Ruo Xiaozhen had been binge-watching a dating show for two days straight, to the point where she was completely obsessed.
She sat cross-legged on her bed, with her tablet propped up on the blanket. The light from the screen reflected on her face. Outside the window, the night was thick and deep. The entire building had fallen silent, only the light in her room was still on.
The show currently playing was “Heart Signal,” the most popular civilian dating show at the moment. Six single men and women lived together in a seaside villa, with cameras recording all their interactions. In the studio, the panel of observers watched and analyzed, discussing who liked whom and who was hesitating.
The production team had also emphasized that it was a very inclusive and open show—you didn’t necessarily need a man and a woman to form a CP; two men or two women were also allowed. With this gimmick, it quickly attracted a lot of attention online.
Ruo Xiaozhen used to watch this kind of show just for fun, but today, for some reason, the more she watched, the faster her heart beat.
On the screen, Girl No. 4 was tying an apron on Girl No. 2 in the kitchen. She came up from behind, wrapped her arms around Girl No. 2’s waist, and gently tied the apron strings into a bow behind her back. Girl No. 2’s face instantly turned red; she lowered her head, afraid to look at Girl No. 4, but the corners of her mouth couldn’t help curling up.
Ruo Xiaozhen stared at that scene, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—if it were her and Yan Yu…
She forcefully shook her head, trying to throw away that thought. But that scene seemed imprinted on her retina, refusing to go away.
She began to imagine all sorts of messy scenes: if she and Yan Yu went to that new dessert shop, would Yan Yu tie her apron for her?
If they rode the Ferris wheel together, at the highest point, would Yan Yu turn her head to look at her?
Aaaaaah! Ruo Xiaozhen forcefully slapped her own cheek. What was she thinking?
She had done that shameful thing that night—wasn’t that enough? If she continued like this, fantasizing about so many strange things, she would definitely not be able to interact with Yan Yu normally anymore. She had to stop that from happening.
But the more Ruo Xiaozhen tried to drive these thoughts away, the more they grew like weeds. They crawled out of the cracks in her mind, took root, sprouted, tangled, and finally wrapped around her entire heart.
She had originally planned to get up early to make Yan Yu breakfast—she had promised to make brown sugar steamed cake, and the dough was already proofed—but the more she thought, the more excited she became, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The pillow was rolled into a mess, and the blanket was kicked into a wrinkled state.
‘No, no, no, no, no! Ruo Xiaozhen, pull yourself together! Yan Yu is your important friend, your best bestie! You can’t have those weird thoughts about her!! Absolutely not, do you hear me?!’
‘Ruo Xiaozhen, you cannot become a lesbian! Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely cannot become a lesbian!’
And so she tossed and turned, constantly tormenting herself, with a storm raging in her heart.
It was three in the morning. She still hadn’t fallen asleep. The phone screen was on, the dating show was still playing, and her mind was still a mess.
That self-talk persuasion had absolutely no effect! She realized that she was like she was hooked—once she started noticing her strange feelings for Yan Yu, she couldn’t stop, and her body was completely out of control!
The show on the screen had reached the third episode. The panelists had switched to a new topic, discussing “What is the most heart-fluttering moment in love?” This question was very conventional, but the male and female guests all actively participated, gathering around a long table, looking at each other, and chatting enthusiastically. Meanwhile, in the comment section, netizens watching also started to weigh in.
Some people said it was love at first sight, some said it was being treated gently, and others said it was the sense of security built up from everyday trivialities.
Ruo Xiaozhen put the tablet face down on the blanket, lay on her back, and stared at the turned-off light on the ceiling.
“The most heart-fluttering moment…” she murmured, repeating the phrase. In her mind, all that appeared was Yan Yu’s shadow.
The way Yan Yu sat at her desk, slightly lowering her head to read. The way Yan Yu picked up a milk glass, took a sip, and set it down. The way Yan Yu stuck out her tongue to lick the milk stain off the back of her hand.
Every image was crystal clear. Every image made her so happy, no matter how many times she looked at them, she never got tired. She buried her face in the pillow and let out a muffled groan.
Just then—
Dingdong.
The phone rang.
Ruo Xiaozhen lazily reached out, fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, squinted, and unlocked the screen. It was a WeChat message.
The sender made her pause.
‘Bai Yan’er?’
Ruo Xiaozhen and Bai Yan’er weren’t very familiar. However, recently, Bai Yan’er had been sending her messages from time to time, asking how Yan Yu was doing, if she was eating well, etc. Her tone was always gentle and polite.
In Ruo Xiaozhen’s view, Bai Yan’er was just the kind of good younger sister who was very warm to others and especially attentive to her elder sister. She opened the message.
[Bai Yan’er: Good evening, Xiao Zhen. Have you gone to bed?]
Ruo Xiaozhen immediately typed a reply:
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Not yet! I’m watching a variety show, I’m hooked, haven’t been able to sleep haha]
She also added a facepalm emoji.
[Bai Yan’er: A variety show?]
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Yeah! “Heart Signal” Season 3! Have you seen it? It’s really super good! Let me tell you, this season’s Male No. 4 is amazing—tall, handsome, and can cook!]
Ruo Xiaozhen typed a long string, and after sending it, felt that her excitement was a bit too much, so she added another line:
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Sorry, I’m a little talkative…]
[Bai Yan’er: Not at all. As long as you enjoy it.]
It was followed by a smiling kaomoji, gentle and soft. Ruo Xiaozhen held her phone, thinking that Bai Yan’er was really a nice person. Even though she was a young lady from a wealthy family, she spoke without any airs.
Another message came.
[Bai Yan’er: By the way, Xiao Zhen, how has my sister been lately?]
Sister—referring to Yan Yu. Ruo Xiaozhen replied almost without thinking:
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Pretty good! We just recovered from midterms, she’s been resting at home these two days, in good condition.]
[Bai Yan’er: What about her health? Nothing serious, right?]
[Ruo Xiaozhen: No no, don’t worry! I’m taking good care of her for you!]
Ruo Xiaozhen patted her chest as she typed this line, with an expression of “Leave it to me, it’ll be fine.”
On the other end of the phone, Bai Yan’er looked at that line on the screen, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. “I’m taking good care of her for you”—that sentence sounded off no matter how you heard it.
Bai Yan’er’s finger paused over the screen for a moment, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. But she quickly adjusted her expression and continued typing in a gentle tone.
[Bai Yan’er: That’s good. With you taking care of her, I’m reassured.]
She paused, then sent another line.
[Bai Yan’er: Xiao Zhen, have you been hiding anything from me lately?]
Ruo Xiaozhen was taken aback.
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Huh? Why are you suddenly asking like that?]
[Bai Yan’er: It’s like this. I wanted to ask my sister to help me with some tutoring this weekend.]
Ruo Xiaozhen thought to herself, Yan Yu’s grades were indeed good, so asking her for tutoring was very reasonable. But Bai Yan’er’s next sentence made her fully alert.
[Bai Yan’er: But when I mentioned it to her, she said she already has plans for the weekend.]
[Bai Yan’er: Did you make plans with her?]
Ruo Xiaozhen’s eyes widened, and her fingers quickly typed three words:
[Ruo Xiaozhen: Not me!]
After sending it, she slowly finished reading Bai Yan’er’s message.
Already has plans for the weekend? Yan Yu made plans with someone? How come she didn’t know?
Ruo Xiaozhen tilted her head, staring at the screen, her brows furrowed. She lived with Yan Yu every day, ate together, studied together; she knew when Yan Yu went out, came back, when she slept, when she woke up. If Yan Yu had made plans with someone for the weekend, she should have mentioned it.
[Bai Yan’er: Is that so? Then who do you think it might be?]
When this message arrived, several possibilities had already run through Ruo Xiaozhen’s mind.
[Bai Yan’er: What close friends does my sister have around her?]