The girl had just wanted to ask what exactly she wanted to talk about with her, but the words reached the tip of her tongue and yet she couldn’t bring them out.
Thinking about it, yeah…
How could she possibly not know what the class president wanted to ask her?
This could probably be considered…
…reaping what one sows, right?
With her head lowered, the girl felt as though an aura of low pressure enveloped her entire body; her mood was oppressively heavy, beyond words.
After all, they were in front of other people right now—some things just weren’t easy to say out loud. And precisely because of that, the girl gained a slight breather. Her brain worked desperately, trying to come up with some response to whatever question Liu Yino might ask later, but she made no progress.
Until Liu Yino suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
“Where’s the scarf I gave you?” she asked, even though she already knew.
“Huh?”
“I said, where’s the scarf I gave you? How come I don’t see you wearing it.”
The girl was momentarily speechless; her eyes flickered slightly.
“Was it thrown away by Lin Ziyān, right?” Liu Yino said.
Her hands folded together, Ye Xīngmián’s expression carried a trace of self-reproach.
“I’m sorry…”
“Why are you saying sorry?”
Because I…
“Because I didn’t protect it well, so that’s why you’re saying sorry, is that it?”
The silent atmosphere was quietly broken. Liu Yino suddenly showed a gentle smile. She had known it—sure enough, the girl hadn’t actually changed. The only reason she kept her distance was because of certain things she didn’t want to say. In reality, she was probably suffering a lot too, wasn’t she?
In that moment, she abandoned the thoughts she’d had yesterday. She no longer considered how to change her attitude or even learn from Qín Hǎiyuè to become a bit tougher.
Mm, she even had to thank Lin Ziyān for helping her figure some things out.
Of course, she couldn’t just keep things as they were; some changes were necessary. She wanted the girl to stay by her side—always and forever.
So she had to find out what exactly the girl was thinking, and how to truly enter her heart. This would take gradual steps; being too rash could easily backfire and push the girl even farther away.
She knew that Ye Xīngmián was inherently timid, a child who had suffered a lot. She must crave warmth and care, so she would find it very hard to refuse her. Then why deliberately keep distance?
Suddenly, it felt as though a bolt of lightning flashed through her mind—she seemed to have a vague clue.
But it was still just an idea for now; she needed more observation to confirm it.
With that thought, she reached out and gently patted the girl’s head.
“Class president…?”
The girl shrank back a little, looking somewhat at a loss.
Was it because she hadn’t protected that scarf well, so she felt guilty? So she said sorry?
She didn’t know. Facing Liu Yino’s questioning, she had simply apologized on reflex.
After all, she had failed to live up to her kindness. After all, she could have chosen that scarf in the first place. After all, she could have let the teddy bear take the place of the scarf and be the one thrown away…
Remembering what Lin Ziyān had said, she fell silent.
Beside her, Lin Ziyān leaned closer, stretched out both arms, and pulled the slender girl into her embrace.
A warm, soft sensation spread throughout her body. The girl was still wearing the dress that Lin Ziyān had made her put on—this was something she only realized just now. She had worn it for so long that she had gotten used to it, to the point of forgetting she hadn’t changed before going out.
Her shoulder suddenly felt heavier—it seemed the class president had rested her chin there. The scent of Liu Yino’s hair drifted to the tip of her nose.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s just a scarf. If you want, I can buy you another one.”
But the girl only remained silent and lowered her head.
“No need…” She declined Liu Yino’s kindness; her voice was somewhat low.
“Sorry, I was in too much of a rush when I left and didn’t notice you were still wearing this outfit. Are you cold?”
“It’s… okay…” Because it was already midday and the temperature had gradually risen, even though she was wearing a dress underneath, the long coat provided protection, so it wasn’t actually very cold—the temperature was within an acceptable range.
As the conversation reached this point, the girl suddenly remembered something: if she was wearing this outfit and Liu Yino’s parents saw her, what would happen?
Thinking of that, she immediately felt nervous.
“Um… are Uncle and Auntie at home?”
“Hm? You mean my parents? They’re off today, so yes, they’re home.”
“Then… then if I’m wearing this… won’t they suspect…?” Before the girl could finish, Liu Yino suddenly smiled and placed a finger against her lips.
“It’s fine, wearing this is no problem. In fact, it’s just right.”
“Eh? W-… why…?” Hearing Liu Yino’s words, the girl suddenly had an ominous premonition. She grew tense for a moment and uneasily turned to look back at Liu Yino.
But Liu Yino only gave a mysterious smile.
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Hearing that, Ye Xīngmián became even more uneasy. She wouldn’t have already told her parents that she’s a girl, right?
If that were the case… what was she supposed to do?!
Liu Yino could see her worry, but she didn’t speak to comfort her. Instead, the hand stroking the girl’s head never stopped. Should she praise her own good taste? This classmate Ye really was cuter the more she looked—the same height as her, yet with such a delicate frame and so slim. Holding her felt like holding a tiny, weightless bundle. Those beautiful pink eyes seemed to constantly evoke pity in others. She really was too thin, though; Liu Yino thought that if that small face gained a bit more softness, it might look even better?
After several exchanges, the stifling atmosphere between the two had eased considerably. At least after confirming through the girl’s words that her earlier guesses weren’t wrong, Liu Yino felt much more relaxed.
It wouldn’t take long—she was confident she could get the girl to fully accept her. Her parents wouldn’t pose any major obstacle. When the time came, she’d have the girl move in and board with her family.
As for Qín Hǎiyuè…
Holding the girl’s soft body, Liu Yino’s gaze slightly hardened. She really didn’t know what that person was up to. If she kept going like this, she would truly become a considerable threat.
Publicly claiming to be Ye Xīngmián’s lover or whatever—how could that possibly be true? Even without asking the girl, just thinking about it for a second made it obvious how absurd it would be for Ye Xīngmián to willingly agree to become Qín Hǎiyuè’s lover. Wasn’t that basically like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den?
Just as she was lost in thought, the girl in her arms suddenly squirmed uncomfortably.
“Hm? What’s wrong? Cold?”
“No… it’s not… Class president… do you have a mask…?”
Worried about running into someone she knew, she wanted to cover her face to avoid social suicide.
“A mask? You don’t need that kind of thing. Anyway, everyone will find out about you sooner or later, right?”
The girl was persuaded and fell silent. But the words Liu Yino said carried a private motive. Feeling the pulse of the girl in her arms, her eyes flickered subtly.
Since Qín Hǎiyuè had openly declared the girl as her lover, she felt it necessary to do the same.
Claiming ownership like this—even if her own feelings weren’t entirely clear yet—if she waited any longer, she was afraid she’d regret it.