My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Unable to resist any longer, Yi Shanshan finally agreed.

She merely hummed in assent, and Ying Yuan immediately ceased all torment, devoting herself wholeheartedly to satisfying her.

When the tempest subsided, Yi Shanshan was so exhausted she had no strength left to speak. Burying her face in Ying Yuan’s embrace, she drifted into a deep, snoring sleep.

The next morning, over breakfast, Yi Shanshan vaguely outlined her plan.

“It’s actually quite simple, isn’t it? There shouldn’t be any real danger,” the Little Fox said, raising an eyebrow, her voice tinged with weariness. “We’ve mastered the necessary tactics through daily practice until they’re second nature.”

Ying Yuan insisted, “I’ll accompany you to the meeting.”

Yi Shanshan stared at her for a moment, then replied, “Fine. You can wait nearby.”

Ying Yuan nodded. “Mm.”

Yi Shanshan suddenly added, “Actually, there is a way to ease tensions somewhat.”

Ying Yuan reminded her, “You’ve always said you prefer direct, intense confrontations.”

Yi Shanshan replied, “For the sake of profit, I can endure. Ying Yuan, the real reason I’m insisting on this is to test you.”

“Huh?” This genuinely surprised Ying Yuan.

Yi Shanshan: “My father doesn’t like anyone staying close to me for too long. Once I form close bonds with others, he loses complete control over me.

“Even when I was very young, he frequently changed the nannies who cared for me. After I started school, he began using tactics to break up my friendships.

“Take Lin Feng, for example. She wasn’t always like this; we used to be really close. But the moment our families’ business interests were involved, she betrayed me instantly and became my father’s informant.

“I’ve known about these things for a long time. I didn’t try to change them because I saw it as a test. Anyone my father could easily take away from me wasn’t worth cherishing anyway.”

Yi Shanshan’s voice was barely a whisper as she gazed at Ying Yuan, her eyes serene. “Ying Yuan, do you know? Human nature truly can’t withstand testing. The outcome is always disappointing. Over and over again…”

Ying Yuan listened, her heart pounding. The longer she spent with Yi Shanshan and the more she understood her, the clearer it became where Yi Shanshan’s illness stemmed from, and what had caused those sleepless nights in the past.

Growing up in such an environment, Yi Shanshan had witnessed the coldest, most selfish, and most sordid aspects of human nature from a young age. She couldn’t trust anyone. When the noisy lights went out, her world froze over, devoid of warmth.

“Does this make you angry?” Yi Shanshan asked with a smile. “I knew all along what would happen. I knew your family and your life would be disrupted, even shattered, yet I let it happen—just to test you.”

Ying Yuan shook her head. “I understand.”

To love someone like Yi Shanshan, to have a star like her fall into her arms—this was a trial she deserved to endure.

Ying Yuan looked up at Yi Shanshan, trying to see things from her perspective. “You should have tested me longer,” she said. “Yesterday was just a verbal promise. Whether I can truly resist temptation and endure the setbacks to come remains to be seen.”

Yi Shanshan’s smile widened, her eyes curving into familiar, crescent-moon shapes—a sign of genuine delight.

“You aced the test, Ying Yuan,” she said. “I know all the theory, but I just like you so much. I believe in you so much. That’s why I couldn’t help but raise the stakes—many, many stakes—and bet everything on you.”

Ying Yuan’s heart fluttered with joy. Even after all this time, hearing Yi Shanshan say “I like you” still filled her with the thrill of winning the lottery.

“Mm-hmm,” she replied smoothly, without the slightest hesitation. She had no doubt about Yi Shanshan’s words and no fear that her own feelings would ever change. She simply agreed, then made her own promise: “I won’t let you down.”

Yi Shanshan leaned forward, reaching across the corner of the table to press a gentle kiss to Ying Yuan’s lips. “Good. I believe in you.”

Vast differences in social status. Complex family backgrounds. Youthful tenderness. Utter vulnerability.

This could have been a cataclysmic storm, tearing apart every impulse and hope. But because the lovers were Yi Shanshan and Ying Yuan—one fiercely brave and resolute, the other utterly sincere and selfless—they tore through the storm, calmed its fury, and transformed it into mere harmless waves they no longer feared.

Without waiting for their adversaries to make the next move, Yi Shanshan learned that her father would be attending an important industry summit over the weekend. She deliberately set aside a day to travel to the summit with Ying Yuan.

Wearing a mask and hat and dressed in the standard volunteer uniform, Ying Yuan quietly slipped into Yi Shanshan’s vicinity, ready to intervene if needed.

The rest depended entirely on Yi Shanshan’s performance.

Yi Tian, impeccably suited, was currently in the hall accepting compliments and greetings from young industry newcomers. He was scheduled to give a keynote speech later.

Suddenly, his dazzling daughter burst into the room, her glittering jewelry and vibrant gown shimmering under the spotlights.

Her dramatic entrance immediately drew all eyes.

Yi Tian raised his hand, beckoning her over. As always, he wanted to parade his meticulously groomed “pet,” reveling in the envious, predatory gazes it would attract.

But Yi Shanshan had forgotten the most basic etiquette, forgotten the formality of the occasion. She strode aggressively toward the crowd, her face contorted with fury, her eyes blazing with manic intensity.

Without any preamble, she screamed at him, “Why did you do this?! Why did you go after her?! You can’t stand anyone being good to me, can you?! Can’t I have any freedom?! What’s wrong with me dating a woman?! I’m a lesbian, Dad! Don’t you get it?!”

The surrounding sounds swiftly faded away, leaving only the music drifting faintly in the background.

All eyes in the room snapped to Yi Shanshan, their gazes sweeping across her like wind across a field of rice stalks, all tilting in the same direction.

Cameras scattered throughout the venue swiveled toward Yi Shanshan and Yi Tian, torn between filming the spectacle and the urge to avert their lenses.

Compared to the cautious, superficial business exchanges happening elsewhere, the family drama unfolding before them was far more captivating.

Yi Shanshan’s words clashed jarringly with the polished facade of this world.

Eyes widened, mouths hung agape, pupils darting wildly between the father and daughter.

Yi Tian’s brow furrowed. Yi Shanshan had never behaved like this before. Even during her rebellious phases, she had always kept her defiance hidden in the shadows. This public outburst was nothing short of madness.

“What are you doing?” he demanded in a low voice, stepping forward to grip her arm. “What kind of occasion is this for your nonsense? Where’s your manners?”

Yi Shanshan retreated repeatedly, evading his restraining grip.

Her eyes quickly rimmed with red, tears welling in their corners. She swayed slightly, and the tears spilled over in glistening strings.

“Dad, I’m going crazy, but this is your fault! I don’t want to be like this…”

She took a step back with each sentence, her voice choked with sobs yet crystal clear, ensuring everyone around could hear.

“I beg you, stop harassing her! She doesn’t understand anything, she’s just a student…”

“You’re abusing your power to bully her. Don’t you feel any shame?”

Sympathy spread across the faces of the onlookers. Yi Shanshan, so beautiful and petite, was a truly pitiful sight.

Evading her father’s grasp once more, Yi Shanshan maintained her distance throughout her accusations.

Yi Tian froze, standing rigid as he glared at Yi Shanshan with dark, menacing eyes.

Unfazed, Yi Shanshan reveled in this outcome. She stoked the flames further.

“You think scaring her away will stop the next one?”

“There are so many women in the world! I’ll date them all, one by one!”

The crowd gasped in unison: “Hiss…”

Having pushed things far enough, Yi Shanshan, her face a mask of grief, raised the back of her hand to shield her tear-streaked eyes, turned, and fled.

Ying Yuan quickly put down what she was holding, lowered her gaze, and hurried out after Yi Shanshan.

The car was parked right outside. Ying Yuan got into the passenger seat, while Yi Shanshan, after ducking into the driver’s seat, floored the accelerator and sped away.

Tear streaks still clung to Yi Shanshan’s face, but she had already left the scene.

A swift strike and retreat.

Ying Yuan picked up a soft tissue, intending to wipe Yi Shanshan’s face.

Yi Shanshan turned to look at her and burst into laughter.

How could someone laugh with tears still glistening in their eyes and still look so beautiful?

Bold, flamboyant, and utterly fearless.

“Satisfied? Did you see my dad’s face?” Yi Shanshan tapped her fingers excitedly on the steering wheel. “He was about to blow a fuse! He probably never dreamed I’d dare pull something like that.”

“You… was it all an act?” Ying Yuan studied Yi Shanshan’s expression. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Absolutely fantastic! Not entirely an act, though—half true, half false.” Yi Shanshan took the tissue from Ying Yuan and dabbed at her face. “The insults were real, the tears were fake.”

She glanced down at her phone. “I’m not done performing yet. Just wait for my next act.”

“Mm-hmm,” Ying Yuan nodded.

After driving most of the way, Yi Shanshan’s phone rang.

She pulled over to the side of the road, took a deep breath to compose herself, and answered the call.

The call was, of course, from Yi Tian, and his words were nothing new—tired accusations and familiar manipulation tactics.

But Yi Shanshan had reinvented herself, utterly overturning her past demeanor. She screamed into the phone like a maddened beast, tearing through the years-long pretense between them. With unrestrained fury, she condemned her father’s decades of twisted control and shameless exploitation.

The raw venom and savage directness of her language made her earlier outburst at the banquet seem like a harmless appetizer.

The man on the other end had no chance to retort. After a long silence, he finally gritted his teeth and spat out, “You’ve truly lost your mind.”

“I have lost my mind,” Yi Shanshan exhaled deeply, instantly shedding her fury. With a sudden, brittle smile, she asked, “Dad, guess who my next target is?”

Yi Tian remained silent.

Yi Shanshan: “You wanted me to hook up with Deputy Provincial Governor Zhao’s son, right? Well, guess what? The governor has a gorgeous daughter—exactly my type. We ran into each other the other day and even had dinner together. She’s a hundred times smarter than her useless brother. What department does she work in again? … Oh, the Securities Regulatory Commission…”

“What exactly do you want?” Yi Tian interrupted, cutting her off.

“You’re my own father! Don’t you know what I want?” Yi Shanshan suddenly exploded again, shouting, “I’ve had enough! I’m going to take you all down with me!”

The person on the other end finally snapped and hung up.

Yi Shanshan threw down her phone, her chest heaving.

Ying Yuan quickly reached out, wrapping an arm around her back and gently stroking it up and down to help her calm down.

The water bottle was already open, and Ying Yuan pressed it into Yi Shanshan’s hand. “Shanshan, take it easy. Don’t rush.”

“Mmm,” Yi Shanshan murmured, slowly exhaling.

Even if it was just an act, such violent outbursts drained her energy. Her head felt lightheaded, and her heart pounded wildly. But when she turned her head and saw Ying Yuan’s face, the explosive emotions that had surged through her seemed to drain away like water.

“Hold me,” Yi Shanshan said.

Ying Yuan immediately leaned in and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Yi Shanshan buried her face in Ying Yuan’s neck, inhaling deeply. “This feels like when we first met.”

Ying Yuan: “Like we’re strangers?”

Yi Shanshan: “No, it’s like taking medicine—the effect is instant.”

Ying Yuan deliberately shifted the conversation slightly. “Has the effect lessened since I became your girlfriend?”

Yi Shanshan laughed. “No, having a girlfriend has cured the disease.”

Ying Yuan’s heart felt like it had been crushed and dissolved in hot water.

She tilted her head and gently kissed Yi Shanshan’s cheek. “Babe, you’re incredible.”

“Of course I am,” Yi Shanshan replied. “Now my dad’s biggest worry is how to deal with a crazy daughter, not how to tear us apart or target you.”

Ying Yuan remained concerned. “But what if he…”

Yi Shanshan sighed. “Just hurry up and cut ties with me, shut down all my credit cards. That way… I can smoothly move on to the next stage, hehe.”