Chapter 22: Her Warm Palm

Lin Ci and Gu Mianmian stood very close. Lin Ci could even smell the shampoo in Gu Mianmian’s hair.

Before Lin Ci could react, Gu Mianmian tilted her head slightly.

She pressed one cheek into Lin Ci’s palm.

Warm skin against her palm.

Lin Ci’s whole body froze.

Alarms blared in her head.

‘What the hell is going on?!’

‘When did this move get added to the rehearsal?’

‘Why didn’t I know about it?’

In twenty-two years of life, this was the first time Lin Ci had been this close to a girl.

Even though she was a girl now, deep down she was still a straight man.

A girl was rubbing her cheek against her palm.

It felt soft, but who could handle this?

Heat rushed up the back of Lin Ci’s hand and burned all the way to her neck.

She wanted to pull her hand back.

“Gu Mianmian!!! What are you leaning in for?”

Lin Ci spoke in a fluster.

But Gu Mianmian didn’t let go of her hand.

She even closed her eyes and nuzzled against Lin Ci’s palm.

“Senior’s hand is so warm.”

Gu Mianmian’s voice was light, trembling.

“It looks better if we match like this.”

Lin Ci pulled her hand away by force.

She shoved one hand into her pocket and scratched her earlobe uneasily with the other.

“Don’t mess with the moves. That move is way too weird.”

Lin Ci pouted.

“People would think I’m taking advantage of you.”

Gu Mianmian opened her eyes, bright. She looked at Lin Ci’s reddened ear and her mouth curved slightly.

“Senior isn’t taking advantage of me. I did it on my own.”

Lin Ci rolled her eyes and patted her head.

“Okay, okay, stop with this useless stuff. Let’s continue. The sooner we finish, the sooner we go back. This rehearsal room is freezing.”

Gu Mianmian obediently stepped back.

She lowered her head, bangs hiding the light in her eyes.

Senior’s face was red.

Senior’s hand was really warm.

‘I like it so much, so much, so much.’

Rehearsal continued until 9:30 p.m.

Lin Ci rubbed her shoulder and went back to the dorm with Gu Mianmian.

As soon as they got in, Lin Ci grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom.

Hot water poured over her, easing some of the fatigue.

Lin Ci looked at herself in the mirror.

Fair skin, clear collarbones, the rise of her chest faintly visible in the steam.

She sighed irritably.

‘This body really is ridiculously good-looking, but it’s also a real pain.’

‘Especially after Gu Mianmian pressed her face into my palm today, I feel uneasy.’

‘I’m a pure man. How could I get so flustered by a little girl?’

Lin Ci patted her face and muttered.

It must be because I haven’t pulled an all-nighter gaming in too long. My brain’s gone fuzzy.

Outside the bathroom.

Gu Mianmian sat at the desk.

She took a diary from the drawer.

She unlocked it with a key and turned to a new page.

Her fingers gripping the pen went white from force.

She wrote quickly on the paper.

Today, Senior’s hand touched my face.

Her palm was so hot, so warm.

I know Senior was shy. She actually didn’t want to let go of me either.

Those people who watch Senior from below the stage are so annoying.

What right do they have to see how pretty Senior is?

On stage, there can only be me and Senior.

Gu Mianmian looked at the words on the page, breathing quickening.

Seeing Lin Ci was about to come out, she hurriedly closed the diary, locked it, and put it back.

Then she went to the bed.

From under the pillow she took out the white T-shirt Lin Ci had changed out of.

She had washed it clean, but she always felt it still held Senior’s scent.

That milky smell.

Gu Mianmian hugged the shirt to her chest and buried her face in the fabric.

She closed her eyes and smiled in satisfaction.

As long as she could stay with Senior, she would do anything.

The next afternoon.

In the rehearsal room.

Lin Ci was struggling with a turning move.

“These crappy leather shoes are too hard. I almost twisted my ankle just turning.”

Lin Ci complained sourly.

Gu Mianmian heard this, lowered her head and smiled faintly, then seriously helped her straighten the hem of her shirt.

Just then, the rehearsal room door was pushed open.

Zhou Yan’an walked in with a folder, smiling.

“Senior Lin Ci, I heard you two are rehearsing a performance? How’s it going? I happened to be passing by today, so I thought I’d see if there’s anything I can help with. I handled quite a few big evening events in the student council, so I’m familiar with stage blocking. How about I help you design the blocking? What do you think?”

Before Lin Ci could refuse, Gu Mianmian, who had been standing beside her, flinched.

She instinctively felt rejection and fear.

But the next second, she forced down the fear and stepped forward, directly blocking Lin Ci.

Her whole body went tense, fingers twisting and trembling at her sides.

“Senior Zhou, we don’t… don’t need it. We can do it ourselves.”

Gu Mianmian lowered her head, voice trembling, and stubbornly said.

Zhou Yan’an clearly paused when he heard her.

He hadn’t expected this girl, who usually didn’t dare speak loudly in class, to talk back to him.

He smiled carelessly and tried to step around Gu Mianmian.

“Classmate Gu, I just want to offer some suggestions. The arts festival is pretty important, after all.”

As he spoke, he shifted sideways to talk to Lin Ci behind her.

But Gu Mianmian moved with him.

She still blocked Lin Ci, refusing to give an inch, though her shoulders trembled harder.

Under her bangs, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yan’an. Full of panic.

“Go away… I said… we… don’t need you.”

Gu Mianmian bit her pale lower lip and spoke haltingly but stubbornly.

The atmosphere in the rehearsal room instantly dropped to freezing.

Zhou Yan’an’s smile faltered.

He looked at Gu Mianmian and frowned.

She was trembling this badly, but that look in her eyes made his back crawl.

Lin Ci watched Gu Mianmian’s back from behind.

She was a little surprised.

This girl was usually so timid, she even stuttered when talking to the counselor.

Now, scared as she was, she still stood in front of her?

But Lin Ci really didn’t want to argue with Zhou Yan’an.

She could see through this guy at a glance.

He just wanted an excuse to get close to her.

Lin Ci stepped forward and patted Gu Mianmian on the shoulder.

“Okay, Mianmian, Senior Zhou means well.”

Lin Ci tried to smooth things over.

Gu Mianmian’s body stiffened.

After feeling the warmth of her palm, she obediently stepped half a step aside, but her hand still clutched Lin Ci’s shirt hem.

Lin Ci looked at Zhou Yan’an and forced a polite smile.

“Thanks for the offer, Senior Zhou. But our performance is pretty simple. We can handle it ourselves, so we won’t trouble you.”

Zhou Yan’an looked at Lin Ci, then at Gu Mianmian, who stood nearby watching him warily.

He knew staying would only make things awkward, so he gave himself an out.

“All right, if you need anything, contact me anytime.”

Zhou Yan’an waved his phone and tactfully turned to leave.

The door closed.

The rehearsal room fell quiet again.

Gu Mianmian let out a breath, shoulders slumping.

Lin Ci was about to tease her, but her eyes fell on Gu Mianmian’s hands.

Gu Mianmian’s hands, hanging at her sides, were trembling.

Lin Ci grabbed her hand.

Gu Mianmian’s palm was covered in red marks she had dug into herself with her nails.

A few spots were faintly bleeding.

Lin Ci got angry at once.

“You little girl, are you a masochist or something? If you don’t want these hands, just say so. I’ll chop them off for you.”

As she scolded, Lin Ci pulled out a tissue and roughly pressed it to the bleeding palm.

“It’s just talking to someone. Is it worth getting this scared? Look at what you did to yourself!”

Gu Mianmian let Lin Ci hold her hand.

She looked at Lin Ci’s angry face, but her heart felt sickly sweet.

Senior was worried about her.

Senior got angry for her.

“I don’t like him getting close to Senior.”

Gu Mianmian muttered quietly.

“Who? Zhou Yan’an?”

Lin Ci raised an eyebrow.

“Him getting close to me, what does that have to do with you pinching yourself? If I see you hurting yourself again, I’ll move out of the dorm and leave you alone.”

When Gu Mianmian heard move out, her face paled.

She frantically grabbed Lin Ci’s wrist.

“No. Senior, I’ll listen. I won’t pinch myself again, ever.”

Lin Ci looked at her pitiful face and sighed.

“That’s better. Remember what you said today. Let’s go. We’re about done rehearsing. Pack up, let’s head back to the dorm.”

Gu Mianmian obediently followed Lin Ci back to the dorm.

The night before the performance.

Lin Ci lay on the bed, scrolling through game videos on her phone.

Gu Mianmian stood in front of the wardrobe.

From deep inside she took out that white dress.

She had bought it for tomorrow’s performance.

The fabric was thin and light, no hood, no heavy cut.

Gu Mianmian hugged the dress and turned to look at Lin Ci on the bed, fingers twisting the hem nervously.

She had never worn something so girly in her life.

“Senior…”

She called softly, voice tiny.

Lin Ci looked away from her phone screen and glanced down.

“Hm? What is it?”

Gu Mianmian steeled herself and held the dress out a little.

“Do you think this dress looks good?”

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