Novel Turned Yuri – Chapter 5

There’s a long road ahead

To be honest, Qiao Yu really wanted to escape through the door immediately, right now.

If she hadn’t inexplicably praised that sentence, things wouldn’t be as tense as they are now. At most, it would have been a bit awkward, like being caught doing something good by the female lead.

This guy now, she hasn’t even done much good yet but she’s already praising someone’s appearance. She looks like a fool.

What’s keeping Qiao Yu from fleeing this suffocating atmosphere is her finally awakened mind. She can’t just leave Lin Qing behind to face those three who are looking at each other in surprise. That wouldn’t be something a decent person would do.

“I-I’m really happy to hear that.”

Even the system couldn’t bear to listen to her exaggerated tone.

The arrogant air Qiao Yu had when she entered the room has been completely extinguished by this sudden situation. But she has to carry on with this act, pretending that what just happened didn’t occur. She puts on a serious expression and walks towards the three people while trying to hypnotize herself. The three girls huddle together, trembling, and look at her in fear.

… She really looks like the villain.

Well, if she’s the villain, then so be it. Qiao Yu just wants to quickly resolve this matter. She’s tall and has a somewhat cold appearance. In her mind, she recalls the expression on Cong Ye’s face and imitates his stern demeanor, successfully fooling them.

“I’m also in the same class. If you want to know something, why don’t you ask me as well?”

Taking a breath to calm herself, Qiao Yu’s words no longer revealed as much timidity. Her seemingly casual tone carried a threatening undertone that struck fear in the ears of the three individuals. Their heads shook vigorously, and the girl who seemed to be leading the group even had a mournful expression as she looked behind Qiao Yu. The implication was clear.

The female lead is right here. It’s better to ask her than to ask the person in front.

Qiao Yu decided to ignore the girl’s gaze, mustering her courage as she addressed Girl A (she mentally assigned the three individuals code names for convenience) in a deep voice, “Do you think asking her is any less clear than blindly guessing yourselves? Are you really not going to ask?”

Girls ABC shook their heads like drums beating.

“Then why make baseless claims?”

Girls ABC shook their heads like electric fans.

Observing the three people before her shaking their heads vigorously, seemingly ready to slap each other with their hair, Qiao Yu silently took a step back to avoid getting involved. She felt that these second-generation rich kids had no courage whatsoever. With their needle-like minds, what right did they have to gossip about others behind their backs?

“Well, if there’s nothing else, why stand here? The person behind is waiting to wash her hands.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the three individuals quickly scurried away from her side, as if afraid she would change her mind. Soon after, the sound of their tearful voices came from behind:

“I was wrong! I’ll never dare to do it again!”

“It’s our fault for talking nonsense!”

“Lin Qing, you’re so good-looking, sniffle, sniffle…”

…The last sentence sounded particularly sincere, perhaps it was her imagination.

“Uh, uh.”

Lin Qing’s voice came with a hint of confusion. Qiao Yu hadn’t figured out how to deal with the Buddha behind her—It’s good to be brave and speak up for justice, but it feels really awkward to be caught praising someone’s appearance!

“…It’s not really being caught since the host only said it after the female lead appeared.”

Since the timing is about the same, couldn’t you consider not making it so obvious for your host’s sake?!

Qiao Yu became annoyed and flustered, turning on the faucet to wash her hands haphazardly. She was about to follow Girls ABC when the three of them desperately tried to make themselves smaller and tiptoed their way out. When they saw her turning around, they let out a pitiful scream and rushed out, not giving Qiao Yu a chance to join them.

Qiao Yu: …Am I that scary?

Clearly, the other party was the one in the wrong, so how come the situation seems to have reversed now… Her plan to blend into the crowd and escape failed. Qiao Yu ostentatiously grabbed a tissue to wipe her hands, contemplating whether she could just walk out directly later to avoid everything. But then, someone appeared beside her.

“No, you’re not.” Lin Qing turned on the faucet next to her and washed her hands. After finishing, she saw Qiao Yu looking confused and added, “You’re not scary.”

…Did she actually say it out loud just now?

Qiao Yu’s expression changed multiple times, her mind collapsing as she wondered why she couldn’t control her mouth. She had also missed the best opportunity to escape. It was as if Lin Qing had completely caught her in the act!

Qiao Yu, who was good at reading the situation, gave up on escaping altogether and awkwardly chuckled twice, “Th-thank you.”

Ah, save her, please. She prayed fervently for the first time in her life, hoping for a mouth that knew how to speak.

Qiao Yu closed her eyes in despair, praying sincerely.

“I should be the one thanking you.”

Lin Qing smiled gently, and that distinctive dimple that left a deep impression on Qiao Yu appeared on her right cheek again.

“Thank you for standing up for me just now.”

She turned towards Qiao Yu, who was startled and quickly jumped to the side, stuttering, “N-no, no, I wasn’t… I was just passing by.” She waved her hands in front of her in a futile attempt to explain herself. Then, she heard a sigh of disappointment from the system in her mind.

Qiao Yu herself felt that her behavior was too inept. She took a moment to calm down and tried to find the right words. Just then, another girl entered the restroom and looked at the two of them standing motionless in front of the sink with a puzzled expression. She hesitated for a moment before entering a cubicle.

This scene suddenly amused Qiao Yu, and she felt a lot of the tension in her body dissipate. She looked at Lin Qing and smiled, pointing towards the door. “Shall we go out first?”

So the two of them returned to the corridor together and slowly made their way towards the class. The sunlight outside was exceptionally bright, illuminating the corridor and bringing a sense of brightness to Qiao Yu’s mood. Her speech also became more fluent.

“I just happened to overhear them talking nonsense as I passed by, so I corrected them. You don’t need to worry about it,” Qiao Yu tried to downplay the situation and deliberately avoided mentioning the compliment.

Lin Qing nodded, but her words surprised Qiao Yu. “What if I really were his ex-girlfriend?”

Ah?

Qiao Yu’s eyes widened in suspicion, thinking that she had missed something in the script. She returned to her stuttering state. “Th-then they can’t just accuse you of being clingy based on rumors alone—”

But when she saw the mischievous glint in Lin Qing’s serious eyes, she suddenly realized that she had been fooled. She shook her head while the system spoke, emphasizing that the male and female leads didn’t have that kind of relationship.

“Cong Ye told me.”

Her words were ambiguous, and she couldn’t help but think back to what happened with Lin Qing yesterday. But before asking further, she remembered to say a few good words about Cong Ye. “He’s not very smart, but he’s mostly a good person.”

“Did he give you any trouble after yesterday… I mean, did he bother you again after we got home?” Qiao Yu initially wanted to ask if he had bothered her after they got home, but realizing that the school corridor had ears, she changed her wording forcefully. “If he continues with that attitude, I can… um, try to confront him.”

System: “…Host, you sound so uncertain.”

Well, she couldn’t go and fight with Cong Ye. She couldn’t win against him, and she couldn’t say too much!

Qiao Yu firmly lectured the system in her mind. Meanwhile, Lin Qing looked at her with a surprised expression on her delicate face. Soon, she composed herself, wearing the same gentle smile as before. “It’s okay. I haven’t seen him since then. He probably really doesn’t like me.”

Fine, there was no cohabitation drama after they got home. Qiao Yu gritted her teeth and made another mark in her mental ledger against Cong Ye. Lin Qing continued, “It seems like he really told you everything. You two have a good relationship.”

I know this question! It’s a trap!

Qiao Yu took a sharp breath and said like a machine gun, “No, no, we have a very ordinary relationship. We only know each other because my family has some money, and I was forced to get acquainted with him. We don’t even greet each other when we meet normally.”

She spoke with an unprecedented fluency—well, she wasn’t exactly lying. Her encounters with Cong Ye were always filled with arguments.

Qiao Yu blinked earnestly, fearing that Lin Qing would misunderstand her as a supporting character hindering their love story.

After listening to her storm-like speech, Lin Qing, with her usually composed face, showed a rare expression of confusion. She looked straight into Qiao Yu’s eyes—Qiao Yu only then noticed that her irises were very dark, a profound and pure black. In those deep, night-like eyes, there was a hint of puzzlement as she blinked gently.

Oh, how adorable.

For some reason, Qiao Yu was always easily touched by the small animal-like qualities in Lin Qing, and a wave of affection would well up within her. She desperately tried to restrain herself from showing a relaxed, silly smile and awkwardly looked away.

“I mean… just ordinary.”

Lin Qing seemed to snap out of a dream, puzzled. “But you did yesterday—”

“I did it because I couldn’t stand him!” Qiao Yu finally spoke with confidence. “Don’t believe me? Just wait, when we get to class, we’ll have another argument.”

As they were speaking, the classroom was right in front of them. They entered the classroom one after the other. Cong Ye, who had been chatting with Lu Yao absentmindedly, instantly sharpened his gaze upon seeing them.

Qiao Yu resignedly sat back in her seat and, as expected, received two hard kicks to her chair from behind.

…She really didn’t know whether she should be grateful for his understanding or not. Qiao Yu turned around with a weary heart, only to be met with Cong Ye’s angry glare.

“Qiao Yu, why are you with her—have you done something unnecessary again?”

“What do you mean by ‘done something unnecessary’!” Qiao Yu, who was already regretting her impulsive actions just now, suddenly exploded with anger. It was all this person’s fault; otherwise, why would people gossip about Lin Qing, and why would she slip up? She glared back without showing any weakness. “You’re always doing things without using your brain. Do you think everyone is like that?”

Cong Ye was taken aback by the intense response he received. His mouth hung open, as if he had forgotten how to close it, resembling a cat caught off guard. Qiao Yu glanced at him with a haughty look and turned away with a snort.

Lin Qing listened to the arguments coming from behind, such as “Qiao Yu, what’s wrong with you these past few days?” and “Cong Ye, is your foot cramped? If you kick me again, I’ll sit on your desk.” She quietly took out her textbook for the afternoon and began studying, but after staring at the first line for over five minutes, she couldn’t help but silently laugh.

She recalled the short distance they had just walked. The tall girl’s nervous tone had become even higher, and they walked in sync the whole way. When Lin Qing caught her staring, it was evident on her face that she was at a loss for words. Her amber-like pale pupils were illuminated by the sunlight, clear and incredible.

Lin Qing gently rubbed the surface of the paper and took out a mechanical pencil to write two words.

Qiao Yu.

She looked thoughtful and remembered the dumbfounded expression on her face when they were in the restroom and she said that Lin Qing was genuinely beautiful. It was clear that she was speaking sincerely and not just flattering.

Lin Qing wondered what expression Qiao Yu would have shown if she had pretended not to notice her avoidance and asked her about it in the corridor.

With that thought in mind, Lin Qing suddenly felt a sense of regret.

Oh well.

The noise behind her hadn’t stopped yet, so Lin Qing decided to close her book and look out the window. The bright sunlight outside was still a bit dazzling, but she extended her hand without avoiding it, letting the sunlight fall upon it. The unspoken unease and tension she had been feeling since coming to this city seemed to dissipate suddenly.

There’s a long road ahead.

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