Chapter Text
A few months later ...
"Mingyan, I'm trapped."
Liu Mingyan glances up over the edge of her novel only for her eyes to curve into crescents at the sight that greets her.
Sitting from across her on a beanbag, Ning Yingying currently has Ebi, Liu Mingyan's cat, loafing comfortably on her lap. Loud purrs rumble from Ebi, indicating that he's quite happy to remain on Ning Yingying while she reads.
Liu Mingyan laughs. "Ebi has chosen you as his victim for the afternoon."
"Tis the greatest honor," Ning Yingying replies, giving the back of Ebi's ear a scratch. Ebi purrs even louder at that.
They're spending the afternoon at Liu Mingyan's place to read. A low table within arm's reach of the two is piled with snacks and drinks, while relaxing video game soundtracks play softly in the background. Although others would think this a somewhat boring way to hang out, both Liu Mingyan and Ning Yingying enjoy spending time together like this, apart from cafe-hopping. It's pretty relaxing, and nothing beats staying indoors during summer with the AC running.
Currently, they're buddy-reading a BL novel called Cat and Fish that dropped last month. Usually they take turns to select which to read together with the other person, but this week they both wanted to read this novel's release. It's a light novel about a catboy forming an unlikely relationship with a mermaid boy in a world of animal hybrids.
"Who's a good boy?" Ning Yingying croons, stroking Ebi's luxurious fur. The affection in her voice makes Liu Mingyan smile, warmth unfurling at the sight of her petting Ebi. Liu Mingyan wishes she could capture this moment on camera, so that she can look back at it later, but she left her phone charging at her desk.
Sometimes, Liu Mingyan wonders if she's being too obvious. Although she's been caught a few times snapping photos of Ning Yingying, it's not like Ning Yingying doesn't do the same. But then there's also the 'casual' lingering touches and hand-holding. The good morning and goodnight texts. The random daily updates on what's going on each other's lives. The compliments that feel a little more than friendly. Sometimes, Liu Mingyan would catch Ning Yingying looking her way before turning when she's been noticed.
Since a few months ago, they've resumed being friends but it's because of these things that gives Liu Mingyan room to wonder if they truly were that.
Liu Mingyan doesn't have a lot of friends although she knows these are things friends don't normally do with each other. Even when she watches Ning Yingying speak to her friends, they're never that touchy and they'd never look at her with a certain light and warmth in their eyes.
So there had to be something going on between them that Liu Mingyan isn't entirely aware of ... right?
Of course, Liu Mingyan could always ask Ning Yingying, or at least, hint that she needed a bit of clarification about the status of their 'friendship'.
Besides, there was also the matter of that not-confession Ning Yingying gave —
"Hey, you alright there?" The sound of Ning Yingying's voice brings Liu Mingyan out of her thoughts.
"Just thinking."
Ning Yingying tilts her head slightly, eyebrows arched. These days, Liu Mingyan has gotten used to sharing her thoughts with Ning Yingying so for her to give a vague answer definitely piqued Ning Yingying's curiosity regarding the matter.
After a moment's pause, Liu Mingyan says, "Actually, I wanted to ask ..."
"Go on."
"Mrow." Ebi narrows his eyes at Liu Mingyan, as if agreeing with Ning Yingying.
Liu Mingyan's pulse quickens as the words come to her. "Are we ... friends?" she ask softly.
Even with the music playing in the background, the silence between them rings in her ears. Ning Yingying's hand, which has been stroking Ebi's fur this whole time, comes to a stop just in the middle of his back. Ebi's eyes open slowly, before giving a mildly exasperated meow at her.
It feels like an eternity before Ning Yingying says, "Of course we are!" Between her initial hesitation and the almost-imperceptible strain in her voice, Liu Mingyan doesn't know if she should believe this. Color slowly creeps up Ning Yingying's cheeks as she turns away. Her hand resumes stroking Ebi's fur, though faster than earlier as if she was trying to calm herself down. She clears her throat. "D-does Mingyan think we're not?"
Liu Mingyan hesitates. "I just ... —" Before she can answer, a knock sounds on her door.
Both of them glance up, though when Liu Mingyan looks back at Ning Yingying, she thinks she saw relief in her expression.
Getting up, Liu Mingyan strides to the door to find Liu Qingge standing behind it. "Da-ge —" she begins before Liu Qingge thrusts out a plate of watermelon slices from his hand.
"Ma said you girls should have some," he says before Liu Mingyan can ask. Then he glances over Liu Mingyan's shoulder, to where Ning Yingying was sitting. He nods in greeting; if anything, it's a friendlier gesture than before when he eyed her warily, as if worried she might start badgering him for his SNS like the girls at their highschool used to do.
"Send my thanks to Auntie!" Ning Yingying chirps from behind, her voice back to its cheeriness.
"Mn." And Liu Qingge walks away.
"Hehe, Qingge-gege's warming up to me," Ning Yingying says as Liu Mingyan puts the plate on their table.
"We've been hanging out together for awhile now, of course he would," says Liu Mingyan with a laugh.
"Ah, I bet he thought it was a bit weird that A-Luo's friend is hanging out with you. I remember he didn't like A-Luo very much."
Liu Mingyan hums. A burst of refreshing sweetness fills her mouth as she takes a bite of her watermelon slice. "Anyway, as I was saying earlier," she says, drifting to Ning Yingying. "I've been thinking about us."
Ning Yingying makes a small noise which grows into a fit of coughing. Startled by the noise and sudden movements, Ebi bolts off her lap with an aggrieved yowl, scuttling under Liu Mingyan's bed. Alarmed, Liu Mingyan reaches for a glass of water but Ning Yingying waves her concern off.
She recovers quickly but the flush on her face remains. "Y-you were thinking about us?" she murmurs, her voice tiny.
Liu Mingyan nods, her own face growing hot. "I haven't stopped thinking for awhile now," she says.
It'd been a push-and-pull between Liu Mingyan's blooming feelings and wanting to keep things the way they are between them. She couldn't help yearning for something more between them, especially with all the signs pointing towards the possibility of it. On the other hand, she feared she was being somewhat delusional.
But it couldn't be the latter, right?
Especially not when Ning Yingying herself had reacted so obviously to her owb not-confession that day. It had to mean something when she spluttered, blushing, insisting that what she accidentally said wasn't relevant.
"Yingying, when I apologized to you that day ..." Liu Mingyan say slowly, "I remember you mentioned something about your feelings."
"A-ah! That was —" Ning Yingying exclaims before breaking off. She covers her face, as if to hide from Liu Mingyan. After a few moments, she moves her hands away with a sigh. "Ok, you got me," she mumbles.
Liu Mingyan blinks when Ning Yingying sits up straight, or as much as she can on the beanbag, before she gives up and climbs her way out of it. Liu Mingyan watches, her pulse quickening, as Ning Yingying kneels on the floor to face her.
Now face-to-face with each other, neither could hide from the other.
Liu Mingyan sees the nervousness in the way Ning Yingying has her hands curled on her lap, but also the glint of resolution in her eyes.
For a brief moment of self-consciousness, Liu Mingyan wonders how she looks to Ning Yingying. Did she seem half as nervous as she felt? Or did she appear self-assured, even in the face of potential rejection? People have always told her that she's somewhat difficult to read because she always look calm and collected, even at times when she didn't feel that way.
"I thought it was a mistake for me to say that," says Ning Yingying.
Liu Mingyan's heart shrinks painfully at that. Ah, she thinks, I guess I was being delusional after all.
"But only because —" Ning Yingying's cheeks grow pink as she chews her bottom lip. "Only because I thought I was being rash ..." she mumbles, looking away.
???
Ning Yingying takes a deep breath before meeting Liu Mingyan's gaze. "It didn't feel fair to lay that on you at the time when I was still figuring my feelings out at the time," she says. "But now that I've also done a lot of thinking, I'll say it."
Liu Mingyan's eyes grow wide. The beat between now and the next seems to span over eternity, yet passes as quickly as a heartbeat.
"I liked you before when I thought you were a guy, but I still like you, even if you're a girl!"
Liu Mingyan can barely function between the roar of blood in her ears and Ning Yingying's word echoing in her head.
"Actually, you could identify as anything and I'd still like you," Ning Yingying rushes out. "But my point is that I really really like you — Oh my goodness, Mingyan, are you ok?" She breaks off, realizing Liu Mingyan turning away, a hand over her mouth.
I like you, I like you, I like you, I really really like you. It's all Liu Mingyan can hear, all that's registering in her brain and bouncing about in her skull.
Ning Yingying did like her back. Even if she turned out not to be a guy after all.
Relief bubbles its way up her throat in the form of a laugh, before the hiccups eventually too. Liu Mingyan hadn't realize how worried she was for what Ning Yingying would say until she finds herself slumping back in her own beanbag, her hands over her eyes to stall the swimming sensation around her head.
Liu Mingyan hears Ning Yingying calling her name as if from a distance away. Slowly, she peels her hands from her face to find Ning Yingying's worried one hovering above her.
As soon as Liu Mingyan's features return to view, Ning Yingying breathes a heavy sigh of relief. Truth be told, she'd been so worried about Liu Mingyan's reaction after dropping the trute that she feared she must've given her crush a stroke! When she first got to know Liu Mingyan, she thought she was a cool and unflappable person. But now that they were closer, Ning Yingying learned that Liu Mingyan's the type to not show her emotions so easily.
Still, there are little signs that Ning Yingying noticed. Like the way Liu Mingyan's eyes flicker away for the briefest of moments. Or the slow rise of her chest as she weighs thoughts. And the quick pursing of her lips before speaking her mind. But for Liu Mingyan to fall backwards onto her beanbag like this ...
For a moment, Ning Yingying fears she went overboard with her confession, and that her feelings weren't reciprocated like she deluded herself into.
Then Liu Mingyan moves her hands away, revealing those willow-leaf eyes curved into crescents, the beauty mark under her right eye disappearing under the crinkles. Ning Yingying's heart soars with relief and joy.
"Yingying," says Liu Mingyan, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank goodness," she exhales.
Something warm wraps around Ning Yingying's hand, but she doesn't need to look down to know it's Liu Mingyan's hand. She squeezes it back immediately as if to reassure her that, yes, she really really does like her.
Liu Mingyan grins up at her, her eyes shimmering. "I like you," she says, squeezing Ning Yingying's hand back. "I really really like you too."