My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Ying Yuan kept her word.
The next day, she had no intention of leaving her dorm room and stayed put.
Xiaohan and Mao Mao, however, couldn’t sit still. After finally getting a pleasant, moderate break, they were determined to make the most of it.
The two girls slipped out one after the other and didn’t return until late in the afternoon.
Ying Yuan locked the dormitory door from the inside and curled up alone. She cleaned up a bit, read a book, and browsed her favorite forums—enjoying the peace and quiet.
The entire day passed peacefully. As dusk fell and the night deepened, Yi Shanshan still hadn’t appeared, bringing Ying Yuan a profound sense of relief.
She had stuffed the fox plushie into a corner of her wardrobe, where a box held all the gifts Yi Shanshan had given her.
Originally, she had sorted them out, planning to return them all together once a few more packages arrived. But given the current situation, Ying Yuan felt it best to postpone.
Her current policy was to avoid seeing Yi Shanshan whenever possible.
After all, just one encounter with Yi Shanshan left her dazed for an entire day and night, unable to sleep soundly.
Around 9 p.m., Xiaohan and Mao Mao returned to the dorm. The moment they entered, the room buzzed with chatter. Ying Yuan put down her book and listened as they recounted their day’s adventures and the delicious food they had eaten.
“I’m starving,” Xiaohan said. “I feel like we should grab some late-night snacks.”
Mao Mao picked up her phone. “Let me see…”
She got lost in some app, giggling to herself. After laughing, her fingers flew across the screen, typing rapidly. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she stared at Xiaohan, and she exclaimed, “Holy shit!”
Xiaohan leaned closer. “What’s wrong?”
Mao Mao showed her the phone screen. Xiaohan reacted instantly: “Holy shit.”
“Seriously?” Xiaohan asked.
“I’m telling you, it’s gotta be true,” Mao Mao replied.
“No way,” Xiaohan protested. “That’s unbelievable.”
“Who knows?” Mao Mao shrugged. “Anyway, I think we’re doing just fine right now.”
Ying Yuan, too far away to hear their conversation, didn’t bother asking what they were talking about.
These two could spend a whole day glued to their phones, gasping in shock at least eight hundred times—mostly over funny short videos or campus gossip.
Ying Yuan paid them little attention, while Xiaohan and Mao Mao huddled together, whispering for a long while.
Before long, there was a knock on their dorm door.
Xiaohan and Mao Mao leaped up from their stools simultaneously. Mao Mao, her voice brimming with excitement, shouted, “Who is it?!” as she rushed to open the door.
“It’s me!” A sweet voice called out, and an arm reached through the doorway, a large bag dangling from the wrist. The aroma of food wafted from the bag.
“Awoo!” Mao Mao was so excited she nearly burst with joy. She yanked the door open and lunged forward. “Shanshan!!!”
Ying Yuan flinched.
Yi Shanshan hugged Mao Mao back, her smile as radiant as a sunflower, and gently pushed her inside.
She was simply too luminous, filling the room with her presence like light, leaving Ying Yuan nowhere to hide.
Xiaohan joined the embrace, and the three girls swayed together in a tight huddle.
“You actually came?”
“I was at the snack street when Mao Mao texted me. It would be rude not to bring you girls some late-night treats!”
“Waaah, you’re the best! You’re my hungry tummy’s little savior!”
Ying Yuan leaned back against the table. The sight of the three adorable girls hugging was beautiful, yet it filled her with a strange sense of dread.
Yi Shanshan quickly broke the hug. “Careful, careful! There’s soup inside. Don’t spill it on yourselves~”
“Okay, okay!” Mao Mao and Xiaohan eagerly took the bag from Yi Shanshan and carefully unpacked the food.
Yi Shanshan watched them bustle about, occasionally interjecting with descriptions. “This is seriously delicious… You have to dip it in that chili powder… This is from that place I told you about last time… Hey, Ying Yuan, you’ll definitely love it!”
The conversation flowed smoothly and casually, making the sudden shift to Ying Yuan seem perfectly natural.
Ying Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. Yi Shanshan looked up, her gaze finally landing on her. “What did you have for dinner?”
Ying Yuan didn’t want to see Yi Shanshan, let alone talk to her. But Yi Shanshan had come to the dorm to bring food for her roommates, and her question was just a normal, polite inquiry.
Ying Yuan could only stammer, “…Wonton.”
Yi Shanshan: “From the school cafeteria?”
Ying Yuan: “Mm-hmm.”
Yi Shanshan: “Those portions are tiny. You must be starving by now. Come over and have some of this.”
What a wonderful girl, Ying Yuan thought, so thoughtful, so kind. It made every one of her strange actions seem like the incomprehensible behavior of a madwoman.
Ying Yuan couldn’t bring herself to speak. Mao Mao started waving her over too. “Yuan’er, come quick! There’s some you’ll love.”
Xiaohan added, “Shanshan, we’ll transfer you the money later, okay? Otherwise, we’ll feel too embarrassed to let you bring food next time!”
“Alright, alright, alright!” Yi Shanshan said with a laugh. “Everyone transfer me, then! But I want some too, so consider today my treat!”
Mao Mao beamed, “Great!”
Ying Yuan remained silent.
She couldn’t help but notice the detail. Back when Yi Shanshan had brought her gifts, Ying Yuan had offered to transfer the money, but Yi Shanshan had always refused.
This isn’t within your usual spending range, she’d said. If I accept your money, I’d be indirectly forcing you to spend unnecessarily.
It made perfect sense—too much sense, actually—and had easily persuaded the logical Ying Yuan.
But now, when Xiaohan offered to transfer money, Yi Shanshan immediately agreed. What was the difference between these two situations?
Ying Yuan quickly realized the answer.
All the gifts Yi Shanshan had given her before were in return for her hugs. Yi Shanshan genuinely treated Ying Yuan’s hugs as a service; Ying Yuan provided the service and received compensation. There was no need for any further exchange.
Their relationship had been more like a business transaction, a quid pro quo exchange.
Now, with Yi Shanshan, Xiaohan, and Mao Mao, their interaction felt more like that of genuine friends.
Ying Yuan lowered her gaze and strode forward, hurrying past the trio in the center of the room. “You guys eat. I need to clear something up with the Academic Rep…”
“Mao Mao, didn’t you say there are very few girls in your class, just two dorms?” Yi Shanshan asked.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Mao Mao replied.
“Then Lina must be in the other dorm! We all know each other, right?” Yi Shanshan turned to Ying Yuan. “How about I bring some snacks over? We can all share!”
Ying Yuan froze, her hand on the doorknob.
She instantly understood Yi Shanshan’s meaning: this was a threat.
If Ying Yuan tried to escape to another dorm now, Yi Shanshan would immediately infiltrate that dorm as well.
She had already surrounded Ying Yuan with her own roommates. Now, she could expand the circle, extending it to both dorms—even the entire class…
For Yi Shanshan, this was as easy as plucking a peach from a tree.
The bitter taste of defeat washed over Ying Yuan, casting a shadow of despair across her face.
“What’s wrong?” Yi Shanshan, the very source of her distress, stepped closer, leaning in to peer at Ying Yuan with mock concern. The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.
“Actually,” Ying Yuan mumbled, “I just remembered I already figured out that thing yesterday.”
Yi Shanshan smiled, a smile that made her look even more like the fox that cooed, “I love you~.”
“Then there’s no need to rush,” she said. “Let’s eat first.”
Ying Yuan sat down at the table.
A lavish spread of food filled the table. Mao Mao handed her chopsticks, while Xiaohan brought out her treasured, slightly alcoholic beverage.
Yi Shanshan acted as if she’d always lived in the dorm, chatting and eating with the others. As the conversation deepened, Ying Yuan realized she could no longer hide her true feelings or intentions from Yi Shanshan.
She recalled that foggy morning when Yi Shanshan had waited for her with her suitcase, following behind her and desperately trying to persuade her… She had tried so hard, yet received no proper response.
Ying Yuan had hurt Yi Shanshan, an innocent Yi Shanshan.
Therefore, this current situation was entirely her own doing.
Ying Yuan picked up her drink and gulped down several mouthfuls.
Staring blankly at a string of lotus root on the table, she suddenly asked, “Shanshan, what do you want?”
This was the first time she had ever called Yi Shanshan by her name in front of others.
It was also the first time she had ever brought up Yi Shanshan on her own initiative.
Mao Mao and Xiaohan stared at her in shock, puzzled by her abrupt question.
Yi Shanshan had been joking around, but her smile vanished abruptly, replaced by an expression as cold and brittle as thin winter ice.
Time seemed to fall into a silent void.
The silence grew oppressive, making hearts ache.
Xiaohan broke the silence first, laughing loudly. “We were arguing about savory versus sweet tofu pudding! Why are you suddenly so serious? I’ll go first then: I want sweet tofu pudding banned from China!”
Yi Shanshan: “I want time to rewind.”
Silence. Silence once again blanketed the room.
Yi Shanshan raised her gaze to Ying Yuan and repeated, “I want time to rewind.”
Ying Yuan’s hand crushed the aluminum can into a twisted shape. Her gaze remained fixed blankly on the table; she dared not meet Yi Shanshan’s gaze.
A mocking amusement laced Yi Shanshan’s voice: “Ying Yuan, can you make that happen?”
“No,” Ying Yuan answered stiffly.
Yi Shanshan’s expression brightened, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she turned to Mao Mao and Xiaohan. “So, we can only move forward, right?”
Mao Mao hurried to agree: “Exactly! There are so many wonderful things ahead!”
Xiaohan nodded: “Yeah, just anticipating the future makes you feel happy.”
Yi Shanshan raised her drink. “Let’s toast to the future! I’m so happy to have met you all, my new friends!”
Mao Mao and Xiaohan clinked glasses. “Cheers!”
Yi Shanshan didn’t rush to drink. She glanced across the table. “Ying Yuan, won’t you join me? You’re my new friend too, you know.”
New friend.
That’s… not so bad.
If she could truly become just an ordinary friend with Yi Shanshan from now on, it would be better than the past and future Ying Yuan had been dreading.
Ying Yuan finally lifted her gaze, met Yi Shanshan’s eyes, and extended her can. “Cheers.”
Yi Shanshan’s eyes curved into a gentle smile, exuding an unhurried charm. Their cans clinked softly, followed by a soft ding. “To our third day together, Ying Yuan!”
On that third day, Ying Yuan drank three cans of low-alcohol beverages, becoming pleasantly tipsy.
Yi Shanshan chatted merrily with Mao Mao and Xiaohan, humming softly. Even without accompaniment, her casual singing sounded like the ethereal melodies of a valley spirit.
Mao Mao and Xiaohan held their breath, afraid to break the spell.
Yi Shanshan tapped the table lightly with her chopsticks, her long lashes fluttering. Ying Yuan saw a butterfly flit through a mountain valley and land on a still lake, sending ripples across its surface.
They had almost lost track of time when the dormitory lights suddenly went out, drawing small gasps of surprise from everyone.
“Ah, the lights went out!”
“Is it already eleven? Time flies.”
“What do we do? We can still get out of our dorm building now, but South Campus is so far away. Shanshan won’t be able to get back in if she goes now…”
“It’s not safe for Shanshan to be out alone this late.”
Xiaohan grabbed her phone and turned on the flashlight, its beam illuminating the messy table littered with cups and plates before swinging over to shine on Yi Shanshan.
Yi Shanshan, bathed in the soft white glow, looked like a pure, innocent angel.
“Yeah, what do we do?” she asked, her brow furrowed.
The whole world would strive to dispel her worries.
Mao Mao: “We have a spare bed in our dorm. Shanshan, why don’t you stay here tonight?”
Xiaohan: “But there’s no bedding. Do you have extra blankets?”
Mao Mao: “Oh right, we don’t. It’s still pretty cold at night…”
Xiaohan: “Well, if Shanshan doesn’t mind, she could squeeze in with one of us?”
Yi Shanshan: “Aww… you guys are so sweet! After inspecting your dorm last time, I kept thinking how much I’d love to live with you all!”
Ying Yuan propped her head in her hand, feeling like the world was spinning around her. It was like being trapped in a chaotic dream, a space-time warp.