"Xiaoyun, I love you."
"I want to be with you forever. I don’t want us to be apart again."
"Promise me, will you?"
“…Who?”
…
Those dreamy yet heartfelt words echoed across her entire world.
In that moment, she felt like all her years of hard work had finally received a response.
“Mm.” The girl nodded softly, holding back the tears of joy welling in her eyes.
“Mm…”
…
Su Yun groggily stirred from her dream. The moment she woke, the voices in that dream had already faded from memory.
She forced her eyes open and quickly noticed that her surroundings had taken on a dim, black-and-white hue.
It was dark outside. Night had fallen.
Wiping at her misty eyes, she sat up—only to feel something wet at the corner of her mouth.
“Mm…” She rubbed at it in discomfort, her body limp as she leaned back against the chair.
Thump.
Just as she got up, a soft thud sounded beside her.
Half-lidded eyes glanced downward, and Su Yun realized it was a white jacket lying on the floor. It clearly wasn’t hers—looked more like something a girl would wear.
She quickly bent down and picked it up, hugging it tightly against her chest like it was something precious.
Where’s Sister Xue…?
Even with her mind still foggy, Su Yun couldn’t help but wonder.
Clutching the coat, she stood and looked around the dim space. A quiet emptiness began to creep over her heart.
Qin Xue was nowhere to be seen.
It was eerily silent. So silent, in fact, that Su Yun could hear the light tap tap of her bare feet against the floor.
A wave of discomfort and regret swept over her all at once. It pressed down on her chest so heavily, it nearly suffocated her.
Grumble…
That feeling only began to fade when she opened the door to the bedroom.
The room was small—barely twenty square meters—with a bed that practically filled the entire space.
There wasn’t enough room for a round dining table. A small square one was squeezed into the farthest corner, almost as an afterthought.
And yet in that cramped space, under the mound of blankets on the bed… lay Su Yun’s whole world.
Why is this girl still sleeping? Pig…
Su Yun didn’t turn on the light. She walked quietly to the bedside and gently placed the white jacket at the foot of the bed.
After setting it down, she stepped out again, careful not to disturb Qin Xue.
"Seven-thirty? It’s that late already?" Su Yun mumbled as she returned to the living room, picking up her phone from the table.
One glance at the screen told her she had slept away nearly five hours—an entire afternoon gone.
The realization hit her hard, and she immediately began recalling what happened earlier that day.
Only to have her thoughts filled with those two slender, delicate legs wrapped in black stockings…
And the soft, supple sensation of Qin Xue’s thighs when she’d grabbed them.
“…I didn’t study today. Didn’t study at all. It’s all Qin Xue’s fault for messing around.”
Su Yun puffed her cheeks, pretending to be annoyed, though her face was already flushing with heat.
Black stockings… jade-like feet… that full, ample chest…
She stood at the desk in a daze, mouth slightly parted, warm breath escaping unconsciously.
Her thoughts were spiraling into strange territory again.
Qin Xue was still asleep. Should she… sneak in a little revenge?
That pig was sleeping like a log anyway.
It would only be a small price to pay for teasing her so much earlier.
Su Yun once again found herself tiptoeing toward the bedroom.
She leaned over the bed and stared at the peacefully sleeping girl. There was a faint trail of drool at the corner of her mouth.
Just like always before bed, Qin Xue had slipped out of her inner clothes and only kept her outer layer on.
Tonight, that outer layer was nothing more than a thin white dress shirt, barely fastened—there were even gaps between the buttons.
Su Yun found herself captivated, as if something divine could be glimpsed beneath the cloth.
Two faintly outlined forms stretched the fabric tight…
…
Sister Xue looks like she’s sleeping so soundly. Maybe… just a little touch?
“…” Su Yun’s cheeks burned as she hesitated.
After a moment, she leaned in.
Then…
She gently pulled the fallen blanket back up, tucking it securely over Qin Xue’s body.
She couldn’t take advantage of someone like that.
She stood up, found the jacket she had tossed earlier beside the bed, and slipped it on.
“Big piggy. Always sleeping.”
“I’m going out to get you some dinner,” Su Yun whispered softly from the bedside.
Before leaving, she leaned in and planted a light kiss on Qin Xue’s pale cheek.
…
Su Yun stepped out with the jacket hood pulled over her head and made her way onto the street.
It was already past seven.
If they were back in her hometown, the streets would’ve been deserted by now—not a soul in sight, let alone any shops.
But here in Summer End City, the food street near the university was just starting to come alive.
There wasn’t a single dark corner on the street. Couples from the university walked hand-in-hand, heading out for dinner dates, while locals strolled through the night market.
Su Yun had to constantly adjust her path to avoid wandering pests and squeeze past clusters of people.
Yesterday, she hadn’t worn a hat, letting her long white hair hang loose. At least a hundred people had stared at her along the way.
She wasn’t used to that kind of attention, so tonight, she wore a hat to hide it.
It worked. She now looked like an ordinary girl around 160cm tall, and no one paid her much mind.
She didn’t walk far before stopping at a small restaurant to order stir-fried eggplant and pork.
After returning home and finding Qin Xue still asleep, she left the food neatly on the nightstand beside the bed.
Then, Su Yun left again—this time walking nearly twenty minutes to a large supermarket farther from campus.
She wanted to pick up some basic groceries and seasoning. Salt, oil—things for everyday meals.
Truthfully, she preferred cooking for Qin Xue herself, rather than eating out.
Though she wasn’t sure why.
So in that crowded supermarket, Su Yun began her shopping trip.
She pushed a little over-a-meter-high cart through the aisles, placing a jug of oil, some processed pork, and various items into the cart.
But things didn’t go smoothly the whole way.
When she reached for a spatula on the top shelf, she realized the rack was over two meters high.
Even on her tiptoes, she couldn’t reach it.
She wasn’t that short… right?
Just as she was about to give up, a slender arm suddenly reached over her head.
“Little sis, is this the one you want?”
“Eh? Ah—yes! Thank you, Sister.” Su Yun turned and quickly thanked the woman.
But when she saw the person clearly, she froze a little.
The older girl was tall—at least 170cm, about the same height as Qin Xue. Her waist was slender too.
“You’re welcome,” the lady said with a gentle smile before turning to leave.
Su Yun watched her for a moment, still dazed.
She had short hair, just above her shoulders. Paired with her cool, elegant features, her smile exuded a mature, womanly charm.
Even with her tall, graceful figure, Qin Xue still had the air of a youthful schoolgirl—there was always a touch of innocence.
But this older girl… Su Yun was sure she wasn’t a student. Probably someone working nearby.
Snapping out of her daze, Su Yun finally looked down at the hard-won spatula in her hands.
Satisfied, she pushed the cart to the register.
Only after paying did she realize she had spent over two thousand yuan—gone, just like that.
That was half her mom’s monthly salary.
And it was only for a few dishes…
Turns out earning money was hard. Spending it? All too easy.
But most of the cost came from the induction cooker.
Three full bags plus a heavy jug of oil would be tough for any average 160cm college girl to carry.
But to Su Yun, it was nothing. So light, she had to worry they might fall out without her noticing.
"All this meat... wait, we don’t have a fridge at home.”
Halfway home, she realized she’d forgotten something again. She even considered going back to carry a fridge home.
Forget it. Next time. These groceries would only last through tomorrow anyway.
…
In the end, her shopping trip took over an hour and a half.
Luckily, she’d already bought dinner for Qin Xue earlier.
Ding.
By the time she stepped off the elevator and reached apartment 1101, it was already 10:00 p.m.
Su Yun set down the oil and took out the key from her pocket, unlocking the door.
But just as the door creaked open, the sound of urgent, heavy footsteps echoed from inside.
“Xiaoyun! Why didn’t you tell me before going out?! It’s so late—where did you go?! I thought something had happened to you…”
The next second, a figure threw herself into Su Yun’s arms.
The girl’s voice was filled with concern.
“I went out to buy a wok, so we can cook lunch together tomorrow.”
Su Yun peeked her head out from the soft embrace.
When she looked up, her eyes widened instantly.
She saw it—a glimmering tear still clinging to the corner of Qin Xue’s eye.
…
Good grief… she just… she just went out to buy something, that’s all…
(End of Chapter)