Chapter 47: Heatwave

Qi Xuexin shook her head and sighed in regret. Her own sister was about to be snatched away by that little milk dog soon, and Yan Huahua would no longer belong just to her. When she left, she even hugged Yan Ningxi and fake-cried a couple of times.

The apartment returned to tranquility. Yan Ningxi went to take a shower, while Ming You messaged Gu Xirui in the bedroom.

The withdrawal from the competition the day before had caused a huge uproar, and many people from the school had reached out to her, but she had replied to very few.

【Gu Xirui: There have been some negative comments targeting you on the campus forum these past two days. Do you want to take a look? It’s fine if you don’t, but mainly you should have an idea in your mind.】

【Gu Xirui: Your street-style video has also been posted.】

【Gu Xirui: It’s interspersed with a few rather revealing bedroom private photos.】

【Ming You: Where did those bedroom private photos come from?】

【Ming You: How revealing are they?】

【Gu Xirui: The kind that covers just the three points.】

【Gu Xirui: We know for sure it’s not you. The person framing you probably found some internet pics and photoshopped them—face-swapping software makes it easy. Some replies believe it, some don’t. We’ve all left comments clarifying for you and reported it.】

【Ming You: Send me the link.】

【Gu Xirui: The first one is overall more visually appealing, if not for those few eye-searing fake photos. If you can’t stomach the second one, don’t look.】

Ming You checked out the first post 【Department Flowers are Department Flowers】. The content targeted not just her, but her and Gu Xirui both.

The post included photos of her and Gu Xirui going to and from classes together, eating meals, as well as shots of them in the school library, on the sports field, in the little garden, and various other spots. There were also screenshots from her late-September street-style video.

Even without filters, the above photos were pleasing to the eye. The bed photos, though, were truly eye-searing.

Two white gauzy curtains blocked the chest and lower abdomen respectively, with all other parts fully exposed. There were “her” side profiles and front views, plus one from the same scene where “she” knelt on the carpet, body facing the bed’s headboard but glancing back over her shoulder, arms covering her chest while her entire bare back was in frame.

The comments section was lively.

Some were shipping the “Gu-Ming Siyi CP” and thirsting over their looks, some were waving the yuri flag high, some were pulling up chairs to eat the melon, some were blessing them and staunchly supporting, and others were spewing filth.

The most quoted photo wasn’t “her” bed shot, but the one of her and Gu Xirui sitting side by side on the sports field at dusk.

That single photo alone had over two hundred comments. Ming You glanced at it but didn’t dig deeper.

Someone at school was spreading rumors to smear her friendship with Gu Xirui. But the two of them had always turned a deaf ear to outside matters, and lately they hadn’t offended anyone. Those who couldn’t stand them—no, those who couldn’t stand her the most—recently amounted to just one: Liu Xianhe, who kept picking fights and kept failing.

Though the post avoided crude, explicit wording, the subtext was all innuendo about the unspeakable “forbidden love” between her and Gu Xirui.

These days, homosexuality was commonplace, especially among university students, who were quite tolerant of same-sex couples. Society at large had also grown more accepting. Otherwise, discussions on legalizing same-sex marriage wouldn’t have heated up in recent years.

But their broadcasting hosting major tied into jobs at TV stations and such. If their same-sex identity got maliciously exposed, it would affect their chances at public sector jobs to some degree down the line.

【Ming You: Does the first one concern your reputation? Want to pursue it?】

【Gu Xirui: Rumors stop at the wise.】

【Gu Xirui: Gotta say, after seeing this post, I just realized we look pretty shippable together in the same frame. The photos are decently shot, good angles too—I’ve saved a few group shots.】

【Ming You: …That’s how you see it?】

【Gu Xirui: My brother works in IT, he’s an expert at this stuff. I’ve already asked him to look into it.】

【Ming You: Well done.gif】

【Gu Xirui: Check out the second one next, focus from page 31.】

Ming You opened the post titled 【About Those Bizarre Things Regarding This Year’s National University Hosting Competition at Hengchuan University】 and jumped straight to page 31.

From the content, it started with everyone group-mocking Liu Xianhe the toad lusting after a swan’s flesh and getting rejected. The middle focused on cheering for Ming You’s championship win to slap Liu Xianhe’s face. The later parts were nasty comments on Ming You’s withdrawal, with all sorts of speculated reasons for it.

—Scared of getting slapped in the face, so she didn’t dare show up for the finals?

—The quitter’s the real coward!

—Chickening out at the last minute, no respect for the competition, no manners. This kind of person doesn’t deserve the position or our department’s scholarship.

—Hey, need us to crowdfund a rose petal foot bath to save that someone’s face?

—Damn! You guys just finding out she’s arrogant, conceited, haughty, and acts all weird?

—Cowards who flee are shameful!

—I even voted and campaigned for her. My bad, I was blind.

—Blind ones, come crawl over to our class.

—Question! Anyone seen that other post? It’s got solid reasoning, evidence, and pics—did the Broadcasting Department’s two department belles really go yuri?

—Department belles being department belles, the two sisters thirsting over each other. Jealous much?

—Too gross, wouldn’t touch it if you begged.

—Shh! Someone dug up that she left the dorm deep in the night to run off with some guy outside. Still missing, even her family can’t find her.

—For real? From yuri to elopement? This drama’s getting spicy!

—Noob question! Are the bed pics real? Got more resources?

—Birds of a feather flock together. What a pity for my Xirui to go blind and stick with her!

【Gu Xirui: Finished?】 She chose to send it to Ming You tonight thinking a distant fire wouldn’t burn the near house. If she waited until Ming You got back to school and saw it, what if she turned into an impulsive demon and went after those people?

【Ming You: Sorry, got you dragged into the mudslinging.】

【Gu Xirui: Better to get hit with campus gossip early, so you can handle way more wind and cold talk once you’re out in society.】

【Ming You: Thanks.】

【Gu Xirui: When are you coming back? With the withdrawal and vanishing act, I’m running out of excuses for the advisor.】

【Ming You: Day after tomorrow.】

【Gu Xirui: Morning of the day after? I’ll bring your textbooks.】

After reading those two posts full of baseless nonsense, Ming You felt far more guilt toward Gu Xirui than anger. She’d long grown used to the vicious words aimed at her.

…

The ajar bedroom door was pushed open, and Yan Ningxi came in with a dry towel draped around her neck.

From Saturday to Monday, a full three days without washing her hair. She worried that sleeping on the pillow would leave a smell and dirty the pillowcase, so she planned to drape a washable towel over it.

Ming You unplugged the charger, set the phone and cord on her side of the bed, and looked up to see Yan Ningxi laying a towel on the pillow.

She walked over and stood behind her. “Don’t move. Let me check if the gauze got wet.”

She lifted her hair and let it drop, then gently rested her chin on Yan Ningxi’s shoulder. “Hang in there a bit longer. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll go to the hair salon. I’ll wash your hair for you.”

The feeling of being cherished and protected by Ming You made Yan Ningxi dizzy. She reached up along Ming You’s face and pinched her ear. “I’ve made you miss two days of class. Everything okay at school?”

“University, sigh. Skipping a few days won’t kill anyone. Don’t worry about me. You’re wiped out today—do your skincare and hit the hay.” She walked to the door, then turned back to remind her. “Sister Yan, turn off your morning alarm too.”

On workdays, Yan Ningxi’s alarm was at six-thirty.

Ming You had no early-to-bed-early-to-rise body clock. Without an alarm, she could sleep till nine or ten.

“It won’t go off at six-thirty. It’ll be at eight.” Tonight wasn’t even eleven yet; sleeping till eight in the morning gave her nine hours, Yan Ningxi’s limit.

That morning at the hotel, she hadn’t set an alarm either, but she woke up automatically before eight. She just hadn’t gotten up to avoid disturbing Ming You.

She let herself indulge in Ming You’s warm embrace, half at ease and half worried. She replayed every moment from meeting Ming You onward in meticulous detail.

Her head started to ache from all the thinking, and eventually she drifted off in a daze.

Sleeping too much didn’t feel great either—still fatigued. That day involved the hospital, showing Ming You around the school, flying, and driving—a long haul that had truly drained her stamina.

When Ming You finished washing up and came in, Yan Ningxi seemed to have fallen asleep on her side, with no extra blanket on the bed.

Ming You knew which closet held Yan Ningxi’s usual quilt, but since Yan Ningxi hadn’t grabbed it, she wouldn’t either. She climbed onto the bed from the other side, lifted the covers, and snuggled up to Yan Ningxi’s back. Yan Ningxi obligingly lifted her head.

“Did I wake you?” Ming You asked.

Yan Ningxi pillowed her head on Ming You’s arm, the heat from her back seeping in like waves, pouring into Yan Ningxi’s body through her pores nonstop.

She murmured, “I’ll make breakfast tomorrow. Sleep in if you want—I won’t wake you.”

Ming You held Yan Ningxi’s hand. “Okay, I’ll sleep a bit more.”

…

The bedroom curtains blocked 90% of light. Outside was bright daylight, but inside it still felt like night.

The girl on the bed was half-sprawled, one foot sticking out uncovered, unfeeling of the cold. If Yan Ningxi hadn’t come in to tuck the blanket over her foot, she probably could’ve slept another hour or two.

The girl hugged the blanket lazily, drawing in her legs then stretching them out, eyes bleary with sleep. “Sister Yan, how long have you been up?”

Yan Ningxi ruffled the girl’s messy bedhead. “It’s past nine. Hungry?”

“Rice noodles, chicken broth rice noodles, right?” The girl squinted, her memory jumbled. “Mmm, five more minutes. Five more minutes and I’ll get up.”

No rice noodles at home—she must’ve still been thinking of yesterday morning’s. Yan Ningxi didn’t reply and turned to leave.

If Ming You had said last night she wanted chicken broth rice noodles, Yan Ningxi would’ve gone out first thing to buy some. But now it was past nine; buying them would turn breakfast into lunch.

Luckily, her chicken broth noodles had won over the girl’s stomach.

—Even better than yesterday’s chicken broth rice noodles. Sister Yan, your Yan Family Noodle Shop can open for business!

In the afternoon, Ming You and Yan Ningxi walked into a nearby hair salon.

“Two beautiful ladies—hair wash or styling?”

Ming You glanced at the second floor. “Hair wash. We’ll borrow your facilities and equipment to do it ourselves, pay your standard rate.”

The staffer: “You sure you want to wash it yourselves?”

Ming You nodded. “Yeah, won’t take up your staff. If we want styling next time, we’ll come back.”

After checking with someone who looked like the boss, the staffer directed them upstairs. “This way, please.”

“Trouble you to show me how to use it. Thanks.”

Three minutes to master it. Ming You patted the wash bed. “Lie down, Sister Yan.”

Yan Ningxi took off her hat and lay on her side. Ming You finger-combed her hair, tested the water temperature, and became a “salon shampoo girl” with utmost care.

The one lying down nearly dozed off from the comfort.

“Sister Yan, what if the back of your head really goes bald?” Ming You teased on purpose.

“Can’t see it, so whatever.”

“…”

Half an hour later, the two emerged from the salon.

Ming You pointed to a fast food joint across the street. “Sister Yan, I washed your hair—you accompany me to eat fried chicken? That place over there. Haven’t had it in ages.”

“Let’s go.” Her scalp hadn’t been washed, but her hair was fresh and fragrant now, thanks to the girl.

A workday, not yet mealtime—the fast food place wasn’t crowded.

Ming You ordered a fried chicken set, a pair of wings, fries, a cola, a milk tea, and a cup of soft serve.

Yan Ningxi saw her return with a heaping tray and smiled. “Starved or just craving? Can you eat all that?” She’d stir-fried two dishes for lunch, and Ming You had eaten a bowl of rice. Just three hours later, and hungry again?

“Junk food and proper meals aren’t measured the same. Looks like a lot, but goes down easy.”

This shop was one she’d frequented alone in high school. These were her usual orders too. After today, she wouldn’t come back—and no more fried chicken.

The two sat facing each other. Ming You put on gloves herself, tore off a chicken leg, ripped a piece of tender chicken meat, and held it to Yan Ningxi’s mouth. “You promised to eat with me, so at least pretend and take a couple of bites.”

“I’ll do it myself.” In public, it was better to keep some distance.

“There aren’t many people in the shop, and no one knows us. Fried chicken is oily; don’t use your hands.” The girl’s words were impossible to refuse.

Yan Ningxi glanced around with her peripheral vision. Indeed, there weren’t many people, so she ate a small piece of chicken from Ming You’s hand. She usually almost never ate fried food.

After feeding her the chicken, Ming You inserted a straw into the hot milk tea and pushed it toward her. “You drink the milk tea; I’ll drink the cola. The ice cream is too cold; don’t try it.”