Chapter 84: A Sunset Kiss

At exactly six o’clock, the afternoon class dismissal bell rang.

Luo Xiaoyun had just put her textbook into her bag when An Ran grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

An Ran pressed herself against Xiaoyun, arm in arm, her head leaning on Xiaoyun’s shoulder, her voice cheerful. ‘Xiaoyun, Xiaoyun, class is over! Want to walk together?’

Luo Xiaoyun was flustered by the sudden intimacy. She instinctively tried to pull her arm back, but An Ran held it too tightly. She couldn’t break free.

‘Y-you let go first…’ Luo Xiaoyun said.

‘No.’ An Ran said matter-of-factly, lowering her voice so only they could hear. ‘I didn’t know you were a girl before. Now I do, and you’re a super beauty. I need to get close.’

Xu Xiangyang leaned over from the back row and saw them. ‘An Ran, you’re too biased! Why don’t you hug me?’

‘Mind your own business!’ An Ran rolled her eyes and pushed him aside. ‘Why are boys always prying into girls’ affairs? Watch out or I’ll hit you!’

Xu Xiangyang stepped back half a step, looking wronged. ‘I’m just curious. No need to be so fierce. Besides, Xiaoyun used to be a guy too.’

Without turning around, An Ran said, ‘Xiaoyun is fragrant. You’re smelly. Go cool off somewhere.’

Xu Xiangyang: ‘…’

Zhou Yu’an and Cheng Fang both laughed.

They gathered their things and walked out of the teaching building together.

The sunlight had softened, painting the entire corridor a warm orange. Luo Xiaoyun walked ahead, An Ran still clinging to her arm, muttering questions like ‘Xiaoyun, how is your skin so good?’ and ‘What skincare do you use?’

Luo Xiaoyun was overwhelmed by An Ran’s social terror. She didn’t know how to answer and just mumbled vague responses.

When they reached the entrance of the teaching building, she saw Su Muxue.

Su Muxue stood under a tree, holding her phone, seemingly waiting for her. Her long black hair was gently stirred by the evening breeze, the sunset’s glow casting a warm light on her.

Her eyes were full of tenderness. But the moment her gaze fell on An Ran’s arm tightly wrapped around Luo Xiaoyun’s, the tenderness in her eyes faded.

The smile on her lips tightened. Her fingers unconsciously clenched, and the air around her turned cold.

She watched An Ran practically glued to Luo Xiaoyun, chattering away, while Xiaoyun listened helplessly yet indulgently. The closeness stirred a bitter jealousy in Su Muxue’s heart. Her eyes darkened.

‘School beauty Su!’ Xu Xiangyang was the first to notice Su Muxue. He waved and smiled. ‘You’re here to pick up Xiaoyun again. You spoil her too much!’

Luo Xiaoyun also saw Su Muxue. Her eyes lit up immediately. She quickly pulled away from An Ran and hurried over, completely unaware of Su Muxue’s unusual expression.

An Ran and Xu Xiangyang followed behind, greeting Su Muxue with smiles. ‘Hello, School beauty Su!’

‘Hello,’ Su Muxue forced a smile, but her eyes were fixed on Luo Xiaoyun. Her tone was unreadable. Only her gaze made Xiaoyun feel something was off.

‘Then we’ll go now, School beauty Su. Xiaoyun, see you tomorrow.’ An Ran waved.

Once they were completely out of sight, Su Muxue’s smile vanished without a trace. The low pressure emanating from her almost engulfed Luo Xiaoyun. Xiaoyun was about to speak when she felt a strong sense of danger. She instinctively shrank her neck. Her heart skipped a beat. ‘Oh no, Muxue seems angry.’

‘That girl just now,’ Su Muxue began, her voice light but laced with obvious jealousy, and even a hint of barely perceptible grievance.

She reached out and gently held Luo Xiaoyun’s wrist. The pressure wasn’t heavy, but it carried an unbreakable grip. ‘Who is she? Why was she so close to you, and linking arms?’

Luo Xiaoyun stiffened at her grip. She quickly looked up, panic in her eyes. ‘Muxue, let me explain. She’s An Ran, my deskmate, and she… she also knows I’m a girl!’

Su Muxue was slightly stunned. ‘What happened?’

Luo Xiaoyun briefly recounted the embarrassing incident in the restroom. When she got to the part where An Ran opened the door and saw her, Su Muxue’s expression finally softened.

When she mentioned that An Ran swore to keep it a secret, the corner of Su Muxue’s mouth twitched upward slightly, but she quickly pressed it back.

‘So she’s been clinging to you?’ Su Muxue’s tone still carried jealousy.

‘She said she didn’t know I was a girl before, but now she does… She’s just too enthusiastic. I already told her not to get so close…’

As she spoke, she carefully watched Su Muxue’s expression. She gently tugged at the hem of Su Muxue’s clothes, her tone pleading and aggrieved. ‘Muxue, I’m closest to you. Please don’t be angry, okay?’

Su Muxue looked at her flustered, eager-to-explain face. The jealousy in her eyes gradually dissipated, but the bitterness lingered.

She let out a soft sigh and loosened her grip on Xiaoyun’s wrist. Her tone still had a hint of jealousy. ‘Really? You’re not lying to me?’

‘Really, really! How would I dare lie to you?’ Luo Xiaoyun nodded quickly, like a guilty kitten, obediently letting herself be held. ‘From now on, I’ll stay away from her and not let her get so close, okay?’

Seeing her obediently admit fault, Su Muxue finally stopped being angry. She reached out and ruffled Xiaoyun’s hair, her tone softening but still carrying a trace of grievance.

‘Remember what you said. Next time I see another girl that close to you, I’ll stop talking to you. And no boys either.’

‘I’ll remember!’ Luo Xiaoyun nodded quickly, relieved. She reached out and gently hugged Su Muxue’s arm, nuzzling against it. ‘Muxue is the best. Don’t be angry anymore, okay?’

Su Muxue didn’t reply. She just took Xiaoyun’s hand and turned toward a secluded path. Luo Xiaoyun hesitated for a moment, looked at the unfamiliar path, and asked curiously, ‘Muxue, aren’t we taking the main road? This path seems very quiet.’

‘Mm,’ Su Muxue nodded, her tone much gentler. ‘This path goes along the lake. The view is nice and there aren’t many people. Let’s walk slowly and take a stroll.’

Luo Xiaoyun didn’t overthink it. She just assumed Su Muxue wanted a quieter route, so she obediently nodded. ‘Okay.’

The path ran along the lake, with shimmering water on one side and lush trees on the other. The sun was setting, dyeing the entire sky a brilliant orange-red. The clouds were steeped in the sunset, from orange-yellow to crimson to faint purple, layered and spreading out.

Su Muxue held Luo Xiaoyun’s hand and walked slowly along the lake. The lake’s surface was as calm as a mirror, perfectly reflecting the sunset. The water and sky merged into one, indistinguishable. Occasionally a breeze passed, stirring fine ripples that shattered and reassembled the reflection.

‘Look quickly.’ Su Muxue suddenly stopped and pointed at the lake.

Luo Xiaoyun followed her finger and was instantly captivated by the view.

The setting sun sat exactly where the water met the sky, dying the entire lake into a flowing brocade. The sunset poured down from the sky, blending with the lake water. Orange-red, golden, pale purple intertwined, incredibly beautiful.

‘Wow, so beautiful.’ Luo Xiaoyun couldn’t help but exclaim, her eyes sparkling like a pool of broken gold.

Su Muxue turned to look at her. The sunset’s glow fell on Luo Xiaoyun’s face, turning her silver-white short hair a light gold. Those clear eyes reflected the sky’s twilight.

Su Muxue watched for a moment, then suddenly stopped.

Luo Xiaoyun noticed and stopped too, turning to look at her in confusion.

‘Kiss me.’ Su Muxue looked at her, her tone straightforward, with a hint of subtle coquettishness and the lingering jealousy from before.

Luo Xiaoyun was stunned. Her face flushed bright red. She quickly looked around and whispered, ‘Huh? Here? But we’re outside. If someone sees us, that would be bad…’

‘Very few people come here.’ Su Muxue stepped forward and gently held her chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. Her tone carried both grievance and assertiveness. ‘You made me jealous just now. Now I’m asking for a kiss. Can’t you do that?’

Seeing that trace of grievance in Su Muxue’s eyes, Luo Xiaoyun’s heart immediately softened. Her cheeks burning, she bit her lower lip and whispered, ‘Alright…’

She took a deep breath and slowly leaned in. Just as she was about to touch Su Muxue’s cheek, Su Muxue suddenly spoke. ‘Wait.’

Luo Xiaoyun stopped and looked at her in confusion. ‘What’s wrong?’

Su Muxue pulled out her phone from her pocket, opened the camera, and switched to selfie mode. A sly smile curled at the corner of her mouth. ‘With such a beautiful sunset and a lovely lady’s kiss, shouldn’t we capture this wonderful moment?’

Luo Xiaoyun’s face turned even redder, even the tips of her ears pink. She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She muttered softly, ‘Muxue, stop messing around…’

‘I’m not messing around. Just one photo.’ Su Muxue smiled and held the phone in front of them, aiming the lens. ‘Come on, kiss me.’

Luo Xiaoyun had no choice but to steel herself. She gently leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Su Muxue’s cheek. The moment her lips touched, Su Muxue pressed the shutter, freezing the tender scene.

Click. The moment the photo was taken, a couple’s voices came from not far away.

‘Look, those two are so in love. They’re so good-looking too. They’re a perfect match!’

‘Yeah, yeah. Under the sunset, a white-haired handsome guy kissing a long-haired beauty… The atmosphere is perfect!’

Luo Xiaoyun was startled by the sudden voices. She jumped back as if burned. Her face was red enough to bleed. She covered her face with both hands, wishing she could disappear into a crack. Her heart raced. ‘Oh no, oh no, we’ve been seen…’

Su Muxue, on the other hand, was very calm. She even smiled and nodded at the couple. Then she looked down at the photo on her phone, her tone triumphant.

‘What’s there to be afraid of? So what if they saw? The photo turned out great. Look, the sunset brings out your beauty. You’re more beautiful than the scenery.’

Luo Xiaoyun slowly lowered her hands and sneaked a peek at the photo.

In the photo, the sunset filled the entire sky, the lake reflecting the brilliant colors, enveloping them in a warm orange-red glow.

She was on tiptoes, her lips gently pressing against Su Muxue’s cheek. Her silver-white short hair was lifted by the evening breeze, revealing her red-tipped ears.

Su Muxue tilted her head slightly, the corner of her mouth curved in a gentle arc, her eyes reflecting the sky’s twilight.

Their figures melded into a painting in the sunset.

Luo Xiaoyun looked at the photo, her face still red. She nodded slightly and whispered, ‘It really is… beautiful.’

Su Muxue smiled and set the photo as her wallpaper. Then she took Luo Xiaoyun’s hand again and continued walking. The evening breeze remained gentle, softly lifting their hair.

Just as they reached a corner of the path, a fluffy calico cat emerged from the grass. It tilted its head, its amber eyes quietly watching them, its tail gently swaying.

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