My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 76
Chapter 76
On the dazzling, ornate stage, a priceless piano had been added.
Yi Shanshan, resplendent in an elegant evening gown, began with a classical piece before transitioning into a beloved folk song.
Her performance was impeccably professional. Her opening and closing remarks were poised and graceful, elegant yet charming.
Coupled with her stunning beauty and radiant, sun-like smile, she effortlessly captivated everyone’s hearts.
The applause thundered.
The gazes of nearly everyone in the audience, regardless of age or gender, were fixed on her.
In the past, Ying Yuan would have seen Yi Shanshan shining brightly in the crowd—the focal point of all love and joy, embodying a passionate and unrestrained life.
But now, everything felt different.
Yi Shanshan smiled on stage, and those covetous eyes below smiled back. Ying Yuan felt that no one truly saw the real Yi Shanshan.
The Yi Shanshan who was as innocent as a child, the Yi Shanshan who found joy without pretense, the Yi Shanshan who vowed to become a farmer after tasting her favorite fruit, the Yi Shanshan who, countless times before Ying Yuan, had worn a somber expression, her eyes downcast as she poured out her grievances and anxieties…
No one truly cared about that Yi Shanshan.
Ying Yuan felt a crushing sadness descend, like a blizzard suddenly engulfing everything.
Yi Shanshan stepped off the stage, and Ying Yuan moved forward from her corner.
But she couldn’t reach Yi Shanshan, as layers of people surged forward, surrounding her in a tight circle.
Loud voices, deliberately raised, mingled with boisterous laughter.
“I’ve heard so much about Yi Tian’s daughter—beautiful and talented. Finally seeing her today… the old man’s truly blessed.”
This was a middle-aged man in a suit, holding a glass of red wine. He scrutinized Yi Shanshan from head to toe at a distance.
“She even attends a prestigious domestic university and aced the gaokao—truly excelling in both academics and character. Unlike your son, who just fritters away money abroad.”
This was the woman beside him. After her remark, she stepped forward and warmly took Yi Shanshan’s hand, asking about her major and zodiac sign.
“Long time no see, Shanshan! Is that the CL Spring/Summer Z-Collection piece? My sales associate showed me that piece earlier, but I thought the color was too flashy. It looks perfect on you, though!”
This was a young woman dressed in the height of fashion, her eyeliner sharply upturned. She never looked people straight in the eye, always glancing sideways.
“Shanshan! My brother said you’d be here! Aaaah, I’m so happy to hear you play and sing again! Unlike me, who can’t do anything. My dad says I’m just a useless good-for-nothing.”
A girl, who had rushed up to Yi Shanshan the moment she arrived, intimately linking her arm, tilted her head back and called out loudly, “I heard you’re Teacher Han’s star pupil now! Have you met tons of celebrities? Has your singing and dancing improved a ton? I know how much you love that—will you perform something like that next time?”
“Singing and dancing, huh? Something really spicy? Shi Lin’s been obsessed with girl groups lately. He’s already gone through three of them.”
This was a slick-looking young man who had materialized from nowhere.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense, I’m completely devoted! Shanshan, you know that new mountain road that just opened? I’ve organized a car rally. Come watch us drift tomorrow?”
This was Shi Lin.
“Young Master Shi, you’ll have to wait your turn. We already made plans with Shanshan—gaming night tomorrow!”
“Shanshan, remember that player you said had amazing mechanics? I’ll invite him for a match with you tomorrow!”
Two guys in T-shirts and jeans crowded in, one reaching to drape his arm around Yi Shanshan’s shoulders.
Someone grabbed his wrist and flung him away.
“Why are you reaching out so far? Get those pig trotters off her.” A tall, imposing man strode forward, face like thunder, rescuing the damsel in distress. “Shanshan, you must be tired from performing. Come sit down and rest for a while.”
Endless, boundless.
Every style, every type, imaginable.
Yi Shanshan moved through the crowd with practiced ease, handling each encounter effortlessly.
While she was busy, she couldn’t spare a moment to check on Ying Yuan, who remained rooted to the spot, yet somehow drifted further away from Yi Shanshan.
Ying Yuan finally understood the specific scenes.
Those scenarios Yi Shanshan had described countless times over the phone, the countless variations of the same, yet different, people.
This was Yi Shanshan’s life. Beyond their schoolgirl games of house on campus, this was her true reality.
“Hello,” someone approached Ying Yuan, addressing her suddenly. “Are you Shanshan’s friend?”
“Mm,” Ying Yuan replied, turning to face the speaker—a stranger with the polished beauty that seemed to be the standard for this crowd.
“What’s your surname?” the girl asked, sizing her up.
“Ying.”
“Ying…” the girl pondered. “Hmm… Ying from Longyang Electronics?”
“No.” Ying Yuan had never encountered this method of categorizing people by company affiliation before, but here it seemed perfectly natural. “Not any particular Ying. I’m just here accompanying Shanshan.”
“Oh… I see,” the girl’s enthusiasm dimmed by half. She continued, “I love your makeup! Could you introduce me to your artist?”
“I don’t know,” Ying Yuan replied. “The makeup artist is Shanshan’s makeup artist, and the clothes are Shanshan’s clothes too.”
The girl’s enthusiasm for making new friends vanished, replaced by the shock of encountering an unfamiliar species. “Are you really that close to Yi Shanshan? Did she bring you here entirely?”
“Yes.”
Ying Yuan wondered how many times she would have to explain that she didn’t belong in this setting, that she wasn’t part of their world, that there was no price tag on her back.
“My name isn’t on the invitation,” she said. “Besides Yi Shanshan, I don’t know anyone here.”
“Then how did you get in?” The girl looked genuinely puzzled, scrutinizing Ying Yuan from head to toe. “How did you two even meet?”
The girl’s words weren’t malicious, and her gaze lacked hostility. Yet it was precisely this directness, this unfiltered curiosity—every word, every glance—that stung Ying Yuan.
No one was truly interested in how they met. They simply couldn’t fathom why someone so out of place would appear here, under the guise of being Yi Shanshan’s friend.
Yi Shanshan shouldn’t have friends like her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to answer,” Ying Yuan said.
The girl’s eyes widened.
Ying Yuan lifted her chin slightly. “If you’re really that curious, you could ask Yi Shanshan herself.”
With that, Ying Yuan withdrew her gaze from the girl and turned back to Yi Shanshan.
The girl followed her line of sight. In the crowd, Yi Shanshan, who had been looking over at them at some point, now held their gaze.
A faint smile lingered at the corners of Yi Shanshan’s lips, but her eyes remained placid, like a bottomless pool whose depths could not be seen.
Ying Yuan wanted to smile back at her, to reassure her that everything was alright.
But her lips twitched into a failed attempt at a smile. She couldn’t tell Yi Shanshan that everything was alright, because everything was far from alright.
The entire world was broken, like a bottomless abyss.
Yi Shanshan’s situation was dire, like an endless blizzard.
And Ying Yuan herself was broken, transformed into someone fragile and hypersensitive. Everything she saw or heard now pricked her like thorns.
Tiny, countless pinpricks of agony, like splinters, embedded themselves in her heart.
Ying Yuan took a deep breath, but it only stirred the suppressed turmoil within her, making her chest ache and her nose sting.
Yi Shanshan’s brow furrowed slightly. She turned back to the crowd to continue speaking, but half a minute later, she broke away from the group and walked toward Ying Yuan.
Yi Shanshan abandoned the crowd surrounding her, strode across the grand circular hall, her gaze fixed firmly on Ying Yuan. She moved with the grace of a movie scene, radiating undeniable beauty.
But Ying Yuan no longer felt any joy at the sight.
Yi Shanshan stopped before Ying Yuan, casting a glance at the girl still standing beside her. Addressing Ying Yuan directly, she asked, “Making new friends?”
Ying Yuan replied truthfully, “We haven’t been properly introduced.”
The girl immediately chimed in enthusiastically, “Oh, how rude of me! We’ve been chatting for ages, and I completely forgot to introduce myself. Nice to meet you, Ying Yuan! My name is Luo Xi. Shanshan and I were in the same class in elementary school.”
She extended her hand to Ying Yuan, her smile radiant.
Since this was Yi Shanshan’s event and Luo Xi was her friend, Ying Yuan maintained basic courtesy and shook her hand briefly. “Nice to meet you too.”
Yi Shanshan’s gaze lingered on their intertwined fingertips. A forced smile tugged at her lips as she looked up and said, “Ying Yuan, come with me to the restroom.”
“Okay,” Ying Yuan replied.
Yi Shanshan stepped forward and, with a completely natural gesture, took the hand Ying Yuan had just shaken with Luo Xi.
Her soft fingertips nestled in Ying Yuan’s palm.
Ice-cool, peach-colored manicured nails glided almost imperceptibly across Ying Yuan’s skin. At first, Yi Shanshan’s grip was loose and tentative, but as they walked, her fingers tightened. By the time they reached the door of the luxurious restroom suite, she was holding Ying Yuan’s hand in a firm clasp.
Yi Shanshan led the way, pushing open the door.
Only then did Ying Yuan realize that “going to the restroom” meant entering a private suite complete with a sofa and bed, no different from a hotel room.
“Lock the door,” Yi Shanshan instructed.
Ying Yuan obediently complied.
With a click, Yi Shanshan seemed to shed a great weight. Her posture relaxed, and her voice softened. Still holding Ying Yuan’s hand, she pulled her close, burying her face in Ying Yuan’s chest.
“Ugh… I’m so exhausted~”
It was the familiar whine of feigned exhaustion, soft and damp, pressed against Ying Yuan’s chest, near her heart.
“I wanted to hug you earlier, but there wasn’t time.”
Enveloped in Yi Shanshan’s scent and warmth, Ying Yuan felt herself sinking into a cozy haven, overwhelmed by a sense of blissful comfort she couldn’t resist.
But her consciousness had detached from her body, hovering lightly above, pondering.
“It’ll wrinkle your clothes,” Ying Yuan said.
“It’s fine, the most important part is over,” Yi Shanshan nuzzled her, dissatisfied. “Besides, I’m not squeezing you hard. There’s still plenty of space between us.”
“It’ll smudge my makeup,” Ying Yuan countered.
“Looks like you’ve learned a lot today, noticing such details now,” Yi Shanshan chuckled, tilting her head back to smile at her. “That’s no problem either. I’ll touch up my makeup before we go out later.”
Ying Yuan fell silent for a moment.
Yi Shanshan looked at her and asked, “Ying Yuan, are you unhappy?”
Ying Yuan swallowed, unable to answer.
Yi Shanshan’s voice turned cold. “Did that Luo Xi say something to upset you earlier?”
That tone, that expression. Ying Yuan had no doubt that if she nodded, Yi Shanshan would immediately plot her revenge.
This had nothing to do with Luo Xi, so Ying Yuan replied, “We barely spoke. I wouldn’t be unhappy because of her.”
Yi Shanshan pressed, “Then what is it? Is it… because of me?”
“Was it because I was too busy talking to those people and didn’t pay enough attention to you?”
Ying Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.
Seeing her expression, Yi Shanshan’s voice suddenly grew agitated. “Or is it because I put on this performance for them on stage, like some kind of plaything, and you feel ashamed?”
If the earlier pain had been as minor as wood shavings, Yi Shanshan’s words now felt like a dagger plunged straight into her chest.
“No,” Ying Yuan immediately replied.
She gripped Yi Shanshan’s arm, creating some distance between them, and looked her directly in the eye.
Yi Shanshan’s eyes blazed with a fiery intensity, reminiscent of the girl who once wanted to burn everything to ashes.
“I don’t find any of this shameful,” Ying Yuan said. “In fact, I think the very concept of shame is a false premise.”
“If we don’t care about others’ opinions, then we don’t need to judge ourselves by their standards.”
“I don’t care about anything here today, except what concerns you.”
“My happiness depends solely on you.”
Ying Yuan paused, gazing into those burning eyes, feeling her sorrow pour out like a rushing stream.
“Shanshan, it’s because you’re unhappy… deeply unhappy.”
“If you’re unhappy, I don’t want you to stay here.”
“Even if this has always been your world.”
Yi Shanshan stood frozen, speechless.
The eyes that Ying Yuan gazed into seemed to lose focus, sinking into an empty void.
Ying Yuan tightened her grip, for the first time increasing the pressure she exerted on Yi Shanshan.
Yi Shanshan’s arm sank into her palm, its jade-like whiteness flushing crimson, like cinnabar.
“Shanshan,” Ying Yuan called her name, trying to rouse her. “I know the threads here are tangled and deeply rooted, making it difficult and troublesome. But if you’re willing, we can try.”
Try shedding this constricting formal gown and surrendering to a soft embrace.
Try tearing off the price tags and stripping away all the labels they’ve plastered on us.
Try defying your father’s orders and directing all your fury at the true culprit at the apex of power.
Try becoming the rebel who escapes, living a truly free life, never again loathing or abandoning yourself.
“Let’s leave this place. Starting now.”