Chapter 38 Part 2: A Flower for My Girlfriend

She gently pushed open the restroom door.

Duan Yan walked to the mirror, her fingertips gently pinching the space between her eyebrows. In the reflection, her eyes held a faint melancholy, as if she were contemplating some unsolvable riddle.

She picked up a clean towel and gently wiped her face and arms.

Su Ling walked in afterward. The “clack, clack, clack” of her footsteps echoed in the restroom, breaking the original silence.

The surroundings were unbelievably quiet, with only the sound of water from the faucet echoing between the walls.

Their eyes met in the mirror, each gaze holding a deep meaning, as if two currents of different thoughts were intertwining in the air, sending sparks flying.

A flash of nervousness crossed Duan Yan’s eyes. She knew the conversation that followed would not be easy.

“What, are you interested in Xiaojin?”

Su Ling’s words were direct and sharp, like a knife stabbing straight into Duan Yan’s heart.

Duan Yan’s gaze instantly became guarded. She watched Su Ling cautiously, calculating in her mind how to answer.

Su Ling and Song Jin’s sister, Song Yu, were on good terms. She had to be on her guard.

Duan Yan tried to maintain her composure, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice. “No, we’re just good friends.”

Su Ling laughed and patted Duan Yan’s shoulder lightly, as if she had seen through everything. “Relax, I won’t go tell Song Yu. That woman is very annoying.”

“If you don’t like Xiaojin, then why were you watching me so vigilantly at the fashion show earlier? And you deliberately held her hand in front of her. That’s not how ordinary friends behave, you know.”

Su Ling’s words were tinged with a playful tease, as if she were mocking Duan Yan’s little thoughts.

Duan Yan’s cheeks flushed slightly, her embarrassment palpable. Her voice grew smaller and smaller. “I… I was just…”

“I see that Xiaojin doesn’t seem to be without feelings for you either. She’s quite protective of you.”

Su Ling continued to press, seemingly not intending to let the topic go easily.

Duan Yan was silent for a moment, then finally admitted with a bitter smile, “Yes, I like Song Jin. But her feelings for me… are not what you imagine. She just sees me as a friend.”

Seeing Duan Yan’s bitter expression, Su Ling sighed inwardly and comforted her.

“A friend? I don’t think so. There’s obvious love in the way she looks at you. If you were just friends, why would she specifically come to talk to me? Couldn’t she just have told her sister directly? And today, every word she said to me was in consideration of you. I’ve never seen her treat someone like this before.”

“This… perhaps she’s just overly enthusiastic. You know her personality; it’s not strange for her to do something like this.”

Duan Yan lowered her head slightly.

“You’re afraid that in the end, you won’t even be able to be friends, right?”

Su Ling raised an eyebrow, directly hitting Duan Yan’s soft spot.

Duan Yan was at a loss for words, a trace of confusion and helplessness flashing in her eyes.

“I can assure you that Xiaojin definitely has feelings for you. And both Song sisters are blockheads. Don’t be fooled by their usual decisive manner. When it comes to relationships, their brains are like they’re filled with paste—all water. You have to take the initiative.”

Su Ling encouraged, her tone carrying a hint of resentment towards Song Yu.

Duan Yan was amused by Su Ling’s words, and the tension in her heart eased considerably. “It seems you and Xiaojin’s sister have quite a story.”

“Don’t even mention it. She’s a block of wood!” Su Ling replied with a smile.

With this, the atmosphere between the two became much more relaxed.

The two returned to the dining table together. When Song Jin saw them walking over with smiles on their faces, a ripple of doubt and unease stirred in her heart.

‘What were they talking about just now to be so happy?’

‘Could it be that Duan Yan… towards Su Ling…?’

Alarm bells went off in her mind, and a sense of unease spread through her chest.

Song Jin did her best to make her voice sound calm, asking as if casually.

“What were you two talking about just now? You seem so happy.”

“Oh, nothing much. Just casually chatted about the recent WZ brand endorsement.”

Su Ling’s reply was nonchalant, but Song Jin couldn’t press further. In any case, she had known Duan Yan longer than Su Ling and was so much closer to her.

Dinner concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. Su Ling politely took her leave first, leaving Song Jin and Duan Yan behind.

Song Jin took the opportunity to “sow discord” about Duan Yan: “How come you and Su Ling were chatting so happily? I heard from my sister that she’s no pushover. Don’t get fooled by her.”

Duan Yan smiled faintly. “Don’t worry.”

Song Jin was about to say more but was interrupted by a sentence.

“Sisters, would you like to buy a flower?”

A little blonde, blue-eyed girl, holding a basket full of tulips, skipped over to them, her face beaming with a brilliant smile. Because she could see they were Asian, and Asians in Country F were usually from Country Z, she used Chinese.

The tulips in her hand, their white petals, were particularly beautiful in the afterglow of the sunset. Duan Yan smiled and declined, about to pull Song Jin away.

But Song Jin was moved, her gaze lingering on the tulips for a moment.

The little girl keenly caught Song Jin’s gaze. In her haste, she didn’t have time to switch to Chinese and directly used French, “Such beautiful tulips, won’t you give one to your girlfriend?”

‘Girlfriend?’

‘What good taste! She can actually tell we’re a couple.’

Song Jin turned around, smiled, and walked up to her, asking the little girl, “How much are these flowers per stem? I’ll take them all.”

The little girl’s face lit up with joy, and she carefully calculated the price.

Song Jin smiled and handed her a foreign banknote, taking all the flowers, her mood joyful.

Under the setting sun, Song Jin, with a radiant smile, held a bouquet of flowers and presented it to Duan Yan. “Here, these are for you.”

“What did you buy these flowers for?” Duan Yan took them, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “What did that little girl say? Why did you suddenly buy them?”

Song Jin feigned seriousness. “I had no choice. She said her mother would be upset, so I bought them all. It’s a perfect celebration, we both passed today.”

After returning to the hotel, Song Jin, as usual, knocked on Duan Yan’s door after her shower.

“Sister Duan, are you there?”

“Come in.”

Duan Yan had already registered Song Jin’s fingerprint. She pushed the door open and entered.

In the corner of the room, the bouquet of tulips stood quietly in a vase, its vibrancy and life seeming to inject vitality into the quiet space, making everything seem full of life.

Song Jin gazed at it, a sense of satisfaction welling up in her heart.

“I have to thank you for helping with the endorsement today. I don’t even know how to express my gratitude.”

Duan Yan’s voice was full of sincerity, her eyes sparkling with gratitude for Song Jin.

Song Jin thought to herself: ‘I don’t want any other kind of gratitude, just confess to me. Then we’ll be family.’

But these words couldn’t be said out loud. Song Jin rolled her eyes playfully, a relaxed smile on her lips. “Sister Duan, we’re friends. No need to be so polite.”

Duan Yan’s brows knitted slightly, a hint of unintentional worry in her tone. “How can that be? That business deal today, did you have to give something up? I know your family background is strong, but you shouldn’t be so easily persuaded.”

A warm current flowed through Song Jin’s heart. If anyone else had said this, she might have been annoyed, but this was Duan Yan. Every word from her felt sweet to Song Jin.

“I hold some shares. This was just a raw material order for WZ. I only gave up one percentage point of profit. We’re not losing money.”

Song Jin raised her head and explained.

Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Duan Yan’s eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Song Jin continued, “We’re going for small profits and quick returns. Besides, we’re friends. A small matter like this is nothing.”

Duan Yan’s smile held a hint of imperceptible bitterness. “Alright then. We are indeed friends.”

A sly glint flashed in Song Jin’s eyes. She feigned hurt and lowered her head, her watery eyes filled with grievance. “Sister Duan, since we’re friends, why aren’t you wearing the necklace I gave you?”

Duan Yan smiled helplessly, sighing inwardly at how Song Jin still retained the innocence of a child, expressing her emotions directly and without reservation, feeling hurt just because a friend didn’t wear a necklace she had given.

“It’s been a bit inconvenient to wear necklaces recently. It’s in the cabinet,” she explained.

“No problem, I’ll help you put it on.”

Song Jin offered, and following Duan Yan’s directions, she took out the necklace.

Her hands gently lifted Duan Yan’s long, waterfall-like hair, revealing the smooth, delicate nape of her neck, as fine as white jade.

The light slanted down, like a thin veil, gently covering Duan Yan’s neck. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful, pure and warm.

Song Jin couldn’t help but swallow, a deep longing in her eyes. An impulse rose in her heart, a desire to leave a mark that belonged only to her on that perfect neck.

“Hmm?”

Duan Yan noticed Song Jin’s hesitation and looked down at her with a questioning gaze.

Song Jin snapped out of her reverie, smiling to hide her inner turmoil. She explained softly, “The necklace was a bit tangled. I was just untangling it.”

Afraid the necklace would be cold against Duan Yan’s skin, Song Jin warmed it with the heat of her palm first before slowly putting it on for her. Her fingers gently slid across Duan Yan’s neck, placing the clasp behind it and fastening it carefully.

The necklace finally lay smoothly against Duan Yan’s neck. A satisfied glint appeared in Song Jin’s eyes.

She stared at Duan Yan without blinking, as if in that instant, an indescribable connection had been established between them.

“Alright, the necklace is on. Let’s sleep.”

Duan Yan touched the necklace around her neck and chuckled helplessly.

Song Jin nodded in satisfaction and lay down gently beside Duan Yan.

With accumulated practice, her movements had become skilled and fluid. After a series of seamless actions, her arm was already gently wrapped around Duan Yan’s waist.

The air was filled with Duan Yan’s scent, a faint fragrance of lotus that calmed the mind.

Song Jin closed her eyes peacefully.

Duan Yan had accepted her flowers and necklace. With such a sincere gesture, Duan Yan should be able to understand the deep meaning behind it, right?

Once she understands my feelings, can the moment of confession be far away?

With such anticipation and satisfaction, Song Jin gradually drifted off to sleep.

Duan Yan’s heartbeat gradually calmed in Song Jin’s embrace.

This was the third time. She was starting to get used to Song Jin’s embrace.

That unique body heat belonging to Song Jin was like a ray of sunshine in winter, warm and reassuring.

Recalling the scene of Song Jin giving her flowers—that smile, those flowers, everything was so beautiful, yet it brought a faint sadness to Duan Yan’s heart.

Su Ling’s words echoed in her ears, advising her to be brave and not to miss out on fate.

Song Jin did have feelings for her, but it wasn’t love. It was a deeper kind of friendship, a profound bond between friends.

She sighed. ‘Forget it, let’s just be friends.’

Having a secret crush on someone under the guise of friendship—such stories are destined to end without result. Are there not enough examples of this?

Duan Yan lowered her eyelids, hiding the disappointment in her eyes.

At least, until Song Jin’s body could transform freely, she could still invite her over as a friend.

This thought was like a placebo, slightly easing the pain in her heart.

She knew that this mode of interaction might not be what she wanted most, but under the current circumstances, it was the greatest happiness she could grasp.

In her sleep, Song Jin was also very uncomfortable.

She dreamed that she was holding a bouquet of brilliant flowers, bravely pouring out her heart to Duan Yan.

“Duan Yan, I love you. Will you be with me?”