My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 126
Chapter 126
After December arrived, Yi Lei contacted Yi Shanshan several times, offering only idle chatter and probing questions.
Given Yi Shanshan’s current temperament, she would normally have blocked such a person immediately. She kept Yi Lei around purely because he was useful.
On a relatively free day, Yi Shanshan arranged to meet Yi Lei.
The meeting place was a dessert shop just outside the school—a bustling, unpretentious venue with little privacy.
Upon receiving the address, Yi Lei quickly replied:
This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s move to that teahouse near your school instead.
Yi Shanshan tapped out a message on her phone, its case adorned with a fluffy Little Fox—a gift from Ying Yuan.
Since it’s not good news anyway, it doesn’t matter.
Yi Lei: …
If it’s bad news, we should be discreet.
If I’m willing to do it, I’m willing to say it. I’m not afraid of embarrassment.
Yi Lei: …
Yi Shanshan truly wasn’t afraid of embarrassment, as demonstrated by her outrageous behavior over the past few months.
She couldn’t care less about the status and prestige her family had built with money and influence. She was perfectly capable of tearing down all pretense at any moment, inflicting a massive humiliation on the Yi family.
That’s precisely why her father cut off her funding after she went berserk at the summit.
Yi Shanshan had been raised solely for the sake of the family’s image. Her uncontrollable behavior not only rendered her useless but turned her into a ticking time bomb.
Yi Lei had naturally been tasked by his father to defuse this explosive situation.
However, after all this time, Yi Shanshan’s fiery spirit hadn’t cooled; instead, it seemed to be burning even more fiercely.
It’s both infuriating and deeply concerning.
Yi Lei wanted to say a few more persuasive words. He really didn’t want to be sitting in this cramped, noisy dessert shop in his tailored suit and overcoat at his age.
Just as he was typing, another message from Yi Shanshan popped up.
Yi Shanshan: Now I’m just a poor college student who has to earn her own tuition and living expenses. I can’t afford those fancy tea houses you people frequent.
Yi Shanshan: A single tea session costs several thousand yuan—that’s half a semester’s tuition for me! You damned capitalists, do you even understand the suffering of ordinary people?
Yi Lei raised his hand and transferred five thousand yuan.
Yi Shanshan: Is the company really doing that badly? Is President Yi now transferring money in units of thousands?
Yi Shanshan: Aren’t you afraid your dad will yell at you for transferring money to me? Isn’t this basically betraying him and supplying the enemy with rations?
She cursed him even as she accepted the transfer.
Yi Lei: ……
Yi Shanshan: The location’s still the same, huh? Take it or leave it. After begging someone to meet you so many times, you still think you get to pick the place?
Yi Shanshan: If you’re not there by this time, I’m turning around and leaving.
Yi Lei: ……
Yi Shanshan tossed her phone aside and held out her arms to Ying Yuan beside her. “Hehe, Babe, cuddle time!”
Ying Yuan hugged her, rubbed her head, and patted her back soothingly.
Yi Shanshan: New income today: five thousand!
Ying Yuan: !!!
Yi Shanshan: Scamming capitalists is way faster than grinding it out ourselves!
Ying Yuan: But… might that make you unhappy?
“Unhappy? I’m thrilled!” Yi Shanshan snatched back her phone, opened it, and brazenly showed Ying Yuan the chat history.
Ying Yuan read through it, utterly astonished.
“You’re amazing!” she exclaimed sincerely.
“Right~?” Yi Shanshan tilted her chin. “Big Sister’s gonna teach you. When you’ve got the upper hand… even if they think you’re at a disadvantage, as long as they’re the ones pushing for cooperation, you hold all the cards. You’ve got to seize the opportunity and take everything you can get.”
Ying Yuan nodded. “Makes sense. I’m learning a lot.”
Yi Shanshan cupped Ying Yuan’s face and playfully squeezed her cheeks. “I’ve corrupted my sweet Babe already! Used to have to give you lectures on ethics, now you just blindly follow everything I say~”
A phrase Ying Yuan had read online suddenly resurfaced in her mind, making her heart itch with daring. “Wife is absolute justice.”
Yi Shanshan’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “You called me Wife?!”
Ying Yuan blushed slightly. “Sorry, I know it might not be the right time…”
“You’re right, it’s not the right time.” Yi Shanshan’s hand slipped familiarly under her clothes. “You should say it while we’re doing it. That’ll really hit different~”
What could have been a fierce confrontation with sinister forces had been transformed into a sweet, gooey pot of lovey-dovey nonsense by these two lovebirds.
When Yi Shanshan led Ying Yuan to their appointment, they strolled hand-in-hand with the leisurely air of an after-dinner stroll.
She deliberately arrived ten minutes late, and as expected, Yi Lei’s gloomy face was already scowling in the dessert shop.
Knowing full well this place wasn’t for him, Yi Lei still couldn’t bear to part with his distinguished three-piece suit. He stood out like a sore thumb against the bubblegum-pink interior, amidst the chattering college students bustling in and out. Everyone who saw him glanced twice before turning to whisper and gossip among themselves.
Yi Shanshan, still holding Ying Yuan’s hand, lingered at the entrance, admiring the scene for a long moment before finally stepping inside, utterly satisfied.
Knowing Yi Lei had spotted her, she still headed straight to the counter to order their meals—one for herself and one for Ying Yuan.
Only when the order was ready did she saunter over to their table. She divided the plates between herself and her wife, creating a cozy scene of food and drinks—a picture of domestic perfection.
Across the table sat Yi Lei, his side of the table completely empty. He looked like someone forced to share a table.
He had finally met his Little Sister, and she was sitting right across from him, yet she acted as if he didn’t exist. No greeting, no conversation starter—just a fleeting glance from her wide eyes, as if he were nothing more than annoying air.
It had been many years since Yi Lei had been treated like this. He was beginning to understand his father’s anger and helplessness; Yi Shanshan’s tantrum-throwing, utterly shameless tactics were proving remarkably effective against them.
The girl beside Yi Shanshan had ordinary looks and an unremarkable demeanor. Her only distinguishing feature was the overflowing affection in her eyes whenever she looked at Yi Shanshan.
Her entire focus was on Yi Shanshan, following her every whim. She seemed utterly oblivious to the people sitting across from them and the drama unfolding.
Completely devoid of independent thought, utterly passive—so immature, Yi Lei judged inwardly. Just a naive young thing caught up in shallow infatuation. No threat at all.
Tired of the stalemate, Yi Lei finally spoke.
“Shanshan, what’s become of you?”
He knew the question would irritate her, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Like what?” Yi Shanshan retorted, shoving a spoonful of dessert into her mouth, her teeth clicking audibly.
Yi Lei: “Deliberately degrading yourself.”
“Pfft.” Yi Shanshan laughed as if she’d heard a terrible joke.
“If that’s how you want to see it, there’s nothing I can do,” Yi Shanshan said, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Face-to-face, her demeanor seemed considerably warmer than during their phone exchanges.
Yi Lei: “How long do you plan to keep playing around?”
Yi Shanshan: “And then what?”
Yi Lei: “Then go apologize to Dad. You’re his darling daughter, the apple of his eye since you were a child. He won’t hold it against you.”
Yi Shanshan: “Ooh! So spoiled, huh!”
Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
Yi Lei swallowed his frustration, deliberately ignoring her attitude. “You know what kind of life you’ve led since you were little. Outside this family, no matter how hard others work their entire lives, they’ll never have what you have. Dad and I don’t ask much of you. In the future, you’ll only move into even better circumstances.”
“Mmm-hmm~” Yi Shanshan listened to this speech like a monk chanting scripture, nodding absently.
When she finally looked up, she abruptly changed the subject. “Hey, Brother, what about you? Everyone spoils me so much. Aren’t you worried?”
Yi Lei: “Worried about what?”
Yi Shanshan’s eyes widened dramatically. “Worried I’ll snatch your share of the inheritance! How can you be so naive? Every other family’s children worry about this—except you!”
Yi Lei: “……”
Yi Shanshan: “Before, I might not have been so determined. But now that I’ve tasted hardship, I know how tough life is without money. If I ever go back, I won’t waste my time on anything else—my sole goal will be making money.”
Yi Shanshan leaned back, the simple shop chair’s backrest digging uncomfortably into her. But Ying Yuan had already slipped her arm behind Shanshan, forming a soft bridge for her to lean against.
As Yi Shanshan settled against the chair, she leaned into Ying Yuan’s half-embrace.
Frowning slightly, she continued, “I’ll get money any way I can, from anyone. Even if everyone favors boys, our family has such a vast fortune. They have to give me at least a symbolic share, right? Besides, when it’s time to marry, skimping on my dowry would be utterly humiliating!”
“Marriage…” Yi Shanshan sighed dramatically, her tone suddenly earnest and heartfelt. “That’s something I need to think about very carefully. Like you said, I have to marry into a better family—people naturally strive upward, just like water flows downward.”
“Those with power, influence, and businesses even larger than ours… if we want future support and a strong marital alliance, we need to align with someone in our system.
“But Big Brother, after all these years, you should know this: in the business world, there are no eternal enemies nor lasting friends. Once everyone gets their slice of the pie, it’s all open conflict, hidden schemes, and backstabbing betrayals. They’ll turn on you in an instant.
“I’ll definitely work my pillow talk magic,” Yi Shanshan said, lifting her gaze to Yi Lei. “I’ll exaggerate everything, twist the narrative until the wind changes direction.”
Yi Lei’s already grim expression darkened further.
Yi Shanshan was threatening him. Every member of their family, young and old, was a master of manipulation.
This seemingly fragile and beautiful younger sister would stop at nothing to achieve her goals, willing to burn the house down rather than let anyone live in peace.
If she’s this ruthless at such a young age, who knows what earth-shattering things she’ll be capable of when she grows up?
“Right, Big Brother~?” Yi Shanshan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t this exactly what you and Dad expect of me?”
Yi Lei sneered. “Yeah, good to have you back.”
“No way, I’m deeply in love right now.” Yi Shanshan turned to look at Ying Yuan, her gaze softening instantly, becoming as warm and radiant as a little sun. “I absolutely adore my girlfriend. For her, I’d give up the whole world.”
Given the context, her words sounded utterly contrived. Yi Lei couldn’t believe two college kids could possibly have the kind of “true love” worth sacrificing everything for.
But the scene before him looked undeniably genuine. The way Yi Shanshan and Ying Yuan gazed at each other—like something straight out of a romance movie, bathed in an ethereal, dreamlike filter that seemed to belong to another world.
Even if the filter wouldn’t last, he’d take what he could get for now.
A girl’s best years are fleeting, Yi Lei thought. If Yi Shanshan keeps acting so rebellious, she’ll waste them. Get into real trouble, and her value will only plummet.
And his leverage over her would diminish.
Compared to the uncertain benefits of marrying off his uncontrollable half-sister for a political alliance, Yi Lei preferred to keep power firmly in his own hands.
So, if Yi Shanshan truly just wanted to have a simple romance with an ordinary girl, she should be on their side.
Yi Lei loosened his tie and leaned back in his chair. The flimsy, undersized chair groaned under his weight, making him uncomfortable.
“Are you really that in love?” he asked, as if drafting a contract clause.
“Oh, I adore her~” Yi Shanshan flung her arms around Ying Yuan’s neck, nuzzling her cheek against Ying Yuan’s face. “I’m completely obsessed… You wouldn’t understand unless you’ve truly loved someone, that drug-like addiction~”
Yi Lei stared at her, speechless.
Ying Yuan knew Yi Shanshan was acting, yet her words still sounded genuine. Her cheeks flushed instantly, the blush creeping up to her ears.
The three of them were already attracting attention, but now every eye in the shop turned their way.
Yi Shanshan reveled in the attention, completely unfazed by the stares or the consequences of her actions. She seemed to have truly transformed into a girl madly in love.
“My babe even called me ‘wife’ today~” Yi Shanshan cooed sweetly, pressing a soft kiss against the spot where her cheek had just brushed. “When will our country legalize same-sex marriage? I’ll be the first in line to register!”
Yi Lei: “……”
Yi Shanshan: “Oh, Big Brother, you’re probably thinking, ‘You can register abroad.’ But those foreign registrations aren’t recognized here—how awful! I hate it! I just want to be with my babe, openly and forever~”
Yi Lei: “……I wasn’t going to say that.”
Yi Shanshan sighed dramatically. “Ah, forget it. That marriage certificate is just a piece of paper anyway. Marriage laws protect property, not love. We want love, not money. Just staying like this, sweetly dating forever, would be perfect!”
Having laid her cards so bare, Yi Lei would have been a fool to hesitate any longer.
Yi Shanshan staying with this ordinary, powerless girl was practically a gift from the heavens.
“Big Brother understands you,” Yi Lei said. “Love is precious.”
He extended an olive branch of cooperation. “Dad’s getting old; it’s understandable he can’t accept this right away. I’ll talk to him and try to convince him.”
Yi Shanshan smiled. “That’s more like it.”
But her brow furrowed again. “All this family drama has really put me through the wringer. I couldn’t even buy the new F-brand bag! It’s so infuriating…”
Yi Lei: “……”
He filled in the transaction amount. “No matter what, I can’t let you starve. From now on, Big Brother will send you a monthly allowance… until you go home.”
Yi Shanshan nearly burst into laughter. Looking at Yi Lei, she found the world truly amusing.
There were genuine, flesh-and-blood people like the lovable Ying Yuan, who would never sell her soul, and then there were these hollow shells like Yi Tian and Yi Lei—pseudo-humans who could be completely controlled as long as you grasped the rules of transactional exchange.
“Deal,” Yi Shanshan said.