Chapter 6: Fluster (੭ ᐕ)੭)

“You, you, hello…”

Bai Ruoxi’s voice uncontrollably softened by three degrees.

Compared to the girl she’d encountered before with a bare face, this Yin Xiaomeng, who had clearly prepared for the occasion, was now stomping all over the suddenly blurred line in her heart.

Who could possibly feel aversion towards a girl with a perfect appearance, a gentle yet slightly mischievous personality, and who was also being so affectionate towards you?

Unless you liked men.

“Are you happy to see me?”

“Hehe, I’ll have you know, I’ve been waiting for this day for so long!”

The girl holding the umbrella with one hand very naturally pulled Bai Ruoxi’s arm into her embrace.

The soft sensation, combined with that appearance that struck right at the heart, caused a blush to spread across the already flustered girl’s face.

The person who had originally planned to have a proper argument upon meeting and cut off all ambiguous feelings now found her tongue tying itself in knots.

The lines she had rehearsed on the way gradually blurred under the assault of the light jasmine fragrance emanating from Yin Xiaomeng.

She stammered for a long while, her brain still not catching up.

However, when they got close, she did notice the fine beads of sweat on the other girl’s nose.

‘Has she been standing here waiting for me for a long time?’

She subconsciously thought of the other’s invitation during their recent phone call, and her mind quickly conjured up an image of a beautiful girl who had been waiting for her, hungry and enduring the scorching heat.

Although they usually chatted on the messaging app, this seemed to be the first time they had real, tangible, in-person contact?

“Hey?”

“Dummy? Can you hear me?”

Perhaps a bit unhappy from being ignored for so long?

The girl in the small high heels moved from Bai Ruoxi’s side to stand directly in front of her.

A pair of watery eyes glared somewhat angrily at this distracted person.

Yin Xiaomeng, dissatisfied, abruptly brought her face close.

Their noses nearly collided.

The girl who had been indulging in wild fantasies instinctively took half a step back, avoiding the suddenly close, breath that felt even hotter than today’s weather, and shook her head in a fluster.

“I can hear you!”

“I’m very happy!”

Belatedly realizing they were at the school gate, and finally aware that she had become one of the focal points of everyone’s attention because of the beauty beside her, her face flushed red.

Too flustered to be shy now, she grabbed Yin Xiaomeng’s hand and fled the area full of familiar faces at the fastest speed possible.

Of course, although the desire to escape everyone’s gaze was strong, she still accommodated the girl in high heels who looked like she’d have a hard time running fast.

Under the shade of the parasol, her already crimson earlobes were probably just a trick played by the vicious weather.

“Hmm?”

“Little Bai, why is your face so red?”

“Adorable, aren’t you?”

Someone ultimately couldn’t resist and gave that burning hot, makeup-free cheek a pinch.

The restaurant, with its air conditioning cranked to the max, revived the two girls from their heat-stricken, near-death state.

Especially that fool who had just caught a chill from the sudden rain yesterday and today had foolishly decided to experience the heat again.

Although she appeared calm and composed on the surface, inwardly she was already cursing the version of herself from over ten minutes ago.

Why was her brain so useless?

Wouldn’t it have been better to sit in a car with the AC on for such a long distance?

Why did she have to walk?

Yin Xiaomeng took two deep breaths of the cool air, trying hard not to let her image shatter in the eyes of the girl beside her.

“Tsk…”

The sticky feeling of clothes clinging to skin after sweating made her feel like ants were crawling all over her body now.

She felt a bit annoyed at why she hadn’t asked the other out when the weather was cooler.

But…

Since they were already here.

She flexed her slightly aching ankle, took hold of the small hand that was clutching hers, and the girl who had now arrived at one of her planned locations couldn’t wait to start executing her plan.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“I booked a private room on the second floor!”

“My treat today, okay? Order whatever you want!”

As if showing off, she fished out a black card with gold foil lettering from her small bag, waved it, and after handing it to the waiting staff, very naturally delivered the line that fit her ‘persona’.

Although, in a way, it wasn’t really an act…

Bai Ruoxi, who had been led all the way here by the sweet, soft girl, looked at the restaurant’s interior decor, where the per-person spending clearly couldn’t be less than a hundred, and swallowed nervously.

She did want to eat delicious food, but that didn’t mean she could accept such an expensive meal with a clear conscience.

“Xiao Meng…”

“Should we… maybe go somewhere else?”

“This place looks very—”

Before she could finish her sentence, a finger carrying a faint, fresh fragrance pressed against her lips.

Yin Xiaomeng’s pretty brows furrowed together.

Like a somewhat tsundere young lady, she pursed her lips and forcefully pulled the still-hesitant figure towards the inside of the restaurant.

“I don’t care! I want to eat here today!”

“And you’re eating too!”

“You dummy, you’re willing to watch a movie with me! What’s wrong with me treating you to a meal to thank you?”

“…”

The excuse sounded incredibly flimsy.

After all, she was the one who paid for the movie tickets.

Yet, it inexplicably made Bai Ruoxi waver.

‘Should I agree? Won’t I owe her even more?’

As for the decision after hesitation?

The moment the beautiful girl pulled out that black card, the outcome was already determined.

Just kidding, this young lady has always been exceptionally approachable.

With good looks and a prominent family background, what kind of girl couldn’t she have her way with?

It’s just that her taste ran towards beautiful girls, yuri, and married women, which made the resources seem all the more precious.

The four-person private room felt a bit empty on one side with only two people sitting there.

But Bai Ruoxi couldn’t very well move to sit across the table in front of the girl beside her who was now touching up her makeup.

Her single-strap bag was casually hung on the coat rack by the door.

She sat upright in her seat, her eyes fixed on the empty tabletop before the food arrived, her hands even placed properly on her knees.

“Ruoxi?”

“Do you want to try some too?”

The intimate form of address made the girl shudder.

She instinctively shifted her gaze to the side.

Yin Xiaomeng, who had somehow gotten close, was smiling and holding up a lip gloss, making a swiping motion in the air.

Those cherry-pink lips glistened slightly, looking quite tempting.

Bai Ruoxi looked at the suddenly close figure, and her heart seemed to skip a beat.

Her gaze also began to uncontrollably shift between the girl’s lips and the lip gloss in her hand.

To be honest, the moment she heard “Do you want to try some too?”

Her first thought was actually to try the part that was already on the other girl’s lips…

She already had a girlfriend, yet she could still…

“…”

Right, wasn’t the whole reason she agreed to meet initially to draw a clear line with “Yin Xiaomeng”?

“…”

“N-no, it’s fine…”

Instinctively, she took off her glasses and wiped the lenses with the hem of her shirt.

As if that could disperse the awkwardness lingering in her heart.

“Come on, try it~”

“Little Ruoxi~ I’ve always thought you’d look absolutely beautiful if you dressed up a bit~”

Yin Xiaomeng clearly had no intention of letting this opportunity go…

Although it was a reaction she had anticipated, it still made her playful heart swell.