SCHS - Chapter 45
Chapter 45
"You like that Vice President Qin, don't you?"
Wen Shixue's expression froze. She slowly turned her head to look at the smiling Lin Jiayu, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would you think that?"
How could she like Qin Zhen? She was a straight-as-an-arrow straight woman, there was no doubt about that.
Just think, would the author of a romance novel make the villainous side character, a tool to pursue the male lead, a lesbian? It was impossible to imagine. Otherwise, she would have gone after the female lead long ago, what would she need the male lead for?
She suspected Lin Jiayu was teasing her.
Lin Jiayu, however, was serious, answering as if it were the most obvious thing. "I saw it myself."
Three question marks slowly appeared above Wen Shixue's forehead, clearly and directly expressing her confusion at the statement. "Where did you see that I like her? How come I don't know myself?"
Lin Jiayu began her rigorous analysis. "Shixue, I could tell you liked her from the moment you started helping Vice President Qin pick out jewelry. The way you went about choosing jewelry for her was like you'd be willing to pluck stars from the sky and give them to her if they could enhance her beauty."
Wen Shixue paused, her expression growing more confused. She admitted that day her mind had indeed been entirely on Qin Zhen, to the point she'd forgotten herself, focused only on selecting beautiful jewelry for Qin Zhen, adding icing to the cake. But... was it really that exaggerated?
Did she really look like a lovesick fool willing to pluck stars and moons for Qin Zhen?
Lin Jiayu nodded decisively and continued, "Leaving aside how natural and intimate your interactions are, just look at your little gestures. Who makes so many affectionate little gestures towards a regular friend?"
"I've been in love, so I understand. And I'm not afraid of you laughing, but when I liked Zhang Tianhao before, I did plenty of these unconscious little actions like hooking his finger or scratching behind his ear, and I had many intimate thoughts too. But if you asked me to do that to a man I didn't have feelings for, I definitely couldn't."
The more Wen Shixue listened, the more silent she became. She slowly lowered her head to look at her hands, recalling if she had touched Qin Zhen many times back then, if she had instinctively, genuinely wanted to touch her.
The answer was obvious. She had. She had even wanted to bite Qin Zhen, wanted to kiss Qin Zhen...
Lin Jiayu carefully observed her expression. Seeing her purse her lips and remain silent, she simply held her arms and said seriously, "Shixue, liking someone hides in every little detail of your interactions and can't be concealed. I didn't ask this for any particular reason, just curiosity. Don't worry, times are different now, I wouldn't look down on homosexuals."
Wen Shixue looked up at her, her eyes full of confusion. This wasn't what puzzled her, because she was born a fearless little Demon King, unafraid of anything. Even if she really liked women, she wouldn't be afraid of others knowing. Instead, it was the word "like" that left her bewildered.
Yes, she still didn't know what true "liking" was, what kind of feelings it entailed, or what reactions it provoked. The messy romantic plots in the original story gave her no sense of immersion, so naturally, she couldn't experience the feeling of liking someone.
But now Lin Jiayu was so certain that she liked Qin Zhen, which couldn't help but leave her deeply confused—what exactly was liking someone like?
Lin Jiayu also frowned, feeling something wasn't quite right. If it were true, she shouldn't have this expression. If it were false... she didn't seem like she was faking it either?
"You think I like her..." Wen Shixue slowly began. "This... is liking?"
Lin Jiayu suddenly understood—she got it, love without realizing it.
With the mindset of "You guided me before, now it's my turn to return the favor and enlighten you," Teacher Lin's little love class was about to begin urgently, but it was interrupted by Gu Menghan rushing out. "What are you two talking about standing there? Hurry up and come in!"
Both of them said in unison, "We're coming."
Only then did Gu Menghan smile again, turning and going back inside.
Walking side by side, Lin Jiayu kept it brief. "Shixue, actually, liking someone is both very complicated and very simple. You don't need to use complex mathematical formulas to get the answer."
"When you see the other person, you'll be happy, your heart will flutter. When you're apart, you'll think about them. When you're far away, you can't help but wonder how they're doing, what the weather is like there, if it's raining, if it's windy..."
Wen Shixue listened in silence, suddenly remembering that on the way here, she had been thinking about whether Qin Zhen had eaten, what the climate was like there... Oh no, she hit all the points!
"The most important point," Lin Jiayu said seriously and earnestly, "Liking someone creates sexual attraction. You'll instinctively want to get close to the other person, want to have more intimate contact with them."
Lin Jiayu's expression softened. She smoothed Wen Shixue's curly hair and smiled sweetly. "We wouldn't want to try how soft a friend's lips are."
There are many kinds of liking. Thoughts that arise naturally from the heart can help distinguish which one is love and point to the true direction of one's heart—just like how she had wanted to kiss and bite Qin Zhen's neck that day.
The villainous side character's plot, along with her sexual orientation, had already undergone a transformation, which was both unexpected and yet made perfect sense.
Wen Shixue stopped at the doorway, her gaze passing through the lively crowd inside, through the dazzling lights, as if wanting to drift to a faraway place, to the place where that person was.
Qin Zhen...
In this noisy place, as she thought of that name she held dear, she seemed to hear her own heartbeat, faster than usual, more joyful than usual, exactly like the day she saw Qin Zhen smile. It made her suddenly want to see Qin Zhen especially, to hear her voice.
She stood frozen, silent for a long time. After a moment, Lin Jiayu heard her softly say, "So I really don't have heart disease..."
Lin Jiayu: "???"
What does this have to do with heart disease? Your reaction is all wrong???
...
"Achoo—"
Qin Zhen turned her face away, covering her mouth with her hand, and sneezed again. Xu Meihui, the Head of the Logistics Department, couldn't help but look at her with concern. "Vice President Qin, are you alright?"
Qin Zhen threw the used tissue into the trash can, saying without changing her expression, "I'm fine."
Xu Meihui patted her arm gently with concern, saying warmly, "The weather's getting cold. Vice President Qin, please be careful to stay warm."
Qin Zhen nodded slightly, also wondering why she was sneezing one after another tonight. She was wearing a jacket and didn't feel cold at all...
Then she remembered something.
Xu Meihui watched her take out her phone, her brow slightly furrowed. She didn't know who she sent a text message to, then she put her phone away neatly and became the calm and composed Vice President Qin she usually was. The department heads were all familiar with her, so they wouldn't be afraid to talk to her like regular employees.
They had just returned from dinner with a gemstone partner. Since the hotel was nearby, they hadn't driven, and walking back leisurely after dinner was good for digestion. But Xu Meihui saw Qin Zhen sneezing repeatedly and worried she had caught a cold, so she said thoughtfully, "Let's walk faster. You should go back and take a hot bath to warm up quickly, don't get sick."
Qin Zhen thought that if she got sick, that little Demon King would definitely be unhappy, so she replied, "Okay. Sorry to make you worry."
Xu Meihui smiled gently. "You're too kind, Vice President Qin."
Unexpectedly, just as they were about to quicken their pace, a young man and woman suddenly rushed out from about three steps away. The two seemed to be arguing, neither looking pleased. Finally, they simply started quarreling as if no one else was around. Qin Zhen and Xu Meihui were forced to be spectators, overhearing their conversation.
The content of the argument was roughly that the girl, who had once been passionately in love, had grown cold and lost feelings for the boy without anyone else interfering. She denied her vow to love him forever and frankly stated that they were only in their twenties, such a young age, they could date as many people as they wanted, and there was no need to be heartbroken over one relationship. Then she let go and walked away, incredibly unfettered.
The boy seemed unwilling to accept it, chasing after her with a shocked expression, attempting to continue arguing.
After this little interlude ended, Xu Meihui chuckled softly, shaking her head helplessly. "Kids these days..."
Qin Zhen glanced in the direction they had left.
Twenties... their little Demon King was also this age.
She couldn't help but think, perhaps Wen Shixue would also be like that girl, wanting to have as many relationships as she pleased, not like her, who only wanted one relationship that could last a lifetime. She would always live so carefree and free.
Wen Shixue was young and had plenty of advantages. She was different from Qin Zhen and didn't fit Qin Zhen's idea of finding someone to spend her life with. Wen Shixue herself was an unstable factor, and coupled with having experienced such bizarre and supernatural things, Qin Zhen believed she would never willingly be constrained by anyone in this lifetime. Therefore, they were destined not to meet on the path of love.
But what did that matter? She still couldn't help but fall for her, like a moth to a flame, hopelessly. She couldn't escape the child's dependence, she enjoyed the trust and special treatment Wen Shixue gave her, and because of this, she fell deeper and deeper, willingly continuing to like her, keeping it as a sweet yet painful secret.
But she also knew she didn't need to overthink, didn't need to ponder unnecessary questions like whether the little princess would like her or if she was worthy of the little princess, because the answer was obvious—the beautiful and noble little princess would never like her, someone with a dull and boring personality.
Never.
...
While Wen Shixue's romantic awareness was being awakened by Lin Jiayu, she still had to work hard, diligently expanding her network, actively conversing with industry professionals at the banquet, and calmly displaying the composed demeanor of a young entrepreneur.
Bai Jing stayed by her side, vaguely feeling that Wen Shixue possessed some of Qin Zhen's unperturbed composure. She wondered if it was due to them spending too much time together, influencing each other.
After exchanging a few business cards, Wen Shixue found some free time. But as soon as she was idle, her mind started uncontrollably thinking about Qin Zhen. Her heart felt empty, and more than ever, she wished Qin Zhen was by her side.
She liked Qin Zhen, subtly, naturally. It was just that she still couldn't quite believe that she had actually fallen for Qin Zhen...
She glanced at her phone and found that Qin Zhen had sent her a message. It wasn't about boring work content, nor was it about trivial household matters like leaving windows open. It was about her—
[Lao Qin]: The wind is cool at night, bring a jacket, don't catch a cold
Bai Jing watched Wen Shixue open her phone, then watched her slowly curve her lips into a smile at the screen, a smile that made one's heart flutter. The smile didn't fade even after the bright screen turned off, as if she were looking at a message from a close lover.
Wen Shixue turned the screen back on, her gaze gentle as she looked at those simple twelve characters. Now, she completely believed it—
She liked Qin Zhen, especially liked her.
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woo~
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