Chapter 35: I’m about to pretend I can’t go on

Why was she here?

This question rose quietly in Su Yao’s mind.

Mu Nanqiu didn’t look like she was in a good mood, but it wasn’t directed at Su Yao, so Su Yao didn’t feel any pressure.

However, the girl who was holding Su Yao’s arm was clearly having a hard time—being stared at so coldly by Mu Nanqiu was extremely uncomfortable.

The girl loosened her grip on Su Yao’s arm, smiling awkwardly as she tried to explain.

“We… we were actually just exercising.

Yes, just exercising.

It’s too cold outside, haha…”

No one was buying that excuse—not even herself.

As for Mu Nanqiu, she said nothing, only casting a frosty gaze at the girl.

That alone was enough to weigh heavily on the girl’s mind; at this moment, she felt like a mouse being eyed by a wildcat.

Mu Xuejie was a good person, but her family background was definitely not something this girl could mess with.

“Well, Mu Xuejie, I have something to do. I’ll head off first.”

Under such enormous pressure, the girl swallowed nervously, grabbed a random excuse, and scurried away with her tail between her legs.

After the girl left, Mu Nanqiu’s expression softened.

She looked at the timid Su Yao and sighed lightly.

The atmosphere around her had become strange lately; it was probably someone causing trouble.

Mu Nanqiu didn’t care much about those annoyances aimed at herself, but the ones targeting Su Yao annoyed her greatly.

She stepped closer to Su Yao, concern evident in her voice.

“Did they do anything to you?”

Those caring words made Su Yao flinch.

She straightened up slightly and glanced shyly at Mu Nanqiu nearby before answering softly.

“It’s nothing…”

“That’s good. Are you going to eat now?”

Su Yao said nothing but nodded slightly.

At that moment, Mu Nanqiu had a small idea and said,

“Perfect timing, I’m heading to the cafeteria too. Let’s go together.”

“…”

Su Yao frowned, puzzled, looking up at Mu Nanqiu.

Mu Nanqiu seemed to be waiting for her to look up.

Their eyes met for a second, and Su Yao felt as if she’d been electrified, trembling slightly before quickly turning her gaze to the distant plants and trees.

But her mind had already drifted far away.

What did she mean?

Su Yao couldn’t understand.

She had thought she was just an inconspicuous weed in Mu Nanqiu’s eyes—just another ordinary student at this school.

But that look just now felt strange.

Bright and gentle as flowing water, completely unlike the cold, biting chill she’d shown earlier.

“Come on, why stand here in the wind?”

“I… well…”

Mu Nanqiu urged Su Yao on, but Su Yao remained still.

Eat with Mu Nanqiu again?

Of course, Su Yao wanted to—who would refuse to have a meal with such a pretty girl?

But all the trouble today seemed to have started after she got close to Mu Nanqiu.

Nobody at school would have bothered with her if not for that.

Eating together in a crowded, enclosed place like the cafeteria was basically announcing to everyone that they had some sort of relationship.

Wouldn’t that draw a ton of unwanted attention to herself?

So Su Yao hesitated, but Mu Nanqiu wasn’t going to let her off so easily.

“Su Yao, did you misunderstand what I meant?”

Mu Nanqiu was almost half a head taller, allowing her to look down at Su Yao.

Now she bent slightly forward, bringing her face very close to Su Yao’s—so close that Su Yao could feel the warmth of her breath.

The sudden closeness made Su Yao nervous, but she didn’t retreat or dodge.

She bit her thin lips lightly, bracing herself for whatever Mu Nanqiu might do next.

When their faces were only ten centimeters apart… Mu Nanqiu suddenly stopped.

“First, you’re not allowed to drink because you get drunk too easily. Second, I don’t want you hanging out with Hua Mingye because I don’t want you to learn bad habits from her.”

Her voice was magical—so close, so gentle, the soft, magnetic tone entering Su Yao’s ears and stirring an itch deep in her heart.

Mu Nanqiu straightened up, instantly widening the space between them.

That gentle warmth vanished, leaving only the chill of winter.

Su Yao snapped out of her daze and, when she thought about those two sentences just now, was surprised, even disbelieving.

She looked up at Mu Nanqiu, who was smiling and looking right back at her.

Su Yao stammered.

“You, I… we…”

“This time, I’m being very clear, alright?” Mu Nanqiu didn’t explicitly say what she meant.

Instead, she stretched out her hand in front of Su Yao.

That small gesture startled Su Yao.

Seeing Su Yao hesitate, Mu Nanqiu took the initiative.

She grabbed Su Yao’s small hand that was trying to pull away, making Su Yao gasp in surprise.

Looking at Su Yao’s flushed face, she said,

“There’s a rehearsal at the Third Conference Hall this afternoon. I’ll be there.”

Su Yao’s hand was icy cold, and the contrast made Mu Nanqiu’s warmth all the more comforting.

“You can come and watch. I hope you will.”

“…”

Mu Nanqiu looked eager but held back her desire, releasing the hand she’d just managed to hold.

Sometimes to gain, one must give up.

Rather than forcing, she wanted Su Yao to take the initiative and offer her hand instead.

Her body and soul—I want it all.

After losing contact, Su Yao suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.

Watching Mu Nanqiu’s retreating figure, she felt inexplicably wronged and frustrated.

4:30 PM.

Amid the bustling crowd, Su Yao was busy with her own tasks.

The class’s program focused on props design and scene decoration, referencing several TV programs to create many interesting props.

She was in charge of miscellaneous tasks.

There were many people, so it looked busy, but after dividing the work, each person didn’t have much to do.

After finishing her coloring work, Su Yao leaned against the wall in a corner, bored and daydreaming.

Her hand pressed against her chest, she could clearly feel the rise and fall beneath her down jacket.

She sighed.

Occasionally, she’d hear some quiet whispers about her, mostly saying she looked like a girl or something like that.

Su Yao used to pretend not to hear it, but after being called to the office by Zhang Li three times yesterday and having her secret exposed, the secret was no longer a secret.

Many people already knew.

She really couldn’t pretend anymore…

Her mood was restless.

The Activity Room felt too noisy for her, so Su Yao found an opportunity to slip out quietly and found a quiet spot to face the cold wind.

The cold helped her calm down, and the wind seemed to carry away her worries.

After staring into the distance for a long time, she suddenly murmured to herself.

“Maybe… I should go and see?”

(Made in heaven！)