Xu Shi was a complete mess, her mind unable to process what was happening.
What was she doing?
Had she just stuck her tongue in?
What was Yu Lingshan doing?
Was Yu Lingshan biting her tongue?
The candy flavor in Yu Lingshan’s mouth was strong. At first, Xu Shi had only meant to touch tentatively, but Yu Lingshan was just too fragrant, and her breathing was so rapid it was almost a pant.
“Xiao Zhi, don’t hold back.”
“Don’t hold back.”
“Don’t…”
Xu Shi gripped her skirt tightly, her eyes also closed. Yu Lingshan’s lips were soft, and so was her tongue. Their faces were pressed together.
Even though it was slow and gentle, it felt like Yu Lingshan was kissing her breathless.
After an unknown amount of time, a sudden “thud” echoed in the air.
Xu Shi jumped in fright, and the two of them pulled apart.
They both looked toward the source of the sound. It turned out to be the lipstick Yu Lingshan had been holding.
But Yu Lingshan didn’t immediately pick it up. She let out a soft sigh at the lipstick, then lowered her head to rest her forehead on Xu Shi’s shoulder.
The air was deathly quiet, and Xu Shi’s heart was pounding erratically. She tried her best to keep her breathing steady and attempted to find a rational explanation within the tangled mess of her thoughts.
A few minutes later, Yu Lingshan suddenly let out a soft, “Hm?”
She lifted her head and leaned toward the mirror. “My lipstick is smudged.”
After saying that, she looked at Xu Shi and smiled. “Look in the mirror.”
Xu Shi obediently looked in the mirror and saw that her own lipstick was smeared down from the corner of her mouth.
Yu Lingshan handed two cotton swabs to Xu Shi. Xu Shi took one and was about to wipe her own mouth when Yu Lingshan leaned in. “Help me clean it off.”
Xu Shi immediately changed the direction of the cotton swab, dabbing it below Yu Lingshan’s lips.
After Xu Shi had used one end of the swab, she heard Yu Lingshan speak again. “You’re not going to ignore me now, are you, Xu Xiao Zhi?”
Xu Shi’s gaze dropped, and she suddenly felt a little wronged. “Why would I ignore you?”
Yu Lingshan scoffed. “Haven’t you ignored me plenty of times?”
Xu Shi said weakly, “I haven’t, have I?”
Yu Lingshan didn’t argue with her further, but her expression didn’t suggest she had lost the argument.
After Xu Shi finished cleaning Yu Lingshan’s lipstick, Yu Lingshan went to reapply her own. But she didn’t forget about Xu Shi, using the same brush on Xu Shi’s lips after she was done with hers.
After a quick touch-up, the two of them headed out.
Xu Shi was actually very nervous and bewildered, but Yu Lingshan’s entire demeanor at this moment was as if nothing had just happened, as if they had simply done their makeup.
Not just this time, but the two times yesterday also seemed as if they had never occurred.
A heavy feeling settled in Xu Shi’s chest.
Yu Lingshan said they might be drinking tonight, so she had called a car.
Right now, both of them were in the back seat. Rush hour traffic had them stuck on the road. The driver didn’t have any music on, so aside from the endless honking coming from outside, the car was relatively quiet.
Yu Lingshan rested her hand on the edge of the window frame, one leg crossed over the other. She had maintained a distance from Xu Shi ever since getting in the car and hadn’t said a word.
Since Yu Lingshan wasn’t talking, Xu Shi naturally didn’t know what to say either. Logically, she should have been nervous about meeting Teacher Wu soon, but she had no mental space for that at all. Her mind was completely filled with the image of her and Yu Lingshan kissing.
How could she have the nerve to call Yu Lingshan inexplicable? Weren’t you the same, Xu Shi?
“Xu Xiao Zhi,” Yu Lingshan suddenly called her name.
Xu Shi immediately snapped back to reality. “Hm?”
Yu Lingshan: “What are you thinking about?”
Xu Shi: “N-nothing.”
Yu Lingshan gave a faint “mhm.” “I should apologize to you.”
Xu Shi: “Huh? For what?”
Yu Lingshan: “Take a wild guess, and you’ll get it.”
Xu Shi did indeed take a wild guess, and she got it.
She lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers. “It’s fine.”
But upon hearing her say it was fine, Yu Lingshan suddenly laughed, and she laughed so obviously, as if afraid Xu Shi wouldn’t hear her.
“It’s fine, huh?”
There was a hidden meaning in Yu Lingshan’s words. Xu Shi hesitated for half a second before replying, “It’s fine.”
Yu Lingshan asked, “So, there can be a next time?”
Xu Shi’s mouth moved a few times, but no answer came out. Just then, her phone rang.
A life-saving call. Xu Shi let out a long sigh of relief and quickly answered it.
“Mom.”
“Are you working overtime today? You said you were coming home around five.”
Xu Shi said, “Oh, oh. I have something on tonight, so I won’t be home for dinner.”
Her mother complained, “If you weren’t coming back, you should have said so earlier. I’ve already cooked.”
Xu Shi: “Ah, I forgot.”
Mom: “Is it overtime?”
Xu Shi: “No.”
Her mother paused for a moment on the other end, then asked, “Are you with your new friend?”
Xu Shi turned to glance at Yu Lingshan. “How did you know?”
Her mother suddenly went quiet.
Xu Shi explained, “This young lady, she knows a very impressive teacher. We’re going to meet that teacher tonight.”
Her mother let out a long “oh.” “You’re not going empty-handed, are you?”
Xu Shi hesitated, “Uh…”
Her mother sounded helpless. “Honestly, child. How can you go see a teacher empty-handed?”
Xu Shi: “I’ll go buy something in a bit.”
“You definitely should,” her mother said, sighing again. “By the way, I gave your WeChat to the auntie downstairs. She said her nephew will add you in a bit, so keep an eye out.”
A lump formed in Xu Shi’s throat. It took her a long time to say, “Got it.”
It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but after hanging up, Xu Shi didn’t know what was wrong with her. She glanced at Yu Lingshan with a guilty conscience.
Yu Lingshan immediately noticed something was off. “What’s wrong?”
Xu Shi shook her head. “Nothing.”
Yu Lingshan: “Spit it out.”
Just then, her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. A message popped up: A new friend named Fan Xin has sent you a friend request.
Yu Lingshan only glanced at her phone before saying, “Your blind date added you?”
Xu Shi’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know?”
“A guess,” Yu Lingshan scoffed. “And I guessed right.”
Damn it.
Xu Shi didn’t plan to accept the request right away, but her mother sent her a message—two long voice messages.
Xu Shi converted them all to text. Her mother said, “Daughter, Xiao Liu has already added you. Go ahead and accept it. Let me know when you have, the auntie is waiting too.”
Xu Shi frowned.
It was the first time she had seen her mother in such a hurry.
She had met a few people her age before, but her mother’s attitude had always been the same as hers—let fate decide, and let Xu Shi decide. It was unlike this time, where she was practically pushing Xu Shi along, getting anxious if she didn’t move.
Xu Shi had no choice but to press accept and send a screenshot to her mother.
Xu Shi: Added him. I’m a bit busy, we’ll talk later.
Mom: Okay, you focus on your work.
Putting her phone away, Xu Shi glanced over at Yu Lingshan and saw her staring motionlessly out the car window.
Xu Shi felt an inexplicable panic. She thought for a moment, then started a topic. “Hey, that flower is purple.”
Yu Lingshan: “If you don’t know what to talk about, you don’t have to say anything.”
Xu Shi: “Oh.”
After a while, Yu Lingshan asked, “How old are you?”
Before Xu Shi could answer, Yu Lingshan said it herself, “22.”
Xu Shi: “Mhm.”
Yu Lingshan: “At what age do you plan to get married?”
Again, before Xu Shi could speak, Yu Lingshan cut her off. “Forget it, I don’t want to know.”
For the long stretch of the journey that followed, Xu Shi kept trying to speak, but every time she thought of something new, she would feel that whatever it was wasn’t worth discussing in Yu Lingshan’s eyes, so she gave up.
This atmosphere lasted until the car reached its destination, at which point Xu Shi suddenly realized, “Ah! I didn’t buy a gift.”
Yu Lingshan: “I bought one.”
Xu Shi: “When did you buy it?”
Yu Lingshan: “What was that you were carrying downstairs just now?”
Xu Shi let out a long “oh.” “So it was that. What’s inside?”
“Wine, tea, and a tea set,” Yu Lingshan said with a laugh. “You didn’t even ask?”
Xu Shi: “I have unconditional faith in you.”
Yu Lingshan closed her eyes for a moment. “I don’t like you being a sweet-talker today.”
Xu Shi was disappointed. “Okay.”
Yu Lingshan sighed. “Forget it, I still like it.”
After saying that, Yu Lingshan gave Xu Shi a smile. It was so fake that Xu Shi couldn’t help but laugh, and then Yu Lingshan herself laughed too.
Xu Shi was still the one carrying the box. When they got to the elevator, Yu Lingshan very naturally linked her arm with Xu Shi’s.
When they arrived at Elder He’s home, Xu Shi found it bustling with activity, the air filled with the aroma of hot pot.
An auntie opened the door for them. When Elder He saw that Yu Lingshan had brought something, she immediately said, “Why did you bring a gift?”
Yu Lingshan patted Xu Shi’s shoulder. “She bought it for you all. It has nothing to do with me.”
Xu Shi smiled at Elder He. “Hello, Teacher.”
Elder He: “Hello, hello, come on in.”
Xu Shi handed the gift to the auntie. During this exchange, Elder He shot Yu Lingshan a look, jerking her chin toward Xu Shi.
Yu Lingshan smiled and nodded at Elder He.
Not only were Elder He and Teacher Wu present, but their partners were as well. After they all gathered in the living room and chatted for a bit about recent events, they moved to the dining table.
Throughout the meal, it was mainly the elders who chatted, though Xu Shi also participated a little.
Teacher Wu asked her a few questions about her classes, mentioned that he had spoken with Teacher Zhang, and finally asked her what ideas she had for the preliminary round.
Xu Shi answered each question seriously.
While they were talking, Elder He on the other side suddenly raised her glass toward Yu Lingshan. “She’s very well-behaved.”
Yu Lingshan also raised her glass, looking somewhat proud. “She has her moments of not being well-behaved, too.”
Elder He laughed. “Oh my,” she took a token sip. “Her name is Xu… Xu Zhi? Is that right?”
Yu Lingshan shook her head. “It’s Xu Shi, the ‘shi’ from ‘knowledge.’ ‘Xiao Zhi’ is what I call her.”
“I knew it. Liyang clearly told me her name was Xu Shi,” Elder He shook her head again. “It’s great to be young.”
The atmosphere of the meal was exceptionally good. Xu Shi eventually blended in completely and even chatted with the two teachers about her family.
When they were leaving, Elder He gave Xu Shi several bags of dried fruit, saying they had just been brought back and were especially delicious, and that she should take them home to share.
Xu Shi was too embarrassed to accept, but Yu Lingshan took them for her and even said thank you on her behalf.
The two left amidst Elder He’s farewell of “come again next time.”
Once in the car, Yu Lingshan instantly reverted to her old self. Before Xu Shi could even get settled, Yu Lingshan leaned against her.
“Oh no,” Yu Lingshan said, linking her arm with Xu Shi’s. “I’m so full.”
Xu Shi laughed. “You ate too much.”
Yu Lingshan looked up. “Did I eat a lot?”
Xu Shi immediately replied, “Not at all.”
“But you,” Yu Lingshan stroked Xu Shi’s chin. “And you call yourself socially anxious? You were chatting quite happily today.”
Xu Shi smiled. “The two teachers felt very approachable.”
Yu Lingshan smiled at Xu Shi, her eyes holding a hint of gratification. Then she gave the driver the name of Xu Shi’s residential complex. “I’ll take you home first.”
Xu Shi: “No, don’t. You drank. I should take you home first.”
Yu Lingshan suddenly bit down, nipping Xu Shi’s shoulder through her clothes. Xu Shi gasped on the spot.
Yu Lingshan released her. “Not going to listen?”
How could Xu Shi dare? “I’ll listen.”
Yu Lingshan: “Who gets dropped off first?”
Xu Shi: “Me.”
Yu Lingshan: “Good girl.”
The ride back didn’t take as long as the ride there. Not only was the traffic smooth, but they also hit almost all green lights.
So, in less than ten minutes, they arrived downstairs at Xu Shi’s complex.
Yu Lingshan got out of the car with Xu Shi, saying she would walk with her for a bit.
“I’ll walk you to your building.”
Xu Shi: “You don’t have to. You should go home too.”
Yu Lingshan looked at her. “You’re rejecting me.”
Xu Shi smiled helplessly. “That’s not it.”
Yu Lingshan: “If it’s not a no, then let’s go.”
Xu Shi was no match for Yu Lingshan’s stubbornness. Whatever Yu Lingshan wanted to do, she did. What could Xu Shi do about it?
So, the two of them entered the complex together.
Xu Shi’s home was in the middle of the complex. While the walk wasn’t long enough to digest a meal, it was still good to walk a little.
And this time, when Xu Shi pointed out the flowers along the path, Yu Lingshan no longer called her boring.
The two of them chatted about this and that until they reached the bottom of Xu Shi’s building. But unexpectedly, sitting on the steps of the main entrance was a person Xu Shi never wanted to see again in her life.
Yu Lingshan saw her too. She asked, “What is she doing here?”
Xu Shi: “I don’t know.”
Yu Lingshan suddenly smiled. “I think I might know.”
Xu Shi: “What do you know?”
But Yu Lingshan didn’t answer. She asked Xu Shi, “Do you know how to curse, baby?”
Xu Shi: “I do… I think?”
Yu Lingshan: “The hell you do.”
Yu Lingshan quickly taught her a few phrases, then suddenly gave her a push, sending Xu Shi forward.
With that movement, Ying Jie saw Xu Shi. She scrambled up from the steps.
But it was unclear if she had genuinely stood up too fast and swayed, or if she was just putting on an act. As soon as she stood, she stumbled forward, then backward, acting for all she was worth.
Xu Shi watched with a cold expression.
A few seconds later, Ying Jie started walking toward Xu Shi.
But after two steps, she saw Yu Lingshan. For some reason, she immediately burst into tears.
“Xiao Shi, can you help me, please?”
In the time it took to say that one sentence, tears were already streaming down Ying Jie’s face.
Xu Shi remembered. Back then, Ying Jie had cried just like this in front of her.
Xu Shi felt a wave of physical revulsion.
Seeing Ying Jie about to grab her hand, Xu Shi quickly dodged. “What are you doing?”
Ying Jie sniffled hard. “Xiao Shi, you know my dad has always thought I’m useless.”
Xu Shi: “And? What does that have to do with me?”
Ying Jie: “So can you… can you not participate in this competition?”
Xu Shi laughed. “Ying Jie, do you have any fucking shame? How can you be so despicable?”
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