Li Yunli took a sip of water, selectively ignoring her explanation, and softened her gaze. “If you’re tired, go take off the gear.”
Ji Zhenshi wasn’t skiing anyway, and the outfit made her uncomfortable.
Even while jealous and upset, Li Yunli instinctively cared for Ji Zhenshi, worrying she might be uncomfortable.
Biting her lip inwardly, Li Yunli felt she was utterly spineless—or more accurately, she had no resistance to Ji Zhenshi’s pleading expression. She couldn’t bear to see her disappointed and softened easily.
Ji Zhenshi persisted relentlessly in her flattery, softening her voice into a coquettish whine. “I’m not tired at all. I’ll be Sister A-Yun’s fan and take photos for you. It’s rare to see you so happy—I don’t want to miss it.”
“Do I look that happy?” Li Yunli asked skeptically.
Seeing that Li Yunli was willing to respond, Ji Zhenshi assumed she wasn’t mad anymore. She grabbed Li Yunli’s hand, lavishing praise without restraint. “Yeah, yeah! You were smiling the whole time you were skiing. And Sister A-Yun, you’re really amazing—sliding off so effortlessly when it’s your first time. That’s no small feat.”
“That’s because you’ve never seriously tried to learn,” Li Yunli replied, her delicate brows arching slightly.
Ji Zhenshi was more agile than her, smarter too, with exceptional control over her body. If she actually put in the effort, there was no way she’d be stuck on the sidelines watching enviously.
Xiao Zhen was amazing; picturing her skiing was already so cool.
“Hehe, watching Sister A-Yun ski is just as good,” Ji Zhenshi said shyly, scratching her head. She glanced at Li Yunli’s composed expression from the corner of her eye and asked tentatively, “So Sister A-Yun, you’re not mad anymore, right?”
At those words, the softness on Li Yunli’s face froze.
She hadn’t truly been angry to begin with—just thinking about those women surrounding her earlier made her chest ache with sourness. Ji Zhenshi was so popular among girls, laughing and chatting happily with them. She felt like so many people were coveting her Xiao Zhen.
It wasn’t the kind of admiration Tang Xien had for her music; it was the possessive kind, just like her own.
It felt like swallowing a mouthful of thick vinegar—unbearably sour and uncomfortable. Li Yunli’s face darkened as she stiffly looked away.
“Sister A-Yun? Not mad anymore?” Ji Zhenshi leaned in to look at her. “Please don’t be mad, okay? We’ll get something sweet later to cheer you up. Can we?”
“Milk tea? Okay… if you don’t like that, how about a little dessert? Sister A-Yun, please don’t be mad?”
Ji Zhenshi spared no effort in coaxing Li Yunli, but Li Yunli completely ignored her as if she weren’t there.
Don’t think acting cute would let her gloss over it so easily. She even took photos for them—and in the end, without her intervention, they’d probably have exchanged contacts too.
Why was Ji Zhenshi so popular?
And strangely, she didn’t have many stereotypical lesbian traits, yet she always attracted girls.
It was the same in high school and college, and now too.
Did she have some innate charm that drew girls to her? Did that even exist?
Li Yunli set down her water cup and slowly exhaled a breath of hot air. “I don’t like sweets either. I’m tired. I want to rest.”
Either way, she’d been skiing alone while Ji Zhenshi watched.
She was exhausted too; the gear had left her body aching all over. Li Yunli unstrapped her snowboard, ready to head back.
Ji Zhenshi eagerly took the snowboard, trotting alongside Li Yunli. Undeterred by the cold shoulder, she continued her relentless coaxing. “Sister A-Yun, let me carry it. Go slow—your legs must be wobbly after all that. I’ll support you.”
Sister A-Yun being jealous actually made her a little happy.
Ji Zhenshi secretly curved her lips, not daring to reveal this “weird” inner thought, afraid Li Yunli would really blow up and be impossible to soothe.
Li Yunli glanced at her and let her do it.
Carefully observing Li Yunli’s expression, Ji Zhenshi chuckled and couldn’t help muttering to herself, “So this is what Sister A-Yun looks like when she’s jealous? I love it. You getting mad for me means you care so much about me. Seeing me get close to others makes you jealous.”
The person who’d been hiding that sentiment the second before was now knowingly courting danger.
She really loved the way Sister A-Yun looked when jealous because of her. She loved it so much.
Li Yunli walked ahead and merely glanced back at her upon hearing it. Ji Zhenshi was testing the limits again.
If you can’t coax properly, don’t keep poking the bear. Annoying.
Ji Zhenshi trailed behind Li Yunli the whole way. No matter what she said, Li Yunli ignored her. After babbling on for ages, Ji Zhenshi finally realized the severity of the situation.
She’d really messed up.
Why was she getting more upset the more she coaxed? That didn’t make sense—there must be something wrong in the process.
When she came out after changing clothes, Ji Zhenshi hurriedly grabbed Li Yunli, pleading as she hugged her arm and shook it. “Sister A-Yun, please don’t be mad. I told them I have a girlfriend. Besides, I just took a few photos for them. They were just a bit too enthusiastic, teaching me since I was alone. But I didn’t have any physical contact with them at all.”
“Next time, I’ll stay far away from everyone—no, there definitely won’t be a next time. You know my heart only has you. Plus, they’re too young. I like older sisters who are six years older than me—the best kind are coffee shop owners.”
She was basically naming Li Yunli outright.
Li Yunli extended her index finger, pressing it to Ji Zhenshi’s forehead and pushing her back a bit.
Her expression was awkward and stiff as she told Ji Zhenshi, “But I’m not happy.”
So this was what jealousy felt like—so sour and hard to endure.
Only now did Li Yunli realize it belatedly. She’d felt this chest-full of sourness many times before. She saw herself as someone who let things come and go without attachment, with no strong possessiveness toward anything—except for Ji Zhenshi. Toward her, she had an intense sense of belonging and ownership.
Sometimes it was when Ji Zhenshi received a love letter from a classmate at school, and she’d find it tucked in her homework book while checking it. Sometimes it was when someone pursuing Ji Zhenshi waited at the alley entrance to walk to school together. Other times, it was seeing Ji Zhenshi cozy up to girls during class group activities for photos. It always made her feel like her private treasure was being eyed by others.
So many moments, all because of Ji Zhenshi. The only difference was that before, Li Yunli hadn’t dared admit it, forcing herself to pretend it was just worry over Xiao Zhen’s naivety making her vulnerable to deception—even denying her own jealousy.
But now, she finally had the status and right to be jealous.
“I don’t want you getting that close to them. They’re clearly interested in you with ulterior motives. Even if not, they’re still into you, and yet you get so close. I’m not happy, Xiao Zhen. It makes me really uncomfortable.” Li Yunli emphasized again, her anger always gentle and soft-spoken. She only said she was unhappy, never making a big fuss.
For Ji Zhenshi, hearing such considerate and understanding Li Yunli say those words was a thrill like never before—joyful and surprising.
She liked Sister A-Yun even more; even her jealousy had its own unique flavor.
Ji Zhenshi pressed closer to Li Yunli, smiling as she coaxed, “My fault, Sister A-Yun. I didn’t keep my distance. It’s all on me. Punish me however you want, as long as you’re not mad, okay?”
“Sister A-Yun, don’t be mad. Next time, I’ll carve ‘Has a doting sister’ on my forehead.”
Shaking Li Yunli’s arm, Ji Zhenshi played pitiful.
Li Yunli shook her head, her eyes shimmering with warmth. “I don’t want to punish you. I just want you to keep your distance from women who show inexplicable enthusiasm toward you. Whether strangers or people you meet at work—otherwise, I’ll be sad.”
Li Yunli didn’t reject Ji Zhenshi’s closeness; instead, she silently leaned toward her.
Xiao Zhen, you can’t treat others the same way you treat me—what would be the point?
The truest love can’t be hidden; it shows in unconscious favoritism.
If not, and it’s undetectable even in the details, what kind of love is that?
“I didn’t! Heaven knows, they were so noisy in my ear earlier. I only like people with Sister A-Yun’s personality—I only like you. Look, my wallpaper is our photo. I really wasn’t out there attracting bees and butterflies.” In an urgent tone, Ji Zhenshi pulled out her phone to prove her sincerity.
How was she supposed to know those girls would be so forward? She hadn’t even had a chance to slip away.
And she’d made Sister A-Yun sad. Ji Zhenshi regretted it deeply.
So much regret—she truly regretted it.
Li Yunli hesitated, glancing at her—especially noting that Ji Zhenshi’s phone wallpaper was their photo from her graduation ceremony that day. She didn’t even need to declare ownership; Ji Zhenshi was eager to shout their relationship to the world.
Truth be told, Ji Zhenshi’s coaxing melted her heart instantly; she wasn’t mad anymore.
Was she too easy to appease?
Lost in her inner conflict, hesitating whether to forgive Ji Zhenshi so quickly, Li Yunli didn’t notice Ji Zhenshi had taken her lip gloss from her bag. She dabbed it lightly on her neck and smudged it open.
Pointing to the fake hickey on her neck, Ji Zhenshi pulled down her collar. “See, Sister A-Yun? Now everyone knows I have a girlfriend, right? Lychee-flavored strawberry, with your scent—the unique kind only you can make.”
“Besides, I’m not money; not everyone loves me. Today was just a coincidence. From now on, I’ll ignore any strangers hitting on me and wear ‘Sister A-Yun’ on my lips. Please don’t be mad? We should go eat—I’m starving. You wouldn’t let your good child go hungry, would you?”
The lip gloss color was faint, and at first glance, it really looked like a strawberry.
But compared to the ones someone had left on her chest, it was much lighter—those were soaked through, mostly from bites rather than just kisses.
“Not very realistic.” Li Yunli chuckled helplessly, pulling up her collar.
Don’t catch a cold in this freezing cold, silly.
“Ah? What then? Sister A-Yun, will you plant one for me personally?” Ji Zhenshi nestled into Li Yunli’s arms, offering her neck submissively.
She was dying for Li Yunli to kiss her.
Li Yunli pushed her face away. “No. Planting strawberries is dangerous—fewer are better.”
“Fine, so you’re not mad anymore?”
“Mm…” Li Yunli pondered briefly, then couldn’t resist tweaking Ji Zhenshi’s nose. “But you said I could punish you however. To give this unpleasantness real meaning, how about we make our good child sleep on the sofa tonight?”
The hotel room’s sofa was quite soft; Ji Zhenshi could handle it no problem.
The key was how clingy she was—making her sleep alone would be the harshest punishment.
“No way… Fine.” Ji Zhenshi reflexively refused but relented unwillingly under Li Yunli’s gaze.
Sofa it was—as long as Sister A-Yun wasn’t mad.
So what if it was the sofa? Hadn’t she slept on worse?
She used to sleep hugging her soft, fragrant wife; she’d reclaim that someday. She definitely would!
Tonight, once Sister A-Yun was asleep, she’d sneak into bed. She wouldn’t hold it against her the next day—Sister A-Yun doted on her too much.
Ji Zhenshi had her little schemes and wasn’t worried at all.
The two rented an electric scooter to head to dinner. Ji Zhenshi hopped on first, patting the seat behind her. “Sister A-Yun, hop on. I’ll take you.”
Li Yunli tightened her backpack straps, frowning slightly. They could just take a cab, but Ji Zhenshi insisted on the scooter.
It wasn’t that she minded scooters…
Ji Zhenshi just drove too wildly; she was a bit worried.
“Don’t doubt me! I can handle it. Where’s the basic trust between people? When you used to take me, I trusted you completely.”
Ji Zhenshi buckled her helmet, unhappy at Li Yunli’s lack of faith.
Before, Li Yunli had always picked her up after evening self-study on the scooter. They’d braved wind and rain like that for years. Ji Zhenshi wanted to relive that romance.
Back then, she’d hum songs from the back seat, though Li Yunli could never make them out. When asked if they sounded good, Li Yunli—unwilling to lie—would nod reassuringly.
Day after day, their routine life. Occasionally, when Ji Zhenshi pestered enough, Li Yunli would indulge her with a night market milk tea run, even buying unhealthy favorites like fried chicken and cola.
Those were Ji Zhenshi’s favorite times. She’d press against Li Yunli’s back, closest to her heart, silently pouring out her love.
Li Yunli, was there ever a moment when your heartbeat heard my heart’s voice and resonated with it?
Summer evening breezes, winter’s barren falling leaves—now their positions were swapped, and Ji Zhenshi’s secret crush had finally come to light.
Unable to resist the kid’s love for unique romance, Li Yunli grabbed the back of Ji Zhenshi’s hand and climbed on. “Xiao Zhen, haven’t you had enough of this before?”
The kid once small in her scooter’s back seat had grown up, now towering over her.
Still adorably clumsy at times, but Xiao Zhen had truly matured.
Many times now, she could even rely on her, becoming her safe haven.
“With Sister A-Yun, nothing’s ever enough. Hold on tight—like how I always hold you.” Dissatisfied that Li Yunli was only gripping her jacket, Ji Zhenshi took her wrists and wrapped them around her waist, not stopping until they were pressed perfectly together.
Li Yunli sighed helplessly. “Xiao Zhen, romantic to the bitter end.”
Ji Zhenshi loved romance and ritual; being with her let you feel the romance in everyday life anytime, anywhere.
She hadn’t been wrong—being with Ji Zhenshi really was happiness.
Before, thinking about it just brought bitterness. Now, she’d become the person she’d unconsciously envied countless times, feeling nothing but grateful.
Nodding undeniably, Ji Zhenshi kept her eyes on the road as she said, “Yeah, I guess I’m pretty romantic.”
“Not guess—you are.”
“Oh, then with Sister A-Yun’s personal endorsement, I really am romantic. Hey, Sister A-Yun, have you seen that line online? The woman riding in my scooter backseat now will ride shotgun in my luxury car someday.”
“But with just over a hundred bucks, what luxury car can you buy?” Li Yunli patted her down jacket pocket meaningfully—that held her meager pocket money.
Xiao Zhen’s pocket money was just over a hundred? What car could that get?
Ji Zhenshi was at a loss for words, her face flushing as she shyly avoided Li Yunli’s gaze.
Finally clearing her throat, she psyched herself up. “Over a hundred won’t buy a luxury car, sure. But this is my test for you. Don’t abandon me when I’m broke, and you’ll get that shotgun seat someday.”
The girl boasted shamelessly, but what a woman truly wanted wasn’t that.
The scooter whipped up a chilly wind. Li Yunli rubbed her temples and buried herself into Ji Zhenshi’s back.
