Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 34

If not for others unable to know about the system's missions, Song Yingshi would've suspected that Tao Qin was in cahoots with the system to mess with her.

Moreover…

"Aren't these all just spicy sticks? What's the difference?" Song Yingshi asked. The other snacks Tao Qin mentioned might have different names, but they were all still spicy sticks, just in different shapes.

Tao Qin responded with a straightforward laugh.

Song Yingshi waved Tao Qin away, helplessness coloring her face as she slumped on the sofa and looked at the bag of spicy sticks in her hand. While not the most ideal choice, it was still much better than those three "kiss-named" snacks. The inappropriateness of those names could easily provoke Huai Xu and sour the relationship between them.

But when did Weilong release the 'Kiss-Tofu Skin'? Song Yingshi wondered. She had never tried this variant before and was tempted to visit Tao Qin's dormitory to sample it later.

Before Song Yingshi could let her thoughts wander too far, the door suddenly opened, and Huai Xu entered the apartment. Upon seeing Song Yingshi slumped on the sofa, Huai Xu casually asked, "What are you up to?"

In a similarly casual manner, Song Yingshi answered, "Thinking about kiss—"

Ka—dong!

A loud sound startled Song Yingshi, causing her to jump up from her seat and forget what she was about to say.

Turning to the sound of the noise, Song Yingshi saw the floor decoration beside Huai Xu shaking violently, as if someone had struck it.

Huai Xu's eyes looked clouded as she stood still in silence, her silence causing an unusual atmosphere to fill the room.

As Song Yingshi's mind regained functionality, she quickly realized her unfinished sentence must've created a misunderstanding.

However, just as Song Yingshi was just about to explain herself, she suddenly remembered she still had a mission to complete, so she changed the words she was about to utter and snorted, "I knew you wouldn't be willing to do that. As long as you cooperate with me, I won't kiss you."

When Song Yingshi said the words "I won't kiss you," she even made it sound like she was being magnanimous.

Huai Xu stared at Song Yingshi for a few seconds before taking two steps forward and asking, "Cooperate with what?"

At this question, Song Yingshi tore open the bag of spicy sticks, unleashing a rich, spicy aroma into the living room. The earthy, authentic scent of chili oil washed away everything, including her lingering apprehension. She curled her toes against her shoe soles, ignored the abnormality of her behavior, and tugged at Huai Xu to sit on the sofa with her.

"Eat spicy sticks with me," Song Yingshi stated.

Huai Xu: "…"

"You're not allowed to spit out the spicy stick unless I say stop, okay?" Song Yingshi warned.

After saying these two bewildering sentences, Song Yingshi dared not meet Huai Xu's gaze anymore. She was afraid of seeing Huai Xu looking at her as if she were mentally ill.

In an attempt to get it over with as quickly as possible, Song Yingshi pulled out a long spicy stick, pinched one end of it with her fingers, and brought the other end to Huai Xu's lips, urging, "Ah—"

Huai Xu parted her lips slightly, as if wanting to say something.

Seizing the opportunity, Song Yingshi swiftly stuffed the spicy stick into Huai Xu's mouth.

When Song Yingshi let go, the spicy stick remained in place—Huai Xu was holding it!

First step complete! Song Yingshi celebrated. What was the second step again?

Not giving Huai Xu time to react, Song Yingshi grabbed Huai Xu's waist, fulfilling the requirement to "embrace Huai Xu" and preventing Huai Xu from escaping.

Fortunately, Huai Xu seemed to be in a cooperative mood today and did not struggle, which slightly reassured Song Yingshi.

Now for the final step…

Song Yingshi lowered her head and bit on the other end of the spicy stick. Immediately, rich juices burst between her lips and teeth, enticing her to take another bite.

By the time Song Yingshi snapped out of her trance and looked up, she saw that she had already moved quite a bit closer to Huai Xu.

Fortunately, the spicy stick was long, and their lips were nowhere near touching.

Song Yingshi couldn't speak with her mouth full, so she tried to reassure Huai Xu with her eyes:

Don't worry. We just have to stay like this for 10 seconds. I'll let you go once the mission is complete.

However, unbeknownst to Song Yingshi, her eyes beneath her long eyelashes appeared misty and shimmering when viewed from a close distance. This made it difficult for Huai Xu to perceive her message. Furthermore, the longer she maintained her stare, the more…improper she appeared to Huai Xu.

Seven, six, five…

As Song Yingshi tentatively counted down, a sudden force came from under her chin.

Lowering her gaze, Song Yingshi saw Huai Xu's hand, its delicate bone structure that resembled a piece of exquisitely carved white jade making her momentarily forget the countdown.

Three, two, one...

The mission was completed.

Upon hearing the system credit her with 24 hours of life, Song Yingshi tilted her head back, loosening her jaw to withdraw from the awkward position. But almost simultaneously, Huai Xu pinched her chin and gently nudged it upward.

Song Yingshi's teeth clicked together, her attempt to retreat interrupted. Subsequently, Huai Xu's face grew, the scant inches between them getting devoured slowly but steadily.

This development took Song Yingshi by surprise, and the first thought that came to her mind was—

Could it be that…even Huai Xu couldn't resist the tasty allure that was the spicy stick?

Of course, Song Yingshi quickly realized the bizarreness of her thought. But before she could reconsider the possibilities, a voice came from the doorway:

"Little Shi, look what I brought—Huai Xu? Little Shi? You two?!"

Tao Qin's always cheerful voice sounded briefly before stopping, then exploded eight octaves higher.

Tao Qin was so startled by what she saw that she promptly…closed the door behind her and took two brisk steps forward to get a better look.

What's with all this hugging and touching?! How scandalous! Hug tighter!

Playing the Pocky game with spicy sticks? You two are something else!

Wait, why are your clothes so neat and tidy? Mommy is disappointed!

Why is Huai Xu holding Little Shi like that? Her gaze and posture are so suspicious.

Little Shi might only be thinking of eating spicy sticks, but Huai Xu…

Countless thoughts flashed through Tao Qin's mind, but she failed to come up with any comment for this scene. All she could do was stare in excitement.

"Did you two kiss?" Tao Qin asked, ultimately unable to resist her curiosity.

However, Tao Qin quickly clamped her mouth when she met Huai Xu's gaze.

Huai Xu's gaze portrayed no emotions; her eyes were like a clear lake, neither intimidating nor aggressive. Yet, Tao Qin felt as if Huai Xu's gaze could penetrate the shell known as the human body and uncover all her inner thoughts.

When confronted by such a gaze, Tao Qin's heart tightened, and a chill ran down her spine. The passionate emotions stirred by witnessing Song Yingshi and Huai Xu's suspicious interaction vanished instantly, and she instinctively avoided Huai Xu's gaze.

In the few seconds Tao Qin was occupied by fear, Song Yingshi regained her composure and spat out the spicy stick in her mouth. Then, she tried to shake off Huai Xu's hand, but to no avail.

When Song Yingshi saw Huai Xu turning to look at her, she quickly signaled with her eyes for Huai Xu to release her.

Song Yingshi didn't know if Huai Xu got her signal, but it was a fact that Huai Xu released her chin immediately afterward. However, while doing so, Huai Xu gently slid her fingers down her chin, tickling her a little before releasing her completely.

This action could be taken as mischievous or intimate. However, with everything happening so quickly and Tao Qin standing nearby, Song Yingshi didn't mind the little prank.

As Huai Xu removed her hand, Song Yingshi turned to Tao Qin and calmly said, "Kiss? What nonsense are you spouting? We were so far apart."

Tao Qin was extremely disappointed, but recalling that Song Yingshi was straight, she relaxed and joked, "I must've been mistaken. So, what were you two doing?"

"Snacking," Song Yingshi answered, pointing to the spicy stick Huai Xu had discarded onto a tissue.

Tao Qin glanced at the instrumental spicy stick. Sure enough, one end had been bitten off. It was clear that Little Shi wanted to eat only spicy sticks and nothing more.

Tao Qin couldn't help giving Huai Xu a sympathetic glance at this discovery.

Huai Xu ignored Tao Qin's glance and focused on wiping her lips with a tissue.

Following Tao Qin's gaze, Song Yingshi also looked at Huai Xu. Then, an idea came to her as she leaned in slightly, tilted her head, and pointed to the corner of her lips.

Tao Qin: "…"

Even without asking, Tao Qin could tell what Song Yingshi was aiming at. This interaction made her question whether her thoughts were impure or if there was actually something going on between these two.

Huai Xu gave Song Yingshi a sidelong glance before moving to one end of the sofa and tossing the used tissue into the trash. Then, she pointed at the coffee table and said, "Tissues are over there."

Song Ying snorted twice before muttering, "Why couldn't you wipe for me while you were at it?"

Tao Qin nodded her head vigorously in her mind.

You can also lick it clean! Yes! Licking works, too!

Reigning in her rampant thoughts, Tao Qin finally asked the question that had been bugging her all this time:

"So…what made you two decide to eat like that?" Tao Qin asked. Then, she pointed to the bag of spicy sticks on the table and continued, "Isn't there an entire bag here? Or are we limited to just one stick per day?"

"?"

Song Yingshi cursed under her breath. She hadn't expected Tao Qin to suddenly become smarter today. Even after some distractions, Tao Qin still hadn't forgotten the earlier matter.

Facing Tao Qin's sincere suspicion, Song Yingshi confidently agreed, "Indeed."

"Huh?" Song Yingshi's response caught Tao Qin off guard. What did I just say again?

Putting on a distant gaze, Song Yingshi ruefully said, "I have tasted all sorts of delicacies thanks to my wealthy background, so I now find it difficult to appreciate the taste of food. But upon sharing a spicy stick with Huai Xu today, I realized that even an ordinary spicy stick can be incredibly delicious."

Tao "unable to keep up with Song Yingshi's nonsense" Qin: "…"

…

Evening arrived quickly.

Two hours after the spicy stick farce, Song Yingshi returned to her usual self and dragged Huai Xu to the gym. Once inside, she forgot about her companion and became infatuated with the various equipment.

Huai Xu wasn't as enamored. After an hour, she left the gym, took a shower, and headed to the practice room.

In the glass corridor, Huai Xu saw strands of rain drizzling outside the window. Shifting her gaze, she saw Tao Qin at the other end of the corridor.

Tao Qin also saw Huai Xu and took the initiative to greet the other party, "I'm waiting for Yu Sheng and the others. Are you also here to practice?"

If this had happened in the past, Tao Qin wouldn't have dared to greet Huai Xu proactively.

Of course, that wasn't to say that Huai Xu was unfriendly or impolite. It was just that she gave off an aloof air. Whether it was her aura or beauty and talent that seemed to reside beyond the clouds, it was hard to consider her someone who could tolerate banter.

Hence, Tao Qin always restrained herself before Huai Xu.

However, today's Star Card incident broke the ice around Huai Xu's image, and Tao Qin felt much closer to Huai Xu than before.

Just as Tao Qin was feeling moved by her softened classmate, Huai Xu walked up to her, lifted her eyelids slightly, and said:

Just as Tao Qin was feeling moved by Huai Xu's gentle side, Huai Xu walked up to her and, without batting an eyelid, asked, "Do you like women?"

"?!"

Tao Qin was thunderstruck from having her closet suddenly kicked open.

Holy crap!

What's going on?!

How did Huai Xu know?! Where did I slip up?!

Wait, wasn't I supposed to be the one to kick open Huai Xu's closet first? How did our positions get reversed?

While mimicking a dumbfounded emoji, Tao Qin heard Huai Xu continuing, "You can tell what's going on between me and her."

This time, Huai Xu spoke with certainty.

Tao Qin's mouth went dry from the shock. At the same time, she wondered, Is…Huai Xu coming out to me?

Realizing that both of their closet doors were open, Tao Qin relaxed and breathed with greater ease.

Tao Qin didn't mind admitting her sexual orientation to others. After recovering from her initial shock, she admitted, "Yes, I like women. How did you know? Did Lu Xuewen rat me out?"

Huai Xu shook her head, saying, "Your behavior this afternoon gave you away."

Tao Qin wouldn't have taken their behavior seriously if she were straight. At most, she would jokingly jeer or urge them to kiss. Only someone who truly cared about such matters would freeze on the spot and ask with a tone mixed with expectation and shock whether they had kissed.

However, Tao Qin's question gave Huai Xu another piece of information.

Perhaps Lu Xuewen was also bent.

However, seeing as Tao Qin didn't intend to delve deeper, Huai Xu didn't try to pry any further, either. She merely kept her conjunctions to herself.

Anyway, after "acknowledging" each other, it became much easier to communicate certain matters.

After muttering some random things to ease her nerves, Tao Qin quickly recalled the ship she supported. Glancing at Huai Xu, she cautiously said, "So you and Little Shi… Ah, I mean no offense! It's just that…you two are living together and have such a good relationship."

Huai Xu chuckled at Tao Qin's words. Then, she smiled and said, "It's because we share a good relationship."

Tao Qin inexplicably felt a burst of sweetness in her mouth. However, it was quickly replaced with bitterness when she recalled Song Yingshi's sexuality.

It was fine to mentally support a ship, but rationality took precedence over fantasy. Hence, Tao Qin steeled her heart and gave a gentle reminder, "But you and Little Shi haven't confirmed your relationship yet, right? Maybe you shouldn't…"

Little Shi was straight!

Touching the raindrops outside through the glass window, Huai Xu fell silent momentarily before saying, "Yes, it's inappropriate."

Between them lay a world of difference and a single contract.

Tao Qin breathed a sigh of relief at Huai Xu's answer. At least it seemed Huai Xu was aware Song Yingshi was straight. Though, in hindsight, that should've been obvious. Otherwise, with how intimate their daily interactions were, they would have started dating long ago.

But what is Huai Xu's stance toward Little Shi?

Tao Qin hesitated to ask this question. Her impression of Huai Xu might have changed, but she still wasn't very close with Huai Xu, so it wouldn't be proper for her to pry deeper.

After pondering for a moment, Tao Qin decided to change her approach, asking, "Then, why do you still go along with Little Shi's antics?" More specifically, why do you often indulge Little Shi's behavior?

Despite Huai Xu's cold exterior, she rarely rejected Song Yingshi's "advances," this much Tao Qin was certain. This was why Tao Qin always assumed Huai Xu didn't know Song Yingshi was straight.

However, after finding out about Huai Xu's awareness, her behavior became a point of confusion for Tao Qin.

Just when Tao Qin thought Huai Xu would avoid answering, she heard Huai Xu saying in a light and ethereal tone, "If it were you, could you refuse?"

Tao Qin froze.

Huai Xu opened the window, letting the raindrops brush her cheeks.

When the icy rain landed on her, they shattered and exploded into countless dense and numbing bubbles, eventually turning into gentle water.

If water is intent on flowing toward me, how can I stop it?