My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Ying Yuan never expected Yi Shanshan to say that.
Yi Shanshan couldn’t possibly not know her phone number. Whenever Ying Yuan had called her—which was rare—Yi Shanshan would either greet her affectionately as “Yuan~” or coaxingly as “Babe~”.
Babe~, what’s wrong? Miss me?
These were the kinds of casual remarks Yi Shanshan used to make, sending a shiver of discomfort down Ying Yuan’s spine.
Now, Yi Shanshan spoke to her with complete detachment. Even though she uttered these utterly ordinary words, Ying Yuan still… felt uncomfortable.
The Trio was staring at her with six wide eyes. The private dining room was quiet, and the phone’s faint sound leaked into the room, causing confusion and bewilderment to spread across their faces.
Ying Yuan took a deep breath, steadied herself, and continued in Yi Shanshan’s detached tone: “Hello, I’m Ying Yuan. Around 10:30 PM, my roommates and I participated in the May Fourth Quiz Contest at Central Plaza and won a special prize. In the prize bag, we found a red Gold Shield USB drive. Could this be something you accidentally left behind?”
Her explanation was clear and concise, specifying the time, location, and event without a single hesitation or stumble. The Trio gave Ying Yuan a thumbs-up.
“Ah…” Yi Shanshan drawled over the phone, stretching out the word. “The USB drive…”
This deliberate stalling sent Ying Yuan’s heart racing again. Waiting for Yi Shanshan to finish her sentence felt like an agonizing ordeal, the uncertainty fueling a nerve-wracking tension akin to anxiously checking exam results on a computer screen, unsure of the outcome.
“Let me check…” Yi Shanshan continued to stall, her voice dripping with languid nonchalance. Yet the background remained utterly silent, betraying her lack of movement.
The Trio craned their necks, eyes shining like hungry quail waiting for food, their eagerness mirroring Ying Yuan’s desperate anticipation.
“Eh… it seems to be missing…” Yi Shanshan finally announced.
Ying Yuan immediately seized the opening. “Do you need it right away? We can have a courier deliver it immediately.”
“Not right now,” Yi Shanshan replied slowly, her voice utterly unhurried. “It doesn’t contain the materials for today’s event.”
Ying Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. “Then we can just retrieve it when we get back tonight…”
Yi Shanshan cut her off. “But it contains the video we need for tomorrow. I’ll need to edit it tonight.”
Ying Yuan: “Then I’ll still call a courier.”
“It’s not that urgent,” Yi Shanshan said.
Ying Yuan remained silent.
Yi Shanshan raised her voice, her tone laced with amusement. “Ying Yuan, are Fu Rong and the others nearby?”
Mao Mao’s ears perked up at the mention of her name. She immediately raised her hand and exclaimed, “Hey! We’re here!”
Ying Yuan: “…Yes, they’re here.”
Yi Shanshan: “Please put the phone on speakerphone. I want to talk to them too~”
This wasn’t just a matter between Yi Shanshan and Ying Yuan; it was now a group matter involving the entire team and Yi Shanshan.
Both sides were eager to resolve the situation. Though Ying Yuan harbored doubts, she had no choice but to switch to speakerphone.
The call screen, displaying Yi Shanshan’s contact marked with a sparkling star, was placed on the table.
Three heads immediately huddled around it, crowding in tightly.
“Hello everyone~” Yi Shanshan’s voice turned unnaturally sweet, almost dripping with honey. “I’m so sorry for troubling you all during your vacation because of my carelessness. I never imagined I’d accidentally slip the USB drive into the gift bag—I didn’t even double-check when I handed it to Fu Rong!”
Her sincerity and cuteness were so overwhelming that Mao Mao immediately waved her hands frantically, “No, no! You’re not troubling us at all! Everyone makes mistakes sometimes! There’s no need to apologize!”
Xiaohan: “Yes, we were just worried about delaying your work.”
Lina: “Mm-hmm.”
“Aww… you guys are the best~” Yi Shanshan cooed, adopting a warm, affectionate tone. “I’m so grateful the USB drive was with you; otherwise, I’d be in real trouble! But now the situation’s a bit complicated. My work at the school is almost finished, and I need to rush off to handle other urgent matters, making it difficult to receive packages. Yet I also need to revise the files on the USB drive tonight…”
“Ah…” The Trio immediately huddled together, fretting over Yi Shanshan’s predicament. “What should we do?”
Yi Shanshan paused, then her eyes lit up with a sudden idea. “Hey, what are your plans for today? Let’s see if our schedules align…”
Ying Yuan’s heart skipped a beat, but Mao Mao’s mouth moved even faster. She practically leaped to her feet, exclaiming, “We’re having lunch at South Bank right now, and after that, we’re going for a walk in Ling Mountain Park…”
Blabber, blabber, within seconds, Mao Mao had spilled all the details, as if afraid that even a moment’s delay would hinder Yi Shanshan’s grand endeavors.
“Ah!” Yi Shanshan was incredibly quick to find common ground. “I’m going to the Tmall in the city tonight too! I’ll meet you guys there! That way, neither of us will be delayed, and you can all have fun without any worries!”
Mao Mao: “Yay, yay!”
Yi Shanshan: “Great! Great!”
Mao Mao: “See you tonight, then?”
Yi Shanshan: “Mhm, mhm, mhm! Thank you all again so much! Waaah, I love you all!”
Mao Mao, her face flushed red from the excitement, was egged on and shouted back, “We love you too!!!”
What a wonderful phone call this turned out to be.
From an anxious start to a joyful conclusion, it deepened their connection, fostering camaraderie among the classmates.
Mao Mao, Xiaohan, and Lina were all thrilled, their faces beaming with different kinds of excitement and happiness, as if it were New Year’s Day.
“Waaah… She’s really so considerate, always thinking of others. What an absolute sweetheart…”
“I get to see that hottie again tonight! Yay!”
“We should really communicate more often. Now I’m not worried at all…” Lina mumbled absently, then suddenly glared at Ying Yuan. “You two! What’s going on?! Now’s the time to explain everything!”
Ying Yuan: “……”
A thousand complex emotions churned within Ying Yuan, but not a single word could escape her lips.
She retrieved her phone and tucked it back into her pocket. “We’re… from the same hometown. We met at a hometown association event before.”
After a pause, Ying Yuan lowered her eyelashes. “We exchanged contact information, but we’re not close.”
“Oooooh! So that’s it!”
Everyone wore an expression of sudden realization.
Ying Yuan didn’t need to elaborate further. This snippet of information was enough for the little detectives to deduce everything and rationalize every detail.
“No wonder she asked for your name today!”
“The school beauty must have at least five hundred WeChat friends. It’s understandable she wouldn’t remember everyone.”
“I’ve run into her a few times before, and she seemed pretty attentive to Ying Yuan. She probably recognized her.”
“Eee… Regardless, Shanshan remembered my name today! Fu Rong! Fu Rong! I love my name! Wait, how did she even know my name?”
“Last dorm inspection? They had a list.”
“Ohhh, right! Aiya, Shanshan’s so meticulous!”
Ying Yuan: “……”
The food finally arrived, and Ying Yuan ate in silence, the meal now a bitter mix of flavors.
Their plan continued as scheduled, of course it would. After all, it had been confirmed and agreed upon with Yi Shanshan herself.
The plan now felt as solemn as a matter of national importance.
At Ling Mountain Park, Mao Mao took out the fox plushie. The three of them poked it by turns, filling the scenic park with “I love you~” in various languages.
During dinner, the trio’s minds were like alarm clocks, ringing every few minutes with thoughts of Yi Shanshan and their impending reunion, yet they remained uncertain of when or where she might suddenly appear.
After dinner, they planned to browse the shops along Tmall Street. They strolled slowly, afraid of walking too quickly and missing Yi Shanshan.
True to expectations, Yi Shanshan soon called, her call reaching Ying Yuan’s phone.
The moment Ying Yuan’s phone rang, the trio’s gazes snapped toward her like spotlights.
Ying Yuan retrieved her phone and, without prompting, put it on speaker.
“Honey~” Yi Shanshan cooed again, but the pronoun had changed. “Where are you guys now?”
“We’re shopping!” Mao Mao, thoroughly enjoying being called “darling,” urged Ying Yuan, “Yuan’er, send Shanshan your live location on WeChat. This place is huge, it’ll be impossible to find us otherwise.”
“Or Shanshan, tell us where you are, and we’ll come find you,” Xiaohan suggested.
“No, no, I’ll come! Of course, I’ll come~” Yi Shanshan’s voice rang with cheerful laughter over the phone. “Ying Yuan, please send me your location!”
“……Alright,” Ying Yuan replied.
Turning slightly away to hide their previous chat history, Ying Yuan quickly opened WeChat and sent her location.
“Got it!” Yi Shanshan’s voice boomed through the phone. “I’ll be there in a flash! My darlings, wait for me!”
As soon as the call ended, the Trio erupted into simultaneous squeals of excitement: “She called me ‘darling’!”
Ying Yuan scrunched up her face, finding the scene particularly sobering. It was like looking at a younger, foolish version of herself.
Yi Shanshan calls everyone “darling,” she thought. It’s just a convenient term for her.
Standing there, Ying Yuan stared ahead.
She didn’t know which direction Yi Shanshan would come from, nor did she forget that Yi Shanshan’s visit was merely to retrieve a USB drive.
Yi Shanshan certainly won’t give me a kind look—no, she won’t give me any special look at all.
Yet, against her will, a flicker of anticipation stirred within her.
Ying Yuan found herself yearning for Yi Shanshan to suddenly appear from the corner of her eye, bringing both pain and pleasure.
“Hey!”
A crisp, clear voice rang out.
Yi Shanshan materialized behind Ying Yuan, with the Trio between them. Ying Yuan turned to see her tap Mao Mao’s left shoulder and then peek her head over Mao Mao’s right.
Mao Mao’s eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, as if she’d just won the lottery.
“We meet again!” Yi Shanshan grinned, her eyes sparkling like radiant stars.
Her current outfit was completely different from the elegant, composed look she’d worn at the midday event. Now, she exuded lively charm.
The colors on her seemed to burst from within her own being; no amount of vibrant hues could overshadow her inherent brilliance.
She was a rainbow, mesmerizing at first glance.
The Trio erupted into wild cheers, overwhelmed by her radiant beauty.
Yi Shanshan joined in their shouts, and they all grabbed each other’s hands, as if this weren’t just a brief lost-and-found exchange between casual classmates, but a long-awaited reunion of close friends.
“Where have you guys been shopping?” Yi Shanshan’s lively, familiar tone cut through the clamor without sounding out of place. “What are you planning to buy?”
Mao Mao: “Gonna get some toner!”
Xiaohan: “Eyebrow pencil for me!”
Lina: “A foot soak tub… and we’ll check out MINISO, Green Party, Sanfu, and KKV while we’re at it!”
Yi Shanshan: “Ooh! Me too! Let’s all go together!”
The Trio: “To! Get! Her!”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Clutching the USB drive in her palm, Ying Yuan realized no one even remembered it anymore.