Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 71.2

When Song Yingshi and Huai Xu entered the first-floor lobby, they unexpectedly ran into Kou Lengyu and Wan Jiao playing cards on a sofa. Immediately, whatever emotions they had just experienced were snuffed, and they quickly regained their cool.

Upon hearing footsteps entering the lobby, Kou Lengyu and Wan Jiao looked up from their card game, each revealing several long strips of paper stuck on their faces.

"You two are finally back!" Wan Jiao exclaimed.

"Mhm. Why aren't you two asleep yet?" Song Yingshi asked.

"Jiaojiao and I got back at around midnight. When Dorm Mother Jiao heard that you two were returning soon, she naturally couldn't sleep before seeing you return safely. As for me, I naturally had to keep my lady company," Wan Jiao said before hugging and rubbing her face against Wan Jiao, behaving very indecently.

Wan Jiao had a habit of watching over the other trainees like an elder sister, a product of her strong sense of responsibility and a strange obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hence, some of the trainees addressed her as a dorm mother.

After hearing herself being mentioned, Wan Jiao said, "Don't listen to Lengyu's nonsense. We just got back and couldn't sleep, so we decided to play cards for a bit… What about you two? What took you so long to get back? I don't recall there being any traffic."

Wan Jiao was a terrible liar. Despite saying that she didn't care, she not only knew that Song Yingshi and Huai Xu were returning, but she even knew that they were behind schedule.

Huai Xu felt her heart warming up a little as she replied, "We got caught up at the airport for about 20 minutes."

"Ohhh." Wan Jiao nodded, satisfied with the explanation.

"Come on, let's go back to sleep, Jiaojiao," Kou Lengyu urged as she yawned.

Subsequently, the four of them tidied up the playing cards, removed the paper strips on Kou Lengyu and Wan Jiao's faces, and returned to their respective rooms.

Before disappearing into her room, Wan Jiao winked at Song Yingshi and Huai Xu, whispering, "Rong Yi is already asleep, so try to keep it down tonight."

Song Yingshi: ?

Song Yingshi quickly got Wan Jiao's hint and waved away the other party disdainfully, saying, "Good night!"

When Song Yingshi turned around, she saw that Huai Xu had already helped move her suitcase into the bedroom.

Standing at the door, Song Yingshi had a full view of the bedroom, so she could see Huai Xu unpacking their suitcases. However, when she looked at Huai Xu's back, she couldn't help but feel as if she was looking at a spider patiently waiting for its prey to enter the web it had weaved…

Song Yingshi stood at the door for a while before lifting her leg and walking into the room.

Song Yingshi carefully closed the door once she was inside. Whether she did so because she was afraid of disturbing her neighbor's sleep or attracting Huai Xu's attention, not even she knew the reason.

When Song Yingshi turned around, Huai Xu was still unpacking. Their two suitcases were placed side-by-side, and both were fully opened.

While taking out a toiletry bag, Huai Xu asked without looking up, "Should I take your toiletries out for you?"

Huai Xu's tone was normal. Song Yingshi, in the middle of changing into her slippers, paused and responded naturally, "Sure. Help me grab my facial mask while you're at it."

When Song Yingshi saw Huai Xu reaching for her makeup bag, she interrupted, "No, my facial mask isn't there. It's in one of the inner pockets."

Huai Xu's hand changed directions and searched the inner pockets. A few seconds later, she retracted her hand, pulling out two facial masks and…

Huai Xu opened her hand to find a Cinnamoroll keychain on her palm.

Song Yingshi would never bring her suitcase when returning home. She last used her suitcase when she first arrived at Star of Spring's shooting location. Hence, there was no reason for the Cinnamoroll keychain to be inside her suitcase, unless…

Song Yingshi grabbed the Cinnamoroll from Huai Xu's hand, twisted its ears, and said thoughtfully, "I was wondering why I didn't see it in the main compartment. So it rolled into one of the pockets."

After saying so, Song Yingshi beamed a smile at Huai Xu. Under the gentle light, her eyes and eyebrows looked incredibly beautiful, and her pronunciation was a mix of deep and light as she said, "You found me out."

You found me out… These words echoed in Huai Xu's mind.

Huai Xu had been longing for Song Yingshi's affection for far too long, but the hope of her wish coming true was too slim, so what happened today made her feel like she was daydreaming.

Huai Xu wanted to believe it was true, but she dared not.

On their way back, Huai Xu was mired in suspicion, and she observed Song Yingshi like the most careful detective in the world. She was also like the most alert leopard in the jungle, ready to sink back into the dark and continue biding her time at the slightest hint of peculiarity.

The words Song Yingshi said were like a signal, and Huai Xu couldn't help but jump at the opportunity, asking, "Found you out about what?"

"The keychain, of course. What else could I be talking about?" Song Yingshi responded calmly.

Huai Xu furrowed her brows.

The Song Yingshi who would blush at having her hand touched had seemingly disappeared.

Even though Huai Xu could sense that something had changed in the atmosphere between them, she just couldn't get a hold of any concrete evidence. The Song Yingshi of today was simply too slippery, slipping away without any traces after leaving a faint mark on her heart.

When Song Yingshi saw Huai Xu's reaction, she laughed and said, "What's with that face? Is something on your mind?"

Without letting Huai Xu respond, Song Yingshi quickly added, "Do you want to shower now, or should I go first? My neck hurts from trying to sleep on the plane. I want to hurry up and go to bed."

Huai Xu's gaze wandered over Song Yingshi's face twice, carefully scrutinizing Song Yingshi's expression and speech. After finding that everything seemed normal, she said calmly, "You go first."

Song Yingshi grabbed her toiletries and clothes before disappearing into the bathroom, just like every night over the past month.

What happened in B City was like a dream that could only be understood but not expressed. From the moment they stepped into the White Tower, everything "returned to normal," and the two of them resumed the relationship and demeanor they typically had in the White Tower.

The White Tower was still new and clean. However, although they had only been living here for a month, Huai Xu could already smell a stale and stagnant odor.

Like an ancient parchment scroll bearing the colors of time, the White Tower was inscribed with rules that must be followed and stories that have fallen into slumber.

Perhaps treasure was hidden within the White Tower, but Huai Xu couldn't find the key.

Or maybe—the White Tower itself was the treasure.

Huai Xu needed to achieve her goal of successfully debuting. The more dazzling she became, the better.

No matter what, this was her highest priority the following month.

She needed to be patient.

…

July 4th, one day before the announcement of the second public performance's rankings…

If nothing unexpected happened, the trainees would lose more companions tomorrow. After tomorrow, there would no longer be gatherings of 60 people.

After experiencing two farewells, everyone should've already grown accustomed to saying goodbye. However, that was only partially true. This was because the later a trainee left the show, the more time they would've spent with their companions, and the stronger the bonds they would've developed.

When the first 41 trainees left, most couldn't even remember everyone's names. But after a month of interaction, even if they hadn't become the best of friends, the remaining trainees could still engage in small talk whenever they crossed paths in the White Tower.

Hence, every departure henceforth would leave someone feeling empty inside. Not to mention, there wouldn't just be one or two departures this time.

Besides Class A's trainees, everyone was in danger of elimination.

Because many trainees had to travel overnight to return to the White Tower, they weren't scheduled to do any activities in the morning. Instead, Shi Zhi turned the recording studio into a movie theater where everyone could watch a movie and relax.

Most importantly, popcorn and iced cola were provided!

When this news was shared, even trainees who weren't interested in the movie came. After eating healthy for so many days, they had to seize the opportunity and eat as much junk food as possible, preferably until they bankrupted the production crew!

With a popcorn bucket in one hand and an iced cola in the other, the trainees happily looked at the large projection screen in front of them.

"Are you guys feeling a little less anxious now?" Shi Zhi asked the trainees with a smile.

"No, no," Quan Yuanyuan responded, smiling happily.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuewen raised her hand and sheepishly said, "It'd be even better if we had fried chicken, burgers, and fries…"

"Fried chicken? Burgers? Fries? Should I bring a barbecue grill and a hot pot as well? Lu Xuewen, you still haven't lost the three pounds you gained during the holiday, have you?" Shi Zhi glared at Lu Xuewen.

Lu Xuewen: "..."

The trainees had to weigh themselves daily, and the news that Lu Xuewen had gained three pounds over the two-day holiday had already spread throughout Star of Spring.

At Shi Zhi's words, laughter immediately filled the studio.

Song Yingshi and Huai Xu arrived at the studio during the laughter. After collecting their popcorn and cola, they exchanged several words with the trainees in the front rows before finding a seat in the back rows.

To ensure the projection could be seen clearly, the lights in the studio were turned off. Combined with the studio's soft seats, it felt like they were in a movie theater.

The movie shown on the projection was "Parasite," a Korean movie that had been very popular in the past two years.

They had arrived after the movie's opening, so Song Yingshi quietly asked one of the trainees in the row ahead, "What was shown in the opening?"

The trainee whispered back, "It showed that this family is extremely poor and wants to leech off of a wealthy family, so they're in the middle of plotting against the wealthy family."

Song Yingshi nodded and began watching the movie in earnest.

Song Yingshi had an occupational disease where she would subconsciously analyze and deconstruct the movies that she watched. However, as she wasn't a director, she primarily focused on the actors, analyzing the meaning and purpose behind their actions. She would even observe their walking and speaking postures.

Because there were so many things to look out for, Song Yingshi was very focused when watching the movie. She was so engrossed in the movie that only after taking a few bites of popcorn did she realize that her hand had been lazing off in the popcorn bucket all this time—

Hm?

Song Yingshi blinked and lowered her gaze at the hand pressed against her lips. Then, she watched as the hand slowly pulled away and disappeared into the popcorn bucket on Huai Xu's side.

Subsequently, Huai Xu picked up a piece of popcorn and delivered it to her own mouth, her fingers briefly disappearing between her lips before reappearing.

As Song Yingshi watched this happen, she momentarily forgot to chew the popcorn in her mouth, letting it slowly soften between her teeth and spread the taste of butter across her mouth.

Amidst Song Yingshi's daze, Huai Xu tilted her head and looked at her with a questioning gaze, "Hmm?"

Song Yingshi finally came back to her senses and swallowed the popcorn in her mouth. After taking a large sip of cola, she said, "Focus on the movie."

Song Yingshi had no idea whether she was saying these words to Huai Xu or herself.

"I am," Huai Xu replied.

At this time, the movie showed the wealthy family's daughter and the poor family's son dating. When Song Yingshi saw this scene, she said, "Watch this scene as well."

Huai Xu hummed softly before she said, "I don't like it."

"You don't like it?"

Song Yingshi was glad that they had chosen a corner seat. The trainees in the rows ahead also whispered to each other, making the two of them look less "uncultured."

"He's tricking her," Huai Xu said.

"Maybe he sincerely likes her?" Song Yingshi speculated.

"Even if he's sincere, he shouldn't do such a thing," Huai Xu replied.

If the poor family's son genuinely liked the wealthy family's daughter, how could he stomach leeching off the girl's family like a parasite? Didn't he care that the girl might be hurt and put in an awkward position should his actions come to light one day?

Song Yingshi pondered Huai Xu's answer and felt it was indeed in Huai Xu's personality to have such a response. At the same time, she couldn't help but find Huai Xu to be more adorable after seeing her seriously disagree with the movie's plot.

Song Yingshi gained the strong urge to pinch Huai Xu's cheeks. She felt that Huai Xu's face should be exceptionally soft right now.

However, after recalling that they were in a public setting, Song Yingshi held back her urges, blinked at Huai Xu, and smiled, saying, "Everyone has their way of living. The same goes for the people in the movie."

Song Yingshi's eyes were naturally bright and clear, yet also gentle. They were especially charming in the dim light.

Song Yingshi's eyes mesmerized Huai Xu, causing her heart to thump and hit her ribs.

Huai Xu mentally cursed herself for being so susceptible when dealing with Song Yingshi. However, amidst her swelling emotions, she couldn't help but get excited.

Song Yingshi kept her head facing forward. When the movie's plot entered a period of calm, she subconsciously placed 20% of her focus on the seat beside hers.

After the popcorn incident, Song Yingshi vaguely realized that her current situation resembled the most common dating scene. Although they sat very close to the other trainees, there was quite some distance between each row, so it was as if she and Huai Xu were in a little world of their own.

Song Yingshi was extraordinarily calm right now. Nevertheless, despite not wanting to acknowledge it, she had to admit that she was looking forward to what Huai Xu would do next. She was curious to know what methods Huai Xu would use—

Would Huai Xu act like a spoiled cat? Or would she be like a snake holding a forbidden fruit?

Song Yingshi didn't have to wait long before she sensed the heat source beside her slowly approaching her, the other party's movements as light as a cat twisting its body and shaking its tail.

"But I agree with one point of theirs, that is, if you want something, you should go for it. Especially when you see hope," Huai Xu whispered into Song Yingshi's ear.

When she opened her mouth to speak, a tempting fragrance emanated from between her lips. Yet, her tone remained calm and clear.

Song Yingshi saw through Huai Xu's intentions, but her eardrums still grew numb from Huai Xu's whispering.

Then, like a snake hissing and a cat arrogantly acting like a spoiled child, Huai Xu asked, "Song Yingshi, am I right?"