My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The night was eerie and silent.

Having spoken, Yi Shanshan simply drifted off to sleep.

Ying Yuan lay still, bearing the soft weight on her body, like cradling a deeply slumbering animal with slow, steady breaths, or like embracing an entire spring bursting into bloom.

Ying Yuan, be my bed.

What an outrageous request! For anyone with a shred of calculation, this would have been an insult, an act of oppression.

But it came from Yi Shanshan—so pure, so direct. She simply found it comfortable to sleep on Ying Yuan, so she turned her into her warm little bed.

Naive yet ruthless.

It was Ying Yuan who couldn’t sleep.

How could she possibly sleep?

With her eyes open, she saw Yi Shanshan; with her eyes closed, she still felt Yi Shanshan. She was living out something she wouldn’t even dare to dream of—so vivid that reality and fantasy blurred.

The night is still cold, she thought, clinging to this one certainty.

So she gently raised her hand, slowly pulled the blanket over, and covered Yi Shanshan.

Warm both above and below, Yi Shanshan slept even more peacefully.

It was already very late, so waiting for dawn wasn’t difficult.

As the faint morning light seeped through the curtain seams, Yi Shanshan rolled off Ying Yuan without opening her eyes.

After a two-second pause, she turned back to hug Ying Yuan, wrapping her arms and legs around her like a giant, plush body pillow.

Even as the city began to stir with a faint hum of activity, Yi Shanshan remained asleep, still clinging to Ying Yuan. Occasionally, she would hum softly and shift her position.

Afraid of waking her, Ying Yuan remained perfectly still. Each soft hum from Yi Shanshan was like the ticking of a clock between dreams and reality—one second drifting toward consciousness, the next retreating back into slumber.

By the time the sun had climbed high, its bright, scorching rays flooded the living room, creating a sharp contrast with the still-dark bedroom. Yi Shanshan was finally teetering on the edge of wakefulness.

She rubbed her cheek against Ying Yuan’s arm and nuzzled her head under Ying Yuan’s chin. Her eyes remained closed, but the corners of her lips were already curling upward.

Ying Yuan closed her own greedy eyes. For her, this night had already been enough.

It was the ringing of Yi Shanshan’s phone that finally jolted her awake. Frowning in annoyance, she stretched her arms and legs, only to find herself surrounded by warm, soft limbs.

With the neural link successfully established, the mere thought of sleeping beside Ying Yuan instantly banished Yi Shanshan’s morning grumpiness. As her eyes fluttered open, she rolled over, deliberately positioning herself atop Ying Yuan.

Ying Yuan’s eyes remained closed, her breathing shallow and even. Her hair, loosely gathered into a side-swept bun, cascaded softly across her pillow. The sharp contours of her jawline and neck conveyed an almost meditative serenity, like an old monk in deep contemplation.

Yi Shanshan cherished Ying Yuan’s tranquil composure, yet she resented her constant calm when directed at her.

It was as if she were playing a game of provocation, delighting in riling Ying Yuan up—annoying her, making her anxious, driving her to exasperation. After all, the worst consequence of Ying Yuan’s irritation was ultimately her yielding to Yi Shanshan’s desires.

“Hey, Ying Yuan…” Yi Shanshan whispered softly.

When Ying Yuan didn’t respond, Yi Shanshan reached out and gently patted her cheek.

More of a caress than a pat, Ying Yuan’s cool skin felt wonderfully soothing against her palm, like grasping a clear, cool spring.

“Ying Yuan… are you still asleep?” Yi Shanshan murmured dreamily. “You’ve been sleeping forever… The sun’s already shining on our butts…”

The phone continued to blare. Ying Yuan slowly opened her eyes, her gaze landing on Yi Shanshan’s radiant face. In that instant, the darkness receded, and sunlight flooded the room.

“Ah! You’re awake!” Yi Shanshan’s voice rose an octave. Forgetting everything else, she leaned down and enveloped Ying Yuan in a bone-crushing hug. “That’s wonderful!”

As if I’d fainted or something, Ying Yuan thought dryly.

“We’re almost at check-out time. If you want to rest longer, I can extend our stay for another day.”

Yi Shanshan’s lips brushed against Ying Yuan’s ear. Once she started talking, her small mouth chattered nonstop until every detail was arranged.

“I’m going to Zhishan with friends this afternoon. It’s not far—just a half-hour by high-speed rail. The azaleas are in full bloom on the mountains there, covering the hills in a breathtaking carpet of color. We’re staying overnight at a mountain inn and will return to City A tomorrow evening.

“You should come with us! Don’t worry about food or lodging—I’ll cover everything. The room’s already booked, so it’s the same whether it’s just me or both of us.

“Their mountain-raised chicken is amazing. After we eat, we can hike to burn off all the fat and turn it into muscle!”

“We’ll get amazing photos! I’ll dress you up all cool and take tons of gorgeous shots…”

“Get up first,” Ying Yuan said.

Yi Shanshan hadn’t finished her sentence when she twisted her head to look at Ying Yuan. Ying Yuan’s nose was high and straight, her eyelashes pale, and she blinked slowly.

“You’re crushing me,” Ying Yuan said softly, not looking at her. “It’s been all night, and my arm’s completely numb.”

“Ah!” Yi Shanshan gasped softly, immediately lifting herself up. But even then, she remained seated on Ying Yuan. Ying Yuan groaned softly, and Yi Shanshan quickly rolled off her.

“I’m so sorry!” she said, kneeling beside Ying Yuan and gazing at her with concern.

Ying Yuan lay stretched out flat on the bed like a flattened strip, radiating a sense of crushed bitterness.

“It’s okay, I just need a moment to recover,” Ying Yuan said. “Go answer your phone—it’s ringing again.”

“Okay, okay,” Yi Shanshan replied, suddenly very obedient.

She reached for her phone and hopped off the bed, answering the call as she headed toward the bathroom.

The conversation drifted out, and Ying Yuan exhaled deeply.

While Yi Shanshan was on the phone, Ying Yuan got out of bed, changed into her own clothes, and went to the vanity room for a quick wash.

When Yi Shanshan emerged from her call, she found Ying Yuan standing neatly in the center of the living room, looking as if she had been ready to leave for ages.

“So quick? Won’t you lie down for a bit longer?” Yi Shanshan asked. “I’ll have breakfast sent up.”

“No need,” Ying Yuan refused flatly. “I’ll eat when I get back home.”

“Back where?”

“Back to school.”

“But we just agreed to go to Zhishan together.”

“I never agreed to that.”

“Do you have other plans for the holiday?”

“No, no other plans.” Ying Yuan paused. “I just don’t want to go.”

Yi Shanshan froze, stunned.

When someone rejects you with excuses and reasons, there’s still room for negotiation.

But when they say nothing—simply expressing their unwillingness—it means they’ve rejected the idea a thousand times over, relegating it to the realm of utter loathing.

Yi Shanshan’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t understand.

Their time together had been delightful, from the previous evening until now. Ying Yuan’s sudden change of heart made Yi Shanshan question her own judgment and allure.

“Don’t you want to play with the others?” Yi Shanshan asked, unwilling to give up on finding an answer.

Ying Yuan shook her head.

“Then… you don’t like going to the mountains?”

Ying Yuan shook her head again.

Yi Shanshan’s anger began to simmer. She crossed her arms and glared at Ying Yuan. “So, you just don’t want to play with me?”

Asking such a question was pure pique.

Ying Yuan had always been incredibly accommodating to Yi Shanshan, always deferring to her, caring for her deeply, and silently doing countless things for her. Yi Shanshan had seen all this, so the answer couldn’t possibly be that Ying Yuan didn’t want to play with her.

She only said it to provoke a denial.

Even a confused or flustered expression from Ying Yuan would count as a denial.

Once denied, Yi Shanshan would soften her tone, coax Ying Yuan, and gently inquire about her true feelings, offering some temporary solutions to diffuse the situation.

Yi Shanshan had long mastered this routine.

And with Ying Yuan, it had always worked like a charm.

Yet, at that moment, there was no hint of conflict on Ying Yuan’s face. Upon hearing those words, her brows lowered slightly, creating an expression that tugged at the heart.

“Yes,” she said. “I don’t plan to play with you anymore.”

Yi Shanshan was truly stunned.

The shock was so profound it sent a chill down her spine.

She stared at Ying Yuan, unable to comprehend how such icy words could come from such a soft, warm body.

“Are you… joking with me?”

Yi Shanshan’s earlier high spirits plummeted, her voice trembling slightly at the end.

“No, I’m completely serious.” Ying Yuan met her gaze and continued in an eerily calm tone, delivering words of devastating cruelty:

“I should have made this clear much sooner. I don’t like the kind of relationship we have, I don’t like the way we interact.

“I don’t think we should continue this. Before, I tried handling things the wrong way—suddenly avoiding you without explaining myself. Later, I attempted to gradually distance us by setting fixed meeting times.

“But now I realize those were just temporary fixes, treating the symptoms instead of the root cause.”

Ying Yuan lowered her gaze, focusing on a small pattern in the carpet. “What I should have done long ago was clearly communicate my wishes to you. I don’t want to continue this anymore. I don’t want to be your comfort pillow or emotional crutch. I know this is a psychological issue for you, and I hope you seek proper treatment for it, or… find someone else who can provide you with this kind of service.”

“Ahhhhh!” Yi Shanshan suddenly screamed.

She grabbed the nearest object—a gray-brown cushion—and hurled it at Ying Yuan.

The cushion floated harmlessly through the air, landing softly at Ying Yuan’s feet, squarely in her line of sight.

“Get out!” Yi Shanshan shouted, her voice trembling with sobs. “You’re the one who’s sick!”

Ying Yuan’s heart jolted. She looked up.

She had never seen Yi Shanshan like this before. Her usually radiant face was contorted with fury, her brow furrowed tightly, yet the rims of her eyes were red.

Wearing a beige nightgown, her exposed limbs looked as fragile as lotus stems, as if they could snap with the slightest touch. The sun-like radiance that usually enveloped her had vanished, leaving behind a snow-like pallor.

One glance was enough. Ying Yuan dared not look again.

Ying Yuan turned to leave, passing Yi Shanshan at a considerable distance. A fleeting glance reduced Yi Shanshan to a soft, blurred silhouette of light and shadow.

Reaching the door, Ying Yuan reached for the handle. The electronic voice chimed again: “Door is locked. Please enter the password to unlock.”

Ying Yuan’s hand tightened on the handle. Last night’s events and today’s confrontation merged into a chaotic blur, as absurd as a fever dream. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

“Tell me the password,” Ying Yuan said.

Yi Shanshan would never tell her the password. Not that easily.

She had angered Yi Shanshan, provoked her fury, transforming her into an irrational, ferocious little beast.

“Give me back all my things first!” Yi Shanshan shouted.

Ying Yuan mentally reviewed their interactions over the past half-year. She had indeed received many gifts from Yi Shanshan.

“I’ll gather what’s left when I get home and return it to you. For the things I’ve already eaten, drunk, or used, I’ll calculate their value in yuan and reimburse you.”

“Who wants your money?!” Yi Shanshan spat, deeply dissatisfied. “I want what happened last night!”

What exactly had happened last night?

Ying Yuan strained to recall, pushing aside the turbulent emotions and churning sea of memories. Then it came to her: she had worn Yi Shanshan’s pajamas and underwear.

“…This…” Ying Yuan stammered, at a loss for words. “Since I’ve already worn them… you can’t use them again. I’ll buy you an identical set to replace them.”

“No! Who wants an identical set?! I want the original!” Yi Shanshan threw a childish tantrum, glaring at Ying Yuan’s retreating figure, her eyes burning, her voice hoarse. “Now! Take off my underwear and give it back to me!”