Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 64.2

When Song Yingshi and Huai Xu officially started to enjoy their vacation, news of them on the internet also began to brew.

It all started with the second public performance.

Although the second public performance had yet to air officially, the live audience brought home various photographs and videos with them. Many of the live audience members were Snow-Kissed Rose fans. Even Jing Xuan, the president of the Snow-Kissed Rose Support Group, was among them. Hence, once they reached home, all sorts of material began appearing in Snow-Kissed Rose's Weibo Super Topic—

[Video] Huai Xu calls out to "Instructor Song" after her performance, and Little Shi immediately jumps into her embrace.

[Video] I hereby announce that Huai Xu and Song Yingshi are officially married! While other groups went on stage to appeal for votes, these two went on to show off their affection! They hugged! They hugged! They hugged!!!!

[Video] Come listen to our comrades' cheering! This will definitely be cut from the official episode! I can't believe Hu Wan would state such truths! I'm a fan!

[Video] Two performances in one video, roughly 10 minutes, I'm dead.

…

Although a significant portion of the second public performance's live audience members were Snow-Kissed Rose fans, they still only comprised a small portion of the fanbase. Hence, many fans exploded with joy when so much first-hand material appeared in the Super Topic.

"Snow-Kissed Rose is seriously spreading diabetes today!!!"

"Instructor Song... The moment I heard this nickname, my mind concocted a 10,000-word story of Little Shi giving Huai Xu a private lesson..."

"All I want to know is what Little Shi has done to Huai Xu behind cameras that can't be broadcast."

"Being a fan of Snow-Kissed Rose is like celebrating the New Year every day."

…

The CP fans reveled for an entire morning. However, just when they thought their happiness couldn't get any greater, an even bigger surprise greeted them when they checked Weibo in the afternoon--

Their idols' personal Weibo accounts were finally open for business!

It wasn't a repost or polite interaction, but bona fide daily selfies!

Song Yingshi and Huai Xu posted their selfies almost simultaneously.

The background of their selfies was also the same, indicating that the photos were taken at the same location.

Most importantly, these selfies were group photos.

The photos showed Song Yingshi and Huai Xu either sitting or standing, their gazes frequently meeting. Even when they were facing away from each other or standing at different locations, they still appeared harmonious in the same frame. It was as if they could never look out of place in the same frame.

None of the photos showed Song Yingshi and Huai Xu sharing physical contact. They were never positioned within half a meter of each other, and it was obvious they aimed to create a polite and courteous atmosphere. Unfortunately, their attempt was futile, as the sense of entanglement between them couldn't be any more obvious.

When the CP fans saw these selfies, they squealed like groundhogs and typed away at their keyboards:

"Fantasy (X), Reality (✓)."

"First, there was the show's official wedding photo! Now, there are these privately shared wedding photos! Snow-Kissed Rose has me hooked!!!"

"Aren't they on a two-day vacation? Is being together on the show not enough? They're even staying together during their off days now? Or maybe it's because they have some things that are inconvenient to do on set? #dogehead"

Song Yingshi and Huai Xu were both highly anticipated contestants on Star of Spring, their individual fans reaching seven figures in just a month. Hence, the selfies they shared were quickly shared countless times.

Fan or not, newcomer or veteran of Star of Spring, everyone who saw these selfies for the first time would find themselves robbed of speech--

The protagonists in these photos were extremely good-looking, and the overall atmosphere of these photos was quiet but powerful. It was like a rich and warm woody fougère fragrance that carried hints of natural sweetness, gentle and refreshing.

After just one afternoon, this set of selfies went viral, rushing to the top of the trending list on Weibo.

"Incredible."

"Girls are the most beautiful creatures in the world."

"I never understood why some people liked yuri before, but now, all I want to say is that...I understand it! I understand it very well!"

…

After this commotion, Snow-Kissed Rose's Weibo Super Topic welcomed many new members.

CP fans: What to do? Our idols are so capable that we can do nothing to help them.

…

While Snow-Kissed Rose fans were having a field day online, their idols were preparing ingredients for dinner.

Originally, Song Yingshi wanted to shop for groceries herself, but she changed her mind halfway and opted to have her groceries delivered. Her concern about getting recognized through her mask was one reason. Another reason was that her house had hardly any spices. If she were to buy everything from the supermarket, she'd end up filling her car's trunk to the brim. Instead of going through such a hassle, she might as well call for a home delivery.

After picking out the meat and vegetables for dinner, Song Yingshi put the rest of her groceries into the refrigerator. But just as she was about to do so, Huai Xu stopped her, saying, "You prepare the ingredients. I'll take care of these."

Song Yingshi gladly obliged and proceeded to prepare the ingredients. After cutting up the meat, she curiously turned to look at what Huai Xu was doing.

At this time, Huai Xu was in the middle of wrapping the roots of the unused vegetables with kitchen towels before sealing them in a ziplock bag. Then, in a separate ziplock bag, she put the eggplants and zucchini, which she had wrapped in plastic wrap, together with the potatoes and apples.

Song Yingshi bought a lot of chicken parts. Huai Xu grabbed some seasonings, mixed up a marinade, and combined the marinade and some chicken in a ziplock bag. She repeated this process three more times, each time with a different marinade. Once done, she neatly placed all the ziplock bags into the refrigerator's freezer section.

Compared to Huai Xu's meticulous, scientific, and sophisticated attitude toward the kitchen, Song Yingshi couldn't help but consider herself a brute.

While holding a spatula, Song Yingshi sighed, "Why have I never realized you were so skilled in the kitchen?"

As Song Yingshi sighed, she recalled that, in the original novel, the female protagonist only had passable cooking skills. At least, the Huai Xu in the original novel was nowhere as skillful as the Huai Xu before her.

While Song Yingshi was pondering this matter, she suddenly heard Huai Xu asking, "Why did you suddenly hug me today?"

Huai Xu spoke as if she was talking about the weather, her tone light and casual. However, the content of her question was like a bomb in Song Yingshi's ears.

Song Yingshi was so surprised by the question that she nearly dropped the spatula, and she couldn't help but wonder why Huai Xu was being so direct today.

Some things were originally tacitly understood between them, yet...

Feigning calmness, Song Yingshi responded, "Am I not allowed to hug you?"

While processing some beef, Huai Xu said, "You can."

Before Song Yingshi could respond, Huai Xu continued, "Then, can I hug you back?"

Song Yingshi: "..."

After a long silence, Huai Xu asked again, "Am I not allowed to hug you?"

The same question was returned to Song Yingshi.

Song Yingshi absentmindedly stir-fried some pork, the emotions in her heart behaving like the rising smoke before her, constantly changing.

Last night, Song Yingshi originally wanted to sort out her thoughts regarding Huai Xu, her mind recalling Huai Xu's enchanting performance on stage and fragile state when saying, "I'm used to it." However, amidst her pondering, her tired body and mind and a trace of escapism pulled her into a deep sleep.

As the sunset outside the window gradually faded, Song Yingshi turned off the stove and left her station to turn on the lights. Returning to the wok, she said, "We'll be ready for dinner once I stir-fry some spinach. Do you want some soup to go with your meal?"

After a short silence, Song Yingshi heard Huai Xu walking over to the dish rack, grabbing a plate, and handing it to her.

...

Dinner comprised two dishes and one soup. The soup was vegetable and tofu soup, and it was just enough for two people.

After the meal, Huai Xu tactfully placed the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher and took care of the kitchen waste. Meanwhile, Song Yingshi went to the gym room to do some stretching.

After her post-meal stretching, Song Yingshi returned to her suite, browsed her phone, and took a shower. When she came out of the bathroom, it started raining outside.

The rain in June seemed never-ending, falling constantly from the sky.

Song Yingshi stared at the rain marks on the window and immersed herself in the suite's quiet. After some hesitation, she made her way to the suite next door.

What if Huai Xu forgets to close the windows? I should remind her, Song Yingshi thought, giving herself a good reason to visit Huai Xu. Deep down, though, she knew that this was only an excuse.

When Song Yingshi arrived outside Huai Xu's suite, she found the door wasn't closed.

There wasn't a crack in the door, nor was it half-open. Instead, it was left fully open without reservation, as if the suite's owner knew she would be receiving a guest tonight.

The inside of the suite was dim, with only a few bedside lights lit. Song Yingshi could barely see the objects in the room, so she hesitated to proceed. But just as she thought about retreating, she spotted Huai Xu's figure.

Huai Xu stood far from Song Yingshi. More specifically, she stood before the balcony on the suite's other end.

Huai Xu was wearing a strapped nightdress that hugged her slender and graceful figure, the silk fabric resembling a layer of mist that flowed with her movements. Her shoulder blades and snowy skin were faintly visible through the long, black hair cascading down her back.

Outside the balcony, the evening wind blew, carrying thin strands of rain and moisture from the river's surface. Huai Xu didn't avoid or retreat from the rain, simply letting it fall on her. She even extended a hand out onto the balcony to catch the strands of rain with her slender and bony fingers.

Despite the dim lighting, Song Yingshi seemed to be able to see how the raindrops slid onto Huai Xu's hand, how they were blown onto Huai Xu's body by the wind, how they fell onto Huai Xu's eyelashes like dew on branches, and how they eagerly and flatteringly kissed Huai Xu's lips.

Song Yingshi subconsciously approached Huai Xu and stopped five steps away from her.

At this distance, Song Yingshi could see Huai Xu much more clearly. She could even see how the raindrops were entangled in Huai Xu's long hair.

However, Huai Xu seemed unaware of Song Yingshi's presence as she continued enjoying herself in the rainy night.

There was wind but no moon outside. Covered in a veil of water vapor, the night scene today appeared even more stunning because of the haziness.

Huai Xu traced her forefinger across the glass window outside, staining her fingertip with fresh rainwater. Then, she retracted her hand and slowly traced the interior side of the window.

One horizontal stroke here, one vertical stroke there, a horizontal hook…

Like a child learning calligraphy, Huai Xu wrote the character "rain (雨)" stroke by stroke on the window.

When the most innocent of actions were performed by the most charming and seductive of women, even a character written with rainwater appeared alluring. Furthermore, what emanated from the written character was not the scent of ink but a rich and intoxicating feminine fragrance.

After placing the final dot, Huai Xu kept her fingertip pressed against the glass as she turned around to look at Song Yingshi. Like the rainy night shrouded in cold mist, her eyes simultaneously pushed people away and beckoned them to explore her.

Song Yingshi didn't know when Huai Xu had grown to this point, able to weave an inescapable net with her gaze alone.

Song Yingshi knew she had fallen prey to this net. However, unwilling to surrender without a fight, she feigned nonchalance as she said, "I'm here to remind you to close your windows. Wouldn't want you to fall sick."

Huai Xu said nothing and simply stretched an arm toward Song Yingshi.

Huai Xu's arm was like a piece of cold jade, with beautiful lines extending all the way to her fingertips. There was also a thin layer of moisture covering it.

After observing this arm for a while, Song Yingshi shifted her gaze to check on Huai Xu's expression.

Huai Xu restrained her eyebrows, instantly suppressing the alluring scent she had exuded, concealing it behind her cold exterior. Then, she sighed, "The rain tonight is cold."

Song Yingshi raised her legs and walked past Huai Xu. Under Huai Xu's gaze, she closed the window with force before saying stiffly, "Why didn't you close the window earlier, then?"

Song Yingshi inhaled deeply and exhaled on the glass. With her back facing Huai Xu, she continued, "Hurry up and go to sleep."

After saying so, Song Yingshi felt that she should leave. At least, she shouldn't continue to stand here. Yet, her feet stayed rooted, her body seemingly yearning to take a few more breaths here.

Song Yingshi didn't know what she was waiting for. More precisely, she was oblivious to the fact that she was waiting for anything when she chose to stand still. She just did it for no reason.

Suddenly, Song Yingshi felt a soft body pressing against her back. Then, Huai Xu whispered behind her ear, "This way, we're even."

Huai Xu's lips and breath were scalding, and the arms wrapped around Song Yingshi's waist were icy cold.

Amidst the hot and cold, Song Yingshi stepped on air and fell into the abyss. At the same time, she realized that…

…escape was no longer an option.