My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 64
Chapter 64
Yi Shanshan had always believed that true suffering was deeply personal—something that couldn’t be shared.
Fear, worry, anxiety, pain, disgust, mania, chaos, insomnia…
These were things that couldn’t be shared. These were things that couldn’t be shared.
The fact that everyone instinctively drew closer to joy only proved that they would instinctively recoil from suffering.
Human compassion and pity existed only on the superficial fringes of publicly understandable misfortunes. You had to be wretched enough—starving and destitute, backed into a corner, torn apart by separation and death—to trigger the pity complex born from the need to maintain a moral baseline.
But even this was only skin-deep.
A little concern, a bit of material aid, and after a few days, it would all cease.
No one truly wanted to enter another’s pain.
Even for immense gain, the cost was too high.
Thus, Ying Yuan stood out as exceptional.
When Ying Yuan said, “I’ll go with you,” Yi Shanshan’s pain hadn’t even had time to surface.
She was merely preparing to face what lay ahead when someone had already stepped beside her, offering a hand.
Ying Yuan had no ulterior motives, Yi Shanshan could tell.
Every word that came from her mouth was genuine, her eyes like the surface of a clear lake, so transparent you could see straight to the bottom.
She had simply noticed your reluctance and unhappiness, and without regard for what lay ahead, she insisted on going with you.
Yi Shanshan found her so brave, yet so gentle.
This bravery and tenderness weren’t fleeting impulses; they only grew stronger with time.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, Yi Shanshan suddenly smiled.
Seeing her smile, Yi Tian’s face twitched slightly. “What’s got my precious daughter so cheerful?” he asked.
“I was thinking…” Yi Shanshan glanced at the man sitting across from her and nodded slightly. “Uncle Yang’s business vision is sure to resonate with many young people.”
“Oh? Really? That’s wonderful!” The man beamed. “If our Shanshan approves, then it must be a sure thing.”
Yi Tian chuckled and took a sip of his tea. “It’s always wise to listen to the younger generation when it comes to their interests.”
The mundane conversation between the two men continued, while Yi Shanshan sat primly in her chair nearby, her movements graceful and deliberate. To Yi Tian, she was the perfect ornament—a beautiful and obedient accessory.
A harmonious family, exceptional children, effective governance—people like this seem inherently trustworthy.
Yi Shanshan understood her purpose all too well, which made her despise such occasions and environments.
The high-end private tea house brought not the refreshing serenity of tea tasting, but an endless parade of hypocrisy and conflict.
Yet now, thinking of Ying Yuan—knowing she was waiting for her in the pavilion outside the tea house—Yi Shanshan found it bearable.
Every word spoken flowed in through her left ear and out through her right, coalescing into a dense, black fog that swirled around her but couldn’t touch her thoughts.
A wind chime hung from the tea room’s latticed window, its crisp chimes occasionally cutting through the din.
Listening to the wind chime, Yi Shanshan imagined she could catch Ying Yuan’s scent on the shifting air.
What’s Ying Yuan doing right now? Playing on her phone?
Ying Yuan’s phone had hardly any entertainment—the only game was the one Yi Shanshan had downloaded for her that night.
But Ying Yuan was surprisingly good at gaming. She mastered the rules in one round, started playing like a pro by the second, and by the third, Yi Shanshan couldn’t be sure she could beat her anymore.
Ying Yuan is so clever.
When Ying Yuan wasn’t speaking, she was probably always thinking.
Ying Yuan’s mind was constantly churning with thoughts. She once told Yi Shanshan that while she slept, her brain would automatically review and evolve the day’s knowledge, so that when she woke up, problems that had seemed insurmountable the night before might suddenly have solutions.
Yi Shanshan had half a mind to turn Ying Yuan into her own personal external brain.
Anything I don’t like or don’t want to do—just toss it to Ying Yuan, and the answer will come effortlessly.
No wonder Qi Hongyue likes Ying Yuan so much.
Yi Shanshan frowned slightly.
But if I start my own company, I’d hire eighteen Ying Yuans!
The thought of eighteen Ying Yuans surrounding her—one asking if she was hungry, another slicing fruit, one doing her homework, and another warming her bed…
Yi Shanshan couldn’t help but laugh again.
She lifted her teacup, hiding the upward curve of her lips.
Over an hour had passed, during which she’d barely touched her food but had drunk a lot of tea.
After seeing her guest off, Yi Shanshan said, “Dad, I should head back to school now.”
“No rush. Xiao Wang can drive you later,” Yi Tian replied, turning to look at his daughter with a smile. “We haven’t had a proper chat. Didn’t you break your phone recently? Did you get a new one?”
Isn’t that obvious?
“If you hadn’t bought a new one, how would you have made that phone call today?”
Yi Shanshan knew her father’s words always carried hidden meanings. He’d dangle a thread and wait for you to unravel the truth yourself.
“I was out with classmates and accidentally dropped it,” Yi Shanshan said. “It’s nothing to worry about, Dad.”
“I heard it was with friends from that new club you joined?” Yi Tian asked.
“Yeah,” she confirmed. “They’re making video games. It’s pretty fun.”
“I see…” Yi Tian’s expression remained gentle, his smile always like a mask, floating lightly across his face. “Young people love their games.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s fine. Relax a bit. But don’t let your studies suffer…” Yi Tian paused. “I came today with some good news. That teacher you mentioned before, the one named Han, she’s back in the country. Apparently, she’s starting some kind of special training program. I don’t really understand the details, but I know you’d love it, so I had Anny sign you up.”
Yi Shanshan’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. This was the first time during their entire meeting that her thoughts fully returned to the present.
The setting sun painted the tea house’s antique-style architecture with a soft, reddish glow.
Ying Yuan glanced at her watch. Yi Shanshan had been inside for two hours already.
During those two hours, Ying Yuan had initially planned to pass the time reading an e-book on her phone. But in reality, her thoughts kept drifting.
She couldn’t help but imagine the scene inside the tea house: where Yi Shanshan was sitting, what her father might be saying to her, and what his attitude was.
The events at the ranch last week were still vivid in her mind, having caused such severe negative consequences. Would Yi Shanshan be scolded or shown concern?
And when facing her family, would Yi Shanshan feel wronged and offer explanations, or would she be angry and upset?
Countless scenarios flooded Ying Yuan’s imagination, none offering a definitive answer.
She couldn’t help but worry deeply.
Her phone suddenly vibrated with a new message.
Seeing it was from Yi Shanshan, Ying Yuan leaped to her feet.
The message was simple: a single, system-default emoji.
A smiling face.
Not a sarcastic smirk, not a face-palming laugh-cry—just a normal, eyes-crinkled, genuinely happy smile.
This was utterly unexpected!
This was news that made her blood boil with excitement!
Ying Yuan instinctively clenched her fist, her spirits soaring like a kite.
Restless, Ying Yuan rose and paced the pavilion before stepping outside.
Two stone lions guarded the tea estate’s main entrance. She paused beside them.
She didn’t peer inside, but her gaze immediately landed on Yi Shanshan.
Yi Shanshan was walking out, her face radiant with smiles.
Ying Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. In that instant, she felt a profound sense of connection, as if their souls were attuned.
Beside Yi Shanshan stood a man, presumably her father. His hair was streaked with gray at the temples, and he was of medium build. His face bore a gentle, warm smile—he didn’t seem stern at all.
The father and daughter strolled out together, chatting and laughing, their interaction radiating warmth and harmony.
Relieved, Ying Yuan stepped back and waited quietly.
A discreet black car pulled up to the entrance.
Yi Shanshan emerged from the estate.
The car door swung open, and a driver in white gloves stepped out to open the rear door for them.
Yi Shanshan paused beside the car, exchanged a few more words with her father, then climbed inside.
The door closed, and the car glided away.
Yi Shanshan’s gaze followed the car until she spotted Ying Yuan. Her eyes lit up, and her smile widened instantly, as brilliant as a miniature sun.
Ying Yuan returned her joyful smile.
The car passed by her, its rear window half-lowered. Yi Tian sat impassively, his gaze briefly resting on Ying Yuan before moving on.
Before the car had fully driven away, Yi Shanshan had already leaped over to Ying Yuan.
Tilting her radiant, youthful face upward, her hands clasped behind her back, she excitedly declared, “Guess what amazing news I have?”
Ying Yuan’s gaze was entirely fixed on Yi Shanshan’s beaming face. Focusing intently, she played along, “What is it?”
“Han Zhenying! I got a spot in Han Zhenying’s training camp! I’m going to take her special training class!”
“Huh?” This was completely outside Ying Yuan’s area of expertise.
But no matter—Yi Shanshan quickly filled her in, grabbing Ying Yuan’s arm and shaking it back and forth. “Han Zhenying! Han Zhenying! Do you know she trained the world’s top K-pop girl group? And that the breakout vocal sensation from last year’s audition show was her student? Do you know what connections and qualifications you need just to get into her special training class? And I… I got in!”
Ying Yuan gasped, “Oh my gosh, you’re incredible!”
“I know, right?! I know, I know, I know!” Yi Shanshan bounced with excitement. “I’m amazing! I’m amazing! I’m amazing!!!”
Clutching Ying Yuan’s arm, she hopped with glee, the setting sun casting flickering shadows through her swirling hair.
Ying Yuan’s heart leaped with each bound. Suddenly, Yi Shanshan stopped, stepping forward until she was almost buried in Ying Yuan’s embrace.
Lowering her voice to a whisper, she confided, “Do you know what’s the most incredible part?”
Ying Yuan gazed down at her, throat bobbing. “What?”
Yi Shanshan: “My dad signed me up.”
Ying Yuan: “Huh?”
Yi Shanshan frowned, utterly baffled. “Before, during summer vacation, when I wanted to study abroad, he threw a fit, calling it all ‘nonsense.’ He’s always insisted I stick to traditional Chinese music and hated my interest in pop singing.”
Ying Yuan: “Maybe something happened to change his mind, making him prioritize your wishes now.”
Yi Shanshan pondered, brow furrowed, neither agreeing nor arguing.
Ying Yuan: “Either way, this is wonderful! You’ll get to study with your favorite teacher, and your skills will skyrocket.”
“Yeah!” Yi Shanshan exclaimed, her joy returning.
Tilting her head back to look at Ying Yuan, her joy radiated, calming her down while simultaneously stirring her heart.
She longed to continue whispering secrets to Ying Yuan, sharing her innermost thoughts and the little emotions she kept hidden from the world.
“I think you’re my little lucky star, Ying Yuan~” Yi Shanshan’s voice was sweet and soft, and she naturally became sweet and soft herself. “Ever since you came along, even the things I used to hate have become fun!”
Ying Yuan’s face flushed, and she demurred, “I don’t think… I have that much of an effect…”
“You do~” Yi Shanshan insisted. “If you hadn’t been waiting for me, I don’t think I could have endured until I heard the good news. Their talk was so boring! All I could think about was what you were doing. The sun you saw was the same sun I saw, and the wind that blew past you would eventually reach me too…”
Yi Shanshan had transformed into a little poet again, her intimate words stirring Ying Yuan’s heart into a gentle turbulence.
“There are so many things I want to do—I want to stand on even higher stages, and sometimes I even want to reach for the stars. If you could stay by my side forever, I think my chances of success would be so much greater.”
Yi Shanshan winked at Ying Yuan, her long, curled lashes at the corners of her eyes like tiny hooks, beckoning Ying Yuan to follow that path.
Ying Yuan couldn’t bring herself to refuse in this atmosphere of pure joy.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay by your side forever.”