Chapter 235: Don’t Tell Me You’re Thinking About Moving in With Me or Something?!
Somehow, a strange scene suddenly popped into Lin Yibai’s head.
She imagined becoming a girl, marrying him, and then gently doing... couple things.
But if both of them still thought like guys, wouldn’t that feel super awkward?
“Ahhhhh!”
“No way.”
Lin Yibai shook her head cutely, quickly trying to get that weird image out of her mind.
But reality, of course, often goes the opposite way.
By the time she finished reviewing her thesis, it was already past 10 PM. Even though they were officially dating now, because of... certain “hardware” that wasn’t fully in place yet, she didn’t plan on letting him stay overnight.
“Umm!!” She paused, then said softly, “It’s... getting pretty late now.”
Xia Changyu raised his eyebrows. Was this going to be that kind of situation?
After all, he was a healthy young man, and now he had a girlfriend who was beautiful, charming, and alluring. Who would believe he could act like some perfect gentleman all the time?
If a man says he never thinks about that, is he really a man?
But maybe he was being too hopeful. Just as he guessed, the girl said, “How about I walk you out instead? Okay?”
Xia Changyu scratched his head and said, “Oh, that’s not necessary. My car’s just downstairs... I wasn’t trying to hint at anything. I just wanted to spend a bit more time with you.”
Lin Yibai nodded, “You’re right, that makes sense. I mean, we are boyfriend and girlfriend now! Ah... sorry, this is actually my first time being someone’s girlfriend, so I don’t have much experience. If I mess up or act weird, please be patient with me, okay?”
It's everyone's first time falling in love, after all.
Oh... right. Actually, she had dated before. But that was when she was still a guy, and she was basically just hopelessly chasing someone back then. That didn’t count as a real relationship. Xia Changyu, back then, was also just the poor fool caught in it all.
Trying to make conversation, Xia Changyu pointed at her apartment setup and said, “Your place looks a little small, but with the way you decorated it, it actually feels really cozy. I can tell it was arranged by a caring and thoughtful girl!”
Lin Yibai: “Ha~”
...That compliment though.
Was it okay to say the mood felt kind of awkward now?
She was still trying to get used to her role as someone’s girlfriend. She wondered, what else should a girlfriend do in this kind of situation?
While she was thinking, suddenly there was a loud thud from next door.
Even though Lin Yibai had decorated the apartment to feel warm and homey, some problems couldn’t be fixed. Like how bad the soundproofing was.
But then, something even worse happened.
The “crime” that Lin Yibai had decided not to commit because she didn’t have the right “tools”... Seemed to be happening right next door?
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah
As strange noises came from the apartment next door, Lin Yibai’s face turned completely red. She slapped her own thigh in frustration, and angrily said,
“I... I really hate guys who ‘hit’ girls! What time is it? And they’re already fighting?!”
And seriously, what were the chances?! She’d lived here for days and nothing ever happened. Why did this have to happen today, of all days?
Xia Changyu, listening to the sounds coming from next door, was also seriously struggling to keep calm. He had already been trying hard to hold himself back.
He might look like a proper, decent guy on the outside. But anyone who really knew him... knew that he was just trying really hard to stay in control.
Xia Changyu: “B-Baiyi~”
Lin Yibai: “Don’t talk!”
Xia Changyu frowned, then after a moment, carefully asked, “H-How did it turn out like this?”
Lin Yibai rolled her eyes and turned her head away, replying, “How would I know? Don’t ask me. I don’t know either!”
Thankfully, the fight from next door didn’t last long.
Just when Lin Yibai thought it was only getting started, it ended suddenly. The “battle” was already over.
Three minutes? No, not even three minutes.
Lin Yibai was shocked. She couldn’t help blurting out, “What the heck?!”
Xia Changyu: “Uh...”
Lin Yibai felt something was wrong and asked, “Hey, guys… I mean, you guys... are you all like this?”
Of course, at a time like this, it was “you guys”. After all, Lin Yibai was a girl now, quickly drawing the line between herself and being a guy.
Xia Changyu couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. He said, “No way. I think it should last at least tens of minutes to count as normal, right?”
Lin Yibai: “You’re just bragging.”
Wanting to protect the honor of all men, Xia Changyu got serious and said, “I swear, you have to believe me!”
But then Lin Yibai asked a killer question. “Then how do you know? Don’t tell me… you’ve done it with another girl before?”
Xia Changyu swore again, “No, I haven’t. Really! I swear!”
Lin Yibai smirked and said, “Come on, what makes you think you’re different from other guys? That you’re better?”
Xia Changyu fired back, “Then how do you know I’m not better than other guys? You haven’t even given me a chance. Is it that hard to trust me?”
Lin Yibai: “Ugh…”
Fine. She couldn’t keep going down this road. If she kept arguing, she might actually end up testing how “good” he was. And right now, she just couldn’t give him what he wanted. So the best choice was to avoid fanning the flames any further.
But the mood between them had already changed.
Xia Changyu realized that if he stayed any longer, he might really lose control. He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and said politely, “Then... maybe I should go now.”
“Yeah, that’s probably best. I’ll walk you out!”
The two walked out together. Just then, the door to the apartment next door opened. A flashy, heavy-makeup woman stepped out, clearly the kind of person who lived a fast-paced lifestyle.
Lin Yibai and Xia Changyu figured... she was probably a working girl the neighbor had hired from somewhere.
That’s life in the apartment complex.
Not exactly messy, but not exactly clean either.
You can see bright, hardworking people chasing their dreams... And also see some people falling deeper and deeper.
Xia Changyu started to worry again. Before they were officially together, he didn’t really have a reason to say anything. But now, as her boyfriend, he said seriously, “I mean it, why don’t you move in with me? Or we can rent a place together. What do you think?”
Lin Yibai shook her head and sighed, “You mean live together? I think... it’s not the right time yet.”
Xia Changyu quickly explained, “Baiyi, please believe me. I’m not asking you to move in because I want anything from you. I'm just worried about you, and I want to take care of you.”
Lin Yibai couldn’t help but smile. She didn’t speak right away. Instead, she took a small step forward, closing the space between them until the hem of her skirt brushed his leg and the sweet fragrance of her filled his breath.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head briefly against his firm chest, where his heartbeat thrummed unsteadily.
Then, she stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck to balance herself as she leaned in for a kiss.
It was not rushed, not shy. It was slow and full of feeling, like she was pouring everything she didn’t know how to say into that single moment. Her lips were warm, her touch light, but the kiss carried the weight of everything left unspoken.
And just before she pulled away, she gently bit his bottom lip, a feather-light tease that made him tremble.
Xia Changyu froze. His breath caught, his chest tightened, and for the first time in a long while, he didn’t know what to say.
His thoughts were empty except for her, her scent, her touch, the shape of her kiss still pressed against him like a memory that hadn’t even ended yet.
Lin Yibai smiled when she saw the look on his face.
“I know... I know how much you care. And I believe you. But there are things I can’t explain. Things I need to hold on to for myself. So if I say no to living together... it doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It's because I have my reasons. Can you wait for me until I'm ready?”
After saying that, she stepped back lightly, her fingertips grazing the fabric of his shirt as if reluctant to part.
Lin Yibai was wearing a short skirt. The early autumn breeze stirred her short skirt and fluttered the edges of her thin coat, wrapping her in the golden quiet of the suburban night.
She lifted one hand, waved, and said playfully, “Well, that’s it for today~ Bye byeヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞”
Xia Changyu was deeply moved by her beauty. He really wanted her…
But this time, he understood.
She wasn’t running. She was choosing her own pace.
He would wait. For her heart, her trust, her yes.