Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 59

That feeling was very strange—as if her vision had been seized, her heart was gripped tightly, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Yet, the sensation wasn’t pain.

Xia Wanshuang resisted the urge to press her hand against her heart and offered Zhou Qinglang a congratulatory smile, even though she couldn’t see it clearly. Xia Wanshuang had never been in love, but she wasn’t foolish.

But how could that be? The person was the child she had raised. Her feeling this way was no different from being a pervert. Maybe it was just a fleeting illusion.

“Aaaah, Class Monitor, did you see that? Zhou Qinglang is so cool! Aaaah, if she were a boy, I’d totally be in love with her! I don’t know why she kissed her wrist, but she was so hot!” The Publicity Commissioner roared beside her, pulling Xia Wanshuang back to reality.

Maybe she was just admiring the moment, which is why she felt a sense of being struck in the heart. That’s perfectly normal, Xia Wanshuang thought, letting out a nearly inaudible sigh of relief.

After winning the game, the principal presented the awards backstage and heaped praise upon Zhou Qinglang.

Zhou Qinglang wore a smile but was mentally calculating what she should buy for Xia Wanshuang.

After the principal finished, the teenagers cheered. The substitutes, though they didn’t play, still received money and joined the celebration.

“Zhou Langlang, our great hero! Want to join us for a meal later?”

“I’m going to find my sister first.” Zhou Qinglang pushed Lin Qiushui’s hand away and headed toward the women’s changing room.

“I swear, you’d glue yourself to Wanshuang with Super Glue if you could, wouldn’t you?” Such a sister-complex!

“Yeah, you figured that out.”

“Fine, go, go. We’re going to our team dinner.”

Zhou Qinglang went to the women’s changing room, put a down jacket over her jersey, changed her pants, and happily walked toward the exit.

“Sister, we won! Was I awesome?”

Xia Wanshuang was waiting by the changing room door. Zhou Qinglang ran over, smiling, and gave Xia Wanshuang a hug.

“Awesome. Our Langlang is the very best.” Xia Wanshuang used her smile to hide her own discomfort.

Fortunately, she hid it well. The moment Zhou Qinglang ran over, Xia Wanshuang was suddenly aware that the child she watched grow up was truly grown.

“What do you want to eat, Sister? I’ll buy it for you.”

“You should keep it for yourself, buy a couple more outfits, or whatever else you like.”

“I like Sister the most, so I want to buy Sister the things she likes.” Zhou Qinglang confessed subtly, rubbing her cheek against Xia Wanshuang’s.

“This is prize money Langlang earned through hard work. Of course, you should spend it on yourself.”

Xia Wanshuang was preoccupied, the girl’s words making her feel even more flustered, prompting an instinctive refusal.

She’s heard these words countless times, so why do they feel awkward today? Even if a child grows up, they still have the right to freely express their affection.

“Everything I want, Sister has already given me. When I earn money, of course, I want to spend it on Sister. What’s wrong, Sister? You don’t seem very happy?”

“No, how could I not be happy that Langlang won the game? I’m just a little cold.” The child is just being filial; there’s really no need to reject her.

Normally, Xia Wanshuang might have suggested they go out to eat, but today, she only wanted to escape and reflect on her own inappropriate feelings.

“Then let’s go find a place to eat and have a hot drink to warm up.” Zhou Qinglang took Xia Wanshuang’s hand and led her outside.

The cold wind outside the gymnasium blew away all of Xia Wanshuang’s anxious thoughts.

She stopped dwelling on them, actively trying to forget, suppressing those emotions beneath the proud feeling of Zhou Qinglang winning the game. It was quite effective.

They went to a newly opened bubble tea shop next to the gymnasium. As they pushed the door open, the wind chimes jingled sweetly, and a wave of warm air carrying the scent of red beans washed over them, making them instantly relax.

“Hello, what can I get for you?” The proprietress, wearing an apron, greeted them with a welcoming smile.

After ordering hot drinks, Xia Wanshuang and Zhou Qinglang found a two-person table by the window and waited for their drinks.

“You should take a hot bath when we get home. Being hot and cold like that can’t be comfortable.” Zhou Qinglang had worked up a sweat playing basketball and then got hit by the cold wind. Xia Wanshuang was worried she might get sick.

“I’m fine, but Sister, do you know why I was able to score that three-pointer?”

“Because you’re amazing?”

“Because of this.” Zhou Qinglang held up her wristband and shook it in front of Xia Wanshuang.

“Oh? Because of the wristband?”

“Because of Sister! Sister gave me the strength, which is why I was able to perform exceptionally well.”

Is that why she kissed the wristband at the end? The feelings that had just been suppressed threatened to surge back up.

That gaze across the crowd seemed to be right in front of her again.

Xia Wanshuang pinched her palm, forcing herself to maintain a normal demeanor while responding to Zhou Qinglang.

“It was just your normal level of skill.”

Xia Wanshuang smiled back at Zhou Qinglang, and the atmosphere between them suddenly became quiet, much like the silent winter night outside the window.

“Hello, here are your hot drinks.” A clear voice sounded beside them.

Xia Wanshuang looked up and found the person familiar.

The wound on her forehead was covered with a cute, shaped band-aid, and her face had some color, making her look completely different from the person at school.

“Thank you.” Xia Wanshuang wasn’t sure if the girl wanted to acknowledge their connection, so she didn’t greet her rashly.

Zhou Qinglang also found the girl familiar and quickly recalled when she had seen her, her brow furrowing instinctively.

The aggressive side of her was the one she didn’t want Xia Wanshuang to see. She wanted to forever play the role of the good child in front of Xia Wanshuang.

Although she had only brushed past this girl in the hallway that day, Zhou Qinglang didn’t know if the girl had seen her.

The girl didn’t linger. She simply nodded at Xia Wanshuang and walked away with the tray.

“Sister, do you know her?” Zhou Qinglang immediately asked, glancing at the girl’s retreating back. If she knows her, will this person tell Sister what happened?

“Not really. She’s the girl who was being bullied. She’s also the one who warned me that those girls were planning to ambush me. But it’s fine; maybe those girls just didn’t get an opportunity.”

“Sister, are you interested in getting to know her?” Zhou Qinglang sensed the concern in Xia Wanshuang’s expression and grew a little anxious, but she kept her face composed, trying hard to conceal her true emotions. No one knew better than Zhou Qinglang how kind and soft-hearted Xia Wanshuang was.

She took her in when she was small, went out of her way to help those around her, never blindly kind, but willing to help anyone genuinely in need.

This kind of principled kindness had alleviated young Zhou Qinglang’s worries about being replaced or having another member join the family, but it failed to reassure the grown-up Zhou Qinglang.

She was like a wolf cub, selfishly monopolizing Xia Wanshuang’s warmth and wanting it to remain that way. That person was bullied; she must have been miserable. Sister always looks out for the weak.

“It’s not that I want to know her, I just hope she doesn’t have to face that kind of bullying anymore.”

“I see.”

That’s easy enough. Zhou Qinglang mentally nodded. She would go see those girls again and tell them not to bother this person anymore. That way, Sister wouldn’t worry about her. Mission accomplished.

••••

Zhou Qinglang was a person of swift action. She acted on her plan immediately. On Monday morning, she went to find the four girls again.

Wang Miao was absolutely furious internally, yet couldn’t lash out. Her face was only just recovering from the swelling, and she absolutely did not want to provoke this menace again.

“We didn’t go after your sister.” Wang Miao answered before Zhou Qinglang even spoke.

“I know. I’m here to tell you something else.”

“Please do.”

“That girl you were bullying the other day—you’re not to bully her again. No, actually, none of you are allowed to bully anyone at No. 1 High School from now on. Did you hear me?”

Zhou Qinglang felt that wasn’t enough. It was just a promise. What if the four of them just moved on to a new target, and that target ended up in front of Xia Wanshuang?

Wouldn’t her sister still feel worried? No. I need a permanent solution. I’ll cut off the root of the problem.

“If I find out you’re hitting or bullying people at No. 1 High School again, it won’t be as simple as a dislocated joint next time. Don’t even think about running to the teachers. You know what my grades are like. If there’s an incident, I can claim self-defense. Understand?”

Zhou Qinglang gave a genuinely malicious smile, her hands in her down jacket pockets, speaking as if in casual conversation.

The girls reluctantly exchanged glances and nodded.

Zhou Qinglang left after dropping the warning, not caring about their expressions.

She didn’t need to read their faces; she wasn’t asking for an opinion, she was issuing an order. If they weren’t satisfied, they could try to solve the problem their way. Confidence comes from strength.

Xia Wanshuang had taught her that since she was little.

In the stairwell, Zhou Qinglang saw the girl again. She didn’t linger on the sight, walking straight down, but then heard a voice from behind.

“Thank you.” The voice was clear, echoing in the stairwell.

“Looks like you enjoy eavesdropping.” Zhou Qinglang’s expression hardened. She turned around and looked up at the person. This was the first time she had properly looked at the girl.

The bandage on her forehead was the ordinary brown kind. Her bangs covered half her eyes. Her complexion and lips were pale, easily suggesting frailty, very different from how she looked at the bubble tea shop yesterday.

Very good at acting, Zhou Qinglang mentally noted.

“She doesn’t know you did all this.” Who ‘she’ was, they both knew.

“It has nothing to do with you.” Zhou Qinglang found the girl’s voice grating now.

“If I thank her, will she be angry with you?” The girl’s voice was very soft, and she had a smile on her face.

Zhou Qinglang’s hands, in her pockets, involuntarily clenched. Her gaze was icy. “You can try. Whether I help you or not is just a word away for me.”

If she were to go back and simply hint at it or allow it, this person would surely return to her former life, or worse.

“Then she would probably be even angrier, wouldn’t she? She is a very good person, after all.” The girl’s pale face showed a smile. She spoke these words but maintained a safe distance from Zhou Qinglang.

“Are you trying to threaten me?”

“How could I threaten you? You’re a very capable person, aren’t you? I’m different. I’m weak.” The girl’s face showed self-mockery. Though she was standing in the light, she seemed to be in shadow.

“I just want a little piece of her. Will you let me have a little, please?”