Today I Will Also Be the Male Protagonist’s Rival - Chapter 60

11 p.m.

Su Yu dragged her exhausted body home.

Although her body was used to the car, her instincts still feared it—especially when looking out the window, where she could see the deep, dark mountain valley below.

After the competition, she went to play another round.

Her grudge with Fang Lei was pretty much resolved. In front of so many people, he had agreed to make peace and wouldn’t have the face to go back on it.

After taking a shower, the warm water eased her lingering discomfort.

She rubbed her hair as she stepped out of the bathroom, barefoot, and went to the living room without drying it.

Su Yu pulled a bucket of instant noodles from the fridge and went to the kitchen to make it. After shaking the kettle a bit, she found it completely empty.

She smiled helplessly, only then realizing that for the past while, she’d only been drinking bottled water or soda—of course there wouldn’t be any hot water.

Forget it.

She sighed, broke the noodles into pieces and ate them dry—at least it filled her stomach a little.

She had been drinking all night, vomiting a lot as well. Everything she had eaten had come back up, and now, the hunger was unbearable.

Ding-a-ling-ling.

Her phone rang.

Su Yu picked up the call with one hand while holding her instant noodles in the other.

Caller ID: Huo Huo Baby.

She sat up straight, her voice softening. “Hello…”

On the other end, the girl cut her off. “Where are you?”

“I’m at home.”

“Address.”

Su Yu paused for a second, half-guessing what this was about but still not daring to believe it. She gave the address, and even after the other party hung up, she still hadn’t come back to her senses.

No way…

It couldn’t be, right? It was already so late.

She glanced at the time and shook her head slightly.

It was way too late. Aunt Huo wouldn’t let her out this late. So… was she trying to buy something for her?

She thought about it but couldn’t figure it out, so she gave up. Her stomach was still growling.

Half an hour later

Ding-dong!

The doorbell rang.

“Who…”

Outside the door, a soft girl’s voice called, “It’s me.”

Su Yu froze.

Huo Shu?

She jumped up and grabbed the cold doorknob, opening the door.

The girl put away her umbrella and shook off the raindrops. She looked up with a hint of complaint and acted coy, “What kind of place do you live in? It was so hard to find. I just biked around forever before I finally found this apartment complex.”

Su Yu’s eyes widened, and for once she stuttered, “You… why did you come?”

“I promised you, didn’t I? I couldn’t let you spend National Day alone. That’d be too lonely.”

Huo Shu grabbed her hand and looked up with a smile. “I sneaked out after my mom fell asleep to come find you. Um…”

She paused, her cheeks flushing pink. “I’ll just stay one night. I’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”

Su Yu looked at her, feeling a strange ache in her chest. She raised a hand and caressed her cheek. “Silly girl, can’t you think about yourself for once?”

This silly girl actually ran out so late just to find her.

She didn’t even dare to imagine—if something had happened on the way, what would she do?

“All right, I get it.”

Huo Shu stuck out her tongue and ducked under Su Yu’s arm into the house, humming softly, “It’s freezing outside, and you don’t even feel sorry for me.”

Su Yu closed the door and called after her, “Stop.”

Huo Shu froze mid-crouch and pouted. “What?”

“Come here.”

Huo Shu let out an “Oh” and slowly walked back over.

Su Yu ruffled her long hair and pulled her straight into her arms.

As she spoke, her breath was warm and fell directly onto Huo Shu’s skin, making her shiver. Her fair skin instantly flushed pink.

“Don’t be like this…”

Huo Shu’s face turned red, and she squirmed slightly.

“Huo Huo, let me hold you. Just once.”

Su Yu buried her face in her neck, trembling slightly.

Sensing her unease, Huo Shu wrinkled her nose and obediently let her hug her.

“Just once, okay?”

Su Yu held her tightly, her voice low and trembling. “Huo Huo, don’t be so obedient in the future.”

Too obedient, and people would start to take it for granted.

What if, one day, she accidentally hurt this girl because of her own carelessness?

At that thought, she hugged even tighter. Because of her trembling, her lips accidentally brushed against Huo Shu’s neck.

Huo Shu shivered and whispered, head tilted back, “Su Yu, I think you’re being a pervert, and I have evidence.”

Su Yu snapped out of it. That moment of sorrow vanished. She laughed softly and pinched her nose. “Little grump.”

Huo Shu glared at her, puffed up with anger. “If you keep this up, I won’t let you hug me anymore.”

“All right, all right.”

Su Yu gave in, reaching out to poke her puffed-up cheek with a soft smile. “Huo Huo baby, do you know what you look like right now?”

“Huh?”

The girl looked up in confusion, her round eyes wide open—she looked exactly like a grape.

“A little river pufferfish!”

Su Yu tapped her nose. “Silly girl, you’re freezing. Go take a shower.”

Huo Shu stuck out her tongue and clung to her arm, whining, “Wait a bit.”

“Hurry up!”

“No.”

Su Yu raised an eyebrow, giving her a meaningful look. “So you want me to help you wash?”

“I do not!”

The girl screamed and fled in panic.

Su Yu curled her lips into a smile, sat down, and listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom. Her heart, oddly, settled.

She really hadn’t expected Huo Shu to come.

At this hour, she had thought the girl would be asleep—but in reality, she was still thinking about her.

Worried that she’d be lonely during the holiday, she’d run over from home just for her.

That kind of gesture was… adorably foolish.

“Su Yu…”

She snapped out of her daze. “Huh?”

“Do you have any clothes?”

The young girl poked her head out from the bathroom, her fair cheeks flushed pink. “My clothes accidentally got wet just now.”

Su Yu didn’t tease her. She found a bath towel from the bedroom and handed it to her.

At twelve thirty, Huo Shu came out of the bathroom. Her little face was flushed, and she was wearing a black nightdress with a large towel wrapped around her. Her slender white legs were straight and dazzling to the eyes.

She blushed and sat down on the sofa.

Across from her, the girl was flipping through a book with her legs crossed. Her features were slightly sharp, giving off a cool impression, but it couldn’t hide her refined beauty. Her messy short hair rested on her shoulders, and paired with a gray camisole, she exuded a lazy, casual air.

Huo Shu felt a bit nervous, inexplicably getting the illusion that she was walking right into being bullied.

“Hoo…”

She exhaled and fanned herself.

Su Yu leaned in and asked with a teasing smile, “Huo Huo baby, are you feeling hot?”

Huo Shu was startled and quickly waved her hands. “No…”

Su Yu nodded casually, yawned, and pulled her in. “It’s late. Let’s sleep.”

S-Sleep?

Huo Shu’s body stiffened, and she stammered, “Um… is there another room?”

“I… I can sleep somewhere else.”

Su Yu held her a bit tighter and replied offhandedly, “There’s no space.”

“What about that one?”

“Oh, that’s the storage room.”

Still unconvinced, Huo Shu pointed toward another room. “Then… that one…”

“The study.”

“Then…”

The young girl raised her finger, but before she could point again, Su Yu grabbed her hand and pulled her straight into the bedroom. With a loud “bang,” the door closed behind them.

Huo Shu trembled slightly. Her cheeks turned red—part embarrassment, part frustration. “You… you…”

“What are you thinking?”

Su Yu flicked her forehead. “You’re not sleepy?”

“Huh?”

“Come here, let me hug you.”

Once they got into bed, the girl hugged her, and not long after, soft breathing could be heard.

Huo Shu blinked at her red face.

She’s… actually asleep?

So it really was just sleeping.

Relieved, she also felt a trace of inexplicable disappointment.

This conflicting feeling lingered. She didn’t dare move, worried about waking her. After a while of overthinking, she eventually fell asleep too.

At five thirty in the morning, the alarm went off.

Huo Shu instantly woke up, quietly got out of bed, and turned it off.

This was the time she needed to go back; otherwise, her mom would wake up soon.

The girl was still sleeping, and she looked especially beautiful while asleep—clean and soft, with all her usual aloofness gone.

Huo Shu unconsciously smiled and reached out to trace her eyebrows and features.

So pretty.

She paused, and her finger moved downward.

Her lips were pretty too—a light pink, a moist and delicate pink that made one… really want to kiss them.

Huo Shu cupped her face in her hands and slowly leaned in.

But just as she was about to kiss her, she blushed and turned her face away.

Su Yu… her presence is so overwhelming. Even asleep, she gives off an air that makes it hard to act boldly.

“Such a coward.”

She tapped her own head, embarrassed.

“Just… just a little kiss. Kiss and then leave. Come on, Huo Huo, you got this.”

Clenching her fists, Huo Shu gave herself a pep talk and slowly leaned down again.

“You like me that much?”

A teasing voice suddenly rang out.

Huo Shu froze in shock, and in that moment, her lips brushed the corner of Su Yu’s.

Before she could react, the world spun, and she found herself pinned underneath.

The girl looked down at her from above. With her slender fingers, she tugged at Huo Shu’s camisole, smiling seductively. “Huo Huo baby, if you like me, just say it. I’ll gladly oblige.”

Huo Shu was utterly flustered. She turned her head away, ears red. “What nonsense are you saying? I… I don’t!”

“You don’t like me?”

Su Yu chuckled softly and tilted her head. “Then are you toying with my feelings?”

“No way!”

Blushing, Huo Shu hurriedly denied it and pushed her. “Get up. I have to go home. My mom will wake up soon.”

Su Yu let her go. “I’ll take you back.”

“No need, I’ll go on my own.”

Huo Shu shook her head. “I rode my bike out last night. I left a note for my mom saying I got up early to go buy something.”

“If you take me back, you’ll give me away.”

“At least let me take you to the end of the street, okay?”

Su Yu glanced out the window. “You’re not dressed warmly, and it’s still raining. It’s not worth it if you catch a cold.”

“Okay… fine.”

After quickly getting ready, Su Yu drove her back.

Near the intersection, she stopped the car, took out Huo Shu’s bike, and reminded her gently, “Go slow on your way back.”

Huo Shu nodded. “I’m off, then.”

“Alright.”

Halfway down the road, Huo Shu turned back and stopped by the car window, leaning down slightly. “Su Yu.”

“Yeah?”

“I really like you.”

Blushing, the young girl confessed and then sped off on her bike.

Su Yu was momentarily stunned. Then she curled her lips into a smile.

Huo Shu parked her bike, went upstairs, and took out her key to open the door.

The living room was completely silent. Mother Huo was sitting at the table, expressionless.

“Mom, I’m back.”

She changed her shoes at the entrance and poured herself a glass of water. “Mom, have you had breakfast yet?”

“I’ll make you some—”

Before she could finish, Mother Huo interrupted her. “Where did you go last night!”