After the Fake Heiress Died, She Was Filled with Regret - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: I Want to Date You, Can I?

A look of disbelief flashed in Xia Shinan’s eyes. “You saw me last night? I clearly… hid quite well.”

Tang Yin lowered her head, leaning closer to look at her: “You were carrying a white bag yesterday with a large plush toy hanging from it. I saw it immediately. You just thought you were well-hidden.”

Xia Shinan lowered her gaze, “I’m sorry, I eavesdropped on your conversation. I originally just wanted to return your thermos, but… when I saw you and Fang Yue go to the academic building, I couldn’t help myself.”

Tang Yin carefully observed Xia Shinan’s expression, like a child who had made a mistake and was sincerely apologizing. Only when Xia Shinan finished did Tang Yin speak again: “I’m more curious about where you left off.”

Xia Shinan’s pupils dilated, and after a two-second pause, she said, “I left right after I heard you reject her.”

Tang Yin smiled: “Really? Xia Shinan, look up and tell me one more time.”

Xia Shinan lifted her head, looking helpless, her deer-like eyes glistening with a hint of moisture.

Tang Yin paused. She felt her heart being gently tickled.

So she straightened up, looking into the distance.

The sunset shone on her and Xia Shinan. Unlike the scorching midday sun, the moment was warm and comfortable. She slowly spoke:

“After you left, Fang Yue asked me if I disliked girls or disliked her. I told her I didn’t like her.”

Xia Shinan felt her body completely rigid, and even on such a warm spring day, she couldn’t seem to thaw.

Tang Yin’s words continued: “She then asked me if I liked you.”

Xia Shinan stared blankly at Tang Yin, her mind a mess.

Tang Yin hadn’t answered Fang Yue last night, so what about now? Could she hear the answer she wanted in her heart?

Tang Yin paused. “Shinan, what about you? Do you like me? Like Fang Yue’s kind of liking.”

“I don’t know,” Xia Shinan murmured. She didn’t want Tang Yin to be overly intimate with other girls. Every time she saw such a scene, her mood would become frustrated and awful.

But she was even clearer that this side of her was also awful.

This answer was sufficient. Tang Yin curved her lips and ruffled Xia Shinan’s hair. “It’s okay not to know. You will know later.”

Later…

Xia Shinan looked at Tang Yin’s face. After graduating this year, she wouldn’t have a “later.”

Over the next few days, both of them tacitly avoided bringing up the topic again, focusing seriously on preparing for the physical fitness test. They also managed to squeeze in two important filming sessions. The busy and fulfilling days actually gave Xia Shinan a temporary breather.

Fang Yue was still in the club, just less lively than before. Qian Yu keenly noticed this and secretly whispered to Xia Shinan.

“Maybe the confession failed.”

Xia Shinan: “…”

Her good friend was too perceptive! Xia Shinan couldn’t help but worry that if this continued, Qian Yu would eventually discover something else, like her and Tang Yin.

The day finally arrived—Friday. Tang Yin had no classes in the afternoon but had already scheduled shifts to work at the barbecue restaurant. She couldn’t be there to watch Xia Shinan’s physical fitness test, but they had agreed that Xia Shinan would tell Tang Yin immediately after finishing the run.

The soccer field was packed with students from several colleges. The first few events were relatively easy and ended quickly. Xia Shinan and Qian Yu then went to line up for the 800 meters.

Qian Yu watched her friend stretch on the side, her expression serious, her demeanor suggesting she wasn’t just aiming to pass but to take first place.

“Honey, just do your best later. Don’t push yourself too hard,” Qian Yu couldn’t help but remind her.

Xia Shinan nodded, her eyes fixed on the distance, her expression firm: “Don’t worry, I will definitely pass this time!”

Qian Yu: “…”

A gunshot sounded, and everyone started running from the starting line. Xia Shinan strictly remembered Tang Yin’s advice: don’t run too fast initially, conserve energy, maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern, keep a steady pace, and only sprint on the last lap.

Qian Yu couldn’t keep up after running for a while. She stopped, hands on her hips, slowly walking, but she saw Xia Shinan continuing to run without resting.

She used to think Xia Shinan was like an anxious rabbit, but now, the rabbit seemed to have escaped its cage and returned to its own deep mountain forest, running freely.

This Xia Shinan looked a little like Tang Yin.

When you run, don’t think about the score or the time. Just completing it is enough.

Xia Shinan, believe in yourself. You are amazing.

Tang Yin’s words flashed through Xia Shinan’s mind. Unconsciously, she had actually finished the run!

“Three minutes and forty seconds, Shinan, you just passed!” Qian Yu rushed to the sports teacher, saw the data in the notebook, and excitedly pulled Xia Shinan up and down, “Yay! So awesome!”

Xia Shinan was also thrilled, “I did it!”

The sports teacher looked at the two of them, shaking his head helplessly, “One just passed, and the other is second to last. What’s so exciting?”

Qian Yu gave an awkward chuckle and shut up, pulling Xia Shinan away, “Let’s go, let’s go celebrate!”

Xia Shinan’s face was still flushed from the run, but her eyes were bright and excited. “Okay! I’ll tell Tang Yin the good news first. Maybe eating barbecue at her place wouldn’t be bad either!”

“Sounds good. She was your sports coach for a week, after all. You should tell her the good news…” Qian Yu’s words trailed off. She was stunned, looking at the black Maybach parked outside the soccer field. “Shinan, isn’t that your family’s car?”

Xia Shinan followed Qian Yu’s gaze, and her smile froze.

Tang Yin was busy in the back kitchen all afternoon. She finally had a few minutes break, took out her phone, and saw no messages. She confirmed that her phone network was fine, her eyebrows furrowing with a sense of unease.

The weather had been muggy all day, and now the sky was overcast, looking like a big rainstorm was imminent. It was already 5:30 PM. Logically, the physical fitness test should have ended.

But Xia Shinan still hadn’t sent a single message.

Tang Yin frowned. Did she fail and feel too embarrassed to tell her? She thought about it and decided to call her.

But Xia Shinan’s phone was constantly busy, so she had to call Qian Yu.

It took several seconds for Qian Yu to answer the phone.

Xia Shinan got into the car, only to find that Xie Wan wasn’t there; only Assistant Li was present.

“Isn’t my mother in America? Did she come back?”

Assistant Li started the car and smiled: “Madam is still in America, but she instructed me to pick you up to go to the airport and travel with young master Lin to Lin City.”

“Young master Lin…” Xia Shinan suddenly remembered that Xie Wan had asked her to accompany Lin Yu to an art exhibition. She quickly took out her phone and called Xie Wan.

After connecting, Xia Shinan didn’t bother with greetings and said directly: “Mom, I don’t want to go to the art exhibition with Lin Yu!”

Xie Wan’s tone was icy: “Why?”

Xia Shinan bit her lip and said softly: “I have a lot of school work. I don’t want to go, and I’m not interested in art exhibitions. I… also don’t want to be with Lin Yu.”

Xie Wan sneered: “This is not up to you. You have to go. Lin Yu is your fiancé. Which is more important, him or school? Xia Shinan, don’t throw a tantrum at me!”

“I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’ve said it, I’m not going.” Xia Shinan tried hard to keep herself calm, although her voice still trembled slightly.

Xie Wan: “Fine, you can choose not to go. But it’s already decided. When I return from America, I will choose a wedding date for you two to get married immediately.”

The car was completely silent. Xie Wan’s cold voice came through the receiver. Xia Shinan clenched her fists tightly. The pain suppressed in her heart was now sliced open by Xie Wan’s single sentence.

Xia Shinan’s face instantly turned white. “Mom! I don’t like Lin Yu. I won’t marry him!”

Xie Wan hadn’t expected her typically obedient daughter to say such rebellious words and angrily said: “I told you, whether you like him or not doesn’t matter!”

Xia Shinan looked out the window at the classmates who were freely expressing themselves, gathered in groups, like happy sparrows flying freely. Every one of them was like Tang Yin.

Everyone else can be Tang Yin. Why can’t I?

She suddenly thought of the feeling running had given her these past few days. The wind was hers, the sweat, the heartbeat were all hers. She was supposed to be free.

She took a deep breath and slowly said, “I won’t marry him because I don’t like him. The Lin family is not as important as I am.”

Xie Wan: “What about the Xia family? Which is more important, the Xia family or yourself?”

Xia Shinan paused, took another deep breath, and said: “Of course, I am more important! I won’t go to the art exhibition, and I won’t see Lin Yu! And I absolutely won’t get married!”

With that, she hung up the phone. She felt utterly exhausted, trembling, but she still looked at Assistant Li.

“Assistant Li, can you stop the car?”

Her tone was pleading, but she had no confidence. Assistant Li was Xie Wan’s most capable assistant and had always only listened to Xie Wan.

But the car stopped. Assistant Li turned around and smiled at her: “Miss, run quickly.”

Xia Shinan was stunned for two seconds. Before she could say thank you, she grabbed her bag, got out of the car, and frantically ran toward the campus.

The wind violently slapped against Xia Shinan’s face, but she didn’t seem to notice, just kept running.

She actually deeply despised herself and even more, the entire Xia family.

Why did I have to be so obedient? Why did I have to marry into the Lin family through a marriage alliance?

Xia Shinan, who are you? A human, or a puppet doll?

She felt the sound of the wind, the beating of her heart, and her slightly labored breathing from running. All of it gently reminded Xia Shinan that she was her own person and that she could be herself.

She grew up according to Xie Wan’s demands, becoming an obedient, sensible girl who didn’t resist. She lived a restrictive life but yearned for rebellion in her heart.

That’s why she was attracted to everything and everyone that was free and unrestrained.

For example, roller coasters she had never ridden, alcohol she had never drunk, and walls she had never climbed over.

For example, Tang Yin.

Xia Shinan didn’t actually like hanging out with people who were too conventional, nor did she like those who were too wild.

It was at this moment that Tang Yin appeared. She was more free than the conventional, yet more restrained than the wild.

Therefore, she liked Tang Yin.

No reason was needed, not even because Tang Yin was so kind to her, but simply the invitation of Tang Yin’s outstretched hand that night was enough to make Xia Shinan’s heart flutter.

Yes, I need to see Tang Yin! With a goal in mind, Xia Shinan decided to run toward the West Gate. Perhaps she was too tired, or maybe seeing things, but she saw Tang Yin.

But… it didn’t seem like a hallucination. Tang Yin seemed to see her too, and was even running toward her.

Xia Shinan sped up, one hundred meters, fifty meters, ten meters…

Then Tang Yin reached out her hand. Xia Shinan rushed toward Tang Yin as if grasping for a life-saving straw, hugging her tightly.

“Tang Yin, I like you!”

Tang Yin’s chest hurt slightly from the impact of the hug. Before she could speak, she heard Xia Shinan’s words and completely froze.

Xia Shinan was gasping for breath, expressing her feelings, “The last time you asked me if I wanted to be more rebellious and date a girl, does that still count?”

“I want to date you, can I?”

Tang Yin didn’t know what had happened, but she had no time to ponder the reasons. Her heart was pounding fiercely—perhaps from the collision, but more likely because of Xia Shinan’s words.

She couldn’t help but gently stroke Xia Shinan’s hair.

“It always counted.”

“Of course, it’s my honor.”

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