Keep My First Kiss Safe For Me - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Fan Shicheng and Yu Ya’s divorce didn’t just have a massive impact on Fan Yue; Fan Shicheng himself was despondent for a long time afterward.

When Fan Yue was in the fourth grade, Fan Shicheng came home one day covered in bruises. Fan Yue was terrified and asked him if he had been robbed or if they should call the police.

But instead of his usual gloom, Fan Shicheng burst into loud laughter. Fan Yue thought her father had been beaten into idiocy. Fan Shicheng looked out the window at a newly budding sprout, nursing his swollen lip, and said, “Spring has arrived.”

Fan Yue soon understood the reason for her father’s “second spring.” One evening, Fan Shicheng told her very solemnly that he was going to marry Xie Yanyan’s mother. His tone left no room for negotiation; he wasn’t asking for her opinion, he was announcing a result.

Fan Yue, naturally, did not agree. However, Fan Shicheng—who usually spoiled her and gave in to her every whim—was unusually persistent this time. Even when his elderly parents firmly opposed it, he insisted on the marriage.

The remarriage of Fan Shicheng and Xie Rong was a simple affair. Fan Yue’s grandparents refused to attend, and Xie Rong had no close relatives left. Given the neighborhood gossip, they decided that a family meal at home would serve as the wedding banquet.

That morning, Xie Rong brought Xie Yanyan over for her first official visit. As the new mistress of the house, she was so nervous she didn’t know where to put her hands. It was only when Fan Shicheng took her hand that she steadied herself. She looked at the stone-faced Fan Yue and said softly, “Yue-er.”

Fan Yue acted as if she hadn’t heard.

Xie Yanyan’s expression was also full of tension and unease. She hesitated before calling out to Fan Yue: “Sister.”

Those two simple words felt like a falling boulder, triggering a storm in Fan Yue’s heart. Her long-suppressed emotions were ignited. Fan Yue screamed at her: “Don’t call me sister! I’m not your sister!”

In a fit of rage, she grabbed a vase from the entryway cabinet and hurled it at the floor. It was the vase her mother had bought; her mother used to bring home fresh flowers to put in it. After she stopped coming home, the vase had remained empty.

The moment the vase shattered, it turned into countless shards of glass. One shard grazed Xie Yanyan’s exposed ankle. Xie Yanyan stood stunned, watching Fan Yue run crying into her room, completely oblivious to the pain in her foot.

Startled by Fan Yue’s extreme reaction, Fan Shicheng awkwardly tried to comfort Xie Rong and her daughter. “It’s okay, it’s okay. She’s just a child. I’ve spoiled Yue-er so much her temper is getting out of hand.”

Inside her room, Fan Yue curled into a ball, weeping. At that moment, she finally became certain: her father had truly been stolen away…

…

If growing up means having troubles, maturing also means becoming more rational. The jealousy surging in Fan Yue’s heart didn’t spread; instead, it turned into a dull ache.

Not far away, Xie Yanyan—who was talking to Duan Feiyu—seemed to sense Fan Yue’s gaze and suddenly turned around. Their eyes met, and Fan Yue quickly looked away. Her face was deathly pale, and she was breaking into a cold sweat despite the intense sun.

“Yue-er, what’s wrong? You look awful,” Cici noticed something was off and said worriedly. “I’ll take you to the infirmary!”

“No need. Let’s go back to the classroom,” Fan Yue shook her head, her voice weak.

“Are you sure? I shouldn’t have brought you here; you were already feeling unwell.” Cici blamed herself while helping her walk back.

As Fan Yue left, Xie Yanyan’s feet shifted as if she wanted to head toward her, but in the end, she didn’t take the step.

Fan Yue’s first “heart-throb” ended in an instant, but her first “breakup” had a long-lasting sting.

Back in the classroom, Fan Yue slumped over her desk. When Xie Yanyan passed by the classroom, she made a point of looking inside. She saw the slumped Fan Yue, lingered for a few seconds with her gaze, and then left.

After evening self-study that day, Fan Yue and Cici ran into Xie Yanyan in the hallway. Usually, they would treat each other like air, but this time Xie Yanyan stopped. She opened her mouth as if to say something, looking hesitant.

Cici leaned over and whispered, “Does Xie Yanyan have something to say to you?”

Fan Yue didn’t even look up. “What would we have to say?” She grabbed Cici and walked straight past her.

…

The next morning, Cici, who was alone, was blocked on the stairs. Looking up and seeing it was Xie Yanyan, she instinctively tried to move aside, but was blocked again.

Cici, who knew all about the grievances between Fan Yue and Xie Yanyan, naturally stood by her best friend. She tried to maintain her distance, but the pressure of a 170cm tall, cold “ice beauty” standing above her on the stairs was too much. Cici started to stutter: “W-what do you want?”

The other girl spoke: “What’s wrong with Fan Yue?”

“N-nothing.”

“Why didn’t she come to class this morning?” Xie Yanyan asked.

Cici told the truth: “She has period cramps, she’s in the dorm…”

Xie Yanyan interrupted her: “Give me your dorm key!”

Cici and Fan Yue shared a room. She inexplicably felt like Xie Yanyan was looking for a fight. Even though Fan Yue could be fierce in a fight, she was currently in no condition to face an opponent, and even with Cici’s help, they might not win. Cici swallowed, stepped back, and looked at Xie Yanyan warily: “Why do you want our key?”

“Do you think I’m going to rob you?” Xie Yanyan arched an eyebrow.

Oh god. Being a classic beauty, that arched eyebrow was far too captivating. Cici, a self-confessed “face-con” (someone obsessed with looks), found herself surrendering to the beauty and handed over the key. But she still added a worried warning: “You better not mess with her, Yue-er is in a bad mood!”

“Why?” Xie Yanyan took the key.

“I don’t know, she won’t say.” Cici was puzzled too. Fan Yue, who never kept secrets, had inexplicably become depressed yesterday, and no amount of bribery or threats could get her to talk.

“Understood.” Seeing Cici was still worried, Xie Yanyan said patiently, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to her. After all, she is my sister.”

“Oh.”

This was the first time Cici had ever heard Xie Yanyan call Fan Yue “sister.”

…

After several days of stifling heat, it finally began to rain. Once late-summer rain starts, the droplets hit the ground like they’re in a race, making a violent noise.

Fan Yue didn’t like the rain. Rainy days reminded her of the umbrella she didn’t offer and the lonely figure running into the downpour. She was a soft-hearted girl and had regretted not being more proactive for a long time, fearing she had hurt Xie Yanyan.

If she had shared her umbrella, they would have talked, and maybe they wouldn’t have spent years pretending to be strangers. Maybe she wouldn’t have reacted so strongly to her father’s remarriage. But there are no “ifs” in this world.

Fan Yue huddled under her quilt, her stomach cramping in waves. Old memories were making her mind a mess. She heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Without looking up, she mumbled from under the covers, “Wifey, are you here to see me?”

Xie Yanyan, just opening the door, paused at the address. Not hearing Cici’s usual soft reply of “Hubby,” Fan Yue poked her head out to look. When she saw the person at the door, her jaw nearly hit the floor.

The scene was incredibly awkward.

Actually, Xie Yanyan had asked for the key hoping Fan Yue would be asleep. She wanted to drop the things off and leave without having to face such an embarrassing situation.

The culprit behind her misery was right in front of her. Even though Fan Yue was weak, her tongue remained sharp: “What? Are you in the wrong room?” Xie Yanyan’s dorm was on the other end of the floor above; there was no reason to be here.

“No,” Xie Yanyan replied calmly.

“Then are you here for a dorm inspection?” Fan Yue asked nervously. “I have permission from the teacher.”

“No.”

Now Fan Yue was completely baffled. She asked, “Then what are you here for?”

Seeing Fan Yue’s mouth moving a mile a minute, it seemed things weren’t as serious as she had thought. Yesterday Fan Yue looked like she was in a lot of pain, and since she wasn’t in class this morning, Xie Yanyan had come on an impulse. Now that there was no turning back, Xie Yanyan stiffly forced out a few words: “I’m here to… deliver some warmth.”

Fan Yue let out a confused “Huh?”

The atmosphere remained frozen.

The years of zero interaction left Fan Yue not knowing what to say. She watched as the other girl picked up a cup from her desk, poured a packet of granules into it, added hot water, stirred it with a spoon, and handed it to her. Fan Yue sat on the bed, stunned by the sequence of events. “What is this?”

“Poison,” Xie Yanyan said.

Fan Yue was speechless. She took it, blew on it, and took small sips.

Xie Yanyan took the empty cup back and pulled a hot water bottle from her coat, handing it to the bedside. Fan Yue really couldn’t understand what was happening. What kind of move is this? We’ve been in a cold war for years; if you act like this, I’m going to feel too guilty to keep ignoring you.

It was only then she noticed that several strands of the girl’s hair were wet and stuck to her forehead, and the cuffs of her pants were soaked. Had she run here through the rain?

Xie Yanyan seemed to read her thoughts—or perhaps she was just finding an excuse for herself. She said coldly, ” I just happened to be passing by.” She placed a small bag on the table, said “Three times a day,” and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Fan Yue called out. Xie Yanyan turned back. Fan Yue said quite unnaturally, “Uh… thanks.”

Xie Yanyan walked out expressionlessly, but a trace of a smile appeared on her face as the door closed behind her.

After drinking the mysterious “poison,” Fan Yue fell into a daze and slept. In her dreams, the pain in her body lessened, and her frantic thoughts cleared. She began to remember many of the good times they had shared as children…

“Yue-er!” Cici returned after class and rushed into the room. “Did Xie Yanyan come?”

Fan Yue, woken up by the shout, said grumpily, “How did you know she was coming?”

Cici lowered her voice guiltily. “She stopped me and asked for the key.”

Fan Yue realized then that Xie Yanyan had let herself in. She frowned. “She asked and you just gave it?”

Cici was too embarrassed to say she had been seduced by beauty, so she explained, “Well, she is your sister after all. Anyway, what did she come for?”

Fan Yue remembered the bag left on the table. She asked Cici to bring it over. It was a box of medicine with a label: Effectively relieves menstrual pain. For some reason, she felt a wave of warmth through her body. She answered casually, “Nothing much. She was just delivering warmth.”

Cici was too curious to let it go. “Why would she suddenly do that? I thought you two were going to be strangers until the day you die. I didn’t expect her to come looking for you. It seems she really cares about you.”

“Who knows if she cares? She said she was just passing by.”

Fan Yue wasn’t sure what Xie Yanyan meant by this either. Should she keep up the cold war?