Yi Shiyue’s hug was different from before. She could truly feel the other’s urgency. Ye Xingyao’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist, squeezing her breathless for a moment.
But what concerned Ye Xingyao more were her earlier words.
“You already…?”
“Just think of it as female intuition. Listen to me talk, okay?”
“Mm.”
Ye Xingyao knew that she always felt helpless in situations like this.
But fortunately, Yi Shiyue understood her well and knew how to communicate with her. She could be a perfect listener, almost to the point of absurdity.
“Xiao Yao, you know, I actually envy Hongye Qiu.”
‘Envy? Why?’
Almost subconsciously, Ye Xingyao raised this question in her mind.
“She’s mature, strong enough, and her figure is much better than mine. The moment I saw her, I even felt inferior, because the person who can save you is not me.” She replied, “At that time, I really, really wished I could muster the courage to stand by your side, instead of surviving under your protection.”
Yi Shiyue leaned forward, pressing the black-haired girl down onto the bed. Feeling the other’s gradually accelerating heartbeat, she gazed seriously into those star-blue eyes. She wasn’t joking.
“It’s not like that, I…”
What Shiyue was saying now were the negative emotions she herself didn’t even know she had buried deep in her heart.
Although Ye Xingyao didn’t dislike this, and even felt a faint sense that this lively Shiyue was the Shiyue that belonged to her, she couldn’t let Shiyue continue. Every word Shiyue said felt like an invisible force, tightly twisting her heart.
“Don’t say that.”
“Mmph—?!”
How could Yi Shiyue not know what she was about to say? The moment the black-haired girl spoke, she was forcibly silenced by her lover’s thin lips.
Caught off guard, Ye Xingyao’s prepared comforting words shattered. She had no choice but to stake all her feelings and thoughts on their kiss.
“If you say anything else I don’t want to hear, I’ll do it again until I’ve finished speaking.” After a long moment, their lips parted. The dazed purple eyes gradually regained clarity. Yi Shiyue looked down at the girl in her arms and spoke in an unquestioning tone.
“Mm…”
Ye Xingyao let out a weak whimper. Once the other adopted such a firm attitude, she, with no experience in love, could only listen.
But soon, the white-haired girl lay down on top of her as well. The two quietly felt each other’s body heat, feeling time pass second by second.
“I even thought that you pretending not to understand my hints back then was because of Hongye Qiu… What do you think? Is that idea childish?”
The words seemed to ask Ye Xingyao, but left no room for a response. The next confession came one after another.
“But I’m also very lucky. After Xiao Yao woke up, I successfully occupied your heart. Without a doubt, we both love each other deeply, but we don’t know how to carry this relationship forward.”
“I don’t know if my selfish actions have actually succeeded in bringing us closer. Looking at the results, it seems I’ve done fairly well.”
Yi Shiyue reached out, picked up a few strands of the black hair beside the girl, and gently twisted them in her hands.
The girl softly hugged her back, pursed her lips tightly, unsure how to interject. Or perhaps the other’s forceful way of shutting her up made it hard for her to speak.
The lover’s ambiguous confessions only made her heart ache.
“For me, being able to see Xiao Yao by my side every morning is already the happiest thing. Heaven allowed Xiao Yao to live peacefully by my side, and even made you my lover. How could I ask for more gifts?” “But I still want to be a little greedier, a little greedier…”
Her voice gradually became choked with tears. The girl suppressed her sobs. When she opened her mouth again, nothing came out.
‘I won’t leave you’? Such cliché words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of her tears.
Ye Xingyao gently shifted the girl in her arms, lightly pressing her lips to the corner of the other’s eye, pecking away her tears.
They tasted salty.
“I didn’t mean to cry…”
“I know. Get some sleep.”
“Let me finish…”
“Alright, I’ll listen.”
“I… I don’t care what Xiao Yao and that Hongye Qiu have been through. I have no right to interfere with your decisions. But Xiao Yao, no matter what, please…”
“Don’t say it.” This time, it was Ye Xingyao who took the initiative to seal the girl’s lips.
The white-haired girl’s slightly reddened eyes widened. Immersed in her own world, she really didn’t expect her lover to do this.
But conversely, precisely because of this, she felt an unprecedented sense of security.
Yi Shiyue gently closed her eyes and maintained the kiss with the girl.
“Shiyue, why do you have to be so humble?”
Ye Xingyao held her tightly, the question laced with some unknown, messy emotions.
“I…”
When Yi Shiyue heard the word “humble,” she instinctively shrank back, then gradually relaxed in the warm embrace.
‘Was she humble?’ She didn’t know.
But she knew that the kiss just now made her feel so, so happy.
“You are my lover. Why do you have to beg for ‘love’? You’ve already taken that step, so why are you still feeling conflicted and guilty?”
“I’m not good with words. I can’t say things that reassure you. I’ve let you keep these thoughts bottled up for so long. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”
“You’re right. We’re both in our first relationship. This is just an in-depth exchange between us, not a life-and-death farewell. Remember what I said? I’ll be by your side. Now and in the future, that won’t change.”
“Mm…”
Yi Shiyue nodded obediently.
“Then, what about Hongye Qiu? What are your feelings for her?”
After a moment of tenderness, Yi Shiyue stopped crying, lifted her head again, and asked.
“I don’t know.”
Ye Xingyao answered honestly. Between taking care of Shiyue’s emotions alone, plus the whole family and the upcoming events, time was so tight that she didn’t even have a chance to properly reflect on what she felt for Sister Hongye.
“But I think what’s more important is how you see her.”
“I… I don’t dislike her, but I can’t say I like her either.”
Of course, she had another half to her statement.
She didn’t understand how she would feel if someone else took away her lover’s embrace. Just then, a tap, tap sound came from outside the window.