‘I followed Meng Yiqiao back to the dormitory just like that.’
Li Xingya stood at the dormitory door, looking somewhat at a loss.
This was her first time in a female dormitory.
The only thing that gave Li Xingya some peace of mind was that Meng Yiqiao lived in a single room—about thirty square meters, with decent living facilities.
It simply had a desk, a wardrobe, and a single bed barely enough for two people to lie down.
Amenities like air conditioning, a washing machine, and a private bathroom were all present.
According to Meng Yiqiao, this was a special privilege for the top fifty students on the Starlight Ranking.
“What are you doing standing at the door? Come on in. If you keep it open, mosquitoes will get in.”
Meng Yiqiao turned on the air conditioner and waved at Li Xingya.
Li Xingya was a bit nervous.
The moment she opened her mouth, she blurted out something even she hadn’t processed:
“…Do I need to take off my shoes, Sister?”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing, nothing.”
Li Xingya quickly entered and closed the door behind her.
‘It smells so good.’
‘I could smell it even at the door, but once inside, the fragrance is even stronger.’
‘It’s lavender.’
Meng Yiqiao’s room was spotlessly clean, with an overall soft, fragrant atmosphere.
Li Xingya sat down on the chair in front of the desk, while Meng Yiqiao sat on the edge of the bed.
“Can you tell me now? Why did you suddenly want to come stay the night at my place?”
Her eyes showed curiosity as she asked.
Li Xingya touched her fingernails, then cleared her throat with a couple of coughs.
It took her a while before she spoke:
“It’s just… I wanted to be with Sister… is that… not allowed?”
She gave an ambiguous answer.
After all—
‘How could I possibly say that I’m scared to be home alone because of a horror movie?’
‘I’m already sixteen.’
‘I’d get laughed at if I said that.’
“Is it because you’re having trouble with your family?”
Meng Yiqiao asked.
There was no way Meng Yiqiao would believe a simple reason like just wanting to stay together.
She was more inclined to think Li Xingya might have had a fight with her family.
To that, Li Xingya shook her head.
“No… I get along well with my family.”
‘I have cheap parents I’ve never met.’
‘And a weird-tempered sister who treats me as a substitute.’
‘Honestly, it’s not too bad. They don’t abuse me or forbid me from eating.’
‘Compared to my birth mother who abandoned me in my previous life and my birth father who left a mountain of gambling debt, this is much better.’
Li Xingya thought to herself as she stood up and actively sat down next to Meng Yiqiao.
“I just like Sister too much. The time we spend together during the day isn’t nearly enough. I want to be with Sister at night too!”
As she said this, Li Xingya smiled shyly, the corners of her eyes drooping, not daring to look at Meng Yiqiao’s face.
Of course.
That expression was completely fake.
After all, Li Xingya had always been good at acting.
And Meng Yiqiao, unlike Lin Jin’an, couldn’t see through her expressions.
‘Being with Meng Yiqiao is really relaxing.’
‘In comparison, Lin Jin’an is so stressful.’
Li Xingya stole a glance at Meng Yiqiao and saw her face turn red.
Good.
That was enough.
If she kept acting, it would be over the top.
While Meng Yiqiao was still processing the meaning of “like,” Li Xingya spoke again:
“Sister, can I borrow the bathroom? I’ve sweated a lot today and want to take a shower first.”
First, she pulled the topic back from the ambiguous to normal small talk between girls, then immediately made it ambiguous again.
Li Xingya leaned a little closer to Meng Yiqiao and naturally sniffed the scent on Meng Yiqiao’s neck.
“I’ve always loved Sister’s scent, so… can I borrow your body wash too?”
“O-okay.”
After a long while.
Meng Yiqiao only managed to say those two words.
‘Meng Yiqiao, confirmed sunk.’
She couldn’t think of a reason to refuse Li Xingya.
Who could bear to refuse such an adorable girl?
Not even Meng Yiqiao, let alone Lin Jin’an.
‘Every smile and frown is pure seduction.’
‘When you go on stage to perform in the future, a lot of people will like you.’
Meng Yiqiao looked up and watched Li Xingya head toward the bathroom.
But Li Xingya clearly wasn’t aware of her seductive behavior.
All her subconscious actions were just to be close to Meng Yiqiao.
“Oh, right.”
Li Xingya suddenly stopped.
“I need to use Sister’s slippers too. Do you mind? If you don’t like it, I can go barefoot.”
‘Though I’ll probably slip and fall.’
Meng Yiqiao pointed at the slippers by the bathroom door.
“It’s fine… if it’s Xiao Ya.”
“Thanks, Sister.”
Li Xingya smiled, changed into Meng Yiqiao’s slippers, and entered the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water came from inside.
She didn’t notice Meng Yiqiao’s fluttering gaze, nor did she understand her own special place in the other girl’s heart.
Li Xingya was a transfer student.
She knew that most of the time, Meng Yiqiao’s expression was cold.
She also knew that Meng Yiqiao’s nickname at the academy was the Iceberg Beauty.
But she never imagined that the nickname came not only from Meng Yiqiao’s expression.
But also from her boundaries.
Ever since middle school, everyone who knew Meng Yiqiao understood that she was a person with very strong boundaries.
Sleeping together? Borrowing slippers? For anyone else, these were things they wouldn’t even dare to think about.
As for Meng Yiqiao’s classmates, Li Xingya was the first person to ever step foot inside Meng Yiqiao’s dormitory.
‘I actually agreed just like that.’
Meng Yiqiao sat on the edge of the bed, staring off into space.
‘It’s strange. I don’t feel disgusted at all.’
‘It’s like back in physical training class when Xiao Ya lay on my legs.’
‘My heart feels itchy.’
Meng Yiqiao shook her head.
She stood up, picked up the water glass on the desk, and took several big gulps of cold water.
‘What is this feeling?’
‘What’s wrong with me?’
Meng Yiqiao’s mood was now both shy and restless.
She didn’t understand—just by listening to the sound of Li Xingya showering, the “splish-splash” of water—she was actually, inexplicably getting a little excited.
Now the water had stopped.
Was she… was she now putting on body wash?
‘…Xiao Ya.’
‘What does Xiao Ya’s body look like under her clothes?’
Meng Yiqiao opened her phone and went into StarJoy.
Her fingers kept scrolling through the posts on the homepage.
She didn’t know what she was looking at.
Rather, she wasn’t even reading the words on the screen.
‘Li Xingya.’
Her mind kept repeating Li Xingya’s name over and over.
Li Xingya, as a socially avoidant office worker, had always been slow to understand emotions.
But what about Meng Yiqiao?
As an untouchable Iceberg Beauty, was she any better than Li Xingya?
Right now, Meng Yiqiao just wanted to figure out why her heart beat so fast every time she was with Li Xingya.
Suddenly.
Her hand stopped.
She clicked on a post.
[Suddenly Appearing Mysterious New Student, Cute Face, Perfect Smile—Will She Be the Next Lin Jin’an?]
Seeing the only post related to Li Xingya, Meng Yiqiao, as if possessed, subconsciously clicked on it.
Looking at the photo of Li Xingya with a bright smile, Meng Yiqiao couldn’t help but smile herself.
‘So beautiful.’
‘I want…’
‘To keep her all to myself.’
Li Xingya’s smile was like sweet, mellow poison.
Little by little, it stirred up the possessiveness deep inside Meng Yiqiao’s heart.