My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 31
Chapter 31
And so, the shopping trip truly began.
The Trio and Yi Shanshan led the way, while Ying Yuan silently trailed behind.
She was genuinely astonished by the sheer breadth of Yi Shanshan’s shopping knowledge.
From the prices and effectiveness of various skincare products to the textures and applications of different cosmetics, the secret tricks for health and wellness supplements, and the latest collaborations and new releases in trendy toys… there was virtually nothing Yi Shanshan didn’t know.
Whenever The Trio and Yi Shanshan entered a store, the staff had virtually nothing to do.
Yi Shanshan knew the store’s inventory like the back of her hand, offering highly specific recommendations tailored to each person’s needs. She’d chat with you, her smile radiant, sharing fascinating and useful tidbits of information without ever pressuring you to make a purchase.
The Trio were utterly mesmerized by her service, their eyes and ears glued to Yi Shanshan.
Of course… Ying Yuan’s were too.
She’d never had any interest in shopping before, but after listening to Yi Shanshan’s explanations, she began to see it as a profound and intricate art.
Learning how to navigate the dazzling array of goods, avoid consumer traps set by merchants, and choose the best value for your needs is truly worth studying an entire semester.
The five of them walked together, gradually making their way from one end of the street to the other.
They visited every target shop and bought everything they needed.
As they approached a bubble tea shop, Yi Shanshan stopped and asked, “Are you thirsty? I’m a bit tired and want some bubble tea.”
“Drink!” Mao Mao immediately shouted. She was so eager to fulfill Yi Shanshan’s small request that she practically wanted to drink the tea for her.
Xiaohan chimed in, “Drink, drink, drink! I want some too.”
Lina suggested, “Let’s go inside and sit down to enjoy it slowly. It’ll be a good break.”
Yi Shanshan’s eyes curved into crescents. “Okay~”
She turned to look at Ying Yuan.
The Trio followed her gaze.
Ying Yuan, still carrying the prize bag from earlier, realized this was the perfect moment to hand over the USB drive.
“Drink,” Ying Yuan said.
Yi Shanshan: “Pure Rose Jasmine Tea, no ice, less sugar?”
Ying Yuan: “!!!!”
Ying Yuan had grown accustomed to Yi Shanshan treating her like a stranger. But just when they were comfortably maintaining this distance, Yi Shanshan suddenly blurted this out.
This was indeed Ying Yuan’s favorite drink. Yi Shanshan remembered many of her preferences, making it nearly impossible to refuse her gifts in the past.
Yet Yi Shanshan had also shouted in anger, “Give me back everything I ever gave you!”
Ying Yuan didn’t know how to respond. She had already subtly steered their relationship in front of her roommates. She couldn’t fathom what kind of connection Yi Shanshan, with her mercurial moods, now desired.
Xiaohan spoke up, glancing between Yi Shanshan and Ying Yuan, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Ah… if I remember correctly, this is Ying Yuan’s favorite, right? Shanshan, how did you know?”
Perfect. She’s thrown the question right back at Yi Shanshan.
Ying Yuan wisely kept her mouth shut.
“Eh, really?” Yi Shanshan smiled, her expression as natural and sweet as ever. She pouted slightly. “I just guessed! I can’t believe I got it right on the first try~”
Mao Mao: “Holy shit, you guessed that?! How?!”
“It depends on their personality,” Yi Shanshan explained. “Ying Yuan doesn’t talk much and is pretty introverted, but her emotions are steady and she has a strong inner core. People like her usually prefer a crisp tea base with a hint of natural sweetness—not too much sugar, not too much ice. They might seem moderate and easygoing on the surface, but they actually care deeply about rules and boundaries.”
Mao Mao was so shocked she could only exclaim, “Holy shit! Holy shit!”
Lina was already reaching for her notebook. “Can you guess everyone’s personality? Like, us?”
“Your personalities are too complex and atypical to be easy to predict,” Yi Shanshan said, turning to walk into the shop. “Come on, let’s chat properly inside.”
The Trio swarmed after Yi Shanshan like moths to a flame.
Ying Yuan stood rooted to the spot, taking deep breaths, again and again, before she could finally move forward.
She was increasingly convinced that keeping her relationship with Yi Shanshan private had been a wise precaution.
A secret relationship meant it was just between the two of them. The only yardstick for measuring the distance between them was their own understanding. Hidden from public view, it could be buried at any time like a dark secret.
Now, Yi Shanshan openly appeared in Ying Yuan’s world. In just half a day, having only met her roommates, they had already tangled their relationship into a complicated web. Every word Ying Yuan spoke had to be carefully considered for its potential consequences when overheard.
What had once been a simple line was now a sprawling net.
Drawn apart, then pulled back together, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, reality and illusion.
Leaving Ying Yuan’s heart pounding in perpetual unease.
Inside the bubble tea shop, five people huddled around a long sofa. For some reason, the conversation between the Trio and Yi Shanshan had shifted to astrology, horoscopes, and even metaphysics and numerology.
This was an even deeper, more boundless realm, where fresh and thrilling stories constantly unfolded, leaving Ying Yuan no opportunity to slip in the USB drive she held in her hand.
As the evening wore on, by the time they finished their bubble tea, the Trio and Yi Shanshan had exchanged all their contact information. They had revealed everything: their full names, hometowns, birthdays, habits and hobbies, recent joys and worries, and even their ideal romantic partners.
“It’s getting late,” Ying Yuan reminded them. “We should head back to campus.”
The Trio wailed, each expressing their reluctance to part with this joyful moment. Yi Shanshan’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she said, “I have to go back too! Let’s all go together—we can think of the walk as refills on our happiness!”
Mao Mao: “Waaah! That’s the best idea ever!”
Xiaohan: “Shanshan, you’re definitely taking a taxi back, right? It’ll be a tight squeeze with all five of us…”
Ying Yuan finally seized her chance to speak. “You guys can share a taxi, I’ll…”
Yi Shanshan cut her off with a dazzling smile. “I’m not taking a taxi! Let’s all ride the subway together!”
The Trio and Ying Yuan froze in surprise. Lina whispered, “But it’s still a 1.5-kilometer walk from the subway station… that’s pretty far.”
“1.5 kilometers isn’t far at all! I used to hike 5 kilometers with my cello on my back,” Yi Shanshan said, biting her milk tea straw. “Taxis are so expensive, and half the drivers smoke—it stinks!”
Her logic was impeccable, exactly what an ordinary female college student would choose.
What grounds were there to object? Just like that, the decision was made, following Yi Shanshan’s will.
The group left the shopping mall and entered the subway station. It was the end of a holiday weekend, and the subway was packed, everyone jostling for space.
Ying Yuan had long noticed that Yi Shanshan attracted many glances in crowds. Now, the gazes drawn to her had multiplied exponentially. Even hurried passersby would suddenly turn back for a second look.
Yi Shanshan seemed accustomed to such attention, paying it no mind. She continued chatting and laughing with the Trio.
But Ying Yuan was acutely aware of it. She instinctively began categorizing the stares: simple attraction, admiration of her beauty, genuine wonder… These were all harmless enough.
However, there were also strange, lingering stares that wouldn’t let go, people scrutinizing her from head to toe, and groups huddled together, faces flushed with excitement, phones in hand, clearly wanting to approach and strike up a conversation…
“Let’s go this way,” Ying Yuan said, tugging gently on Yi Shanshan’s sleeve.
Yi Shanshan jerked her head up, her eyes narrowing slightly, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Ignoring Yi Shanshan’s veiled implications, Ying Yuan pinched a corner of her dress and tugged her away in the opposite direction.
The Trio trailed closely around them.
As they descended to their platform, the crowd thinned.
The group that had tried to flirt earlier had vanished.
Ying Yuan sighed in relief and released Yi Shanshan’s dress.
But Yi Shanshan wasn’t about to let her off so easily. She boldly demanded, “What was that all about? Why did you grab my dress?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Under the scrutiny of the group, she answered honestly, “A bunch of guys were heading your way earlier.”
Mao Mao immediately panicked, whipping her head around. “Ah! Where are they?!”
Ying Yuan: “They’re probably gone by now.”
Lina: “I didn’t even notice! Oh my god.”
Xiaohan: “Were they trying to flirt with Shanshan?”
“Hey, were they flirting?” Yi Shanshan chimed in, her gaze still fixed on Ying Yuan. “If they were trying to flirt, why did you drag me away? What if I thought they were a good match?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Ying Yuan knew Yi Shanshan was deliberately trying to provoke her, yet even this calculated taunt stirred a surge of emotion, igniting a fiery indignation within her.
“The guy wasn’t a catch,” Ying Yuan said stiffly.
“I didn’t even see him properly,” Yi Shanshan retorted.
“I saw him clearly enough,” Ying Yuan said, averting her gaze from Yi Shanshan’s fox-like eyes, her brow furrowed. “You swan, he frog.”
Ying Yuan rarely used internet memes, but this one was too perfect for the moment.
The phrase burst out of her, and The Trio immediately erupted in laughter. Mao Mao patted Yi Shanshan’s arm. “Shanshan, just listen to Ying Yuan. That guy definitely doesn’t deserve you.”
Yi Shanshan laughed too, her lips curling upward and her eyes sparkling. Radiant with smug satisfaction, she seemed afraid Ying Yuan might miss her triumphant expression. She took a step to the side, forcing herself into Ying Yuan’s averted line of sight.
Tilting her head, Yi Shanshan’s voice turned saccharine sweet, bordering on coquettish. “So, classmate Ying Yuan thinks I’m pretty?”
Ying Yuan closed her eyes. She never argued with Yi Shanshan about topics like this. “You’re not just beautiful; you’re also incredibly talented.”
“Hehehe,” Yi Shanshan giggled.
She stopped hovering around Ying Yuan and joined The Trio, boasting, “Ying Yuan praised me!”
Mao Mao: “Of course she did! You’re amazing! I could write a 3,000-word essay just to praise you!”
Lina: “Ying Yuan never says empty words. Her praise always comes from the heart.”
Xiaohan’s eyes darted left, then right, as the subway pulled into the station. She turned to Ying Yuan and said, “The train’s crowded, Yuan’er. You’re tall, so keep an eye on Shanshan for me.”
Yi Shanshan: “Aww! Everyone’s so kind to me!”
Yi Shanshan ran back to Ying Yuan. “It’s so comforting knowing you all are protecting me!”
Ying Yuan: “……”
The doors opened, and a wave of passengers surged out. Ying Yuan stepped forward to shield Yi Shanshan from the crowd.
As they boarded, the crowd behind them pressed forward. Ying Yuan retreated, positioning herself behind Yi Shanshan to protect her.
The train car was packed like a sardine tin, every inch filled with bodies and heads.
Ying Yuan spotted a sliver of space between the carriages and grabbed Yi Shanshan’s sleeve, pulling her toward their destination.
Yi Shanshan was pushed into a corner, her back pressed against the carriage wall.
Ying Yuan braced her arms against the wall, making herself the other side of a protective triangle for Yi Shanshan.
As the subway lurched into motion, Ying Yuan swayed with the train’s movement.
In that brief sway, she accidentally brushed against Yi Shanshan’s body. “Mmm,” Yi Shanshan murmured immediately.
“You touched me,” Yi Shanshan said, her gaze fixed on Ying Yuan. In the cramped space, Ying Yuan had nowhere to retreat, forced to meet those ever-enigmatic eyes that seemed to hold hidden depths.
Yi Shanshan pouted slightly and raised her hands in a gesture of mock innocence. “But it wasn’t me who made the first move~”
Every surging sea finds its tempest. As Ying Yuan’s bittersweetness and shame surged within her, a secret pleasure had already taken root in her heart.
Yi Shanshan was doing this on purpose.
Yi Shanshan had to be doing this on purpose.
She deliberately dropped the USB drive, deliberately chose to go shopping with them, deliberately squeezed onto this subway car with her—all to make this happen.
This “accident” was no longer Yi Shanshan actively seeking physical contact; it was Ying Yuan’s own doing, entirely her responsibility.
What right did Ying Yuan have to say no?
The subway car hurtled through the tunnel, the lights along the tracks streaking past in broken lines.
Ying Yuan’s heart pounded wildly, her cheeks flushed crimson. Suddenly, someone shoved forcefully against her, and she lost her balance, stumbling into Yi Shanshan.
“Mmm…” Yi Shanshan chuckled, drawing the familiar embrace tighter around her. Her lips brushed against Ying Yuan’s cheek.
“And this is only day two,” Yi Shanshan murmured.