My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 104
Chapter 104
Over the next few days, Yi Shanshan busied herself preparing the surprise.
Sometimes she worked during lazy afternoons, other times before bed, and occasionally, while they were out playing, she would suddenly push Ying Yuan away, asking for some personal time.
Each time Ying Yuan saw her alone, absorbed in her own world, a flicker of unease stirred within her.
But when she remembered Yi Shanshan’s promise—that this surprise was for her and related to her—Ying Yuan would exhale deeply, her anxiety dissolving into calm.
Their trip had already reached its ninth day.
Although Yi Shanshan’s menstrual cycle had forced them to scale back their plans, they had still managed to explore H City’s famous attractions and uncover hidden gems of scenery and cuisine.
Ying Yuan’s understanding of H City—its layout, roads, daily life, customs, and local culture—had become remarkably clear. She often marveled at how such a short time could be enough to truly understand and fall in love with a city.
And, she realized, the same was true of falling in love with a person.
Before the trip, Ying Yuan had seen herself and Yi Shanshan as completely different individuals. Many facets of Yi Shanshan remained hidden from her, and that unfamiliarity had made her anxious and fearful.
Now, every move Yi Shanshan made was crystal clear. Ying Yuan could guess the second half of her sentences before she even finished the first. A flicker of emotion on Yi Shanshan’s face was all it took for Ying Yuan to understand her needs.
Yi Shanshan nestled into her embrace with practiced familiarity, making Ying Yuan feel like her arms had been born for this very purpose.
That day, their plan was to attend a beach music festival in the evening.
Yi Shanshan adored such events. She had been obsessing over her outfit since morning, changing several times to show Ying Yuan, and even dragged her to an old street renowned for its traditional crafts to buy handmade accessories when she felt her own weren’t striking enough.
While waiting for their lunch order to arrive, Ying Yuan received a call from Qi Hongyue.
She glanced at her phone screen, hesitated for two seconds, and immediately felt Yi Shanshan’s gaze drift her way.
Ying Yuan had saved Qi Hongyue’s number as “Senior Qi”—a clear indication of their relationship.
Yi Shanshan spotted it and let out a playful “Oh~”
“Your Senior is calling you?” she drawled, her tone dripping with playful sarcasm. “Didn’t we agree to take a break during the summer? To pause the game development?”
“Everyone else is resting, but she’s still working,” Ying Yuan explained. “There might be some technical issues.”
Yi Shanshan: “Then you should answer it.”
Ying Yuan knew she had to answer eventually, but she also suspected Qi Hongyue might want to discuss something Yi Shanshan shouldn’t hear.
“I…” Her phone was still vibrating. Ying Yuan opened her mouth, wanting to ask Yi Shanshan if she could step outside to take the call.
Just then, Yi Shanshan’s phone rang too. She pulled it out of her bag, glanced at the screen with a blank expression, and stared at it for a few seconds.
“You take yours, I’ll take mine,” Yi Shanshan said. “Yuan-dear, do you want to stay inside or go out?”
“I’ll go out,” Ying Yuan replied immediately. “You stay here where it’s cooler.”
Yi Shanshan: “Okay.”
Ying Yuan wanted to say something more, but Yi Shanshan had already swiped open her screen and pressed the phone to her ear.
“Hello,” she answered with mild impatience, like she was taking a sales call.
Ying Yuan swallowed her words and headed outside.
On her way out, Qi Hongyue’s call ended before reaching the maximum ring time, suggesting it wasn’t urgent after all.
Outside, a massive Chinese scholar tree cast a deep shade.
Ying Yuan called Qi Hongyue, who answered quickly, her voice tinged with amusement: “Having too much fun to miss home?”
They’d exchanged a few messages on WeChat earlier, so Qi Hongyue knew Ying Yuan and Yi Shanshan were traveling.
In the past, Ying Yuan would have offered an evasive “It’s okay.” But now, describing her relationship with Yi Shanshan as merely “okay” felt like a gross understatement.
So she answered truthfully, “Yeah.”
Qi Hongyue: “……”
Qi Hongyue sighed heavily. “When are you two wrapping up?”
Ying Yuan: “Not sure.”
Qi Hongyue: “……”
Qi Hongyue’s voice rose. “Are you going to keep playing around until school starts?”
Ying Yuan: “Nah, we’ll be back before then.”
Qi Hongyue: “Is My Lady paying for everything?”
Ying Yuan immediately corrected, “No, we’re splitting the bill.”
“Oh.” Qi Hongyue relaxed. “Then you probably don’t have many days left, considering your budget and the princess’s spending habits.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Ouch, that stings.
Ying Yuan cleared her throat. “Senior, what’s the call about?”
Qi Hongyue: “Just checking in on you.”
Ying Yuan: “Shanshan isn’t here, so she won’t get jealous of our call.”
Qi Hongyue: “Oh, I revised Chapter Three and sent the demo to your email. It’s been 36 hours, and you haven’t opened it yet.”
Ying Yuan: “Okay, I haven’t logged in for a couple of days.”
Qi Hongyue: “Didn’t I tell you romance would interfere with work?”
Ying Yuan: “I’ll read it and reply to you later.”
Qi Hongyue: “Don’t hang up yet. There’s something else.”
Ying Yuan: “Hm?”
Qi Hongyue: “Our investor has withdrawn their funding.”
Ying Yuan’s brow furrowed.
Qi Hongyue: “This was expected ever since our last team outing. The bomb was planted then; it was only a matter of time before it detonated.”
Ying Yuan: “What exactly did they say?”
Qi Hongyue: “They didn’t bother with excuses. They want our copyright. If we refuse to surrender it, they demand a full refund of their previous investment.”
“This is outrageous!” Ying Yuan’s anger surged. “Our contract clearly stipulates copyright ownership remains with us. Withdrawal of funding requires proven misconduct on our part!”
Qi Hongyue: “Exactly.”
Qi Hongyue: “So, if we sue, we have a very high chance of winning.”
Qi Hongyue: “But that’s exactly what they want—to drag us into court, halt our project, and disqualify us from the competition.”
Ying Yuan froze.
Qi Hongyue: “They never saw any profit in a university innovation project like ours. First, they used the ‘public benefit’ facade; now, they’re driven by personal vendettas.”
“I’m sorry…”
Ying Yuan now truly understood the logic behind Qi Hongyue’s rule against team members dating. If it weren’t for these messy personal entanglements, we wouldn’t be facing this crisis.
“I need to discuss this with Shanshan,” she said, feeling it was necessary. “We need to figure out how to handle this.”
After all, the root of the problem lay with Lin Feng. Yi Shanshan had even transferred funds to Ying Yuan’s account back then, precisely to prepare for situations like this.
But Qi Hongyue quickly interjected, “No need. I have another way.”
Ying Yuan: “We’re a team. Shanshan…”
Qi Hongyue cut her off. “Shanshan’s conflict with Lin Feng was actually rooted in her family issues. Forcing her to resolve things with Lin Feng would inevitably involve her family, leading to unnecessary complications and compromises. It’s best to avoid that.”
“I’m not exactly thrilled seeing you two all lovey-dovey,” Qi Hongyue admitted, “but you seem so genuinely happy, I guess I’m just jealous.”
Ying Yuan fell silent, a pang of sadness tugging at her heart.
“I’m not one to just sit around and wait for things to happen,” Qi Hongyue continued. “Right after we got back from that team-building trip, I started reaching out to new investors.”
“Guess what?” Qi Hongyue chuckled. “I actually managed to find one.”
“The catch is, things are a bit complicated now, so their investment terms have gotten more demanding. We probably won’t be able to stay non-profit anymore.”
Ying Yuan was once again awestruck by Qi Hongyue’s strategic foresight and efficiency.
“That’s why I needed to talk to you about this,” Qi Hongyue said. “Ying Yuan, I need you.”
“Our game might become bigger, more complex, and more commercial. I don’t want to lose control of it just to save it, so I need your help.”
“You’re the best,” Qi Hongyue said with a smile, “even if you’re currently love-struck.”
The wind rustled the leaves with a whoosh, and Ying Yuan’s heart swelled at the thought of supporting Yi Shanshan’s romantic endeavors while also helping Qi Hongyue with her business ventures.
“Okay,” she agreed quickly.
They chatted for a while about the specific arrangements.
The entire call lasted only about ten minutes.
After hanging up, Ying Yuan logged into her email and immediately downloaded the resources.
She re-entered the shop to find Yi Shanshan still on the phone, her brow furrowed and her expression clearly displeased.
Ying Yuan walked up to her, and Yi Shanshan hung up the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s going on?”
They asked almost simultaneously.
Meeting Ying Yuan’s gaze, Yi Shanshan’s expression softened. She didn’t ask Ying Yuan to sit across from her; they were developing this peculiar habit of sitting side-by-side.
Taking Ying Yuan’s arm, Yi Shanshan tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and asked, “Is it hot outside?”
“No, there’s a breeze,” Ying Yuan replied.
“Good. Otherwise, I’d be mad at Qi Hongyue.” Yi Shanshan gazed at her, tilting her head, peering deeply into Ying Yuan’s eyes.
Ying Yuan’s gaze remained steady. If there was any ripple in it, it was only because Yi Shanshan was staring at her so intently.
Yi Shanshan nodded in satisfaction and continued, “You go first. Is there something wrong with the project?”
“We’ve run into some trouble.”
The food had already arrived. Ying Yuan tore open a dinner roll, took out chopsticks, and inserted a straw into Yi Shanshan’s drink. “You must be starving. Let’s eat while we talk.”
“Mm.” Yi Shanshan obediently began eating and drinking.
Ying Yuan didn’t hide the details she had just learned from Yi Shanshan.
This matter had arisen because of Yi Shanshan, and she was also a key member of the Project Team. Therefore, she had the right to know the truth.
Moreover, Yi Shanshan was already very concerned about her relationship with Qi Hongyue, and they would inevitably have more interactions and work together in the future. It was crucial to prevent misunderstandings from taking root from the very beginning.
“So now we need to develop an expanded proposal to convince new investors of our greater potential. Only then might they overlook the complications, help us resolve the previous contract, and forge a new agreement.”
After finishing her explanation, Ying Yuan moved a small dish that Yi Shanshan had been frequently reaching for to right in front of her.
“The Lin Family is so low-class,” Yi Shanshan muttered, scowling as she ate. “Taking revenge over such a petty thing months later? Bullying college students? What kind of ‘big shot’ is that? If they’re so tough, why don’t they stop being their daddy’s lapdogs and strike out on their own?”
After venting her anger, Yi Shanshan shot Ying Yuan a sidelong glance. “I told you it would all come down to money in the end. You’re the only ones still clinging to some naive ideals.”
Ying Yuan replied, “After graduation, we’ll have decades to worry about profits. I just want to follow my heart while I’m still in college.”
“So, what about now? Not following your heart anymore?” Yi Shanshan pressed.
“The situation has changed.” Ying Yuan looked at Yi Shanshan, keeping her deeper, more far-reaching anxieties unspoken. “Making money early isn’t so bad either.”
Yi Shanshan stared at her. “I could pull some strings to smooth this over for you, or find someone to invest.”
“No, thanks,” Ying Yuan said. “We can handle this ourselves.”
“The world out there is complicated…” Yi Shanshan warned.
“If we can’t handle it, then we’ll take the hit,” Ying Yuan said. “Success isn’t the only possible outcome; failure is something we have to accept too.”
Yi Shanshan’s lips curled into a smile.
Though the answer was already clear, she still asked, “Why not take the easier path?”
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Ying Yuan replied. “In your world, everything is a transaction, a barter of interests.”
Ying Yuan gazed at Yi Shanshan, seeing a faint sadness in her beautiful eyes. She didn’t need to guess who had called earlier; it was undoubtedly her family.
A pang of heartache struck Ying Yuan, and the more it ached, the more resolute her next words became.
“I don’t want you to have to trade anything anymore.”
Yi Shanshan lowered her lashes, her smile widening.
After a moment’s thought, Ying Yuan added, “Senior Qi feels the same way.”
Yi Shanshan’s smile vanished. She lifted her gaze, puffed out her cheeks, and playfully punched Ying Yuan’s shoulder.
“Still putting in a good word for Qi Hongyue, huh?” she teased. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll turn around and fall for her instead?”
Ying Yuan’s eyes widened in alarm. The thought had never occurred to her, and it instantly made her anxious.
“Would you?” she murmured.
Yi Shanshan burst into laughter. “Who knows? You two are so alike—a whole nest of fools!”