Still Have This Side – Chapter 55

It’s over.

Qiu Baiyu thought for a whole night.

She seemed to understand a little but not quite, or perhaps she didn’t want to understand.

Because the accelerated heartbeat brought another signal, a signal that vaguely symbolized crossing boundaries and absurdity, and might even destroy their friendship.

Isn’t a fluttering heart equivalent to liking someone?

She actually… liked Yi Wanyue?

No, not necessarily.

She had never developed feelings for anyone else, and didn’t understand at all what liking someone felt like, so how could she be certain whether this was liking or not?

Moreover, how could she like her own friend? Wouldn’t this be pushing their friendship towards destruction?

It’s not allowed. She didn’t want to ruin the relationship between them, after all, she couldn’t assume that Yi Wanyue would definitely accept these feelings.

Yi Wanyue was too important to her; she couldn’t act recklessly.

Qiu Zimin also didn’t want them to part ways.

Qiu Baiyu silently stared at the ceiling, thinking and thinking again.

She actually still couldn’t determine the true reason for her accelerated heartbeat.

Had her heart really crossed the line, or was Yi Wanyue’s closeness creating an illusion, making her heart uneasy?

There were too many aspects of their relationship that couldn’t be measured by ordinary standards. Could it be that this was why her heart briefly produced an illusion, beating chaotically?

If it’s an illusion, then it’s false.

She might not really like Yi Wanyue.

She might… might just be reacting this way because it’s the first time she’s interacting with someone so beautiful?

Who wouldn’t have their heart flutter when seeing a super beautiful woman?

Yes, it must be like this.

Qiu Baiyu silently repeated “it must be like this” several times in her heart, as if reciting a mantra to clear her mind, trying to calm her heart.

It was very effective.

Her heart became much quieter.

But when she wanted to move her fingers, wanted to move her body, the undeniable presence of the person beside her surged towards her overwhelmingly, reminding her: She is by my side.

She is very close to me.

Her breath is so obvious.

The distance between us seems close enough to kiss at any moment, too ambiguously close.

Qiu Baiyu had to turn back, as if she had already kissed Yi Wanyue, and her heartbeat became lively again.

“…”

She slowly closed her eyes, but couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.

She had successfully become insomniac.

The next day, daylight descended.

Qiu Baiyu sat up, her spirits low, all written on her face.

Hazy emotions entangled her all night; she was insomniac until late at night before barely falling asleep, only to wake up at dawn, hardly having slept at all.

She silently sighed.

Enigmatic feelings truly disturb one’s thoughts.

Yi Wanyue woke up before her and had already returned from washing up.

Upon returning, she saw her sitting silently on the bed, looking dazed.

She came closer and found that her spirit wasn’t very good.

“What’s wrong?”

Qiu Baiyu suddenly heard Yi Wanyue’s voice suddenly falling beside her ear.

Following that, a slightly cool hand gently covered her face.

“You don’t look very well. Did you not sleep well last night?”

“…”

A tenderness that added frost to snow.

Qiu Baiyu wanted to remove this hand to prevent her heart from fluttering again.

But doing so would seem too excessive; what wrong had Yi Wanyue done?

She was clearly just purely wanting to show concern for her. It was her own heart that was in chaos. How could she reject someone’s goodwill and hurt their feelings?

So, Qiu Baiyu didn’t move, didn’t take her hand away, and only found an excuse to muddle through: “Mm, I didn’t sleep well. I had a nightmare.”

Yi Wanyue blinked lightly.

She had made up the excuse of having a nightmare to get close to Qiu Baiyu, not knowing that Qiu Baiyu had actually had a nightmare and hadn’t slept well at all.

Looking at her was both pitiful and heartbreaking.

“It wasn’t me who caused this, was it?” Yi Wanyue joked sympathetically.

“What nonsense are you talking?” Qiu Baiyu glanced at her, expression serious, resolutely not letting her take the blame.

“I’m just joking.”

Yi Wanyue smiled and gently stroked her face.

“Then you sleep a bit more, get up later to eat something.

“I’ll take Xiaomin to class in the afternoon, you don’t need to worry about her, just catch up on your sleep.”

Qiu Baiyu thought for a moment and said, “Alright.”

She needed to sleep; if she didn’t sleep well, her mind would be even more chaotic, like paste.

And… she didn’t want to reject her when she was being so gentle.

“Then Xiaomin and I will go buy breakfast first, you continue sleeping,” Yi Wanyue said as she stood up.

Qiu Baiyu lay down directly.

“No need to buy mine.”

Yi Wanyue, reaching the doorway, asked again: “What do you want to eat for lunch? I’ll tell aunt in advance so she can buy ingredients.”

The person curled up in the blanket didn’t reply immediately.

After a while—

“Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, mixed with rice.”

Yi Wanyue chuckled silently.

She still liked scrambled eggs with tomatoes mixed with rice so much.

“Alright, I’ll tell aunt. Sleep now, if you need anything, just call me.”

The room door closed again.

Qiu Baiyu poked her head out and looked in the direction of the doorway.

All was silent.

She pulled up the blanket and hid herself back in the covers again.

At around two in the afternoon, Qiu Baiyu was alone at home watching TV.

The TV was on, but her mind was wandering.

She unconsciously started thinking about her heart fluttering for Yi Wanyue again, pondering for a long time without coming to any conclusion.

The “heart-clearing mantra” she used to brainwash herself last night seemed ineffective now.

The word “like” was on the verge of emerging from the depths of her heart.

Although she had never been in a relationship, she had seen others in relationships, watched various movies and TV shows, read novels – all of these were telling her: heart fluttering means liking someone.

Yet she didn’t dare to face this fact, subconsciously denying it.

It couldn’t be, could it? She couldn’t really have fallen for Yi Wanyue, right?

Yi Wanyue considered her a friend, yet she had developed such thoughts about her, it was really… strange.

The sound of the TV continued uninterrupted, as she stared blankly at the constantly changing images, motionless.

After a long while, she slowly moved her foot, adjusting her posture, and inadvertently glanced towards the balcony.

She froze.

The once clear sky had become gloomy and dark at some point, and the wind blowing through the air was cool, cool to the point of being cold.

It was going to rain.

Qiu Baiyu suddenly sat up straight, with only one question left in her mind:

Will there be thunder?

When Yi Wanyue returned to the residential area, a fine misty rain had already started falling from the sky.

She sat in the car looking up at the sky, which was a hazy gray.

She hadn’t brought an umbrella, but fortunately, the rain wasn’t heavy, and the heavens hadn’t started drumming yet. She had also managed to get home safely, so she just needed to hurry back now.

Opening the car door, getting out, and locking the car were done in one smooth motion.

The next second, an umbrella appeared before her eyes.

The umbrella’s surface tilted towards her, parting the weak drizzle, sheltering her entire person.

Yi Wanyue was stunned, slowly turning around.

The person she liked was standing right behind her, wearing casual home clothes, with a shark clip at the back of her head, holding the umbrella that was shielding her from the rain.

She seemed… to have been waiting for her all along.

“You’re back,” Qiu Baiyu said calmly.

Yi Wanyue turned to face her, unable to resist asking curiously: “Have you been waiting for me all this time?”

Qiu Baiyu said: “More or less.

“It’s raining, I’m afraid of thunder, so I came downstairs to meet you.”

Because she knew she would be afraid, because she was worried she would be afraid, so she came to wait for her.

Luckily, she made it in time.

Now she could even help shield her from the rain.

“Let’s go home, before it starts thundering,” she said.

Yi Wanyue came back to her senses, her beautiful peach blossom eyes slowly curved into two crescent moons.

She was so happy.

She had come to meet her.

Qiu Baiyu’s arm was held.

They stood together under the umbrella, letting the rain fall all around them.

“Mm, let’s go home.”

The light rain swayed, falling in flurries, yet somehow unable to penetrate their world.

Their world suddenly became very full, so full that there was no room for a third person.

(LP: Xiaomin will squeeze in, of course)

Yi Wanyue was very happy that Qiu Baiyu had come downstairs early to wait for her.

She always remembered that she was afraid of thunder, always kept her in mind.

How could this not be considered having her in her heart?

It’s just that her position in her heart might still be that of a friend.

But it didn’t matter, she wasn’t in a hurry, taking it one step at a time, as long as she allowed her to get closer with each step.

“I’ll go pick up Xiaomin later, you just stay at home,” Qiu Baiyu said.

The weather forecast said the rain would continue until evening, and she wasn’t comfortable letting Yi Wanyue go out. What if she got scared by thunder on the way?

Their Wanyue was so pitiful, who would have the heart to push her out into the thunderstorm and let her get frightened?

Yi Wanyue had no objections: “Alright, be careful when you go out too.”

Qiu Baiyu nodded.

Not long after, low, muffled thunder began to rumble in the sky, poised to unleash.

Qiu Baiyu’s first reaction was to look at Yi Wanyue.

Yi Wanyue was sitting on the sofa, and upon hearing the thunder, she unconsciously shrank into the corner of the sofa, then cast a pleading look towards her.

Without a word, she had already walked over and sat down beside her.

After Qiu Baiyu sat down, Yi Wanyue moved closer to her, then reached out her hands—and hugged her.

Qiu Baiyu was stunned.

Yi Wanyue leaned into her embrace, speaking softly: “Can I hug you?

“Baiyu, I’m scared…”

She was seizing the opportunity again.

Qiu Baiyu couldn’t see her expression, only heard her say she was scared, and looking at how she was curled up in her arms, somehow she seemed more and more pitiful.

How could she bear to push her away?

“Don’t be afraid,” she raised her hand, gently stroking her long hair, “I’m here.”

So Yi Wanyue hugged her even tighter, full of possessiveness.

Her Baiyu was truly a kind friend.

Because Yi Wanyue was afraid of thunder, Qiu Baiyu stayed with her the whole time.

Outside, the sound of rain pattered steadily, growing heavier, the thunder rumbling dully. Besides this, it was very quiet, so quiet that they felt it would be nice if time just passed like this.

They accompanied each other like this, chatting, passing the time.

Soon, it was time for Qiu Baiyu to go out and pick up Qiu Zimin to bring her home.

She changed her clothes and walked out of the room: “I’m heading out now, you stay at home for now, I’ve closed all the doors and windows. If there’s anything you want to eat, just call me, I’ll bring it back.”

Yi Wanyue, sitting on the sofa, responded: “Be careful on the way, stay safe.”

Then she held her hand again, raising her glistening eyes, gazing at her pitifully: “Come back soon.”

She now used this tactic on Qiu Baiyu with great skill.

The trick wasn’t new, but effectiveness was most important.

The beautiful, pitiful little dog appeared again, instantly striking Qiu Baiyu’s heart, making her feel tender, making her act involuntarily—involuntarily bending down to kiss her hair.

—I’ll be back soon.

The words not yet spoken stopped at her lips, replaced by both of them being stunned.

Qiu Baiyu was dumbfounded.

Her gaze began to dart around, her fingers stiffened.

—What was she doing, what was she doing!

Yi Wanyue stared at her with bright eyes, inwardly delighted beyond measure.

She kissed her, she actually took the initiative to kiss her…

“Baiyu?”

Hearing her voice, Qiu Baiyu’s brain began to work at high speed.

She had to find an excuse to muddle through!

But she really couldn’t find a suitable excuse, what reasonable excuse could be used here!

So, she could only sheepishly and honestly say: “You just looked so beautiful and pitiful, like an adorable little dog, sometimes when people see cute things they just… I’m sorry.”

This was the second time she had called her a cute little dog.

“It’s okay,” Yi Wanyue held her hand, smiling and saying, “It’s okay, I don’t mind.

“I hope you don’t mind either.”

She truly didn’t mind, and even hoped for a bit more.

With uncontrollable feelings, there would be more developments.

Hearing these words, Qiu Baiyu felt even more embarrassed to look at her.

She had involuntarily done something foolish, yet the other was still comforting her, how could there be such a good person.

This made her face feel even hotter.

Qiu Baiyu hastily withdrew her hand: “That’s good then, I’ll head out now.”

She turned and left, her movements much quicker.

Yi Wanyue sat in place, watching her leave.

The moment the door closed, she no longer concealed the smile in her eyes, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the entrance.

No matter what, at least the person she liked couldn’t resist kissing her, and even thought she was cute.

Between them, it seemed there really might be a possibility.

Qiu Baiyu closed the car door, her mind continuously replaying what she had just done, the more she thought about it, the hotter her face became, until finally she collapsed onto the steering wheel in distress.

No matter how calm she usually was, at this moment she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.

It’s over.

She thought as she lay on the steering wheel.

It seems she had really fallen in…

LP: Love? Yes, yes, you have (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ