GV – Chapter 75

By the time they separated, Song Zhiqing’s face was too red to look at.

Ye Yuhuan wasn’t much better, though.

But her specialty was endurance—or to put it another way, putting on an act.

Ye Yuhuan stood ramrod straight, replaying her performance. The kiss wasn’t too terrible, was it?

Song Zhiqing’s scorching face was pressed against her neck. She was curled up in her arms, refusing to lift her head. Her breath caressed Ye Yuhuan’s skin in a way that was deeply unsettling, making her feel that something was very, very wrong.

If this keeps up, my neck will turn red too.

That would be far too obvious.

Why is Song Zhiqing so shy? It was just a simple kiss, no tongue involved. Why does it feel like we were caught making out in bed by our parents?

Of course, Song Zhiqing wasn’t just shy.

She was also incredibly happy—so happy she worried that if she looked up at Ye Yuhuan, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from laughing out loud.

No, that would be too silly.

This is my first love and my first kiss. It has to be beautiful, no matter what.

For some reason, Song Zhiqing was being particularly principled about the strangest things today. But since she couldn’t lift her head to share her feelings with Ye Yuhuan, her thoughts were limited. And those limited thoughts were generating an infinite amount of heat. Song Zhiqing decided this couldn’t continue.

So she bravely pulled away from Ye Yuhuan’s embrace and, following the script of a perfectly beautiful romance, asked, “Does this mean we’re together now?”

“But I haven’t confessed yet.”

Ye Yuhuan was fixated on this point.

“Oh, then just give me a casual confession.” Song Zhiqing pressed her lips together, trying to look serious.

How can something like this be casual!

Ye Yuhuan puffed out her cheeks almost imperceptibly. This wasn’t the opening she had envisioned, but she had no choice but to grit her teeth and proceed. She took out her phone and sent a text message.

The soft piano music and the female narration in the planetarium stopped.

In its place, a waltz began to play.

They had already taken off their overcoats inside. Uncharacteristically, Ye Yuhuan was wearing a dress underneath. She extended her hand. Whether it was because she was about to confess or because she knew Song Zhiqing was expecting it, she wasn’t sure. She cleared her throat, swallowing a wave of shyness. “Care to dance?”

Song Zhiqing blinked in confusion. Weren’t you going to confess?

But she loved dancing, too.

So she placed her hand in Ye Yuhuan’s, and her skirt swirled.

Above them, a starry sky seemed close enough to touch. In a moment between a spin and drawing close, Ye Yuhuan whispered, “I remember the first time we danced, we said we wanted to dance among the stars. This isn’t the real sky, but I imagine it looks something like this.”

She pursed her lips, annoyed with herself.

That was so dry, she thought.

But Song Zhiqing was waiting for her to continue, her body spinning in one flawless circle after another. Light caught in her eyes, reflecting a captivating brilliance—a brilliance born of youth, love, and passion.

Ye Yuhuan suddenly relaxed and smiled, letting out a string of words that even she found cheesy. “I’ve been agonizing over how to confess, and I still haven’t quite figured it out. But I knew I had to make you happy, so you wouldn’t think I was dragging my feet. I don’t know how long you’ve liked me, but I’ve liked you for a very long time. Most people would pursue someone they like, but all I could think of was pushing you away.”

“Even I couldn’t stand myself, but you always stayed by my side, giving me so much happiness and love.”

“You’re the first person to make me feel that being alone is a tremendous loss and a kind of pain. So, um… can we be girlfriends, Classmate Song Zhiqing?”

“I will always, always like you very, very much.”

Song Zhiqing no longer wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. But crying didn’t fit her script for a beautiful romantic opening, and besides, they were still dancing.

When Song Zhiqing didn’t answer, her expression only growing more tense and her eyelashes fluttering uncontrollably, Ye Yuhuan…

…asked with a hint of grievance, “You could at least give me a response.”

Song Zhiqing couldn’t hold back any longer. She laughed through her tears. “You’re so infuriating!”

“Why are you so obsessed with having a sense of ceremony? I already said yes, but you had to go and elaborate just to make me cry.”

“We’re dancing, for crying out loud!”

Song Zhiqing’s breathing grew ragged from her crying, making it impossible to keep dancing. Ye Yuhuan stopped, raising her right hand to brush away the tears from the corner of Song Zhiqing’s eye. Her left arm was wrapped around Song Zhiqing’s waist. The soft fabric under her palm and the even softer body beneath made Ye Yuhuan’s expression melt like a cloud. “Then let’s stop dancing,” she said.

“Let’s kiss.”

The moment the words left her lips, Ye Yuhuan leaned in and kissed the girl before her. The girl instinctively wrapped her arms around Ye Yuhuan’s neck, settling in for a long kiss.

It was a contest of softness against softness. Ye Yuhuan’s lips gently brushed against Song Zhiqing’s, bringing an intoxicating numbness. But it didn’t seem to be enough for Song Zhiqing. She shyly extended the tip of her tongue, tracing the shape of her beloved’s lips.

Ah, a perfect Cupid’s bow.

Ye Yuhuan froze for a moment, stunned by Song Zhiqing’s move. It’s only our second time, she thought. Isn’t this a bit too intimate?

But her body moved faster than her thoughts. Her shyness didn’t stop the tip of her tongue from gently touching the one that had been teasing her own lips.

The unfamiliar sensation was both strange and stimulating for them.

Their first instinct was to pull back.

Then, at the same moment, they both leaned in again.

Entangling, they fell into a deeper vortex.

As they were lost in the kiss, the rose petals that were meant to fall at the end of the waltz now drifted down around them. One landed on the corner of Song Zhiqing’s mouth, and Ye Yuhuan swallowed it.

The kiss was indeed a long one. By the time it ended, both of them were breathless. Song Zhiqing’s legs felt like jelly, and her lips were numb.

That Ye Yuhuan… she doesn’t even like to exercise. How is her lung capacity so good? Song Zhiqing felt a pang of injustice.

But she didn’t dare say it aloud. Based on descriptions in novels, her voice would surely sound incredibly—saccharine.

Once Song Zhiqing felt she had mostly recovered, she gently tugged on Ye Yuhuan’s index finger. “Is your confession ceremony over?”

Ye Yuhuan shook her head.

“There’s one last step.”

Song Zhiqing gestured with her eyes for her to go on.

Ah, my voice is still a little syrupy. I guess there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even kissing comes at a price, sob.

But how does Ye Yuhuan sound so normal? Damn it, she really doesn’t exercise!

Before Song Zhiqing could solve the mystery of the lung capacity, her body swayed without Ye Yuhuan’s support. A startled Ye Yuhuan quickly caught her again. The familiar, sweet fragrance filled her senses, and Ye Yuhuan stifled a laugh. “I seem to recall you’re the athletic one.”

Song Zhiqing shot her a fierce glare, but with her face flushed and her eyes glistening, it looked more like a pout.

This is no time for that kind of useless chemistry!

“Are you going to finish confessing or not!”

Of course she was.

It wasn’t far. Ye Yuhuan didn’t let go of Song Zhiqing, and the two of them shuffled over to a row of seats, still wrapped in an embrace. The constant friction of their bodies was enough to make one’s heart flutter restlessly.

After taking a moment to calm her breathing and her racing heart, Ye Yuhuan produced a bouquet of roses from behind the seats. A few blossoms brushed against Song Zhiqing’s cheek, and she instinctively turned her head, avoiding the brilliant red.

How had I never noticed how beautiful roses were before?

“Miss Song Zhiqing, will you be my girlfriend?”

Ye Yuhuan’s soft, clear voice echoed in her ear. A smile spread across Song Zhiqing’s lips. Suddenly feeling her strength return, she stepped out of Ye Yuhuan’s embrace and took the roses.

Her eyes curved into crescents. “Okay, girlfriend.”

Ye Yuhuan beamed. “Mm, girlfriend.”

The mood was perfect, so they started kissing again. Both were masters of theory, but Ye Yuhuan was always a little quicker to put theory into practice, leaving Song Zhiqing to question her very existence every time they pulled apart.

Ye Yuhuan… she’s so good at this.

I have to step up my game!

After an exceptionally fulfilling evening, Song Zhiqing reluctantly drove Ye Yuhuan home. As Ye Yuhuan got out of the car, Song Zhiqing couldn’t resist saying, “I’ll walk you to your door.”

Ye Yuhuan didn’t want to part from her either and eagerly agreed.

The driver watched this unfold in silence. After they got out, he sent a text to Song Zhiqing’s parents.

【Miss Song’s efforts have finally borne fruit.】

But young people in the throes of new love are always loath to part, especially with the added bonus of their long-awaited reunion. After lingering in the entryway for nearly half an hour, Song Zhiqing, her lips a shade of crimson, suggested languidly, “Maybe I just shouldn’t leave. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stayed over, after all.”

Ye Yuhuan clung to a final shred of reason. She shook her head, pointing from her own lips to Song Zhiqing’s. “We can’t kiss anymore. Our lips will break.”

Song Zhiqing’s face instantly burned red, but since she was already flushed, the fresh wave of embarrassment wasn’t particularly noticeable.

“What’s going through your head? Who said being together means we’ll be kissing all the time! We’re not that desperate!”

Ye Yuhuan honestly thought back for a moment, then said just as honestly, “But… we have been kissing this entire time.”

You dense blockhead!

Song Zhiqing cursed inwardly.

“Hmph! If you don’t want me to stay, fine! It’s not like I’m begging!”

Seeing that Song Zhiqing was on the verge of lashing out from embarrassment, Ye Yuhuan quickly placated her. Swallowing her own shyness, she analyzed herself and took all the blame. “It’s me. I just… really want to kiss you whenever I see you.”

Song Zhiqing was dumbfounded. Ye Yuhuan… wasn’t she practically a nun?

So it’s true… the more ascetic someone seems, the more passionate they are underneath?

How exciting. Song Zhiqing felt a strange thrill.

But feeling the sting on her own lips, she had to admit Ye Yuhuan had a point.

With great reluctance, she said, “Well, good night then… girlfriend.”

Upon hearing that, Ye Yuhuan’s determined expression wavered for a split second. She remembered that she hadn’t even taken off her shoes since coming in, let alone changed her clothes. She and Song Zhiqing hadn’t moved from the entryway at all.

In this outfit, it’s perfectly fine to go back outside, right?

Ye Yuhuan convinced herself.

“I’ll walk you to the car,” she said.

I walk you up, you walk me down… isn’t this just making things complicated for no reason? That was Song Zhiqing’s inner thought.

“Okay,” was what she said.

This absurd romantic comedy of “I’ll see you out, no, I’ll see you out” was exceptionally long. Only after Ye Yuhuan had walked her downstairs for the third time did Song Zhiqing finally get into the car.

The driver, who had witnessed the entire spectacle, sent another text to Song Zhiqing’s parents.

【About that fruit… it’s an especially big one.】

Get instant access to all the chapters now.