Liu Yinuo felt her breath hitch as she stared intently at the girl before her, trying to find the expression she hoped for on her face. However, she was disappointed; the girl lowered her head once more, avoiding her gaze.
For the first time, the girl, who had remained silent from the beginning, raised her head. Those pink eyes, always filled with weakness, still didn’t look toward her, darting away at every turn.
“Sorry, Class Monitor. The person I was waiting for has arrived. I have to go.”
With that, without waiting for Liu Yinuo’s response, she bypassed her and walked to Qin Haiyue’s side.
Seeing Qin Haiyue reach out her hand, she obediently took it.
“Let’s go…” she whispered, her head lowered.
“Mhm, good girl~” Qin Haiyue’s expression was exceptionally joyful. Using her height advantage, the two girls in front of her seemed like children. She could easily admire their expressions—Ye Xingmian’s painful struggle and Liu Yinuo’s disbelief. Everything was so delicious, and it significantly improved her mood.
Glancing back with a playful, provocative grin at Liu Yinuo, she held Ye Xingmian’s hand and walked away without looking back.
Liu Yinuo was left alone in the empty classroom. She clenched her fists, watching the direction where their figures had disappeared, her arms trembling.
‘Why… why…!’
She didn’t understand and couldn’t accept it. Why was this happening? This had to be fake, right? How could Xingmian possibly accept a confession from a scoundrel like that!
‘She’s definitely being forced. She’s definitely being threatened. She must be!’
‘Why are you avoiding me? Do I have to force you like Qin Haiyue does? How am I not as good as her? She clearly bullied you so much, so why did you still go with her?’
‘Is it just because she’s more assertive than me? More terrifying than me?’
‘Could it be that you don’t like someone gentle, but prefer more forceful methods?’
The fact that the girl kept hiding from her while being forced to accept something as ridiculous as ‘becoming a girlfriend’ under Qin Haiyue’s intimidation filled Liu Yinuo with intense anger and confusion.
She had originally been very patient. Even if she were rejected again, she would have still tried to win her over despite the cold shoulder, getting closer and closer. She would have waited until the girl was willing to open her heart, until their relationship could finally take a step forward.
However, the incident with Qin Haiyue had changed her mind.
She was still the same gentle Liu Yinuo; that hadn’t changed. Her patience, however, had worn thin. She felt she needed to try a different approach.
A different approach that was more effective and practical for a poor, pitiable thing.
Tomorrow. It would be tomorrow. Tomorrow was Saturday, and school would be out.
No matter what it took, she was going to drag Ye Xingmian to her house. Whether she used gentle whispers or simply hauled her out, shoved her into a car, and drove her back, she was taking Ye Xingmian home. Then, she would interrogate her! She would pour out all the grievances, confusion, and misunderstandings she had accumulated. She needed to understand why Ye Xingmian was avoiding her. She had to know the truth about her relationship with Qin Haiyue and what that so-called ‘girlfriend’ thing was all about!
Gritting her teeth, she realized that any further attempts to approach Ye Xingmian normally were likely in vain. Instead of dwelling on it, she began to think about how to prepare for tomorrow.
She packed her bag and headed home.
***
Although she had been holding Qin Haiyue’s hand when they left the classroom, the girl struggled and pulled away shortly after. Qin Haiyue frowned at this, though she didn’t say anything. The smile on her face faded slightly, and her mood soured, though she didn’t show it. A spark of irritability began to rise within her.
She followed Qin Haiyue to the school’s main gate. Not far away, the familiar luxury sedan was parked. The two of them walked over and opened the door; the driver was still the same middle-aged man in sunglasses.
This time, the girl consciously sat inside, and Qin Haiyue sat beside her as usual.
The car was warm with the air conditioning running, and it was filled with the pleasant scent of perfume. The girl hugged her bag, lost in thought.
Recalling what had just happened, she realized she had failed the Class Monitor again, and her heart began to ache once more.
The feeling of going against her own heart was unbearable, especially when the other person was someone she actually liked…
‘Why… why did it have to be the Class Monitor? Why…?’
While she was still in a daze, Qin Haiyue turned and nudged her.
“Hey, what are you daydreaming about?” she asked with a frown.
The girl snapped back to reality, instinctively lowering her head to look at her small hands.
“Sorry…”
Not knowing how else to respond, she could only apologize.
“Do you know how to use the phone I bought for you? Have you registered for the messaging apps yet?”
“Uh, I don’t really understand…”
“Tsk. Give it to me, I’ll set it up for you.”
The girl obediently took the phone out of her bag and handed it to Qin Haiyue. Taking the phone, Qin Haiyue pressed the power button, but there was no response. She couldn’t help but frown.
“Is it out of battery?”
She plugged the phone into the charger in the car, and the screen finally lit up. Watching her actions, the girl suddenly remembered that there didn’t seem to be any outlets in her bedroom…
How was she supposed to charge her phone in the future? She couldn’t help but worry.
As she watched Qin Haiyue get busy setting up the phone, she suddenly remembered something.
Now that she had a phone, couldn’t she contact her mother?
She could call her mother. Although she couldn’t tell her about her transformation yet—since that would be too much of a shock—as long as she could make a phone call, her foster parents would never be able to trick her mother out of money again. She could also complain to her mother, letting her know that her situation was not ideal. Perhaps that would improve her circumstances, and she could often talk to her mother from under the covers…
Thinking about it, the girl couldn’t help but smile. To her, her mother was the greatest reason to keep living. She dreamed of returning to her mother’s side and telling her everything. Since it was her mother, she would surely be able to accept the fact that her son had turned into a daughter, right? After all, the girl firmly believed that her mother loved her deeply.
However, there was an incredibly realistic problem she needed to solve—she didn’t know her mother’s phone number.
Not knowing the number meant she couldn’t contact her. And among the people she knew, it seemed only her foster parents knew the number…
Would they tell her?
Hope seemed slim, yet the girl decided to try asking when she got back tonight. After all, she truly wanted to hear her mother’s voice, to vent her grievances, and to share a few secrets.
‘…I hope it works.’
While the girl was lost in thought, Qin Haiyue finished fiddling with the phone. She didn’t rush to give it back, leaving it to charge in the car.
“These two accounts are me. You must reply to my messages instantly. You are not allowed to ignore them, do you understand?”
Qin Haiyue stared at the girl, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The girl could only nod. Having just fantasized about something wonderful, her mood was quite good, and a tiny curve appeared at the corners of her mouth.
“I understand.”