Or, if you were caught sleeping in class by the teacher and made to stand in the hallway, you could artistically embellish it by saying you were punished for refusing to admit to helping a classmate cheat.
In summary, artistic embellishment shouldn't be overdone; a little is enough.
Lin Yi was just like that; in this world, he was an unremarkable fellow, achieving nothing.
The delinquent part was true, but he was the kind of delinquent who was just background scenery.
The part about working was true, but the types of jobs weren't as varied.
In short, after Lin Yi's spiel, Ran and Sonoko's gazes at him were different.
Lin Yi figured that with a little more effort, he could probably get them to come back to his room.
"Alright, let's continue with the next round… I refuse to believe I can't win."
Lin Yi brought the topic back.
The necessary backstory had been explained; if he went into more detail, it would lose its mystique.
Women are like cats, full of curiosity.
Maintaining an air of mystery is the only way to attract girls' attention.
In the fourth round of Old Maid, Lin Yi finally won a hand.
And in this hand, Ran lost.
Honestly, this surprised Lin Yi; he thought Ran was the illegitimate daughter of the goddess of luck, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
Upon closer thought, with a wealthy family background, outstanding looks, excellent qualities, and someone to confide in…
It seemed Sonoko was the illegitimate daughter of the goddess of luck.
Chapter 31
Ran was caught.
Sonoko's eyes lit up; looking at her eager expression, it was clear she had no intention of letting Ran off the hook, not even for her best friend.
"Ran, that night, during the command, what did you fe—"
Sonoko hadn't finished her sentence when Ran glared at her, stopping her with her eyes, telling her not to say any more.
"What? Are you angry?" Far from being scared, Sonoko chuckled shamelessly.
"No!"
How could Ran admit she was angry? She wasn't that petty.
"Good that you're not angry… So, that night, what did you fe—"
Sonoko had just nodded when the question popped out again.
Ran pouted and glared at Sonoko again.
"Angry?"
"No, I'm not."
"Then… that night…"
Ran glared.
"Alright, alright, I won't ask that question."
Sonoko teased Ran, overjoyed. She patted Ran's shoulder, telling her to calm down, and said, "Then I'll ask a different question… Do you have someone you like?"
This question was much better than the previous one, and Ran answered without much thought.
"…Yes."
"I knew it." Sonoko hummed triumphantly after hearing the answer, as if saying, "I know everything about you."
Oh ho?
Lin Yi took a sip of coffee nonchalantly.
On the surface, Sonoko was digging into Ran's privacy, but in reality, she was subtly conveying a very clear message to Lin Yi through this question: Ran already has someone she likes…
Coupled with Ran's various behaviors in the art museum, it was easy to lead others to the conclusion that the person was Shinichi Kudo!
Hmph, on the surface, she's so dashing and unrestrained, but in reality, she's silently protecting Ran and Shinichi's coupling?
Useless! Don't underestimate my determination to poach!
As long as the hoe is wielded well, no wall can't be dug down.
If I can't even handle you two best friends, how will I deal with the sister duo next? Or achieve the mother-daughter combo?
However, I did underestimate Sonoko a bit… This girl is smarter than I thought, and with her cheering from the sidelines, the difficulty of conquering Ran will be a bit higher.
It seems the plan needs to be revised.
Before conquering Ran, I need to conquer Sonoko first.
Lu Xun once said, to pursue a girl, you must first get her best friend on your side.
There's truth to that statement.
Ran can wait for now.
As for the dense Shinichi Kudo, Lin Yi never even put him in his eyes!
For so many years, Sonoko desperately assisted him, constantly calling Ran "Mrs. Kudo" or "Shinichi's wife," such obvious hints, yet Shinichi not only didn't pick up on them but even complained that Sonoko was a "gossip."
With emotional intelligence so low, Lin Yi wasn't worried at all.
Of course, to prevent Shinichi Kudo from getting desperate and suddenly confessing to Ran, Lin Yi still needed to be prepared.
As Lu Xun wisely said, a single approach is a major military taboo; a two-pronged attack is the true panacea.
Thinking all this, it was actually just a fleeting thought.
Sonoko urged Lin Yi, saying, "It's your turn, Lin Yi! Have you thought about what you want to ask?"
"Hmm… I haven't thought of anything yet. I'll ask when I do."
Lin Yi smiled slyly.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
If you want to see it, then why not?