GV – Chapter 55

After a flight of more than ten hours, Song Zhiqing finally set foot on familiar soil again. The sudden cold made her want to bury her face deep into her layered scarf, but her exposed eyes darted about ceaselessly. Along with her ears, which were red from the cold, she maintained a state of high alert, her expression as vigilant as a secret agent who had just received a mission.

Would Ye Yuhuan be here to pick her up?

Song Zhiqing couldn’t help but entertain the possibility; after all, Ye Yuhuan had asked for her flight information.

Knowing Ye Yuhuan’s personality, she must have done it for a reason.

Of course, in Gao Yiren’s eyes, her poor child was spinning her head around so much it looked like a yo-yo.

Ms. Gao shook her head helplessly. For the past three days, her daughter had been in a state of inexplicable excitement, giggling foolishly from time to time. If she hadn’t still sought out food when she was hungry, Gao Yiren might have worried that Song Zhiqing had suffered a head injury.

Had she finally made up with Ye Yuhuan?

Although Song Zhiqing had never said she was fighting with Ye Yuhuan, it was easy to tell something was off, especially compared to before, when two out of every ten sentences she spoke would mention Ye Yuhuan, and she would often stare wistfully into the distance with a sad expression.

They had finally made up.

Young love was certainly full of ups and downs.

Well, for Song Zhiqing, it was indeed a storm. Her neck ached from turning it so much, yet she still couldn’t find that familiar figure. Unwilling to give up, she scanned the airport terminal one more time, but to no avail. She only succeeded in tiring herself out, leaving her breathless.

Forget it. She never said she would come, anyway, Song Zhiqing told herself.

Besides, I’m the one pursuing her. I should lower my expectations. That’s just her personality. I can’t push her too hard, or we might not even be able to be friends anymore.

Muttering to herself like this, she slowly suppressed her disappointment, and Song Zhiqing felt her lost energy gradually returning.

It’s okay. I can be the one to approach her, as long as she doesn’t run away.

However, the fortress of self-reassurance she had built to suppress her sadness came crashing down the moment she stepped out of the terminal and saw a beautiful, tall figure standing by her family’s car.

Perhaps it was never very sturdy to begin with.

With a cry, Song Zhiqing dropped her luggage and rushed forward to throw her arms around the person.

“You really came!”

Oh no, what am I going to do? I think I like her even more now.

Ye Yuhuan turned her head, avoiding the warm breath from Song Zhiqing’s mouth and nose. It’s too hot, she thought.

Song Zhiqing smelled of summer.

A moment later, she turned back to carefully observe the person she hadn’t seen in half a month.

She came to a conclusion that was better left unsaid. “You seem to have gotten a tan.”

Song Zhiqing’s expression changed instantly. She buried her face in Ye Yuhuan’s chest, screaming internally, I should have listened to Cheng Changxue and put on three layers of sunscreen!

Just as she was about to playfully argue and force Ye Yuhuan to admit she was mistaken, she heard Ye Yuhuan, who was laughing from being nuzzled, continue, “But it looks good on you.”

Hmph, I guess you have good taste, Song Zhiqing thought, tightening her arms around the slender body beneath the thick layers of clothing. She buried her head in the crook of Ye Yuhuan’s neck, her ears quietly turning red.

Ah, I can finally be close to her again.

The reunion had made them lose their composure, but after Gao Yiren and Song Chen had been watching them for a full minute, Ye Yuhuan couldn’t stand it any longer. She coughed, unable to adapt to the strange atmosphere, and pulled Song Zhiqing out of her embrace, trying to cool things down. “I ran into Uncle Yu when I got here, so I waited with him.”

Meanwhile, Uncle Yu, who had been ignored for some time, had already retrieved the luggage Song Zhiqing had dropped and loaded it into the car. Seeing that he was about to rejoin the crowd of onlookers, Ye Yuhuan began to regret her impulsive decision to come to the airport.

Why did it feel like she was meeting the parents?

She had agonized over it for a day and a night, but the moment she saw the time, she had immediately hailed a cab to the airport. Ye Yuhuan found it hard to describe her feelings at that moment; it was as if she had no feelings at all, only a primal instinct driving her to see Song Zhiqing as soon as possible.

This is wrong, Ye Yuhuan.

Since you know she likes you, you shouldn’t do things that could be misunderstood.

But, can’t I do it just as a friend? It’s common for friends to pick each other up at the airport.

But Ye Yuhuan, you can’t be so dishonest with yourself.

“Let’s go. What are you spacing out about? Let’s hurry home,” Song Zhiqing said, playfully pinching Ye Yuhuan’s left cheek.

Having calmed down from her excitement, Song Zhiqing took a closer look at Ye Yuhuan. She was wearing a gray houndstooth coat that complemented her figure, but underneath was a simple white cardigan, more suited for staying at home. This stylish but not particularly warm combination was very unlike Ye Yuhuan, who would usually wear a turtleneck sweater under her coat.

Of course, Song Zhiqing wouldn’t assume Ye Yuhuan had reached the point of dressing up to please someone she liked; that seemed like a far-off possibility.

But at the very least, it meant Ye Yuhuan hadn’t been entirely nonchalant about coming to see her.

Knowing that was enough. She was confident she could pry the rest out of Ye Yuhuan.

Ye Yuhuan had no idea she had already given half her thoughts away. The pinch from Song Zhiqing seemed to temporarily dispel her tangled confusion. She came back to her senses—though not entirely—and followed Song Zhiqing into the car.

Home? Whose home?

They were going to Ye Yuhuan’s home.

Song Zhiqing desperately wanted to be alone with Ye Yuhuan, an inevitable result of the longing that had built up over many days.

She wanted to gaze at her with undivided attention, and she wanted Ye Yuhuan to do the same.

Without having to worry about being disturbed.

Song Zhiqing took the gift she’d prepared for Ye Yuhuan out of her suitcase, then pulled her along as she dashed upstairs.

Downstairs, Song Chen watched his daughter’s gleeful back as he shuffled back to the car. A moment ago, Ye Yuhuan had tried to invite them up, but Song Zhiqing had shot the idea down, claiming they were too tired. Before Song Chen could even open his mouth, Song Zhiqing had everything arranged, her intention of getting rid of the third wheels shining brighter than any lightbulb.

“Our little cabbage is certainly running off eagerly,” Song Chen said to Gao Yiren, his voice full of worldly weariness.

Gao Yiren patted his head comfortingly. She had already had her moment of feeling heartbroken, and seeing Song Chen like this now made her feel much better.

---

Aside from the pining for Ye Yuhuan, Song Zhiqing’s vacation had actually been quite nice.

On the island where they’d vacationed, Song Chen had hired two local families from a neighboring island to manage its operations. They were educated, knew how to dive, and could repair boats. Song Zhiqing had gone with them to search for clams on the seabed and had been lucky enough to find a pearl. Cheng Changxue had been green with envy and begged for it, but Song Zhiqing refused to give it to her.

This is for Ye Yuhuan, Song Zhiqing had thought the moment she saw the pearl.

She placed the pearl in a beautiful box and wrapped it like a gift. Ye Yuhuan hadn’t seemed to like the song she’d sent; she still hadn’t mentioned her thoughts on it. Song Zhiqing felt a little hurt by that, but the feeling was greatly soothed when Ye Yuhuan gave her shares in Sheng Jing. Sheng Jing was Ye Yuhuan’s life’s work, yet she was willing to share it. For Song Zhiqing, this tipped the already heavily weighted scales of her heart even further in Ye Yuhuan’s favor.

So, despite still feeling a little hurt, a part of her thought, I should at least give her a gift she’ll actually like.

This pearl was perfect.

It was round and beautiful, with a faint yellow luster. The islanders had said it was a rare treasure.

Under Song Zhiqing’s expectant gaze, Ye Yuhuan slowly opened the gift box. The pearl lay quietly on the black velvet. It was truly beautiful, like a distant star in the night sky.

Just like Song Zhiqing in Ye Yuhuan’s eyes.

Song Zhiqing proudly explained, “I got that from a five-pound clam. It was super heavy, and I was exhausted hauling it out of the sea, but luckily there was a pearl inside.”

“It’s the first pearl I’ve ever found. Here, Ye Yuhuan, it’s for you. Think of it as a belated birthday present.”

“But you already gave me a gift,” Ye Yuhuan said, her voice overly calm as she averted her gaze.

“But you didn’t like it,” Song Zhiqing replied, her almond-shaped eyes shining brighter than the pearl, openly conveying her ardent feelings.

Ye Yuhuan shot to her feet as if she’d been burned.

You can’t be so dishonest, Ye Yuhuan.

You can’t just accept the kindness born from her affection while ignoring the affection itself.

And you can’t pretend you’re capable of loving when you’re clearly too afraid.

Ye Yuhuan decided to be honest. “No, I liked it very much. It was my favorite birthday gift.”

Wow, she liked it.

Hehe, why didn’t she say so earlier? She’s so bad at expressing herself.

But before Song Zhiqing could feel happy for more than a few seconds, before she could even register the sudden shift in the atmosphere, Ye Yuhuan asked in a deeply sad tone, “Song Zhiqing, you like me, don’t you?”

The question was like a key, unlocking all the pent-up frustration and insecurity of the past few weeks.

The air grew heavy, making it harder to breathe than when she had been diving deep in the ocean.

She looked up, her almond eyes misting over, like an autumn morning or a spring evening—neither of which was Ye Yuhuan’s season.

Ye Yuhuan lived in winter, and only winter.

“If I say yes, are you going to reject me?”

Ye Yuhuan bit her lower lip. Just as she was about to nod, Song Zhiqing suddenly burst out laughing. “How could that be? I like Shangguan Xianxian, remember?”

Song Zhiqing pinched Ye Yuhuan’s cheek and stretched her own lips into her usual smile. “You’re a little narcissistic, aren’t you, Classmate Ye?”

Ye Yuhuan had clearly exhausted all her courage just to ask the question. She had no energy left to discern whether Song Zhiqing was telling the truth. Besides, when it came to love, Ye Yuhuan had never been confident.

So… had she been overthinking things?

Ye Yuhuan’s face flushed crimson. Oh god, what had she just said!

How presumptuous of her.

Ye Yuhuan turned her back to Song Zhiqing and covered her face with her hands.

Of course, since Ye Yuhuan didn’t have eyes in the back of her head, she didn’t see Song Zhiqing’s expression fall.

The girl who claimed to like Shangguan Xianxian now had a profound look in her eyes. She hummed softly to herself. So that’s why you’ve been acting strange lately. You figured it out.

I was too hasty; I couldn’t hide it. I had planned to first help Ye Yuhuan let go of her preconceived notions about love, but I ended up giving myself away.

Damn it. Now I have to use Shangguan Xianxian as a shield again. It’s like I’m back to square one. And here I was, planning to slowly win her over with ambiguity, like boiling a frog in warm water.

Ye Yuhuan is just too smart.

Meanwhile, Ye Yuhuan felt incredibly foolish. I must be really starved for affection, she thought, mistaking everything for romantic interest. There’s no way that many people could like me.

It was all Shen Wei’s fault, with her constant chatter. She knew it! The protagonists of these romance-focused yuri novels were completely unreliable!

In her office, busy sorting through information on the Shangguan family’s assets, Shen Wei suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose, puzzled. Wasn’t this winter supposed to be mild?

---

A moment later, having composed herself, Song Zhiqing crouched in front of Ye Yuhuan. She reached out and gently pulled away the hands covering Ye Yuhuan’s face. “It’s okay,” she said comfortingly. “Didn’t I misunderstand that you liked me before? Girls are just more intimate with each other. And since I’m not straight, it’s normal for you to wonder. I’m not offended.”

“In fact, compared to the perfect Ye Yuhuan, I think this side of you is even cuter.”

Even after her hands were pulled away, Ye Yuhuan stubbornly kept her eyes shut, refusing to face reality. Her face grew even redder at Song Zhiqing’s words.

She declared forcefully, “I am not cute!”

Song Zhiqing stifled a laugh.

She poked the small mole on Ye Yuhuan’s chin. “You’re obviously super cute.”

So cute I want to take you home and make you my girlfriend right now.

---

Get instant access to all the chapters now.