Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

What kissing truly felt like, she only knew at the moment their lips met. It turned out kissing was not at all like the descriptions in books.

He Xinglan didn’t feel Yin Qiuman’s lips were softer than her own, nor did she find them sweet. She only felt that time seemed to be paused at that moment.

She could feel her heart beating faster and faster, but the moment they kissed, her body stiffened as if it had been frozen for days and nights in the icy cold.

Numbness, stiffness, and two different temperatures.

After a brief three seconds, He Xinglan took a step back and said with a serious expression before Yin Qiuman could react: “I think I need to file a complaint.”

Yin Qiuman hadn’t recovered from the kiss. Hearing He Xinglan’s words, her usually sharp mind was completely bewildered: “Wha… what?”

He Xinglan glanced at Yin Qiuman nervously, quickly regaining a serious demeanor: “Actually, I lied to you just now.”

Yin Qiuman frowned, not understanding, and gestured for He Xinglan to continue.

He Xinglan continued: “What I said just now… about kissing was actually all read from books. I thought the authors of those books were writing about their personal experiences, but just now we… kissed. The feeling of kissing… is completely different from what those books describe.”

“Those authors were just writing nonsense, so I’m going to file a complaint against them.”

“Complain about them deceiving consumers and deceiving readers.”

“Mhm, I’m going right now.”

He Xinglan finished speaking, turned around, and quickly disappeared from sight.

Yin Qiuman was still standing there, looking in the direction He Xinglan had left. With those messy footsteps and that escaping back, was she really just rushing to file a complaint?

Yin Qiuman thought not. He Xinglan’s manner was more like… fleeing from guilt…

Fleeing from guilt?

For the crime of hooliganism?

He Xinglan’s crime of hooliganism was formally established the next day.

He Xinglan skipped class again the next day.

She didn’t show up all morning.

The class teacher, who had just seen He Xinglan attend two classes properly yesterday, took this issue very seriously.

After contacting He Xinglan by phone, she decisively went to the classroom and called out Yin Qiuman.

Yin Qiuman: “Teacher, is something wrong?”

Being called out of the classroom during class time, Yin Qiuman couldn’t help but frown slightly in displeasure.

Although she already understood all the content the subject teacher was teaching, skipping class was not something Yin Qiuman liked to do.

No matter the reason.

The class teacher didn’t notice Yin Qiuman’s slight displeasure, only stating with a somber face: “He Xinglan skipped class.”

“Mhm, I know.” Yin Qiuman’s reaction was quite subdued.

As her deskmate, she was the first to know whether He Xinglan had come to class or not.

But last night, she and He Xinglan…

Yin Qiuman’s thoughts were drawn in when the class teacher mentioned He Xinglan’s name.

He Xinglan… was she actually avoiding her?

“You know?” The class teacher was stunned by this answer, then realized that since she had just moved the two of them to be deskmates yesterday, Yin Qiuman would naturally be the first to know that He Xinglan hadn’t come to class.

Realizing she had asked a stupid question, the class teacher coughed to cover her embarrassment and got straight to the point: “Ahem, since you know, I’ll be direct. I just contacted He Xinglan. She said she was sick and needed to ask for leave, but her voice sounded full of vigor, so I suspect she’s lying to me. That’s why I want you to go to her house with me to find her.”

The class teacher’s suggestion made Yin Qiuman a little tempted. For some reason, whenever she thought He Xinglan was avoiding her, she felt an inexplicable sense of dullness and blockage in her heart. By the time she realized it, her body had already made a decision.

Under the class teacher’s somewhat expectant gaze, she nodded.

“I’ll go ask the Physics teacher for leave for you.” Afraid Yin Qiuman might regret it, the class teacher acted decisively, quickly, and efficiently.

With the class teacher taking charge, the efficiency was self-evident.

Ten minutes later, the class teacher and Yin Qiuman were already outside the school gate.

Sitting in the class teacher’s car, Yin Qiuman’s expression was calm, but her eyes, looking out the window, were subtly flickering.

Her hands, resting on her knees, occasionally trembled slightly.

She wondered what He Xinglan’s expression would be when she saw she was there too…

Thinking of the surprise, shock, or even terror she might see on He Xinglan’s face, Yin Qiuman suddenly felt a surge of anticipation for the upcoming meeting.

Her heartbeat was faster than usual at that moment.

The only advantage of a small county town was probably that nothing was far away, and it took less than an hour to get anywhere.

Yin Qiuman had been to He Xinglan’s residential area yesterday. Although she hadn’t gone inside, she was familiar with the outside.

“This is He Xinglan’s place.” The car drove directly into the community. The class teacher searched for a parking space while observing the residential area where He Xinglan lived, lamenting: “I didn’t expect He Xinglan’s family to be quite well-off. The housing prices in this community aren’t low. No wonder He Xinglan has no interest in studying and is dedicated to being lazy.”

The class teacher felt she had finally found the source of the problem.

But Yin Qiuman’s family was also quite well-off. Why was Yin Qiuman a top student with her heart completely set on studying?

Was Yin Qiuman smarter than He Xinglan?

The class teacher didn’t think so. She felt He Xinglan was also very smart, but her intelligence wasn’t applied to the right things.

This perception only deepened when she finally saw He Xinglan.

“You… are you the only one in your house? Do you always live alone?” The class teacher was stunned, looking at He Xinglan’s empty house.

This was completely unexpected before she arrived.

He Xinglan stood in the center of the living room and said ‘Mhm’ when she heard the question: “My parents are busy with work and rarely come back.”

As He Xinglan spoke, she subtly glanced at Yin Qiuman from the corner of her eye.

Yin Qiuman, why did she come too?

He Xinglan’s gaze gradually settled on Yin Qiuman’s lips.

The taste of that spot, she had just experienced it last night.

He Xinglan subconsciously licked her lips, completely unaware that her peripheral vision was focused more and more on Yin Qiuman, which was eventually noticed by the class teacher.

“Haha, I bet you didn’t expect Yin Qiuman to come, did you?” The class teacher laughed loudly, then said with pride: “I asked her to come.”

“I knew I might not be able to persuade you, but Yin Qiuman…”

“Yin Qiuman can’t persuade me either,” He Xinglan interrupted the class teacher, quickly saying.

He Xinglan finished speaking to the teacher, then quickly looked at Yin Qiuman and repeated: “You can’t persuade me.”

Yin Qiuman met He Xinglan’s firm gaze and resolute voice. Under He Xinglan’s scrutiny, she curved her lips slightly and then said: “Last night…”

“Teacher!” He Xinglan rapidly cut Yin Qiuman off, raising her voice several pitches, which startled the class teacher. She quickly looked at He Xinglan, her eyes full of tension: “Wha… what is it?”

Yin Qiuman also looked at He Xinglan. He Xinglan only feared Yin Qiuman’s gaze, so she shifted her eyes to the class teacher, struggling to appear composed: “I think my cold is gone.”

“You didn’t have a cold at all, did you?” The class teacher looked at He Xinglan with a ‘I knew it’ look.

“You’re just lazy, and with no one to supervise you, you do whatever you please.” The class teacher’s tone became earnest at this point: “He Xinglan, the future belongs to you. You have to walk the future path alone in the end. Studying hard is for your future. I know you’re not stupid. As long as you’re willing to work hard, there’s still time. Even if you don’t get into a very good university, even a vocational college is good.”

“What’s more, you have Student Yin Qiuman as your cheat code.”

“Student Yin Qiuman came with me today because she genuinely wants to help you with your studies.”

“Is that so?” He Xinglan was skeptical of what the class teacher said.

She looked at Yin Qiuman with disbelief, as if trying to discern from every tiny expression on her face whether Yin Qiuman truly felt the way the class teacher described.