GL My Goddess Best Friend’s Seduction (H) - Chapter 49

Not long after the gathering, summer vacation began.

Summer vacation marked the start of my busiest work season. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., my schedule was packed with classes. I barely had the energy to think about everything that had happened. Si Jingnian was the same as always. She made breakfast for me and picked me up in the evening. Sometimes she worked later than I did, so I would go home alone.

I had Mondays off, which meant our schedules were completely misaligned for the entire summer. On weekends, she would visit my workplace to eat lunch with me. Then she stayed in a café to read or work. If I didn’t run overtime in the evening, we would eat dinner together and go home.

On Mondays, I stayed home, cooked dinner, and waited for her to come back.

Throughout the entire summer, there was barely any intimacy between us. We held hands occasionally, but we didn’t kiss or sleep together.

There was still a shadow in my heart, and I think she noticed. I tried to reason with myself that I shouldn’t care so much. Logically, I understood. But maybe I was just too busy or too petty. In the end, nothing changed.

One thing stood out that summer. In fact, it became a turning point because Si Jingnian’s mother came to visit and stayed with us for a few days.

She arrived on a Monday evening, which was my day off. Si Jingnian brought her home. I was nervous, like a daughter-in-law meeting her mother-in-law. I felt a little wronged. The moment I hugged Aunt Luo Lan, I started crying.

She patted my back and asked what was wrong. I sobbed so hard that I couldn’t speak. Si Jingnian got scolded harshly by her mother. She was blamed for not taking care of me properly and making me cry. I tried to stop Aunt Luo Lan, but secretly, I felt a little pleased.

In the days that followed, she cooked many delicious meals.

During her stay, Si Jingnian and I slept in my room. Aunt Luo Lan took the other room. There was still space between us in bed. In fact, it was wide enough to fit another person comfortably. But every morning, I woke up curled in her arms, and she was barely hanging onto the edge of the bed.

On Thursday night, I didn’t have class, but Si Jingnian had to work late. I took Aunt Luo Lan to a Cantonese restaurant and ordered all the food she liked.

While waiting for the dishes, she suddenly changed the topic. “Has Jingnian been treating you badly?”

I couldn’t avoid thinking of Lan Yun kissing her. Bitterness rose in my heart. “No. She’s very good to me.”

Her expression became serious. Usually elegant and warm, she now looked stern. “Don’t lie to me. Jingnian doesn’t seem happy either.”

“I’m not lying, Auntie. It really is nothing important. Just something small.” I couldn’t tell her everything. She didn’t even know we were in a relationship.

And I wasn’t angry anymore.

“Xiaoyu…” She put down her teacup, her eyes pleading. “You know Jingnian likes you, right?”

Her gaze and words caught me completely off guard.

She had figured it out.

I panicked. I didn’t expect her to be so direct.

After seeing my reaction, she sighed. “So you do know.”

“Xiaoyu, I watched you both grow up. You’re a good kid. If Jingnian’s feelings for you make you uncomfortable, I support you ending the relationship. Jingnian may seem strong, but she’s fragile inside. But I believe she’ll be okay with time.”

“Auntie…” I wanted to explain, but her expectant and sorrowful gaze made me fall silent.

“You can forget Jingnian. And as for her, even if it takes ten or twenty years, I still think there’s hope.” She turned her teacup slowly as she spoke.

Just imagining the idea of forgetting Si Jingnian, and imagining that she might forget me as well, was enough to unsettle me.

“Auntie, Jingnian and I are already together.”

The teacup in her hand trembled. Her sorrowful expression changed into one of overwhelming joy.

She reached out and held my hands tightly. Her cheeks flushed. “That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. I’ve waited so long for this day.”

Her happiness infected me, and I smiled too.

“Xiaoyu, you’re not saying this to please me, right? Are you really together?” Her face was full of disbelief, a mixture of confusion, fear, and disbelief.

“It’s true, Auntie. We’ve been together for more than two months now.” Her joy and concern touched me. Part of it was her care for Jingnian’s love life, and part of it must have been relief that Jingnian’s feelings were finally returned.

Thinking of that made my heart soften.

She asked how we got together. Did Jingnian confess first? I said no, we liked each other mutually. Then I shyly added that I realized I liked her first. Jingnian had never shown that she liked me.

She sighed. “That’s my fault. Jingnian came out to us long ago. We knew she always liked you. I told her this path was hard and that she shouldn’t pull you into it. That’s why she never told you how she felt.”

“She always thought of you, even when she was abroad. And the moment she heard you were in Beijing, she came here.”

“Thankfully, Jingnian held on. And thankfully, you two got together. I once advised her to try dating, and she said, ‘But other girls aren’t Xiaoyu…’”

“Xiaoyu, I hope you won’t blame me for holding her back.” She gripped my hands tightly, guilt in her expression.

Hearing her recount what Jingnian had gone through over the years made me feel bitter. Thinking of how I had distanced myself lately, I realized I shouldn’t let past things ruin the present.

“Auntie, it’s fine. Honestly, things are better now. If she had confessed earlier, I might have been scared off. But now that I’ve realized my feelings, it feels like the right time.”

I asked myself, if she had confessed earlier, would I have run away? The answer was no. I probably would have realized it sooner.

“That’s good, that’s good…” Her guilt eased. Then she asked how I fell for her, if she treated me well, if our daily life and even our intimacy were harmonious.

I was flustered by her direct questions and couldn’t answer properly. She finally let me off. Then she asked if my parents knew.

My heart calmed. My face wasn’t as hot anymore. I hadn’t thought about it in a while, maybe intentionally or not.

“They don’t know yet. I don’t think they’ll take it well.” I looked down at my fingers, absentmindedly picking at my thumb.

“They’re pretty conservative.”

“People our age can be stubborn. I’ll help you talk to them.”

“Really?!” I was excited. When someone your parents respect speaks up, it’s more effective than us saying it ourselves. My mom admired Aunt Luo Lan. I believed she could change her mind faster with her help.

“Of course. For your and Jingnian’s happiness, I’ll do what I can. Think of it as making up for lost time.”

She shared her plan, which involved approaching the situation from several different angles and gradually guiding my parents’ thinking. I thought it would work.

After we finished that talk, she circled back. She asked what had happened between me and Si Jingnian to cause recent tension.

I said it was a small fight, something couples go through. She said that was normal and not to dwell on it. I agreed.

That night, when Si Jingnian came back, Aunt Luo Lan didn’t say she knew. Instead, she hinted, “Xiaoyu’s been working hard. Go easy on her at night.”

Si Jingnian had her back to me, so I couldn’t see her face. My own face turned crimson. While she wasn’t looking, I slipped into her room.

That night, I didn’t control my sleeping position. I naturally rolled into her arms.

I had made peace with both myself and with Si Jingnian.