My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
The embrace lingered—not only in duration, but in intensity. Yi Shanshan held her tightly, nuzzling and rubbing against her like she’d caught a passing, adorable puppy, determined to suck it bald.
“You smell so good,” Yi Shanshan murmured. It was the first time she’d said those words to her.
“And you’re so soft,” Yi Shanshan continued, her tone analytical. “The perfect ratio of bone to flesh.”
“You’re just a bit taller than me,” Yi Shanshan noted, her cheek brushing against the sliver of skin exposed at Ying Yuan’s chest. “When I hug you, I can just rest my head against your chest. Mmm… The temperature is just right too.”
Ying Yuan had never imagined a hug between hometown friends would escalate like this. Yi Shanshan’s actions filled her with unease and agitation, as if she were being roasted alive, yet she dared not move.
Her body stiffened, every sway of her hair feeling excessive. She endured this torment for an eternity, until Yi Shanshan finally sighed contentedly.
“This is wonderful, old classmate,” Yi Shanshan said. “You have no idea how much this means to me. I really hope I can see you again tomorrow.”
Yi Shanshan spoke with such natural sincerity, as if what she had done was the most natural thing in the world.
Ying Yuan was speechless, needing to reboot her brain before she could think rationally.
Yi Shanshan reluctantly pulled herself out of Ying Yuan’s embrace, then pulled out her phone to ask for her contact information.
They exchanged phone numbers and WeChat IDs, and Yi Shanshan even asked which classes they had been in during their three years at Tongcheng No. 1 High School.
“Which dormitory building do you live in?” Yi Shanshan asked, tilting her head to look at Ying Yuan. Now that Ying Yuan thought back on it, she found Yi Shanshan’s expression rather playful.
But back then, Ying Yuan had been utterly naive, answering every question without hesitation and revealing all her personal information.
Satisfied, Yi Shanshan left the dressing room, leaving Ying Yuan alone to stare blankly into space.
By the time Ying Yuan emerged, Yi Shanshan’s performance had already begun. Hidden in the shadows backstage, Ying Yuan peered through a narrow gap at the stage, where that exquisite, sweet, and radiant person was shining brightly.
It was only then that the belated realization struck her: she did know Yi Shanshan.
During their three years at Tongcheng No. 1 High School, practically no one didn’t know Yi Shanshan.
At every school arts festival, Yi Shanshan was always the grand finale performer. She could sing, dance, and play the piano—so beautiful and radiant that even passing ants would stop in awe.
Her suitors were legion: the wealthy childhood sweetheart, the aloof school bully, the rising idol trainee, the senior from a prestigious university… countless rumors of her romances swirled through campus, each version replaced by a new one every few weeks.
Ying Yuan never liked to join the crowds listening to these stories, but she still couldn’t avoid hearing quite a few. She never imagined Yi Shanshan would have anything to do with her. In her mind, Yi Shanshan was just a dazzling, fiercely straight girl.
She couldn’t understand Yi Shanshan’s actions that day. She even silently questioned herself, wondering if her own guilty conscience was making her find it strange. Perhaps straight girls are just naturally this forward and enthusiastic when making friends?
But after that day, Yi Shanshan quickly sought her out again—a second time, a third time, a fourth time—until Ying Yuan finally noticed a pattern.
Yi Shanshan never wanted anything else from her. Every reason, every excuse, was simply to hug her.
If only I could hug her and feel her skin against mine, rubbing against her, soft and warm…
After the embrace, Yi Shanshan left, utterly content, without lingering for further conversation. Ying Yuan, curious, researched online and discovered a condition called Skin Hunger Syndrome, a psychological disorder characterized by an intense craving for physical contact such as hugs and caresses. This syndrome often coexists with anxiety, compulsions, and insomnia.
So she’s actually sick, Ying Yuan thought.
How pitiful, to suffer from such a hidden illness, incurable and only temporarily relieved by these strange behaviors.
The mystery in her heart resolved, the kindhearted Ying Yuan resolved to be understanding of her fellow patient from their shared hometown.
Her sympathy ran deep, making every excuse Yi Shanshan gave seem legitimate.
She’s performing at a major event and is so nervous she needs a hug.
She ran too many laps during military training and is exhausted, so she needs a hug.
She missed Ying Yuan during the National Day holiday and wants a hug.
She’s stressed and lacks confidence for the final exams, so she needs a hug.
Whether sad or happy, Yi Shanshan always needed a hug. From autumn to winter, and then from winter to spring, the hugs continued unabated.
Yi Shanshan gradually figured out Ying Yuan’s temperament and personality. When Ying Yuan refused, she would soften her voice and feign helplessness; when Ying Yuan got angry, she would use sweet little gestures to win her back.
Just like tonight.
Waiting for you with such sweetness and charm, preparing a pile of surprises you needed—who could resist?
After all, this was Yi Shanshan.
The Yi Shanshan adored by the masses needed you, liked you, and fawned over you. All you had to offer her in return were occasional hugs.
It’s hardly Ying Yuan’s fault, she thought.
But Ying Yuan realized she was increasingly unable to treat these hugs properly.
She found herself obsessing over every touch Yi Shanshan laid upon her, unable to resist noticing the lingering traces of Yi Shanshan’s presence on her skin. She was growing more and more indulgent towards Yi Shanshan’s capricious demands. This couldn’t end well.
Amidst the intoxicating spring breeze, Ying Yuan replayed these brief memories and confessions, then silently frowned.
It was almost curfew. She couldn’t linger any longer, savoring the beauty of the night.
Head bowed, Ying Yuan hurried back to her dormitory.
They shared a four-person room, but it wasn’t full; one bed remained empty.
Mao Mao and Xiaohan were both in the dorm when Ying Yuan pushed the door open and greeted them politely, “Good evening.”
Mao Mao, sprawled on her bed watching a drama, called back without looking up, “Good evening! Ying Yuan, were you at the library again?”
“Mm-hmm,” Ying Yuan replied.
Xiaohan, who was applying a face mask, glanced at the bags in Ying Yuan’s hands. “Hey, did you go shopping tonight?”
“No,” Ying Yuan said.
“Then where did all this stuff come from? This bag is from that really expensive restaurant downtown.”
“Hmm?” Ying Yuan said.
Mao Mao’s curiosity piqued instantly. She yanked back her bed curtain, revealing her head. “What restaurant? How expensive? Ying Yuan, what’s going on?!”
Ying Yuan quietly set the bags on her desk. “It’s… a gift from a friend.”
“A friend?!” Mao Mao exclaimed.
Xiaohan wheeled her chair over. “What kind of friend is this generous?”
“Is it the same one from last time?” Mao Mao asked. “The one who gave you that cashmere scarf? It’s so pretty and cozy!”
Ying Yuan fell silent, marveling at her roommates’ deductive abilities. She hadn’t said or done anything, yet the moment she entered the room, they had already guessed everything correctly.
The scarf had indeed been a gift from Yi Shanshan near the end of the last semester, just before winter break. Yi Shanshan had said, “It’s getting too cold. Wear this scarf from now on.”
Once she was properly bundled up, Yi Shanshan peeled back the scarf where it pressed against Ying Yuan’s neck. “I still love watching you go from cold to warm.”
Ying Yuan lowered her gaze, feeling a pang of guilty unease. She explained, “I skipped dinner, so it’s just… some food.”
“Whoa—” Mao Mao’s fantasies soared even higher. “I knew that person had to be special, really special to you! Ying Yuan! Worried about you being cold, worried about you being hungry—they must be in love with you!”
Ying Yuan’s hand, clutching the lunchbox, froze. Xiaohan chimed in, “Seriously, that restaurant again? Seafood and black truffles? Tsk, tsk, tsk! I agree with Mao Mao—where the money is, there’s the love.”
Ying Yuan was at a loss for words. She could only stammer, “She’s just… always had money.”
Mao Mao grew even more excited, leaping off the bed to crowd beside Ying Yuan. “A real second-generation heiress? From our school? Is she hot? How did you two meet? How far have things gone?!”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Mao Mao: “Spill! So that’s why you’ve been skipping meals with us and avoiding hanging out—you’ve been secretly dating this whole time!”
The word “dating” sent shivers down Ying Yuan’s spine. She quickly denied it. “Don’t be ridiculous—it’s a girl.”
Mao Mao: “Ah—a girl?! I’m even more into it now!!!”
Xiaohan’s eyes lit up even brighter. “Exactly, Ying Yuan! It’s the 21st century! What’s wrong with dating a girl? It’s safer and more comfortable anyway. She’s practically throwing herself at you—don’t you feel anything?”
Mao Mao sized Ying Yuan up and down. “Yuan, you’re not one of those die-hard straight girls, are you? The kind you can’t bend no matter what?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Oh, my heavens above! she thought. I’m trapped in a situation with no way out—I could jump into the Yellow River and still be unable to clear my name.
Mao Mao and Xiaohan’s curiosity was only growing. Though they politely refrained from rummaging through the bag on the table, Mao Mao, standing on tiptoe, had already glimpsed something.
“A plushie too… Hmm, it looks familiar. Isn’t that our sports day mascot? You only get one if you compete. Ying Yuan, were you an athlete today?”
Ying Yuan nearly leaped up to cover Mao Mao’s mouth. Once humans catch a whiff of gossip, their instincts sharpen to detective-like precision.
Ying Yuan pressed the bag’s opening shut, losing her appetite entirely. “Stop speculating! There’s nothing going on. She’s just a friend—a very ordinary, very normal friend.”
Mao Mao: “Oh.”
Xiaohan chuckled knowingly. “I wish the heavens would bless me with such an ordinary friend too.”
Mao Mao: “When you two make it official, you’re treating us all to dinner, right?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Ying Yuan realized with renewed clarity that she couldn’t continue down this path.
Her interactions with Yi Shanshan were far too intimate and suggestive for platonic friendship.
She couldn’t control her feelings or prevent herself from being moved by these encounters. If her secret were exposed and Yi Shanshan discovered her dirty thoughts, she would be disgusted, as if she’d swallowed a fly.
Taking advantage of someone while they’re sick was truly despicable behavior.
The truth she hadn’t had the courage to reveal earlier—”I’m gay”—would ultimately fester into a malicious secret, breeding mistrust and suspicion.
Just thinking about Yi Shanshan’s possessive demand for a hug earlier today, and how her face had burned when she’d stared at the bite marks in the library, Ying Yuan knew it was time to regain her composure.
She shoved the bag into her locker and said, “I’m going to wash my face.”
In the restroom, she pulled out her phone and sent Yi Shanshan a rare proactive message:
I have something tomorrow, so I won’t be at the stadium.