The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 48
by Little PandaDaringly
Zhang San, having been countered by her remark, couldn’t immediately think of any words to fire back. Besides, what normal girl from a decent family would be hugging and cuddling someone on the street? Only Song Linlin could be shameless enough to do something like this.
This incident was truly beyond Zhang San’s comprehension. She could only point at Song Linlin, “You, you…”
In the end, after stammering for a long while, Zhang San couldn’t manage a single coherent sentence.
Seeing Zhang San unable to retort after being countered, Song Linlin couldn’t help but smile, her eyes showing quite a bit of smugness. She even grinned and playfully stuck out her tongue at Zhang San.
Seeing the other’s reaction, Zhang San flushed red, took a few steps back to the side, deciding to temporarily distance herself from Song Linlin, making it clear she wasn’t part of the same group.
That way, if the act of hugging someone on the street caused embarrassment later, it would have nothing to do with her, Zhang San.
Chi Qianning, whose back was suddenly hugged by Song Linlin, was also a bit stunned. She hadn’t expected the other person to reach out and wrap an arm around her waist without any warning. The person behind her pressed her entire upper body tightly against her back; even through the clothes, she could feel the warmth of the other’s body.
That warmth formed a stark contrast with her own coolness. Being pressed against such a warm body, it was hard to ignore even if she wanted to.
Chi Qianning subconsciously glanced at the nearby crowd. Most people were concentrated inside the gambling house; the continuous sounds of laughter from big winners and the unwilling curses of losers filled the air. People’s attention was focused on the dice. There weren’t many pedestrians outside, and at least no one had cast their gaze in their direction yet.
This allowed Chi Qianning to breathe a temporary sigh of relief. She slipped her fingers between Song Linlin’s arm and her own stomach. Even though the person behind was hugging tightly, by slightly sucking in her abdomen, her hand slid smoothly into the gap.
She grasped Song Linlin’s hand and forcefully pried the other’s fingers open, simultaneously saying somewhat unnaturally, “Song Linlin, let go first.”
“Oh…”
Her hand having been forcibly pried away, Song Linlin could only release her arm now, letting Chi Qianning out of her embrace.
Withdrawing her hand, Song Linlin immediately took two steps back, maintaining some safe distance from the other person. Just now, in order to hug Chi Qianning, Song Linlin had gotten far too close, practically sticking her entire body onto the other person.
Chi Qianning turned around, her red eyes staring at Song Linlin. Besides some unnatural emotion, there was also a hint of blame in them.
Normally, doing this in their room might be acceptable, but they were currently standing on the street, with Zhang San watching from the side. Yet Song Linlin could still be so unbridled. This made Chi Qianning’s tone inevitably harden a bit as she said, “Don’t mess around outside.”
“I know.” Song Linlin could only nod.
The action just now had been entirely subconscious. Song Linlin couldn’t control her hands and just reached out to hug her, probably also because she had hugged Chi Qianning so many times that it was becoming a habit.
For a moment, Song Linlin had even ignored that this kind of behavior, in the eyes of others, was completely outrageous1 and offensive to public decency2. Girls in this era were mostly quite reserved, not as open as Song Linlin.
Song Linlin put her hands behind her back, fingers twisting together. Having been rejected like this, her gaze shifted elsewhere awkwardly.
Zhang San, however, was quite happy to see the current scene, standing aside with a smile of schadenfreude3. She certainly couldn’t win an argument against Song Linlin, but now the other had suffered a setback, which made Zhang San feel much better.
Serves Song Linlin right for always calling her a child; now she’d also been taught a lesson by Lin Qianqian.
However, Song Linlin suddenly realized something. Chi Qianning had said, “Don’t mess around outside.” This “outside” was quite intriguing4. Did it mean it was okay as long as they weren’t seen by outsiders?
The more she thought about it, the more her heart itched5 with the impulse to put it into practice. But it was clearly impossible right now. They’d have to wait until they returned to the Kezhan6 at least; only then would there be a chance to try.
Song Linlin quickly adjusted her mood. The earlier awkwardness had long since vanished. Now, showing not the slightest sign of frustration, she spoke with great motivation, “Let’s go back to the Kezhan now!”
Zhang San naturally had no objection to going back. Only now did she walk closer to Song Linlin again, sizing her up strangely for a few seconds. She just felt that this person’s mentality was too good. How long had it been? So quickly, it was as if nothing had happened just now.
But Zhang San didn’t dwell on it, just assuming Song Linlin was so thick-skinned she didn’t feel embarrassed at all. She was tired now after walking for so long. Although there were still many places they hadn’t visited, it wasn’t early anymore, and it was time to return to the Kezhan to rest.
Zhang San nodded, “Okay, let’s go back.”
As for Chi Qianning, she hadn’t been interested in these outside places to begin with. Being able to return to the Kezhan now was naturally better than wandering around outside.
The three of them headed back towards the Kezhan together again. Song Linlin still walked at the very front, leading the way. Zhang San had been too busy looking left and right along the way, her eyes fixed on the nearby stalls, completely failing to remember the route. Leading the way still depended on Song Linlin.
Fortunately, Song Linlin’s memory in this regard was quite good. Even though the route was winding7, she still remembered certain landmark buildings. It didn’t take long for her to successfully lead the other two back downstairs to the Kezhan.
Leading them up to the fifth floor, they arrived before their respective room doors. Song Linlin hadn’t forgotten the purpose of this trip down the mountain and said, “Let’s just treat today as a day to rest and relax. Tomorrow, we’ll go out again to ask where we can find that Purple Mist Leaf you’re missing.”
“Okay, sure!”
Zhang San wasn’t anxious at all about finding the Purple Mist Leaf right now; she just wanted to take it slowly. After all, finding it a few days later meant they could play outside for a few more days.
The few times she had left the Sect before, it was following her grandfather out to search for rare medicinal herbs. They hadn’t visited any nearby cities along the way at all. Once they found what they needed, she was taken back to the Sect. It was really boring.
Now that no one was restraining her, Zhang San naturally wanted to stay outside for a few more days.
“I’m going to sleep. You two rest early too.” Zhang San took out her key, opened her door, said goodnight to Song Linlin and Chi Qianning, and then entered her room.
Song Linlin also took out her key. Inserting the key into the lock, a gentle turn opened it. Chi Qianning walked into the room first, while Song Linlin was a step slower, then turned to close the door properly.
Before leaving, she had informed the Kezhan attendant to prepare hot water for her. The time she returned was about as expected. Song Linlin walked into the separate room specifically used for bathing. The water inside was still hot. A bucket filled with cool water was placed beside it, along with a ladle, making it convenient for her to add cold water herself to adjust the temperature.
Because they had gone to the gambling house after dinner, it was crowded, and places like that were naturally quite chaotic, filled with all sorts of smells. Song Linlin hadn’t stayed there long, but it was inevitable she had picked up some odors.
She felt she really needed to take a bath first; otherwise, getting into bed like this would be too uncomfortable.
Rummaging through her luggage for her clothes – since she had already left the Sect, the clothes she brought were naturally some of her everyday wear – Song Linlin turned her head towards Chi Qianning beside her and said, “I’m going to take a bath later.”
“Mm, go ahead.” Chi Qianning nodded. She also disliked the mixed smells from the gambling house; a wash was indeed necessary.
Song Linlin carried her clothes and approached the bathing compartment. This place was much more upscale than the Kezhan back in Yuanqing City. There was even a dedicated small room for bathing, offering higher privacy. At least she didn’t have to worry about being seen by others while bathing. Song Linlin couldn’t quite say whether her assessment of this point was regret or relief.
Stepping into the warm water, the heat spread across her skin. Song Linlin soaked her entire body in the hot water. This should have been a relaxing experience, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Various notions gradually began to extend, her mind filled with all sorts of strange things.
In the end, Song Linlin didn’t stay in the pool for long before climbing out. She changed into a clean set of clothes, hanging the ones she took off on the nearby clothes rack, temporarily not wanting to deal with them.
Walking out of the bathing room, Song Linlin gradually approached the bed. She could see the silhouette projected onto the bed curtains. As she got closer, she found Chi Qianning already leaning against the headboard. The other person had also changed her clothes. She too turned her head, looking at the approaching Song Linlin.
“Finished washing?” The room was very quiet, even the sounds from outside were muffled. The other person’s voice was very clear.
“Mm.”
Song Linlin nodded, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed. The bed was very large, big enough to even sleep sideways without issue. Chi Qianning was leaning against the innermost side. Song Linlin climbed all the way in, then very naturally reached out to hug her, snuggling against the other person’s body.
Perhaps because she had just bathed, Song Linlin’s hair was steamy, the ends still slightly damp, tendrils sticking to her face. Flower petals had been scattered in the hot water, and now her body carried a faint floral scent.
Someone squeezed into her arms. Chi Qianning looked down at her, her eyes meeting Song Linlin’s gaze. Song Linlin’s dark blue eyes stared at Chi Qianning as she spoke: “Since you said I can’t hug you outside, does that mean it’s okay in the room?”
For a moment, Chi Qianning didn’t know how to reply. How could her perfectly normal words end up being interpreted this way by the other person?
She looked at Song Linlin, deeply feeling that this person had been really clingy lately, even though this girl clearly knew she couldn’t handle such sudden closeness during this period.
Her mind felt she shouldn’t be hugging Song Linlin like this, but in the end, she didn’t reach out to push her away. Even when she lay down, she still maintained this posture.
Song Linlin hugged the other’s soft body. Perhaps because Chi Qianning didn’t push her away, it gave her a bit of inexplicable courage. Daringly, she leaned towards that pretty face and planted a kiss on it, then couldn’t help feeling embarrassed herself. She buried her head in the quilt, her voice muffled as it came through the fabric:
“Alright, let’s sleep!”
Footnotes
- 大逆不道 | dànìbùdào | Lit. “great contrary to the Way”; Describes actions considered treasonous, rebellious, or utterly unacceptable by societal norms.
- 伤风败俗 | shāngfēngbàisú | Lit. “harm morals, corrupt customs”; Offensive to public morality or decency.
- 幸灾乐祸 | xìngzāilèhuò | Lit. “rejoice in calamity, delight in disaster”; Taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune.
- 耐人寻味 | nàirénxúnwèi | Lit. “deserving of patient searching for the flavor”; Intriguing, thought-provoking, providing food for thought.
- 心痒痒的 | xīnyǎngyǎng de | Lit. “heart itchy”; Feeling an itch or urge to do something.
- 客栈 | Kèzhàn | Traditional Chinese inn.
- 弯弯绕绕 | wānwānràorào | Lit. “bend bend wind wind”; Winding, twisting and turning.
Someone’s catching feelings