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Read advanced chapters at Shanghaifantasy.com
“Wait, do you smell something?” Wang Sasa suddenly wrinkled her nose as she spoke.
Tan Yixuan paused for a moment, then quickly turned and rushed to the kitchen.
Luckily, she arrived just in time—the food hadn’t burned.
Tan Yixuan dished out the food and nonchalantly pulled Wang Sasa along as they headed back to the hospital.
Looking down at their intertwined fingers, Wang Sasa felt conflicted.
Wait, wasn’t Tan Yixuan just confessing to her earlier?
So why were they holding hands now? What was going on?
She gave their hands a little shake, reluctantly reminding her, “Tan Yixuan, I’m not ready yet…”
Upon hearing this, Tan Yixuan finally seemed to realize, and she slowly let go of her hand.
After a moment, she awkwardly apologized, “Sorry, it’s a habit.” She let one hand rest loosely at her side, while the other held a thermos. She pursed her lips and glanced at Wang Sasa cautiously. “Weren’t we always like this before?”
Wang Sasa stammered, “Y-Yeah, but…” Something about it felt off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Tan Yixuan lowered her gaze, staring at her fingertips, and said sadly, “So, from now on, we have to keep our distance?”
Wang Sasa turned her head away, rubbing her long hair in frustration. She was worried that if she let her guard down, she’d end up surrendering completely to Tan Yixuan. But at the very least, she had to hold firm on her boundaries, right?
Tan Yixuan gave a bitter smile, “I understand. From now on, I’ll try to stay farther away from you.”
••••
Frustrated and irritated, Wang Sasa felt like venting without holding back.
She couldn’t help but scratch her earlobe forcefully before finally slumping in defeat, sighing, “No need, let’s just keep things the way they are.”
“Really?” Tan Yixuan’s eyes lit up immediately. If it weren’t for the thermos in her hand, she looked ready to embrace Wang Sasa right then and there.
They returned to the hospital and watched as Grandma Tan finished her meal. As usual, Tan Yixuan went to wash the dishes, leaving Wang Sasa in the hospital room with Grandma Tan for company.
Grandma Tan glanced at the doorway, then turned back to Wang Sasa with a kind smile, “What good news happened? Yixuan looks so happy.”
Wang Sasa was momentarily stunned. At first, Tan Yixuan used to be expressionless around her. But at some point, Wang Sasa began to see her smile more frequently. Perhaps she had seen her smile so often that now she couldn’t quite tell when Tan Yixuan was truly happy or truly sad.
Grandma Tan said she was happy.
Was it because of her?
Wang Sasa thought of her temporary compromise, and the fact that it could bring Tan Yixuan so much happiness left her feeling conflicted.
“Sasa, I can tell that Yixuan really cares about you. I’m not saying this to pressure you—Grandma knows you’re a good child too.” Grandma Tan smiled kindly at her, patting her hand gently. “I just hope there’s no misunderstandings between you two.”
Wang Sasa remained silent for a moment before offering a faint smile, “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt Yixuan.”
After all, her purpose in this book was to ensure Tan Yixuan’s happiness.
Sunday arrived in no time.
Wang Sasa sat in the kitchen of Tan Yixuan’s home, staring blankly as she watched her slim figure busily moving around the stove. She was grabbing bowls and whipping egg whites.
Tan Yixuan took a carton of milk out of the fridge and passed by Wang Sasa, leaning down to say, “Just wait a bit longer, this is my first time making it, so I don’t know how it’ll turn out.”
Tan Yixuan was making double-skin milk for her.
The reasoning was twofold: first, double-skin milk was simple; second, Wang Sasa liked desserts.
Wang Sasa opened her mouth to say something, but after seeing how focused Tan Yixuan was, she swallowed her words and chose to remain silent.
Forget it. Tan Yixuan was so enthusiastic about it—she shouldn’t spoil the mood. Even though, at the moment, she really didn’t feel like eating double-skin milk.
After a short while, Tan Yixuan brought the milk to a boil, poured it into a bowl to cool, then added the whipped egg whites. She covered it with plastic wrap and placed it in the steamer over medium heat for fifteen minutes.
When Wang Sasa was initially invited to Tan Yixuan’s house, she felt quite nervous.
After all, Tan Yixuan’s feelings were now crystal clear. It was entirely possible that she might try something with her.
But if she didn’t go… Tan Yixuan would use that pitiful voice of hers that always made Wang Sasa’s skin crawl, asking if she hated her.
To prove she didn’t hate her, she had nervously agreed to come.
Unexpectedly, Tan Yixuan was sincere in making her dessert, with no ulterior motives. This left Wang Sasa feeling a little embarrassed for overthinking things.
She stared at her for a while, but seeing that Tan Yixuan was still acting straightforwardly, she relaxed, her guard lowered. Out of boredom, she opened her phone to browse through some novels.
Just as she reached a crucial part in the story, a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. Tan Yixuan pressed against her arm, leaning her head closer to peer at her phone, and smiled, “What are you reading that’s got you so engrossed? I called your name several times, and you didn’t even respond.”
Wang Sasa wasn’t reading a proper novel at all. Panicked, she flipped her phone over and pressed it against the table, cautiously responding, “Nothing much… just casually reading.”
Tan Yixuan suddenly remembered seeing Wang Sasa laughing and chatting with others while discussing manga and novels, and her gaze darkened slightly. However, her lips curved into a smile. When Wang Sasa looked over, she grinned even more boldly and said, “Actually, I like reading too…”
Wang Sasa frowned, eyeing her phone suspiciously, then glanced at the smiling Tan Yixuan and hesitated, “You like it too?”
Could it be that in private, Tan Yixuan was just like her—an otaku who spent her days reading manga and novels?
Tan Yixuan nodded, her face turning slightly red in embarrassment. “At school, I don’t have many friends, so I feel awkward talking to people, and I don’t really have much time either.”
Wang Sasa looked her over carefully, not seeing any signs of dishonesty.
Though there was a chance she was lying to please her, eventually, the truth would come out. So, after a moment’s hesitation, she flipped her phone back over, lighting up the screen to reveal the shameless novel cover.
On the cover, the female lead had a devilish smirk, surrounded by a variety of handsome men. Bold, colorful characters stood out: *”Devouring the Heavens: The Genius Discarded Concubine.”*
Tan Yixuan stared at the cover and then at the title, her expression blank for a second. She forced a smile and said against her better judgment, “This… actually looks pretty interesting.”
“Really?” Wang Sasa eyed her suspiciously.
After a brief pause, Tan Yixuan offered a sincere smile, “Of course. Reading these novels is a great way to relieve stress.”
Wang Sasa studied her for a moment. Seeing that Tan Yixuan seemed genuinely interested, she blinked a few times and dropped her suspicion.
It was rare to find someone with the same interests, especially someone like Tan Yixuan. Wang Sasa felt a surge of excitement and eagerly grabbed her hand, shaking it enthusiastically. “Exactly! Don’t let the strange title fool you, the content is really good! Let me tell you, the female lead has such a tragic start! She was blind from birth and had no spiritual power, so her own parents and even her fiancé abandoned her… but luckily, she got this bracelet, which isn’t just any bracelet, but one from ancient times, possessed by an old master…”
Once Wang Sasa got into her favorite topic, her usual cold demeanor disappeared as she began talking animatedly.
As she listened, Tan Yixuan’s feelings shifted from confusion to the urge to make sarcastic comments, and eventually, to a resigned acceptance of ‘as long as she’s happy.’ After all, wasn’t it a good thing that the person she liked was willing to share her interests?
Propping her chin on her hand, Tan Yixuan listened attentively as Wang Sasa rambled on, gazing at her with a soft smile.
When Wang Sasa caught a glimpse of her, she doubted whether Tan Yixuan was even paying attention, so she decided to test her. To her surprise, Tan Yixuan correctly recited what she had said earlier, which made Wang Sasa truly believe that she also enjoyed these kinds of novels. Instantly, she felt much closer to her.
Suddenly, Wang Sasa remembered that Tian Youshan shared the same hobbies as them. She excitedly suggested, “How about we invite Tian Youshan out tonight? We could discuss the plot together.”
Tan Yixuan’s smile froze for a moment, but then it quickly softened again. She pretended to ponder for a moment and carefully said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?” Wang Sasa asked, puzzled.
Tan Yixuan calmly explained, “You probably don’t know this, but Tian Youshan’s childhood friend has a crush on you.”
Wang Sasa vaguely recalled the boy’s face—it seemed to be the same guy who asked for her WeChat back at the amusement park? She frowned, “And what does that have to do with Tian Youshan?”
“Tian Youshan likes him,” Tan Yixuan explained. “Didn’t you notice?”
Wang Sasa froze, “She… she does?”
According to the original story, Tian Youshan was supposed to like Wei Qi!
She thought back carefully but couldn’t find any signs that Tian Youshan had feelings for that boy. Even though she was well-versed in the plot, how could Tan Yixuan have noticed something she hadn’t?
Sensing her obvious confusion, Tan Yixuan lowered her gaze and smiled softly, a hint of sadness in her tone. “After all, I know that look all too well when someone likes another person…”
Suddenly, Wang Sasa’s face flushed, and she quickly changed the subject. “Then forget it, let’s not invite Tian Youshan. It might just make things awkward for everyone.”
Tan Yixuan said nothing, merely smiling as she glanced over at the steamer before heading to the kitchen.
Watching her retreating figure, Wang Sasa slowly exhaled a breath of relief.
Tan Yixuan had steamed a large bowl of double-skin milk, but Wang Sasa couldn’t finish it. After eating about half, she realized that Tan Yixuan hadn’t touched the spoon. Pausing, she asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”
With a gentle smile, Tan Yixuan shook her head, and after a moment, asked softly, “Are you full?”
Wang Sasa replied, “It’d be a waste to throw it out since it’s your first time making it…”
Tan Yixuan shook her head, stood slightly, reached across the table to hold Wang Sasa’s hand, and scooped a spoonful of the dessert. Leaning forward, she took a bite from the spoon and then gazed at her tenderly, “It tastes pretty good.”
Wang Sasa stared at her, stunned.
Tan Yixuan let go of her hand, straightened up, and tilted her head slightly, asking, “What’s wrong?”
She just took her spoon and ate from her double-skin milk, and now she was asking what was wrong?!
Did Tan Yixuan misunderstand something? Why did she feel like they were acting like a couple in the middle of a passionate romance?
Seeing her unusual expression, Tan Yixuan nervously glanced at the spoon and, in a small voice, asked, “I can’t eat it?”
“No, that’s not the problem.” Wang Sasa set the spoon down, pressed her hand to her forehead, her expression conflicted, when suddenly her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.
She glanced down and saw it was from this body’s parents—Mother Wang.
Wang Sasa figured there wasn’t anything in their conversation that needed to be hidden, but considering she hadn’t spent much time with the original owner’s parents, she didn’t want to risk saying something out of character in front of Tan Yixuan.
So, she deliberately picked up her phone and headed to the balcony to take the call.
Tan Yixuan looked at her silhouette through the transparent glass window, her long eyelashes drooping slightly as she fell into thought.
Could it be that Sasa is still hiding many things from her?