My Straight Girlfriend with Skin Hunger Syndrome - Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Ying Yuan’s breakfast was ruined.
Yi Shanshan had indeed arrived with her entourage.
A dazzling group of handsome men and beautiful women, dressed as if they’d just stepped off a fashion runway, swaggered into the cafeteria with an air of supreme arrogance.
Every head in the room turned—students hastily slurping their congee, the cafeteria auntie’s eyes widening behind her rice spoon, the security guard basking in the morning sun by the entrance—all eyes fixed on the newcomers, all mouths agape in silent awe.
Except for Ying Yuan and Lina.
Heads bowed low, they pretended the obvious commotion didn’t exist, whispering in hushed tones, not even exchanging glances, just mechanically shoveling food into their mouths.
The cacophony of footsteps gradually drew closer. Ying Yuan caught a whiff of perfume, though she didn’t recognize the brand. Its exotic fragrance stood out sharply against the cafeteria’s mundane atmosphere.
The group finally reached their table. Lina crammed a steamed bun into her mouth, while Ying Yuan’s chopsticks froze mid-air.
The perfume’s fragrance intensified. Even in her peripheral vision, Ying Yuan could see a blur of vibrant colors. Someone’s coat brushed against her shoulder—a brief, light collision, like a stone shattering the surface of frozen water.
Ying Yuan didn’t look up, and the group didn’t pause.
Soon, the complex swirl of colors passed Ying Yuan, moving from behind her to in front, and continued down the central aisle of the cafeteria.
Lina: “She bumped into you.”
Ying Yuan: “Who?”
Lina: “I saw her—Yi Shanshan.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Ying Yuan looked up and continued eating. The crowd ahead had reached the serving counters, their boisterous chatter and confident laughter echoing through the hall.
Yi Shanshan stood among them, silent, her arms crossed, watching with a smug smile—the picture of a pampered, noble princess surrounded by her court.
Lina: “She did it on purpose.”
Ying Yuan: “Did what?”
Lina: “Bumped into you on purpose.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Ying Yuan lowered her head and took another bite of her stir-fried noodles. “It was just a brush. No big deal.”
Lina bristled. “That was a provocation!”
Ying Yuan sighed softly. “Just eat quickly and let’s get out of here.”
Lina wholeheartedly agreed with this strategy of avoiding conflict. “Yeah, let’s hurry and leave. Otherwise, she’ll probably pretend to accidentally bump into you with her tray and spill soup all over you…”
Ying Yuan: “……”
It sounded absurd, but Ying Yuan could easily imagine Yi Shanshan pulling it off.
Of course, if Yi Shanshan were to act, the focus wouldn’t be on spilling soup all over her, but rather… “accidentally” bumping into her.
Ying Yuan glanced down at her chest. She was wearing a freshly laundered cotton hoodie today. Thank goodness, she thought, the fabric should feel decent.
Lina tapped her tray. “What are you spacing out about? Eat up.”
“Oh,” Ying Yuan replied.
They had just arrived themselves, so they couldn’t exactly rush.
Yi Shanshan and her group quickly finished their meal. The boys bustled about fetching things while the girls strolled back gracefully, hands empty.
Despite the near-empty cafeteria and ample seating, they didn’t choose any of the available tables. Laughing and chatting, they slowly made their way back to Ying Yuan and Lina’s table.
Lina’s hackles nearly rose. “Damn it…”
Ying Yuan instinctively looked at Yi Shanshan, but their eyes didn’t meet. From this low angle, Yi Shanshan seemed even more haughty and unattainable. She clearly didn’t care who was around or what might happen. Even her blinks were slow and languid.
This time, not even the hem of her skirt brushed against Ying Yuan as Yi Shanshan and her entourage passed. They settled at the table directly in front of her.
The boys carrying the supplies swarmed over, encircling the table. They bustled about, arranging food, wiping the table with wet wipes, and even twisting open the bottle caps before placing the drinks on the table.
Yi Shanshan didn’t have to lift a finger, or even say a word. She simply wore a faint, captivating smile.
Yet with the boys surrounding the girls, and the girls surrounding her, she was clearly the one being served, the one truly adored among them.
All of this unfolded before Ying Yuan’s eyes.
No wonder they picked this table—it’s practically Ying Yuan’s prime viewing spot.
Ying Yuan lowered her head and continued eating her noodles.
Though she couldn’t see them anymore, their voices still carried.
They were chatting about things Ying Yuan had never heard Yi Shanshan mention:
A grand gala is being held, and Yi Shanshan has been specially invited to perform on the same stage as celebrities.
A senior from another department, on the verge of graduation, has been relentlessly pursuing Yi Shanshan, even missing job fairs at major companies.
It’s not just boys chasing after Yi Shanshan—girls too! In class, someone sang a heartfelt confession mid-lecture, embarrassing the teacher so much he had to excuse himself.
“Shanshan, why don’t you date someone?” someone asked. “Any one of them would be so interesting!”
“What’s the point of dating?” Yi Shanshan drawled casually. “Hanging out with friends is way more fun.”
“With as many friends as you have, I bet it is.”
“I don’t consider just anyone a friend,” Yi Shanshan said with a laugh, her tone teasing. “So you guys better behave! If you piss me off, I’ll just trade you all out.”
“Ooh, we’re so scared…” the group chorused mockingly.
Lina muttered under her breath, “So popular… Why bother messing with us when she’s so busy?”
Ying Yuan finished her meal and stood up. “They’re just here to eat. It has nothing to do with us.”
Lina stole several glances back. The group was laughing and chatting, not even looking in their direction.
Suspicious, Lina cleared her tray and followed Ying Yuan out of the cafeteria.
After returning their trays, the pair stepped out of the cafeteria into the warm morning sun, its brilliance dazzling.
Lina frowned, still puzzled. “Are they really not here to cause trouble? No bumping into you with their trays, no pebbles in your food, no tripping you, no soda bottle smash over the head…?”
Ying Yuan sighed. “…You, you should watch less Korean dramas.”
“What are they doing here then?” Lina asked. “Aren’t they all from the music academy? Their campus is across the street from ours, their cafeteria’s way better, and their classrooms aren’t even over here…”
Ying Yuan couldn’t answer those questions either. She was puzzled by Yi Shanshan’s behavior.
Or rather, she was puzzled by the fact that Yi Shanshan had come all the way to see her but hadn’t taken any direct action.
At least… as Lina suggested, she could have pretended to accidentally bump into her.
The cotton hoodie hadn’t been used after all.
Ying Yuan sighed softly and forced a plausible explanation: “Maybe they just happened to have a class on this campus today.”
Lina: “…Maybe. Still, they’re really putting in the effort, showing up for an 8 a.m. class with full makeup.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Lina shuddered. “So trendy, it’s practically giving me rheumatism.”
The two made their way to class and drowsily endured a physics lecture.
As they left the building between classes, they ran into that conspicuous group again.
Yi Shanshan, clutching a stack of books to her chest, strolled through the crowd, her radiant smile embodying the stereotypical campus belle from a movie scene.
Lina stared wide-eyed. “There really is a class here?”
Ying Yuan: “Mm… let’s not jump to conclusions about people.”
After another long lecture, it was lunchtime. The meal passed uneventfully, but as Ying Yuan returned to her dorm for a nap, she spotted Yi Shanshan again.
This time, she wasn’t surrounded by so many people. Only two girls accompanied her.
The girl on her left had her arm linked through Yi Shanshan’s, while the girl on her right walked so close she nearly bumped into her, their closeness palpable.
Ying Yuan: “……”
Lina: “……”
There was only one class in the afternoon—Modern History. Lina slept through most of it, while Ying Yuan spent an hour working on homework.
As soon as they left the classroom, Yi Shanshan breezed past them.
Lina: “……She changed her outfit.”
Ying Yuan: “Mm.”
Lina: “Do beautiful girls wear a different outfit every morning and afternoon?”
Ying Yuan: “……Maybe she just has a lot of clothes.”
Lina: “Why do I have this feeling we’re going to run into her at dinner?”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Lina: “Let’s just head back to the dorm and ask our roommate to bring us food.”
Ying Yuan: “Okay.”
Ying Yuan: “But I still need to go to the library tonight.”
Lina: “I know, I know—your ironclad routine. Ironclad…”
Lina paused, casting a sidelong glance at Ying Yuan. “If it’s a path you must take, then you’re guaranteed to run into Yi Shanshan. That’s the pattern I’ve deduced today. Wanna bet?”
Ying Yuan: “????”
Lina: “Yi Shanshan will definitely be at the library tonight.”
This is too much, way too much, Ying Yuan thought.
A question rose from the depths of her soul: “If you think Yi Shanshan is deliberately showing up in front of us, then why would she go through such a time-consuming and exhausting charade? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to just do whatever she wants directly?”
Lina frowned, deep in thought. “She must have her reasons. Ordinary bullying schemes are too obvious and leave too much evidence. What she’s playing with you now is… psychological warfare.”
“Exactly! Psychological warfare!” Lina’s eyes lit up as if struck by divine insight. “She’ll do the opposite of what you expect, constantly reappearing to provoke your nerves while simultaneously lulling you into a false sense of security. That way, when the critical moment comes, she can strike decisively and shatter your psychological defenses.”
Ying Yuan: “……”
Lina: “Don’t you feel a mix of fear and anticipation toward her right now?”
Ying Yuan swallowed, unable to deny Lina’s final point.
When you’re constantly wondering what Yi Shanshan is up to, when every time you step outside or turn a corner, you half-expect to bump into her, you’re undeniably anticipating her.
Moreover, Ying Yuan knew deep down that Yi Shanshan wasn’t trying to bully her—she just wanted to hold her.
She just wants to press her entire body against mine, that soft, fragrant body, her humming, cooing voice, those slightly cold fingertips that always trace patterns across my skin…
Ying Yuan took a deep breath, feeling her cheeks flush.
Lina: “So the best thing is to avoid the library altogether. Just study in the dorm.”
“No,” Ying Yuan replied, as if her mind were possessed by a demon, turning her into a gambler diving headfirst into a dangerous game. “Let’s make a bet.”