Chapter 74: Tell You This Secret

(1)

In the warm room, I opened my eyes.

For a moment, it felt as if winter’s icy cold had been left behind, and I’d arrived in the days of spring when all things come alive.

Standing in front of Wang Xinru was a short girl.

Her hair just covered her ears, and there were teardrop moles under each eye.

Her delicate features made her look as cute as a doll.

So familiar, yet so strange.

“You finally woke up. How did you sleep?”

“Hey… An Jing?”

Wang Xinru struggled to raise her numb arm and awkwardly brushed away her bangs.

“Lunch break… is over…”

“What are you talking about? School’s already finished. How long did you sleep?”

An Jing snorted and laughed.

“Anyway… time to go home.”

“Hey…”

Wang Xinru lowered her head, looking at her hands.

Her voice sounded a little unsteady.

“You and Zhu Ying… are together now, right… is it… true?”

“Cough… Well… it’s true.”

An Jing suddenly didn’t know where to put her hands.

She licked her dry lips.

Even though the person in front of her was Wang Xinru, whom she hadn’t contacted for years, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

Back then, even though they were young, the talk about a future wedding felt so real.

“When did it… happen?”

She buried her head even lower.

“Just… last Saturday, because… a lot happened…”

An Jing twisted the corner of her mouth.

There was a bitter taste on the tip of her tongue.

“So… how did you… decide to be together?”

“Well, that day was her birthday, and then a bunch of things happened, and in the end, only Zhou Chao and I were there to celebrate with her. A lot happened that night, and the next day she came to my house and confessed…”

“I see… That’s nice.”

“Cough, actually, the reason is kind of complicated…”

An Jing glanced at the tightly closed door.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect I’d end up with her. After all, she’s the School Belle… I never even dared to think about it before… haha…”

“A wish come true, huh…”

Wang Xinru looked up.

Her face was wet, like she’d been caught in the rain.

Tears trailed down from her slightly raised cheeks, but she forced a smile.

“Now, you’re very happy, right?”

“You’re crying.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not crying…”

Wang Xinru widened her eyes and shook her head hard, as if trying to fling the tears away.

But, of course, that was impossible.

“You’re definitely crying.”

“I’m not!”

She grew a little angry, but after saying that, she couldn’t help but laugh through her tears.

“Don’t keep bringing that up!”

“Is your stomach hurting that much? Did it hurt so bad you cried?”

An Jing deliberately joked.

“You know it’s not because of my stomach.”

Wang Xinru suddenly relaxed.

“Every step forward is a finish line.”

“Huh?”

“Something you said before.”

“Oh.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I don’t even know when I said that. So, what’s it mean?”

“What were you thinking when you said it?”

“I don’t know. But I think, since every step is an ending, every step can also be a new beginning.”

An Jing smiled calmly.

“Do you still like me?”

“…Yes.”

Wang Xinru smiled bitterly.

“No reason.”

“Can’t be because you heard someone say I was 19 centimeters, right?”

“Ah!?“

Wang Xinru’s face instantly turned bright red.

“If that’s what you like, I can only tell you, uh, give up. It’s not there anymore.”

An Jing’s feelings were complicated as she spoke.

“A lot has happened, so I don’t know if I’ll ever change back.”

Wang Xinru stammered in panic.

“I-I… How could I… like someone… because of that kind of… thing…”

“You’re wavering inside.”

An Jing closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her pupils had turned gold.

“By the way, I can read minds.”

“Ah! No! Don’t look!”

“To be honest, the first time I saw it, I was shocked too, but…”

An Jing coughed, about to say something cool, but her cheeks turned hot.

“Ugh… like, what do you mean by even something small has its own ways to play?! And, don’t imagine pictures! Stop! I’m not a guy now, I’m a girl! You—you—why are there more images?! What kind of toy is that, stop it!”

On the chair, Wang Xinru covered her face with both hands, wishing she could crawl into a hole, but her mind wouldn’t stop racing.

Those vivid, impactful scenes crashed into An Jing’s mind, making her feel as if she were really being bullied in various positions for more than a dozen rounds.

“Stop, stop, Mind Reading, stop!!”

An Jing screamed in panic.

A few seconds later, the golden color in her pupils quickly faded and returned to normal.

The two stared at each other, faces red enough to drip water.

An Jing panicked and rushed to the door.

Just as she was about to open it, she suddenly froze.

“W-what’s wrong…?”

Wang Xinru asked, both shy and concerned.

“…It’s leaking out…”

An Jing’s voice trembled with tears.

***

(2)

“After that, I was with An Jing, so… you understand, right?”

In the warm Yi Wu Shi, Zhu Ying finally finished explaining everything.

Then she casually picked up the hot coffee An Jing had only taken two sips of and drank from it with both hands.

“Hey, I drank from that…”

“What does it matter if you did?”

Zhu Ying grinned mischievously.

“Anyway, you’re happy now, so you’ll drink from where I did later.”

“I’m not!”

“You were thinking that in your head~”

“Damn it… having a girlfriend who can see your thoughts is scary…”

“Only sometimes.”

“Who knows when you’ll get caught…”

Wang Xinru looked at An Jing, then at Zhu Ying, and nodded lightly.

“So that’s how it is. I get it now.”

“So, I’m not a guy anymore, and I don’t know when I might change back.”

“What if you can never turn back?”

“Wouldn’t that be best?”

Zhu Ying smiled easily.

“But, what about marriage? What do you tell your parents then…?”

“Uh—! That’s something for the future!”

An Jing answered before Zhu Ying could.

“We should get going. It’s almost completely dark.”

“Yeah.”

***

(3)

At the school gate, the air was cold and clear.

Most students had already left.

Only a few stragglers lingered in front of the small shop by the entrance.

The dim streetlights couldn’t reach far, and every person walking away seemed to vanish into endless darkness.

“I’ll go this way.”

Wang Xinru stopped.

“It’s closer.”

“Ah, okay… It’s so dark, be careful on your way.”

“Yeah.”

She smiled a little, relieved.

“It’s nice you turned into… a girl too.”

“Why?”

“This way, we can always be friends. Like sisters.”

“Uh…”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s okay.”

Zhu Ying smiled and answered for An Jing.

“Yeah!”

She nodded firmly, slung her bag, and ran off into the distance.

“See you tomorrow!”

“Bye…”

An Jing let out a long breath.

After explaining everything, she felt much lighter.

“It’s good to say things clearly after all…”

“You’re not thinking of telling this secret to everyone, are you?”

“Ah… definitely not…”

Zhu Ying puffed out her cheeks, pinched An Jing’s face, and tugged it up and down.

“Still staring? Look—at—me—!”

“Ah ah… I’m looking, I’m looking…”

“Is it nice?”

“Y-yeah, it’s nice…”

“Don’t just stand there, let’s go—”

Zhu Ying took An Jing’s hand.

The two girls pressed their palms together and walked across the slightly lonely intersection.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“If you really can’t turn back into a guy, will you be scared?”

“Don’t say such scary things… Of course, I’ll be scared.”

An Jing tugged at the corner of her mouth.

“But… even if I really can’t change back, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll leave you?”

An Jing turned her face slightly, looking at Zhu Ying’s delicate features.

She bit her lip lightly.

“I believe you won’t.”

“What if I really… abandon you?”

“T-then I’ll be really, really angry…”

“Will you get revenge on me?”

An Jing turned her head, her voice trembling.

“But even then, there’s nothing I can do… I won’t stop anyone from seeking their own happiness…”

“Would you just watch me walk away with someone else?”

“But… but what can I do… if I can never turn back…”

Zhu Ying circled to the other side, holding An Jing’s face with both hands.

Staring into her flushed, slightly evasive eyes.

“I won’t leave you. I’ll always stay by your side. Always, always.”

But instead of comforting her, it only made her tears fall uncontrollably onto Zhu Ying’s hand.

“You say it like it’s a joke… I don’t know… if you’re… mocking me…”

Zhu Ying reached out and touched the Blue Meteorite hanging from An Jing’s neck.

The moment she touched it, a deep blue glow began to radiate.

She stared straight into those golden eyes.

Her baby-round face filled with seriousness.

“Now… do you believe what I say?”

‘I had a dream. In the dream, ten years passed. Every day of those ten years was so real. Every day, I remembered clearly. Every day, you were there. So, no matter what you become, I’ll always be with you. Because you’re the hero who saved my world.’

“Ah…”

An Jing’s eyes widened.

The girl’s lips gently pressed against hers.

This was the first time she tasted the flavor of another tongue.