Online Love, Based on the Real Object - Chapter 10

Chu Yunjing had just returned from a business trip today and, without even resting, had been accompanying Qi Ning outside. Now, after showering and finishing her skincare routine, drowsiness was creeping up on her. She glanced at Qi Ning, who was still engrossed in her phone, and asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“Oh, I’ll sleep later,” Qi Ning replied without looking up, her eyes fixed on the chat window on her screen. The bedroom was comfortably cool with the air conditioning on full blast, and the velvet blanket covering her made her reluctant to move.

Chu Yunjing didn’t say anything more. She turned off the bright overhead light and switched on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in a warm, sleep-inducing glow. She climbed into bed and lay down on the other side, murmuring, “Don’t stay up too late.” Exhausted, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

The bedroom was quiet, so quiet that only the hum of the air conditioner could be heard.

Qi Ning turned her head to look at Chu Yunjing. Hearing the steady rhythm of her breathing, she confirmed she was asleep before switching her phone screen to open Green River Reading. She pulled up the campus ABO boys’ love novel she had found earlier that evening, planning to read it for inspiration tonight. As for why she didn’t want Chu Yunjing to know well, she definitely didn’t want her to find out she was reading BL novels.

Not just BL novels, Chu Yunjing had stopped reading romance novels altogether since middle school. Back in high school, when Qi Ning had cried over tragic stories, Chu Yunjing had mocked her for being overly sentimental. And now, reading BL? That would be even worse.

Besides, even if someone asked, she’d be too embarrassed to admit she was reading BL. She wasn’t a fujoshi and had never given much thought to male-male relationships. If it weren’t for work, she wouldn’t have imagined herself reading BL novels one day.

This campus novel was quite lengthy, clocking in at 500,000 words. Just seeing the word count made Qi Ning hesitate, but with no other synopses catching her interest, she gritted her teeth and started reading the first chapter.

After about ten chapters, she closed the novel with little enthusiasm. The author’s writing was impeccable, but the reason she couldn’t get into it was the same as with that interstellar novel the story was like a children’s car racing down Mount Akina. The thought of two boys being intimate made her uncomfortable. It wasn’t disgust, just an odd feeling when picturing the scenes.

It was strange. She had no problem with hugging or sharing lipstick with her friends, and she’d even seen male friends post affectionate photos with their boyfriends on social media without batting an eye. Yet, reading BL novels made her uneasy? It seemed she was still shackled by rigid stereotypes.

Qi Ning suddenly felt a pang of frustration. Was there really no novel out there that could hold her interest? Frowning, she scrolled through the rankings on her screen, searching for titles that seemed intriguing.

Finally, her finger paused on the screen, hovering over the “Yuri” category. One tap, and she’d enter a world of stories about love between girls.

If she remembered correctly,  yuri novels depicted romantic relationships between two girls.

Qi Ning stared at the word “Yuri,” conflicted. She had never read yuri before, nor had she heard much about it. She wasn’t sure what to expect whether the dynamics would be as clearly defined as the “top” and “bottom” roles in BL or if there’d be the same level of intimate scenes.

After much hesitation, Qi Ning still chose to click on this category saving the nation via a detour. At their core, weren’t yuri and danmei both stories about love between the same sex? Even if the genders were different, their essence was the same!

Probably.

After scrolling through the selection, Qi Ning being someone who judged books by their covers eventually clicked on a novel with an attractive cover.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the beautiful character on the cover, so much so that she didn’t even glance at the title before clicking in.

Only after entering did she carefully read the synopsis.

“The Little Wolf Dog Just Wants to Laze Around”

Author: Qi Jiu

Tags: Younger Love Interest, Urban Romance, Close Proximity, Sweet Story

Qi Ning raised an eyebrow. These four tags were acceptable, especially “Sweet Story.” Life was already harsh enough, she didn’t want to read something that would make her cry buckets.

After skimming the blurb, which seemed decent enough with a premise she could get behind, she clicked into the first chapter and started reading.

The story was a slow burn, and for Qi Ning, who was new to yuri, it felt like being boiled in warm water gradual and comfortable, making her acceptance level rise significantly.

Chu Yunyi woke up thirsty in the middle of the night. She sat up, intending to go to the kitchen for a glass of water, when she suddenly realized the person beside her wasn’t asleep yet. Instead, they were curled under the blanket, letting out eerie giggles.

She yanked the blanket aside, and sure enough, Qi Ning was still glued to her phone. “Why aren’t you asleep yet?!” Chu Yunyi exclaimed in shock.

It was already two in the morning.

Caught red-handed reading a novel, Qi Ning still wearing an uncontrollable grin, coughed awkwardly and pulled the blanket back over herself. “Going to sleep now, going to sleep now.”

Still half-asleep, Chu Yunyi didn’t press further. She simply got out of bed to drink some water before returning and dozing off again.

The whole process took less than five minutes.

Listening to the steady breathing beside her, Qi Ning propped herself up slightly and stared at her phone screen. Whether it was because she was reading too slowly or something else, after two hours and dozens of chapters, the two leads still hadn’t gotten together!!!

If this were one of the romance novels she used to read, the story would’ve started with a steamy, eye-catching “romantic” scene. But this one hadn’t even had a kiss yet! Qi Ning was about to faint, joining the chorus of readers in the comments demanding to know when these two would finally get together.

Fortunately, the novel was already completed. She had to see them confess and get together before she slept tonight!

In the end, Qi Ning not only witnessed their confession and relationship but also finished the sweet, satisfying ending. Finally content, she put down her phone and settled into bed.

Before drifting off, she thought to herself that she’d look for more yuri novels tomorrow!

Who would’ve thought that she, a straight woman, could one day find herself utterly engrossed in yuri stories?

She had always assumed that same-sex relationships mirrored heterosexual ones, one partner being more masculine and dominant, the other more feminine and soft. But after tonight’s reading experience, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Love between equals was just as sweet. Straight Woman Qi Ning had just opened the door to a whole new world.

Qi Ning hadn’t been asleep long before the cold woke her up. She tucked her hands, which had been resting on top of the blanket, back under the covers, rubbing her arms, they were icy, making her feel even colder.

Chu Yunyi lay beside her, turned away and sleeping soundly with a person’s worth of space between them. She wasn’t a restless sleeper, usually lying flat or on her side.

Unlike Qi Ning, who sometimes hugged people or draped her legs over her bedmate, she usually avoided sharing a bed with others. But then again, Chu Yun-jing knew exactly what kind of person Qi Ning was.

Now that she saw Chu Yun-jing lying beside her, she didn’t hesitate to press close, wrapping her arms around her from behind to soak in her warmth. She even nuzzled her cheek against the back of Chu Yun-jing’s neck. One of her legs was slung over Chu Yun-jing’s waist, and since she was only wearing a long T-shirt with no pants, the smooth skin of her thigh brushed directly against the silky fabric of Chu Yun-jing’s nightgown soft and luxurious.

Having slept long enough, Chu Yun-jing naturally woke up at eight in the morning. The moment she opened her eyes, she registered the weight pressing down on her waist and legs.

She glanced down to find a pale arm draped across her waist and a slender leg resting on hers, the blanket tangled beneath it.

“……”

Chu Yun-jing was already used to Qi Ning’s bizarre sleeping habits, so the sight no longer fazed her. Gently, she lifted Qi Ning’s arm and leg off her, then straightened her body to tuck her in properly.

Just as she grasped the edge of the blanket, Qi Ning let out a discontented whimper, rolling over and grabbing Chu Yun-jing’s pillow to hug against her chest. Half-sprawled on the bed, she continued sleeping. The hem of her T-shirt had ridden up to her waist from the movement, revealing the curve of her hips, snugly wrapped in underwear completely defenseless.

“……” Chu Yun-jing’s lips twitched in exasperation. Every time, her sleeping posture was so unrestrained. She wondered if Qi Ning was like this with others too.

Despite her outward annoyance, Chu Yun-jing’s hands moved honestly, tugging the T-shirt back down to cover her. But the moment she pulled the blanket over her, Qi Ning stirred.

Blinking groggily, Qi Ning rubbed her eyes and murmured, “What time is it?”

“Eight.”

“Oh.!” Hearing it was still early, she immediately dozed off again. She had stayed up far too late last night, leaving her utterly exhausted.

When she woke up again, Qi Ning lay still for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling to clear her head. Stretching luxuriously under the covers, she finally sat up, ruffling her hair as she shuffled off to wash up.

By the time she emerged from the bedroom at eleven, a sandwich breakfast was already waiting on the dining table.

After freshening up, she took a bite of the sandwich and pushed open the study door. The scent of rich coffee lingered in the enclosed, air-conditioned room, hitting her the moment she stepped inside.

“You’re drinking coffee again first thing in the morning.” Qi Ning frowned as she walked in. Opinions on coffee varied some claimed it was harmless, others warned of health risks but none suggested it was beneficial. Seeing Chu Yun-jing drinking it yet again, she couldn’t help but worry about her stomach, perpetually soaked in caffeine.

“I ate breakfast first,” Chu Yun-jing replied quickly, setting down her cup and shifting her gaze from the screen. “You’re awake already?”

“I thought you’d sleep till afternoon.” She deftly changed the subject.

Qi Ning’s cheeks flushed at the remark. If she hadn’t gotten so absorbed in her novel last night, she wouldn’t have stayed up so late.

“……” Qi Ning decided not to continue this topic. As she walked, she took the last bite of her sandwich, her cheeks puffed up with food, some crumbs sticking to the corner of her mouth. She mumbled indistinctly, “What are we eating  for lunch?”

Chu Yunjing grabbed a tissue and wiped the crumbs from her lips, her expression a mix of helplessness and affection. “Can’t you pay a little attention to your image?”

She’d seen how Qi Ning behaved around others red lips, high heels, body-hugging skirts, flipping her hair with an effortlessly cool and domineering charm that made men want to kneel and call her a goddess.

But in front of her, this same person could shoulder any burden, was mischievous and shameless, and if she didn’t degenerate into a complete idiot, Qi Ning would thank her lucky stars.

After chewing and swallowing the sandwich, Qi Ning finally said, “Why bother with formalities between us?”

“When we were kids, I even carried you around. And your chest, I practically watched it grow up.” Qi Ning raised an eyebrow smugly, looking downright punchable.

The “when we were kids” referred to their kindergarten days. Back then, Qi Ning was taller than Chu Yunjing, who was thin and small, Qi Ning could scoop her up easily. But now, the tables had turned. Qi Ning was the shorter one, and whenever she tried to hug Chu Yunjing, she was refused. Instead, she was the one who loved clinging to Chu Yunjing for hugs and being lifted up when she was happy.

As for the chest comment. During middle and high school, when their bodies were still developing, they shared a dorm. The conditions were poor, and water outages were frequent, so many girls bathed in groups of two or three, even scrubbing each other’s backs.

These two incidents were things Qi Ning never stopped bringing up.

Chu Yunjing fell silent for a long moment before suddenly saying, “Qi Ning, stop me.”

“???” Qi Ning blinked, confused. “Why?”

“I might lose control and punch you.”

Hearing this, Qi Ning’s internal alarm bells went off. Instead of stopping her, her first instinct was to turn and run. But the moment she turned, Chu Yunjing caught her, lifting her up from behind like a kitten and carrying her by the waist before unceremoniously dumping her onto her soft office chair.

Then, with one hand gripping the armrest, Chu Yunjing gave it a slight twist, sending the chair spinning immediately.

Qi Ning sat sideways against the armrest, the world spinning before her eyes. Dizziness set in quickly, and she soon surrendered.

“I was wrong!!!”

Chu Yunjing planted a foot on the chair to stop it, crossing her arms as she looked down at the spinning seat.

“Call me ‘big sister,’ and I’ll let you go,” she said in a low voice, the words “big sister” rolling off her tongue with an unbearably seductive lilt.

Just yesterday, those had been Qi Ning’s lines, delivered with spoiled arrogance. Today, they were Chu Yunjing’s weapon of coercion.

“No way!” Qi Ning’s legs dangled over the armrest. She wanted to jump down but feared hurting herself or someone else, so she could only wait for the spinning to slow. “A warrior would rather die than be humiliated! I, Qi Ning, would sooner jump off this chair than—”

“Oh? Is that so?” Chu Yunjing arched a brow and gave the chair another spin.

“……”

Three seconds later,

“Big sister!!!!” A true beauty knew when to bend!

Chu Yunjing smirked, satisfied.

Support