A Heart’s Secret

Liu Yinuo’s home used a smart fingerprint lock. Even the hallway’s decor was exceptionally refined, with polished tiles reflecting the overhead chandelier, creating a resplendent, luxurious glow.

Visiting a place of such grandeur for the first time, even if it was a classmate’s home, the young girl still felt a palpable sense of nervousness.

She placed her finger on the lock’s recognition panel. With a soft ‘ding’, the door swung open automatically.

“Alright, come in.”

Back in her own home, Liu Yinuo’s face relaxed into a smile. She turned to look at the girl beside her.

However, the other girl’s expression was troubled.

“Um… is it really okay? I’m so dirty…”

Seeing the girl’s timid reaction, Liu Yinuo found herself amused.

“Oh, it’s really fine. Just come in, there’s no need to be so particular.”

“But what if I make it dirty…?”

“If it gets dirty, we’ll clean it. Don’t overthink it, just come inside quickly.”

In the end, she was gently, yet firmly, pulled inside.

Once inside, she still hesitated to move, stopping just by the door and cautiously glancing around.

“Um… do I need to change my shoes?”

“No need.”

“I… I’ll take off my jacket… it’s dirty…”

“You can take that off later when you shower. Are you trying to make your cold worse by taking it off now?”

“Mmm…”

Biting her lower lip, Ye Xingmian nervously surveyed her surroundings. She watched as Liu Yinuo switched on the heater by the door, and waves of warm air swiftly dispelled the biting cold.

“Close the door.”

Ye Xingmian obediently closed the door.

“Why are you just standing there by the door? Come on in!”

The young girl reluctantly stepped further inside.

Fearing she might dirty something and incur displeasure, her movements were incredibly cautious, as she tried her best not to touch anything.

She treated the kindness she had finally received with the same delicate care one would bestow upon a precious treasure.

She walked over to Liu Yinuo, who was rummaging through a cabinet in the living room.

“Ah, found it!”

By now, the living room’s temperature had risen, and warm air enveloped both girls. Liu Yinuo, a look of pleasant surprise on her face, retrieved cold and fever medicine from the cabinet. As she straightened up, her gaze met the nervous girl’s.

For a moment, Liu Yinuo froze.

What an utterly captivating face it was. Though smudged with dust in several places, appearing somewhat grimy, and streaked with a few messy tear tracks, nothing could truly obscure her soft, endearing charm.

The moment Liu Yinuo’s eyes met those beautiful, crystal-flower-like irises, it felt as if the very essence of ‘cuteness’ had taken form. All her concern and affection surged forth in an instant, an overwhelming desire to shower the girl with warmth, to make this flower-like child bloom with smiles, and to forever banish pain and despair from her gaze.

In that fleeting moment, Liu Yinuo’s heart was thrown into disarray.

It wasn’t until the girl, confused by their prolonged eye contact, tilted her head, that Liu Yinuo snapped back to reality. She cleared her throat and turned away.

“Class monitor… your face is quite red… Are you feeling unwell?”

Hesitantly voicing her concern, the girl’s gaze was filled with worry.

“Ah? Oh, it’s nothing. The heater’s just set a bit high, and it’s making my face feel hot. I’ll turn it down in a bit.”

Feigning composure, she offered her explanation. She then poured the boiled water, picked up the fever medicine, and read the instructions aloud.

“Ahem… Fever medicine: adults and adolescents, one dose; children, half a dose…”

As she spoke, she covertly felt her own rapidly beating heart.

‘How strange, what’s wrong with me…?’

Tearing open the fever medicine and stirring it into a bowl, her eyes, however, involuntarily darted towards the girl.

“Uh, Ye… Ye Xingmian… you don’t have to stand there. Just find somewhere to sit.”

Her words called back the distracted Ye Xingmian, and the girl offered a faint smile.

“Okay, thank you, Class Monitor.”

Yet, instead of heading to the sofa or finding a stool, she wandered over to the living room window sill. There, she rested her face in her hands, quietly gazing outside, lost in thought.

Liu Yinuo found this peculiar. Once the medicine was thoroughly mixed, she carried the bowl and walked to Ye Xingmian’s side.

“What are you spacing out about?”

Placing the bowl between them, she followed the girl’s gaze outside.

It was the peak time for school dismissal, and the road was far livelier than when they had arrived, with a ceaseless flow of vehicles. However, the house was remarkably soundproof, muffling all the chaotic honking outside.

Situated on a high floor, the expansive windows offered an excellent view, encompassing an entire bustling commercial street. Beyond the pedestrians and the high-rise cityscape Liu Yinuo had long grown tired of, what truly caught her attention were the snowflakes gently drifting down from the sky.

“Wow, it’s snowing!”

Liu Yinuo exclaimed with a touch of surprise, her eyes sparkling even brighter than the falling snow.

“Mm.” In contrast, Ye Xingmian’s voice was subdued. Staring blankly at the scene outside the window, her eyes held a heavy, grey cloud of thoughts.

“It’s snowing, how beautiful.”

Whether it was detachment or sorrow, she curled her lips into a faint, bittersweet smile.

“Class Monitor’s home is also so big, and so beautiful…”

Listening to the girl’s words, Liu Yinuo vaguely sensed that something was amiss. She furrowed her brows and turned her head.

“What’s wrong?”

Ye Xingmian turned her head as well, no longer looking out the window, and offered a small smile to Liu Yinuo.

“Nothing, Class Monitor.”

Hearing the girl’s reply, Liu Yinuo didn’t dwell on it further.

“Then hurry and take your medicine.”

“Mm, okay, Class Monitor.”

The obedient girl picked up the bowl and gulped down its contents.

“Hey! Be careful, it might be hot!”

Just as Liu Yinuo was about to warn her that the water might not have cooled sufficiently, she watched as the girl chugged the entire bowl of fever medicine. Her words caught in her throat, leaving her utterly stunned.

Finishing the medicine, she placed the bowl back down and offered Liu Yinuo a smile.

“Class Monitor, it’s not hot. It’s perfectly warm, just right.”

Liu Yinuo looked at the girl’s smile, and without realizing it, found herself lost in thought once more.

Snapping out of her daze, she quickly turned her head, offering an explanation under the girl’s watchful eyes.

“Ahem, I never noticed before, but you’re actually quite pretty!”

As if fleeing, she returned to the table, resuming the task of dissolving the cold medicine, along with some anti-inflammatory medication she had prepared.

“No… I’m not pretty…”

“How can you say that? Look at your lovely pink eyes, your fair and delicate skin. And… and…”

Unsure of what troubled the girl, Liu Yinuo’s voice gradually faded as she watched her back.

Until finally, it disappeared altogether.

She silently stirred the medicine until it was ready, then carried it back to the girl. Neither of them spoke again.

“Thank you, Class Monitor.”

Thanking her once more, the obedient girl drank the medicine and placed the bowl back. Throughout, Liu Yinuo simply watched her with a complex gaze.

“Is something bothering you?”

“No.” She shook her head gently in denial.

“…”

“…”

“Class Monitor, aren’t you curious about the truth of why I’m pretending to be a girl? It’s actually very simple: I suddenly became this way.”

“Suddenly…?”

“Yes, I feel like I’m a monster, neither one thing nor another. I was afraid of attracting attention, so I’ve been hiding it.”

“Is that so?” Watching the girl quietly gaze out the window, Liu Yinuo reluctantly accepted this revelation. Yet, perhaps it was a girl’s intuition, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the other girl was concealing something from her.

“That’s right, your leg injury!” At that moment, Liu Yinuo suddenly remembered how, in her excitement to return home, she had momentarily forgotten about the girl’s injured leg. She must have been in so much pain, standing and walking for so long. The thought immediately filled Liu Yinuo with guilt.

“It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Really…?”

Trying to find a topic for conversation, Liu Yinuo realized there wasn’t much to discuss between them. As she fretted, the girl beside her suddenly spoke.

“Class Monitor, what are you doing for lunch?”

“Uh, I’ll just order takeout. It’s not expensive, and it’ll be here soon. What would you like to eat?”

Suddenly remembering, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and opened the app with the yellow icon.

“Are there any ingredients in the fridge? I’d like to cook you a meal as thanks.”

“Eh? Yes… yes, there are. My mom just bought a whole bunch of new stuff last night.”

“Mm, Class Monitor, may I take a shower first?”

“Of… of course! I’ll… I’ll go find you some clothes to change into. Our sizes should be pretty similar, you… you don’t mind, do you?”

“Mm, it’s fine.”

“Then you go to the bathroom first, and I’ll get your clothes.”

Liu Yinuo hurried away.

After confirming Liu Yinuo had left, the girl suddenly slumped to the floor, closing her eyes.

Her legs still throbbed faintly, but that pain was negligible compared to the wounds in her heart.

She still hadn’t managed to muster her courage; her timid nature had once again overpowered her longing for friendship.

The moment she arrived at this door, she had vaguely realized that an insurmountable chasm separated her from her class monitor.

So the girl had lied, all to prevent Liu Yinuo from caring too much about her.