Confession
After coming out of the haunted house, Qiao Yu felt something was off with Lin Qing.
Although she appeared normal on the surface and there was nothing unusual in her conversation, Qiao Yu just couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Qing seemed to be burdened with something.
This strange feeling did not dissipate even when the group went to ride the Ferris wheel. But even if she asked Lin Qing about it, she would only get a “I’m fine” in response along with a gentle smile.
Cong Ye and the others were very polite, shuffling to let the two of them get into the same cabin. Qiao Yu accepted their kind gesture and joined Lin Qing inside.
“Wouldn’t the cabin be unbalanced if we sit on the same side?”
“I think it won’t be that fragile. Qiao Yu, you’re not suggesting you sit on the opposite side, are you?”
Of course, that was out of the question. Even Qiao Yu wouldn’t do something so insensitive, so she dropped her baseless worry and sat down next to Lin Qing in earnest. Lin Qing hummed in satisfaction and unceremoniously rested her head on Qiao Yu’s shoulder.
“…Tired?”
“Mhm, maybe a little.”
Lin Qing’s voice had a hint of weariness. Qiao Yu instinctively straightened her back, allowing her to lean more comfortably.
As the Ferris wheel slowly turns, only they are nestled closely together in the confined space.
If Qiao Yu were to say she had no expectations at the start, it would be a lie. But now, she finds herself contented in the peaceful and serene atmosphere. Lin Qing has been silent all this while, and Qiao Yu chose not to speak either. However, this isn’t an uncomfortable silence. Qiao Yu is delighted by the presence resting on her shoulder, careful not to make any sudden moves that might scare her away.
With so many of her senses captivated by Lin Qing at the same time, Qiao Yu’s mind inevitably wanders to thoughts about her.
Qiao Yu has some clues about what Lin Qing might be worrying about.
Their relationship is now only separated by a veil thinner than a cicada’s wing, imposed by Qiao Yu herself, like shutting one’s ears to the theft of bells, pretending that not speaking out still leaves room to turn back.
But when will this veil be pierced?
Qiao Yu closes her eyes.
In this relationship, she has always been passive.
Lin Qing was the first to be emotionally moved, and also the first to take action. Even after Qiao Yu became aware of her own feelings, she always chose to escape, until her female lead walked off the bright and smooth path, trudging through mud and thorns to reach her side; only then did Qiao Yu finally gather a bit of courage to respond.
But it’s still not enough, not enough. She needs to work even harder.
These days, Qiao Yu had been doing a lot of thinking, always trying to find a perfect solution. But in the end, she realized all roads led to the same path.
That path was narrow and perilous, and once she embarked upon it, what lay at its end was beyond her ability to predict.
“System.”
Qiao Yu softly called out in her mind, and the ever-diligent CP fan immediately perked up its ears.
“Can you do me a favor?”
“Of course! Just say the word, host! Anything within my power is possible!”
“I just want you to help me look something up,” Qiao Yu pondered for a moment before continuing, “It’s about—”
“—”
After hearing Qiao Yu out, the system remained silent for a while and only after her prompting did it hesitantly respond, “It’s probably… possible to find… But, host, what… what are you planning to do with this information?”
“It’s nothing really, I just want to confirm something.”
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Qiao Yu softly said, looking out of the window.
Outside was a clear blue sky, where soft clouds spread out across the expansive firmament. Looking further down, there was an endless, boundless world. Being high up, the city below seemed like a model, inducing an illusion that one could easily grasp the whole world in their palm with a mere stretch of the hand.
What Qiao Yu wanted to hold, however, was simply the warmth of Lin Qing’s palm.
It was as if a chilly wind from the horizon blew in, breaking through the clouds that had no time to move aside, scattering something indescribable hidden in a corner of Qiao Yu’s heart.
“If we get the chance in the future, let’s do this again, when the City of Dreams officially opens.”
Her voice was gentle, turning to meet Lin Qing’s slightly surprised eyes, and she beamed brightly.
“Just the two of us.”
The wind rose, and the clouds surged, stepping upon white clouds.
The weather gradually warmed.
The coats began to feel unwearable, Lin Qing’s earrings were still okay, but after switching to short sleeves, Qiao Yu’s bracelet became particularly conspicuous. The silver bracelet on her fair wrist often drew frequent sideways glances from teachers.
The school rules clearly state that students are not allowed to wear jewelry, and while most students don’t dare to wear them openly, there are a few bold ones like Qiao Yu who stubbornly refuse to take them off.
Fortunately, the teachers instructing her all happen to know her well. They would initially call her out during class, but before Qiao Yu could respond, her classmates in the front rows would eagerly chime in.
“That’s a gift from Lin Qing!”
“Ah— it’s from Lin Qing, huh.”
Teachers from various subjects have heard rumors about the two of them and often show understanding without further mention after learning this piece of information. This might also be linked to the significant improvement in Qiao Yu’s academic performance since high school. The teachers are willing to turn a blind eye to such minor issues, although they still remind her in private.
“At least don’t raise your left hand during class, will you? Don’t let us see it.”
Recently, when Qiao Yu had to go to the office for something, the class teacher caught her and made a couple of comments. The language teacher at the next desk turned around to nod in agreement, smiling.
“We won’t force you to take it off, seeing as your grades have been soaring ever since you wore it. Just don’t have any problems if you do take it off.”
“…Actually, it’s not really because of it…”
“Alright, alright, alright, it’s thanks to Lin Qing, right?”
It seems their relationship is about to be fully exposed by the teacher, and in the face of it, Qiao Yu couldn’t cope and fled in a panic, leaving the teachers behind, smiling in a very kind manner.
“…That really is somewhat exaggerated.”
During another visit to Lin Qing’s house to do homework, Qiao Yu shared this incident with her, and Lin Qing couldn’t help but sigh with a mix of laughter and tears.
“It seems the rumors have already reached the teachers’ ears—but generally speaking, our school shouldn’t allow early romance, right?”
“Well… there are two possibilities, I guess.”
Qiao Yu put down her pen and tilted her head in thought.
“One is that the teachers just see us as very good friends, or perhaps… good students dating doesn’t affect their grades, and since no parents have complained, they are quite happy about it. Why play the villain?”
“…I’d prefer it to be the latter.”
Lin Qing frowned slightly, muttering as she finished the last question.
Ideally, everyone would know that she and Qiao Yu love each other, leaving no room for anything in between.
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After finishing her homework, Qiao Yu began her routine task of contemplating how to write the next chapter of her novel. Lin Qing noticed her serious expression as she scrolled through her screen and went out to grab some snacks.
“What’s wrong? Lacking inspiration?”
Lin Qing, holding a bag of snacks, sat down beside Qiao Yu and gently smoothed out her furrowed brows with her hand.
Qiao Yu made a noncommittal noise and grasped Lin Qing’s hand, nodding initially then shaking her head after a moment of thought.
“It’s a bit of not knowing how to proceed with the writing, but what to write about is already decided— the next chapter should be about setting off fireworks during a trip.”
“…Hmph.”
Suddenly reminded of the distressing emotions experienced during that trip, Lin Qing withdrew her hand and silently started eating her snacks.
“That won’t happen again! I’ve sincerely reflected on it!”
Even if Lin Qing seemed mostly to be feigning anger, Qiao Yu still lowered her stance and drew closer, blinking her amber eyes pleadingly, which quickly dissolved Lin Qing’s irritation. Sighing, Lin Qing handed her a piece of dried fruit. Qiao Yu grabbed Lin Qing’s wrist and playfully took it from her hand with a bite.
“…”
Lin Qing’s cheeks faintly blushed, and in an attempt to divert the conversation, she swiftly changed the subject.
“So, knowing what to write, why are you still unsure about how to begin?”
“Um… because I glanced through some comments.”
Qiao Yu said as she opened the comment section, casually scrolling through.
“Look, it’s quite rare, but finally, a reader has come out to say the story is progressing too slowly.”
“This really makes me feel a lot… Truly, relying solely on psychological descriptions isn’t sustainable…”
She revealed a complex expression that was difficult to articulate, gazing into the distance as if looking far beyond.
“That’s true, though. Back when I was writing my own novel, by the time I reached around chapters sixty or seventy, usually, the male and female leads would have pretty much done everything that needed to be done.”
“Unlike this book, if I were a reader, I’d also feel it’s painfully slow—”
These words were entirely from the perspective of an author, lamenting for the unfortunate readers who had fallen into this trap. However, the speaker’s unintended message was keenly felt by the listener. Without Qiao Yu noticing, Lin Qing had already stopped her actions and was staring straight at her, her deep, dark eyes gradually taking on a peculiar luster.
Qiao Yu’s unspoken thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
She barely had time to steady Lin Qing, who unexpectedly threw herself into her arms. In the next second, Lin Qing’s face filled her entire field of vision, followed by a soft sensation pressing against her lips that left her feeling dizzy.
A comforting weight settled on her, as Qiao Yu felt Lin Qing shift to sit on her lap. Their bodies were pressed tightly against each other, the heat from their bodies palpable even through the thin layers of clothing.
It was a brief moment before they parted.
Even when they separated, Qiao Yu hadn’t had the time to close her eyes. She looked up in a daze at Lin Qing, who was now sitting astride her, enveloped in a subtle, cool fragrance that almost stopped her breath.
Lin Qing’s dark eyes were covered in a layer of mist at that moment, resembling fog-covered colored glass, beautiful yet fragile.
Her slightly parted lips seemed unbelievably soft.
This was not the first time Qiao Yu had tasted them.
“…It just so happens, I also felt things were moving a bit slow.”
Lin Qing was the first to break the silence.
“Now? If you still think it’s slow, then—”
Although her voice trembled slightly, she still bravely leaned forward, her body stiff with tension. Her moist black eyes could easily captivate anyone, and the hands that were gently gripping Qiao Yu’s shoulders tightened, making it impossible for her to escape.
“I really like you, Qiao Yu.”
Her voice was soft, and her eyelashes fluttered nervously yet resolutely.
Breaking the barely there shackles, she finally voiced the words that both knew but never dared to mention. She wanted these words to etch a mark on the gears of the world, making this moment immutable no matter how much time passed.
She had mentioned before that she couldn’t wait much longer. She was eager to catch hold of her lover, to always express her love, to be embraced, to be kissed, and to receive the same response from the person who haunted her dreams the most.
What was that person thinking?
That person couldn’t think.
Qiao Yu’s mind was covered by a jumble of chaotic thoughts, barely able to muster a shred of reason.
At this moment, snacks, school, grades, satisfaction, OOC, books, time, place, rules, exile, the world, the past, and the future didn’t matter to Qiao Yu at all.
She was an outsider in this world, meant to be a solitary watcher, akin to always sitting atop a Ferris wheel, overlooking this toy-like city, forever unable to truly descend to the ground. Blocked by unimaginable forces and obstacles, she could only sketch the blurred joys and sorrows of the protagonists through the glass.
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But she fell hopelessly in love with her female lead, and as fate would have it, the female lead loved her too.
Together, they became the outsiders of this world, yet no longer alone.
“Ah, I’ve been preempted again.”
These words hazily surfaced in Qiao Yu’s mind as she trembled and opened her mouth.
“I, too, am… the same… I really like you,”
Her voice shook uncontrollably, resembling more a confession to herself than a response to a declaration of love.
Articulating one’s love aloud required immense courage, Qiao Yu fueled it with all her heart’s blood, offering her searing words, yet still felt it not enough.
Awkward and eager, she suddenly tightened her grip around Lin Qing’s waist, eagerly anticipating as Lin Qing softly hmm’d, lowering her head.
“…Can we do it once more?” This wasn’t something to ask for permission, Qiao Yu realized as she saw Lin Qing obediently close her eyes, and she kissed her almost devoutly.
Qiao Yu wished to spend a peaceful, joyous, and untroubled life with Lin Qing.
She was willing to gamble everything for this wish that might collapse at any moment.
