Whether it was coincidence or inspiration, the Broken Shadow also chimed in with a line:
“Don’t lower your head, or the mask will fall. Don’t shed tears, Chuyao will laugh.”
After a few seconds, it suddenly laughed and said, “Just kidding, you’re not wearing a mask, and I don’t have a Chuyao either.”
Then it started crying.
The Sexually Repressed Shadow glanced at it, then at Shen Ning, and shrugged innocently, as if to say, “This time it’s not my fault. The girls just got carried away with their poetry and ended up crying.”
Mi Xiaolu had just finished eating and sneaked off quietly behind the door while Xu Chuyao wasn’t paying attention.
“I don’t want to take a nap today. I want to go out for a walk. You all chat slowly.”
Xu Chuyao was fuming inside, shouting towards the door, “Help me wash the dishes before you go!”
Unfortunately, she spoke too late. Her roommate had already slipped away, leaving only the girl sitting at the dining table, just coming to her senses.
She glanced at the other, and the other glanced back.
“Shen Ning, this isn’t really appropriate, is it? After all, you’re our guest. But if you really want to help, I won’t refuse. After all, this place is kind of your home too.”
In reality, the girl didn’t move from her seat or say a word.
In the end, the two of them washed the dishes together. After all, even Qiongyao said so, and she’s already been put on a pedestal.
After washing the dishes and tidying up the tables and chairs, it wouldn’t do to chase anyone away anymore.
Xu Chuyao climbed onto her small bed and saw the girl standing there quietly with a slightly dazed, innocent look. Suddenly, she realized the original story was right.
As long as the girl wasn’t driven to an extreme state of anger by herself, her normal state was actually quite pure.
The tomboyish girl’s eyes flickered as another little scheme formed.
“Hey, Shen Ning, Xiao Lei said if you don’t want to nap, that’s fine, but as a model student, keeping a good routine is really important. I’m not opposed to you coming up to nap with me, after all, we’re girlfriends. But this bed is a bit small, I wonder if you mind… You really came up!”
Shen Ning climbed onto her girlfriend’s small bed and looked at her: “You said for me to come up.”
“But I also said the bed’s a bit small… didn’t you hear me?”
“I heard. I don’t mind.”
Chuyao heard every word clearly. She said the bed was small and asked if she minded.
So considerate.
Xu Chuyao’s face changed expressions several times before forcing out a smile:
“Alright, you can sleep here, but don’t sleep on me.”
Saying that was damaging to her pure image, but if she didn’t say it, Chuyao was afraid her butt would be scorched.
Shen Ning climbed up and snuggled down.
Her girlfriend’s bed was soft, seeming to have an extra mattress compared to her own. It smelled sweet everywhere.
Her hair smelled of her girlfriend’s soft black shampoo. The small quilt carried the scent of milk, and the nest under the blanket had a faint floral fragrance she was very familiar with.
Why familiar? Because she had once tasted flower honey…
“Stop sniffing around, you perverted fish.” A pair of small hands patted the girl’s shoulder, “If you’re going to sleep, then sleep properly.”
Following her girlfriend’s posture, Shen Ning curled up and closed her eyes quietly for a while before opening them again.
“I can’t sleep.”
Only then did she notice Xu Chuyao was also watching her. “It’s okay, it’s natural.”
Sleeping beside Chuyao, how could she possibly sleep well?
At that moment, Xu Chuyao looked at her face and suddenly asked, “Shen Ning, are you unhappy today?”
Shen Ning gave a slight nod.
“No, I’m not unhappy.”
How could she not be unhappy?
Xu Chuyao reached out her small hand and gently pressed the center of her brow. “Then why do you look so troubled, like your mind is weighed down? What’s on your heart that’s so heavy?”
“I…”
Shen Ning hadn’t expected her emotions to be seen through at a glance by her girlfriend. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.
The Broken Shadow sighed: “People like us get burned even in happiness.”
“Don’t be so poetic.” The Sexually Repressed Shadow said, “Just say PTSD directly.”
No matter the timeline or experiences, every Shen Ning had gone through the mine incident.
Just a few days before the tragedy, Liu Ji and the others had taken her to a concert, teasing her that they signed her up so she could practice well and one day become a star and leave this place.
If the meaning of fate was a turning point, then every time the girl saw something beautiful, her heart would tighten painfully.
Especially recently…
“Is it because of what happened in Ya Ha City?” Xu Chuyao said understandingly. “That time was pretty dangerous. Didn’t expect the water to be so deep, and that someone was scheming against me. But luckily you came, and we all made it back safely.”
Shen Ning opened her mouth, “But this time, it was just barely…”
“Well, it was still just barely.”
Xu Chuyao reached out and gently smoothed the tightness between her brows.
“Although we are really insignificant, with no status or background, getting caught up in their complex vortex of interests means risking our lives. But since this time was just barely dangerous, next time it will be even more. Because we won’t always be so insignificant. Remember, a great wind starts from a slight breeze.”
Her girlfriend’s small hand was soft and gentle, very comfortable. The girl unknowingly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Xu Chuyao quietly exhaled, wiping the fragrant sweat from her forehead, thinking to herself how troublesome this heroine was, tangled up again for no reason, just like last time in the Detention Room.
Luckily, she was an excellent student in Culture Class, well-versed in poetry and books, always able to come up with a few lines.
Enough said. Today was really tough for Chuyao. Time to sleep too.
But this time, no “Zzz” sounds came, because just as Xu Chuyao lay down, she received a message from Minister Long on her phone.
Half an hour later, she arrived at the office building and received a video call in the conference room.
“The Ya Ha City incident is mostly resolved,” Minister Long’s voice was low and steady, “The overall conclusion is negligence in warehouse management. Someone will continue to take over the Ya Yong Tower.”
Brief and to the point, but of course, things couldn’t be that simple. What he said meant that with her level of authority, she could only know this much.
Xu Chuyao discreetly observed Minister Long’s face; his expression was consistently weary and showed no sign of happiness. It was clear he’d been very tired recently.
“Understood. As long as there’s a result,” she said.
Chuyao wasn’t pretending. Although Minister Long said nothing more, she who knew the background well could immediately guess the truth.
Negligence in warehouse management meant that the Ya Ha Financial Group admitted ownership of this batch of X crystals and claimed it was stolen accidentally by the Clown Gang, definitely not intentional.
Someone taking over Ya Ha Tower meant that the Ya Ha Financial Group’s secret research was exposed. To appease the public’s anger, they had no choice but to hand over all research results, including those at the tower, to the Rockmorgan Family. Probably paid a hefty price to smooth things over.
Though she said “as long as there’s a result,” Xu Chuyao didn’t feel better at all. The Rockmorgan Family’s research wasn’t any less conservative than the Ya Ha Financial Group’s.
Moreover, considering her actions had caused such huge losses to Ya Ha Financial Group, she hoped she wasn’t going to be held responsible.
“That’s it. The Crisis Response Team’s credit will be noted in the guidance work record. No new tasks will be assigned during this period.”
“Understood.”
After bidding farewell to Minister Long, Xu Chuyao returned to the dorm.
Drip, drip.
Nap time always felt especially long in dreams, but in reality, not much time had passed.
Shen Ning blinked open her eyes and saw her girlfriend pouring water downstairs. It seemed she had gotten up earlier.
“Xu Chuyao, you’re not sleeping?”
“No, official business. All for a few words, running back and forth.” The tomboyish girl took a big gulp of water. “I’m dying of thirst.”
Shen Ning sat on the bed for a while, unsure if she should get up.
At that moment, a stomping figure came in through the door.
“I’m just grabbing something and leaving… Huh? Are you guys up already?” Mi Xiaolu looked at the dazed Shen Ning, then at Xu Chuyao drinking water. “Is it over already?”
That question snapped Shen Ning out of her daze. She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and headed out.
“I’m going back.”
Mi Xiaolu moved aside at the door, glanced at the girl’s flustered back, then at Xu Chuyao still drinking water, confused.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Don’t know. Maybe you just came at the wrong time.”
Xu Chuyao put down her cup, walked to the door and looked outside. The girl was already gone.
When not angry, the heroine who was pierced through in her heart was really pure and innocent.
Next time, she’d use this to mock her!
“Your performance today, Chuyao will definitely laugh at you next time,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow said, “At least for three months.”
Shen Ning ignored it, lying on the bed, her fingers gently stroking her brow, as if still feeling her girlfriend’s small hand’s soft touch.
“You’ve been ruined by Chuyao your whole life. She’s a bad woman. Usually, she makes you so mad you’re about to explode, but when it counts, she’s all gentle and you don’t know north from south, forgetting how much she teases you. I’m telling you, you’re doomed. Where do you think you’re going?”
The Sexually Repressed Shadow was going full force in criticism, but the girl didn’t mind. Instead, she got up and ran outside, only answering at the last question:
“Xu Chuyao said she was thirsty, so I went to buy something nice to drink.”
“You really are… sigh.”
What’s there to say? Buying water, that’s all.
Of course, Shen Ning wasn’t just buying ordinary water. She even went outside the school for it.
Thanks to her status as a Crisis Response Specialist, she could freely enter and exit the campus. She took a bus into the city and walked into a bar she’d only been to once before but that felt as warm as home.
“Little sister, our Bo Ping Water is a composite drink but contains fresh brown ingredients and must be finished quickly.”
The bar attendant handed her a bottled Bo Ping Water in a paper bag.
Shen Ning took it, glanced around the shop, and casually asked, “Is Red Sister not here today?”
“Red Sister’s out. There’s a little girl who isn’t very good with her hands, so Red Sister went to give her on-site guidance.”
Huh? On-site guidance?
Shen Ning was quite shocked.
The bar attendant also asked her, “I remember you’re new too. Do you need on-site guidance?”
“No, no need.” The girl hurriedly declined. “I… learn fast.”
After speaking, she picked up the Bo Ping Water and turned to leave.
“You ran halfway across the city to buy water for her just because she said she was thirsty downstairs?” The Sexually Repressed Shadow was speechless. “Then I ask you, what if she’s not thirsty anymore by the time you bring the water back?”
“She will be.”
Shen Ning remembered Xu Chuyao once said, “You eat today, but you’ll still want to eat tomorrow.” So similarly, if she drinks water now, she’ll want to drink again later.
But afterward, on the subway ride back, the girl noticed a few unusual figures, a white headscarf wrapped round and round on a head, dressed in a white robe that looked like some kind of special ethnic costume.
“You’ve seen them before,” the Sexually Repressed Shadow reminded her.
Shen Ning took out her phone, opened an album titled “Dates, Travels, Local Customs,” and flipped through it. Very soon, she found a group of people dressed the same way.
They were traditional indigenous residents of the Ya Ha City area.