What to do? Gritting her teeth, stomping her foot, and glaring daggers, Liang Sheng lifted the hem of Bai Zhen’s coat and burrowed inside. She even wrapped her arms around the other girl’s waist for good measure.
Bai Zhen blinked in surprise. “What’s up, Liang Sheng?”
Liang Sheng’s voice came out muffled from inside Bai Zhen’s coat. She opened her mouth to reply, her excuse already prepared in her mind.
“Sister Bai Zhen, it’s freezing out here. I just wanted to warm up a bit.”
It was half true, half false. The cold was real enough, but the main reason was that she’d spotted her Senior Sister Gu.
So cute~ The little head poking out like that.
Ding~
Favorability increased.
“Bai Zhen’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 26”
With a trick that obvious, anyone with eyes who knew her could tell it was Liang Sheng. Especially Gu Yuqi, who harbored those complicated feelings for her.
“Liang Sheng?” Gu Yuqi called softly.
Liang Sheng jolted in fright. Should she respond? If she did, how was she supposed to explain this position—hugging another woman—to Senior Sister Gu Yuqi? But staying silent wouldn’t work either; Gu Yuqi had clearly seen her, and not explaining would only make it worse.
As her inner angel and devil duked it out, Bai Zhen spoke up.
“Your classmate’s calling you,” she said, assuming Liang Sheng just hadn’t heard.
The chill vanished from Liang Sheng’s body, replaced by a cold sweat beading on her forehead. “Uh, uh, I…”
Bai Zhen studied her for a moment, then suddenly had a eureka moment. “Oh~ You’ve had a falling out with your friend here. You’re embarrassed to face her, so you’re hiding in my coat to avoid her, right?”
Well, that was half right. Liang Sheng decided to roll with it and nodded.
Bai Zhen flashed an OK sign, brimming with confidence. “Leave it to your Sister Bai Zhen!”
No, Liang Sheng thought, I really don’t trust this. She swallowed hard, a growing sense of dread in her gut. Her sixth sense screamed that whatever came next would blow past anything her imagination could conjure.
“Liang Sheng?!” Gu Yuqi was starting to worry. She hurried forward, wanting to confirm.
Bai Zhen backed up a few steps with Liang Sheng in her arms. She glared at the approaching girl, vaguely thinking she looked familiar—hadn’t she glimpsed her once before, when she’d driven Liang Sheng home?—but her mouth was already running.
“Little miss, what do you think you’re doing? I don’t know you.”
Gu Yuqi grew more anxious. Her memories of Liang Sheng had been wiped, taking Bai Zhen with them. “Sister, the person in your arms… I think I know her.”
Not for nothing was Bai Zhen a future movie star. She put on a shocked expression, glancing down at Liang Sheng in her coat, then up at Gu Yuqi standing opposite her. A wave of sorrow and fury erupted from her.
“Xiao Leng, how come you’ve never introduced me to this friend of yours? We’ve been together for five years!”
Liang Sheng was floored. Sister Bai Zhen seemed so reliable, but she was actually a massive pitfall!
No choice now but to play along. Liang Sheng forced an awkward laugh and pinched her voice high. “Who? Who is she? I don’t know her at all. Her voice sounds so unfamiliar. Hate her~ Old Bai, you know you’re the only one in my heart~”
Bai Zhen nearly cracked up inside. That voice was way too exaggerated.
“Oh…” Bai Zhen softened suddenly, gently patting the head poking from her coat. Then, to Gu Yuqi: “Little miss, my girlfriend doesn’t know you. Must’ve been a case of mistaken identity.”
“I…” Gu Yuqi faltered, her confidence shaken. Was she really just hallucinating from lovesick delusion?
“Fine,” Gu Yuqi said. She didn’t press further and turned to head home.
But then Liang Sheng fidgeted, and a lock of green curly hair slipped out.
Gu Yuqi’s sharp eyes caught it immediately.
That… had to be Liang Sheng. A strange feeling crept over her heart. She wanted to ask again, but those two were clearly determined to keep Liang Sheng hidden from her. What could she do? Liang Sheng wasn’t hers; she had no right to be mad or demand anything.
In a daze, Gu Yuqi suddenly felt like she’d seen Bai Zhen somewhere before. Where…?
“It’s really not Liang Sheng?” Gu Yuqi called out one last time, unwilling to give up.
Silence was her only answer.
In that instant, Gu Yuqi’s eyes reddened. For the first time, the fist clenched at her side felt utterly powerless.
Splash!
Favorability dropped sharply.
“Gu Yuqi’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 54”
Oh no! Liang Sheng panicked completely. She was done for—this time she’d really screwed up in front of Senior Sister Gu Yuqi.
Now she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Going out felt too risky; staying put wasn’t great either. As she hesitated, the System chimed again.
Splash!
Favorability dropped sharply.
“Gu Yuqi’s Favorability toward Liang Sheng: 43”
After a moment’s pause, Liang Sheng wriggled out from under Bai Zhen’s coat, hoping to explain to Gu Yuqi. But by then, Senior Sister Gu Yuqi had already walked far away.
Liang Sheng hung her head, her overactive tear ducts kicking in. This time, she really started crying.
Bai Zhen panicked and knelt halfway down, gently wiping the tears from Liang Sheng’s eyes.
“Don’t cry, sweetie. What’s wrong? Was Sister’s performance not what you wanted? Oh, come on, no tears, no tears.”
Seeing the little girl bawling with no idea why, Bai Zhen felt like a dog on the inside.
“I… I just drove off Senior Sister Yuqi…” Liang Sheng babbled incoherently.
Bai Zhen blamed herself. She’d completely misread the situation.
“There, there, no more crying,” Bai Zhen said, pulling Liang Sheng into a hug. At 180 cm tall, she had no trouble cradling the 165 cm girl. “Come on, school’s back in session tomorrow anyway, and we’ve got one more day off. How about Sister takes you out for something yummy?”
Liang Sheng’s mind was a total fog; she barely registered Bai Zhen’s words. She just let the taller girl lead her to the car.
“Hold on, Sister. I see Ye Yuzhe.” Bai Zhen settled Liang Sheng in the passenger seat and soothed her before spotting Ye Yuzhe ambling along slowly.
Bai Zhen waved at him. “Yuzhee! Hurry up! I’m in a rush.”
Ye Yuzhe’s eyes lit up at the sight of Bai Zhen. He quickened his pace and soon reached the car.
He opened the door and slid in, catching sight of the sniffling Liang Sheng in the passenger seat via the rearview mirror.
“Huh—?” Ye Yuzhe blinked in confusion. “Sister Bai, Liang Sheng’s here too? What happened to her…” His voice trailed off smaller and smaller.
Bai Zhen shot him a meaningful look. Ye Yuzhe got the hint and shut his mouth obediently.
Bai Zhen climbed into the driver’s seat and glanced back, noticing Liang Sheng hadn’t buckled up. She sighed, suddenly feeling like a frazzled mom whose kid was breaking her heart.
