Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 52

The System was in hibernation, and Xia Wanshuang had nowhere to voice her suspicion, so she temporarily kept it to herself.

They ate for a long time, and after dinner, they each headed home.

Xia Wanshuang had ridden her bike, and on the way back, Zhou Qinglang sat in front.

“The wind is strong tonight, I’ll ride.”

Xia Wanshuang sighed internally at her daughter’s thoughtfulness.

She sat on the back seat, wrapping her arms around Zhou Qinglang’s waist.

The girl’s waist was slender, and due to exercise, it wasn’t soft, but felt firm and comfortable.

Xia Wanshuang leaned her head against Zhou Qinglang’s back, waiting for the bike to start.

Even the cool wind couldn’t extinguish the heat in Zhou Qinglang’s cheeks.

The contact on her back was soft, and Zhou Qinglang could even outline the shape in her mind.

In the month since realizing her feelings, Zhou Qinglang had been in torment.

She finally understood how a single touch or a hug could make her heart race.

Yet, Xia Wanshuang was completely unguarded around her, even affectionate, which was both sweet and agonizing.

It was a good thing Xia Wanshuang had suggested separate rooms; otherwise, with her sleeping beside her every night, Zhou Qinglang didn’t know when she might lose her mind and do something reckless.

When they got home, Lin Qiushui called them.

The idea of skipping school tomorrow wasn’t a whim; he was serious.

Xia Wanshuang and Zhou Qinglang didn’t overthink it and agreed.

When Xia Wanshuang hung up the phone, she paid attention to Zhou Qinglang’s expression, linking it to her demeanor during dinner.

She felt something was odd.

It shouldn’t be this way.

Langlang doesn’t look sad at all.

This wasn’t the normal reaction of a teenager experiencing her first crush!

“Langlang, Tianhang is leaving. Are you going to miss him very much?”

Xia Wanshuang asked tentatively, trying to find a hint of sadness on Zhou Qinglang’s face.

“Huh? Not really. Friends don’t have to stay together forever. Are you going to miss him, Sister?”

Zhou Qinglang immediately grew wary.

Even though she knew it was impossible for Xia Wanshuang to have any feelings for Zhao Tianhang, Zhou Qinglang simply didn’t want anyone else distracting Xia Wanshuang, not even Zhao Tianhang.

Xia Wanshuang’s mood became a little subtle.

Was I wrong?

But how could she be?

A month ago, on the day they went rafting, on that hotel balcony, she clearly saw Zhao Tianhang tucking Zhou Qinglang’s hair back.

That was an overly intimate gesture.

Could she have truly misinterpreted it?

“We grew up together, he’s a friend. It’s natural to feel a little sad,” Xia Wanshuang offered as an excuse.

She didn’t press Zhou Qinglang further and instead tried to gently probe Zhao Tianhang via text.

Xia Wanshuang didn’t directly ask about his feelings for Zhou Qinglang, as that would be too sudden and easily detected.

Since Lin Qiushui had a crush, Xia Wanshuang used that as a pretext to ask Zhao Tianhang if he had someone he liked.

Zhao Tianhang was straightforward, sending back two words: “I don’t.”

“He doesn’t?” Xia Wanshuang murmured.

Was I mistaken then?

Perhaps it really was just a brotherly gesture.

Zhao Tianhang wouldn’t lie to her, nor would he need to, Xia Wanshuang knew.

But she didn’t know what those two words meant to Zhao Tianhang on the other end of the phone.

They signaled the quiet, natural end of an unrequited love.

It was like a withered leaf in autumn, spinning as it fell to the ground, disturbing no one, silently, silently rotting away.

Zhao Tianhang looked at those two words on the screen and closed his eyes.

Xia Wanshuang wasn’t overly concerned about her misunderstanding.

She thought it was probably for the best.

They were still kids; their destined relationships still lay ahead, with infinite possibilities.

••••

The news of Zhao Tianhang, the top student, transferring schools shattered the hearts of many girls at No. 1 High School.

They wanted to know why but soon learned that all of Zhao Tianhang’s close friends had also taken the day off.

Xia Wanshuang and the others were walking toward their old Experimental Elementary School.

The four of them had been to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school.

It was possible they might even attend university in the same city.

“It’s been so long since we were back here. Time flies so fast,” Lin Qiushui lamented, looking at the street views and the familiar gate of the elementary school.

He looked at his friends, who were now young adults, and felt the swift passage of time.

“It really does fly,” Xia Wanshuang recalled a few years ago when these children were still toddlers.

In the blink of an eye, they were all grown up.

Back then, she had just transmigrated and was struggling just to make ends meet.

Classes were in session at the elementary school, and the streets were quiet, with even the breakfast shops packing up.

The four of them walked along the street, reminiscing about the past—from elementary school to middle school, visiting their favorite restaurant, and the karaoke place they frequented.

The streets and alleys of Tongli were filled with their shared memories.

“I still remember right there, I helped Little Vinegar Pot put a sack over someone’s head. And Zhao Tianhang even handed me the sack!”

Lin Qiushui pointed at a street corner, sighing with emotion.

“A sack? What for?”

Xia Wanshuang was confused.

Why didn’t she know about this?

Zhou Qinglang was about to kick Lin Qiushui.

Why bring that up?

“Ah, you know how we used to pick up trash? It was on this street. Zhao Tianhang was the one who got the trash bag, the snakeskin one,” Lin Qiushui realized his slip-up and quickly covered it up with an earnest lie.

The sack incident happened in the second year of middle school.

That year, a creep was harassing Xia Wanshuang.

The three teenagers—Zhou Qinglang, Lin Qiushui, and Zhao Tianhang—had worked together to catch him, beat him up, and warn him off, all without Xia Wanshuang’s knowledge, to protect her from worry and disgust.

“Really? When did you guys go collecting trash here?”

Xia Wanshuang looked suspicious, feeling they were hiding something.

“The school had that bottle-collecting event, remember? Sister, you must have forgotten,” Zhou Qinglang jumped in, terrified that Lin Qiushui would say something else he shouldn’t.

Zhou Qinglang had also picked up trash for a completely different reason: to earn money for a birthday gift for Xia Wanshuang, refusing to use Xia Wanshuang’s own money for the present.

The four of them walked from dawn until dusk.

For dinner, they went to that incredibly expensive but delicious private restaurant.

They decided to split the bill, though Xia Wanshuang still had to pay for two.

In Lin Qiushui’s words, money made the memory unforgettable.

Lin Qiushui even ordered alcohol—not beer, but a fruit wine that was mellow, sweet, and had a lasting kick.

Xia Wanshuang didn’t stop them but didn’t drink much herself.

Lin Qiushui drank the most, and when the alcohol hit him, he hugged Zhao Tianhang and shed a few manly tears.

“We’re going to see each other again. Why are you so sad?”

Zhao Tianhang patted Lin Qiushui’s shoulder, looking at his red eyes.

“I was feeling pretty sad, but with you crying like that, Lin Qiushui, I want to laugh.”

Zhou Qinglang had been feeling profound sadness, but seeing Lin Qiushui’s near-snot-running face made her chuckle.

“Little Vinegar Pot, what do you know? This is my best brother.”

Lin Qiushui genuinely cared for Zhao Tianhang, seeing him as family.

Zhou Qinglang thought that perhaps this deep, open affection was exactly why Zhao Tianhang couldn’t bring himself to do anything about his feelings.

Xia Wanshuang handed Lin Qiushui a tissue.

She was about to say something, but her phone rang.

It was the screenwriter for “Taoyuan.”

“I need to take this call.”

Xia Wanshuang pushed the door to the private room and stepped out.

Zhao Tianhang wiped Lin Qiushui’s tears with a tissue.

When Lin Qiushui stopped crying, Zhao Tianhang went to the restroom.

Only Zhou Qinglang and Lin Qiushui were left in the room.

Lin Qiushui’s eyes were half-closed, looking intoxicated.

He was mumbling incoherently.

Zhou Qinglang leaned in and heard Lin Qiushui asking why Zhao Tianhang, being such a good person, didn’t like girls.

Zhou Qinglang was startled.

“Lin Qiushui, you know Zhao Tianhang likes men?”

Lin Qiushui was shocked and instinctively reacted violently, clamping his hand over Zhou Qinglang’s mouth.

His grip was surprisingly strong, and it took Zhou Qinglang a moment to pry his hand away.

“What are you talking about… ah… Little Vinegar Pot…” Lin Qiushui squinted.

He had initially tried to deny it, but relaxed when he saw it was Zhou Qinglang.

He cautiously looked around the room and carefully leaned closer to Zhou Qinglang.

“Shh, don’t tell anyone.”

“How did you find out?”

Zhou Qinglang asked, her expression probing.

She needed to know if Lin Qiushui was truly clueless or just pretending.

“He sounded me out before. I’m so smart; how could I not guess? But I’m telling you, he’s my brother… whether he likes men or women, he’s still my brother. It’s not a sickness. Listen to me, don’t believe all those rumors that being gay is a sickness. It’s not a sickness.”

Lin Qiushui spoke haltingly, his words slurring, his finger pointing wildly.

“You’re not smart at all. You’re the biggest idiot in the world.”

This big idiot didn’t realize Zhao Tianhang loved him, yet he still defended Zhao Tianhang.

Zhou Qinglang was momentarily conflicted, wondering if Zhao Tianhang’s crush on such a person was a blessing or a misfortune.

However, regardless of blessing or misfortune, it was over after tonight.

••••

Xia Wanshuang finished her call and ran into Zhao Tianhang, who was coming out of the restroom.

Zhao Tianhang looked at her, seemingly with something to say.

“What is it?”

Xia Wanshuang put her phone in her pocket, waiting for Zhao Tianhang to speak.

“Nothing.”

Zhao Tianhang gave Xia Wanshuang a deep look, but still said nothing.

Zhao Tianhang raised his hand and gave Xia Wanshuang a hug.

“Shuangshuang, you have to be well.”

Zhao Tianhang gently patted Xia Wanshuang’s back.

Everything was left unsaid.

“Mhm, you too. You must be happy.”

Xia Wanshuang didn’t see the complex emotions in Zhao Tianhang’s eyes, mistaking it for a teenager’s reluctance to part with a friend.

When Xia Wanshuang returned to the room, Lin Qiushui was sprawled on the sofa, unconscious.

Zhou Qinglang was eating and stopped with her chopsticks when Xia Wanshuang entered.

“Qiushui is out already? We’re only halfway through dinner.”

Xia Wanshuang helped Lin Qiushui sit up, noticing he was mumbling against the sofa, but his voice was too low to understand.

“I couldn’t help it. He was too emotional and just kept drinking instead of eating,” Zhou Qinglang explained, spreading her hands.

Lin Qiushui had gestured wildly for a while, then just collapsed.

Since Lin Qiushui was out, Xia Wanshuang and the others sped up their eating.

When they were finished, Zhao Tianhang helped Lin Qiushui, and the four of them went downstairs.

Xia Wanshuang went to pay the bill first.

After she paid, Lin Qiushui and Zhao Tianhang gave her their share of the money.

Zhao Tianhang, supporting Lin Qiushui, waited downstairs with Zhou Qinglang for Lin Qiushui’s driver to arrive.

In the night wind, Zhou Qinglang told Zhao Tianhang everything Lin Qiushui had said while drunk.

Zhao Tianhang’s expression showed no surprise.

He merely looked at Lin Qiushui’s face and sighed softly.

“Zhou Qinglang,” Zhao Tianhang called her by her full name.

Although Zhou Qinglang never called him “Brother,” he always called her “Langlang” or “Little Sister.”

Now that Zhou Qinglang was older, he usually called her “Langlang,” but only used her full name when he was serious.

“Life isn’t always perfect. The strongest things break most easily. Do you understand?”

Zhao Tianhang knew Zhou Qinglang’s nature and was occasionally alarmed by the intensity of her feelings.

He, too, had a stubborn streak, but he never indulged it.

Reason constantly reminded him of what he could and couldn’t do.

Coupled with his mother’s lifelong guidance, Zhao Tianhang was fundamentally a gentleman.

However, he didn’t think Zhou Qinglang could exercise the same self-control.

He was worried that Xia Wanshuang might get hurt.

“Are you warning me?”

The girl’s voice was pitched high at the end.

Her eyes were pitch black, like thick ink, melting into the night.

“Zhao Tianhang, I’m not you, and Xia Wanshuang isn’t Lin Qiushui.”

The streetlight illuminated her side, like a sharp blade piercing the night sky, lighting up her eyes.

The light radiating from them was like a silver vase suddenly shattering or the dawn breaking—filled with the girl’s defiant boldness, courage, and determination.

Every moment she was a homeless waif, Zhou Qinglang wished for someone to pull her up.

She wished for it day in and day out, year after year, until she eventually gave up hope.

But then, someone appeared like a goddess and gave her everything she wished for, everything she hadn’t dared to dream of.

“Life is never perfect. Then I will force it to be perfect.”

To the world, she was just an ordinary girl.

She didn’t have the grand ambition to slay dragons or the chivalrous heart of a hero. She only had the desperate, all-or-nothing determination to be with the one she loved.