The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 88
by Little PandaExtra IF-Line – Modern Arc
Can I kiss you?
Chi Qianning agreed so readily that it was Song Linlin who was left slightly stunned. Her eyes filled with disbelief. Running over to confess had been an impulsive act on Song Linlin’s part, but she never expected Chi Qianning to actually say yes!
“R-Really?” Song Linlin’s eyes widened. She wanted to make absolutely sure she hadn’t misheard.
Chi Qianning nodded and patiently replied again, “Mm, it’s true.”
Song Linlin stood there, completely stunned. Everything felt like a dream—it was too surreal!
A minute ago, she had gotten out of the passenger seat. Song Linlin was walking back to her dorm, and it was quiet all around. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable urge to turn back and look at Chi Qianning. She didn’t know where the courage came from, but after only a moment’s hesitation, Song Linlin suddenly sprinted towards Chi Qianning, who was about to leave.
Hesitating and overthinking would only wear away her courage. Song Linlin was afraid that if she missed this chance, she would never dare to say it again.
She had only confessed impulsively, in the heat of the moment. And now Chi Qianning had actually agreed to date her. Song Linlin hadn’t even considered what she would do if Chi Qianning said yes; time had been tight, and she’d only managed to think about how to salvage their relationship if she were rejected.
So, Song Linlin’s mind was completely blank right now. She didn’t know what to say at all and could only continue to gaze at Chi Qianning’s beautiful face.
Seeing Song Linlin frozen in place, Chi Qianning’s tone softened considerably, losing its usual coolness and unapproachability. She smiled gently at Song Linlin. “Alright, go back and get some sleep.”
“…Okay.”
Song Linlin nodded dazedly and released her hand, which had been resting on the car window. It was getting late, and it was time for Chi Qianning to go home.
“Good night.” Song Linlin bent down, waved to Chi Qianning inside the car, and said goodbye.
Chi Qianning politely replied with the same words, “Mm, good night.”
Then, Song Linlin straightened up and took a few steps back, creating a safe distance from the car. The car started again, and Song Linlin stood there, watching its shadow recede further and further until it turned a corner and disappeared completely. Only then did Song Linlin start walking in the opposite direction.
She walked under the shade of the trees and the light of the streetlamps, her steps light and airy, completely unable to believe what had just happened.
So, Chi Qianning was her girlfriend now?
This was too incredible to imagine…
If this were the Song Linlin from before she started tutoring at Chi Qianning’s house, she would have thought she was most likely going to be alone for the rest of her life.
But now, not only was she no longer single1, it was also the first time in her life she was in a romantic relationship, and her girlfriend was a well-known top student from the neighboring school, who was also her roommate’s older sister.
Song Linlin felt like she’d won the lottery. If news of this got out, everyone’s jaws would probably drop.
Her mind still blank, she returned to the dorm, mechanically went to the bathroom to take a shower, then went to the balcony to wash her clothes, and finally climbed into bed.
Song Linlin lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her roommates were still laughing and joking around, but Song Linlin couldn’t hear them at all, completely immersed in the shock of suddenly being in a relationship.
The night passed quickly. Song Linlin suffered from insomnia again, sleeping late and waking up early. However, remembering that Teacher Chi hadn’t been awake when she knocked on the door yesterday morning, Song Linlin resisted the urge to get up and forced herself to lie in bed for another half hour before slowly climbing out.
When Song Linlin arrived at Chi Qianning’s door, she took out her phone to check the time. It was 8:30 AM, almost an hour later than yesterday. Chi Qianning should be awake by now, right?
Just as she was about to raise her hand to ring the doorbell, Song Linlin’s hand froze midway.
Unlike yesterday, her relationship with Chi Qianning had changed. Before, they were just normal friends, but now they were in a romantic relationship.
This left Song Linlin unprepared for the shift in their status. She still felt like this whole thing was a dream.
After hesitating for a good while, Song Linlin finally pressed the doorbell.
Standing outside the door, she felt a bit reserved, as if she had returned to the first day she came to Chi Qianning’s door, feeling just as nervous and awkward as she did now.
The door was quickly opened from the inside, revealing Chi Qianning. She was clearly already up, no longer in pajamas but wearing a set of casual loungewear.
Song Linlin stood outside the door, ramrod straight, giving off the distinct impression of an elementary school student standing guard. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Come in first,” Chi Qianning said.
Song Linlin entered the house. As usual, she went to make breakfast for Chi Qianning. Then, the two of them sat down to eat together. After breakfast, she went to wash the dishes while Chi Qianning sat in the living room, looking at math-related materials and journals.
Everything seemed no different from before. They had been getting along this harmoniously for days. The only difference was the added layer of a romantic relationship between them.
Song Linlin finished washing the dishes and walked out of the kitchen. She pulled out a paper towel to wipe her water-beaded hands, then casually tossed it into the trash can and walked into the living room.
Chi Qianning, on the sofa, noticed Song Linlin’s footsteps. She put down the book in her hand and looked up at Song Linlin approaching from around the corner.
Song Linlin sat down beside Chi Qianning, though with a little distance between them. “Teacher Chi…”
She began, as if she had something to say.
“Mm? What’s wrong?”
Chi Qianning placed a bookmark in her book and set it aside, not in a hurry to finish it all at once. She turned slightly, looking at Song Linlin earnestly, waiting for her to speak.
“Teacher Chi, are we really dating now?” Song Linlin still found it incredible, almost like a dream.
Chi Qianning nodded. “Of course, it’s true.”
Seeing Song Linlin looking so bewildered, Chi Qianning asked in return, “Or are you regretting it now?”
“No, no!” Song Linlin immediately waved her hands in denial.
Song Linlin felt like she had hit the jackpot; how could she possibly regret it? If anyone were to regret it, it would more likely be Chi Qianning suddenly coming to her senses and deciding Song Linlin wasn’t good enough for her.
“Then why do you ask?” Chi Qianning inquired curiously. Song Linlin had already confirmed with her once yesterday, and now she was asking the same question again today.
Song Linlin scratched her head, feeling inexplicably embarrassed. When she spoke, her voice was as small as a mosquito’s buzz. She stammered, “I just feel… like I’m in a dream… suddenly I’m in a relationship.”
“The way we interact now is pretty much the same as usual… Being in a relationship just feels unreal to me.”
Chi Qianning listened quietly as she spoke. Song Linlin would say a sentence and then pause, and Chi Qianning didn’t rush her, patiently waiting for her to finish.
“Is that so?” Chi Qianning thought about how to answer. “I feel a bit like that too… but I don’t have any experience in this area, so I don’t know how to accurately answer your question.”
“Mm… Today is Sunday, and we’re both free. How about we do some things that couples usually do? Maybe that way, we’ll find that real feeling of being in a relationship,” Chi Qianning suggested after analyzing the situation rationally.
Song Linlin hadn’t dated before either and didn’t know if this situation was normal. She could only nod and accept Chi Qianning’s suggestion. “Okay!”
“So, what should we do this morning?” Chi Qianning asked.
It was still early, enough time for them to go out for a bit. Staying at home was too boring, and Chi Qianning couldn’t think of anything to do there.
“Uh… let me think…”
Song Linlin thought about what young couples in love usually do. It seemed to be things like going out together, watching movies, eating out, and so on.
If they were to go out, Song Linlin couldn’t think of anything they could do with so little time in the morning. It was already nine o’clock, and lunchtime was only about three hours away.
“How about we go to the cinema and watch a movie this morning?” Song Linlin thought for a while. It seemed like there was only enough time for a movie.
Chi Qianning nodded. She couldn’t think of anything to do either, so it was easier to just go along with the other person’s idea. “Okay. After it’s finished, we can have lunch out together.”
Song Linlin took out her phone to buy tickets. She remembered there was a romance movie currently showing, but time was a bit tight now, and she wasn’t sure if she could still get tickets.
She opened the ticket purchasing interface. Because the film didn’t feature any particularly famous celebrity actors2, the seats for Sunday morning weren’t all sold out; some were still available.
Song Linlin bought two adjacent seats in the back row. The movie started at 10:10 AM. “Okay, I’ve bought the tickets. Let’s go!”
The cinema was near their residential community, so even if they walked, they wouldn’t have to worry about being late.
Chi Qianning went to change her clothes before heading out with Song Linlin. They went to the cinema together. On the way, Song Linlin bought two cups of milk tea outside a shopping mall, one for each of them.
After picking up the movie tickets, they entered the screening hall ten minutes early. It wasn’t a particularly popular film. Most of the people watching movies at this time were couples. When choosing seats, Song Linlin deliberately picked a spot in the back row away from them, where there was no one else around.
Song Linlin sat in her seat holding a bucket of popcorn. She lifted the armrest between herself and Chi Qianning so they could sit closer.
“Teacher Chi, have some popcorn. This flavor is pretty good.” Song Linlin offered the popcorn bucket. The movie hadn’t started yet, so they didn’t need to whisper.
Chi Qianning only tried a little. She wasn’t very fond of popcorn but ate some out of consideration for Song Linlin.
When the cinema lights dimmed and the big screen lit up, Song Linlin stopped talking and started watching the screen intently.
Both of them watched very attentively. To be honest, it wasn’t a very good movie. Only a third of the way through, Song Linlin could already guess the entire subsequent plot.
If it were before, Song Linlin definitely wouldn’t have bought a ticket to watch a mediocre romance film; she would have chosen a blockbuster that was also showing.
But now, she was watching a movie with Chi Qianning. Even though the film itself was boring and cliché, Song Linlin didn’t feel impatient sitting in the cinema.
She had already eaten more than half of the popcorn. The movie’s plot had now progressed to the stage where the main characters were starting their romance. On screen, the two protagonists were passionately kissing by the seaside.
This kissing scene was exceptionally long. A minute had passed, and the main characters were still kissing. Tender music played in the theater, and Song Linlin suddenly found it a bit hard to watch.
It was very much like the awkwardness of watching a movie with your parents when the characters on screen suddenly start a passionate kiss.
Song Linlin turned her head to look at Chi Qianning. Chi Qianning quickly noticed Song Linlin’s gaze and turned her head as well. They looked at each other, a hint of awkwardness in both their eyes.
The music was still echoing, and the protagonists on screen were embracing and kissing. Song Linlin noticed a couple in front of them also kissing. The lighting in the theater was dim. Song Linlin leaned closer to Chi Qianning, her lips hovering near Chi Qianning’s ear.
As if whispering a secret, Song Linlin lowered her voice and said softly, “Can I kiss you?”
The author has something to say:
Such pure love, hehe. It’s almost finished, will be completely wrapped up in a few days.
Footnotes
- 脱单 | tuōdān | Literally “shed single (status)”; means to stop being single, to find a partner.
- 流量明星 | liúliàng míngxīng | Literally “traffic star” or “flow star.” Refers to celebrities, often young actors or pop idols, who have a massive online following and can generate significant “traffic” (views, clicks, discussions) and commercial value, regardless of perceived talent by some. Their popularity is often driven by their large and active fanbase.
Can i get a kiss? Ànd can you make it last foreverrr 🎶🎶