It was the blanket of clouds and snow, the relentless slap-slap of waves crashing against the rocks on the shore, mountains piled high like the humps of a camel, the raw fusion of blood and flesh, the salty sea breeze rushing in from the ocean.
Everything felt so magical and beautiful, leaving one to marvel at the true wonders of nature.
After walking so much, one’s legs would surely turn to jelly, right?
Liang Sheng’s legs had given out, her breathing growing heavy and labored.
Bai Zhen, on the other hand, brimmed with energy, leaving Liang Sheng to sigh in admiration at her stamina.
How wonderful!
But, but she really didn’t want to move anymore. She wanted to sleep. She truly didn’t want to budge another inch…
When Liang Sheng opened her eyes again, daylight streamed through the window. For a fleeting moment, she stared blankly at the sun outside.
She couldn’t quite recall what had happened right before she drifted off the night before.
Turning her head, she caught sight of Bai Zhen’s smooth, flawless back. Her face flushed crimson as the memories of last night’s exertions came flooding back.
Bai Zhen had already sat up and was fiddling with the clasp on her back.
Spotting that Liang Sheng was awake—and catching the sneaky little expression on her face—Bai Zhen crooked a finger at her and smirked. “Come here. Help me fasten this.”
Liang Sheng nodded and started to sit up.
Whoosh.
The blanket slid down with her.
Oh, what a sight that was—a glimpse of springtime splendor.
Like an eel slipping through water, Liang Sheng zipped “whoosh” right back under the covers, burying even her head beneath them.
“Ha ha ha!”
Bai Zhen burst into laughter. She wanted to yank the blanket away to see that shy expression up close, but the green-haired girl clutched the edge with surprising strength, refusing to let go.
“Aww, feeling shy, are we?” Bai Zhen wrapped her arms around the blanket-wrapped bundle that was Liang Sheng, feeling like she was hugging a giant cocoon. “We’re practically an old married couple now. I’ve seen everything there is to see—and then some—a dozen times over. We’ve bared it all more than once. How are you still embarrassed?”
Liang Sheng bit her lower lip, mortified. How had she never noticed before that Bai Zhen, who seemed so mature and commanding, could be so utterly shameless?
“Stop talking nonsense, Sister Bai Zhen!”
“Ha ha ha!”
Still chuckling, Bai Zhen stood up, grabbed her clothes, and headed for the door. “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Keep this up, and you’ll hole up in there all day. I’m heading out first. Hurry up and come join me, okay?”
Click.
The door shut behind her.
Liang Sheng cautiously poked her head out, glancing around the room. Only when she confirmed Bai Zhen was truly gone did she relax, fully emerging from the covers.
Recalling the events of the previous night, she nearly retreated back into her cocoon again.
To think she’d passed out like that… Liang Sheng inwardly berated herself for being so useless and embarrassing. How was she supposed to show her face in bed from now on?
And Sister Bai Zhen was just too… skilled. So flexible, so forceful, with a hint of… ahem! Anyway, that was the kind of thing only masochists enjoyed! She didn’t like it at all! She had only agreed because she’d been dazzled by Bai Zhen’s beauty!
Lost in these thoughts, Liang Sheng slowly climbed out of bed and began rummaging for her clothes.
She hadn’t fully extricated herself yet when—
Smack!
“Mmph!”
Liang Sheng jolted, her backside stinging from the “heavy blow.”
There stood Bai Zhen behind her, grinning wickedly, arms full of clothes—hers and Liang Sheng’s—staring straight at her.
“S-S-S-S-Sister Bai Zhen!” Liang Sheng’s eyes went wide. “D-Didn’t you already leave?!”
Bai Zhen was doubled over with mirth. “You’re just too adorable. You trust me that much? Even after being devoured completely a hundred times, you’d never learn your lesson.”
Bai Zhen tossed the clothes aside.
She advanced slowly toward Liang Sheng.
Liang Sheng flailed her hand toward the window. “Look! Sister Bai Zhen! It’s broad daylight out there—early morning, even! This kind of indecent behavior under the open sky is just… we shouldn’t…”
Swish!
The curtains snapped shut.
Liang Sheng: “…”
It looked like she wasn’t escaping this “doom” today.
“Why, Sister Bai Zhen?!” Liang Sheng whined pitifully.
Bai Zhen, getting back to business, replied casually, “Why do you think? Probably because your stamina is so poor.”
——
Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
“Today’s the day you pick up your award, Sister Bai Zhen,” Liang Sheng said with a beaming smile, straightening Bai Zhen’s tie for her.
These days, she was attending university while working part-time as Bai Zhen’s assistant.
Over the past six months, paparazzi had snapped photos sparking rumors of Bai Zhen’s coming out, since the two of them were often seen entering restaurants or hotels together.
But Bai Zhen had brushed them all off with excuses. She knew the timing wasn’t right for going public yet.
“She’s just a very, very good friend of mine,” Bai Zhen would say.
During that time, Liang Sheng had dipped her toes into the online world too—buying data plans, buying hot search spots, wielding the power of money to transform herself into a fairly well-known… comedy streamer.
“Damn it! I was supposed to go the beauty route!” Liang Sheng still grumbled about it. “How did I end up as a comedian?!”
Bai Zhen Zhuckled along with her.
“Come to the awards ceremony with me today,” Bai Zhen said, taking the green-haired girl’s hand.
Liang Sheng froze, realization dawning.
“Sister Bai Zhen, you mean…” She shook her head and pulled her hand free. “No, you can’t. You’re at the peak of your career right now, winning all these awards. If you come out, it’ll ruin you…”
Bai Zhen seized her hand again, eyes burning with intensity. “I can’t wait any longer! I won’t keep hiding you behind me forever. I want the whole world to know—you’re my girlfriend, my wife!”
“Sister Bai Zhen…” Liang Sheng’s nose tingled.
At the venue, under the spotlight of a thousand eyes, Liang Sheng linked arms with Bai Zhen as they made their entrance.
The live chat exploded in an instant.
“Are the two of them for real? I thought they were just good friends!”
“Good friends can’t link arms? Does that mean only couples can? Our little Zhen Zhen already said they’re just friends.”
Remarkably, a third of the comments were from fans shipping them hard.
“I have to say, they look great together. Suggest they get married on the spot.”
Inside the hall, after a flurry of introductions and awards, it was finally time for Best Actress.
Liang Sheng’s palms grew clammy. She watched the host with rapt attention.
Bai Zhen, meanwhile, looked utterly relaxed, as if victory was assured.
“And the winner is—”
Liang Sheng held her breath.
“Bai Zhen!”
“Eeeeek!”
Liang Sheng nearly jumped out of her skin.
“I knew it! Sister Bai Zhen is the best!”
Bai Zhen stood, hauling the still-giddy Liang Sheng to her feet and leading her to the stage.
“Sister Bai Zhen?”
Bai Zhen took the microphone.
“First of all, thank you to…” She rattled off the usual thanks for a solid two minutes before abruptly shifting gears, gazing tenderly at the green-haired girl beside her. “On this occasion, I’d like to announce something.”
Liang Sheng gripped Bai Zhen’s hand tightly, nerves on edge.
“The woman beside me—Liang Sheng—is my wife.”
Bai Zhen was dead serious. “I’m not joking. Thank you, everyone!”
The chat went dead silent for a beat.
At that moment, Bai Zhen was the youngest Best Actress in entertainment history.
Then it erupted: praise for her bravery, some calling her perverse, but most were shippers losing their minds.
“I knew it! They’re real!!”
“Fine by me—Sis skips husbands for wives. I’m thrilled; no man gets to touch my Bai Sis!”
What others said didn’t matter to Liang Sheng and Bai Zhen anymore.
With each other by their side, they were already perfectly happy.
