GV – Chapter 77

Three months remained until the college entrance exams.

Falling in love under these circumstances was usually not a good choice. In fact, more often than not, so-called romantic feelings were merely illusions brought on by the pressure of the exams.

But Song Zhiqing and Ye Yuhuan were clearly not that kind of case.

For these two, who had just transitioned from best friends with ulterior motives to a clingy couple, the inexorable approach of the exams actually created a precious buffer. The process of studying hard together allowed them to gradually establish a new way of interacting.

So far, from Ye Yuhuan’s perspective, everything about her relationship with Song Zhiqing was satisfying. The burnout she had feared never materialized. In fact, she sometimes found herself flustered by how Song Zhiqing’s overwhelming passion made her so shy.

Except for one small problem.

Namely, why did the entire world know she and Song Zhiqing were dating?

And by “the entire world,” she meant everyone Ye Yuhuan knew.

God only knew how shocked she was when she’d planned to tell her aunt she had a girlfriend, only for her aunt to beat her to the punch.

At the time, faced with her niece’s bewildered expression, Si Shan had smiled mysteriously, taken out her phone, and pointed to a girl in a photo. “It’s this young lady, isn’t it? I saw it on the news.”

On the news?

On the news!

But Song Zhiqing hadn’t even made her debut yet!

That was true. Song Zhiqing had not, in fact, made her debut.

But she had money, so she bought a trending topic.

The trending hashtag was “Breathtaking Campus Romance.”

The accompanying image was a stunning photo of Ye Yuhuan and Song Zhiqing together.

The caption was written from the sweet, third-person perspective of a Qinglin student, with writing that suspiciously resembled Tang Xue’s.

If Song Zhiqing during her secret crush phase was the type to uncontrollably shout about it to everyone around her, then the Song Zhiqing who was actually in a relationship was the type to buy a megaphone and broadcast it in 360-degree surround sound—or so Ye Yuhuan had once thought.

She just never expected that megaphone to be a trending topic on social media.

Very good. Truly befitting the child of a media tycoon—so grand.

Ye Yuhuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The comments under the post were surprisingly harmonious—Ye Yuhuan wondered if Song Zhiqing had hired an army of bots as part of a package deal. A quick glance revealed nothing but praise and envy.

Ye Yuhuan reposted the most popular Weibo post, adding three heart emojis. Song Zhiqing quickly followed suit, reposting with three rose emojis.

It was just a simple emoji, yet Ye Yuhuan stared at it for a full minute, a suspicious smile playing on her lips.

Seeing this, Si Shan teased, “Being in love is that much fun, huh?”

Ye Yuhuan nodded. “A hundred times more fun than scoring a perfect one hundred on a test.”

What a childish comparison. Si Shan chuckled, and then, as if struck by inspiration, she picked up her paintbrush and daubed a layer of pink onto the early spring landscape on her canvas.

After her mood settled a bit, Ye Yuhuan opened the photo again. It had been taken last summer. The two of them were standing in front of a carousel, wearing matching outfits that could have been for either a couple or best friends. Song Zhiqing was turned sideways, her arms wrapped around Ye Yuhuan in an overly intimate gesture that could be interpreted as either platonic or romantic.

Back then, Song Zhiqing had already given her the third ceramic cup, which meant she had already confessed her feelings in secret.

Looking closely at Song Zhiqing’s eyes in the photo, ah, it was a look of complete possession over the person before her.

She was truly determined to win.

Is that why she’s making such a grand display now that she’s succeeded?

Logically, that made sense. But logic had also made her foolishly miss Song Zhiqing’s feelings for a good half a year, so Ye Yuhuan wasn’t inclined to trust it so easily.

So, after bidding farewell to her aunt, who was lost in her painting, Ye Yuhuan thought of her good sister who had suffered alongside her: Shen Wei.

She was the only person Ye Yuhuan knew with relationship experience—two relationships, if you counted her past life.

When Shen Wei answered the phone, her voice was much brighter than last time. It seemed her pouting and wheedling had paid off.

“What’s up?” This time, it was Shen Wei who sounded impatient.

“Well, I have a question for you.”

“Oh? Is Sheng Jing going bankrupt?”

“…You don’t have to hold such a grudge.”

Shen Wei huffed out a laugh. She found a place to sit while waiting for Shangguan Xianxian, lazily crossing her legs in a manner completely at odds with her delicate and gentle appearance. “Alright, what is it?”

“Have you seen the trending topics?”

“Nope. I’ll look now.”

Three minutes later, an unmissable “Wow” came through the receiver, followed by, “That Song Zhiqing is way too audacious.”

“Hey, do you think you can buy trending topics on Twitter? I should take a page from Song Zhiqing’s book and buy them for a few months. Then I’d never have to worry about other people pestering our Xianxian again.”

Shen Wei’s words made Ye Yuhuan feel the urge to curse.

Damn love-struck brain. Can’t you go even one minute without thinking about Shangguan Xianxian?

Ye Yuhuan tried to steer the conversation back on track. “Don’t you think this is a bit over-the-top?”

“It’s fine, I guess. You two are together anyway.”

The day after she and Ye Yuhuan officially got together, Song Zhiqing had sent out a mass message, flaunting their love and making Shen Wei choke on the sweetness.

For someone like that, buying a trending topic to declare her claim was completely understandable.

“Ah, is that how it is?”

Just as Ye Yuhuan was sinking into self-doubt, Shangguan Xianxian arrived. Shen Wei immediately stuck to her like a puppy, leaving Ye Yuhuan with a quick “I’m off to my date” before making a swift exit.

A date? The exams are only three months away! Can’t you two be a little more serious?

Then again, Shangguan Xianxian was going abroad, and Shen Wei planned to start university next year. They really didn’t need to be serious about it.

So, unlike her and Song Zhiqing, who could only squeeze in some flirting during tutoring sessions, they could free up an entire afternoon for a date. The more Ye Yuhuan thought about it, the more jealous she became, almost forgetting her original train of thought.

Until a message from Shen Wei came through on her phone.

【Xianxian asked what we were talking about. I told her, and she analyzed that Song Zhiqing might be feeling insecure. I think that makes a lot of sense, so I’m sharing it with you.】

Seeing the message, Ye Yuhuan was momentarily at a loss for words. Shen Wei’s henpecked vibe was really coming on strong. The fact that someone like her could actually bring herself to give Shangguan Xianxian the cold shoulder for a week meant her tail had truly been stepped on.

But Shangguan Xianxian’s words had indeed touched upon something Ye Yuhuan had just faintly sensed: their relationship was going well. Or rather, it was going too well.

There were no arguments, not a hint of annoyance. It was as smooth as pouring oil into a pan.

Of course, one could say they were a match made in heaven, exceptionally compatible. If that wasn’t enough, adding the honeymoon phase on top of it would be a sufficient explanation.

But Ye Yuhuan read the message again, focusing on the words “sense of security,” trying to construct Song Zhiqing’s soul from those characters.

She remembered something: Song Zhiqing still hadn’t called her to account for the five months she’d failed to keep her promise.

The possibility was slim, but it existed nonetheless.

Ye Yuhuan stuffed her phone into her pocket, turned into a convenience store to buy something, and then headed for the Song residence.

It wasn’t their scheduled tutoring day, but if she wanted to see her girlfriend, she should be able to do so anytime, right?

The moment she stepped through the Song family’s gate, Ye Yuhuan was met with numerous eager gazes—gazes likely heated by the trending news. Bathed in such attention, she felt like a commoner who had just gone public with a superstar—sweet and terrifying all at once.

She lowered her head slightly, a futile attempt to hide her blushing face.

Honestly, Song Zhiqing was just too high-profile.

When Ye Yuhuan knocked and entered the room, Song Zhiqing was working on a math problem. Her curved eyebrows were knitted together, adding the lively energy of buzzing bees and fluttering butterflies to her bright, spring-like face.

Seeing Ye Yuhuan, she first broke into a surprised smile, then immediately put down her pen, stood up, and ran toward her.

“Weren’t you supposed to see your aunt today? What are you doing here?”

Song Zhiqing wrapped her arms around Ye Yuhuan’s neck and tilted her head up, her joyful expression on full display.

“I just finished my visit. It was still early, so I came to see you.”

Song Zhiqing pouted slightly, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the lover before her. “You could have just said you missed me.”

Ye Yuhuan captured the retreating lips with her own and gave them a gentle bite. “Mm, I did miss you.”

Song Zhiqing cupped Ye Yuhuan’s face in her hands and squeezed, pretending to be annoyed. “Do I have to teach you how to say sweet things, too? So frustrating.”

With her face held captive, Ye Yuhuan couldn’t speak. So she just stared with wide eyes, blinking and blinking until Song Zhiqing’s heart finally softened and she let go.

Her freed lips, just as Song Zhiqing had demanded, uttered cloyingly sweet words: “I like you.”

“I like you very much.”

“Maybe it’s close to love, but that word is too heavy, so I think it’s better to let time prove it.”

“But you can believe this: of all the people in this world, I completely and utterly like you the most.”

After saying all this, Ye Yuhuan frowned, slightly troubled. “I said something similar when I confessed. It feels like it’s lost its novelty.”

Song Zhiqing reached out and smoothed her brow, closing the small distance that had barely formed between them.

She said, “I’d love to hear you say that ten thousand times.”

As she spoke, the movement of her lips brushed against the other’s soft ones, and Song Zhiqing took the opportunity to press in for a deeper kiss.

Their kissing practice over the past few days had provided the two rookies with valuable experience. Now, they could kiss back and forth for a considerable length of time. The soft, wet sounds echoed in the enclosed room as they gradually kissed their way to the edge of the bed. Ye Yuhuan’s hand caressed Song Zhiqing’s waist. Song Zhiqing wasn’t wearing much at home, just two layers of soft, form-fitting fabric. Ye Yuhuan’s hand stopped on the final layer, the girl’s body heat transferring to her palm. The scent of jasmine was intoxicating, nearly sending her into a trance.

In the end, however, it was Song Zhiqing who couldn’t take it anymore. She opened her misty eyes, and the hand clutching the hem of Ye Yuhuan’s shirt moved to her shoulder, giving a gentle push. Ye Yuhuan released her and rolled off, and the two lay side-by-side on the bed, their breathing heavy.

Song Zhiqing lifted her calf and gave Ye Yuhuan a light kick. She didn’t say anything, but Ye Yuhuan knew what she meant.

Usually in this situation, Ye Yuhuan would just need to offer a few compliments to save Song Zhiqing’s pride. But this time, she turned on her side and kissed her again.

When they separated for the second time, Song Zhiqing gave Ye Yuhuan’s waist a weak pinch. Ignoring her own embarrassingly breathy voice, she said irritably, “How can you kiss so excessively!”

Ye Yuhuan caught the hand that had just pinched her and was now resting limply on her waist. Lowering her gaze, she said softly, “I want you to feel secure.”

The hand, as soft as a marshmallow, instantly stiffened.

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