Okay.”

Xu Lin had no choice but to follow her plan, though it meant he wouldn’t get home until after 11. He pulled out his phone and sent a WeChat message to his dad, telling him not to worry because he had something to do.

But his dad quickly replied, asking what he was doing so late and why he wasn’t coming back. Xu Lin could only reply with “Soon, soon.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“Pretend to bathe. I usually take at least 15 minutes. If it’s too short, she’ll get suspicious.”

“Alright…”

Xu Lin sighed and sat down by the bathtub. Jiang Zimeng sat next to him and said, “I never thought we’d meet like this.”

“Me neither.”

“When you asked online if I was from Linshui, I was a bit scared. I wondered if my identity had been exposed…”

“Aren’t you my biggest fan? Why are you afraid of me?”

“Who wouldn’t be scared if their identity is exposed? Besides, I’m just a homebody, I’m not in danger usually. I’d be nervous if I met someone in person.”

“But you don’t seem socially anxious?”

“Maybe because I’m familiar with you online. I started following you since your first book which flopped and ended badly.”

“Ah?”

Xu Lin recalled and remembered that he had written a book half a year before his rebirth, but it was cut off after only thirty chapters. Surprisingly, someone had actually read it.

“I am an old fan. You wrote this book really well.”

“Who wants to leave things unfinished when they can make some money?”

“True.”

Xu Lin spoke the truth, though many people don’t understand. Online literature, despite having low costs—requiring just a computer or a phone to write—has a high entry barrier.

Signing a contract is the first hurdle, then sticking it out until the work is published is another.

After publishing, the success of the work is another hurdle. Poor performance means the writing isn’t good enough and fewer readers is normal.

So sometimes, earning only a few hundred yuan a month, with poor performance and many people pirating the content, it’s really a test when readers demand millions of words to finish the story.

Speaking of online authors, video creators face similar challenges. While some make big money, many can’t even afford basic meals. It’s easy to start but hard to make money.

Fortunately, this girl is from a wealthy family, with two large villas, so she has fewer worries.

“By the way, Miss Jiang, how old are you this year?” Xu Lin asked.

“Why do you want to know my age?” Jiang Zimeng glanced at Xu Lin warily.

“I was just thinking you look about my age. Why aren’t you in school?”

“School…” Hearing this word, Jiang Zimeng instantly frowned and waved her hand. “Can we not talk about this topic?”

Xu Lin sensed her reluctance and quickly changed the subject. “But watching your videos, it seems you’ve been making them for two years now.”

“Yes, I’m an old Bilibili user. There are more people now. The user base will definitely grow in the future; the prospects are good.”

“Definitely.”

Xu Lin recalled how Bilibili seemed to have exploded from around 20 million daily active users in 2015 to 200 million in 2020.

“Do you support me becoming an uploader?”

“Of course. Haven’t you noticed I’m trying too? But my support doesn’t mean much; I’m just an ordinary high school student.”

“An ordinary high school student? In Japanese light novels, high school students are all extraordinary.”

“Haha, but I’m really just ordinary.”

“An ordinary person buying villas with celebrity friends?”

“Huh? How did you know that?”

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