Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Yin Qiuman, the straight-A student who was usually calm and composed in any situation, sounded very anxious.

He Xinglan was momentarily stunned. She looked up at Yin Qiuman, only to realize that Yin Qiuman not only sounded anxious but also looked it. He Xinglan lowered her head again.

This was a side of Yin Qiuman she hadn’t seen before. Oh no, perhaps she had, as everything Yin Qiuman had done since their reunion seemed very “urgent.”

But what did Yin Qiuman mean by that? Couldn’t she say it? Was she directly refusing? He Xinglan thought she had already compromised quite a bit!

“I already allowed you to pursue me, didn’t I?” He Xinglan muttered in a very soft voice, tinged with a hint of grievance.

The more He Xinglan thought about it, the more wronged she felt. She suddenly lifted her head, looking at Yin Qiuman with a gaze full of accusation and anger: “Is this how you pursue someone?”

Yin Qiuman was struck speechless by He Xinglan’s question, feeling momentarily at a loss.

“I… I’ve never pursued anyone.”

“Besides, wouldn’t this way be more efficient?”

He Xinglan was so exasperated by Yin Qiuman’s words that she laughed. Yes, how could she forget that the straight-A student Yin Qiuman always valued efficiency?

Efficiency in studying, efficiency in dating, and now efficiency in pursuing someone.

So, was Yin Qiuman like this when she dated others, too? Going to bed with someone on the first meeting?

He Xinglan felt she could almost understand Yin Qiuman’s feelings when she saw Song Zhiya.

Now she felt an itch in her hands, a desire to hit someone.

She wanted to hit all of Yin Qiuman’s past dating partners, except herself.

Furious, He Xinglan immediately turned her back to Yin Qiuman. Her voice, subconsciously raised due to anger, declared: “If Scholar Yin wants high efficiency, go find someone who can provide it. I, He Xinglan, am not capable. I’ve always been slow in everything I do.”

Yin Qiuman stared at He Xinglan’s back without speaking. She felt she could hear He Xinglan’s breathing, growing faster and faster.

He Xinglan was angry, the very, very angry kind.

Yin Qiuman pursed her lips. Reason told her she should try to comfort her.

But she lacked not only dating experience but also experience in comforting people.

Should she send a message to Xiao Hua for help?

Yin Qiuman pulled out her phone but quickly put it back. What if Xiao Hua asked how she had provoked He Xinglan?

She couldn’t possibly say directly that she had invited her to sleep with her, could she? Yin Qiuman was sure Xiao Hua would laugh at her.

Yin Qiuman didn’t mind being laughed at by Xiao Hua, but if He Xinglan found out, she would surely be enraged again.

Yin Qiuman sighed. For the first time, she felt she was inadequate.

Yin Qiuman’s sigh was not loud, but in the quiet room where only their breathing could be heard, it clearly reached He Xinglan’s ears.

He Xinglan’s mood, which had just started to calm down, became volatile again.

She spun around instantly, glaring at Yin Qiuman, absolutely furious: “You’re sighing? What are you sighing about? Yin Qiuman, do you think I’m unreasonable and hard to deal with? Let me tell you, this is what pursuing someone is like. The more unreasonable and difficult they are, the more you have to rack your brains to attend to them. Otherwise, why are you pursuing anyone at all?”

Saying this, He Xinglan let out a cold snort, lifting her chin slightly, looking as if she were saying, You should thank Big Sister for teaching you this valuable experience.

Yin Qiuman looked at He Xinglan upon hearing this: “So you know how to pursue people because you’ve pursued people like this before?”

Her voice naturally carried a slight tone of interrogation about the past, causing the heat in He Xinglan’s body to instantly cool.

How… how did the conversation turn back to her?

He Xinglan swallowed, about to erupt in annoyance, when Yin Qiuman spoke again.

“Then, can you teach me?”

What? He Xinglan was shocked, looking at Yin Qiuman in disbelief, her lips slightly trembling as she spoke: “You… can you repeat what you just said?”

Yin Qiuman was asking her to teach her. Not to study—of course, she couldn’t teach her that—nor anything else, but to teach her how to pursue someone.

This sincere and eager-to-learn Yin Qiuman… He Xinglan shuddered slightly, feeling like she was in a dream.

“I said, can you teach me?” Yin Qiuman, indeed, repeated her words obediently.

The voice was clear and bright. This time, He Xinglan heard it clearly.

“I…” He Xinglan confirmed it wasn’t a dream and was about to reply when Yin Qiuman added another sentence.

“After all, you are experienced.”

“…”

He Xinglan felt annoyed again: “Yin Qiuman, you could have left that sentence unsaid.”

Although the sentence sounded like an affirmation of her ability, unfortunately, He Xinglan could not hear any affirmation in Yin Qiuman’s words; the component of sarcasm was clearly greater.

Yin Qiuman said “Oh,” then, “I won’t say it next time.”

He Xinglan: “…There won’t be a next time.”

Yin Qiuman nodded: “Okay.”

She agreed quite quickly. He Xinglan thought to herself, though she wondered if she truly took it to heart.

“Then shall we go eat first?” At the movie theater, she didn’t even get to watch the movie or eat popcorn before rushing to pick up Yin Qiuman, bringing her back to the hotel, dealing with the Song Zhiya incident, changing hotels, and then discussing issues with Yin Qiuman until now. He Xinglan was long starving from all the hassle.

Yin Qiuman: “Eat first or eat me?”

Always causing trouble! He Xinglan was extremely angry, gritting her teeth and enunciating each word: “Yin~ Qiu~ Man.”

Can’t she just stop being naughty?!

Yin Qiuman understood and nodded: “Eat first.”

He Xinglan breathed a sigh of relief. Good, good thing her fierce look still held some deterrence over Yin Qiuman.

However, before He Xinglan could celebrate for three seconds, Yin Qiuman added: “Then eat me.”

This time, He Xinglan was genuinely angry.

“Yin Qiuman, if you continue like this, I’m really going to leave you alone.”

He Xinglan said this seriously. It wasn’t a threat; she genuinely didn’t know how to handle Yin Qiuman.

Moreover, she was really afraid that she might inadvertently be seduced by the ‘fox’ Yin and end up eating her—or, perhaps, being eaten.

Yin Qiuman finally fell silent and said no more surprising words.

He Xinglan also calmed down. She took out her phone, scrolled through it, and asked Yin Qiuman, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Yin Qiuman: “The same as in high school.”

During that week of a “fast-food romance,” He Xinglan often coaxed Yin Qiuman out to eat and drink, so she naturally figured out what her girlfriend ate and didn’t eat.

Seven years later, the things she thought she had long forgotten resurfaced in her mind with Yin Qiuman’s simple mention.

“No garlic, no ginger, no cilantro, no green onions… Yin Qiuman, you’re really high maintenance,” He Xinglan grumbled, yet her actions of selecting a restaurant did not stop for a moment. She was very serious, without any trace of impatience or disdain.

Yin Qiuman felt as if she was seeing eighteen-year-old He Xinglan bringing her out to eat. She, too, always grumbled with her mouth but was very attentive in her actions, picking out the things she didn’t eat or eating them herself.

She used to think it was dirty, but He Xinglan said it was delicious.

She said Yin Qiuman was a straight-A student, and eating something with a straight-A student’s saliva might turn her into a straight-A student, too.

Although it was nonsense, Yin Qiuman back then actually believed her.

Consequently, more things Yin Qiuman didn’t eat went into He Xinglan’s stomach—at first, the things she disliked, and later, the things she couldn’t finish.

Gradually, she got used to He Xinglan’s presence behind her, as if no matter what she did, He Xinglan would always catch her at any time.

“All right, I’ve chosen.” He Xinglan interrupted Yin Qiuman’s recollection, saying: “It’s a Chinese restaurant near the hotel. Lin Yue said the taste is quite good.”

Yes, despite her busy schedule, He Xinglan still took the time to ask Lin Yue when choosing the restaurant. It wasn’t really to ask about the restaurant’s quality, but to casually inquire if Lin Yue had an ex-girlfriend who owned a restaurant.

He Xinglan, who used to be a butterfly flitting about, loving a new person every time, rarely inquired about their jobs or careers.

Lin Yue, who was already running a bar, knew a bit more than she did.

She had always believed that you could still be business partners after a breakup.

Yin Qiuman had no objection, as she was unfamiliar with the area: “You make the arrangements.”

This sentence sounded incredibly obedient.

He Xinglan was very satisfied with this Yin Qiuman, who didn’t make her heart leap out of her chest.

“Shall we go then?!” He Xinglan said, taking the first step.

Yin Qiuman was one step slower than He Xinglan. After quickly catching up, she grabbed He Xinglan’s hand without a word, then laced her fingers through He Xinglan’s, clutching tightly.

He Xinglan glanced at their intertwined hands and reminded her: “No one holds hands at the very beginning of a pursuit.”

Yin Qiuman hummed in response, then said: “But I’m not familiar with Qingcheng.”

“I’m afraid of getting lost,” Yin Qiuman looked up at He Xinglan.

Yin Qiuman’s eyes were very dark, flashing slightly when they caught the light, making anyone who looked into them unconsciously fall captive and unable to refuse her every word.

Just like now, He Xinglan truly couldn’t bring herself to refuse the plea of someone who was afraid of getting lost and asked to hold hands.

Forget it, Yin Qiuman wasn’t wrong. She really wasn’t familiar with Qingcheng.

He Xinglan had already convinced herself internally.

The two of them walked downstairs holding hands and didn’t let go until they reached the Chinese restaurant He Xinglan had booked.

Qingcheng was more open than smaller cities, so their action did not attract any curious or scrutinizing looks.

Besides, between women, good girlfriends hold hands, too.

Entering the restaurant, Yin Qiuman also sat right next to He Xinglan, showing a bit of clinginess.

He Xinglan said nothing, afraid that if she did, Yin Qiuman would look at her pleadingly again and say she was scared.

She wouldn’t be able to refuse anyway.

Most of the dishes in Qingcheng were quite spicy. Yin Qiuman could handle a little spice, but not too much.

He Xinglan finally realized an oversight: she had forgotten to ask the waiter for light spice when ordering.

So, watching Yin Qiuman eat with tears streaming down her face, her lips red and white, yet still persistently finishing the dishes He Xinglan put in her bowl, a flash of heartache appeared in He Xinglan’s eyes.

“Stop eating, we won’t eat anymore.” He Xinglan snatched the chopsticks from Yin Qiuman’s hand, somewhat irritated: “If you can’t eat it, why didn’t you say no?”

Yin Qiuman was still catching her breath from the spice but didn’t forget to answer He Xinglan: “I was afraid you’d get angry.”

And even more afraid that He Xinglan would abandon her because of her anger.

Yin Qiuman thought that she probably had a condition called He Xinglan’s PTSD now.