Chapter 23: A Blatant Secret Crush

Lin Yuran glanced at Chi Ye and followed Ye Hui.

Ye Hui stopped at a quiet corner and stared at Lin Yuran for a long while without saying a word.

“What is it?” Lin Yuran asked.

“It’s just…” Ye Hui’s voice was a little tense. “Yuran, there’s nothing going on between me and that girl just now. She was just excited to see me after a long time, so she got a bit overly affectionate.”

Why is he explaining all this to me?

Lin Yuran was a little dazed.

“Oh, I see.” She wasn’t quite sure how to respond and joked, “Your junior’s pretty cute. She looked thrilled to see you. Kinda seems like she likes you. You are not planning to give her a chance?”

“Knew you’d misunderstand,” Ye Hui sighed.

“Um… Yuran…” He scratched his head, hesitating.

Lin Yuran blinked at him.

Ye Hui hesitated for a long time before finally taking a deep breath. “Yuran, actually, I… I like you. Can I pursue you?”

!!

Lin Yuran froze, instinctively taking a step back.

“I’m sorry, Ye Hui,” she said softly. “I don’t think I can return your feelings.”

Ye Hui bit his lip hard. “I’m not asking for an answer now. I just want to try.”

After all these years of knowing him, Lin Yuran had never sensed this kind of feeling from Ye Hui. She’d always seen him as a regular friend. But the moment he confessed, her answer was already clear.

“Ye Hui, there’s no need to try. I don’t…” The rest felt too harsh. They’d been friends for so long, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it outright.

Ye Hui stared at her, his eyes slowly reddening.

A moment of silence passed between them.

Then Ye Hui gave a small nod, his voice slightly choked. “Got it.”

Lin Yuran looked up at him, apologetic. “I’m sorry, Ye Hui.”

He forced a smile, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. With a tinge of pleading, he said, “If we can’t be lovers, let’s not stop being friends, okay? Pretend I never confessed. Let’s go back to how we were. Please?”

Lin Yuran gave a dry laugh. “Okay.”

Ye Hui gave a bitter smile. “I’m holding an art exhibit over National Day. You have to come, alright?”

Lin Yuran nodded. “Sure.”

“I’ll send you the invite once the date’s set.”

“Alright.”

“If you need help with any classes, you can ask me.”

“Mm.”

“I’ll get going now.”

“Okay.”

Ye Hui turned and left in a near escape.

Lin Yuran let out a long breath, turned around, and walked toward Chi Ye, who was waiting in the distance.

Chi Ye stood outside the teaching building, the air around him colder than before. His aura was both dazzling and unapproachable, so much so that passing girls only dared steal glances at him from afar.

As Lin Yuran approached, Chi Ye silently watched her for a moment before asking, “Had a nice chat?”

“…?” She didn’t know how to respond.

She gave a half-hearted, “Mm.”

After a pause, Chi Ye asked again, “What did you talk about?”

Lin Yuran looked up at him.

To be honest, that was a bit of a boundary-crossing question, not like something he’d normally ask. But he did look genuinely curious.

She didn’t feel great about telling him she rejected Ye Hui. What if they ran into each other again? It would just make things awkward.

So she picked the most neutral part of the conversation. “Oh, Ye Hui’s hosting an art exhibition over National Day. He invited me to check it out.”

Chi Ye looked her straight in the eyes. “You said yes?”

Lin Yuran thought, Why wouldn’t I? If I said no, and Ye Hui cried, would you be the one comforting him?

“Mm.” She nodded.

“Where is he? Not joining us for dinner?”

“Oh, he had something else to do and left first.”

Chi Ye nudged a pebble with his foot and started walking. “Come on, let’s eat. Qin Lang and his girlfriend are already at the cafeteria waiting for us.”

“Oh.” Lin Yuran quickened her pace to catch up.

After walking side by side for a bit, she suddenly realized something. Chi Ye wasn’t here to see her off. He was here waiting for her. Like he was afraid she’d get lost.

She chuckled. “Chi Ye, you really think I’d get lost or something?”

He gave a quiet “Mm.”

She was just joking but she didn’t expect him to answer. His reply made her laugh. “Honestly, I’m not that bad with directions. I’m a pretty capable person, you know? Strong in all areas. I’m not one of those clueless girls who gets lost all the time. And besides, there’s GPS now.”

Chi Ye moved his lips, glanced at her twice, but said nothing.

Lin Yuran didn’t think much of it. She figured he was just in a bad mood and didn’t feel like talking.

They met up with Xu Jianwei and the others at the Ziqing Garden cafeteria for a meal. Afterward, since there weren’t any important classes in the afternoon, Xu Jianwei and Qin Lang planned to head home. Lin Yuran figured she’d use the free time to help settle her grandma into the nursing home affiliated with Chi Ye’s family. Once school picked up again, she might not have time.

Chi Ye had said they could go anytime.

The four of them headed to the parking lot. On the way, Lin Yuran suddenly felt a stomach cramp. She told the other three to go ahead as she needed to use the restroom. Chi Ye waited for her in the car.

Meanwhile, Xu Jianwei instructed Qin Lang to grab two big bags of clothes from her car and put them in the backseat of Chi Ye’s.

“Chi Ye, the seasons are changing soon, so I packed some fall clothes for Yuran. I was going to send them to her place, but since she’s going with you this afternoon, I’ll leave them in your car. It’s a lot, so once everything’s done, help drop her off.”

“Got it.” Chi Ye nodded. “You bought them?”

“Uh…” Xu Jianwei hesitated, then decided it wasn’t a big deal. “If I bought them, Yuran wouldn’t take them. They’re just clothes I don’t wear anymore.”

Chi Ye frowned slightly.

“Her mom and grandma both need money, and she’s putting herself through school too. She barely has any money left for herself, let alone clothes,” Xu Jianwei explained. “I have too many clothes anyway. Once I get tired of them, I pass them to her.”

After saying that, she realized it sounded kind of bad, so she added, “Hey, it’s not that I’m too cheap to buy new ones for her, alright? It’s just that Yuran’s super independent. If you buy her something, she’ll feel burdened and refuse to accept it.”

Qin Lang chimed in, “No wonder. I always thought her clothes looked a bit oversized. But paired with her calm, confident vibe, it gives off a kind of relaxed charm.”

“You sure know how to compliment,” Xu Jianwei rolled her eyes. “You calling me fat or what?”

Qin Lang quickly said, “No way, my girlfriend’s not fat.” He glanced at Chi Ye. “It’s Yuran who needs to gain a little weight.”

Xu Jianwei snapped, “Nonsense! My bestie’s got the best figure!”

Qin Lang choked. “Oh, so you’re the only one allowed to compliment her?”

Chi Ye added coolly, “You’ve got a girlfriend now. Outside, you’re supposed to be blind. Got it?”

Qin Lang: “D**n!”

Xu Jianwei burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Lin Yuran realized her period had come unexpectedly, as always. She wasn’t prepared.

She quickly texted Xu Jianwei:【You guys haven’t left yet, right?】

Xu Jianwei:【Already two kilometers out from campus.】

Lin Yuran:【Oh. Never mind then.】

No choice. Lin Yuran put on her skirt and planned to head to the campus convenience store.

Outside the bathroom, Chi Ye was waiting. She must’ve taken too long, and he’d come to check. Feeling a bit awkward, Lin Yuran said, “Uh, Chi Ye, can you wait a bit longer? I need to buy something.”

Chi Ye started walking with her. “I’ll go with you.”

“No, it’s fine…” She had barely taken two steps when she suddenly felt something leak. She stopped, unsure what to do.

Chi Ye noticed her strange behavior and immediately understood. “Go back to the restroom. I’ll buy it for you.”

“Huh?”

She wanted to ask if he even knew what to buy, but couldn’t get the words out. Chi Ye had already strode off toward the store. Flustered, she had no choice but to return to the bathroom.

Sitting inside, she remembered a similar incident back in high school. One night she’d snuck out to hang with Chi Ye. In the morning, she’d yawned her way into the bathroom. Chi Ye, just waking up on the other couch, glanced at her skirt, froze for two seconds, and quickly looked away.

Then he stood and said, “Lin Yuran, I’m going to grab something. Don’t wander off.”

She’d been confused. Why would he be afraid she’d wander? She only realized once in the bathroom that her period had come, and her skirt was stained. Just as she was panicking, there was a soft knock on the door. She peeked out, and Chi Ye handed her a black plastic bag.

Inside were two packs of sanitary pads. Her face burned.

Outside, he called out, “Breakfast is on the table. Eat while it’s hot. I’m going to use the other bathroom and head to class after.”

“Okay,” Lin Yuran called back, relieved.

She’d been so young then, just a girl embarrassed by a guy seeing that kind of thing. Thank goodness he’d left first.

After washing up, she came out to find breakfast and a steaming cup of brown sugar water on the table. Chi Ye’s school jacket lay on the couch, left behind. The bloodstain on her skirt wouldn’t come out no matter how she scrubbed. With class starting, she had no choice but to wear Chi Ye’s jacket. It was big enough to cover the mess.

Suddenly, a girl’s voice called from outside, “Lin Yuran?”

“In here,” she replied from the stall.

Then someone knocked on the door and passed her a black plastic bag through the crack. “Your boyfriend gave you this.”

Lin Yuran blinked and took it. “Thanks.”

Inside were two packs of sanitary pads and Chi Ye’s black shirt. She wasn’t as embarrassed as she’d been back in school. Instead, her heart felt warm.

Earlier, when she’d rushed out and come back again, some bl00d had leaked onto her skirt. She tied Chi Ye’s shirt around her waist to cover it. When she came out again, Chi Ye wasn’t waiting outside. But she understood that quiet understanding between them. So she headed straight to the parking lot.

Chi Ye wasn’t in the car. He was leaning against the door, waiting.

She walked over. He said, “Xu Jianwei brought you some clothes. See if there’s a pair of pants you can change into.”

“Oh.”

There definitely were. She’d been wondering where to change, but once she got in the car, she saw Chi Ye had already covered the back seat with a privacy screen. The car windows were tinted, too, and no one could see in.

She smiled a little and pulled out a pair of jeans to change into. Afterward, she stepped out.

Chi Ye leaned against the front of the car, chewing a lollipop and staring straight ahead like a perfect gentleman. Lin Yuran almost laughed.

Hearing her, Chi Ye turned and asked, “Still hurting?”

She shook her head. “Just a little.”

He tilted his chin toward the passenger seat. She got in. He sat in the driver’s seat and handed her a cup of brown sugar water from the cup holder. “It’s been sitting a while. Drink it while it’s warm.”

“Okay.” Lin Yuran took it and sipped it slowly.

She wasn’t sure if the warmth came from the drink or from inside her. But somehow, the pain seemed to fade away.

……

T/N: If someone would kindly do that to me every time I get mine, I would be real thankful