Unexpected (GL) - Chapter 25

“Quick, get a tissue! Are you allergic to persimmons?” Xie Jing had just finished unpacking. Her hands were dirty, so she didn’t dare touch Zhou Yan. She could only nervously hold out a pack of tissues and move closer.

Zhou Yan tilted her head back and stood up from the chair in a very awkward position. “I don’t think so. I ate persimmons during the New Year, and I was totally fine.”

Just then, Qin Ning walked over and asked directly, “How many pieces of pastry did you eat?”

Zhou Yan thought for a moment and held up three fingers. “Three.”

Xie Jing instantly realized what was wrong. “Quick, drink a can of herbal tea! You must be having a heat reaction. The pastries had ginseng and all sorts of Chinese herbal tonics in them. You’re not
supposed to eat so much at once.”

Zhou Yan never imagined that even Xie Jing’s snacks would have ginseng in them—like a true nouveau riche. And they were effective that fast.

After some fussing around, Zhou Yan’s nosebleed finally stopped. She had paid a painful price for her craving. The tonic she just ate had been burned off in a ridiculous way.

Now half-dead, Zhou Yan slumped in her chair, watching the others bustle around. Suddenly, she spoke, “Xie Jing, your face looks a bit red. Are you having a fever again?”

Xie Jing touched her burning cheek. “A little, but it’s nothing serious. I just need a night of rest.”

Xie Jing often got sick when traveling, but usually one night of sleep would fix it.

That night, just as Xie Jing was about to go to bed, Qin Ning grabbed her wrist.

“This is fever medicine. Take one if you feel bad.”

Xie Jing took it. “When did you buy this?”

Qin Ning: “While you were showering.”

“Oh…” Xie Jing whispered, “Love you. You’re so sweet—totally the model girlfriend.”

Qin Ning: “Since you said that, shouldn’t the model girlfriend get a little reward?”

“Hmm…” Xie Jing thought for two seconds. “I’ve got a fever today. No kisses. I’ll make it up next time.”

Qin Ning originally wanted to say that a kiss wasn’t necessary, but considering Xie Jing’s condition, she nodded. “Okay.”

The next day, classes resumed at Jinghai University, and the new round of running check-ins started again. Monday was packed with classes, and after finishing, Xie Jing had to go to the track as
usual for two laps, with Qin Ning accompanying her.

There was no snow today—perfect weather for running. If not for her weak constitution, Xie Jing would’ve pushed herself for a few days and knocked out the 40km goal in one go, so she could slack off
later. Unfortunately, her body was too weak. After one lap, she was gasping; after two, she had trouble breathing; after three, she was near death.

The temperature dropped in the evening, so after three intense laps, they stopped and went back to shower.

Xie Jing pulled out the silk pajamas she had prepared long ago and changed into them after her shower. The color was soft and pink.

Zhou Yan happened to pass by and gasped, covering her mouth. “Wow, Xie Jing, your new pajamas are so cute!”

Xie Jing: “???”

Cute?? They were clearly sexy!

Zhou Yan asked, “Where’d you get them?”

Xie Jing: “Online. If you want, I’ll send you the link.”

Zhou Yan: “Sure.”

After sending the link, Xie Jing deliberately walked in front of Qin Ning and twirled around. She didn’t get it—her pajamas were made of the same material as Qin Ning’s, just a different color and
style. Why did Qin Ning look so sexy in hers, and she just looked cute?

Qin Ning was only a bit taller, a bit more mature, and had a slightly better figure. Aside from that, what was the difference?

“Your new pajamas look great. They really suit you.” Qin Ning’s eyes rested on Xie Jing, praising her without hesitation.

Xie Jing had fair skin, and the soft pink made her look even healthier—fragrant and tender like a ripe peach. It made people want to take a bite.

Encouraged by the compliment, Xie Jing felt more confident. When the lights went out, she climbed the ladder to her bunk. But just as she was about to step into bed, her knee twisted, and she ended
up kneeling at the edge of Qin Ning’s bed, rolling right into it.

Qin Ning, who was right behind her, saw the whole thing and looked surprised and a bit speechless.

The lights were off, and only a bit of moonlight came through the balcony window. Xie Jing’s face flushed. It was her first time climbing into someone else’s bed. Even though she was close with Zhou
Yan before, she’d never done that. And now, here she was in Qin Ning’s bed, hugging her blanket and breathing in its scent.

The blanket smelled like Qin Ning—fresh and lemony.

Not long after, Qin Ning pulled back the curtain and climbed in. They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds, then quietly lay down together.

Although they’d shared a nap once before, that was during the day and they were fully clothed. Now Xie Jing was only wearing a silk pajama set—no underwear.

She lay properly with her hands folded on her stomach, not daring to move or speak, afraid of waking Zhou Yan or Chen Yuan. Her body was exhausted from a full day of classes and running, but
strangely, her mind was wide awake.

Qin Ning’s soft breathing was right next to her. Xie Jing felt the urge to turn her head. Her heart was beating faster—maybe because it was the first time she was this close to someone like this.

“Qin Ning, are you asleep?” Xie Jing whispered.

Qin Ning didn’t reply, but a moment later, she reached out and held the hand resting on Xie Jing’s stomach. Their fingers intertwined, and warmth flowed through their joined palms.

Even after lying there for a long time, Xie Jing still wasn’t sleepy. She quietly turned her head and met Qin Ning’s shining eyes in the dark.

Before she could react, Qin Ning leaned in and gently bit her earlobe, whispering in her ear, “Can’t sleep?”

Qin Ning’s warm breath tickled Xie Jing’s ear, making her flinch. Her ears were sensitive, and she froze completely.

In the darkness, Qin Ning placed one hand on Xie Jing’s cheek. With a little force, she turned Xie Jing’s face until their lips were just inches apart. Then she lowered her eyes and kissed her.

Xie Jing didn’t dare make a sound, only clenched her teeth and endured. But Qin Ning wasn’t satisfied with just a simple kiss. She gently pried open Xie Jing’s lips, slipping her tongue inside.

Creaaak—

The old wooden bed let out a groan under the pressure. Xie Jing panicked and gripped Qin Ning’s hand tightly.

Qin Ning kissed her again, trying to calm her down while keeping their movements quiet.

Luckily, the bed didn’t make any more noise. In the middle of that tense kiss, Xie Jing eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, she murmured while hugging the blanket, “So kissing helps with sleep too? Amazing!”

Qin Ning wasn’t in bed anymore—she had probably already gotten up. Xie Jing lifted the curtain to get out of bed and came face-to-face with Zhou Yan.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then Xie Jing’s face turned bright red. “Good morning…”

Zhou Yan looked stunned, completely forgetting to go down the ladder. “Don’t tell me… you two slept together last night?”

Xie Jing nodded honestly. “Mm-hmm.”

Zhou Yan gasped. “It’s over, Xie Jing. You’re not pure anymore.”

She looked heartbroken, like her precious cabbage had been eaten by a pig.

Xie Jing felt guilty. “We just slept. We didn’t… do anything.”

Of course they didn’t. If they had, Zhou Yan wouldn’t have slept through it all. But she still sensed something was off in Xie Jing’s expression.

“You didn’t even kiss?” Zhou Yan asked suspiciously.

Xie Jing blushed and stayed silent.

Okay, no need for an answer. That red face said it all. They kissed.

While they were brushing their teeth, Qin Ning came back with breakfast. She placed the food on both Zhou Yan’s and Xie Jing’s desks.

It was Tuesday. Their first class was from ten to noon, so Zhou Yan and Xie Jing had turned off their alarms and slept in. When they finally got up, it was already nine—cutting it a bit close.

After freshening up, Xie Jing leaned against Qin Ning. “You didn’t have morning class today. Why’d you go out so early?”

“I ran two laps at the track,” Qin Ning said as she changed clothes. “Picked up breakfast on the way.”

Zhou Yan spoke with her toothbrush in her mouth. “Qin Ning, you’re so intense. I haven’t even started logging my runs.”

“I didn’t log mine today either.” Qin Ning had overachieved on her running goals last semester, so she often just ran with others for company.

Zhou Yan was delighted. “Next time you do log one, can you take my phone too? I want to slack off.”

Qin Ning: “Sure.”

Zhou Yan looked at her a few more times, then suddenly thought that Qin Ning and Xie Jing were truly made for each other. Who said a pig ate the cabbage? This was clearly mutual love—a match made in
heaven.

And just like that, Zhou Yan was bribed with free breakfast and a substitute runner.

It started snowing lightly as they walked to class. Xie Jing had an umbrella but Zhou Yan refused to get under it. Only Qin Ning walked beside her.

Zhou Yan was firm. “No need for an umbrella. It’s not rain.”

Xie Jing hesitated. “But if the snow melts on our clothes, won’t it get them wet?”

Zhou Yan: “Just shake it off when we get to the building. The ground’s slippery in snow—be careful not to fall with that umbrella.”

Xie Jing obediently stuffed the umbrella back into her bag. Snowflakes drifted down onto her and Qin Ning’s hair and shoulders, then stayed there.

Suddenly, Xie Jing thought of a popular quote from the internet:

“If one day we walk together in the snow, then we’ve grown old together.”

It wasn’t exactly lucky-sounding, but it really fit the mood.

Qin Ning said, “We will.”

Xie Jing: “Will what?”

Qin Ning: “Be together for life.”

A lifetime was long. They might meet many people, but none would ever take Xie Jing’s place in her heart.

Teenage years were the age of first love. There was a line in Malèna that said:

“If you meet someone too stunning when you’re young, you’ll never forget them—and be lonely forever.”

Luckily, Qin Ning had caught Xie Jing. She hadn’t missed the one who had amazed her from the very start.

They reached the lecture building, brushed the snow off each other, then followed the crowd up the stairs and into class.

Two hours of class was long and dull. While taking notes, Xie Jing kept thinking about what to do that afternoon.

“We could go swimming,” Zhou Yan suggested.

Jinghai University had a heated indoor pool, but Xie Jing couldn’t swim, so she’d never gone.

Seeing they didn’t answer, Zhou Yan kept trying. “It’s fine if you can’t swim—I’ll teach you.”

Xie Jing looked hopefully at Qin Ning. “Will you go?”

Qin Ning: “Mm, I’ll go too.”

Not only did Qin Ning go, she became Xie Jing’s personal coach. Meanwhile, Zhou Yan—who’d promised to teach her—vanished into the crowd as soon as she hit the water.

Qin Ning held Xie Jing’s hand and led her to the pool. They both wore new swimsuits. With their looks and figures—flat stomachs and toned legs—they drew a lot of attention. Xie Jing shyly covered
her chest, then jumped into the pool.

Splash!

Water sprayed all over Qin Ning’s face.

With a calm expression, Qin Ning pulled Xie Jing out of the water and slid an inflatable swim ring down over her head, which ended up snugly around her waist.

Qin Ning: “Get used to floating first. If you get a cramp and can’t handle it, call me right away.”

Xie Jing nodded rapidly and excitedly started practicing a huge frog-stroke movement in the water. Besides that, she also tried dog paddling, lying-flat-like-a-dead-fish style, and other funny
swimming moves.

After a while, Qin Ning couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Xie Jing’s shoulders and began teaching her step by step.

Xie Jing’s wet skin was soft and slippery. At first, Qin Ning instinctively wanted to pull back, but then she remembered—this was her girlfriend. So instead of letting go, she gripped that shoulder
even tighter.

After about two minutes of swimming, Xie Jing suddenly said, “Qin Ning, I want to get out of the water.”

Qin Ning: “???”