Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

“Of course, I have.” He Xinglan answered without hesitation, even slightly smug.

Seeing the top student’s eyes, she had at least gotten ahead in this matter.

But that suspicious look in Yin Qiuman’s eyes… Did she not believe her?

He Xinglan frowned and repeated: “I really have been in a relationship.”

“Let me tell you, dating is interesting! Look, even the closest girlfriends can’t interlock fingers while shopping, right? But you can with your partner. And kissing, do you know what kissing feels like? It’s when you kiss the other person, you can feel their breath, and your lips touch hers. I’m telling you, a girl’s lips are so soft, softer than the jelly packs we eat. And, a girl’s lips are sweet, sweeter than sugarcane. When you kiss her, you might even feel your body tremble slightly from the excitement. It’s just a feeling of being especially thrilled, especially excited, and especially great…” He Xinglan almost recited all the kissing scenes she had read in novels to Yin Qiuman.

He Xinglan didn’t like reading or studying, but this aversion didn’t apply to novels.

It was fortunate that she had read enough GL romance novels; otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to lie to Yin Qiuman.

That’s right, all of He Xinglan’s seemingly factual dating experience came from books.

And she was certain that Yin Qiuman would absolutely not waste her precious time reading romance novels, let alone the particularly niche GL genre.

He Xinglan waited for Yin Qiuman to look at her with either curiosity or admiration, but…

“Girls?”

“Huh? Ah, ah, yes, a girl.” He Xinglan was flustered by Yin Qiuman’s question. She, she, she seemed to have overacted.

Oh no, she was so focused on showing off that she forgot the most important part.

Facing Yin Qiuman’s eyes, He Xinglan didn’t even have time to find an excuse, stumbling over her words as she confessed.

He Xinglan’s face flushed crimson, filled with helplessness and fear of seeing a strange look in Yin Qiuman’s eyes.

She really liked GL novels, she thought the love between girls was beautiful, and she also liked girls herself.

She knew that most people in society were unaccepting of girls being with girls, and some even considered it an illness, but He Xinglan inexplicably didn’t want Yin Qiuman to think that way.

So, before Yin Qiuman could say anything else, He Xinglan quickly said: “What’s wrong with girls liking girls? Who says love must be between a boy and a girl? Love is a happy thing, and I don’t think it should be easily defined by worldly views. Love shouldn’t be confined by rules. Love should be where the heart leads. Regardless of gender, as long as there’s affection, as long as there’s love—whether it’s a boy and a girl, or a girl and a girl—it’s fine. As long as they love each other, they will definitely be happy in the future.”

“Is that so?” Yin Qiuman asked, lowering her eyes, unsure if she was asking herself or He Xinglan.

He Xinglan’s statement was novel to Yin Qiuman. He Xinglan was right; before He Xinglan said these words today, Yin Qiuman’s understanding of love was still stuck on the literary classics: The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Legend of the White Snake, The Romance of the West Chamber, Phoenix Seeks Mate…

But all those loves were between a man and a woman.

It turned out girls and girls could love too?

He Xinglan finished speaking and saw Yin Qiuman still deep in thought, feeling a growing unease.

What was Yin Qiuman thinking?

How to distance herself from her, or even how to tell the teacher not to tutor her and not to be her deskmate anymore?

He Xinglan was initially quite resistant to Yin Qiuman tutoring her, but now, she was inexplicably reluctant to lose her.

She was unwilling for Yin Qiuman to distance herself from her just because she knew she liked girls, treating her like some kind of foul garbage.

He Xinglan felt like a criminal about to be slowly tortured right now. The agony was killing her.

He Xinglan disliked this torment, so she broke the strange atmosphere between her and Yin Qiuman.

“Let’s hurry up. It’ll be dark soon.” He Xinglan quickened her pace, walking ahead of Yin Qiuman, her rapid steps suggesting she was being chased.

Yin Qiuman snapped back to attention and quickly followed.

They walked one after the other for nearly five minutes when He Xinglan suddenly remembered: she didn’t know where Yin Qiuman lived. How could she walk in front?

He Xinglan suddenly stopped. Yin Qiuman, not noticing, walked right into He Xinglan’s back. The mutual force instantly brought tears to Yin Qiuman’s eyes.

He Xinglan turned around. Her idea of asking Yin Qiuman for her address vanished instantly. Her mind and mouth were only capable of uttering three words: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Seeing Yin Qiuman clutching her nose, He Xinglan instinctively wanted to rub it for her. Her hand reached Yin Qiuman’s face, and both of them froze.

“What are you doing?” Yin Qiuman was the first to recover, looking at He Xinglan with a frown.

Tears still welled in her eyes. Her words were soft, which made the listener’s heart melt.

Not to mention He Xinglan already felt guilty.

“I, I just wanted to rub it for you,” He Xinglan whispered, like a puppy that had been wronged.

Yin Qiuman looked at He Xinglan’s expression, and some nerve in her brain must have short-circuited, because she blurted out: “Then be gentle.”

She didn’t refuse? She actually didn’t refuse?

He Xinglan’s pupils constricted sharply. It wasn’t until she saw Yin Qiuman frowning that she quickly extended her hand, moving cautiously, afraid that using too much force would only worsen Yin Qiuman’s injured nose.

The touch was so feather-light… Yin Qiuman fell silent.

After the silence, she felt it necessary to remind He Xinglan: “It tickles.”

“Tickles?” He Xinglan blinked and asked: “Should I use a little more force then?”

Yin Qiuman looked at the person close to her, took a step back, distancing herself from He Xinglan. Staring at He Xinglan’s confused eyes, Yin Qiuman explained: “No need. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Oh, oh, oh.” He Xinglan withdrew her hand, feeling a strange sense of regret in her heart.

Regret? What was she regretting? Was she going crazy?!

He Xinglan quickly shook her head, trying to clear away all those chaotic thoughts.

“Let’s go.”

Yin Qiuman finished speaking and walked in front of He Xinglan.

He Xinglan obediently followed behind Yin Qiuman. Looking at the tall, thin figure in front, He Xinglan’s mind was a mess.

That hint of regret continued to hover in her mind, as if demanding an explanation.

He Xinglan continued to walk, sometimes looking down, sometimes lifting her head to glance at Yin Qiuman’s back. She didn’t know how long they walked until the person in front stopped.

Yin Qiuman turned around and looked at He Xinglan: “I’m home.”

“Oh.” He Xinglan responded, giving Yin Qiuman a final look: “I’ll head back now.”

“Wait,” Yin Qiuman called out to He Xinglan as she turned to leave.

After two seconds of silence, she pulled He Xinglan into the small alley beside them.

“Something else?” He Xinglan let Yin Qiuman pull her into the alley, asking in confusion.

Yin Qiuman nodded, then said with absolute certainty: “Actually, you’ve never been in a relationship, have you?”

“I haven’t…” He Xinglan didn’t expect Yin Qiuman to say this. She pointed at her nose and laughed awkwardly: “How could I not have been in a relationship? If I haven’t been in a relationship, where would I know all those things I just told you? Those are all from my personal experience.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then tell me again what it feels like to kiss someone.”

He Xinglan: “???”

He Xinglan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Did Yin Qiuman mean that if what she said now was different from before, it would prove she was lying earlier?

As expected of a top student, her mind works fast.

He Xinglan was so anxious that her back broke out in a sweat.

She definitely couldn’t repeat her previous words exactly.

What to do? What to do?

He Xinglan felt that even an ant on a hot pan wasn’t as anxious as she was right now.

Suddenly, He Xinglan’s gaze fell on Yin Qiuman’s lips.

The phrase ‘Practice reveals truth’ seemed to appear suddenly in He Xinglan’s mind.

Practice…?

He Xinglan felt as if she were being led by something. She instinctively moved closer to Yin Qiuman, closer and closer, until… she kissed her.