Su Yun was sulking, feeling like she was about to explode.
Qin Xue had actually called her “darling”… and her voice was so sweet too. Was this the joy of being a “boyfriend”?
Even though Su Yun knew Qin Xue was just messing with her, she still couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear, breathing heavily the whole time.
If they weren’t out in public right now but back in the room, she might’ve already lost control and done something.
Su Yun tilted her head up, secretly glancing over at Qin Xue.
Because they were pressed so tightly together, that soft mound stuck to her arm had already been squished inward a little.
“...” The moment she saw it clearly, Su Yun felt like steam was about to erupt from the top of her head. Her whole body went lightheaded.
“Sister Xiaoyun’s already blushing? You’re so weak~” Qin Xue said with a teasing smile, her voice dripping with mockery.
“...” Su Yun didn’t say anything, just glared at Qin Xue with eyes full of grievance.
You believe I won’t bite you?
“Haha, alright, I’ll stop messing with you. We’ve arrived at the restaurant.”
In front of them was a small eatery. Although it looked a bit run-down, it was packed inside, with both middle-aged folks and young people.
Qin Xue walked in and once again ordered stir-fried eggplant with pork.
As for Su Yun, she snagged the last available table.
At the same time, she gently touched her right arm with her left hand.
It still felt kind of warm…
Wait, what am I even thinking?
Su Yun suddenly realized her perverted behavior, immediately stopped herself, and sat up straight.
She was a pure girl. All these wild thoughts must be because Qin Xue kept teasing her all the time.
Yeah, that’s gotta be it!
Once Qin Xue finished ordering, she sat down across from Su Yun.
She propped her chin on both hands, looking at Su Yun with an enchanting smile.
This time, Su Yun didn’t dare look at her. She turned her face away, afraid Qin Xue would mess with her again.
“Heh.” Qin Xue noticed that Sister Xiaoyun wouldn’t even glance at her, and started building up some resentment inside.
If Sister Xiaoyun was gonna act like that, then don’t blame her for doing something later.
“Your eggplant.” Not long after, a young guy brought the dish over to Qin Xue. Judging by his appearance, he was probably a college student who didn’t have class this afternoon and came to help out his parents.
He moved a little slower than usual while setting down the food because he kept sneaking glances at the gorgeous girl in front of him.
“Darling, the food’s here. Aren’t you going to eat? Don’t be mad at me~ If you’re still mad… then come home at noon and eat me, okay?”
Just like that, Qin Xue dropped a sugar-coated, shame-inducing line right in front of the waiter and a few nearby tables.
“!?” Su Yun practically turned to stone the second she heard that. She stared at Qin Xue with wide, disbelieving eyes.
At that moment, she also noticed the server and a few people nearby casting scorching gazes at her—filled with contempt, and also jealousy.
It was like they were about to rush over and say things like:
“Why are you mad at such a beautiful girlfriend? You’re not cherishing her at all.”
“What’s wrong with a guy giving in a little to a girl?”
“Nope, I’m gonna comfort her myself.”
Sis, I was wrong. Could you not say random stuff like that?
“…Sorry.” Su Yun didn’t even know why she said it, but she still lowered her head and apologized to Qin Xue.
“No worries~” Qin Xue smiled, finally satisfied, and picked up her chopsticks to start eating.
……
That afternoon lunch was absolutely torturous for Su Yun.
She suspected Qin Xue was mad at her and did all this on purpose.
When girls decide to act, they’re just flawless. Su Yun had zero ways to deal with her.
When they got to the school gate, since Su Yun still had class in the afternoon, they said their goodbyes there.
Once she was alone again, Su Yun felt like a huge weight had been lifted.
Technically, Qin Xue was supposed to dump her by the end of this week.
Hmm…
Was she just messing with me more while there was still time?
Once she got bored, she’d probably throw me away.
As she thought about this, Su Yun felt an inexplicable wave of sadness in her chest.
But since she was about to be late, she didn’t keep brooding and rushed off toward her classroom.
……
“Hmph, hmhm~”
Qin Xue was riding in a car driven by her maid, humming a cheerful little tune without realizing it.
“Looks like you really enjoy playing with her, Miss,” Qin Xuanyuan said, eyes fixed on the road. When they stopped at a red light, she finally couldn’t help but comment.
“Mm, Sister Xiaoyun is just too cute. The moment I see her, I can’t help but tease her a little. And then she blushes, and freezes up like a dummy. Pfft.”
Qin Xue imagined the look on Sister Xiaoyun’s face when she got flustered and couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Qin Xuanyuan’s face.
Seeing her miss happy made her happy too.
Because of what happened before, Qin Xuanyuan had rarely seen any emotion on her young lady’s face. It was like she had locked herself up deep inside, no longer willing to open up to anyone.
“Then, Miss, you better seize the chance. If she gets a boyfriend later, she won’t have time to play with you anymore.”
“What are you saying, Xiaoxuan?”
The second she heard that weird line, Qin Xue’s expression darkened, and her voice turned ice cold, like she could slice someone with it.
“N-Nothing, Miss…” Qin Xuanyuan immediately realized she’d said the wrong thing, shut her mouth, and kept driving in silence.
Because of that one comment, the rest of the ride Qin Xue didn’t look as happy as before.
Sister Xiaoyun might… really get a boyfriend?
Qin Xue didn’t know why, but just thinking about that made her chest feel tight, like she couldn’t breathe.
By society’s standards, that was basically inevitable. Even if she didn’t have a boyfriend in college, she’d find one after starting work. And once she got a little older, her family would pressure her to get married.
Even she herself hadn’t graduated yet and was already being forced into a marriage by her mother.
There was a high chance they wouldn’t see each other again after that.
The more Qin Xue thought about it, the more powerless and upset she felt.
She realized… She really didn’t want to part with Sister Xiaoyun.
Was this what it felt like to have a friend?
Once she got home, Qin Xue had originally planned to take a nap. But now, she pulled out her textbook and started previewing the lessons she hadn’t paid attention to in class.
……
……
Su Yun had three back-to-back advanced math classes that afternoon.
If it had been before, she definitely would’ve spent the time secretly gaming just to survive those painfully long periods. But now, things are different.
She could actually understand everything the teacher was saying.
Since she didn’t know where the class had progressed to, she went ahead and studied the entire textbook last week. Now she could keep up easily and follow along comfortably.
She didn’t have many strengths—just that she worked really hard. Back in the beginning of high school when arts and sciences were still mixed, she’d think about knowledge points while sleeping, even on the toilet, and managed to master everything. This made choosing a track difficult later, but in the end, she chose all science.
“Su Yun, you’re so serious today?” Liu Fei, who sat in front of her, turned around and teased her with a slightly annoyed tone.
Because that usually lazy-ass Su Yun was suddenly focused, it put pressure on him too—he had no choice but to listen seriously along with her.
“Not really.” Su Yun didn’t really want to talk to him, and just kept listening to the teacher.
Seeing that, Liu Fei turned back and kept taking notes.
When the third class was almost over, he couldn’t hold it anymore and turned around again.
“Oh right, tomorrow’s the sports festival! Lots of cute girls will be there. You coming to check it out? I heard they even hired a girl group, and the campus belle from the dance club will perform too. Just thinking about it’s exciting.”
“Too many people though. There were already tons of cars parked at the school gate today. Tomorrow it’s probably gonna be a total crowd crush. If you get a good spot, record a video for me, alright?”
“Zhang Deyi can’t come, so take some clips for him too, haha.”
Liu Fei wasn’t just talking to Su Yun—he repeated it to the other guys around them.
Very simple motive: he wanted videos.
A bunch of damn LSPs.
Su Yun was a little speechless. If it were her old self, she probably would’ve holed up in the dorm, thinking squeezing into that crowd was a waste of time.
She admitted those girls were really pretty, but deep down, she also felt a strange kind of suffocating frustration from just watching without being part of it.
Like… These girls who can dance and look so good—just whose girlfriends are they?
It stirred up a strange kind of jealousy.
So unless Qin Xue forced her to go, Su Yun planned to just sleep through the whole school-wide celebration tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
LSP stands for “lewd/pervy guy” and is often used to refer to someone who’s being overly interested in attractive people. It comes from Chinese slang (like “老色批”), and while it literally means “pervert,” it’s usually used in a playful or teasing way—not as a serious insult. Think of it more like calling someone a “thirsty dude” or a “flirty perv” in a joking tone.]