Chapter 25: Borrowing

Bai Xue was feeling a bit frustrated as she stared out the window, when suddenly she felt a warm touch behind her, followed by petite arms wrapping around her shoulders and neck.

“Hmm?”

She instinctively let out a puzzled sound and turned her head, seeing Jiang Ling’s awkward expression.

Her own face relaxed instantly as she asked, “Did something happen?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that…”

Jiang Ling muttered, not moving an inch.

“Are you here for training?”

Bai Xue chuckled softly, placing her hand over Jiang Ling’s.

She didn’t respond to Jiang Ling’s earlier words, as if she hadn’t heard them at all.

Jiang Ling, though not good with words and even worse at socializing, understood this was Bai Xue’s subtle signal: don’t ask any more.

If she crossed that line, it would be an offense to the other person.

Jiang Ling was innately afraid of such things, so she instinctively tried to change the subject.

But at this close distance, she could clearly see the cracks beneath Bai Xue’s perfect smile.

Unlike her usual big-sisterly demeanor, Bai Xue now looked more like a pitiful girl who had lost her way and hadn’t been home for a long time, yet still kept a gentle and polite distance that bound their connection.

Indeed, this was only natural.

After all, they had known each other for just a few months, not even close enough to be called best friends.

Asking too much would surely make the other even more uncomfortable.

Being an observer was the best choice.

After a not-so-thorough analysis, Jiang Ling came to this conclusion.

She immediately tried to pull her hand back.

The sound of skin brushing was so faint, Jiang Ling could clearly hear her own heartbeat.

It was beating restlessly.

Bai Xue felt Jiang Ling’s body stiffen, so she showed a smile no different from usual, planning to tease her with a familiar joke, “If this keeps up, you’ll never want to leave my embrace—”

“Then please hold me tight!”

Cutting off Bai Xue’s words was Jiang Ling’s almost desperate shout.

Because she was in such a rush, her voice was a bit hoarse, but it was so direct and forceful that Bai Xue was stunned on the spot.

Jiang Ling hugged her tightly again, whispering softly in her ear, “I… like embraces. They’re so warm.”

As if searching for some excuse, clumsy yet honest.

Bai Xue didn’t speak for a long time, so quiet it seemed she had fallen asleep.

Then, under Jiang Ling’s nervous gaze, she pushed away those slightly trembling hands that were wrapped around her.

Was it rejection?

Rejection of her company in such an indirect way, and refusal to let her peek into the heart Bai Xue didn’t want to show to others.

Jiang Ling, rare in her bravery, shrank back at this result, turning her eyes away as if to escape, but her feet felt like they were filled with lead and wouldn’t move.

So weak.

She mocked herself, and when she looked up, she found the light had been overshadowed by a large shadow.

“Ha… You really are impossible to deal with.”

The words, almost a sigh, drifted through the air.

Jiang Ling realized she had fallen into Bai Xue’s embrace.

As always, it was scorching hot, but the force of the embrace was far stronger than before.

“I can’t guarantee what might happen in the future.”

Bai Xue seemed to say this unconsciously.

Jiang Ling didn’t really understand, so she simply wrapped her arms around Bai Xue, closed her eyes, and listened to the rhythm of their heartbeats.

About two minutes, or maybe five minutes later, Bai Xue finally released her arms.

The moment their eyes met, her smile was as radiant as ever.

“Come sleep in my Room tonight?”

“Huh?”

Jiang Ling was completely dumbfounded.

How did things end up like this?!

“If you don’t come, I’ll put you on ice.”

Bai Xue threatened with a sweet voice that was almost terrifying.

“You, you, you, you’re such a shameless scoundrel!”

Jiang Ling shouted in indignation.

“I could hear you two from so far away. Are you arguing?”

Fang Wannian, who had come to practice, pushed open the door, set her bag aside, and looked at the two in the middle of their tug-of-war with great interest.

“No, you guys are here to practice, right? I’ll head back to my Room to take care of something.”

Bai Xue shook her head crisply, then left with a flourish, leaving Jiang Ling still in a daze.

“Still staring—”

Fang Wannian frowned slightly, her cool tone making Jiang Ling quickly avert her gaze.

For some reason, her back felt a little cold.

She didn’t say anything more, and while adjusting the Sound System, casually asked, “How’s your Action practice going?”

“I’ve got all the solo Actions down. For some details, I’m planning to ask Xiao Yu about them later, but the partner Actions…”

Since they hadn’t choreographed them yet, Jiang Ling didn’t continue.

“Mm, not bad. Let’s run through it once.”

At the sound of this, Fang Wannian seemed fairly satisfied.

She started the Music and quickly entered practice mode with Jiang Ling.

When the song ended, Fang Wannian looked somewhat surprised at Jiang Ling, who had stopped seriously.

Though still an amateur, compared to her half-dead state before, she had improved a lot.

Clearly, it was muscle memory built up from daily practice.

Thinking of this, Fang Wannian’s gaze softened.

“Now let’s go through our partnered Actions. Nothing hard, I’ll practice with you a few more times.”

“Mm, okay.”

Jiang Ling couldn’t help but feel Fang Wannian was especially easy to talk to today, so she nodded obediently and walked over to her side to start practicing.

“Here, I should hold your waist…”

Fang Wannian followed the moves on the screen and put her arm around Jiang Ling.

Though Jiang Ling still felt a bit ticklish, she blushed and endured it for the sake of practice, carefully memorizing the Actions.

Although Jiang Ling’s movements were still a bit stiff, at least there were no difficulties.

The first half of the routine went smoothly.

Then came the second half.

“Come here and spin, then, hmm.”

Fang Wannian’s voice sounded a little puzzled as she stared at the screen in a daze.

Jiang Ling was curious and leaned over for a look.

In the center of the screen, the female role had her back to the camera, arms wrapped around the male’s neck, pulling down—then a Kiss.

Oh, the Action is a Kiss…

A Kiss?!

Jiang Ling realized that she and Fang Wannian were supposed to perform this move too, and she instantly panicked, crying out, “Um, this, this!”

“Shut up.” Fang Wannian felt her eardrums were about to burst.

“It just shows the preparation for a Kiss here, who knows if they actually kissed.”

Oh right, they could use camera angles!

Jiang Ling let out a sigh of relief.

After all, at this point, a Kiss was still way too difficult for her, sob sob…

“Let’s try it.”

With that, Fang Wannian pulled Jiang Ling in front of her, took the proper dance stance, and lowered herself a bit.

“Grab my collar.”

“Like this?”

Jiang Ling gingerly hooked her hand around it.

“Tsk, use some force, did you skip lunch?!”

Hearing Fang Wannian’s impatient voice, Jiang Ling steeled herself and yanked the collar with all her strength.

In an instant, the distance between them shrank rapidly.

Looking down through the collar she had pulled up, she seemed to glimpse fair skin, a pronounced collarbone, and—

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Jiang Ling coughed heavily, quickly looking away.

This must be what they call an irresistible force!

Seeing her not move for so long, Fang Wannian’s voice took on an urging tone, “Hurry up, we still have more Actions to go.”

Sensing her seriousness, Jiang Ling couldn’t help but feel that her own fussiness was a bit pretentious.

So she reached out with her other hand and placed it over Fang Wannian’s lips.

The touch was soft, making her want to linger.

“Here, just a camera angle is fine, right…”