I Start with a Mysterious Island

Chapter 559: Chapter 363: Attack Under the Moonlight

As the sun set, Lin Li stood at the entrance to the villa and pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

Just as he was about to unlock the large iron gate, it swung open on its own.

A woman in her late forties appeared in front of Lin Li.

She had opened the gate to leave, but froze when she saw a young man in his early twenties standing outside.

Their eyes met, and they sized each other up with confused expressions.

’Who is this person? Why is he at my house? He can’t be a thief, can he?’

’No, what kind of thief brings a handcart to a robbery?’ Lin Li thought, glancing at the cart next to the woman.

’This young man looks a few years younger than Miss Qin. Is he her brother?’

’No, they don’t look alike at all! Could he be Miss Qin’s husband?’ Ms. Zhang, the boxed lunch vendor, wondered.

"..." They stood in silence for a few seconds. Then, remembering she had things to attend to at home, Ms. Zhang, the boxed lunch vendor, gave Lin Li a small, smiling nod.

She then pushed her cart forward. Lin Li stepped aside to let her pass. Ms. Zhang pushed the cart past him and continued on her way.

Lin Li watched the woman disappear into the distance, his brow furrowed slightly. He walked through the gate, entered the courtyard, and followed the cobblestone path toward the villa.

The rather plain-looking Qin Muqing was currently cleaning the living room. She had never done this sort of chore back at her own home, but now it was a daily task.

"Whew..."

After mopping the entire living room floor, Qin Muqing leaned on the mop with her left hand, placed her right hand on her hip, and let out a soft sigh.

’The first-floor living room is done. Next up is the second floor. I should be able to finish everything before dark.’

After letting her mind wander for a moment and taking a short break, she picked up the bucket and prepared to head upstairs to mop the second floor.

But just as Qin Muqing was leaving the living room to head upstairs, she heard the front door opening.

"Eh?!"

Hearing someone opening the door, Qin Muqing’s first thought was that a burglar was breaking in, and it gave her a terrible fright.

She nervously gripped the wet mop with both hands and went to the entryway to investigate. When she saw the familiar figure stepping inside, her heart, which had been lodged in her throat, finally settled. A smile spread across her face as she greeted him.

"Mr. Lin, you’re back?"

"Yes." Lin Li glanced at Qin Muqing holding the mop, gave a slight nod, and walked toward the living room.

Qin Muqing brought over a pot of tea, poured a cup for Lin Li, who was sitting on the sofa, and then stood silently to the side.

"What are you standing there for? It’s not like there’s nowhere for you to sit. Go on, have a seat," Lin Li said to her, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

’Back home, this is how the servants always stood...’ Qin Muqing grumbled to herself, then sat down on the adjacent sofa.

She placed her hands in her lap and sat bolt upright, staring at the teapot on the table as if in a daze.

Seeing her like this, Lin Li knew that because they hadn’t seen each other for a few days, the already quiet woman had reverted to her initially reserved state.

"I’ve been away on business for a few days. Has everything been alright at home?" Lin Li asked, trying to break the heavy silence.

"Everything’s been fine. Nothing has happened," Qin Muqing replied earnestly, snapping out of her daze at the sound of his voice.

Lin Li nodded. Then he remembered the woman from earlier and asked, "I ran into a woman with a handcart at the gate just now. Why was she here at our house?"

Qin Muqing had already considered the possibility that Lin Li might run into Ms. Zhang, the boxed lunch vendor. Now that he asked, her expression remained calm as she answered without a hint of panic.

"That woman sells boxed lunches at the nearby construction site. We’ve become friends. I usually invite her over to chat and exchange cooking tips after she’s done selling for the day."

"Mr. Lin, if you’re not comfortable with it, I won’t invite her over anymore."

Hearing Qin Muqing explain that the woman was a friend of hers, Lin Li’s doubts immediately vanished. He waved his hand dismissively.

"I’m not a petty person. If she’s a new friend of yours, it’s not inconvenient at all for you to have her over."

A faint smile appeared on Qin Muqing’s face when she heard him say that.

’Just as I thought. The kind-hearted Mr. Lin wouldn’t be upset about me inviting Ms. Zhang over.’

"Mr. Lin, I’ll go mop the second and third floors now, and then I’ll start on dinner."

Qin Muqing, a quick study, had learned several new dishes from Ms. Zhang over the past few days. She finally had a chance to show off her skills.

"It’s almost dark. You can finish mopping tomorrow."

"Okay."

"By the way, you don’t clean the entire house every single day, do you?" Lin Li suddenly asked.

"I do," Qin Muqing nodded. At her family’s home, the servants cleaned the entire house daily, so now that she was employed by Lin Li, she naturally did the same.

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