77. A Big, Beautiful Ship
Lately, Ling Ye had been feeling a bit troubled. Her best friend, Qin Sirou, had started looking at her in a strange way, often staring intensely at her lips, which made Ling Ye feel nervous.
To understand how things had gotten this way, let’s rewind a bit.
One day, during the last period of school, they had P.E. After class, it was Ling Ye and her best friend Qin Sirou’s turn to clean up the sports equipment.
As they packed up, Qin Sirou suddenly asked, “Um… Ye Ye! Can I ask you something?”
Ling Ye tossed a basketball into the storage rack and turned to her. “What’s up?”
“Do you… know what… kissing feels like?” Qin Sirou asked, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Huh!?” Ling Ye was stunned. She hadn’t expected Qin Sirou to ask something like that and was at a loss for words for a moment. She finally shrugged and said, “Kissing? Yeah, Ye Ye knows what that’s like.”
Qin Sirou’s eyes lit up with excitement. “So… what does it feel like?”
Ling Ye sighed, jokingly replying, “Just close your mouth and feel your upper lip touch your lower lip—there you go, that’s what it feels like~”
Silence fell. The air grew awkwardly still.
“Ye Ye, I was being serious!” Qin Sirou complained, her face turning red with frustration.
Ling Ye waved her hand dismissively. “If you’re that curious, why don’t you try it with someone?”
The moment she said that, Ling Ye regretted it. She realized she was the only one there. It was like she’d set a trap for herself. Seeing the eager glint in her friend’s eyes, Ling Ye felt a jolt of panic.
Though she’d sometimes entertained the idea of building a “yuri harem” in elementary school, it had always been a joke to herself. She lacked the courage to pursue it seriously, especially since she already had her “Mom.” How could she be so unfaithful?
Ling Ye was suddenly reminded of an anime she’d watched online a while back, School Days. In it, the male protagonist dated multiple girls at once and ended up facing dire consequences. The shocking ending had left quite an impression on her young mind.
“Come on, Ye Ye, we’re best friends, right? A little kiss won’t hurt. Relax, it’s just a kiss—I promise I won’t use any tongue,” Qin Sirou said, eyeing Ling Ye’s lips and licking her own in anticipation.
“What?! No tongue?!” Ling Ye looked around the equipment room, desperately hoping for an escape route, but the only way out was behind Qin Sirou, blocking her path.
As Qin Sirou inched closer, Ling Ye took a step back, her eyes fixed on her friend’s determined expression. Distracted, she didn’t notice the mat behind her and tripped.
Qin Sirou seized the opportunity, pouncing on Ling Ye and pinning her down.
“Mmph~”
After a brief struggle, Ling Ye managed to free herself from Qin Sirou’s grip, looking utterly defeated. She couldn’t believe her friend had actually slipped her the tongue—she hadn’t even kissed her “Mom” like this!
Qin Sirou’s face radiated joy as she savored the memory. The sensation had been surprisingly pleasant. No wonder people on TV seemed to enjoy kissing so much.
Since that day, Qin Sirou had looked for every opportunity to “practice” with Ling Ye, despite her friend’s constant refusals. Yet somehow, Ling Ye could never completely resist.
Now, Ling Ye had finally decided that things couldn’t go on this way. This relationship felt wrong. If she didn’t put a stop to it, she might end up being completely “bent” by her friend’s intense gaze.
This afternoon, she planned to confront Qin Sirou and bring an end to the situation.
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“Ye Ye, did you ask me to stay behind because you’re… unsatisfied?”
“Where are you picking up these ridiculous phrases?” Ling Ye asked, exasperated.
“Hehe~” Qin Sirou made a playful face and stared directly at Ling Ye’s lips, her gaze laden with meaning.
Seeing Qin Sirou’s expression, Ling Ye instinctively covered her mouth. She was genuinely afraid. Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she reminded herself of her purpose for calling Qin Sirou here. She cleared her throat and said seriously, “Sirou, I think… we can’t keep doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“Well… you know…” Ling Ye stammered, her face turning pink. She may have “read a lot,” but she was still shy.
“Aw, enough with the chit-chat. Let’s just—” Qin Sirou started to lean in, getting closer to Ling Ye.
Realizing that reasoning wasn’t going to work, Ling Ye decided to take the initiative. She lunged forward, pushing Qin Sirou down onto the table and pinning her there.
Qin Sirou inwardly gave herself a perfect score for executing this maneuver. It was flawless.
At that moment, the classroom door suddenly opened. Ling Ning walked in, her eyes widening as she took in the scene of her daughter practically pinning down her boss’s daughter, looking on the verge of… something indescribable.
“Y-Ye Ye! What are you doing?!” Ling Ning exclaimed, her voice filled with shock. These girls! In a classroom, of all places! Did they not realize how easily they could get caught? Couldn’t they find somewhere more private—no, no, that’s not the point!
Hearing her mother’s voice, Ling Ye quickly scrambled off Qin Sirou, looking equally stunned. Why had her mom chosen this exact moment to walk in?
“M-Mom, I can explain!” Ling Ye stammered, forgetting to use the term she’d adopted for her mom and blurting out her true relationship.
“Oh, Sister Ling, it was nothing serious; we were just horsing around!” Qin Sirou added quickly, trying to cover for Ling Ye.
“Oh-ho~” Ling Ning raised an eyebrow, recalling the time she’d found her daughter in a similar situation in the equipment room. Somehow, this didn’t feel like “just horsing around.”
Still, it was getting late, and it was hardly the time to grill the girls on the spot. She decided to let it go for now. “Alright, it’s late; let’s go home. Oh, and Sirou, would you like a ride home?”
“No, thank you, Sister Ling. My mom will be here to pick me up shortly,” Qin Sirou replied politely.
“Alright then. Tomorrow’s the weekend—feel free to come over and play with Ye Ye,” Ling Ning said with a smile.
Qin Sirou’s eyes lit up at the invitation, and she nodded eagerly, as if afraid Ling Ning might change her mind.
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Author’s Note:
This lazy fish is on the verge of collapse… almost can’t keep going…