Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Yin Qiuman, aren’t you very smart? Isn’t your brain very sharp? Why didn’t you consider the consequences of saying that? Can you bear those consequences?” He Xinglan was exasperated, yelling at Yin Qiuman. But her emotional outburst at this moment made Yin Qiuman’s eyes redden, and her mouth involuntarily pouted.

Then, she smiled and asked, “So you’re not angry because I told someone I like you?”

He Xinglan: “…”

Is this the time for that?

This is absolutely not the time for that.

But seeing Yin Qiuman’s tears stream down the corners of her eyes, while the smile on her face grew brighter, He Xinglan’s hard heart softened uncontrollably, only…

He Xinglan looked down, her tone flat, “The answer to that question is completely irrelevant.”

“It’s important,” Yin Qiuman insisted stubbornly, as if the four words “I like you” had become a life-embedded obsession.

“As long as you still like me, I still have a chance… to win you back.”

“I’m pursuing you right now. Can you feel it?” Yin Qiuman asked.

He Xinglan: “???”

He Xinglan was so angry she laughed, looking at Yin Qiuman irritably, “You call this pursuit giving me heart palpitations?”

Yin Qiuman shook her head, “No. I want to tell you that I am truly ready to love you.”

“Whether it’s my parents or anyone else, I won’t shrink back or be afraid anymore.”

“In fact, as long as you agree, I can take you home right now.”

As long as she could keep He Xinglan, as long as she could become He Xinglan’s girlfriend, as long as their relationship could be one that could no longer be separated, Yin Qiuman felt she could be even bolder.

He Xinglan’s eyes were practically seismic with shock.

Is this really Yin Qiuman in front of her?

This was too…

He Xinglan felt a bit uncomfortable, overwhelmed by pressure, and even a little scared.

“Um, I have to leave in two days,” He Xinglan suddenly said.

“Leave?” Yin Qiuman’s anxiety was visible at this news. She quickly asked, “Why leave? So suddenly…”

“Is it for work or…” Yin Qiuman dared not voice the other possibility, only thinking: Or is someone calling you back?

He Xinglan’s original intention was to leave and hide for a couple of days. She felt Yin Qiuman was a bit… unhinged? That was the gist of it. So she was going to leave for two days to let her calm down.

“Work.” He Xinglan adhered to the principle of “the less said, the fewer mistakes,” and answered concisely.

If it were other reasons, Yin Qiuman might try to restrain her from leaving, but for work, Yin Qiuman could only ask, “Will you… come back?”

“Probably.” He Xinglan thought. She wasn’t actually sure. She was very conflicted right now and genuinely needed to clear her head. But faced with Yin Qiuman’s sad and longing eyes, He Xinglan immediately affirmed, “Yes, I will.”

“I still have to spend the New Year with my grandparents.”

The New Year was less than a week away.

Yin Qiuman seemed to be reminded of something, muttering, “What kind of company is it? They don’t give people New Year holidays?”

Sensing Yin Qiuman’s deep resentment, He Xinglan instinctively explained, “My own company.”

So, Yin Qiuman learned a little more about the twenty-five-year-old He Xinglan: She started her own business.

Yin Qiuman became obedient now. Since it was her own company, she couldn’t be reckless. She could only force herself to say:

“Then tell me when you return. I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay.” He Xinglan inexplicably agreed.

Yin Qiuman wanted to gather more information, but seeing that He Xinglan didn’t seem inclined to say more, she had to give up. Anyway, He Xinglan will be back.

She only asked, “Did you book your ticket back? Do you need me to help you…”

He Xinglan: “Already booked.”

Afraid that Yin Qiuman would ask to see her ticket information, He Xinglan quickly used the excuse of checking the time to send two messages to her friend Lin Yue.

“Book me a ticket to Qingcheng.”

“Time is flexible.”

Lin Yue, upon receiving the messages: “????”

Fortunately, Lin Yue was reliable and quickly sent the ticket information back.

He Xinglan quickly showed Yin Qiuman her ticket information.

“Tonight at ten? It seems really urgent,” Yin Qiuman mumbled.

He Xinglan then saw that the ticket information Lin Yue booked for her was indeed tonight at ten.

Her mouth twitched. He Xinglan inwardly complained: She could have at least booked it for tomorrow morning. How can I explain coming back so late to my parents?

If she couldn’t go home, she’d have to stay at a hotel.

Since I’m staying at a hotel anyway, wouldn’t it be better to sleep in this hotel and leave tomorrow morning?

He Xinglan didn’t know that Lin Yue hadn’t planned for her to go home or stay at a hotel. As soon as He Xinglan got off the train, she was dragged to a bar by Lin Yue, where she underwent relentless interrogation from her friend.

Yin Qiuman took the opportunity to look at the destination again.

Qingcheng, a city adjacent to their small county town. So He Xinglan isn’t going far.

Yin Qiuman committed the information to memory.

She remembered she had a university classmate who was also working in Qingcheng.

Yin Qiuman spent the entire day without going home again. Wherever He Xinglan was, she was, cherishing every moment they spent together.

In the afternoon, Yin Qiuman took He Xinglan to visit some places, all spots that the eighteen-year-old He Xinglan and Yin Qiuman had visited. However, back then, the eighteen-year-old He Xinglan led the eighteen-year-old Yin Qiuman, and now the twenty-five-year-old Yin Qiuman was leading the twenty-five-year-old He Xinglan.

The roles had been swapped.

Their mental states were also different.

However, the small county town was truly small, and interesting places were even fewer. Coupled with the fact that Yin Qiuman was constantly focused on her studies back then, opportunities to go out with He Xinglan were scarce, and naturally, the places they visited were few. They finished sightseeing in less than half a day.

Then, Yin Qiuman followed He Xinglan back to the hotel.

Looking at Yin Qiuman, who was acting like a shadow, He Xinglan got a headache, “Aren’t you going home? You didn’t go home last night, and it’s been a full day today. Won’t your aunt and uncle worry?”

Yin Qiuman: “They won’t worry. He Xinglan, I’m twenty-five now. They only care about when I’ll bring a partner home.”

Being pressured to marry? He Xinglan thought gloomily.

True. If I hadn’t accidentally come out of the closet after graduating from high school, I would be pressured to marry to death by my parents too.

Afraid that continuing this conversation would lead back to herself, He Xinglan decisively closed her mouth.

“I’m going back to pack,” He Xinglan used the excuse of packing her luggage to separate from Yin Qiuman. Yin Qiuman tugged at her clothes, then looked up at her and said, “Aren’t you coming back? Just bring your ID and documents.”

That was true, but He Xinglan said, “But I need to check out.”

“It’s a waste of money to keep the room if no one is staying in it.”

He Xinglan wasn’t a meticulous person, she simply felt that waste was bad. And all she had to do was carry a suitcase.

But Yin Qiuman seemed determined not to let her go without leaving something behind that belonged to her. She insisted, “I’ll pay for the room extension for you. Give me the clothes you change out of, and I’ll wash them for you to wear when you return.”

Yin Qiuman finished speaking and directly turned into the elevator. He Xinglan didn’t even have time to stop her and could only watch her leave.

When Yin Qiuman returned, she indeed informed He Xinglan that she had extended the room for a month.

A month? He Xinglan was helpless. She picked up her phone to transfer the money to Yin Qiuman.

Yin Qiuman wouldn’t accept it. She even refused He Xinglan’s request to add her on WeChat for this reason.

“Give it to me when you come back.”