"Too timid to act?"
"Shy, aren't you?"
Guan Qingtong agreed with some of Su Yirao's points, but not entirely. If she were someone who only dared to think but never act, how could she have gradually changed Su Yirao's impression of her?
Now that Su Yirao had provoked her, how could she back down?
Just as Guan Qingtong was about to turn her thoughts into action, Su Yirao spoke again, chuckling softly.
"Girls being close, giving each other a little kiss on the cheek, it's a common thing. It's something pure, but when you look so shy, it makes people want to tease you."
"Remember, don't show this shy and bashful look in front of others."
"When I see it, I might just tease you a bit. But someone like Yu Xingye, if he sees you like this, he might get some inappropriate ideas."
Su Yirao's words were like a bucket of cold water, dousing the fire that had inexplicably ignited in Guan Qingtong.
"Okay..."
"Listening to a lecture, huh? Feels uncomfortable?" Su Yirao laughed softly. "It's okay, I'm just saying it. And I'll let you kiss me back; I won't let you suffer."
Guan Qingtong was silent for a moment, not responding to the offer of kissing back. Instead, she brought up another point.
"Sister, I agree with most of what you said, but I disagree with the idea that closeness between girls is always pure."
"Given how people perceive our relationship right now, any intimate actions between us could easily be seen as romantic. So, is it really as pure as you say?"
Su Yirao put away her lipstick, looking at her serious expression with a faint smile.
"You're right, but it all depends on the context."
"What we have is pure, isn't it?" Su Yirao asked. "And by the way, if you ever have someone you like, just let me know. I'll end our relationship quickly so you can be free again."
Guan Qingtong hesitated, not sure what to say.
"Thank you, Sister."
After thanking her, she remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "I'm going to check on Xiaolin."
"Go ahead."
Su Yirao returned to organizing her files.
...
As she stepped out of the office, Guan Qingtong took a deep breath, letting the fresh air wash away the stifling feeling in her chest.
Usually, she felt completely at ease around Su Yirao. But today was different. Why did she feel so suffocated, like she couldn't breathe?
She couldn't figure it out, so she decided to stop thinking about it.
She made her way to the break room, intending to check on Xiaolin.
In the corner of the break room, several cardboard boxes were piled up. Lin Youqi was curled up like an ostrich in her makeshift fortress, sitting on the floor with tears in her eyes, gulping down bottled water.
"Drinking bottled water like it's alcohol won't get you drunk, and it won't wash away the bitterness either," Guan Qingtong said as she sat down next to her, leaning her head against the wall.
"I know," Lin Youqi said, wiping away her tears. "I just wanted to drink something."
"Pass me one, I could use a drink too."
Lin Youqi looked up, seeing Guan Qingtong through her blurry vision. After handing her a bottle, she asked, "You've got the girl of your dreams; you must be happy. So why are you here with me?"
"You said you weren't my rival the other day. Now I believe you. It turns out you and Sister Yirao have been together all along. I wasn't even in the running."
Lin Youqi forced a bitter smile before taking another big gulp of water.
Su Yirao's plan to make Xiaolin give up had succeeded. As the apparent winner in Xiaolin's eyes, Guan Qingtong felt awkward trying to comfort her or explain the truth.
So, she said nothing and took a long sip of water herself.
Lin Youqi laughed bitterly. "I always thought of you as a friend, but you kept your relationship with Sister Yirao a secret from me."
"She said she doesn't like office romances, but that was just because she doesn't like me."
"Haha, it was all an excuse! And I actually believed it!"
Choking on her own words, Lin Youqi continued to down water, trying in vain to drown her sorrows.
"Xiaolin, I'm sorry."
Guan Qingtong felt terrible but didn't know what to say to comfort her.
"You don't need to apologize, and you don't need to comfort me," Lin Youqi said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I'm a loser. How could I ever be friends with someone who's won?"
Guan Qingtong paused mid-sip, feeling a pang of guilt.
"Just go. I don't want to see you. I need to be alone."
It was clear that Xiaolin was deeply hurt. From the moment she agreed to Su Yirao's plan, Guan Qingtong had anticipated losing Xiaolin as a friend.
She just didn't expect it to happen so quickly...
Feeling a sense of helplessness, Guan Qingtong raised her hand but ultimately didn't make a move to comfort her.
"Okay."
Guan Qingtong responded softly, walking out of the break room and standing in the corner of the café, feeling lost. For a moment, she didn't know where to go.
She thought about returning to Su Yirao's office but hesitated, remembering the stifling feeling she had there.
Usually, she loved being close to Su Yirao. But today, what was different?
Guan Qingtong subconsciously touched her cheek, recalling the sensation of Su Yirao's fingers brushing against her skin.
Sigh...
She lowered her hand and sighed softly.
"Don't sigh."
Su Yirao's voice came from behind her. "You knew this would happen with Xiaolin the moment you agreed to help me."
Guan Qingtong looked up and saw Su Yirao standing there with a cup in her hand, seemingly on her way to get some water.
"Some people are better off being let go. Otherwise, it only leads to more pain."
Su Yirao's words hit home, but Guan Qingtong was still troubled by the loss of her friendship with Xiaolin.
"I understand that, Sister."
Guan Qingtong nodded slightly, meeting Su Yirao's gaze with clear eyes.
"You let go of Yu Xingye decisively, but I don't think you've fully moved on. Otherwise, why were you so eager to kiss me in front of him? You wanted to make him uncomfortable, didn't you?"
Guan Qingtong didn't know what she was asking or trying to prove. The words just came out in a rush.
Su Yirao smiled and patted her on the shoulder, her expression suggesting that Guan Qingtong was overthinking things.
"I've moved on from him."
From the moment she awakened to the truth, Su Yirao's feelings for Yu Xingye had vanished.
"Then... why were you so eager to prove you have a better relationship?" Guan Qingtong asked. "If you've really moved on, shouldn't you treat him like he's invisible?"
Su Yirao pursed her lips, gazing at Guan Qingtong for a long moment.
"Why are you so interested in my true feelings?"
If not for Guan Qingtong tearing up Yu Xingye's business card earlier, Su Yirao might have thought that Guan Qingtong had fallen for the male lead. But now, she wasn't so sure.
"Because..."
Guan Qingtong felt a moment of embarrassment, realizing she might have crossed a line.
"Sister, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry or gossip too much."
Su Yirao's smile returned, and she led Guan Qingtong back to the office.
"If you're just curious, I can tell you."
Seeing the eager anticipation in Guan Qingtong's eyes, Su Yirao found it amusing.
"I've had no feelings for Yu Xingye since the day we broke off the engagement. The only reason I kissed you was to make him back off."
"I told you before, but you didn't believe me. He came to the café for you, not me."
"And I'm possessive. I don't want him to take you away."
Guan Qingtong's breath hitched, her hands clenching her clothes under the table as her heart raced.
"I'm protective of what's mine," Su Yirao continued with a relaxed tone. "Once I've claimed someone, I won't let anyone I dislike take them away. I've worked hard to nurture you; I won't let him benefit from it."
"Yu Xingye? He's not worthy!"
Even if Yu Xingye was the male lead, and Guan Qingtong was the destined female lead, Su Yirao wouldn't allow it!
Hearing this, Guan Qingtong exhaled deeply, her hands relaxing as her heart settled back into place.
Once calm, Guan Qingtong found herself oddly missing the feeling of her heart racing.
...
In the following days, Lin Youqi remained civil on the surface but avoided any further interaction with Guan Qingtong, feeling betrayed by her.
Guan Qingtong, respecting her wishes, quietly kept her distance.
However, the kiss in the café didn't remain a secret for long.
Apart from Zhou Huiying's frequent teasing about their "mismatched energy," Su Yirao began transferring more responsibilities to Guan Qingtong.
After a few weeks, Guan Qingtong was getting the hang of things, but a sense of unease lingered.
Was Su Yirao planning to leave the café?
Finally, during one of their sessions where Guan Qingtong applied ointment to Su Yirao's burn, she voiced her concerns.
"Sister, you've handed over all your work to me. Are you leaving?"
"Office romances don't set a good example," Su Yirao replied. "If I've said it, I should practice it."
"But we're not really in a relationship..." Guan Qingtong said, "That's just an excuse!"
"To others, it looks real. One of us has to go."
Guan Qingtong froze mid-action, her emotions getting the better of her as she blurted out, "You said you'd teach me, but now you're backing out?"
Her sudden outburst didn't faze Su Yirao.
"I never said I'd stop teaching you," Su Yirao said lazily. "There's this thing called online classes. You can learn remotely, you know? And you're still living with me, aren't you?"
"Sister, does that mean I can keep staying at your place even after your burn heals?" Guan Qingtong was thrilled, her voice full of excitement.
Su Yirao nodded with a smile. "Yes."
"Then... where will you work next, Sister?" Guan Qingtong asked cautiously.
"I'm planning to take a good rest first," Su Yirao said thoughtfully. "After that, probably join a friend's startup here in Yongcheng. I'm still considering it, but it's almost certain."
"Startups can be pretty exhausting."
"Probably," Su Yirao smiled. "That's why I want to take a vacation first before diving into the challenge."
"You, on the other hand, should focus on your work at the café. Once you've gained enough experience, I'll introduce you to new challenges. I won't let your growth be confined to the café."
When Yu Xingye had tried to recruit her, Su Yirao had noted the ambitious career path he outlined.
Since Guan Qingtong had chosen to stay with her, Su Yirao wouldn't let her talents go to waste in a small café.
Unaware of Su Yirao's silent competition, Guan Qingtong's eyes lit up with hope for the future, feeling her life was full of possibilities.
When Yu Xingye had painted a rosy picture, she knew it was just empty promises. But with Su Yirao, who had genuinely saved her and her mother, she felt like she was being blessed by fate.
To meet such a guide in life was pure luck!
How fortunate she was to have pushed herself to get closer to Su Yirao. Otherwise, she'd never have this opportunity.
"Sister, you're a true blessing in my life!" Guan Qingtong said earnestly.
A blessing?
The term made Su Yirao pause.
An evil supporting character turned into the heroine's benefactor?
It was almost laughable.
But after a brief moment of surprise, Su Yirao felt a sense of satisfaction.
Compared to the male lead, the female lead, who knew how to be grateful and reciprocate, was much more endearing.
Yu Xingye...
Forget it, she didn't want to think about that unpleasant man anymore.
Overall, the more Su Yirao looked at Guan Qingtong, the more she liked her.
The only thing that bothered her was that Guan Qingtong's usual attire was of average quality and not suitable for outings.
"Guan Qingtong, let's go. Get ready, we're going shopping."
Guan Qingtong glanced at the darkening sky outside, hesitating. "Sister, it's getting late. How about we go tomorrow?"
"I'm in a good mood and want to spend money on you. I can't wait even for a moment."