"Lalalala~" Lin Muyao hummed as she hopped her way home.
Ding!
A sudden sound echoed in Muyao's mind.
She froze in front of her family's front door, blinking in confusion. "Huh? What was that sound?"
"Congratulations, you are now bound to the Gossip Book," a robotic voice intoned inside her head.
"Huh? Gossip Book?" Muyao frowned, pushing the door open and stepping into the Lin family's villa. "What even is that…"
Before she could think further, a loud voice thundered from the staircase.
"LIN MUYAO! LOOK AT YOURSELF—WHY ARE YOU COVERED IN DIRT?!"
Her mother, Xia Xuexing, stood on the steps with hands on her hips.
"Mom~ It was an accident, really! I'm telling the truth," Muyao said pitifully, eyes sparkling with forced sadness.
But before Xia Xuexing could scold her further, another voice suddenly echoed—
It's all Bai Yuemei's fault. If she didn't try to steal my hiding spot to secretly listen to Elder Xi's gossip, we wouldn't have argued. Great. Now we're both covered in dirt.
Xuexing stiffened. Huh? That… sounds like Yaoyao. But her mouth didn't move. Where is that voice coming from?
While Xia Xuexing remained frozen on the staircase, drowning in confusion, Muyao took the chance to quietly slip past her and hurry into her bedroom to wash up.