Chapter 42

The two changed clothes and went downstairs.

Everyone else in Heartbeat House was waiting in the first-floor hall.

When Jiang Yuan walked down, the bite mark on her cheek had already disappeared, leaving only a patch of redness and swelling.

Lei Lei had sharp eyes and noticed the abnormal swelling at once. Her gaze kept moving between the two of them, thoughtful.

She saw Jiang Yuan pull out a chair for Yu Qingshi, then sit beside her.

Throughout the whole process, Jiang Yuan kept her eyes lowered, not daring to look directly into Yu Qingshi’s eyes at all.

Like a puppy that had done something wrong and admitted defeat.

Lei Lei watched and nodded, looking as if she understood.

Jiang Yuan was sitting beside her. Lei Lei leaned over and asked softly, “Did Xiao Shi slap you?”

The words were shocking. Jiang Yuan’s pupils opened slightly, and she silently covered her face. “This… isn’t…”

“It’s fine, I understand.” Lei Lei interrupted her.

She spoke as if it were very serious, her tone full of pity. “I get hit all the time too. I understand.”

Jiang Yuan: “……”

It seemed she had learned something incredible.

In this situation, explaining was wrong, and not explaining was wrong too, so Jiang Yuan simply closed her mouth and said nothing.

No matter how quietly the two spoke, their collar mics still dutifully captured it for the livestream.

[. You understand again.]

[Sigh, Lei-jie, actually, when Shu-jie hits you, it’s not flirting!]

[I feel like Lei Lei is very much like a husky. Does anyone understand?]

[This one I really understand.]

Thinking she had uncovered some information, Lei Lei quietly shuffled over to Chen Shu’s side.

She leaned into Chen Shu’s ear. “I know everything. Xiao Yuan probably did something wrong and got slapped by Xiao Shi.”

After saying that, Lei Lei nodded confidently, fully assured.

Chen Shu propped up her cheek and casually glanced at her without saying anything.

Her condescending gaze was filled with curses.

Lei Lei smiled ingratiatingly and shared the gossip she had just stolen. “It’s true. Look, her face is swollen. Believe me, Shushu.”

Chen Shu rolled her eyes. “Get lost.”

“Okay.” Lei Lei slowly shuffled away again.

The reason everyone had been gathered this time was mainly to announce the upcoming arrangements.

After several dates, Qin Yiting was no longer satisfied with dates within the city.

Qin Yiting stood in front of the round table, holding the task card, and announced the next direction of the show to everyone.

“Travel can test the way couples get along. It is the best lubricant for couples to adjust to each other.”

“For Same-Frequency Heartbeat’s fifth date, we will set off for a foreign country, experience foreign customs and culture, and discover the problems in how couples get along.”

“As for the specific destination, that will be decided through everyone’s discussion.”

Hearing the content, the people below all grew surprised.

The two of them were fairly calm.

Yu Qingshi leaned lazily against Jiang Yuan. “Yuanyuan, have you traveled anywhere before?”

Jiang Yuan shook her head. Most of her time had been spent running around for school and part-time jobs. She rarely had chances to travel.

“What about Qingshi?”

“I’ve traveled relatively little too. Most of the time, I went for work.”

Yu Qingshi’s schedule was packed. Besides, she was ill, so her sister did not dare let her stay out of town for long periods.

“My sister might not agree to this.” Yu Qingshi glanced at Qin Yiting, who was inserting soft advertising into the livestream, and said casually, “I don’t know whether they discussed it.”

Qin Yiting did not know about her glandular illness and might not have told Yu Qingyi about recording abroad at all.

After announcing this, the rest were minor matters. Once she finished speaking, the livestream was shut off.

Even though the bullet comment area was full of chatter and various guesses about the travel destination, Qin Yiting still pressed the button neatly, “choking” them all off with one click.

The two stood up, preparing to make dinner.

When they passed Qin Yiting, Yu Qingshi paused and asked one more question. “Did you discuss it with my sister?”

“Discuss? Discuss what?” Qin Yiting’s eyes widened. She smiled excitedly. “Can I pursue your sister?”

“……” Yu Qingshi had not expected the other person’s thought process to jump around so wildly. She was choked speechless for a moment, then waved her hand in exasperation. “Go tell her yourself.”

Hearing this, Qin Yiting quickly took out her phone and called the contact pinned at the top.

She ran far away, her voice vague and drifting through the air. It was the deliberately softened voice she was putting on.

“Hello? Qingyi, hehehehehe, what have you been busy with lately?”

Yu Qingshi raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose.

She felt that Qin Yiting would not be able to catch up with her sister even in her next life.

＊

Night arrived.

After dinner, the two returned to their room and rested for a while, then began taking turns showering.

Yu Qingshi entered the bathroom, and before long, she came out with wet hair.

Jiang Yuan had already plugged in the hair dryer and was testing the temperature in her hand.

Seeing Yu Qingshi come out, she stepped back and made room. “Sit here.”

“Okay.” Yu Qingshi obediently walked over and sat down.

Warm air blew gently, carrying soft hair with it. Jiang Yuan’s fingertips stroked lightly, dyeing the room with warmth.

They had used up a lot of energy during the day. Yu Qingshi was rubbed until she grew drowsy, her head nodding little by little. In the end, she tilted and fell into Jiang Yuan’s arms.

She rested against Jiang Yuan’s lower abdomen, which actually made it easier for Jiang Yuan to blow-dry her hair.

Yu Qingshi’s long hair reached her waist. The texture was glossy, black, and thick.

Jiang Yuan’s fingers combed from top to bottom, the hair slipping through like soft water and leaving behind lingering fragrance on her fingertips.

The air was blown warm, spreading between them and sticking them together.

Yu Qingshi leaned against her, waking from time to time. She raised a hand and rubbed her eyes, asking, “Is it done?”

The other person’s eyes were sleepy and hazy, and her cheeks had puffed up along with it.

Jiang Yuan’s heart melted at the sight. She patiently coaxed, “Almost.”

Yu Qingshi was still dazed. She grabbed Jiang Yuan’s hem and rubbed her face against it, her voice light and small. “Hurry, okay.”

Jiang Yuan’s heart softened into a pool of water. She curved her eyes and sped up her movements.

Once her hair was dry, Jiang Yuan slowly picked Yu Qingshi up sideways and placed her into the blanket.

She had just wanted to pull her arm away when the slight movement startled the person in her arms.

In her daze, Yu Qingshi grabbed Jiang Yuan’s collar. Her eyelids were heavy, so she could only half-open her eyes. “Are we sleeping?”

“Mm, your hair is dry.” Jiang Yuan lowered her voice, afraid of disturbing the other person’s sleepiness.

Yu Qingshi pulled her collar downward and muttered softly, “Kiss.”

“Okay.” It was time for the good-night kiss, so Jiang Yuan obediently lowered herself.

She tilted one side of her face, but the other person did not move for a long time.

Jiang Yuan looked back.

She saw the person in her arms part her red lips slightly and blow gently on her cheek.

Yu Qingshi’s voice was soft and carried a spoiled muffled tone. “This side is swollen. Kiss the other side.”

Her breath brushed over Jiang Yuan’s face, raising threads of itchiness as if scratching, itching all the way into her heart.

Heat stirred in Jiang Yuan’s chest. She bit her lip and offered the other side of her face.

The other cheek was fair and clean, as if waiting for someone to leave a mark.

Yu Qingshi raised her face and gave it a light, dragonfly-touching-water kiss.

Following the force, she pulled Jiang Yuan into the blanket again.

Ever since desensitization began, the two had been sleeping under the same blanket and had never separated.

Yu Qingshi consciously found a comfortable position in the bend of Jiang Yuan’s arm, her eyes bright. “It’s Yuanyuan’s turn.”

“Okay.” Jiang Yuan pressed close and kissed Yu Qingshi’s hair.

Sleepiness swept over Yu Qingshi. Her brain was wooden, and she forgot to demand that Jiang Yuan had not kissed her cheek.

She closed her eyes. “Good night, Yuanyuan.”

“…Good night.”

The person in her arms fell asleep as soon as she touched the bed, leaving Jiang Yuan alone in a daze.

She looked straight at Yu Qingshi, not moving her gaze away for a long time.

Last night, inside the blanket, Jiang Yuan had stared at Yu Qingshi like this too.

She had no intimate relationships and had always been alone.

So she naturally thought she was simply shy about intimate interactions, about skin touching skin.

But it seemed that was not the case.

At the beach party, compared with everyone else’s bold read the original at bailiantales.com openness, she seemed to only feel shy because of Yu Qingshi’s smile.

The desensitization that followed, one after another, instead seemed to make the embarrassment grow more intense.

Confusion naturally rose. Did desensitization really work?

Jiang Yuan had tossed and turned last night, never expecting that the Weibo post would actually be sent out directly.

The embarrassment and shame of losing face had nearly drowned her, but after the tide receded, it left behind an eye-catching, uncomfortable pink pearl.

That comment surfaced in her mind.

[Because you love her.]

One sentence woke the dreamer.

Those words were like dazzling light, piercing through layers of fog and nailing themselves into her heart.

They were also like an inner demon, lingering in her mind for a long time, making her unconsciously dodge Yu Qingshi’s kiss.

But she could not deceive herself.

Jiang Yuan let out a long breath and still refused to look away.

Why did she always blush?

It seemed there was an answer now.

She liked Yu Qingshi.

Joy flashed past.

The surging emotions in her chest were hard to hide, quickly flowing into all her limbs and bones.

Jiang Yuan unconsciously curved her lips, forming a smile.

She liked Yu Qingshi.

She liked Yu Qingshi.

She liked Yu Qingshi.

As she silently repeated this sentence in her heart, delight naturally flowed through her, making Jiang Yuan’s whole body soften.

However, before she could relax, even more helplessness struck. Thousands of thoughts instantly corroded her mind.

She was not from this world. She was not worthy of Yu Qingshi. The agreement between them…

Messy thoughts swarmed in, like thin cords wrapping tightly around her.

Her brows drew together, and the backlash of emotion swallowed her.

The person in her arms slept quietly, then suddenly burrowed downward, burying her face in Jiang Yuan’s chest.

Ever since the two began sleeping in each other’s arms, Yu Qingshi no longer burrowed under the blanket. Instead, she changed to muffling herself against Jiang Yuan’s chest.

Jiang Yuan reached out and dug her out a little, letting her get some air.

Yu Qingshi’s fingers moved unconsciously, clasping Jiang Yuan’s hand. Her palm contracted, holding her.

In sleep, the strength in her hand was loose, yet it still trapped Jiang Yuan firmly.

Jiang Yuan lowered her fingertips, turning it into a true interlocking of fingers.

She closed her eyes and finally entered dreamland.

＊

The sky was gray-black. The sun had not yet risen, and the moonlight was faint as it spilled into the room.

“Ding ding, ding ding.”

A hurried ringtone sounded, disturbing the person in her dream.

Jiang Yuan first covered Yu Qingshi’s ears, then reached out and found the phone on the bedside table.

She swiped to answer, and the voice by her ear immediately became noisy.

“Hello? Miss Yu, where are you right now? Please hurry to the hospital.”

This was Yu Qingshi’s phone.

At the mention of the hospital, Jiang Yuan woke up a little. She recognized the voice and quickly asked, “Doctor Lü, this is Jiang Yuan. Is something wrong?”

“……” The other side of the call fell silent for a few seconds, as if realizing only now that it was five in the morning.

Lü Zeqing scratched her head awkwardly. “Miss Jiang, sorry. I’m on night shift and forgot that you were all sleeping.”

“It’s okay. What happened?”

Lü Zeqing recovered and spoke seriously. “The report from the test you did at the hospital last time came out. The data changed!”

“The pheromone values and gland integrity are both improving!” She could barely hide her excitement, feeling as if she had glimpsed history. “I don’t dare guarantee anything, so Miss Yu may need to take another test.”

“Right, right, we can’t guarantee it, so let’s not tell Miss Yu yet.”

“It’s too late right now. I won’t disturb you anymore. Once it’s daylight, you must come to the hospital!”