Chương 46: The "Secret" Forced to Be Exposed

The busy signal sounded particularly jarring in the quiet room, and Xing Shuang practically jumped out of bed.

A fleeting pinkish-gold light flashed by, and her figure rapidly shifted within the light. Just as the door was violently pushed open, Lin Che managed to shove her phone under her pillow.

"Ah Che? I'm coming in." Su Yuqing's voice burst in as she pushed open the door, carrying the urgency and excitement she couldn't fully express on the phone earlier. She happened to see Lin Che bending down to hide his phone.

"Hmm?" She tilted her head, asking curiously, "Ah Che, what are you doing?"

Lin Che's fingers tightened slightly. He took a deep breath and forced himself to quickly adjust his expression.

He sat up, feigning composure, and said, "... It's nothing. But you, what brings you here so late with your phone? Is something the matter?"

Su Yuqing's hurried expression suddenly turned playful, and she narrowed her eyes like a kitten spotting its prey: "Liar."

She leaped to Lin Che in three quick steps, reaching out to lift the pillow.

"What were you hiding? Let me see!"

"Wait!" He grabbed the girl's hand.

"... Don't look."

Su Yuqing blinked, then suddenly leaned very close, a sly smile playing on her lips: "It wouldn't be something...

'unhealthy,' would it?"

Lin Che: "..."

Although there's just a cell phone under the pillow, and it probably wouldn't matter if it were seen, if the girl in front of me saw my number in the call log, Xing Shuang's identity would be completely exposed.

This secret must not be revealed until we are fully prepared, and right now this excuse seems to be the quickest and easiest way to get her to give up asking questions... at least for now.

After briefly weighing the pros and cons, he turned his face away, his ear tips turning red at a visible speed, and said stiffly, "Understanding is enough."

"Wow—" Su Yuqing deliberately dragged out the tone, her voice filled with exaggerated exclamation, "I understand, I understand~ I didn't expect A-Che to have reached this age of being curious about those things, it seems he's grown up."

She patted his shoulder with feigned maturity, her eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of a triumphant prank, as if she had discovered a huge secret and had him completely under her thumb. Her tone was full of teasing: "I was being presumptuous this time. Next time I'll knock before I come in~" Lin Che sighed, "... Can you leave now?" He was already regretting the excuse he had just chosen.

"No way!" She grinned and leaned closer, then suddenly braced herself on the edges of the bed on either side of him, trapping him between herself and the edge. She leaned forward slightly, and the neckline of her pajamas opened due to the sudden movement.

"Am I enough? Why do you need to watch those other things... Am I not attractive enough?"

Lin Che blushed and felt his breathing quicken. He knew he shouldn't let her tease him like this, but he couldn't push her away too forcefully, so he decided to fight back.

He suddenly reached out and pinched her soft cheek, giving it a light tug as revenge: "Not enough, I'm not interested in flat-chested girls."

"Lin Che!" Su Yuqing instantly bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and whose fur stood on end, her voice suddenly rising in pitch.

She glanced down at her curves hidden beneath her loose pajamas, her cheeks flushing crimson with extreme embarrassment and anger.

"Who are you calling flat-chested?! You used to touch me so much—" She suddenly realized she had misspoke, covered her mouth instantly, and even her neck turned pink.

The counterattack was clearly very effective. Lin Che himself was caught off guard by the direct attack, and his heart was pounding like a drum.

The room suddenly became so quiet that they could hear each other's rapid breathing, and an ambiguous and awkward atmosphere spread between them.

Lin Che quickly coughed lightly to change the subject: "... So what exactly are you here for?"

"I... I'm here to discuss how to help Xiaoli!" she stammered, trying to get away from him in a flustered manner, but she tripped over the edge of the bed, lost her balance, and cried out as she fell into his arms.

Lin Che caught her steadily, his palm against her back, feeling her heart pounding.

He patted the empty seat next to him, gesturing for her to sit down beside him: "Did you come up with a great idea?"

"Let's form a study group! You, me, and her, three people!" Su Yuqing finally got back into the swing of things. She sat cross-legged next to Lin Che, her eyes sparkling, and excitedly gestured her name.

"You're a top student, you can tutor her, that way her grades will improve and she won't skip classes so often! Plus, we can invite her out more often! To the library! To the movies! That way she won't always be alone!"

Lin Che pondered for a moment. The idea was direct and in line with Su Yuqing's style of doing things, but it was still too hasty for Luo Bingli.

He shook his head: "It's too early to talk about study groups now."

"Why?!" She tilted her head in confusion, her previous high spirits dampened, and she looked somewhat dejected.

"She resists even regular social interaction. Suddenly pulling her into a group will only make her more defensive and think we're pitying her." He looked at Su Yuqing, his tone serious.

"This will only push her away."

"First, we need to tell her directly that some people care whether she skips class, some people want her to stay in the classroom, and some people want her to be more than just herself."

Su Yuqing paused, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his shirt, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "... Should we just tell her?"

"Yes." Lin Che nodded gently, and took her restless fingers in his hand.

"Next time she skips class, just say, 'I'll be worried.'"

"Is it really that simple?" Su Yuqing seemed unconvinced; the statement sounded too flimsy.

"Those words carry a lot of weight for her," Lin Che said in a low voice.

"She needs someone to clearly tell her, 'You are important,' important enough that people will worry about her because of her actions."

Su Yuqing was stunned. The sounds around her gradually faded, and only the phrase "You are important" remained in her mind.

She remembered her best friend was always alone, the quiet detachment she had when looking at the crowd, and her stubborn face.

Those images were like tiny thorns, constantly pricking the softest part of her heart. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears, and an indescribable soreness surged up.

Lin Che looked at her reddened eyes and knew that those images and emotions were welling up in her heart.

He suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair, a gesture he had made countless times, but tonight the touch was exceptionally gentle, as if soothing a wounded animal: "You actually... care about her a lot, and feel sorry for her, right?"

This sentence was like flipping a switch, and those suppressed emotions found an outlet.

She suddenly threw herself into his arms, resting her forehead on his shoulder, and said in a muffled voice, "I thought that just being there for her would be enough, but it turns out her family is like this... She has to bear so much all by herself..."

Lin Che hugged her, his palms resting on her back, gently stroking it. He felt her soft body pressed tightly against his, and sensed her suppressed trembling.

"Yes, I know."

"She was so good..." Su Yuqing sobbed in his arms, her voice nasal and tearful, "So kind, so brave..."

"So, let's take it slow." He lowered his head, his voice deep and gentle.

"First, let her accept that 'someone cares about her,' get her willing to take that first step, and then we can talk about studying, okay?"

She nodded gently in his arms, tickling his chest. After a while, her emotions seemed to have calmed down, and she snuggled against Lin Che like a little animal.

Lin Che suddenly tightened his arms and pulled her closer to him.

The sudden movement made Su Yuqing gasp softly, and she looked up at him, "Why are you hugging me so tightly all of a sudden?"

He didn't answer, but just looked down at her, his gaze incredibly soft.

"A-Che?" she called out, somewhat puzzled.

"I just suddenly wanted to hug you," he whispered, his fingers tracing her cheek, feeling its warmth and softness.

"Is that not allowed?"

Su Yuqing's ears burned, and she muttered softly, "... Well, it's not impossible."

He chuckled softly, his eyes softening even more: "Yuqing."

"Hmm?" she asked cautiously, unsure of what he would say next.

"It's so kind of you."

"?!" Her face instantly turned red to her neck, as if scalded by boiling water. She stammered, "W-why are you saying such cheesy things all of a sudden! Are you running a fever?!"

"To be honest." Lin Che pinched her burning cheek, his eyes filled with pity.

"Even though you're very uneasy and you're bearing a lot yourself, you always think about helping others and protecting them."

Su Yuqing froze instantly, her heart felt like it had been gently squeezed. Her long-hidden feelings of unease about herself were gently exposed, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to react.

Just as she was lost in thought, Lin Che suddenly lifted her face, making her look at him: "Don't keep it to yourself next time, okay? If you're feeling unwell, you can tell me."

Su Yuqing suddenly felt her eyes welling up again, even more so than when she had cried because of Luo Bingli.

She quickly lowered her head, burying her face in his chest to avoid his all-seeing gaze, and then said in a nasal voice, "... Then you're not allowed to secretly take care of it behind my back."

Lin Che was taken aback, then chuckled. He remembered the phone under his pillow and his secret as Xing Shuang, and a pang of guilt rose in his heart. But faced with the girl's tearful request, he still agreed: "Okay."

This promise suddenly brightened Su Yuqing's mood. She looked up, about to say something, when the shrill ringtone of her cell phone suddenly shattered the warmth and tranquility of the room.