Not an Attempted Stolen Kiss

It took Lin Yang about an hour to finish the livestream-related write-up. She let out a soft sigh.

She knew Xu Zhitong’s livestreams too well; she could recite Xu Zhitong’s usual routines, her catchphrases, and even the fan names of the most active bullet comments with her eyes closed.

That included some of the streamers she often collaborated with, along with their fan names, fan demographics, and any sensitive points.

For the past few years, when she was alone abroad, whether she was eating, resting, or spacing out in the park, she would habitually pull out her phone and watch Xu Zhitong’s livestream replays.

It happened so often that after the video platform’s recording team saw her annual report, they even privately messaged her to ask what her Yinfu ID was so they could send her a fan gift.

During dinner, Xu Zhitong was still rambling about that senior.

Lin Yang only smiled.

She also couldn’t exactly say, Why care about a senior? Over these six years, Xu Zhitong had been the person who “kept her company” at meals the most.

Even when she did homework, what played in her ears was Xu Zhitong’s cover podcasts.

If it were necessary, Lin Yang could even list which details Xu Zhitong had refined in the way she sang the songs she liked over the past few years, or which songs always ran out of breath in the chorus.

She hadn’t felt it this clearly before, but now that she was actually writing it down, Lin Yang ended up typing out a seven-page document in one go.

It was as long as a university final paper.

Lin Yang looked at the document and fell silent for a moment.

It felt like a condensed version of her past few years.

After a pause, Lin Yang started cutting it down, deleting some of her more subjective, overly detailed observations.

For example, how many lozenges Xu Zhitong would probably go through in a single livestream, or what little habits Xu Zhitong had when she was in a group link-up and had to pretend to fit in with a topic she wasn’t interested in...

Putting those things into the document made her look like a pervert.

Leaving aside how the current Xu Zhitong would feel if she saw it, once Xu Zhitong eventually regained her memory and thought back on this later, she would definitely think Lin Yang was terrifying.

Lin Yang deleted a page and, after checking it over twice, finally let out a breath.

It felt like she’d been caught up in a deadline rush.

She always got absorbed when she wrote; only after finishing did she realize the news was still playing on the television.

Was Xu Zhitong really this patient?

Lin Yang turned her head, only to nearly brush against the top of Xu Zhitong’s head.

Her pupils contracted slightly, and her body tensed with them.

She turned to look.

At some point, Xu Zhitong had fallen asleep while holding a cushion.

Her eyes were closed, her head tilted toward Lin Yang’s side; but because Lin Yang herself was also leaning against the sofa while typing, she was only resting against the back of the sofa on that side.

The sleeping Xu Zhitong looked very docile.

Only then did Lin Yang realize that Xu Zhitong really had lost a lot of weight.

Phone cameras always distorted faces a little, making people look wider; and Xu Zhitong didn’t like using much beauty filter when she streamed. She also always had a bunch of mood lights on, so her face was never very close to the camera.

As a result, even through the screen, Lin Yang hadn’t clearly felt how much thinner Xu Zhitong had become compared to when they were still in school.

Her cheeks were even a little hollow.

She really had slimmed down.

There was also a scrape on one side of her cheek that looked bruise-like; the scab on her forehead had been there for quite a while and was probably close to falling off.

Combined with the dark circles under her eyes, she looked pitiful and wronged.

Lin Yang’s gaze slowly swept across Xu Zhitong’s face.

Was she not doing well?

Lin Yang thought Xu Zhitong should be doing pretty well. At her age, very few people earned as much as she did.

She had bought a big house, and she had so many fans.

Her “Cotton” account might be Xu Zhitong’s top tipper, but it wasn’t even her main source of income.

On Xu Zhitong’s accounts across several platforms, a single promotional video already fetched a price in the hundreds of thousands.

And just from this house alone, you could tell Xu Zhitong was serious about building a life for herself and living very comfortably.

So maybe it was just a misunderstanding.

Looking at Xu Zhitong’s sleeping face, Lin Yang shook her head with a little amusement.

The dark circles were probably from staying up too late reading novels; the weight loss might have come from being too much of a shut-in at home, and from not liking snacks, milk tea, or takeout.

Even after brushing aside those tender, pitiful fantasies, Lin Yang still couldn’t help softening toward Xu Zhitong.

She glanced at the time; it was only a little past eight, yet Xu Zhitong had already fallen asleep.

Feeling sleepy this early must have something to do with being sick.

She looked so weak and listless; it was heartbreaking.

The moment Lin Yang thought about Xu Zhitong lying unconscious in the hospital all those days alone, she felt a pang of regret.

The first time Xu Zhitong skipped her livestream, she should have gone to check on her.

If she had found out earlier that Xu Zhitong had been in a car accident and fallen unconscious, she could have had her transferred to the best hospital in Jiangshi, with the best doctors and top-tier equipment. Maybe she would have woken up sooner, and maybe she wouldn’t have lost her memory.

In her last livestream before the accident, Xu Zhitong had said she’d been out of sorts lately and might want to go out to clear her head.

Lin Yang had thought Xu Zhitong was going to Hai City to find Yududu.

And then, when her mother suddenly remembered the coffee shop she’d opened and said she wanted to come take a look, Lin Yang had used the coffee shop’s business as a natural excuse to force herself to stop thinking about Xu Zhitong.

And just like that, she had nearly missed her.

It was good that nothing serious had happened to Xu Zhitong.

Lin Yang looked at Xu Zhitong quietly for a while. Perhaps because her gaze had lingered too long, Xu Zhitong’s eyelashes trembled; she looked as if she were about to wake.

Her lashes fluttered for quite a while, but her eyes still didn’t open.

Lin Yang smiled faintly, set the tablet down, braced one hand carefully in the gap of the sofa, and reached out with the other to brush Xu Zhitong’s eyelashes with her fingertips.

It had been a long time since she’d felt this kind of mischievous amusement; even she couldn’t help but smile. She teased Xu Zhitong a few times, but Xu Zhitong still didn’t wake up.

Sleeping this deeply?

Lin Yang said softly, “Get up. The sun’s shining on your butt.”

She wanted Xu Zhitong to go back to bed. Even though it was only early autumn, sleeping on the sofa like this would catch a chill, not to mention it could also give her a stiff neck.

She pinched Xu Zhitong’s face; there really wasn’t much cheek left.

But just as she pinched once, Xu Zhitong grabbed her wrist and pulled it sideways.

Lin Yang was half-leaning over from the sofa toward Xu Zhitong; the sofa was soft, and with that pull, her center of gravity became unstable immediately.

In the whirl of spinning vision, one hand barely managed to brace on Xu Zhitong’s shoulder; her other elbow bent down, and nearly her entire body fell onto Xu Zhitong.

Xu Zhitong had only just woken up. She had instinctively grabbed the hand that was bothering her, but she hadn’t expected to pull the person straight into her arms.

She opened her eyes in a daze, only to meet Lin Yang’s face at very close range.

Lin Yang’s clear dark eyes were also widened in shock at that moment. The two of them were so close that if Xu Zhitong leaned forward just a little, she could kiss Lin Yang.

Xu Zhitong almost forgot to breathe for an instant.

She took a soft, short breath.

It was almost like inhaling a mouthful of Lin Yang’s breath.

Too close, too close, too close, too close...

Their breathing tangled together like two fluffy cat tails twisted into one.

Xu Zhitong had the strange illusion that she might suffocate from breathing too hard.

She couldn’t take it and shut her eyes for a moment, only feeling heat surge through her entire body. Her heartbeat was like a drum in her ears, pounding and pounding.

She was still holding Lin Yang’s wrist, and even her palm was starting to dampen with sweat.

Why.

Was Lin Yang... trying to steal a kiss from her?

Her head was practically turning to mush as Xu Zhitong struggled to think.

It didn’t seem like it; it seemed more like she was pinching her face...

But that was already incredibly intimate. Xu Zhitong’s heart swelled, and she almost felt dizzy with confusion and delight.

The two of them were so close that Xu Zhitong could clearly see every expression on Lin Yang’s face. Lin Yang was also a little flustered; her lashes fluttered rapidly, and her cheeks were flushed a charming red.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of resistance.

After dinner, Lin Yang hadn’t touched up her makeup; most of the color on her lips had already been wiped away. Her mouth was slightly open, and one could see the inside of her lips, that beautiful, moist red, along with a faintly visible tip of tongue.

Even Lin Yang’s face seemed to carry a subtle fragrance, whether from the lipstick that had been wiped off, some cosmetic product, or the scent of her hair.

Xu Zhitong’s breath caught. She couldn’t help parting her lips slightly, her tongue stiffly pressing against the roof of her mouth.

Her posture had been pulled into such an awkward angle by herself, and yet she still hadn’t moved; was she waiting for Xu Zhitong to take the initiative?

Oh right, Lin Yang was still in a cold war with her before the car accident.

This “her,” although not her, was also her.

Then she... she absolutely had to take the initiative to make up first.

Xu Zhitong was a little dizzy, her vision even slightly blurred, and her gaze fell on the lips right in front of her.

Just before she was about to act, Lin Yang finally reacted.

Lin Yang blinked quickly, leaned her head back, her ears turning red, her face almost burning; she forced herself to say, “Are you still half asleep? Let go.”

“Okay...”

Xu Zhitong swallowed and reluctantly let go.

She watched Lin Yang stand up with eager eyes.

The moment she stood up, she seemed to stagger for some reason; the thin blanket slid off her legs, and Xu Zhitong hurriedly reached out, her hand going to support Lin Yang’s palm.

Lin Yang steadied herself and pulled her hand back. “You—”

Xu Zhitong repeated in a docile little voice, “I...?”

Lin Yang lowered her eyes, avoiding Xu Zhitong’s gaze. “Put the blanket away later.”

Xu Zhitong said, “Mm-hmm.”

Lin Yang paused. “I’m going to tidy up some things first... You should go to bed early too. Since you’re still sick, sleeping in bed will be more comfortable.”

Half disappointed, half sweetened, Xu Zhitong’s heart stirred.

Lin Yang still cared about her a lot.

Xu Zhitong watched Lin Yang go back into the room, then bent down to pick up the thin blanket, folding it neatly and placing it on the sofa.

Just now she had been warm all over, but after taking off the blanket, she cooled down again; the living room really was a little cold.

Xu Zhitong rubbed her nose and sneezed.

Remembering Lin Yang’s instruction, she put the tablet on the coffee table, turned off the TV, and tidied up the half-eaten snacks.

After pacing around the living room twice and deciding she’d done the housework properly, she took her phone and returned to the master bedroom.

When she washed her face, she couldn’t help baring her teeth at herself in the mirror to show her displeasure.

It was all the fault of her twenty-five-year-old self!

If she hadn’t argued and gone into a cold war with Lin Yang, she definitely would have been able to kiss her.

Lin Yang was a very principled person; she was definitely holding a grudge against the twenty-five-year-old version of Xu Zhitong who had lost her memory.

And so the poor, weak, helpless little girl with seventeen-year-old memories got dragged down with her.

She just couldn’t figure it out. What had she and Lin Yang argued about before? What could have led to a cold war, even to the point where Lin Yang moved out?

Xu Zhitong thought it over in the bathroom for a long time, but her brain was a complete blank; naturally, she couldn’t come up with an answer.

So she had no choice but to shower and lie back down in the big bed.

Alone. Cold.

She pulled out her phone, opened Weixin, and tried to bother Lin Yang.

[ZZZ: [puppy lying flat.JPG]]

[Y: Go to sleep early, use your phone less, good night.]

“..."

She was completely shut down.

Xu Zhitong furiously jabbed at her phone screen.

[ZZZ: Good night qaq]

-

The next morning, Xu Zhitong naturally didn’t wake up early. By the time she had washed up and walked out of the room, it was already past nine.

She had slept for twelve hours.

On the balcony in the living room, Lin Yang was already fully dressed and sitting in the lounge chair by the window.

Today she’d pinned up her long hair with a shark clip, leaving her fair, slender nape exposed as she sat curled in the chair, head lowered over her tablet.

Xu Zhitong sneaked over, but before she could do anything, she sneezed.

The morning wind blew in from the balcony; it was always a little cold.

Lin Yang turned off the tablet, stood up with a frown, and touched Xu Zhitong’s forehead.

Perhaps because she wasn’t planning to go out, Lin Yang was dressed very simply today: a light gray fitted V-neck knit top, wide-leg trousers with a nice drape, her expression lazy and relaxed.

“No fever,” she asked. “Is your nose blocked? How do you feel?”

As she moved, her wrist carried the scent of white tea.

“No congestion, I just sneeze sometimes.”

Xu Zhitong stood there obediently while Lin Yang checked her forehead, looking at Lin Yang the whole time.

Lin Yang seemed to have put on a little light makeup today too, but unlike yesterday’s delicate, polished look, today’s outfit had a strong at-home feel to it.

“Even dressed like this today, you still look really good.”

Since Xu Zhitong thought it looked good, she said it out loud.

“...” Lin Yang paused, skipped over the topic, and pressed her lips together as she said, “Maybe you caught a little chill last night sleeping on the sofa.”

She was embarrassed.

Xu Zhitong grinned, but she was too shy to say that after going back to her room, she had also lingered in the bathroom for ages.

The exhaust fan was on in there too, and it was pretty cold.

Lin Yang looked at the loungewear Xu Zhitong was wearing and reached out to feel the fabric. “Put on another coat. You just got out of the hospital after being unconscious; it’s easy to get sick.”

Seeing that, Xu Zhitong pushed her luck and said, “Go get one for me. I’ve got a cold; I don’t want to move.”

Lin Yang paused. “Xu Zhitong, am I your mother?”

She was obviously her wife.

Xu Zhitong blinked at Lin Yang, suddenly having another bizarre thought; maybe calling her mom would also...

“Not impossible... no, I mean, my mom definitely wouldn’t help me put on clothes. Yangbao, you’re the best.”

Xu Zhitong accidentally blurted that out, then quickly put on a pitiful, innocent face and begged for mercy.

“...”

Lin Yang bit her lip and shot Xu Zhitong a glare that carried no real force before turning and heading back into the master bedroom.

That look seemed less like anger and more like mock fury.

Xu Zhitong was delighted by the glare and sat on the sofa waiting for Lin Yang to bring her a coat.

She was a little puzzled, though. When they were in school, she had been in great shape. Every year at the sports meet, the class sports committee would drag her into signing up for all three events.

She hadn’t expected that after growing up, she’d still be so fragile.

Shouldn’t self-disciplined adults exercise and work out regularly?

Xu Zhitong thought about it, then suddenly lifted her loungewear a little and looked down at her abdomen.

She sucked in a breath and tightened hard.

Oh! There really were a few lines there; striped muscles.

Was this called abs? Or a waistline?

Xu Zhitong poked it herself. It was springy.

So she wasn’t scrawny; she was just lean.

Just then, Lin Yang came out of the master bedroom with a coat in hand. Still irritated by what Xu Zhitong had said earlier, she walked over and was about to toss the coat to Xu Zhitong before turning away.

But Xu Zhitong grabbed her hand.

Lin Yang: “What are you—”

Before she could finish, Xu Zhitong pulled her hand into her loungewear and pressed it against her abdomen.

Xu Zhitong’s eyes were bright, and she even puffed up like a peacock while tightening her abs. “Yangbao, isn’t it really springy?”

Author’s Note:

Passing by little lamb, and receiving a gift from the heavens [green heart]