Still Have This Side – Chapter 56

Tasteless fellow!

Qiu Baiyu brought Qiu Zimin back home, along with dinner.

It was inconvenient for the aunt to come and cook on a rainy day with thunder, so they bought food from outside to eat.

After returning home, Qiu Baiyu still felt awkward when seeing Yi Wanyue, even though Yi Wanyue said she didn’t mind.

Because she was different from Yi Wanyue.

Yi Wanyue was open and honest with her, while she harbored different feelings. In front of the kind, generous, and tolerant Yi Wanyue, she inevitably felt guilty.

The awkwardness made her unsure of how to talk to Yi Wanyue, and the silence continued until bedtime.

The sound of rain at night never ceased.

The room, plunged into darkness, was completely quiet.

Qiu Baiyu had no desire to sleep and lay with her eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She had never imagined that she would fall for a friend.

She fell into these feelings unknowingly, leaving her unable to trace their origin or know how to proceed in the future.

It was quiet beside her, and now she didn’t even know how to start a conversation with Yi Wanyue.

The next moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the window, followed immediately by a thunderous roar that shattered the silence in the room, causing a rustling sound.

Qiu Baiyu, almost instinctively, turned towards Yi Wanyue immediately.

Then her waist was embraced, and someone was in her arms.

Yi Wanyue had taken the initiative to hug her.

Qiu Baiyu was stunned for two seconds, then came to her senses and gently held the person tightly, stroking her long hair intermittently, and softly comforting her: “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

She felt the arms around her waist tighten their grip.

Yi Wanyue was getting closer, but she didn’t have the courage to reject this closeness.

Whether it was because the person in her arms was too pitiful, or because she had fallen too deeply… she couldn’t tell anymore.

She could only sigh secretly in her heart, compromising for the moment.

“Baiyu.”

Yi Wanyue suddenly spoke.

Her voice was gentle, but in the rainy night, it carried a hint of sorrow.

“You’ve hardly spoken to me since you came back today…”

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

She didn’t know how to respond to that statement now.

“Are you still thinking about what happened this afternoon?”

Yi Wanyue hit the nail on the head.

“…”

After a moment of silence, Qiu Baiyu finally spoke: “Yes.”

Very honest.

Yi Wanyue couldn’t help but ask further: “Are you very concerned about what happened this afternoon?”

Qiu Baiyu said: “I’m afraid that you mind.”

Yi Wanyue: “Hm?”

Qiu Baiyu: “I’m afraid you’ll think I’m strange.”

Yi Wanyue was a precious existence to her, and she didn’t want to ruin their friendship because of her actions.

Moreover, Qiu Zimin hoped that they could always get along well, wishing that both aunties could always be by her side. If they couldn’t remain friends, this hope would be ruined as well.

Then she heard Yi Wanyue ask in return: “What’s strange about it?”

Qiu Baiyu was stunned for a moment: “What?”

Yi Wanyue said with a smile: “We’ve even kissed on the lips, what’s strange about you kissing my hair?”

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

It made sense, hard to argue against.

But that’s not how she saw it.

Although kissing was inappropriate between friends, it was at least purposeful and mutually consensual.

Her kissing Yi Wanyue’s hair was involuntary, one-sided… and carried her private feelings of affection.

Yi Wanyue didn’t hear her voice and began to worry.

She feared that Qiu Baiyu would resist such involuntary actions, that Qiu Baiyu would never treat her like that again, and also that Qiu Baiyu would stop talking to her due to embarrassment.

She didn’t want their relationship to regress.

She needed to persuade Qiu Baiyu more.

Persuade her to be open-minded, to move forward, to not restrain her involuntary actions towards her.

“Baiyu, I really don’t mind, and I hope you won’t mind either.”

She hugged her waist, her fingers gently caressing her back.

“When you called me cute, I was really happy, and I want you to compliment me more in the future.

“You’ll compliment me again in the future, right?”

Compliment her cuteness more, find her cute more often, and who knows, maybe one day she’ll fall for her?

Just like she did.

She first thought she was cute, found everything she did cute, and then unknowingly fell for her.

If she could like her because she’s cute, why couldn’t Qiu Baiyu?

Her gentle words made Qiu Baiyu’s heart both flutter and soften.

She really didn’t mind her boldness.

She was happy because she called her cute, and even wanted to hear more compliments from her…

How could she be so cute?

The moment this thought emerged, Qiu Baiyu understood – she had completely fallen.

She had truly fallen for her good friend.

When she wanted to struggle out, this good friend of hers gently pulled her back, making her sink deeper, forcing her to face her own heart:

She really did like Yi Wanyue.

“You really don’t mind?”

She asked very carefully.

“I don’t mind.”

“You really like hearing me compliment you?”

“I do – don’t you like hearing me compliment you?”

“That’s because every time you compliment me, it doesn’t match reality…”

Yi Wanyue always said she was cute, but how was she cute?

She wasn’t even close to being described by those words.

Yi Wanyue must be seeing her through rose-colored glasses.

Yi Wanyue couldn’t help but smile: “How does it not match reality?”

She said with a tone of amusement yet utter seriousness: “In my eyes, you are very cute.”

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

She was speechless.

She suddenly felt grateful that the lights were off in the room, otherwise Yi Wanyue would probably have seen her blushing face again.

“Are you shy?” Yi Wanyue suddenly asked.

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

Her guess was so accurate.

Seeing that she didn’t answer, Yi Wanyue knew she had guessed correctly, and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“So cute.”

“…It’s pitch dark, you can’t even see anything, yet it’s still cute?”

“Mm, as long as it’s you, even in complete darkness, it’s cute.”

“…”

“Are you really looking at me through some kind of filter?” Qiu Baiyu couldn’t help but ask.

With beauty filters being so advanced nowadays, perhaps Yi Wanyue’s system also had this kind of function?

After hearing this, Yi Wanyue laughed even more happily.

“Because you’re very special in my heart.”

They were both people with systems, fighting against fate, and also the best of friends who could talk about anything.

She was also the one in her heart.

So, she would always be this special in her heart.

Yi Wanyue, with her own private feelings and possessiveness, once again tightly hugged Qiu Baiyu’s waist and sincerely yearned: “Baiyu, you are the most special existence in my heart, and I want to become the most special existence in your heart too… is that okay?”

“Is that okay,” Qiu Baiyu had heard these three words many times.

Every time these three words came out of Yi Wanyue’s mouth, they seemed to carry a magical power, always making her unable to refuse.

This time was no different.

Outside the window, thunder rolled, and she held the person in her arms tightly, as if treasuring a precious jewel.

Wanting to protect her, wanting to always be by her side.

Her heart could no longer avoid it.

“Of course it’s okay,” she answered, “You have always been the most special existence in my heart.”

In the future, it would be even more special, because of love.

Qiu Baiyu had completely surrendered.

Liking Yi Wanyue wasn’t wrong, she had nowhere to escape.

For the days to come… well, she’d take it one step at a time in her secret love.

Qi Ling suddenly invited Qiu Baiyu to meet outside.

But she didn’t just invite Qiu Baiyu alone.

[Ask Yi Wanyue if she wants to come along, I’d like to meet her.]

Qiu Baiyu held her phone screen in front of Yi Wanyue, relaying Qi Ling’s words exactly as they were.

Yi Wanyue raised her eyebrows: “Why does she want to see me?”

Qiu Baiyu guessed: “Probably about Jiang Shen’s matter.”

Yi Wanyue looked at her: “Are you going?”

Qiu Baiyu put away her phone: “Yes, I’m going.”

Since their last parting, she hadn’t had the chance to see Qi Ling, so she couldn’t help her change her fate.

She cared a lot about this, just like how she cared about whether Lan Xin’s fate could be changed before.

However, meeting a big celebrity wasn’t easy, and now that the opportunity had presented itself, how could she let it pass?

“Then I’ll go too,” Yi Wanyue said.

Wherever Qiu Baiyu went, she would go.

Qiu Baiyu agreed and replied to Qi Ling’s message.

They arranged to meet on a clear afternoon when Qiu Zimin had a Sanda class.

They could drop off the child at class on the way to the meeting, killing two birds with one stone.

To avoid exposing Qi Ling’s celebrity identity, they agreed to meet at Unique Dream.

On their own turf, it would be convenient to talk and act freely.

With Yi Wanyue there, they could even use the second floor, which wasn’t open to the public in the afternoon.

So, the three of them sat in a small private room, looking at each other.

Qi Ling finally saw Yi Wanyue again.

Her interest in Yi Wanyue was much greater than her interest in Qiu Baiyu.

One was the ex-wife who no longer had any relationship with Jiang Shen, while the other was the woman Jiang Shen had always loved, and this woman didn’t even like Jiang Shen.

“She told me last time that you don’t like Jiang Shen,” Qi Ling got straight to the point, “Is that true?”

Yi Wanyue sat comfortably and leisurely, replying: “It’s true.”

Qi Ling looked her up and down, unable to find any trace of lying in her expression.

She really didn’t like Jiang Shen.

Seeing her number one love rival so calm, Qi Ling didn’t know whether to be happy or confused for a moment. She couldn’t help but say, “He’s so popular, people who want to pursue him could line up all the way to another country. If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t miss out on him.”

After hearing this, Qiu Baiyu began to coldly list Jiang Shen’s “crimes”: “He got drunk and slept with someone else, ignored his child, married another woman while having someone he liked in his heart – what’s good about him at all?”

Qi Ling: “…”

It was a bit hard to refute.

She thought for a moment: “Hmm… his face?”

Yi Wanyue: “The world doesn’t lack good-looking people.”

Qiu Baiyu chimed in with words Qi Ling would like to hear: “You’re one of them yourself.”

Qi Ling thought about it and said happily: “That’s true. You have good taste.”

Yi Wanyue: “…”

The person she liked just complimented another woman’s looks right in front of her.

Sour, but she held it in.

Qiu Baiyu looked at Qi Ling, wholeheartedly wanting to lead her away from the sea of bitterness that was Jiang Shen, even willing to say things she liked to hear in an attempt to close the distance between them.

“I have good taste, and I hope Miss Qi has good taste too, to see Jiang Shen’s true nature soon.

“I’ll say it again, he’s not worthy of you. You have unlimited potential and other better choices, why hang yourself on this one tree?

“There are so many men in the world, you have plenty of choices. You could even choose women.”

Yi Wanyue and Qi Ling’s gazes instantly focused on her.

Qiu Baiyu continued looking at Qi Ling: “Each of us has many choices, including in love. We don’t need to be confined to one type of choice.

“Whether it’s a man or a woman, as long as the other person has good character, you like each other, and you’re good to each other, that’s enough. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

Her words were ostensibly directed at Qi Ling, but they were actually meant for Yi Wanyue.

She wanted to know Yi Wanyue’s reaction to this matter.

Only by understanding Yi Wanyue’s attitude could she know how to place her own feelings.

In anticipation, her heart beat a little faster.

Yet she had to restrain herself, not looking at Yi Wanyue, lest her thoughts seem too obvious.

After waiting for a while, she finally heard Yi Wanyue’s voice.

“Baiyu is right,” Yi Wanyue said with a genuine smile, “The object of love and affection shouldn’t be limited to just one choice. I think dating a girl would be nice too.”

She was very happy to hear Qiu Baiyu say these things.

Although Qiu Baiyu’s purpose was simply to broaden Qi Ling’s horizons, without much ulterior motive, she still wanted to add, “Dating a girl would be nice too,” to plant a seed in Qiu Baiyu’s heart.

Who knows, maybe one day this seed would sprout?

Maybe…

The two of them subtly expressed their attitudes while persuading Qi Ling, but Qi Ling was oblivious to it. However, she did take their words to heart.

Then her imagination ran wild: “You suddenly advise me to consider women, could it be that a woman has taken a liking to me and sent you to pave the way?”

Yi Wanyue: “?”

Qiu Baiyu: “?”

Yi Wanyue felt as if facing a great enemy, immediately turning her head to look at Qiu Baiyu, who had initially brought up this topic: “You like her?”

Qiu Baiyu denied it without hesitation: “How is that possible? How could I like her?”

She couldn’t let Yi Wanyue misunderstand that she had someone else in her heart!

Only then did Yi Wanyue feel reassured, saying nothing.

The denial was decisive; it was good that she didn’t like her.

This back-and-forth left Qi Ling across from them confused: “Wait, Qiu Baiyu, why did you deny it so quickly? Don’t tell me you look down on me?!

“You actually look down on a great beauty, a big celebrity!”

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

She explained: “That’s not what I meant. I was afraid you’d misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand that you like me? What’s wrong with that?”

Qi Ling tossed her hair proudly.

“I can understand these things. After all, I’m the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen. It would be normal for you to fall in love with me.

“Alright, don’t hide your little crush. You can love me, I allow it, but you won’t have me.”

Yi Wanyue: “…”

Qiu Baiyu: “…”

Qiu Baiyu couldn’t help but remark: “If narcissism were a crime, you’d definitely get the death penalty.”

Yi Wanyue nodded affirmatively.

Qi Ling glanced at them.

“Huh, two tasteless fellows!”