GV – Chapter 46

Ye Yuhuan subconsciously ignored the light in Song Zhiqing’s eyes and robotically gave the answer she had prepared in her mind. “Right now, Shen Wei and Shangguan Xianxian are in a relationship, so I’m guessing it’s probably time to cancel our love operation.”

Calm, logical—classic Ye Yuhuan.

Song Zhiqing silently tightened her grip on the little rabbit pajamas in her hands. She knew it. She shouldn’t have held such unrealistic fantasies about this great nun.

With a dry laugh, Song Zhiqing bypassed Ye Yuhuan and went into the bathroom to change, not bothering to spare her another glance.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. While she hadn’t expected Ye Yuhuan to confess or anything, she should have at least mentioned the kiss from that morning. Such a big kiss, and you, Ye Yuhuan, only dare to make a fuss about it when you’re drunk.

Couldn’t you have even considered that the reason I kissed you was, more or less, because I’m a little interested in you?

In Song Zhiqing’s imagined scenario, as long as Ye Yuhuan asked about it, she could seize the opportunity to start pursuing her. No matter how she would have to single-handedly push things forward later, she needed Ye Yuhuan to at least start the conversation.

After all, she was the one who had broken their initial promise by falling for Ye Yuhuan. They had agreed to a purely platonic relationship of boss and little sister. Although Song Zhiqing had the courage to cross that line, she still needed a small response from Ye Yuhuan.

Not a lot, just a little would be enough.

But Ye Yuhuan wouldn’t even give her that.

Hmph, then I’ll just have to get it myself!

Inside the bathroom, Song Zhiqing yanked the zipper of her pajamas up fiercely. She quickly pushed the door open, intending to rush out and make everything clear, when she looked up and saw a stretch of snow-white back.

It was a soft, lustrous white that gave off a contradictory feeling of being both rich and smooth, as if only by touching it could one resolve the layers of doubt and fanciful thoughts in one’s heart. And that vertical spine, sinking slightly into the center of her back, formed a curve that could only be described as sexy.

Song Zhiqing froze on the spot, the corner of her brow trembling uncontrollably.

“Bang!”

The door was slammed shut again.

Ye Yuhuan was also stunned. Usually, it would be a while before Song Zhiqing came out. She kept her skincare products in the bathroom and would typically do a bit of a routine before her afternoon nap.

Why today?

Why today! My luck is so bad, ugh.

Song Zhiqing squatted on the bathroom floor, her face beet red. She really hadn’t meant to be a pervert, but would Ye Yuhuan believe her?

Combined with the forced kiss from last time, Song Zhiqing felt her image was now dangerously close to that of a creep. How was she supposed to properly pursue someone like this?!

But really, it was so nice to look at.

Being a creep is probably pretty satisfying—ah, stop it, brain! My integrity!

After changing into her pajamas, Ye Yuhuan waited for nearly ten minutes, but there was still no sound from the bathroom. Ye Yuhuan sighed helplessly. She was the one who had been seen, yet Song Zhiqing was the one hiding inside.

She seriously wondered if Song Zhiqing had stolen her own shyness and then multiplied it exponentially.

That’s right, Ye Yuhuan didn’t feel particularly shy. It was just her back, something that would be exposed anyway if she wore slightly more revealing clothes. In her eyes, Song Zhiqing’s extreme embarrassment was completely baffling.

Ye Yuhuan stood at the bathroom door and knocked. “Are you coming out?” she asked.

Song Zhiqing pressed her hand against the doorknob to block the door, her voice feigning calmness. “I think I need some time to wash my face.”

Ye Yuhuan paused for a moment before pointing out, “There wasn’t any sound from the bathroom before.”

Hearing this, Song Zhiqing’s heart sank in despair. The world has changed. Ye Yuhuan won’t even cover for her anymore.

Sensing the silence from behind the door, Ye Yuhuan guessed that Song Zhiqing was probably turning into a tomato again. She smiled silently, then reassured her, “It’s nothing. I won’t think much of it. I know it was an accident.”

Song Zhiqing shot to her feet, the little rabbit hood on her pajamas bobbing up and down from the sudden movement.

What did she mean, won’t think much of it?

I’m over here thinking about it so much I can barely breathe, and you have the nerve to tell me you won’t think much of it.

Ye Yuhuan, you have no heart!

Song Zhiqing yanked the door open, met Ye Yuhuan’s surprised gaze, and sprinted toward the bed at top speed. Then she rolled herself up in the covers and said nothing.

Ah, so that’s it.

Seeing her build-up, Ye Yuhuan had thought some grand move was coming. In the end, she just moved from one rabbit’s nest to another?

Ye Yuhuan pressed her lips together, but she couldn’t hold it in. Leaning against the wall, she let out a laugh.

Her laughter was clear and bright, echoing around and around the small dorm room. Huddled under the covers, Song Zhiqing listened to the sound, and the anxiety and unease that had filled her heart seemed to be soothed away. She felt she did deserve to be laughed at a little; it was such an anticlimax. You have to be a little shameless when you’re pursuing someone.

Song Zhiqing mustered her courage and threw back the covers. Her face was still bright red, but it was hard to tell if it was from shyness or from being smothered. With that flushed face, she watched Ye Yuhuan’s rare, unrestrained laughter.

Then she asked, “Why didn’t you mention that I kissed you this morning?”

Ye Yuhuan’s laughter stopped instantly. She lowered her eyes, and in the few seconds of silence that followed, it was unclear whether she was thinking or just spacing out. Then she answered softly, “I know it was an accident.”

“An accident again?” Song Zhiqing looked up at her, the red on her face gradually fading. The emotion in her almond-shaped eyes was too complex for Ye Yuhuan to analyze. “Ye Yuhuan, have you noticed that we have a few too many ‘accidents’ between us?”

The confusion on Ye Yuhuan’s face was so clear it made Song Zhiqing feel something close to heartache.

She thought, Ye Yuhuan probably doesn’t understand anything. If the only real love she had ever witnessed was that of her parents, and the only other example was the fake love in the novel, then it was understandable that Ye Yuhuan knew nothing.

But I understand. I know it’s because I like you that I want to be close to you, and it’s also because I like you that I get shy.

Song Zhiqing patted the other side of the bed, signaling for Ye Yuhuan to come over. Ye Yuhuan hesitated before taking a step. The current Song Zhiqing was inexplicably difficult to deal with.

When Ye Yuhuan was lying stiffly on the bed, Song Zhiqing, who was leaning against the headboard, leaned over and quickly kissed her on the forehead.

It wasn’t a heavy kiss like that morning, but a touch as light and gentle as a feather. And Ye Yuhuan’s skin began to warm, radiating out from that single point of contact.

Song Zhiqing didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, she looked into Ye Yuhuan’s eyes, which were only inches away. Her own ears were bright red, but her voice was calm as she said, “This definitely isn’t an accident, right?”

Ye Yuhuan’s eyes went wide, a distinct blush spreading across her fair face. Her throat was suddenly very dry. She coughed, then returned to her original question. “So, do you still like Shangguan Xianxian?”

Song Zhiqing rolled over to her side of the bed, pulled the covers over her head, and said sullenly, “You figure it out.”

All you talk about is Shangguan Xianxian! Can’t you just put her aside for a moment so we can talk about the two of us?

I’ve already made it so obvious, how can you still think I like her! So annoying!

Naturally, neither of them got any sleep that afternoon.

When the alarm went off, the two people who had been pretending to sleep opened their eyes at the same time. Ye Yuhuan was faster. By the time Song Zhiqing got up, she was already standing by the bed, waiting for Song Zhiqing to go into the bathroom to change so she could change outside.

That was supposed to be the procedure. However, still reeling from what had just happened, Song Zhiqing didn’t feel like following the procedure. So she said to Ye Yuhuan, “You go change in the bathroom. I’ll change out here.”

Ye Yuhuan’s mouth moved, but for some reason, she didn’t dare ask why. And even though she knew why, she also didn’t dare to brush it off lightly as she would have in the past. She felt that ever since that kiss, the atmosphere between her and Song Zhiqing had become strange, like standing in a boiler room—stiflingly hot, yet occasionally comfortable.

Watching Ye Yuhuan take her clothes into the bathroom, Song Zhiqing breathed a sigh of relief. After quickly getting dressed, she sat at her desk and waited for Ye Yuhuan.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

What is she hiding from? Song Zhiqing wondered.

Ye Yuhuan was, of course, hiding from a potentially naked Song Zhiqing. With a door between them, she suddenly understood Song Zhiqing’s earlier shyness.

Is it too early to go out now? That girl Song Zhiqing is always super slow.

Then she heard Song Zhiqing’s soft laugh, followed by a teasing remark. “Are you coming out?”

The exact same words she had used earlier.

The tips of Ye Yuhuan’s ears turned red as she opened the door, using an elegant silence to resist Song Zhiqing’s faint mockery.

As they walked along the tree-lined path on campus, Ye Yuhuan suddenly said, “Next time, you should change in the bathroom.”

Song Zhiqing glanced at her and nodded in agreement.

Fine, whatever. Who asked me to be so beautiful and kind-hearted?

Ye Yuhuan added an unnecessary explanation, “Because I change clothes faster, so I’m not sure about the timing.”

Song Zhiqing glanced at her again and nodded.

Then she said, “I can be fast at changing clothes sometimes, too.”

Ye Yuhuan clenched her fists and turned her head to take a deep breath.

What’s going on? Aren’t forests supposed to be high in oxygen? Why do I feel so stuffy? Is it the type of trees?

“Then I’ll be even faster.”

After saying this, Ye Yuhuan quickened her pace toward the classroom.

Song Zhiqing’s lips curved into a smile. She reached out and caught a leaf drifting through the air, thinking to herself, Ye Yuhuan, so you have a day like this too.

As they reached the classroom door, they saw a pair of girls roughhousing playfully. One of them suddenly leaned in and kissed the other girl—on the lips.

Just as Ye Yuhuan’s pupils trembled in shock, the girl who did the kissing exclaimed excitedly, “Ah, babe, you’re the best! You actually got his WeChat for me! I love you to death!”

The girl who was kissed looked smug as she boasted about her wide social circle, and the two chattered away as they left.

Ye Yuhuan’s heart, however, calmed down. Oh, right. Generally speaking, it’s not unusual for girls who are very good friends to be physically affectionate.

Song Zhiqing had often hugged her and clung to her before.

How could she have jumped to the conclusion that Song Zhiqing might like her?

Ye Yuhuan lowered her eyes and walked into the classroom, a sense of relief washing over her. If Song Zhiqing liked her, Ye Yuhuan would feel very nervous—not the nervousness of being pleasantly surprised, but the nervousness of impending doom.

Love is a disaster. Ye Yuhuan had always believed this.

But if Song Zhiqing were the one to bring this disaster to her, Ye Yuhuan felt she wouldn’t be able to refuse. She knew she couldn’t, just as she had always been unable to refuse many of Song Zhiqing’s requests.

During those dark days when she first arrived at Qinglin, it was Song Zhiqing who had pulled her out. On that night at the Shangguan residence, amidst the overwhelming self-doubt, it was also Song Zhiqing who had told her, “I won’t abandon you.”

To Ye Yuhuan, Song Zhiqing was a symbol of her salvation from disaster. If Song Zhiqing was the one to bring disaster, it would only be a return to how things were at the beginning. She had no reason to say no. Perhaps it would even be a little better than the beginning—after all, it was Song Zhiqing.

Still, it would be best if it didn’t happen at all.

Ye Yuhuan was inclined to accept the answer that it wasn’t happening. So, the moment another possibility presented itself, she eagerly accepted it.

Song Zhiqing watched as Ye Yuhuan’s expression shifted from its recent state of reserved shyness back to her usual placid calm, and she couldn’t help but turn and glare fiercely at the backs of that pair of friends.

She really wanted to curse someone out.

Can’t you carefree straight girls be a little more considerate? Give us lesbians who are trying to build some romantic tension a chance to live, will you!

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