“Alright! I’ll go with you!”
As expected, Lin Wei agreed without a second thought.
She immediately stood up, grabbed both her and Yu Qing’s bags, and said to Cheng Qinghuan and the others,
“Sister Qinghuan, Senior, Yi Yi’s feeling a bit unwell. I’ll go out with her for some air. You guys keep playing!”
Cheng Qinghuan nodded in understanding, glanced at Yu Qing’s somewhat gloomy expression, and reminded her,
“Alright, take care of Junior Yi.”
Li Ming opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end just waved his hand.
“Go ahead. Be careful. Call if anything happens.”
The two responded one after another, then, after temporarily bidding farewell to everyone, left the noisy place.
Stepping out of the bustling KTV, the cool night air refreshed them both.
There were few pedestrians on the street, and the streetlights stretched their shadows long on the ground.
“Yi Yi, where do you want to go for a walk?”
Lin Wei still clung tightly to Yu Qing, her arm naturally wrapped around hers.
Yu Qing didn’t answer right away. Instead, she stopped, turned around, and faced Lin Wei directly.
The soft glow of the streetlight outlined her beautiful features, and those usually cold eyes seemed especially deep and gentle in the night.
“Wei Wei.”
Yu Qing spoke softly, her tone carrying a subtle gravity that was hard to detect, but seeing Lin Wei’s bewildered face, it melted into a helpless smile.
“Today…thank you.”
This was Yu Qing’s heartfelt words.
She had chosen to deceive and use Lin Wei, yes, but if not for Lin Wei, Yu Qing didn’t know how much longer she would have hesitated before taking the next step.
Lin Wei paused, still a little lost, but smiled brightly.
“Thank me? I should be the one thanking you for staying with me!”
No.
Thank you…for always caring about me.
Yu Qing buried these words in her heart.
Her gaze, complicated and intricate, fell on Lin Wei’s face as if trying to see straight into her soul.
“Of course, I have to thank you for choosing a love song I’ve never heard before, almost making me embarrass myself in front of everyone.”
After a long moment of silent staring, Yu Qing suddenly laughed, as if venting her earlier anger onto Lin Wei.
She grabbed Lin Wei’s cheeks with both hands and started pulling them apart.
“Ugh! I was wrong! Yi Yi! I was so worried you wouldn’t like me anymore, are you angry with me?”
Lin Wei’s face changed shape under Yu Qing’s hands.
She didn’t struggle, only waited for Yi Yi’s forgiveness.
But…
Maybe your Yi Yi never truly cared about you.
The Yi Yi before you is just a wicked Senior in disguise.
Lin Wei…
“I could never be angry.”
Yu Qing suddenly stepped forward, pulling Lin Wei into her arms.
Feeling the body in her embrace tense, a satisfied sense of inevitability flashed in her eyes.
“I could never be angry.”
Yu Qing repeated, looking at Lin Wei’s dazed expression with just the right hint of apology.
She gently rested her chin on Lin Wei’s shoulder, tightening her embrace.
Lin Wei’s hands moved as well, slowly wrapping around Yu Qing’s slender waist and hugging tightly.
“Sorry, Wei Wei. Until today, I didn’t realize that being so focused on dance practice made me neglect you and caused you pain.”
Hearing this, Lin Wei’s eyes instantly turned red again. She shook her head vigorously, denying anxiously,
“No! Yi Yi, you didn’t neglect me! I was the immature one, throwing a tantrum…I won’t do it again! As long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me!”
As she spoke, she hugged Yu Qing even tighter.
But Yu Qing gently raised her hand, breaking free from Lin Wei’s arms.
She needed to keep a bit of distance for the deception that followed.
“Wei Wei, you’re really important to me.”
She continued to coax her.
“So, to avoid more misunderstandings, there’s something… I thought maybe I should tell you, but I’m afraid you’ll worry.”
As she spoke, Yu Qing showed a hesitant expression, successfully sparking Lin Wei’s curiosity and concern.
“What is it? Yi Yi, tell me! No matter what it is, I’ll always be on your side!”
Lin Wei urged, her anxiety clear.
To her, Yi Yi seemed capable of anything. If even she was troubled, then it must be serious.
Yu Qing lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a delicate shadow, making her appear fragile.
“Actually, the dance rehearsal for the School Anniversary hasn’t gone as smoothly as it seems. Teacher Shen has high standards, and… there’s also a small problem with the Dance Partner.”
“Is it Senior Yu Qing? Is he bad at dancing? Is he dragging you down?”
Lin Wei immediately thought of Yu Qing, her voice tinged with urgency.
“It’s not his fault.”
Yu Qing shook her head, a perfect trace of confusion in her eyes.
“He’s working hard and improving quickly, but some moves require a lot of trust and chemistry. He’s very shy, and when we dance together, he often gets stiff, so rehearsals usually end in failure.”
“With the School Anniversary approaching, we’re still at a loss. That’s why I’ve been distracted lately and neglected you.”
She looked up at Lin Wei, her eyes filled with genuine helplessness and worry.
Sure enough, Lin Wei’s heart tightened.
She had never seen Fu Yi show such vulnerability.
In her mind, Fu Yi was always strong, confident, and invincible.
Seeing Yi Yi like this made her heart ache and also helped her understand why Yi Yi’s attitude toward her had been a bit distant lately.
Seeing the pain and absolute trust in Lin Wei’s eyes, Yu Qing knew the timing was right.
She sighed softly and gently wiped away the new tears at the corner of Lin Wei’s eyes, her touch as gentle as handling a treasure.
“Don’t cry, Wei Wei.”
Yu Qing’s voice carried a helpless tenderness as she cupped Lin Wei’s cheeks and smiled.
“I didn’t tell you all this to make you worry.”
She leaned in slightly, their foreheads touching, gazes meeting, breaths mingling.
The intimacy of the gesture made Lin Wei stop breathing, her cheeks turning crimson and her mind blank.
“On the contrary,”
Yu Qing continued,
“I’m telling you because I need you—your understanding, and also your help… with a small favor.”
“What favor? Yi Yi, tell me! I’ll do anything!”
Lin Wei promised eagerly, feeling that if she didn’t do something to distract herself, she’d soon be lost in Yi Yi’s gentle warmth.
At last, it had come to this.
Yu Qing’s lips curved into a faint smile.
“Everything I told you today—the difficulties with rehearsal, the pressure I’m under, and our conversation, and today’s experience—could they be a little secret just for the two of us?”
She stepped back a little, but her hands still held Lin Wei’s face, her gaze earnest and sincere.
“I don’t want others to worry, especially Teacher Shen and Senior Yu Qing. If they find out, it’ll just add more pressure for me. I just want to quietly solve the problem with you. Is that alright?”
Lin Wei’s heart was struck by a wave of happiness.
A secret?
A secret shared only between her and Yi Yi?
Did this mean she was the most special, most trusted person to Yi Yi?
All the past grievances and unease vanished, replaced by a deep, satisfying joy at being needed.
“Alright!”
She nodded firmly, her eyes sparkling like stars.
“I promise! I won’t tell anyone! This is our secret!”
She even reached out her pinky finger, wanting to hook it with Yi Yi’s for confirmation.
Yu Qing looked at her childish gesture and couldn’t help but laugh softly, hooking her pinky around Lin Wei’s as well.
“Hooked. Sworn. Agreed—this is our secret.”
Her smile under the streetlight was exceptionally gentle, yet held a faint hint of complexity.
“Even between us, let’s not bring it up again in the future. Let it quietly pass. Okay?”
“Yes! Agreed!”
Lin Wei nodded hard, a brilliant smile blooming on her face, all the gloom completely gone.
Only after seeing Lin Wei nod did Yu Qing finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Up until now, apart from successfully making Lin Wei willingly keep today’s events a secret, she hadn’t made any other progress.
The problems caused by this transformation were too many. Although she had filled the gaps with various explanations, they couldn’t withstand much scrutiny.
Even this final promise was merely a hope that Lin Wei could help her keep the secret.
But what Yu Qing didn’t know was—
From the very beginning, she never needed to worry about this at all.
***
On the way back, Lin Wei clung to Yu Qing’s arm, using her other hand to scroll her phone.
“Why haven’t you come back yet?”
A Message marked ‘Yi Yi’ appeared on her screen.
Lin Wei paused, then quietly tapped it open.
“I’m having a Friend Gathering with friends. I’ll be back as soon as it’s over…Yi Yi.”
She knows huh