I Heard I'm a Hearthrob - Chapter 2

Qiu Shuang had no particular thoughts about Song Ya’s decision, nor could she afford to. After all, in the eyes of their parents, they were supposed to be “sisterly blossoms.”

Tucked under the covers, Qiu Shuang began pondering her future. She didn’t know what it held, or even what kind of life she truly yearned for. For her, living in the present was enough. It would be even better if the incessantly chattering person beside her were no longer in her life.

Song Ya clung tightly to Qiu Shuang, burying her face in the crook of her neck, muttering something under her breath.

“Don’t like her anymore… like me instead, okay?”

Seeing Qiu Shuang lying motionless, seemingly fast asleep, Song Ya sighed and reached for her phone.

So what if Chen Wanjun is beautiful and accomplished? Even if you brought her home, you couldn’t keep her. She still ended up in my bed. The thought filled Song Ya with smug satisfaction.

She snapped a photo of herself and Qiu Shuang lying together and sent it to someone.

Lying in bed, Chen Wanjun was still pondering the major decisions in her life when a notification popped up on her phone, leaving her momentarily bewildered. She clicked it open to find a message from Song Ya—that dead woman. They had never gotten along; they were practically born enemies.

Seeing Song Ya’s smug expression after opening the message only fueled Chen Wanjun’s anger.

Dressing Shuangshuang in such a tacky cartoon pajama set? If it were me, I’d make her wear…

The thought was ruthlessly suppressed as soon as it surfaced. Get a grip, Wan Jun! What am I even thinking? I’ve already driven her away; I need to make a clean break.

Chen Wanjun lay awake all night, staring at the ceiling. She was earnestly grappling with some fundamental questions. As a perennial top student, she was naturally smarter than most and understood the role of hormones.

From a scientific perspective, today’s events proved one thing: she seemed to genuinely like Qiu Shuang, or at least her body was very receptive to her. However, according to societal norms, relationships were traditionally between men and women, which meant she couldn’t be with Qiu Shuang.

The combination of men and women is the natural order, and the “s3x appeal” of heterosexual relationships far surpasses that of same-s3x ones.

How should one choose between dreams and love?

Chen Wanjun didn’t know. After that, she blocked Qiu Shuang.

Song Ya stared at the message on her phone, but the other party remained silent. She tossed her phone aside, wrapped her arms around Qiu Shuang, and drifted into a sweet dream. She missed the moment when the person in her arms opened her eyes and whispered,

“Disgusting.”

Back then, they were both too young, mistaking fleeting moments for eternity, never realizing that true, pure beauty had long vanished into the past.

September’s golden autumn marked the arrival of a new cohort of university freshmen, symbolizing their first step into society as they officially entered the campus.

A young woman stood at the school gate, her face etched with worry, clutching her luggage. Passersby couldn’t help but glance back at her—she possessed an extraordinarily beautiful face, yet her outfit was so hopelessly outdated it looked like children’s clothing.

Qiu Shuang stared at the red exclamation mark on her phone screen, indicating the message that would never be sent, and said nothing.

A sudden phone call made Qiu Shuang frown at the caller ID: Song Ya. Muscle memory compelled her to answer immediately.

“It’s me, Ya Ya. What happened with registration today?”

Song Ya’s voice came through the line.

Qiu Shuang was accustomed to Song Ya’s directness, sensing nothing unusual. She didn’t reply, waiting for the next question.

“I just heard Chen Wanjun blocked you. What happened?”

Qiu Shuang paused, raised an eyebrow, and replied, “…I don’t know. Maybe it’s because of those rumors. Ya Ya, which university did you get into?”

“Me? You still don’t know? You haven’t even checked my WeChat! Xx Dance Academy! We’re in the same city now, so we can hang out like best friends again!”

Hearing Song Ya’s cheerful laughter on the other end of the line, Qiu Shuang said nothing, only feeling a wave of nausea.

She dismissed Song Ya’s sudden change in personality as insignificant. The girl had perfected the art of cosplaying the “best friend” role. Qiu Shuang had arrived at the dorm early to organize her belongings, hoping to avoid Song Ya’s offer to help move her luggage.

When Qiu Shuang glanced at the opposite bed, she was surprised. She thought she had arrived early, but someone had already beaten her to it.

Halfway through organizing her belongings, her roommate—who had checked in earlier but hadn’t been seen since—returned. The moment the other girl stepped into the room, Qiu Shuang’s eyes lit up. The newcomer exuded an aloof, icy aura that Qiu Shuang found strangely appealing. It wasn’t that she was a masochist; she simply preferred people who didn’t talk much. Perfect, she thought, we can just live our own lives in the dorm.

She was currently terrified of talking to people.

“Chen Jining, Psychiatry,” the roommate introduced herself.

Qiu Shuang nodded, surprised that their majors differed. Maybe I’m the odd one out, she reasoned, so they put me with someone from another department.

“Qiu Shuang, Finance.”

Chen Jining studied the aloof girl before her. She seems to have suffered some psychological trauma, she thought. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be reacting this way since entering the room.

Chen Jining had been struggling to research and study from textbooks. Now, in a way, she was getting an early internship…

Qiu Shuang lay on her bed, closing her eyes to rest. She paid no attention to her so-called roommate; as long as they kept to themselves, that was enough, especially since they weren’t even in the same major.

In her drowsy state, she seemed to dream of the past.

Go for it on the college entrance exam!

The red banner stretched across the back of the classroom. The blackboard displayed a countdown, each day marking one less day until the exam. Everyone was scribbling furiously, striving for good grades. Only Qiu Shuang was different. Seated by the window, she gazed blankly outside, watching younger students running freely across the schoolyard.

In the sunlight, her reflection appeared in the glass: a beautiful girl with peach-blossom eyes, thin cherry lips, and a smooth, high-bridged nose. When she smiled, two sweet dimples appeared, yet the slight downturn of her lips carried a hint of melancholy, evoking both tenderness and a fragile, ethereal quality.

“What’s wrong, Shuangshuang?”

Her deskmate’s voice snapped her wandering thoughts back to reality.

“Nothing, Lu Chen…”

Qiu Shuang felt fortunate. Her deskmate was not only a top student but also exceptionally kind. Still, she couldn’t stop wondering why Wan Jun had suddenly stopped replying to her messages.

Lu Chen smiled at Qiu Shuang, who claimed nothing was wrong but was still lost in thought. Her good deskmate had always been like this: five days a week devoted to studying, the rest spent half-heartedly. Fortunately, nature had blessed her with a sharp mind, sparing her from scolding.

“Alright, the college entrance exams are coming up. You should focus more.”

Qiu Shuang turned to look at Lu Chen. Lu Chen was a tall, slender girl with a gentle demeanor and fair skin. She exuded an air of intelligence. Qiu Shuang cherished Lu Chen’s warmth and boundless understanding, that comforting intimacy that felt like coming home.

“Okay…”

So, when did everything start to change?

Qiu Shuang felt like she might be broken. Why did she always smile inexplicably when thinking about Lu Chen? Why did she constantly crave closeness with her? After extensive research, Qiu Shuang realized a painful truth: she had fallen for her “friend.”

Qiu Shuang wasn’t entirely clear about how becoming a lesbian would affect her life. She simply decided to do it and did it. Gazing at the faint white scars on her arm, she remained silent.

During their school days, Qiu Shuang, Chen Wanjun, and Song Ya had been the best of friends, like a trio of wild girls. Geometry might suggest that a triangle is the most stable shape, but reality often defies such ideals.

As Qiu Shuang put it, two people were like wolves claiming their territory in the wilderness. Standing between them, she ended up being disliked by both, at least in certain moments when they would unite against her.

On the small street outside the school gate, Chen Wanjun complained about Song Ya’s ill intentions while scolding Qiu Shuang.

“Why are you eating this junk food again? The college entrance exams are right around the corner! Aren’t you worried about getting sick?”

“But it tastes so good…”

“Hmph! What’s more important? Don’t you know that?”

Seeing Chen Wanjun’s expression turn icy, Qiu Shuang hastily tossed the remaining half of her grilled cold noodles into the trash to avoid another lecture.

“Fine, I’m not eating it anymore.”

Only then did Chen Wanjun crack a satisfied smile, resuming her lecture about Song Ya.

“Honestly, with all her money, why are you even hanging out with her? If she doesn’t get in this year, she can just try again next year. How many ‘next years’ do you have to waste, do you even realize that?”

“Okay, I get it…”

But will she ever let me go? Qiu Shuang wondered, staring into the distant, blurry horizon.

“I advise you to focus on studying. Get a few more points on the exam, and you might get into a better school, study a better major…”

As Chen Wanjun earnestly continued her “well-meaning” lecture, Qiu Shuang’s thoughts drifted far away. She wasn’t thinking about her future; her gaze gradually returned to Chen Wanjun.

Chen Wanjun was undeniably beautiful—strikingly so. If not for that beauty, Qiu Shuang thought, I doubt I could have stayed by her side for so long.

Qiu Shuang looked at Chen Wanjun. Chen Wanjun possessed a striking, assertive beauty, unlike Qiu Shuang’s fragile, ethereal charm. Her mother hailed from a distant region, perhaps a mixed heritage spanning half of China, giving her features distinctly different from the local populace: a high, straight nose, deep-set eyes, and long, delicate lashes. Chen Wanjun gazed earnestly at Qiu Shuang, delivering her grand pronouncements.

After lecturing for some time, Chen Wanjun realized Qiu Shuang wasn’t even paying attention. Irritated, she tapped Qiu Shuang’s shoulder.

“What are you looking at?”

“You’re very beautiful.”

“……”

Chen Wanjun’s anger instantly dissipated at the compliment. She turned and walked away.

The setting sun cast long, stretching shadows of the two girls as they moved further apart. Beneath a nearby tree, Song Ya stood silently, watching them leave. Her fists clenched tightly, leaving crescent-shaped marks on her palms when she finally released them.

“So you chose her?”