I Revealed My True Identity After Confessing My Love - Chapter 35

Du Xiran’s pupils trembled slightly as she looked at Ye Nanning in disbelief. A strange sensation began to creep into her heart.

“Pfft.” Zhang Mishuang hooked her arm around Du Xiran’s shoulder and started laughing, teasing, “Little Ye is truly pitiful. To have to make up such things just to reject unwanted suitors, she’s so practiced at it, it’s heartbreaking.”

Du Xiran glanced sideways at her. “You’re saying she’s lying?”

“Obviously. Just look at the results,” Zhang Mishuang chuckled softly. “That move was brilliant. Little Ye is quite the clever one.”

Du Xiran looked over and saw the real estate agent turning away awkwardly. It had indeed achieved the best possible result for a rejection. Regardless of whether the agent believed it or not, once those words were spoken, he couldn’t bring himself to press further. If it were true, he had no chance; if it were a lie, he had to face the fact that Ye Nanning would rather say such a thing than entertain him.

Du Xiran suddenly realized so that’s how you reject unwanted advances?

She had learned something new today.

Meanwhile, Ye Nanning had started regretting her words the moment they left her mouth. How could she be so impulsive and expose herself! They had agreed to take things slow!

Would President Du and Zhang Mishuang look at her strangely now? Would they be scared off?

She didn’t even dare look at the two of them until Zhang Mishuang called out, “Little Ye, what do you think of this house?”

“Huh?” Ye Nanning slowly turned toward them, stammering, “It’s… okay. Good lighting, great location, the layout is nice. I just don’t know about the price?”

Even though the agent had just been rejected with a strange excuse, he quickly regained his professional instincts and continued introducing the house to Zhang Mishuang.

Zhang Mishuang got down to business and began discussing the price, her boyfriend joined in as well.

While the conversation there was heated, Ye Nanning secretly kept an eye on Du Xiran. She saw her standing beside Zhang Mishuang, listening to the agent talk about the price before stepping in with her business world presence to begin a flanking maneuver on the negotiations.

She seemed completely unconcerned about whether Ye Nanning liked women or not.

Reaching this conclusion, Ye Nanning didn’t know whether to be happy or sad.

Ye Nanning quietly walked to a corner and pulled out her phone to search:

• What to do if you accidentally come out?
• What to do if no one cares that you came out?
• How to identify if someone is straight or gay?
• Is Du Xiran gay?

Ye Nanning: “…”

Looking at the last search entry, Ye Nanning fell into a deep sense of speechlessness. How would Baidu know if Du Xiran was gay! She was being so stupid!

“What are you doing?” Du Xiran’s voice suddenly appeared by her ear.

Ye Nanning jumped, and her phone fell to the floor. She scrambled to pick it up and lock the screen, terrified that Du Xiran might have seen something she shouldn’t have. “President Du,” she called out, her heart racing.

“Come over and settle an account,” Du Xiran said.

Settle an account? What kind of account?!

Ye Nanning cautiously followed her back to the other three, who were currently calculating various taxes and the final transaction price.

“I brought you a data genius. Ask her,” Du Xiran said, tilting her chin up slightly.

So that was the account! For some reason, Ye Nanning heard a hint of pride in Du Xiran’s tone. She immediately cheered up and began calculating the figures for them with a straight face, fast, accurate, and ruthless.

After the agent finished checking the numbers on his calculator, he looked at her in surprise. Sparks flared in his eyes again, but then he remembered she liked women and felt a wave of frustration.

After several rounds of verbal sparring, the agent offered some discounts, provided they paid a deposit to secure the deal. Zhang Mishuang finally decided on the house.

Once the paperwork process began, there was nothing left for the other two to do. Du Xiran said, “I’m heading back first.”

“So early? Let’s have dinner together tonight, my treat,” Zhang Mishuang offered.

“No need. Ye Nanning said she’s cooking and asked me to go grocery shopping with her,” Du Xiran said.

Ye Nanning was stunned. The lie she had told randomly had actually been remembered by Du Xiran. She was overjoyed and nodded quickly. “Yes, we need to go grocery shopping.”

“Wow, Little Ye is cooking? Do we have the honor of crashing for a meal?” Zhang Mishuang joked, leaning on her boyfriend’s arm.

“Of course.” As long as they were President Du’s friends, they were Ye Nanning’s friends. Ye Nanning stamped her approval unilaterally.

“Then we’ll head back to cook first. Come over once you’re done here,” Du Xiran said. She strode toward the door, then looked back. “Ye Nanning, what are you just standing there for?”

“Coming, coming!” Ye Nanning jogged to catch up, not forgetting to turn back and wave at Zhang Mishuang. “Goodbye… no, wait, see you later!”

Zhang Mishuang burst out laughing and said to her boyfriend, “How does she manage to be so serious and cute at the same time? Forget men, even I like her. She’s a total heartbreaker for any gender. But she mentioned she has a crush, how could anyone reject her? Do you think she’ll get the person she likes?”

The boyfriend replied, “Hard to say, but I hope she gets her heart’s desire.”

After heading downstairs, Du Xiran walked to the parking lot and suddenly remembered something. “How did you get here?”

Ye Nanning was suddenly alert. Hadn’t she driven her luxury car over here planning to “rescue” her?

But how could she say that? She couldn’t expose the car. She could only say, “I walked…” Before she finished, she saw Du Xiran’s suspicious expression and quickly changed her story. “Walking would be impossible, it’s quite a distance. I took a taxi. Yeah, a taxi.”

“That sounds more like it.” Du Xiran opened the car door. “Get in.”

Ye Nanning would just have to come back another time to drive her car back. After she got in and buckled her seatbelt, she saw Du Xiran sitting motionless in her seat. Thinking to be helpful, she leaned over to pull the seatbelt from beside Du Xiran’s shoulder. Du Xiran suddenly turned her head to look at her. “What are you doing?”

Ye Nanning paused. Her gaze dropped slightly, staring at the bridge of Du Xiran’s straight, elegant nose. She whispered, “Fastening the seatbelt…”

Du Xiran stared at her for half a minute before suddenly laughing. “You’ve gone cross-eyed.”

Ye Nanning scrambled back into her seat and covered her face with her hands. How embarrassing.

Du Xiran buckled her own seatbelt and smiled. “I was just thinking about where to go for groceries.”

“Where did you used to buy them?” Ye Nanning asked.

“I rarely buy any. If I do, I just order online and have them delivered. But I thought, since you just moved here, it might be better to walk around the neighborhood and get familiar with the area,” Du Xiran mused.

“Mm-hmm, President Du, you’re so nice,” Ye Nanning said.

“Am I?” Being praised so suddenly made Du Xiran feel a bit shy. It was just what friends should do, yet being thanked so solemnly felt different. She started the car. “Alright, I know where to go. We’ll go to the biggest supermarket. We can also see if there are any other daily necessities you need.”

“Okay, President Du is so thoughtful,” Ye Nanning added.

The corners of Du Xiran’s mouth curled up unconsciously.

Ten minutes later, the car stopped at a mall, and the two headed to the supermarket on the B1 level.

Since it was a Sunday afternoon, the supermarket was crowded.

The two stood at the entrance, looking at each other. After a while, Du Xiran tilted her chin. “What are you looking at me for? Go grab a cart.”

“Oh, right.” Ye Nanning had very little experience grocery shopping with others. She usually solved everything with online shopping on the rare occasion she visited in person, she would head straight for her target and check out immediately.

Pushing the cart beside Du Xiran, Ye Nanning desperately wanted to wear sunglasses. However, she had left in such a hurry earlier that she hadn’t brought any, so she had to focus her attention on the items on the shelves.

“What should we buy?” Du Xiran walked toward the fresh produce section. “Just pick whatever you want. A few home cooked dishes will do; Mishuang and her boyfriend aren’t picky eaters.”

“Mm…” Ye Nanning looked down to select ingredients, suddenly realizing this was a great chance to find out more about her preferences. She began probing indirectly. “I forgot to ask earlier, what does Sister Shuangshuang like to eat?”

Du Xiran glanced at her. “Sister Shuangshuang?”

“Yeah.”

“Calling her so affectionately… I don’t see you calling me Sister Ranran?” Du Xiran said, sounding annoyed.

Ye Nanning’s face flushed slightly. She picked up an orange and rubbed its skin, asking in a low voice, “If I call you Sister Ranran, will you answer?”

Du Xiran imagined the scene and felt a strange sense of bashfulness. “Forget it. Better stick to President Du. It’s… familiar.”

“Alright, Princess Du.”

“…”

Du Xiran rested one hand on the shopping cart, her fingers tapping quickly.

Ye Nanning sensed that things were going south and immediately corrected herself: “President Du, President Du!”

However, it was already too late. “Princess Du” reached out and pinched her chin, then ruthlessly rubbed and squished her cheeks with both hands, saying fiercely, “You’re getting a bit too bold, aren’t you? You need to be taught a lesson.”

“Mmph, mmph, mmph…” At this moment, Ye Nanning’s heart was truly in pain, yet overflowing with joy!

Passersby couldn’t help but look over, watching their interaction. Some were smiling, while others were stunned by the beautiful faces of the two women.

After escaping from Du Xiran’s hands with her life, Ye Nanning obediently went to pick out groceries. This time, she could ask directly: “President Du, what do you want to eat?”

“Anything is fine.”

“Chicken stew with mushrooms?”

“I don’t eat mushrooms.”

“Stir-fried rice cakes?”

“Don’t like them.”

“Then what do you want to eat?”

“Anything.”

Ye Nanning: “…” Even Empress Dowager Cixi wasn’t this hard to please!

Du Xiran: “Were you just glaring at me?”

Ye Nanning: “I wasn’t, you saw it wrong.”

Du Xiran: “Still denying it? Just you wait. I’m going to record evidence on my phone, you’re in for it now.”

So, for the next while, Ye Nanning was seriously picking out vegetables while Du Xiran held up her camera to record a video of her.

Ye Nanning actually had quite a bit of “idol baggage.” She used every reflective surface she could find to check her styling and angles, striving to present her most perfect self, making sure President Du saw her at her prettiest.

“Whoa, are you beautiful ladies influencers? Are you live streaming?” an uncle in the seafood section asked in amazement. “Can I be on camera too?”

Du Xiran smiled. “It’s not a live stream. My phone is actually dead; I’m just teasing her.”

Ye Nanning: “::::::”

So all that posing was for nothing?

After buying the food, Du Xiran led her toward the daily necessities section. “Is there anything else you need for the house?”

Ye Nanning: I need a lady of the house.

Du Xiran: “I’m asking you a question. What are you spacing out for again?”

“I need some bowls and plates, the current ones aren’t enough,” Ye Nanning said honestly.

They walked to the kitchenware area. Du Xiran helped her look around and noticed a set of solid dark green dinnerware that looked quite nice. She picked it up to examine it for a moment before putting it down and asking, “Have you chosen? Is there anything you like?”

“Yes, I’ve chosen.” Ye Nanning picked up the dinnerware Du Xiran had just been looking at. “This is the one. It’s pretty.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Our tastes are really in sync.” Du Xiran smiled, clearly in a good mood.

Just then, a group of people passed by. The aisle was narrow, and Ye Nanning instinctively backed into a corner. Her jacket had a hood, and as she turned, it brushed against some wine glasses on the shelf.

Du Xiran’s eyes flickered. With quick reflexes, she stepped in front of her, reaching over Ye Nanning’s shoulder to steady the glasses, and then looked directly into her eyes.

Before Ye Nanning could react, she was face-to-face with her, circled in Du Xiran’s arms. Her heart hammered relentlessly.

“Move,” Du Xiran said.

Ye Nanning: “Huh?”

“If you don’t move, the glasses are going to fall again.”

Ye Nanning stepped aside two paces, only then realizing she was catching the glasses and wasn’t actually trying to “wall-slam” her.

What a pity.

“Do you want any snacks?” Du Xiran asked.

Ye Nanning was still immersed in the previous moment, her thoughts wandering again.

Seeing her spacing out for no reason and worried she might bump into things, Du Xiran had no choice but to grab her by the wrist and pull her forward.

Ye Nanning looked down at their fair wrists. This was even more overwhelming, she was already imagining the scene of the two of them holding hands and walking into a wedding hall to exchange vows.

“Is this enough?” Du Xiran asked.

Ye Nanning snapped out of her beautiful fantasy, a strange flush on her face. Seeing Du Xiran stuffing several large boxes of chocolates into the cart, she hurriedly took them out and put them back on the shelf. “President Du, you mustn’t, you mustn’t. I can’t eat this many.”

Du Xiran looked at her silently for a few seconds and said, “These are for Du Heruo.”

Ye Nanning stiffly moved the chocolates back from the shelf into the cart. “Let’s get two more boxes. Being a senior in high school is so hard.”

“Spacing out all day long. What on earth is going on in that head of yours?” Du Xiran poked her forehead with a finger, then grabbed a few bags of fruit gummies and marshmallows from the opposite shelf. “Do you want these?”

Ye Nanning rubbed her forehead and confirmed, “Are they for me?”

“Yeah. Don’t you like sweets?”

“President Du, how did you know?”

“You don’t drink bitter coffee, so you must like sweets, right?” Du Xiran guessed.

“President Du is so smart.” Ye Nanning covered her forehead and beamed at her. “Thank you, President Du.”

Du Xiran was momentarily dazed by her smile. She turned away. “If there’s nothing else to buy, let’s go check out.”

Ye Nanning pushed the cart behind her, secretly giggling.

The two made their way around, but just as they were about to join the line, a customer behind them suddenly ran up to them. He was quite handsome and looked at Du Xiran with a face full of smiles. “Hello, I’ve been noticing you for a long time. May I ask if you have a boyfriend?”

“I don’t.” Du Xiran looked at him. “What is it?”

“Then can I add you on WeChat?” the guy asked.

Ye Nanning’s face froze, and she instinctively looked at Du Xiran.

“No.” Du Xiran continued walking forward, but the guy followed, buzzing in her ear.

“Just a WeChat contact. I won’t harass you; I just want to be friends. Is that okay?”

Du Xiran desperately needed to get out of this situation. She glanced back at Ye Nanning, seeing that she looked completely distracted and clearly couldn’t be relied upon. Just as she was about to sternly refuse, an idea suddenly struck her. She said, “I’m sorry, I like women.”

The man was stunned, and Ye Nanning was stunned too.

Both the man and the woman stared at Du Xiran.

Du Xiran cleared her throat. “That’s right, I like women. Stop following me.”

The guy blinked, looking as if he’d had a sudden epiphany. “So that’s how it is…” Then he pointed at Ye Nanning and asked, “Then is this beautiful lady your girlfriend?”

Ye Nanning: !!!

Du Xiran looked at Ye Nanning, then grabbed her wrist to lead her away. “That is none of your business.”

As they joined the back of the line, Du Xiran let out a long sigh of relief. Realizing there was no movement from Ye Nanning, she turned around but couldn’t see her, there was only a hand resting on the shopping cart.

She followed her line of sight and tilted her head to see someone squatting on the ground. “Ye Nanning, what’s wrong?”

Ye Nanning looked up at her, her eyes misty and filled with emotions so complex that Du Xiran couldn’t understand them at all.

Du Xiran asked again, “What are you doing squatting on the ground?”

Ye Nanning was so happy she almost couldn’t stand up, her legs were like jelly. Thinking about the conversation she had just heard made her head spin. One hand gripped the shopping cart tightly as she said, “Nothing, I just wanted to… breathe in the air at this lower altitude.”

Du Xiran: “??”