Chapter 55: “It seems like you really like me.”

“Hmm? Li Huanhuan? Why aren’t you talking? Are you asleep?”

Hearing no response, Qin Shi, who was lying on the large bed, asked again.

Li Huanhuan snapped out of her daze, her expression complicated.

She really wanted to say yes, she was asleep.

But it didn’t make sense, and obviously, Qin Shi wouldn’t believe her.

“Why are you talking to me about this?” Li Huanhuan asked with difficulty.

Wouldn’t it be a bit intrusive?

“Why can’t we talk about it?”

Qin Shi’s voice carried a hint of confusion, though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or if he was pretending. “Sister, don’t be shy. If you’re embarrassed, I can tell you first what kind of girls I like.”

Li Huanhuan pressed her lips together. “No need.”

She didn’t want to know.

“Then tell me, what kind of boys do you like?” Qin Shi seemed to completely ignore her rejection and kept pushing. “Don’t tell me it’s that senior of yours.”

His tone sounded a little sour.

“…..”

Li Huanhuan fell silent.

After a further prompt from Qin Shi, she finally forced herself to answer, “No.”

“Eh? Didn’t you say last night that you used to like your senior? So your ideal type isn’t your senior?” Qin Shi’s tone was a little teasing.

“Liking and ideal type are different,” Li Huanhuan stammered. “I mean…”

Alright, Li Huanhuan was starting to feel confused due to Qin Shi’s relentless questioning. She paused and added, “Can you please not bring up my senior for now?”

Li Huanhuan regretted telling him about her senior yesterday.

As expected, at night, her thoughts were more impulsive, and she should have been more cautious before speaking!

“Oh, I see,” Qin Shi responded meaningfully.

Li Huanhuan didn’t want to ask, but she could feel two eyes watching her intensely from the dark, urging her to speak. The intense gaze sent a chill down her spine, and she finally sighed silently, asking, “What do you know?”

Sure enough, the next second, Qin Shi said, “You definitely don’t like that senior anymore. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have asked me not to mention him.”

“…… Yes.”

This time, Qin Shi had guessed right.

“So, what do you like?” he asked.

Before she could even relax, another question came from the direction of the bed.

“…..”

“Say it, Sister, don’t be shy.”

He seemed determined to know tonight.

It seemed like if he didn’t get an answer, he wouldn’t let her sleep.

“Just say it. I like girls like you,” Qin Shi suddenly said.

“???”

Li Huanhuan froze.

However, after multiple instances of being thrown off balance tonight, she had developed some immunity to Qin Shi’s “wild comments.” She was no longer as affected as she was at the beginning.

Had she heard this at the start, she would have overthought it and stayed up all night.

Now, her face was red on one side, the other side buried in the pillow, hidden in the dark.

“Stop saying nonsense! If you want to know what kind of opposite-sex person I like, I’ll tell you,” Li Huanhuan muttered, touching her flushed cheek, purposely lowering her voice to make it sound calm and normal.

Qin Shi simply responded with an “oh,” without any further explanation.

The night was deep, and the moonlight was beautiful.

The soft moonlight shone through the window and left a bright reflection on the windowsill. The cool air from the central air conditioning added a comfortable touch to the summer night.

Li Huanhuan lay on the couch near the window.

She was lying on her back, peacefully staring at the blurred ceiling under the night’s dim light. Her mood was calm as well.

“No,” she said.

“Hmm?”

A surprised voice came from the direction of the bed.

Just as Qin Shi was about to tell her not to lie or give vague answers, he heard Li Huanhuan continue, “I don’t have an ideal type, and I’ve never thought about what kind of opposite-sex person I would like.”

She paused, seemingly considering her words. “I don’t think I would ever like anyone. Or get close to anyone in an intimate way. I’ve never even fantasized about marriage.”

The room fell silent after her words.

The air seemed filled with a certain distant unease.

Qin Shi fell silent.

Li Huanhuan stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

She wasn’t lying, nor was she exaggerating. She hadn’t intended to discuss these matters with anyone, and she never thought she would tell anyone one day.

Perhaps it was because these past two days, Qin Shi had knocked on the “snail’s glass tank,” making the “snail” living inside curious about the outside world and communicating with it. That’s why, in her impulsive state, she had said what was on her mind.

Ah, she had been impulsive again!

Li Huanhuan regretted it.

She knew this thought was strange, so she had never mentioned it to her mother, Su Mei, or her best friend, Xiao Jing. It wasn’t just that she feared they wouldn’t understand, but more importantly, she didn’t want them to worry, especially her mother.

After the death of her ex-husband and the upheaval in her marriage, she finally found peace in her relationship with Liu Shu. She didn’t want him to worry about her.

Moreover, this was just Li Huanhuan’s personal feeling. She was just a bystander in this world, not even a minor supporting role. Her thoughts didn’t affect anyone else, so they didn’t matter much.

No love, no interest in anyone?

In her “homebody” life, she wasn’t even a Level 1 typhoon.

Right now, she was just regretting speaking so openly with Qin Shi. “Shallow conversations” were a major taboo in relationships!

She couldn’t imagine how Qin Shi would view her after hearing this. Would he think she was a freak? Would he find her scary?

After all, saying things like “I won’t develop close relationships with anyone” could sound very cold, emotionally detached, like a heartless monster.

If Qin Shi thought she was dark inside and wanted to distance himself, she would have to admit she wasn’t ready for that. She now really wanted to ask Qin Shi to forget everything she just said. Or, if only she knew hypnosis, she could make him forget!

Over here, Li Huanhuan was nervously regretting her “shallow conversation.”

Over there, after a long silence, Qin Shi finally spoke. His voice sounded a bit strange in the dark: “Li Huanhuan.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve never thought about what kind of opposite-sex person you like?”

He hesitated before adding, “What about the same sex? You wouldn’t like the same sex, would you?”

“Of course not! Of course not!”

Li Huanhuan froze, not expecting Qin Shi to drift so far in his thoughts. “I’m not gay.”

She never considered what kind of opposite-sex person she might marry, but she was sure she wasn’t gay.

“Oh, that’s good.” Qin Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

“Glad you understand.” Li Huanhuan also relaxed.

“Then what about your senior? Didn’t you say you never considered it?” Qin Shi asked.

“Well, actually…”

Li Huanhuan hesitated for a moment before explaining, “It was just a feeling of admiration during my youth, like a crush. I’m not gay. It’s normal to have feelings for someone who is good-looking, tall, academically strong, and all-around perfect.”

“Oh.”

On the bed, Qin Shi stroked his chin. “I’m good-looking, tall, many girls like me, and I’m a professional player with excellent skills. So, by that logic, you should like me too.”

“Huh? Ah!!!”

Li Huanhuan’s eyes widened.

Hey hey hey???

Please don’t jump to conclusions, okay? This is totally not the same thing!

Li Huanhuan was flustered.

What’s going on with Qin Shi lately?

Has he been stuck at home for too long, not seeing anyone, and now he’s in heat?

Cough, cough, sorry. How could she have such impure thoughts? In the end, she decided to chalk up Qin Shi’s words to “narcissism,” a result of the main character’s vanity!

“Wow, so excited? Seems like you really like me,” Qin Shi said.

“No…”

“I’m not handsome, not tall, not strong?”

“No…”

“Then you admit it, you like me?”

“…..”

Li Huanhuan remained silent.

No one would dislike a handsome guy, but…

“Have you been taking courses recently?” Li Huanhuan asked sincerely.

“Hmm?”

“Your speaking skills are getting better.”

She was finding it hard to outwit Qin Shi with words now.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Qin Shi smiled slightly. “I knew you liked me.”

“…..”

Li Huanhuan was speechless.

She turned over on the couch. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Wait, there’s one last question,” Qin Shi called out to her.

“What?”

“How did you meet Fox?”

Huh?

Why are we suddenly talking about Can Yang?

Li Huanhuan was caught off guard.

“Li Huanhuan, are you still listening?” Qin Shi asked when he didn’t get a response.

Li Huanhuan closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

“Li Huanhuan?”

“Sister?”

…

At first, she was just pretending to sleep.

Then, Li Huanhuan didn’t even know how she fell asleep. But that night, she didn’t sleep through till dawn. She had a dream.

In the dream, she returned to the time when her father was still alive.

The twilight light filtered through the door crack, and Li Huanhuan, wearing pajamas and holding a stuffed cat, stood in the darkness at the door. The light that shone through the crack illuminated her feet, clad in slippers.

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“…..”

“Tell me, who is that woman?”

“What woman? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The one at the intersection, holding your hand! We saw you holding hands.”

“Crazy.”

…

The arguing inside the room faded into the distance, drifting into the ears of young Li Huanhuan, signaling the beginning of her family’s turmoil.

Dad? Mom?

Young Li Huanhuan held her doll, staring blankly at the two people arguing through the door crack.

This scene shattered Li Huanhuan’s trust in love, in marriage, in loyalty. No matter how beautiful love was, once the initial excitement faded and the hormones dispersed, what remained was betrayal and broken pieces.

What is love?

What is responsibility?

In young Li Huanhuan’s mind, parents were love, and her father was the embodiment of responsibility.

All her beautiful fantasies about love, marriage, family, and her admiration for her father, and her longing for her parents’ love, were shattered that day by her father—the same father who used to smile and tell her stories, play with her, and even send unfamiliar children to the hospital in the rain.

Crash.

Crash.

Her dreams shattered into tiny, distant pieces.

The next day.

When Li Huanhuan woke up, her pillow was a little damp. She noticed the sky outside was already bright. With a creak, Qin Shi came in, leaning on his cane. She heard the noise from outside.

Qin Shi told her that his friend had come to visit.