What did being in love feel like?
It was like turning into a kite, floating lightly in the air, riding the wind—everything became free and joyful. Yet someone held the string, keeping her from flying too far. Her whole being was in someone else’s hands, an indescribably wonderful feeling.
Lin Wenwen was in a daze all day. When she saw Song Lingshu, she couldn’t help but smile. When she wasn’t looking, she’d be wondering what the other girl was doing, wishing they could stick together forever.
That evening, Song Lingshu walked her home. Just as she was about to leave, Lin Wenwen grabbed her hand.
“It’s so late. Stay the night. We can go to school together tomorrow,” Lin Wenwen said.
“I haven’t told my mom yet,” Song Lingshu replied.
“I’ll tell her.” Lin Wenwen called her mom directly. It took only half a minute to explain everything, and her mother readily agreed. The remaining two and a half minutes were spent worrying about Lin Wenwen’s health.
“All set.” Lin Wenwen hung up, satisfied.
“Who’s really her daughter here? That’s just unfair.” Song Lingshu paused. “Wait, how did you two end up on WeChat?”
“Your mom added me the first time I visited your house,” Lin Wenwen explained. “She likes and comments on all my Moments posts. She even sends me little red envelopes now and then, but they’re too small, so I never accepted.”
“…”
In the middle of the night, Song Lingshu was suddenly woken by a knock on the door. She opened it to find the little princess, bleary-eyed. Before she could ask what was wrong, the girl threw herself into her arms.
“I can’t sleep alone. Come sleep with me.” Lin Wenwen’s voice was soft and sleepy. Without another word, she pulled Song Lingshu into the master bedroom.
“This doesn’t seem right.” Song Lingshu clung to the doorframe. “I’ll just go back to the guest room.”
“What’s wrong with it? It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.” Lin Wenwen tugged at her desperately. “I just had a nightmare. It scared me to death. Now that you’re my girlfriend, aren’t you supposed to comfort me until I fall asleep?”
Song Lingshu had no choice but to lie down with her, gently patting her back. Yet Lin Wenwen kept her eyes wide open, quietly staring at her.
Song Lingshu asked softly, “What was the nightmare about?”
“I dreamed you died.” Lin Wenwen was blunt.
Song Lingshu: “…” That was terrifying.
The warm atmosphere shattered instantly. Song Lingshu tried to salvage it, patting her back and murmuring, “It was just a dream. I’m right here, aren’t I?”
“But the dream felt so real. You were bleeding a lot, the floor and the bed were all stained red. They kept trying to save you, so many people came to see you, but we never heard that you’d woken up.” Lin Wenwen shattered the mood again. “I felt like I knew you, but also like I didn’t. It was clearly you lying in that bed, but the name I was calling out was someone else’s. And I was floating in the air, no matter how much I shouted, you wouldn’t wake up…”
The nightmare was getting more and more paranormal. Song Lingshu shivered and asked curiously, “So how did I die?”
Lin Wenwen thought for a moment, then seemed unwilling to talk about it anymore. She hugged her tightly, burying her face in Song Lingshu’s neck and mumbling, “Don’t ask. I’m scared.”
“Alright, I won’t ask. Sleep now, sleep.” Song Lingshu coaxed her for a while until she finally drifted off. But Song Lingshu herself woke up with a start in the darkness.
She’d had a nightmare too—still the scene of her childhood friend drowning. She jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat, gasping in the dark. Only when she felt Lin Wenwen’s steady heartbeat did she slowly come back to reality. She wrapped her arms around her warm body and gradually fell asleep.
For the next few days, the nightmare kept recurring. She couldn’t help but ask the System: 【It’s been so long. Why am I still having nightmares?】
The dream had haunted her for thirteen years. She’d had a few vague ones when she first met Guan Yue, but they’d stopped after that.
After Guan Yue passed away, she’d spent nearly a century in the Time-Space Shield without having the dream. Now that the death nightmare was back, it bothered her.
System: 【Dear, dreams have nothing to do with our System.】
Song Lingshu: 【Is there anything in the Mall that can block nightmares?】
System: 【Dear, your Points are insufficient.】
Song Lingshu checked. Good grief, she’d used too many points flirting—over three hundred squandered away. Now she was down to just a few points again.
Looks like it was time to return to her old profession: bootlicking.
Ever since they started dating, Lin Wenwen had become even more haughty. But only toward outsiders. Especially whenever she saw single people, she couldn’t help muttering to Song Lingshu, “Look at them. How pathetic. Can’t even get a girlfriend.”
“Right. Who’s as lucky as you, landing such a perfect girlfriend?” Song Lingshu agreed.
Lin Wenwen nodded, but then realized she’d just complimented herself. She frowned and said, “Can you even talk?”
Her mouth said one thing, but her body was honest. The sheer pleasure she felt netted Song Lingshu one point.
Song Lingshu smiled. “I can’t talk. I can only love—love the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Ding. Points +3.
“Smooth talker.” Lin Wenwen shot her a reproachful glare, the corners of her eyes sweeping with charm.
Song Lingshu’s heart itched. She whispered in her ear, “If there weren’t so many people here, I’d kiss you.”
“What’s so hard about that?” Lin Wenwen suddenly slapped the desk and glared fiercely at the others in the classroom. “All of you, get out!”
The class was stunned. What had gotten into the Miss this time?
“What are you looking at? We have things to do. All of you, hurry up and get out!” Lin Wenwen commanded.
“Sorry, everyone. Carry on.” Song Lingshu grabbed Lin Wenwen and ran out of the classroom. They dashed up to the rooftop, but found the door locked. Standing on the landing, Song Lingshu gave a helpless smile. “Why did you kick them out? Wouldn’t it have been easier for us to just come out ourselves?”
“Easier? I’m exhausted from running.” Lin Wenwen pouted. “Kicking them all out was way more convenient.”
“That takes the fun out of it.” Song Lingshu’s eyes sparkled. She lowered her voice. “Can you hear the people coming and going downstairs?”
“Yeah. So?”
As soon as Lin Wenwen finished speaking, Song Lingshu—standing on a higher step—leaned down and pressed her lips to hers. The familiar scent enveloped her. Around them, voices rose and fell in chatter. No one noticed their little corner, yet they still feared someone might stumble upon them.
After a minute, Song Lingshu asked her, “Heart racing?”
Lin Wenwen pressed a hand to her chest. “Yeah! So thrilling!”
Song Lingshu chuckled, watching as the girl, unsatisfied, tiptoed to kiss her again. Suddenly, Qin Sheng’s voice came from the rooftop, separated by only one door.
“Chu Yin, I’ll give you one last chance. Will you be my girlfriend?”
Both froze. Lin Wenwen quickly pecked her on the lips, then ran to the door to eavesdrop. When she heard Chu Yin refuse, she couldn’t help mocking, “Qin Sheng, you suck!”
The door opened. Qin Sheng stared bitterly at the two eavesdroppers. Chu Yin seemed embarrassed, her face flushed. She grabbed her schoolbag and ran downstairs.
“Why do you keep haunting me?” Qin Sheng asked Lin Wenwen.
“I should be asking you that. What are you doing hiding on the rooftop? You ruined our fun!” Lin Wenwen scolded. “Are you brain-dead?”
“What fun were you having up here?” Qin Sheng asked.
Lin Wenwen faltered, then boasted, “The kind of fun you can only dream of!”
Song Lingshu covered her face to stifle her laughter.
Qin Sheng: “My dream?”
“Yeah.” Lin Wenwen set her hands on her hips, smug. “For all the effort you put in, you still failed. You’re just pathetic. You didn’t even use the right approach!”
Qin Sheng looked at her, baffled.
“Here’s the deal. Consider our past friendship. I’ll teach you a couple of tricks. Guaranteed to win her over.”
Qin Sheng was skeptical. “What’s in it for you?”
“I want to resume cooperation with your family. I’ve been thinking—the partnership we cut off because of the broken engagement should be revived. It’s good for both families. Joining forces makes us stronger.” Lin Wenwen said. “What do you think?”
The prospect of restarting business cooperation naturally pleased Qin Sheng. He thought it over and agreed. “I’ll go home and discuss it with my parents.”
“Good.” Lin Wenwen finally got to the lesson. “Girls are actually easy to win over.”
Qin Sheng listened attentively.
Song Lingshu was also curious.
“You just blast off fireworks for her!” Lin Wenwen declared.
Qin Sheng: “??”
Song Lingshu: “??”
“Blast her big time. Once she gets happy, she’ll want to kiss you. And then it’s a done deal,” Lin Wenwen said.
“That simple? You’re not messing with me, are you?” Qin Sheng was suspicious.
Lin Wenwen: “Why would I mess with you? Personally tested and proven.”
Qin Sheng was confused. “Personally tested?”
“Um… don’t worry about the details. It works every time. Go try it.” With that, Lin Wenwen took Song Lingshu back to the classroom.
“Do you think he’ll actually set off fireworks for her? Will Chu Yin get so worked up she agrees?” Lin Wenwen sat down, hiding behind a book, and whispered.
Song Lingshu: “I don’t know what’ll happen to them. What I do know is that I’m heartbroken.”
“What’s wrong?”
“So I only won you over because of fireworks? My earlier efforts were all for nothing?” Song Lingshu feigned melancholy.
“No, they weren’t. It’s because you did all the groundwork beforehand that the fireworks hit me right in the heart.” Lin Wenwen put down the book and stroked her hand to comfort her. “I was just messing with him. Don’t be upset. I love you best.”
The classmates sitting in the back watched the two grow increasingly clingy. And the Miss herself, lowering herself to comfort someone? Astonishing. Was this how girlfriends acted?
On the weekend, Lin Wenwen called Song Lingshu to invite her over. Song Lingshu politely declined, saying she had homework to do at home.
But an hour later, Lin Wenwen showed up at her house with her own homework.
The two sat in Song Lingshu’s room, opened their laptops, and started working on a PowerPoint.
“I cut some fruit for you two.” Her mom pushed open the door and brought in a plate. She looked at the kids focusing on their work, felt pleased, and went out to pour them milk.
“My eyes are so tired.” Lin Wenwen muttered, tossing aside her laptop and leaning back to rub her eyes. “Aren’t you tired?”
“Let me see.”
Lin Wenwen sat up straight and turned her face toward her.
“They are a little red.” Song Lingshu cupped her face, carefully examining her eyes. Suddenly she froze and glanced toward the door.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Wenwen asked.
“My mom’s here.” Song Lingshu stared at her mother, who stood wide-eyed in the doorway. “She probably thought our pose was a kiss.”
Upon hearing that, her mom immediately relaxed and walked in with a smile. “You scared me. I almost thought you were—Ah!”
She stopped short, gaping at them. Because right as she spoke, Lin Wenwen had suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips to Song Lingshu’s.
Song Lingshu was stunned too.
A moment later, Lin Wenwen turned her head, unflinching. “Auntie, would you mind giving us some privacy?”
“I… I… Don’t forget to drink your milk!” Her mom shuffled stiffly, set down the milk, and fled out the door.
Lin Wenwen finally looked at Song Lingshu, eyes bright and sparkling. She mimicked her own question from before. “Well? Wasn’t that thrilling? Heart racing just now?”
Song Lingshu: “Mm. It raced. Almost stopped completely.”