Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“To get dividends, to earn money, you already said that,” Yin Qiuman reminded He Xinglan that her memory was consistently excellent.

He Xinglan: “…”

“Cough.” He Xinglan gave a tactical cough, letting her eyelids droop to hide her eyes, trying hard to keep her voice sounding normal, “Actually, earning money is secondary.”

“The important thing is that there are many girls at the bar.”

“The bar Lin Yue and I opened is a lesbian bar.”

“Do you know what a lesbian bar is? It’s a place that only accepts…” He Xinglan was earnestly explaining the nature of the lesbian bar, since a place like that was likely somewhere a good student like Yin Qiuman would never set foot.

But before she could finish, Yin Qiuman interrupted her.

“I know what a lesbian bar is,” Yin Qiuman said.

He Xinglan: “???”

“How do you know?” He Xinglan looked at Yin Qiuman in shock. Isn’t she a good student? Good students should be studying all day long. How would she know about a place like that?

How did she know about this kind of place? Did someone just tell her, or has she actually been there? And who did she go with, and when?

He Xinglan felt her mind was about to be overloaded with one question after another.

Yin Qiuman didn’t rush to answer He Xinglan’s questions. Instead, she looked at the person in the video, asking softly as if genuinely curious, “Then, did you meet a girl you liked?”

He Xinglan: “…”

He Xinglan suddenly felt like she had shot herself in the foot. Yin Qiuman knew she opened a bar for other women, yet how could she ask so calmly if she had found someone?!

She looked so composed, as if she didn’t care at all. Did she forget that she said she wanted to pursue me and be my girlfriend?

Isn’t she angry at all? Isn’t she anxious at all?

He Xinglan’s mood was getting worse, with visible frustration and impatience in her eyes.

“What if I did, and what if I didn’t?” He Xinglan spoke sharply. The words I’m in a bad mood were practically written all over her face.

Oh no, they were written all over her face. If Yin Qiuman had any common sense, she would definitely have seen it.

But Yin Qiuman’s reaction remained calm. She answered He Xinglan’s question unhurriedly, and with a serious expression: “If you did, I want to learn from her.”

He Xinglan: “?”

“Yin Qiuman, are you sick?!”

What is all this nonsense? Can she not see that I’m unhappy?

He Xinglan suddenly felt that Yin Qiuman was a fake scholar. If she were a real scholar and truly that smart, how could she not see what the real answer she was looking for was?!

“Yin Qiuman, I…” He Xinglan couldn’t hold back. Since Yin Qiuman was so blind, she would ask clearly.

But He Xinglan didn’t get the chance. Yin Qiuman spoke of another possibility on her own:

“But if you didn’t meet anyone, that means you still prefer my type.”

“He Xinglan, so you still like my type, right?”

He Xinglan pursed her lips, saying awkwardly, “Yin Qiuman, you’re so narcissistic.”

He Xinglan’s words were prickly, but they didn’t hurt Yin Qiuman. She looked at He Xinglan, smiling brightly.

“But you didn’t deny it.”

He Xinglan thought, But I didn’t admit it either. Yet, she had to concede that over the years, she had tried dating many women, none of whom lasted more than a week. She always habitually looked for similarities with Yin Qiuman in them—perhaps the eyes, the smile, or the demeanor—which would lead her to an impulsive moment, deciding to date them. But the final result was always the same: no one could replace the person in her heart.

None of them were her.

He Xinglan was angered by this outcome, but she refused to give up.

Like she was possessed, she gradually accumulated labels like playgirl, flighty, and jerk.

He Xinglan tightly pressed her lips together. After a long pause, she said softly, “I… do still like you a little.”

Falling for Yin Qiuman was easy. The eighteen-year-old He Xinglan fell in love at lightning speed. The twenty-five-year-old He Xinglan, facing Yin Qiuman’s passionate pursuit, only dared to take a tiny, tiny step.

“Just a little?” Yin Qiuman’s small voice sounded like she was asking herself.

He Xinglan’s nerves instantly tensed up. She didn’t dare to look at Yin Qiuman. She was suddenly very afraid.

Afraid that Yin Qiuman would be disappointed, would feel that after being so proactive and pursuing so passionately, she only received a tiny reaction and would decide to retreat.

He Xinglan was suddenly annoyed with herself.

She should have said more. She should have made Yin Qiuman feel that her effort received an equal return, and then strive for more.

He Xinglan’s mind was racing, silently self-reflecting, when a sigh suddenly echoed from the other side of the quiet video.

“Even a little bit is okay. But He Xinglan, how many ‘little bits’ do I need before you’ll agree to be my girlfriend?” Yin Qiuman looked melancholy, only worried and bothered, but without the intention of retreating that He Xinglan had feared.

He Xinglan blinked. Her troubled heart suddenly calmed down in that instant.

“Didn’t Xuanzang have eighty-one hardships to overcome to get the scriptures? Why are you in such a rush?” He Xinglan’s mouth became stubborn again, now that she was sure Yin Qiuman was still pursuing her.

Yin Qiuman sighed upon hearing this, propped her face on her elbow, looking mournful. Then, her soft, sweet voice drifted into He Xinglan’s ears.

“I’m rushing because I want to hug you, rushing because I want to kiss you, rushing because I want to…”

Yin Qiuman’s list of one “rushing” after another instantly made He Xinglan blush.

“Okay, you don’t need to say any more.”

He Xinglan quickly stopped her. Talking about adult matters over the phone made her feel restless.

“Oh?” Yin Qiuman lifted her eyelids, looking at He Xinglan’s flushed face without any sense of guilt for being the culprit, instead continuing to tease her.

“What did I say?”

“I didn’t say I wanted to sleep with you.”

“Although I do actually want to do some adult things with you.”

Thud~ He Xinglan immediately hung up the phone.

“Hey, want some steamed dumplings?” Just then, Lin Yue pushed the door open, carrying the brunch she had bought outside.

Lin Yue then saw He Xinglan’s bright red face, and a look of intense gossip immediately took over Lin Yue’s features.

Lin Yue plopped down next to He Xinglan, looking at her and clicking her tongue, “He Xinglan, what did you two talk about?”

“Look at you. Did you… do it over video?”

Lin Yue’s sudden exclamation left He Xinglan speechless.

“Get lost!”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Lin Yue chuckled, “Oh, so you didn’t.”

He Xinglan rolled her eyes at Lin Yue, narrowing her eyes: “You’re so excited… Did you and your little girlfriend do it over video?”

Lin Yue smiled calmly, proudly raising an eyebrow at He Xinglan as she admitted, “Of course we did. Who do you think you are? You look like a heartbreaker who plays around a lot, but actually, you’re still an inexperienced rookie.”

“And now you’re even worse. Your white moonlight from seven years ago can make you blush through a screen. Honestly, He Xinglan, you’re so weak.”

“Hey…” Lin Yue hooked her arm around He Xinglan’s neck, leaning close to her ear and offering terrible advice: “How about, before you reconcile with your white moonlight from seven years ago, we find a couple of girls at our lesbian bar to practice with?”

“Lesbian bar? Right, I forgot to ask Yin Qiuman how she knew about a place like that.” He Xinglan realized belatedly that she had spent almost an hour on a WeChat video call with Yin Qiuman and had forgotten the most important thing!