My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Ying Yuan’s words slipped out almost instinctively, before she could even think.

“I knew something was up!” Mao Mao exclaimed. “You were just saying how much you loved this class!”

Xiaohan looked deeply worried. “Yeah, Yuan’er, you have to tell us what’s going on. You’ve been acting so strangely lately.”

Ying Yuan: “……”

What could she tell them? Her biggest problem was the person sitting right in front of her.

Yi Shanshan tilted her head, observing Ying Yuan’s discomfort with evident amusement. Ying Yuan knew her constant evasiveness had finally angered Yi Shanshan, explaining why Yi Shanshan was so relentlessly inserting herself into her life—seeking answers, or perhaps… starting a battle.

The teacher had already stepped into the classroom, but Mao Mao and Xiaohan were still gripping her arms tightly.

With no escape, Ying Yuan reluctantly sat back down.

“I was just joking with you guys,” she said. “You were so tense, I thought I’d give you a scare.”

Mao Mao: “????”

Xiaohan: “!!!!”

Yi Shanshan: “……”

Ying Yuan, clutching her two arms, struggled to retrieve her notebook from her bag. “Alright, let’s start class. I really like this subject. I won’t skip it.”

Mao Mao: “Aiya, Ying Yuan, you’ve turned bad! You’re not the innocent, adorable little Yuan anymore.”

Yi Shanshan, still turned sideways, asked her lightly, “Who taught you that?”

Ying Yuan met her gaze, desperately suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She even managed a smile. “Shanshan, since you’re here for our class, you must be really interested in this elective too. The teacher’s about to start, and she’s a fascinating speaker.”

Yi Shanshan didn’t reply or turn around. She simply stared at Ying Yuan, all expression draining from her face.

As the teacher began lecturing, Ying Yuan looked forward, focusing intently on the lesson.

After a long moment, Yi Shanshan finally turned back around, sitting numbly like an ordinary student.

Ying Yuan let out a soft sigh of relief. She was grateful that today’s circumstances had prevented Yi Shanshan from sitting beside or behind her, ensuring they wouldn’t relive the incident from their last shared lecture.

The last class of the afternoon easily lulled students into drowsiness and lethargy.

Half an hour later, Mao Mao and Xiaohan had already slumped in their seats, while Yi Shanshan had slid down considerably in hers.

Her hair, loose and unpinned, felt uncomfortably pressed between her body and the chair. With a casual flick of her wrist, the fragrant strands billowed out, gliding past Ying Yuan’s face like a fleeting dream…

Finally, the ends of her hair curled softly to rest on Ying Yuan’s desk.

A narrow beam of sunlight illuminated those strands, and even in the silent gaps of her thoughts, Ying Yuan’s mind wandered. She gazed at the strands, discovering that against their deep brown backdrop, they shimmered with iridescent brilliance—like tiny diamonds, sparkling before her eyes.

Yet their texture was impossibly soft, as if they would slip through her fingers if she tried to hold them.

Ying Yuan was intimately familiar with the feel of those strands. When Yi Shanshan hugged her, the ends would always brush against her—sometimes against her neck, sometimes sliding down to her chest, and, on rare occasions… draping over the back of her hand.

Now, Ying Yuan’s hand lay motionless on the desk.

Ying Yuan’s fingertips hovered just a hair’s breadth away from Yi Shanshan’s shimmering strands. She could almost see her fingers twitch, as if yearning to reach out…

“Shanshan’s hair is so healthy…” Mao Mao murmured, leaning closer.

Ying Yuan’s heart fluttered slightly as she quickly regained her composure.

She didn’t respond, pretending to take notes as she pushed her notebook aside.

Mao Mao: “Beauties are beautiful everywhere, even their hair is gorgeous. Don’t you think so, Ying Yuan?”

Ying Yuan: “Good health means abundant qi and blood. When your qi and blood are strong, your skin and hair will naturally flourish.”

Mao Mao: “…”

Mao Mao sighed. “Silly Yuan, I thought you were getting smarter…”

The first half of class ended, and during the break, Ying Yuan braced herself for battle.

She kept her head down, continuing to organize her notes. She wouldn’t leave the classroom, wouldn’t budge from her seat, wouldn’t go to the bathroom, wouldn’t fetch hot water—denying Yi Shanshan any opportunity for private conversation.

Mao Mao and Xiaohan stayed put as well, flanking Ying Yuan on either side. Xiaohan tapped Ying Yuan’s desk to get her attention.

“Tell us what’s really going on,” Mao Mao said. “We’re all worried, especially Shanshan. She even skipped her favorite extracurricular activities to listen to our boring, sleep-inducing STEM talk—all because she cares about you. You owe us at least an explanation.”

Yi Shanshan turned her head to look at Ying Yuan.

Ying Yuan set down her pen, took a deep, steadying breath, and looked up, her expression calm and her voice steady. “It’s just a project I joined at school. The group has a lot of work, so I’ve been really busy lately.”

“Ah,” Mao Mao exclaimed. “What kind of project?”

“I can’t reveal too many details yet,” Ying Yuan replied. “It’s still confidential.”

“Are you sure it’s school-organized?” Xiaohan asked.

“Yes, definitely,” Ying Yuan confirmed. “You can find information about it on the school’s official website.”

“I see…” Mao Mao immediately relaxed. “I knew Ying Yuan was too smart to fall for some dumb scam.”

“What kind of project keeps you working day and night, even during your lunch breaks?” Yi Shanshan interjected. “Even if it’s officially registered with the school, it could still be a front for exploiting college students as cheap outsourced labor under the guise of competition participation.”

“Holy crap, is that really a thing?” Mao Mao and Xiaohan exclaimed in unison.

Yi Shanshan smirked. “You have no idea. Just ask Ying Yuan how much she’s getting paid for this project.”

Mao Mao and Xiaohan immediately swiveled their heads to glare at Ying Yuan. “Yeah, are they even paying you?”

“I get a basic stipend,” Ying Yuan replied.

Qi Hongyue had made this clear to her from the very beginning.

“A basic stipend? That’s like three or five hundred yuan a month,” Yi Shanshan scoffed. “What can you even do with that? Is it worth putting in so much time and energy?”

At this point, Ying Yuan suddenly realized she could set aside all her emotional reservations.

She had a clear answer to Yi Shanshan’s question, even if someone from Yi Shanshan’s background might never understand it. Her position was unwavering, unshakable.

“Whether it’s ‘worth it’ depends on why I’m doing this,” Ying Yuan said. “I’m not working a job for the sake of earning money, so I don’t need to measure my income against societal standards. I’m a student right now, and I want to make the most of my four years in college by learning everything that interests me. Participating in this project is my chance to put my knowledge and theories into practice, to test them in the real world. That’s my goal.”

“So as long as I achieve this goal, everything I’ve done is worth it.

“I’ve been incredibly busy lately, pouring all my thoughts and energy into the project. That’s because I just joined the team, and there’s a mountain of old materials I need to familiarize myself with.

“No one’s forcing me to work from dawn till dusk; I just want to expedite my personal validation process. If you want something, shouldn’t you strive to get it as quickly as possible? Isn’t that just common sense?”

Ying Yuan looked at Yi Shanshan. “Three to five hundred yuan isn’t much, but that’s all the project team can afford right now. I trust our team leader; if there were better resources available, she wouldn’t shortchange us.”

Yi Shanshan’s brow furrowed. Ying Yuan’s words ignited her anger, a fire that seemed to erupt from every cell in her body, leaving her unable to pinpoint a single point to extinguish.

Yi Shanshan clenched her fists, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice. “You trust him? You’ve only known him for a few days! You believe everything someone says just because they said it? Your motives may be pure, but do you really think everyone else is just as naive? No one does anything without considering their own interests. Don’t let yourself be sold out while thanking the seller for the privilege.”

“Yes, we haven’t known each other long.” For the first time, Ying Yuan saw something undeniably real in Yi Shanshan’s eyes, as if she had finally touched a sliver of Yi Shanshan’s soul.

She gazed at her intently, no longer intimidated by her gaze. “I haven’t known many people for very long. Perhaps in the vast river of life, our encounters are fleeting. If time is the ultimate test, how should I treat everyone around me? Assume the worst of them? That would only bring me pain.

“So I choose to trust first. As long as their words hold true in detail and logic, I believe them until their lies are exposed.”

“I treat everyone this way.” Ying Yuan turned her gaze to Mao Mao and Xiaohan, smiling at them. “I find waiting for the final outcome… quite fascinating.”

Xiaohan: “Wow.”

Mao Mao: “That’s… really insightful.”

Yi Shanshan pressed her lips together, falling silent. She glared at Ying Yuan like a lion waiting to pounce, her eyes burning with suppressed fury, poised to strike at any sign of weakness.

Ying Yuan, however, showed no sign of vulnerability. After finishing her explanation, her tone softened, becoming warm and conciliatory. “Thank you for your concern. I should have told you sooner. I’ve just been so busy, my mind completely consumed by the project. It’s like there’s no mental space left for anything else.”

Mao Mao: “Are the people on your project team good? Are they treating you well?”

Ying Yuan: “They’re wonderful. They’re all so smart and capable.”

Xiaohan: “You must be really happy, then?”

Ying Yuan smiled brightly. “Absolutely! This is exactly the kind of opportunity I’ve always wanted—to work on a project with a group of like-minded friends.”

Yi Shanshan suddenly stood up with a thump. Without looking at Ying Yuan, she lowered her gaze and quickly packed her things into her bag. Then, she waved at Mao Mao and Xiaohan.

“Since the issue is resolved, I’ll be going now,” Yi Shanshan said, her face etched with displeasure. “Your lectures are truly unbearable.”

Mao Mao and Xiaohan hurried out to see her off. A moment later, they returned to the classroom.

“Shanshan seemed upset,” Xiaohan remarked. “Your tone was a bit harsh earlier.”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t know why, but for some reason, I picked up a real class conflict vibe from that exchange,” Mao Mao said, resting her cheek on her hand. “But I don’t think any of you meant any harm. It was just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.”

Xiaohan added, “Let’s explain properly next time we get a chance.”

Ying Yuan felt she had already made her position perfectly clear. Yi Shanshan’s unhappiness stemmed from deeper, more complex reasons.

But Ying Yuan couldn’t address those underlying causes directly. All she hoped for was that with enough time, Yi Shanshan would come to terms with things on her own, or that new interests would distract her, and she would stop clinging to this conflict.

After class, Ying Yuan went to the Activity Room again.

On Friday evenings, two more members who were rarely seen during the week joined them in the Activity Room. These individuals, each with distinct personalities, came from various colleges and academic years. Yet, as Ying Yuan had observed, they were all exceptionally bright and capable.

During their discussions, these members often sparked fresh inspiration in Ying Yuan, while they, in turn, would earnestly try to grasp her ideas, responding with enthusiastic feedback.

This deepened Ying Yuan’s admiration for Qi Hongyue’s organizational skills. To bring such a diverse group together, united by a common goal, and have them work so wholeheartedly—Ying Yuan wondered just how much behind-the-scenes effort Qi Hongyue must have put in to achieve these results.

Ying Yuan had always believed that individuals with logic-driven personalities like hers and Qi Hongyue’s struggled with strong organizational leadership skills. But now, through Qi Hongyue, she was glimpsing a new world—a world of personal growth that filled her with excitement.

So, throughout the weekend, Ying Yuan trailed Qi Hongyue’s shadow. Beyond her assigned tasks, she eagerly volunteered for any project work Qi Hongyue allowed her to handle.

“Stealing my secrets, huh?” Qi Hongyue teased with a smile after lunch one day.

“Learning, actually,” Ying Yuan replied earnestly. “University students are supposed to learn. You’re my role model now, Senior Sister.”

Qi Hongyue didn’t object, tacitly accepting Ying Yuan as her little shadow.

A new week brought fresh challenges.

Just as Ying Yuan finished class, she received a new message from Qi Hongyue: 7:30 PM, Classroom 205, Third Teaching Building. Join me for the new recruit interviews.

Ying Yuan mentally howled with delight. She was already getting involved in HR matters so soon!

She quickly typed back:

Alright, I’ll be there.

Senior Sister, should I prepare any materials beforehand?

Qi Hongyue:

No need.

This wasn’t part of the official recruitment plan; it’s more of an impromptu session. Just bring your keen eye for talent.