A smile rippled in Song Zhi’s eyes, as if she was practically telling Xu You right to her face that she had asked that question on purpose.
Following along with her words, Xu You replied, “We’re not friends.”
She let go of the hand that was cupping Song Zhi’s chin. Her peach-blossom eyes gazed earnestly at Song Zhi, and her voice grew slightly deeper, carrying a hint of ambiguous hoarseness. “Do you want to date your sister?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she looked at Song Zhi intently, waiting for her response.
Song Zhi was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected Xu You to be the first one to say those words.
Her face instantly flushed bright red. She stuttered, trying to speak, but only appeared completely flustered. In the end, she simply threw herself directly into Xu You’s arms, burying her entire head into the crook of the other woman’s neck. Inside that embrace, she gave a gentle, slight nod of her head.
The scent in her arms was real, the warmth was real, and the two hearts beating wildly against each other were real too.
She wasn’t dreaming.
Suddenly receiving a full embrace, Xu You understood that this was Song Zhi’s response. However, seeing her looking so dazed, Xu You couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile. Wanting to tease her, she asked, “Are you trying to think of a reason to reject me?”
Though she said this, the strength of her arm around Song Zhi’s waist was gradually tightening, as if the moment Song Zhi uttered a single “no,” she would lock her firmly by her side and never let her escape.
At this moment, Song Zhi, whose mind was still loading, suddenly looked up and kissed Xu You on the cheek. Afterward, she quickly buried her burning face back into the junction of Xu You’s neck and shoulder, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “How could I possibly not like you…”
You are the very first person I fell in love with at first sight when I came into this world.
How could I possibly not like you?
Xu You looked down at her and noticed that the ears of the person in her arms were already completely red.
Clearly, she was the one who had been proactive at the beginning, but now that they were exposing their feelings and actually about to do something, she became completely still instead.
On the other hand, Xu You, who in Song Zhi’s imagination was supposed to be the shy one, held her tightly and softly continued to press for an answer to the question she had already won. “So, do you plan on relying on my embrace for the rest of your life now?”
Song Zhi whimpered and whined, hugging Xu You tightly and refusing to let go, completely unlike how bold and decisive she had been when she kissed her just a moment ago.
“Humph, humph you,” Song Zhi muttered indistinctly against her neck.
“What?” Xu You acted as though she hadn’t heard clearly.
“I like you,” Song Zhi said, enduring the intense embarrassment.
Slowly raising her head, she only belatedly realized that she was, at some unknown point, already sitting on Xu You’s lap with both hands wrapped around Xu You’s shoulders.
What an embarrassing position.
Shame made Song Zhi want to jump straight off Xu You’s lap. Little did she know that in Xu You’s eyes at this very moment, she looked incredibly beautiful and precious.
Her lover was sitting on her lap, hands wrapped around her shoulders, looking up at her with bright, sparkling eyes like a puppy.
For the first time, Xu You felt that winter after the age of fifteen finally had some warmth. For someone who had walked through ice and snow all year round, she only felt a warm current spreading to every corner of her limbs and bones at this moment.
She heard herself speak calmly, “I want to kiss you, Song Zhi.”
Her voice was deliberately kept very low and deep, carrying a hint of captivating temptation.
Her words seemed to be asking for Song Zhi’s permission, but in reality, she was leading her into her trap step by step.
Even without her enticement, just her standing there was enough for Song Zhi to charge forward without turning back.
She thought Song Zhi would agree without hesitation, but at this moment, Song Zhi seemed exceptionally shy, keeping her head pressed against her shoulder without moving.
“You don’t want to kiss me?” Xu You’s tone carried a hint of disappointment, making her sound somewhat pitiful.
This was the first time Song Zhi had felt Xu You’s emotions so clearly.
“Of… Of course not!” Song Zhi looked at her, her face flushed all the way to her ears, while her mind was filled with all sorts of helpless, frantic screams.
Ahhh! A sister who looks so cold and detached normally can actually be this proactive?
Shouldn’t I be the proactive one?
Thinking about kissing, countless little techniques she had read about flashed through her mind instantly, and the more she thought about it, the redder her face became.
No, no, no, I need to study up a bit to give Sister a perfect first kiss experience, yes.
“I… I’m just embarrassed.” As Song Zhi spoke, she leaned in slightly and planted a soft kiss on the side of Xu You’s face, asking cautiously, “But is this okay, Sister?”
As it turned out, she was still just an innocent, pure-hearted puppy who knew nothing.
“……It’s fine,” Xu You said, also restraining herself as she pressed a kiss onto her cheek. “Then let’s say goodnight for today, baby.”
That night, Song Zhi suffered from insomnia. She lay in her bedroom, completely unable to fall asleep.
Staring wide eyed at the ceiling, she suddenly burst into laughter.
She tried hard to suppress her voice, sometimes burying her head in the blanket to let out muffled giggles, and sometimes rolling herself up completely like a burrito, rolling back and forth across the bed.
The soft sensation of Xu You kissing her cheek and the unique fragrance on her body seemed to still linger.
Song Zhi couldn’t help but touch her own cheek with her hand.
“Oh my god…” she sighed. “This must be a dream…”
It probably wasn’t a dream, but she could never have imagined she would be this happy even in her dreams.
Sister kissed her! Sister confessed to her! Sister likes her!!
Song Zhi, you are truly amazing! Hard work pays off, those six months of passionate courting were really effective!
That night, Song Zhi sent a message to the family group chat saying that she had found an apartment and was preparing to move out.
I’m sorry, Mom! I’m sorry, Dad! Your daughter is unfilial! But right now, I only want to pursue this hard won love of mine!
Upon seeing her message, Tan Yingying, who loved her daughter dearly, quickly called her. With tears in her eyes, she asked why she suddenly wanted to move out. Song Zhi brought out the excuse she had prepared long ago, saying she found a place close to the company for a shorter commute to make working more convenient.
“Why don’t you just stop going to work altogether? Working is so exhausting, Xiao Zhi. It’s not like Mom and Dad can’t afford to support you,” Tan Yingying said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
Song Zhi was a bit helpless when it came to her mother’s crying. “Oh, it’s not like I’m never coming back. Mom, don’t cry. I’ll come back to see you on the weekends, okay?”
After coaxing Tan Yingying for a long time, she finally got her to give up the idea of persuading her to stay. Before hanging up, her mother kept repeating safety precautions for a girl living alone.
On the other hand, Song Xian wasn’t so easy to fool. Shortly after she sent the message in the group, Song Xian sent her a question mark in a private message.
Song Xian: “?”
Song Zhi replied. “What’s wrong? Can’t bear to part with your beloved younger sister?”
Song Xian: “…Stop disgusting me.”
Song Xian: “With this sudden move, you wouldn’t happen to be moving in with Xu You, would you?”
Song Zhi: “I’m touched.”
Song Xian: “?”
Song Zhi: “You actually managed to guess it with your IQ.”
Song Xian: ?
It took a long time before Song Xian sent another message. “Are you two… together?”
Song Zhi: “Huh? Is it that obvious? Ah, there’s no helping it, your sister is just that charming.”
Song Xian seemed completely speechless at her. “…I advise you not to be blindly optimistic.”
Song Zhi: “?”
His words instantly made Song Zhi displeased. What kind of person pours cold water on a newly dating couple right at the start? Was his emotional intelligence eaten by a dog?
Song Zhi’s fingers moved at lightning speed, typing away furiously: “Do you even know how to talk? Xu You and I are a match made in heaven! Even if I’m not outstanding enough yet, I will work hard to catch up to Xu You’s footsteps.”
Song Xian: “At least you have some self-awareness.”
The things he said made Song Zhi flare up with anger. “What do you mean by that? Your sister finally found love, shouldn’t you be happy for me? Why do you keep pouring cold water on me?”
It took a long time before Song Xian sent another reply.
“I didn’t mean to pour cold water on you. It’s just, Song Zhi, I want to ask you, do you really understand Xu You?”
Song Zhi frowned. “Of course I do.”
Song Xian quickly sent another message. “Tell me then, what do you know about her? Aside from knowing her name and her family background, do you know anything else about her?”
Song Xian’s words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, plunging Song Zhi into silence.
She desperately wanted to argue back, but she found that she couldn’t.
Because everything Song Xian said was the absolute truth. She indeed, it seemed, really did not understand Xu You.
Aside from what he mentioned, Song Zhi knew nothing else.
Song Xian’s messages kept coming, pressing forward step by step, striking right at the heart of the matter:
“Do you really think a person like Xu You would be content with doing nothing and being ordered around for the rest of her life? Do you really know what she is doing behind everyone’s back? Has she ever told you?”
Song Zhi set her phone down and collapsed onto the bed, her eyes reflecting a sense of blankness and anxiety.
Perhaps seeing that she hadn’t replied for a long time, Song Xian sent an apology text.
“Sorry, maybe my words were a bit too harsh. I only wanted to remind you from the perspective of an older brother. I don’t want you to be played like a fool.”
The words “played like a fool” stung Song Zhi’s eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she replied: “Xu You isn’t that kind of person.”
At this moment, the excitement of being in a relationship with Xu You had mostly withered away.
Song Zhi cursed herself internally for being so easily shaken, letting herself doubt their relationship over a couple of provoking remarks from that guy Song Xian.
Xu You definitely likes me! Why should I be so insecure! Song Zhi berated herself in her heart.
She stayed awake all night until the next morning, her dark circles looking incredibly prominent.
When she walked out of her room, Xu You was already sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Song Zhi let out a long breath, forcing herself to forget the unpleasant words from last night. She plastered a smile on her face, ran over to sit next to Xu You, and asked coaxingly, “What are you reading, Sister?”
Xu You turned her head and kissed her on the forehead. “Just some miscellaneous books.”
Song Zhi caught a glimpse of the book’s cover, it was a book related to business commerce. Her mind involuntarily replayed Song Xian’s words. Do you really think a person like Xu You would be content with doing nothing and being ordered around for the rest of her life?