My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Ying Yuan gazed in stunned silence at the world before her, Qi Hongyue included.
Countless new possibilities unfurled before her eyes. The suppressed seedling within her, scorched and buried beneath layers of snow, could once again take root in richer soil, nurtured by a warmer environment, and flourish anew.
“Senior…” Ying Yuan leaned closer to Qi Hongyue, her voice brimming with curiosity. “Is this really possible? Or are you just teasing me?”
“You mean me?” Qi Hongyue withdrew her gaze, turning to meet Ying Yuan’s eyes. Her eyes shimmered with laughter, like water rippling in sunlight. “Want to give it a try with me?”
Her demeanor and expression had completely transformed. Though her face and attire remained the same, the feeling she exuded was entirely different.
The former Qi Hongyue had been a superior, a colleague, a friend—her boundaries clearly defined, offering Ying Yuan support and guidance.
But this Qi Hongyue, when she looked at you, her gaze seemed to carry an unspoken meaning, blurring those once-sharp boundaries. It made you feel as if you could become anything to her.
“Wow,” Ying Yuan couldn’t help but exclaim.
Qi Hongyue raised an eyebrow. “Still got a bit of charm, huh?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Ying Yuan replied.
Qi Hongyue gently tapped her on the head. “I’m just your backup option. You should look around first—no dating within the Project Team is allowed.”
Oh, right, that rule exists.
Ying Yuan suddenly remembered, as if from another lifetime.
She nodded and dutifully followed Qi Hongyue’s instructions, carefully observing the other girls to find qualities that might capture her heart.
It quickly became clear that she preferred lively personalities: those who bounced around, laughed loudly, wore vibrant clothes, and radiated unrestrained exuberance.
Height wasn’t crucial, but she disliked overly thin frames. Sharp features felt cold; she favored soft, luminous figures—like warm pearls or flickering flames.
Talent in singing and dancing was a bonus. A playful wrinkle of the nose or pout of the lips added to their charming innocence…
As she summarized these qualities, Ying Yuan clarified her senses and preferences. She found a fragment of one trait in this person and another in that, but no single individual possessed enough of them to form a radiant, complete whole that could captivate her.
Time passed, and she continued her search.
Whenever Qi Hongyue asked, Ying Yuan shared her observations.
Qi Hongyue: “……”
Qi Hongyue stared at her quietly. “Are you trying to find someone just like the princess?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Qi Hongyue: “If you’re looking for someone like her, it’s going to be really tough. There aren’t many people like her in all of B City.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Qi Hongyue: “Don’t limit yourself. Don’t take one example and treat it as the eternal answer. ‘She resembles you’ isn’t fair to others either.”
Ying Yuan: “Oh.”
She tried hard to discard all her preconceived notions about Yi Shanshan, only to find herself utterly lost. It was as if no quality could stir her heart anymore.
Lost in thought, Ying Yuan finished another half-glass of wine.
Her phone buzzed repeatedly in her pocket.
She took it out and saw an unfamiliar local number. She answered.
“Hello,” she said, having to cover her other ear to hear over the loud music from the DJ on stage.
“Ying Yuan, where are you?”
The voice was lovely, with a sweet and crisp quality. So lovely that for a moment, she thought, Hmm, I like this voice. I could talk to whoever’s on the other end.
But she quickly snapped out of it.
That familiar, sweet voice belonged to Yi Shanshan.
“Ah…” Ying Yuan froze.
Yi Shanshan continued from the other end of the line: “My phone died. I’m borrowing the driver’s to call you. Did you see my message? I’m bringing the cake over.”
The DJ shouted, and the music suddenly intensified, pounding in her ears and head until the voice on the phone became choppy.
“I’m not in a good spot—” Ying Yuan had to shout back. “I’m still out. I haven’t gone home yet—”
Qi Hongyue glanced over, their eyes meeting. Ying Yuan quickly added, “Don’t worry about me. Just focus on your own things—”
The call ended abruptly.
Clutching her phone, Ying Yuan smirked at Qi Hongyue. “Did I handle that well? I rejected her so directly.”
Qi Hongyue: “Mm-hmm, impressive.”
Ying Yuan: “If she hadn’t called from someone else’s number, I wouldn’t have even answered.”
Qi Hongyue laughed. “Yeah, you’re a legend.”
Ying Yuan raised her glass. “To a new world, a new me, and new people—”
In the raucous atmosphere, even the usually reserved became boisterous. 酒52一六0,2捌仨,24小时机器人快速出文
As soon as Ying Yuan shouted her toast, a new turn of events unfolded.
A girl wearing a rose-patterned dress with red-tipped hair approached them.
She bent down, scrutinizing Ying Yuan with wide, staring eyes, making Ying Yuan feel bewildered and increasingly nervous.
Finally, the girl exclaimed excitedly, “Ying Yuan!!!”
Ying Yuan: “!!!!”
Girl: “It really is you! Oh my god, I can’t believe you’re here! Unbelievable!”
Ying Yuan: “You are…?”
“I’m Zhang Xiao!” The girl grinned, glancing at Qi Hongyue beside Ying Yuan. “Don’t you remember me? Alpha Competition Camp?”
Recognition dawned on Ying Yuan as she finally glimpsed familiar features beneath Zhang Xiao’s flamboyant makeup.
A brief acquaintance, a classmate from that camp they’d parted ways with all too soon.
“I remember,” Ying Yuan said. “You got first place in the mock exam.”
“So you only remember my grades?” Zhang Xiao laughed, tilting her chin toward Qi Hongyue. “Your girlfriend?”
“!!!!” Ying Yuan exclaimed.
“Ah, no, it’s not like that…” she quickly stammered, flustered. “I, I’m just a friend.”
Qi Hongyue smiled and added, “Just ordinary friends. Plus, we have conflicting schedules.”
Ying Yuan: “??????”
Zhang Xiao: “Ooh, I see~”
At first, Ying Yuan didn’t understand why Qi Hongyue had suddenly brought up the scheduling issue. But the answer soon became clear.
After Qi Hongyue’s remark, Zhang Xiao completely accepted their friendship. She leaned closer to Ying Yuan and settled down.
“Since we’re all friends, you won’t mind if I join your table, right?” she called to the waiter to order drinks and snacks. “I came alone.”
Qi Hongyue nudged Ying Yuan’s arm, and Ying Yuan immediately responded, “Of course not! Welcome!”
When you want new people in your life, the universe delivers.
Zhang Xiao was lively and outgoing, making friends easily and chatting about anything without awkwardness.
She reminisced about her time with Ying Yuan at the Alpha Competition Camp, held in a remote wilderness during the sweltering summer. She described the humid days, the sticky air, and the dozen girls crammed into an oversized dormitory. After classes, they would all go play in the mountain streams together.
“The river behind the schoolhouse was so clear! We didn’t even bother with swimsuits—just jumped in wearing whatever we had on. Those soaked white T-shirts looked pretty good…” Zhang Xiao’s eyes crinkled as she tossed a cherry into her mouth. “But Ying Yuan, being a little nun, never joined us in the river. She’d sit on the rocks by the bank, acting as our ‘safety monitor.'”
“Safety monitor, huh? She barely dared to look at us. That’s how I knew something was up.” Zhang Xiao turned to Ying Yuan and winked. “You were terrified when I cornered you in the bathroom and interrogated you about being a lesbian, weren’t you?”
Ying Yuan: “…Mm-hm.”
She had been terrified back then. In the confused, budding stage of her sexuality, she’d faced such a harsh interrogation. It wasn’t until Zhang Xiao revealed that she liked girls too that Ying Yuan dared to truly admit it to herself.
“Ying Yuan and I were like opposite poles. When she realized she was a lesbian, she avoided girls. I, on the other hand, went crazy trying to get close to them. Girls are just so… soft and sweet.”
Zhang Xiao suddenly fixed her with a stare. “Ying Yuan, are you seeing anyone?”
Ying Yuan shook her head. “No.”
Zhang Xiao: “Never been in a relationship?”
Ying Yuan: “…No.”
Zhang Xiao: “Ah, so you don’t even know how fragrant and soft it can be?”
Ying Yuan: “…”
Ying Yuan desperately wanted to leap up and retort.
I do know! I know perfectly well! It’s precisely because I know too well that I’m sitting here today, ready to start a new life.
She lowered her gaze and took another sip of her drink.
Zhang Xiao watched her, grinning. She opened her arms wide. “You can experience it right now! I’ll fill in this gap for you.”
Ying Yuan’s body instinctively recoiled. Her face flushed crimson as she shook her head vigorously. “No, no…”
Zhang Xiao: “What’s wrong~?”
Ying Yuan: “It’s too fast.”
Zhang Xiao laughed again, gazing at Ying Yuan with genuine delight. “The younger the nun, the more fun it is to tease her…”
The two were getting along famously, leaving Qi Hongyue free to relax.
Qi Hongyue pulled out her phone and began catching up on work emails.
When she switched back to WeChat, she saw a message from Yi Shanshan:
Twenty minutes ago:
Didn’t you say you were giving her a tour of the Base? Did the tour end up in a bar?
Is that what she enjoys? If you want to get drunk, don’t drag her into it!
Fifteen minutes earlier:
Qi Hongyue, have you lost your mind? Do you even know where you’re taking her?
Though only text, the fury was palpable.
Qi Hongyue read the message, a smirk playing on her lips. She tossed her phone back into her bag without replying.
The music never stopped, nor did the revelry.
Soon, amidst the dazzling laser lights crisscrossing the bar, Qi Hongyue spotted Yi Shanshan striding in from the entrance.
Yi Shanshan, like a young lioness in a rage, her brow furrowed and face grim, stormed in, fists clenched and radiating fierce intensity.
It was somewhat similar to the night before, but even more intense.
This intensity was exactly what Qi Hongyue wanted. She had been fanning the flames, adding fuel to the fire until all reason burned away, until the paper-thin facade of restraint was completely consumed.
To earn someone’s true feelings required an equal exchange.
Qi Hongyue glanced at Ying Yuan, who was deeply engrossed in conversation with Zhang Xiao. Smiling, she joined the conversation. “You two really seem to have a connection, don’t you?”
Zhang Xiao exclaimed, “Seriously! I was just thinking, what are the odds we’d run into each other…?”
This was the scene that greeted Yi Shanshan as she entered the roaring, surging main hall.
Ying Yuan sat sprawled on the sofa, her hair loose, sipping a drink through a straw. Her eyes curved into a smile as she watched the crowd.
To her right, the tall and leggy Qi Hongyue draped an arm casually over the back of the sofa, almost embracing her, his gaze fixed on her with a smile.
To her left was an unfamiliar but strikingly beautiful girl, dressed in a bold and flamboyant style. She gestured wildly as she spoke animatedly to Ying Yuan, her body tilting forward with laughter, nearly toppling into Ying Yuan’s lap.
The deafening music throbbed in Yi Shanshan’s head, the flashing lights making her dizzy.
Yi Shanshan strode forward as if walking across burning embers, the music drowning out her footsteps, the swirling perfume and alcohol masking her scent.
When she finally stood before Ying Yuan, several seconds passed before Ying Yuan’s gaze finally landed on her.
For a fleeting moment, everything seemed to go silent.
Yi Shanshan stared at her, her brow furrowed, all the questions she wanted to ask choking in her throat. But as Ying Yuan looked up, her expression was blank, bewildered, and utterly innocent, like a child who had done nothing wrong.
All her schemes, her calculated restraint, her manipulations, and her logic vanished.
Yi Shanshan took a step forward, wordlessly leaned down, and grasped Ying Yuan’s hand.
The blue liquid in Ying Yuan’s glass sloshed with the sudden movement, spilling over and dripping stickily onto both their wrists.
“Shanshan…” Ying Yuan tried to resist the force, pulling back.
Yi Shanshan’s strength was astonishing. The bones in her wrist strained as she spat out a single word: “Go.”
Ying Yuan placed her other hand over Shanshan’s.
The past two days of reflection and resistance had broken her reflexive obedience to Yi Shanshan’s sudden commands.
“I’m not planning to leave yet,” she said. “Shanshan, what brings you here?”
“Yeah, what’s up? Wanna hang out?” Qi Hongyue chimed in, thoughtfully taking the wine glass from Ying Yuan’s hand.
“Shut up!” Yi Shanshan snapped at her. “Why did you bring her to a place like this?!”
Qi Hongyue: “It’s just a bar. For food, drinks, socializing, and fun.”
Zhang Xiao chimed in, “Exactly! It’s just a bar. This place is perfectly safe.”
Ying Yuan’s eyelashes fluttered. Her heart pounded wildly, as if a deeply buried secret were about to burst from her throat.
“I wanted to come,” she said. “I’m having a great time.”
Yi Shanshan glared at her, her brow furrowed, her gaze piercing. “Do you even know what kind of place this is? Do you know this isn’t just any ordinary bar?”
Ying Yuan: “Yes, I know.”
“If you knew, why did you come? The people here don’t have simple intentions toward you…” Yi Shanshan said.
Zhang Xiao finally understood. It all clicked into place.
She gazed at Ying Yuan and Yi Shanshan, both surprised and thrilled by their misunderstanding and conflict. Clapping her hands together, her eyes sparkled as she turned eagerly to Yi Shanshan.
“Hey, Big Sister! Didn’t you know? Our Ying Yuan here is a little queer girl! She likes girls, but she’s usually super reserved. She changes clothes in private and won’t even hold hands in public.
“Don’t let her little nun act fool you. She’s got a fiery heart hidden inside.
“We come to La La Bar to find dates, after all. No one here has simple intentions…”
The music exploded again, the massive speakers shaking the floor with a thunderous roar.
The noise crashed down like a muffled hammer blow against Yi Shanshan’s heart.
She looked at Ying Yuan, her hand still clasped in hers. She could feel Ying Yuan’s pulse throbbing at her fingertips, yet suddenly, an immeasurable distance seemed to stretch between them.
They stared at each other, strangers in the deafening silence.
“You’re… gay?” Yi Shanshan asked, her brow furrowed, her lips trembling.
Her voice was barely audible, swallowed by the music like a wisp of straw swept away by a raging current.
But Ying Yuan understood her question perfectly, reading it in her eyes. The moment had come for her to bear the full consequences of her truth. She nodded solemnly, acknowledging her true identity.
Whatever came next would be bearable. Yi Shanshan could fear her, hate her, curse her for taking advantage, demand a break, punish her, seek revenge… Anything would be better than this ambiguous entanglement, this stomach full of a thousand butterflies, each one threatening to burst free with every word she spoke.
“I am,” Ying Yuan said. “I always have been.”