Ai Min hugged her tightly, nuzzling her face against hers, and said with delight, "I didn't expect you to be so amazing. Were you a martial arts expert in that world?"
Xie Ying rarely talked about her own affairs. But this noisy woman kept asking her questions. Only then did she reluctantly reveal her skills. To her surprise, it seemed that she had retained both her internal energy and physical strength since coming to this world.
Even though Xie Lanzhi's body was sickly three years ago.
This world seems to be... kind to Xie Lanzhi. Or perhaps it's the world that's being kind to her? That's why it preserved her original strength.
She had initially thought Xie Lanzhi was like herself. Now it seemed that wasn't entirely true.
At least Ai Min still has her parents who care about her, and her teacher who keeps asking her from time to time whether she has a boyfriend and whether she needs to go on blind dates.
Faced with these people who cared about her, she didn't want to trouble them and was about to refuse. But the words just wouldn't come out, and Xie Ying unconsciously announced, "I have a girlfriend. Her name is Ai Min."
After speaking, Xie Ying felt a little irritated. She was annoyed because she wasn't usually the type to explain herself to people, and she'd never been patient. This sudden change confused her, and even made her feel like it wasn't like her.
She... had become so fussy. She was very annoyed. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the woman beside her ear, still immersed in the joy of being carried on her back. She tilted her head slightly and sighed almost imperceptibly.
She's such an easily satisfied woman.
When she said she had a boyfriend, the teacher was visibly taken aback, then gave an expression that said, "I knew it."
To avoid being exposed, Xie Ying originally wanted to remind Ai Min to help her cover up. Ai Min, however, looked confused, thinking that the mistake would be exposed when it was her turn.
Unexpectedly, this woman did not play by the rules at all.
She actually said, "Haven't we always had this kind of relationship?"
“Xiao Ying, if you move into our house, it’s the same as acknowledging our relationship.”
"Isn't that right? Isn't that right?" The woman then began to whine to her, nuzzling her temples together, her breath sweet as orchids: "You dare say no! I'll sleep on the sofa tonight."
"Shut up," Xie Ying said, frowning. "When you get home, you should think carefully about how to tell your uncle and aunt about us."
Ai Min asked, puzzled, "Didn't Mom and Dad already know?"
Xie Yuying: ?
Seeing her puzzled look, Ai Min said, "When you announced it to the teacher, the teacher immediately called my parents, and my mom even cried about it. My dad is also busy checking our domestic database, saying he wants to prepare a plan for us... so that we can have it in the future..."
"Alright. No need for further words." Xie Ying suddenly looked up at the sky. After coming into this world, she suddenly realized that she had no secrets left in front of this family.
She no longer wanted to question the inclusiveness of this era.
And the extent to which her uncle and aunt accepted her.
Clearly... Xie Lanzhi is a happy person. Yet she doesn't cherish it and keeps Ai Min's family at arm's length.
After Xie Ying realized she was beginning to understand Xie Lanzhi, she couldn't help but frown.
It seems she has also become an imposter of Xie Lanzhi.
"Since you don't cherish it," Xie Ying glanced at the woman on her back again, and moved on to the next topic, rambling on about her plans.
She said in a low voice, "Then don't blame me for taking over."
"Xiaoying, did you hear that? What do you think of my plan?" Aimin reached out and gently poked her cheek with her finger and said, "You always think so much, just like Lanzhi."
Upon hearing this, Xie Ying paused, stopping in her tracks. Pedestrians passed by them on the wide street, and their sudden stillness made them stand out.
After a long silence, Xie Ying whispered, "Do you miss her?"
Ai Min could always detect her emotions immediately. She put her hand down, leaned on her back, and suddenly realized that Xie Ying could also be sentimental.
She always manages to surprise her. She's surprised that she's been unknowingly embraced by her, and that she's been given the right to enter her world.
To Ai Min, Xie Ying was like a wild beast in the jungle, who was a king in the wild but had no experience in interpersonal relationships.
She chuckled: "General Xie, could it be... you're jealous?"
"Jealous of Laneige?"
Xie Ying turned her head away, refusing to look at her. She didn't take another step forward.
Ai Min knew that if she didn't give her a definite answer, she could stand on the street all night with her back to her. That was just how stubborn she was.
Thinking of Lanzhi, Aimin's tone was somewhat regretful: "Lanzhi never gave me a chance to enter her world and understand her."
"Perhaps it's hard for someone like me to get into her heart." These words, tinged with self-deprecation, instantly made Xie Ying extremely agitated.
“But it doesn’t matter, you are you, and she is she,” Ai Min said. “I don’t know if that dream was real, but I feel that Lan Zhi has changed a lot. When I saw her that time, there was a smile in her eyes. A real smile.”
"At that time, I thought that maybe she had found the woman she wanted to enter the world with."
"Xiao Ying, Lan Zhi is more like a stone than you. She's very hard to warm up."
“I grew up with her since I was a child, but I can never enter her world.”
"However, on the day she disappeared, I began to doubt even more whether I had truly cared for her."
"That's why she left this world in silence."
Seeing her slightly dejected expression, Xie Ying turned her head, and the two looked into each other's eyes. She told her, "No need. You don't need to. I'm not a stone either."
No need. This is telling her it's no longer necessary.
You don't have to. It's like telling her that you don't owe her anything and that you can let go of unnecessary guilt.
But I'm not a stone. It's more like I'm telling her, let her come here to warm herself. There's no need to go to great lengths to find a stone.
A genuine smile appeared on Ai Min's face. Xie Ying had already started walking home again.
The two figures met at the street scene, seemingly inseparable.
The woman on his back seemed determined not to stop her antics.
Aimin turned her head and kissed the corner of her mouth, a quick peck before pulling away. Then she buried her head in Aimin's hair, shyly hiding away. Like the setting sun hiding in a valley, delicate and beautiful.
A faint smile appeared on Xie Ying's lips.
The two walked to their parents' apartment, took the elevator, and entered and exited one after the other. They were spotted by Ai's parents.
At this point, Ai's father and mother started fighting amongst themselves.
They originally planned to support their children in getting married, since society recognizes same-sex marriage anyway, so they figured it was better to get married sooner rather than later and make plans accordingly.
As for the reason they argued, it was because Ai's father felt that his daughter was in unrequited love, and Lanzhi not only changed her personality, but also became more like a cold and hard stone.
She feared her daughter's feelings were one-sided, so she decided to talk things out face-to-face as soon as possible to avoid ruining their lives.
Ai's mother felt that Lanzhi liked Aimin very much. Although she didn't say it, her behavior made it clear to everyone.
Aimin is hers!
The couple had their first argument. It wasn't until they saw Xie Ying and Ai Min walking out of the elevator hand in hand that Ai's father noticed the lipstick mark on Xie Ying's lips and his daughter's lipstick smudged in a daze.
She seemed to have forgotten that she had put on lipstick before leaving home that morning.
Ai's father choked up.
But Ai's mother chuckled to herself.
She won! I told you the old man couldn't judge people!