Novel Turned Yuri – Chapter 75

All the wishes I can think of are about you

Everything is progressing very smoothly.

Soon, rumors of Lin Qing and her falling in love subtly spread throughout the school. Although everyone kept a low profile on the surface, during breaks or whenever the two of them appeared together in front of others, you could always hear some kind teasing comments.

Lin Qing maintained a certain sense of distance with everyone except for a few, including Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu was quite popular, having made friends with many students from other classes during the previous sports meet.

“Qiao Yu, you’re so amazing!”

Occasionally, the boys from the other class that she knew would chat with her when Lin Qing wasn’t around, playfully patting her on the back.

“You actually managed to pursue Lin Qing! Do you know how many people she has rejected before? I was one of them before!”

“…I really didn’t know that.”

Qiao Yu dangerously narrowed her eyes, kindly smiling as she grasped the shoulder of the boy who spoke those words.

“Why don’t you tell me all about it?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was me who caused trouble for her before!”

Seeing him nod his head, bow and quickly admit his mistake, Qiao Yu released him, hmphed, and clapped her hands.

“Well, she’s such a good person, it’s normal for people to like her.”

“But after this, you can’t like her anymore because she likes me.”

“Uh—”

In response to her boldly teasing behavior that didn’t change her expression, the boy sighed and told her many rumors about how difficult it was to win over Lin Qing. Qiao Yu felt somewhat uneasy listening to it, but eventually, the conversation turned to her, allowing her to hear things that would never be asked by anyone else, especially from Cong Ye’s group.

“Hey.”

Qiao Yu returned to the classroom, sitting astride on her own seat as she tapped Cong Ye’s desk, looking at his bewildered expression and cutting straight to the point.

“I heard there’s a rumor going around the school about me being ‘only interested in studying and not in love?'”

“…”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Cong Ye’s composure was disrupted, and he visibly tensed up.

“Do- do they?”

“They do.”

Qiao Yu smiled warmly, halting Lu Yao who was attempting to slip away beside her.

“They said they heard it from you and Lu Yao — how about you both explain things properly?”

“…No, because when we talked on the phone before, you did say you didn’t like anyone…”

“Is that— was that all a long time ago? Besides, what you told me isn’t the same thing, is it?”

“…It’s just necessary artistic embellishment, please understand.”

Unexpectedly hearing those words from someone else’s mouth, Qiao Yu watched Cong Ye, who seemed ready to face death rather than reveal the mastermind, sighed, and then turned to pat the culprit who was pretending to work on a problem.

“I heard about it, you know? A few days ago, after our situation got out, there was a boy who wanted to confess to me in the end, had even prepared a love letter, but you talked him out of it, right?”

“…”

Lin Qing paused her pen, fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at her, nodding in a straightforward manner.

“Mm.”

Qiao Yu watched Lin Qing with a look that seemed to be waiting for her to question further, unable to help but shake her head and smile.

“Okay, I’m not here to interrogate you.”

She affectionately rubbed Lin Qing’s tense face, instantly softening her facial features. Lin Qing wrinkled her delicate nose, every movement and gesture exuding an irresistible charm.

“Although I feel a bit sorry for that guy, I do indeed already have a girlfriend, so meeting him will only add unnecessary awkwardness.”

“I brought this up because I wanted to ask—”

As she spoke, she glanced over at Cong Ye and Lu Yao behind them, both looking anxious to help but unable to, and then leaned in with a smile to Lin Qing’s ear, softly asking.

“…When did you start having ideas about me?”

This question ultimately didn’t receive a direct response. Qiao Yu was met with a shy glare from Lin Qing, but just seeing her ears turn red made Qiao Yu immeasurably pleased.

The good mood lasted until Song Wanwan came to play with her after two classes, the young lady sizing her up and making clicking sounds with her mouth.

“You look so happy being in love, smiling like you’ve found money.”

“Hey, being in love is way happier than finding money.”

As a lifelong soloist, Song Wanwan expressed her inability to understand Qiao Yu’s feelings. Qiao Yu thought for a moment and found it hard to describe, so she mustered all her artistic sensibilities to express that it felt like flowers blooming, ice melting, and the sun shining bright. Song Wanwan listened perplexed, feeling like she was listening to a primary school student’s essay just getting by.

Curious as ever, the young lady came to her with a question. This question had been asked once before, with no answer back then. This time, she wouldn’t let Qiao Yu off the hook. Standing confidently with hands on her hips, she blocked Qiao Yu’s path and asked with determination.

“Now you must have some experience! How did your first kiss feel?”

“…Isn’t your voice too loud?”

Qiao Yu rubbed her temples helplessly, seeing that Song Wanwan’s blunt words had attracted attention from many people in the corridor. She spent quite some time reassuring them that nothing was wrong before considering the question.

“The first kiss…”

That unexpected moment was unforgettable for Qiao Yu. Even now, seeing Pocky would make her face heat up, and she would try to avoid choosing it as a snack.

It was because of Mi Yi’s command as the king back then, ordering them to eat the Pocky within five centimeters. She had bitten too much, so that’s why—

“…”

…Was it just that?

Qiao Yu suddenly froze, her gaze piercing through the window, through the clouds, through the vast flow of time, and suddenly she saw that autumn day, in that dimly lit KTV private room.

The delicate face she deeply loved was right in front of her, as she sat there, so nervous that she stiffened, completely focused on how much longer the Pocky would last.

Lin Qing slightly opened her eyes, the rotating colored lights illuminating the dark depths of her eyes, reflecting the colorful emotions within.

Then, in a secretive manner, she leaned forward.

“…I see, it’s been quite a while.”

Suddenly, she understood many things, murmuring to herself as she lowered her head, her heart filled to the brim with rich emotions.

Quickly regaining her composure, she turned to the impatient Song Wanwan, her gaze gentle and nostalgic, as if looking back on a period of innocent ignorance.

“My first kiss is like… chocolate.”

Ignoring the young lady’s rapid-fire questions that she didn’t quite understand, Qiao Yu bid her farewell and returned to the classroom.

The person who had just vividly appeared in her memories now stood before her, tilting their head to look at her, their clear eyes reflecting her figure.

“You’re back so soon?”

The tangled appearance that tried to show she wasn’t that concerned softened Qiao Yu’s heart into a puddle. She nodded gently, saying, “Missed you.”

Then, Qiao Yu caught Lin Qing’s slightly stunned gaze, reached out and took the exercise book she was reading, holding it up as a shield. Leaning closer, she gently kissed the corner of Lin Qing’s lips.

As she touched her, Qiao Yu heard the first cicada chirping of the year.

Summer had arrived.

It was Friday afternoon, with only two classes left in school. Qiao Yu had more time to spend leisurely with Lin Qing.

Young and passionate lovers often spend a considerable amount of time on physical contact. It’s not that they lack willpower, but rather that desire naturally plays a role in relationships. Responsible enough to know when to stop, Qiao Yu could be said to have received ample training in maturity.

But today was different. While they were alone in Lin Qing’s room, they sat side by side at the table in a proper manner. Qiao Yu had an empty piece of paper in front of her but didn’t move; instead, she propped her chin in her hand, tilting her head to watch Lin Qing earnestly writing on another sheet of paper.

“…Quite a lot, huh?”

“Because I’m a greedy person.”

Without lifting her head, Lin Qing responded, furrowing her brows, thinking for a moment before writing down another item.

She was writing a wishlist.

This suggestion came from Lin Qing, who originally intended for both of them to write separate lists. However, in order to demonstrate to Qiao Yu what to write, Lin Qing took the lead in drafting her own list.

Since it was meant to be something she would show Qiao Yu after completing it, Lin Qing didn’t intend to hide it. Qiao Yu quietly watched the several items she had already written, always unable to suppress a faint smile.

“Why are you smiling?”

Lin Qing, who was sensitive to her gaze due to her thin skin, immediately feigned displeasure and looked over, only to have her face flushed by the other’s warm smile.

“I just feel…”

Qiao Yu said, leaning in to hold her hand.

“Rather than calling this a wishlist, it’s more like a list of ‘things I want to do together with Qiao Yu,’ right?”

Being told this by the person in question, Lin Qing blushed even more intensely, avoiding her smiling gaze and muttering softly, “…Is it not allowed?”

Facing such a cute creature, it was really difficult to resist the urge to hug or kiss her.

But for now, Qiao Yu managed to maintain her composure, knowing that she couldn’t start this now. Otherwise, their plan of writing wishlists together today would come to an end. She quickly shook her head to indicate that Lin Qing could continue writing, ignoring her, and quietly leaned to the side, watching.

Lin Qing’s initial wishes appeared quite simple and straightforward, such as “Cook a dish together” or “Watch a musical together.”

As she continued writing, her wishes became more specific. For example, two of her latest entries were: one about “When in college, rent a house together with Qiao Yu and raise a small plant (just a common one),” and another about “On each other’s birthdays, be the first one to wish each other ‘Happy Birthday,’ preferably face to face.”

Following this entry, as if struck by a thought, Lin Qing hesitated, stopped writing, and sneakily glanced at Qiao Yu. In her puzzled gaze, she bit her lip and quickly wrote down.

“On my 18th birthday, spend the night out with Qiao Yu.”

“Wait, wait a moment.”

“No, wait! You promised me before!”

The two blushed and stared at each other, but in the end, Qiao Yu conceded first, sighing and raising her hands.

“I was just thinking, can’t we celebrate our birthdays at home?”

“But what if our family hears us…oh.”

Sudden awareness of how bold her words were made Lin Qing’s blood rush to her face. She was overcome with embarrassment, not daring to look at Qiao Yu’s expression. She quickly picked up the paper and pen from the table and hurriedly walked towards the door.

“I’ll go write in the living room, don’t follow me!”

With those words, Lin Qing hurriedly fled, leaving behind a blushing and flustered Qiao Yu sitting motionless at the table. She had no energy left to chase after her, just grateful that Aunt Lin wasn’t home today.

“Oh, Lin Qing is so bold!”

Meanwhile, the system in Qiao Yu’s mind, which had been listening to everything, couldn’t calm down. It loudly shouted, making a fuss and lacking any self-awareness that it was being completely unnecessary at the moment.

“So noisy.”

Forcing away the distracting thoughts in her mind, Qiao Yu grumpily scolded the system, leaning back in her chair and letting out a deep sigh.

“…What should I do? I still wanted to talk to Lin Qing about that thing today.”

“What thing—oh…”

The system, which had just been loud moments ago, lowered its tone upon realizing what Qiao Yu was referring to.

“Um, how about waiting for Lin Qing to finish writing first? She always comes back anyway.”

“It’s not about that.” Qiao Yu shook her head, smiling gently. “It’s just that she looks so happy right now.”

Not wanting to ruin her mood, this implicit message made the system fall silent with a soft whimper.

“Let it go.”

It was Qiao Yu who ended up comforting the system instead. Her emotions were calm, and her tone was relaxed.

“I’ve never been good at seeing her worried.”

She glanced down at the paper Lin Qing had given her, hesitantly picking up the pen.

…A wish.

Whenever this word was mentioned, the imagery in her mind was always connected to Lin Qing, with a whispered name hidden deep in her heart.

Qiao Yu quietly wrote down a line of words, then paused, looking at the wish with a gentle and soft smile, her eyes filled with warmth.

All the wishes I can think of are about you.

Sunny days, rainy days, thick fog, winter snow.

In any scene, I want to spend it with you.

Although I may not be loved by the world and the gods, I am fortunate to have your favor, which is an unimaginable stroke of luck.

God, if there truly are gods in this world.

I know this is not a fairy tale where the prince and princess endure hardships to be together. My role now should be the evil dragon that abducted the princess in the story, falling in love with the princess by chance.

Even if the prince applauds for us, the people cheer for us, there are still heavy swords of the gods in the heavens, carved by fate into a Damocles sword hanging over my head, constantly reminding me of my transgression, as if silently mocking that this is a love story not blessed by the world.

And I also know that sooner or later, I will face a lonely battle. I have to climb to the peak, grasp the handleless sword, take it off before it cuts my fingers, and with my blood, mold it into a rose to give to the one I love the most.

Oh, gods.

If in this world, of all things, I only seek this one wish to be fulfilled, then this world should treat me kindly.