Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 101

Huai Xu, true to her word, began massaging Song Yingshi's lower back. She was fully focused on the task, never teasing or speaking to Song Yingshi.

Huai Xu exerted the perfect amount of pressure to ease Song Yingshi's tense muscles, bringing a pleasant relaxation to her bones and tendons. It also felt as if the blockages in her blood vessels had been cleared, and her blood could now flow freely again.

Amidst the atmosphere and comfortable massage, Song Yingshi gradually relaxed and cast aside the thoughts swirling in her head. She rested her head on her arm, her eyelids drooping.

Just as Song Yingshi was about to fall asleep for real, she heard Huai Xu asking, "Do you have any plans for the day after tomorrow?"

Song Yingshi slowly opened her eyes and muttered, "The day after tomorrow?"

They had to attend a fan meeting in B City on July 23rd, tomorrow. Then, they would have the 24th to themselves.

As it would only be a one-day holiday, apart from a few individuals with personal matters, everyone else planned to just explore B City before heading back together.

"What plans do you have?" Song Yingshi asked, returning the question to Huai Xu.

"Shall I take you out to play?" Huai Xu asked.

Song Yingshi chuckled. "What do you mean, 'take me out to play'? I'm a grown-up—"

Huai Xu interjected, asking, "Do you always think you're older than me, than everyone else?"

Huai Xu's question caught Song Yingshi off guard.

Logically, Song Yingshi should acknowledge Huai Xu's question. After all, she had been hinting at this all this time precisely to elicit this reaction from Huai Xu. Yet, when it came down to it, the affirmative answer got caught in her throat.

Song Yingshi stared blankly at the floor, feeling inexplicably short of breath.

As Song Yingshi was suffocating, the hands on her lower back slowly traced up her spine, reaching her nape.

Huai Xu's hands were warmer than usual, and they caressed Song Yingshi's nape with particular tenderness. They completely enveloped her neck, gradually spreading a wave of ease across her body.

Song Yingshi lightly moved her neck, which Huai Xu recognized as a nod.

At least there's a reaction, Huai Xu thought. Mimicking Song Yingshi's past actions, she lightly brushed Song Yingshi's earlobe and whispered, "No matter how you feel about yourself, to me, you are Song Yingshi."

Normally, Huai Xu would've stopped here. But now, Song Yingshi was refusing to look at her, her figure looking ever so slender and fragile. For a moment, she even thought Song Yingshi was a winter traveler desperately seeking warmth.

Huai Xu was annoyed at Song Yingshi for not believing in her, but more than that, her heart ached for Song Yingshi.

When had Song Yingshi ever been so timid? Song Yingshi should always be radiant and vibrant, as if darkness didn't exist and only sunshine filled the world.

Without any particular intent, Huai Xu lightly rubbed the small patch of skin behind Song Yingshi's ears. As she reminisced, she continued, "Song Yingshi would do a lot of things that were neither famous nor annoying, and had strange hobbies. She would pull me forward, hire teachers for me, and accompany me to Star of Spring. She would make my heart flutter, then proceed to reject me."

As if looking into the past, Huai Xu sighed, "But after rejecting me, Song Yingshi would still respect me all the same. I've experienced the first, second, and third public performances with Song Yingshi. We even have a CP together. Song Yingshi taught me how to unleash my nature, choreographed a song for me, and even kissed me on stage."

As Huai Xu spoke up to this point, she felt the shoulders of the person under her hands tremble slightly, like a butterfly in the wind.

Gently tucking Song Yingshi's long hair by her ear, Huai Xu continued, "I can't clearly remember the past, but I do remember the present. I remember all these things, so do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

Song Yingshi, with a slight nasal tone, asked, "What?"

"I'm thinking…" Wearing a faint smile, Huai Xu said, "...it's very easy to fall for you."

What began as a mere flutter had blossomed into a deeply rooted affection for Song Yingshi. Without Song Yingshi, Huai Xu didn't know who else would be worthy of her affection.

Huai Xu leaned forward, pulling the person who refused to meet her gaze into an embrace. As she turned Song Yingshi's body to face her, Song Yingshi suddenly lowered her head and rubbed it against her shoulder.

When Song Yingshi lifted her head again, her nose was even redder than her eyes, giving her a pitiful look. Yet, her tear-washed pupils simultaneously shone brighter than ever.

Amidst the touching atmosphere, Song Yingshi triumphantly said, "You just confessed. That was a confession, right?"

Huai Xu: "..."

Huai Xu admitted her words held an element of confession, but Song Yingshi's confrontation still made her blush slightly. Pursing her lips, she said, "I just said what was on my mind. If you want to take it as a confession, that's up to you."

Song Yingshi immediately grew dissatisfied.

"What do you mean by 'take it as a confession'? Are you taking advantage of the fact that I didn't record what you just said? You even said you fell for me in your last sentence!" Song Yingshi stated. After a thoughtful pause, she suddenly accused Huai Xu, "Pervert. I knew you were coveting my body."

Unlike before, Huai Xu was more composed when dealing with suggestive topics. Calmly, she admitted, "Mhm, so when will you satisfy my perversion?"

Song Yingshi: "..."

This time, it was Song Yingshi's turn to grow flustered.

Before Song Yingshi could figure out a comeback, the sound of something falling on the floor came from the door. Immediately, the two separated and turned their heads in unison.

Three seconds later, Lu Xuewen raised her arms and cautiously stepped out from behind the door, saying, "Uh… Have you two always been so explicit in private? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you two didn't seem to hear me when I opened the door earlier, so I accidentally heard your last two sentences."

Lu Xuewen simultaneously felt awkward and excited.

Considering the situation just now, didn't she practically just eavesdrop on her CP from under the bed? Furthermore, she even discovered that her CP was not only real but also steamy!

Tao Qin and the others would be green with envy if they learned about this!

To avoid disturbing her CP's communication, Lu Xuewen swiftly declared, "I'll sleep on the sofa in Tao Qin's room tonight!"

Lu Xuewen was like a sensible, considerate three-year-several-hundred-month-old child, aware of her parents' "night life" and insisting on sleeping alone.

Huai Xu & Song Yingshi: "..."

…

On the evening of July 22nd, Jing Xuan and Shang Yan were also in B City, preparing to attend tomorrow's fan meeting.

In reality, Jing Xuan, along with several other members of the Snow-Kissed Rose Support Group, had already arrived in B City two days ago to ensure their fan club left a favorable impression on their idols. Everyone worked busily, and only on the evening of the 22nd did they finally have time to sit down and relax.

In Jing Xuan's hotel room, Shang Yan, Jing Xuan, and the other members of the Snow-Kissed Support Group ate takeout while watching the edited version of My Life's Journey released today. They had already seen the livestream version; Jing Xuan, especially, had rewatched Snow-Kissed Rose's cuts at least three times. So, they primarily searched for scenes not shown during the livestream.

"Ever since that earlobe kiss, they've been acting like they're on a honeymoon. There's definitely something going on between them," Jing Xuan stated confidently. "All other evidence aside, the moment I saw them emerging from the same bedroom during the livestream, I was convinced they had made love."

With unwavering faith in her CP, everyone eagerly rubbed their palms together while disdainfully skipping Fu Shu's parts.

Soon, the first dose of diabetes was distributed.

During their initial meeting, Kou Lengyu complimented Song Yingshi, "Your outfit looks amazing!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Throughout the two-day livestream, fashion bloggers had consistently praised Song Yingshi's fashion sense. Moreover, when netizens traced one of her shirts to a niche designer, that designer's creations promptly sold out. This led various online clothing retailers to swiftly adopt "Song Yingshi's style" as a banner to attract business.

Of course, everyone also noted how expensive Song Yingshi's other clothes were. Though even without considering the price of her casual wear, simply the fact that she was a resident of the Paulownia Residence was enough to solidify and spread her reputation as a wealthy woman.

The CP fans immediately grew emotional, realizing that their Huai Xu had married into a wealthy family.

As a Willow, Shang Yan should logically refute this sentiment. However, as an insider, after considering her aunt's family background, she wisely stayed silent and prayed that her idol could step up their game in the future.

Back to the video, following Kou Lengyu's remark, the audience promptly voiced their agreement in the comments.

[My wife is so beautiful, peroperopero]

[My Little Shi's fashion sense is one in ten thousand, unlike a certain two-character trainee freeloading off others, hmph.]

The second commenter was clearly an Oriole. As a fan of both Song Yingshi and Huai Xu, Jing Xuan was about to object to this Oriole's opinion when, in the video, Song Yingshi wrinkled her nose and said, "Looks good, right? Huai Xu picked it out for me. She even coordinated what I would wear the next two days."

As Song Yingshi spoke, she wore a smug expression that seemingly said: "Hehe, I have it, while you don't."

"Hahahaha!" Jing Xuan immediately burst out laughing.

Shang Yan covered her face in embarrassment. Inwardly, though, she had to admit that her aunt was adorable.

Meanwhile, the words "Snow-Kissed Rose Forever" flooded the bullet comments once again.

…

There were a few more interactive highlights involving Song Yingshi and Huai Xu afterward. Jing Xuan dutifully noted down the timestamps as she watched for easy clipping later.

When the toxic fan segment appeared, because Jing Xuan and the others already knew her wish would be struck down, they calmly enjoyed the fan service that the toxic fan had inadvertently sparked.

After the third interactive segment, the guests' candid interviews were released.

When Zhu Zi, a veteran actor, was asked to name his favorite part of the show, he answered, "My favorite part? The final interactive segment. Huai Xu's ability to incorporate 'breaking the fourth wall' into a variety show demonstrates the agility of her mind. The effects of the segment were also excellent."

[Thank you for praising my wife!]

At this point, the show seemed to be winding down.

"Is that it?" Jing Xuan wondered. When she hovered the mouse cursor over the progress bar, she saw that there were still over 20 minutes left in the video. However, considering past seasons of My Life's Journey, this was just enough time for the farewell scenes. Realizing this, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment.

Just as Jing Xuan was about to get up for water, the screen darkened, then lit up again.

While other guests packed their luggage, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu appeared in the mostly deserted living room, taking a seat on the sofa. Song Yingshi then looked at the PD across from her and asked, "Why did you call us down? Aren't we off work already?"

"There are two more segments that we need you to record, Instructors," the PD answered.

"What is it?" Huai Xu asked.

"We want to record a segment inquiring guests for their opinions about My Life's Journey, as well as a segment of Star of Spring's trainees reacting to their clips. Please cooperate, Instructors," the PD said seriously.

Without waiting for a reply, the PD turned on the TV in the living room and revealed a perfectly edited compilation of Snow-Kissed Rose clips. The compilation was even accompanied by the legendary CP song, "Vixen."[1]

Amidst the chaotic harmony of "Vixen," Song Yingshi and Huai Xu revealed faces that were indescribably awkward. Their expressions were so hilarious that Jing Xuan couldn't help but slap her leg and exclaim, "Hahahaha! My Life's Journey is too good, too good!"

[He's making it sound so serious, but all he's doing is asking them to watch fan-made content about their CP, hahaha!]

[First, there was the toxic fan. Now, there is the PD. Snow-Kissed Rose is being persecuted!]

"What are your thoughts, Instructors?" the PD asked.

Huai Xu and Song Yingshi exchanged a glance with each other.

After watching the clips, Song Yingshi couldn't help but feel as if she had already publicly come out of the closet. When she recalled her interactions with Huai Xu over the past two days, even she couldn't help but think she and Huai Xu had been incredibly bold.

Of course, admitting it was absolutely out of the question. Placing an arm around Huai Xu's shoulder to feign awkwardness, Song Yingshi smiled and remarked, "Netizens sure are creative."

"You mean the Snow-Kissed Rose CP fans," Huai Xu corrected.

[!!!! I finally heard 'Snow-Kissed Rose' coming from Huai Xu's mouth!]

The PD's spirits immediately lifted at Huai Xu's words, saying, "It seems you know a lot about Snow-Kissed Rose, Instructor Huai. We've compiled the phrases that CP fans want to hear the most. How about reading the top phrase aloud as a special treat for everyone?"

Of course, this would also be the show's biggest highlight in its edited release.

A staff member quickly stepped into the frame with a card.

When Huai Xu accepted the card and read its contents, she asked the PD, "Have you really conducted a survey?"

The PD laughed awkwardly.

Huai Xu curled her lips in a mocking smile, a powerful aura hidden beneath her calm demeanor flashing for a fleeting moment.

Just as the CP fans worried Huai Xu might refuse, they noticed that their CP, even after seeing through the production crew's little tricks, still sat by each other.

Then, holding the card together, Song Yingshi and Huai Xu faced the camera and recited, "Thank you, everyone, we've gotten together."

TL Notes:
[1]Vixen: 狐狸精 by 罗志祥 (Show Lo)
Youtube link: https://youtu.be/V3lkfdfuO1Y