Novel Turned Yuri – Chapter 74

Sweet

Qiao Yu’s girlfriend is very daring.

Although she had known about it since the day she confessed, the next day brought a new understanding from another perspective.

“Really?! You guys are finally together?”

To see such a dramatic fluctuation in expression from Mi Yi was truly rare. Qiao Yu looked at Lin Qing and nodded along with her.

The air around them fell silent for a moment. Her action was like dropping a bomb in the classroom, immediately causing an explosion of cheers. Among them, the loudest was Lu Yao’s shout: “My ship has sailed for real this time! It’s real!”

Yes, Lin Qing chose to explain her relationship with Mi Yi and Qiao Yu during a break when all the classmates of the unreservedly open Class 2 of the sophomore year were present.

When Lin Qing called out to Mi Yi, Qiao Yu had a rough idea that she was going to bring up this matter. Seeing that she showed no intention of avoiding the surrounding classmates, she could also imagine the current scene that would result. However, Qiao Yu did not stop Lin Qing, just smiling and gazing at her, a fondness in her eyes that even she was unaware of.

Qiao Yu herself was not someone who would openly display her emotions to the public, but if Lin Qing wanted to, she had no problem cooperating.

There was nothing more important than making Lin Qing happy.

She looked at Lin Qing, who appeared calm and composed amidst the noisy atmosphere, mischievously reaching out to brush away the strands of hair near Lin Qing’s ear, touching the reddened and warm earlobe hidden beneath the hair.

“It seems like you’re having a hard time.”

“…Don’t act like it has nothing to do with you.”

Seeing Qiao Yu’s relaxed demeanor, Lin Qing felt a surge of shyness. She pushed away the hand causing mischief near her ear and unconsciously touched her ear that had turned numb from the contact.

“You better pay attention. With so many people in class knowing about our relationship now, if you ever change your mind, they’ll be talking behind your back.”

“Alright, alright, I wouldn’t dare to do that.”

Qiao Yu smiled wryly in response, feeling a myriad of emotions in her heart.

The reason why Lin Qing, who also tended to be reserved with her emotions, made such a move was essentially to cut off Qiao Yu’s retreat by taking advantage of the gossiping crowd.

…But, how should I put it, this method that should have been utilized behind the scenes was now openly and seriously declared by Lin Qing. Is this really okay?

Rather than feeling threatened, Qiao Yu found Lin Qing more adorable. Even when she glared back after being stared at for too long, she still looked cute. “Wow, Qiao Yu’s expression seems to be melting. Can you please restrain yourself a bit?”

As Mi Yi calmed down, her first words were not words of blessing but rather mocking towards Qiao Yu. Her second sentence startled both of them.

“And then? Have you kissed yet?”

“”?!””

Why did it sound as casual as asking “Have you had breakfast?” What is this person saying in the sacred school classroom!

The conservative adult Qiao Yu angrily rolled up her sleeves, preparing to give the unfiltered Mi Yi a piece of her mind. However, she felt the tense air around her stiffen as soon as those words left her mouth.

She sensed trouble. Stiffly turning her neck to look around, she saw her classmates’ eyes avoiding hers while secretly peering in their direction. They couldn’t conceal their eagerness for gossip; though unspoken, it seemed like all their faces were silently asking: “Have you kissed yet?”

Meanwhile, the previously love-calling Lu Yao in the center of the classroom also became flustered. His face turned red with embarrassment as he stammered, “N-no need to say anything! I know this is your privacy!”

Compared to Mi Yi with a runaway mouth and a mind filled with trains, Lu Yao appeared much more sensible. Qiao Yu was amazed that there would come a day when Lu Yao seemed more reliable than Mi Yi. Just as she was contemplating this, she heard the tall boy continue, bashful yet filled with curiosity.

“…But there’s one question that has really bothered me for a long time, that is, um, wouldn’t your noses bump into each other?”

Could they just slightly adjust their positions so their noses wouldn’t collide? Who stares blankly face-to-face when kissing? Definitely not the time to bring this up!

Qiao Yu felt dizzy from this unexpected stab in the back. This person practically assumed they had already kissed! Although, that was indeed the case!

High school students are at an age where they are most interested in such topics. While they refrained from directly asking about their feelings (except for Mi Yi), their fleeting curious glances were enough to make Qiao Yu feel overwhelmed, not to mention Lin Qing.

Despite Lin Qing being very proactive when alone with Qiao Yu, she was defenseless against such teasing in daily life. Watching her face turn red with embarrassment, she avoided eye contact with Mi Yi, instead picking up a book to read. She vaguely recalled not making the rookie mistake of dropping the book.

“There’s no biology class today.”

“I’m…preparing ahead.”

Mi Yi saw through her flustered attempt at composure. She calmly turned to Qiao Yu, nodding in approval. “…”

Qiao Yu’s emotions were complicated. She decided to act as if she hadn’t seen anything.

Just then, two crisp claps sounded from behind Qiao Yu, grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Don’t say such strange things and make things difficult for Qiao Yu and Lin Qing.”

It was from Cong Ye. He stood up with a righteous expression, sternly lecturing everyone.

Ah, it seemed like his presence hadn’t been noticed until now. Unexpectedly, he stepped in to defuse the situation at this moment. It turned out that Cong Ye was the most reliable person this time…!

“Just offer them your normal blessings. What’s going on in your minds!”

That, that!

Qiao Yu nodded in agreement with Cong Ye’s words, turning to him with a grateful gaze. Cong Ye responded with a bright and sunny smile, giving her a thumbs-up.

“And those kinds of things should only be done after marriage! What’s the point of asking them now! The answer is obvious, isn’t it!”

“………”

Qiao Yu felt speechless, unable to face Cong Ye’s sincere and pure gaze. She turned away, feeling guilty.

Is the male lead really set up as such a simple character?

There’s a feeling that if you were to ask him the question, “How are babies born?”, you would receive a response like, “Huh? Are you silly? Of course, the stork brings them!”.

The classmates in the classroom seemed to have some reservations about Cong Ye’s final words, but they still accepted his admonition one after another, sending their congratulations to the two of them. Since Lin Qing was still in a shy state, Qiao Yu smiled and nodded in response to each blessing—one could say, this scene was quite reminiscent of a wedding ceremony.

As the atmosphere in the classroom returned to a harmonious state, a student near the door suddenly let out a short exclamation and stood up, waving his hands to alert everyone, “Teacher! The teacher is here!”

The students immediately became vigilant and scattered like birds and beasts, each returning to their seats to either study or engage in casual conversations, trying to appear normal as if nothing had happened. It was hard to tell that moments before, they had all been surrounding Qiao Yu and Lin Qing.

Despite discussing the rumors about the two individuals with great enthusiasm earlier, when the rumors turned out to be true, the students of Class 2 in the sophomore year suddenly became united in solidarity, determined to keep their lips sealed and not reveal a single word to the teacher.

After all, now that the rumors had come true, it was indeed a bona fide case of puppy love. It would be disastrous if the teacher found out! What if they were punished and separated?

Feeling a strong sense of duty to protect their classmates and never become informants, they all tacitly put on their most ordinary appearances, while in reality, being highly alert and watching as the teacher slowly walked up to the lectern.

The homeroom teacher scanned the room slowly, placed the textbook on the lectern, and began speaking methodically.

“…Even though you may have just seen me, I’ve actually been standing at the door for five minutes already.”

“…”

The atmosphere in the classroom suddenly became tense, with some students pretending to innocently ask, “Teacher, what are you talking about?” However, led by the student sitting near the door who failed to notice the teacher on time, another group of students had already shown expressions of “uh-oh”.

With various expressions, everyone stared at the teacher, waiting for his next words.

By the way, compared to the others who were on edge like facing a formidable enemy, the protagonist Qiao Yu was looking blankly at the homeroom teacher with no hint of tension.

“Qiao Yu, what expression is that of yours…”

Even the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but chuckle at her dazed look, rubbing his forehead in disbelief, and sighed.

“After class, come to my office with me.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone except Qiao Yu was shocked.

Lin Qing stood up directly, her expression returning to its usual calmness. The only sign of panic was the harsh scraping noise as the chair she failed to catch in time hit the ground.

“Should I go with her to your office?”

Although phrased as a question, her expression showed no intention of asking. With slightly pursed lips and a determined look on her face, she did not budge even when Qiao Yu lightly tugged at her sleeve.

The homeroom teacher, looking down from above, saw through Qiao Yu’s small actions, couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: “Youth is such a wonderful thing.” However, his expression remained unchanged.

“Qiao Yu can come alone. If Lin Qing follows, I will penalize Qiao Yu.”

Indeed, he pinpointed the key issue accurately. Experience really does count.

Lin Qing clenched her fists, lightly biting her lip. Despite the worry and unease in her eyes, she didn’t say anything more. With Qiao Yu’s gentle reassurance, she sat back down.

Throughout the rest of the class, it was evident that her mind was unsettled. The homeroom teacher quietly observed her, reaffirming his decision in his own calculations.

After class, as arranged, Qiao Yu dutifully followed the homeroom teacher to the office. He sat down and carefully observed Qiao Yu in front of him.

… Well, she looked quite serious, but surprisingly not nervous at all.

“Do you know why I want to talk to you?”

“I don’t know.”

Qiao Yu honestly shook her head, adding a sentence under the teacher’s puzzled gaze.

“Well, it definitely isn’t about me breaking up with Lin Qing.”

“Why not?”

“Otherwise, why were you eavesdropping at the door for five minutes? You could have just barged in and dragged me out.”

With her straightforward remarks, the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but chuckle, struggling to maintain the stern expression. Qiao Yu, feeling a bit embarrassed, also joined in with a laugh. The artificially created sense of stiffness between teacher and student vanished.

“Alright, stop laughing. You’re quite sharp.”

The homeroom teacher waved his hand impatiently and called her over to his computer, where he brought up a form.

“These are Lin Qing’s grades for this year, and these are yours.”

Carefully comparing the two grades, he pointed at the screen sternly.

“I’m not turning a blind eye to you two. Let me make this clear upfront – if either of you shows a significant drop in grades in the future, don’t blame me for being strict.”

“…But wasn’t Lin Qing the first in ranks last time? Isn’t it tough to maintain that position?”

“So that’s why I’m saying a significant decline is not acceptable! You have much more potential to improve compared to others. If you want to go to the same university as Lin Qing, study hard and listen well! Got it!”

With a stern look, the homeroom teacher made Qiao Yu nod repeatedly. Seeing her cooperative attitude, the teacher’s expression softened as he sighed.

“I don’t have any bias towards your matters. As long as both of you are doing well.”

“But don’t blame me for being nosy. At your age, when your minds are not yet fully settled, you and Lin Qing are good kids. But if it’s just a passing fancy or not well-thought-out in the long run….”

“I understand.”

Sensing his hesitation, Qiao Yu lowered her head and smiled shyly.

“At least for myself, I want to be with her forever.”

“I see.”

The homeroom teacher nodded with contentment, rummaging through his desk for a while before mysteriously unfolding his palm.

“Here, consider it as congratulations for both of you.”

“Sweet.”

Lin Qing, feeling relieved, held the candy given by Qiao Yu and smiled softly.

“I didn’t expect that even the teacher supports us.”

“Mm.”

Qiao Yu felt happy seeing Lin Qing’s smile, and she happily ate another candy, enjoying the sweet taste filling her mouth.

They were now in the car heading home. Before leaving the office, the homeroom teacher reminded Qiao Yu not to disclose their conversation in the class. After all, it was against the school rules and etiquette, and if word got out, everyone would be in trouble. So, when Qiao Yu returned to the classroom, she didn’t say much and only reassured Lin Qing that everything was fine until after school when they got into the car and she disclosed everything.

Although Qiao Yu had already realized that the homeroom teacher had no intention of separating them, receiving such encouragement and support was beyond her expectations.

In this world… is there more tolerance for same-sex relationships compared to the real world?

She couldn’t help but feel that everything was going too smoothly, making it feel almost unreal.

This isn’t the first time Qiao Yu had pondered this question, but each time, she couldn’t find a logical explanation. Even the system, which now seemed all-knowing, couldn’t provide a clear answer, leaving her to speculate in her mind.

“…It’s probably because when this world was created, it was influenced by something unknown, right? It’s strange. This kind of thing should have been copied from the original world as it was supposed to be…”

No matter how much she thought about things the system didn’t know, Qiao Yu couldn’t figure it out. She closed her eyes, and the system tactfully changed the subject, stumbling over its words.

“Um, that, the thing the host mentioned earlier…”

“Qiao Yu?”

As the system was in the middle of speaking, it was interrupted by Lin Qing calling out, drawing Qiao Yu’s attention. Qiao Yu quickly turned her head and saw her girlfriend leaning in, carefully studying her face.

“Are you daydreaming?”

“Uh… I was just thinking about how there are so many good people in this world.”

“…Well, I feel the same way.”

Setting aside the matter of Qiao Yu’s daydreaming, Lin Qing silently reached out and gently touched her face, running her fingers over her cheek.

“Have you finished the candy?”

This seemed like a not-so-subtle invitation.

Qiao Yu slightly widened her eyes and saw her girlfriend pretending to be calm, looking at her with a mix of shyness and boldness.

Her eyes darkened slightly as she didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned around and raised her voice.

“Uncle Wang, could you help me buy a pack of candies?”

Their familiar driver was very accommodating and promptly parked the car by the roadside before heading into the nearby convenience store. After getting the candy, he didn’t immediately return but considerately began browsing around the store, sighing to himself about how much Qiao Yu had grown up.

Inside the car, Lin Qing’s face turned red due to the seamless flow of events. Her voice was soft, filled with shyness, as she knowingly asked, “…What are you doing?”

Even if she had imposed restrictions on herself from doing anything too excessive, it didn’t mean that Qiao Yu couldn’t be moved.

She gently pulled Lin Qing into her arms, smiling innocently at the compliant Lin Qing.

“I just… wanted to have something sweet.”

The kiss began by landing on the corner of her lips, then daringly progressed to seal Lin Qing’s lips, only allowing her to emit soft, fragmented breaths between them.

Just a little longer, just a little longer.

Qiao Yu half-opened her eyes, almost greedily engraving her girl in her gaze, etching her into her heart.

The system in her mind made a soft sound, then fell silent.

She knew there were still things to be done, she was acutely aware of that. But it didn’t have to be today necessarily.

Just a little longer, just a little longer.