Hand in Hand for a Lifetime

“Are you saying…” Lin Wanzhao was completely dazed for a long moment, her brain unable to fully process the shift. “Is it what I think it means?”

“I’m saying, not just limited to what happens in bed. Whether we are in bed or out of it,” Yu Qingkong gazed at her, pronouncing every word with absolute seriousness, “we belong together.”

In truth, Yu Qingkong hadn’t harbored much confidence either. She hadn’t been certain if Lin Wanzhao merely enjoyed their physical intimacy as a close friend or if she genuinely carried romantic feelings. Though her intuition told her it was the latter, a nervous sweat still coated her palms.

“Not together as friends, and not together as casual partners. Not casual at all, but together as real lovers,” Yu Qingkong added, making her intentions crystal clear.

Hearing this, Lin Wanzhao stared at her for a few silent seconds like a living statue. Then, her eyes gradually began to shimmer with brilliant light. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and crouched right down onto the ground.

Snowflakes drifted into the soft hair cascading over her shoulders. Her frame trembled slightly, making her look exactly like a shivering, vulnerable little animal.

Yu Qingkong froze for a beat, then hurriedly dropped to one knee, reaching out to steady Lin Wanzhao’s shoulders. In that instant, Lin Wanzhao lunged forward, throwing her arms tightly around Yu Qingkong and burying her face deep into her shoulder as she began to sob.

Warm breath and hot tears mingled, instantly soaking through the fabric on Yu Qingkong’s shoulder. Feeling the trembling body in her embrace, Yu Qingkong gently patted her back, a lump forming in her own throat. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Lin Wanzhao gave her shoulder a playful nudge.

“Do you have any idea…” Lin Wanzhao sobbed, her voice muffled, “how long I’ve been waiting for you to become my girlfriend?”

Yu Qingkong stiffened, her throat tightening as she held her even closer.

“It has been so, so long. Waiting for you to like me, waiting for you to accept me… I genuinely thought I was going to fail completely…” Lin Wanzhao’s voice carried a heavy, nasal tone.

Yu Qingkong let out a long breath, tightening her lower lip as she buried her face into the crook of Lin Wanzhao’s neck.

“I really like you so much. I have for a very long time. Did you honestly think I was just bored or incredibly desperate? Why else would I keep stubbornly chasing after you, clinging to you, and sleeping with you if I wasn’t deeply interested? Absolutely not…” Lin Wanzhao continued her tearful complaint. “And you even misunderstood me, thinking I was some reckless player. I’m not like that at all…”

All the quiet grievances and hidden hurts she had brushed aside in the past suddenly erupted like a long-dormant volcano.

“I’m sorry,” Yu Qingkong murmured, turning her head to press a tender kiss into Lin Wanzhao’s hair. She rested a hand on the back of her head, letting out a soft sigh. “So… are you willing?”

This time, Lin Wanzhao fell silent for a brief second. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before nodding vigorously like a little chick pecking at grain.

Yu Qingkong smiled with relief, gently pushing Lin Wanzhao back a fraction to look at her face. However, Lin Wanzhao kept her head stubbornly lowered.

“Lift your head. Let me see if your makeup is ruined.” Yu Qingkong tapped her shoulder playfully.

Lin Wanzhao shook her head firmly, refusing to look up: “No, don’t look. I must look incredibly ugly right now.”

“You won’t look ugly. How could you ever be ugly?” Yu Qingkong coaxed softly.

“I definitely look a mess right now,” Lin Wanzhao muttered, letting out a small hiccup from crying. “I didn’t want to act like this either. I don’t know what’s wrong with me—I just couldn’t control it. The tears just started falling on their own.”

As she spoke, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, only for it to come away entirely wet. She was truly crying her heart out.

Yu Qingkong watched her tenderly for a moment, then pulled out a tissue. Letting out a soft breath, she leaned in to gently wipe away the stray tears.

Lin Wanzhao sniffed, taking the tissue from Yu Qingkong’s fingers and pressing it lightly beneath her eyelids to blot the moisture.

Right then, a mother and daughter walked past them under an umbrella. The little girl kept staring in their direction, finally asking her mother in a sweet, childish voice: “Mommy, that auntie is crying so hard. Did she run into a bad person?”

Hearing this, Lin Wanzhao’s entire body went rigid. She let out another tiny hiccup, instantly grabbed Yu Qingkong’s hand, and marched toward a large tree nearby without looking back.

Once they were safely under the shelter of the tree, Lin Wanzhao finally released her grip, sniffed loudly, and continued dabbing at her eyes with the tissue.

After a few moments, she subtly sneaked a glance at Yu Qingkong, only to find the other girl staring at her unblinkingly. Lin Wanzhao quickly lowered her gaze again: “Don’t look… seriously, don’t look at me…”

“If I can’t look at my own girlfriend, who am I supposed to look at? The pretty girls across the street?” Yu Qingkong teased, turning her head to look toward the road, pretending to seek out beautiful strangers. In reality, there was nothing across the street except a streetlamp and an electric scooter.

“You can’t!” Lin Wanzhao instantly flared up, grabbing Yu Qingkong’s wrist tightly and glaring at her with knitted brows. “You are not allowed to look at any of those little foxes! You can only look at me. You’re only allowed to look at me!”

Yu Qingkong blinked in surprise, then a soft, radiant smile bloomed on her lips. She pointed across the street: “There’s only a streetlamp over there, no pretty girls. Why would I want to look at anyone else anyway? I could look at you forever and never get tired of it.”

Hearing those words, Lin Wanzhao’s eyes remained red, but her lips couldn’t help but curve upward in a shy pout.

“I always seem to make you cry. Am I a terrible partner?” Yu Qingkong asked softly, looking deep into her eyes.

“Who said that? Whoever calls you terrible is going to get punched by me!” Lin Wanzhao shook her head fiercely. “If you talk down about yourself like that, I’m going to ignore you.” She released Yu Qingkong’s hand, rubbing her eye again before wincing. “Ouch… it hurts…”

Yu Qingkong stepped closer, peering intently into her eye: “What’s wrong?”

“Mm…” Lin Wanzhao nodded, her brows furrowed in discomfort.

“You kept rubbing your eye just now; an eyelash must have fallen inside. Hold still, let me blow it out for you.” Yu Qingkong reached up, intending to gently pull open her eyelid.

“No, don’t!” Lin Wanzhao blocked her hand.

“Why?” Yu Qingkong was bewildered.

“Having your eyelid pulled open looks incredibly unappealing! A giant eyeball rolling around in a sea of white… I don’t want my very first memory of us becoming a couple to be me looking ridiculous in front of the person I love…” Lin Wanzhao mumbled defensively.

Yu Qingkong stared at her in disbelief for a second before bursting into laughter.

“What are you laughing at?!” Lin Wanzhao immediately snapped, resembling a tiny, fierce kitten baring its teeth.

“The thing is, no matter what you look like in front of me, I will always find you beautiful,” Yu Qingkong said softly.

“Liar,” Lin Wanzhao muttered under her breath.

“I’m completely serious. Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’?” Yu Qingkong asked.

The words hit Lin Wanzhao right in the heart, and she let out a bright, genuine laugh: “Well, I was already as beautiful as Xi Shi to begin with.”

“Exactly. You’re entirely right, so let’s not sweat the small details. Hold still, I’m opening your eye.”

Without giving Lin Wanzhao another chance to argue, Yu Qingkong stepped close, gently separated her eyelids, and blew a soft puff of air into her eye.

Her movements were incredibly tender and careful, as if she were handling her most precious treasure. Lin Wanzhao’s entire body went rigid, standing perfectly still like a wooden statue.

Yu Qingkong’s warm breath brushed against her cheek like a soft feather, sending a thousand ripples across the quiet lake of Lin Wanzhao’s heart. Is this person truly my lover now? Are we really together? Is this actually happening? It still feels entirely unbelievable.

“Try blinking a few times,” Yu Qingkong instructed gently, stepping back.

“Mm.” Lin Wanzhao nodded, blinking her eyes tentatively.

“Does it still hurt? Do you still feel something in there?” Yu Qingkong asked.

“No, it’s all gone,” Lin Wanzhao replied with a shake of her head.

“Good.” Yu Qingkong let out a sigh of relief, her eyes never leaving Lin Wanzhao’s face.

By now, Lin Wanzhao’s emotions had completely stabilized, and her heavy sobbing had finally ceased.

“By the way, it’s still quite early. Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?” Yu Qingkong inquired.

“Yes, I want to watch a movie,” Lin Wanzhao replied eagerly.

“What do you want to watch? Let me book the tickets first.” Yu Qingkong pulled out her phone.

“I don’t know, you choose.” Lin Wanzhao beamed. She didn’t actually care what movie they watched; she simply wanted to spend every possible second with Yu Qingkong, wishing this sweet time could stretch on forever.

“Alright, I’ll just pick something at random then.” Yu Qingkong opened a ticket-booking app.

“Mm,” Lin Wanzhao nodded, standing quietly by her side as she watched Yu Qingkong focus on selecting a film.

“All done. I picked an action movie that looks like something you’d enjoy. It starts in an hour,” Yu Qingkong said a moment later, turning her screen toward Lin Wanzhao.

“Perfect,” Lin Wanzhao agreed with a bright, sweet smile.

The snowflakes continued to dance lazily through the air, looking completely magical under the golden glow of the streetlamps. Lin Wanzhao twiddled her fingers, glanced at Yu Qingkong, and then stared down at her shoes before whispering: “I think I’m hungry again.”

“Hungry again?” Yu Qingkong was stunned. They had literally just finished a massive dinner.

“Yes,” Lin Wanzhao cleared her throat defensively. “Crying takes a massive amount of physical energy, okay?”

“Fair enough. What do you want to eat?” Yu Qingkong looked around at the neighboring storefronts.

“Happy Fried Chicken just released a special Valentine’s Day Heart Combo!” Lin Wanzhao pointed eagerly toward the fast-food joint across the street.

“You want that?” Yu Qingkong asked.

“Yes!” Lin Wanzhao nodded enthusiastically.

“Alright, let’s go get it.” Yu Qingkong smiled.

“Yay!” Lin Wanzhao let out a joyful squeal, skipping over to Yu Qingkong’s side like a smitten teenage girl.

True love really had a way of making a person revert to a younger state of mind. At the very least, Lin Wanzhao had never imagined she would display such a childish, carefree side of herself in front of someone else.

Walking down the street, Yu Qingkong glanced around at the city before looking down at the girl walking beside her, an unconscious smile gracing her own lips. It was fascinating how simply walking beside Lin Wanzhao instilled such a profound sense of peace within her.

Upon entering the fried chicken shop, Yu Qingkong stepped up to the counter and ordered the Valentine’s Day Combo exactly as Lin Wanzhao directed. Fortunately, the shop wasn’t too crowded—likely because this location wasn’t situated in a major commercial district or pedestrian mall—so they didn’t have to endure a long wait.

After paying, Yu Qingkong and Lin Wanzhao moved over to the pick-up counter to wait for their food.

While waiting, Yu Qingkong’s phone buzzed with notifications from her group chat. She unlocked her screen to check the messages.

Liu Ting: “This has turned out to be a remarkably peaceful Valentine’s Day. The mute feature on Weibo is an absolute lifesaver. I’ve turned off notifications for all my social apps too. So serene.”

The next second, Lu Xiaoxiao sent a giggling emoji.

Lu Xiaoxiao: “Exactly! The couple brigade can’t hurt us this year. Mwahahaha!”

Yu Qingkong touched her forehead, letting out a quiet chuckle.

Liu Ting: “Honestly, being friends with you and Qingkong is the absolute best. Since we’re all single dogs, there’s zero friendly fire.”

Lu Xiaoxiao: “Right?! That’s what true friendship is all about! Staying single together! We have honor and loyalty! We aren’t like those traitors who secretly get into relationships and then drop massive emotional damage on their friends during holidays. That’s just cruel!”

Liu Ting replied with a trolling emoji: “Exactly! Off with their heads!”

Yu Qingkong amusedly considered her options for a brief moment before typing out a reply:

Yu Qingkong: “I’m officially off the market. With Lin Wanzhao.”

Yu Qingkong: “Currently waiting for a Valentine’s Day fried chicken combo. Because she got hungry again.”

Yu Qingkong: “Sigh, how did I end up with such an incredibly adorable girlfriend?”

Instantly, the group chat fell into a dead, stunned silence.

The very next second, the chat erupted.

Liu Ting: “WHAT THE— (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻”

Lu Xiaoxiao: “I’ve just run the numbers… Yu Qingkong, you are not surviving the night!”

Seeing their dramatic reactions, Yu Qingkong’s eyes crinkled with pure amusement. She slid her phone back into her pocket, accepted the fragrant fried chicken package from the counter clerk, and turned to Lin Wanzhao: “Let’s go.”

“Mm!” Lin Wanzhao nodded happily. Rubbing her chilly hands together, she fell into step right beside Yu Qingkong as they made their way toward the cinema.

“What were you looking at? Why were you smiling so happily…?” Lin Wanzhao nudged her playfully.

“Nothing important.” Yu Qingkong looked down at her with a gentle shake of her head.

Lin Wanzhao bit her lip lightly, tilting her face up to look at her: “By the way, what did you call me just now?”

“Hmm?” Yu Qingkong didn’t catch her drift immediately, looking back at her blankly.

“I mean… right when you said you wanted us to be together. You called me something.” Lin Wanzhao tilted her head, her eyes locked onto her face.

“Lin Wanzhao,” Yu Qingkong answered.

Hearing this, Lin Wanzhao let out a cheerful giggle, covering her mouth before adopting a mock-stern expression: “Still far too formal. That’s barely an upgrade from ‘Director Lin.’ One star out of five.”

“Then,” Yu Qingkong pondered the feedback for a brief moment before gazing at her softly, “how should I call you? Wanzhao.”

The moment the name left Yu Qingkong’s lips, Lin Wanzhao let out a soft gasp, stamped her foot lightly, and buried her glowing face into both her hands.

“What’s wrong now…?” Yu Qingkong laughed, tilting her head to peek around Lin Wanzhao’s shielding fingers.

“It sounds so beautiful… it just sounds incredibly good,” Lin Wanzhao mumbled through her hands. “How did I never realize my own name sounded so lovely? Why does it sound so incredibly magical when it comes out of your mouth?!”

Yu Qingkong stared at her antics for a long moment before shaking her head with an affectionate smile: “I think you’ve gone completely silly…”

“So what if I have? I am silly, what about it…?” Lin Wanzhao uncovered her face, looking up at her. “If I’m silly, are you going to stop liking me?”

“Of course not,” Yu Qingkong laughed softly, lowering her gaze to the ground. “As long as it’s you, I will love you whether you are silly or not.”

“Ah—!” Lin Wanzhao let out another dramatic squeal, instantly leaning her back against the brick wall of a nearby storefront.

“Hmm?” Yu Qingkong tilted her head, looking at her with amusement.

“I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel incredibly shy…” Lin Wanzhao peeked through a tiny gap between her fingers, blinking rapidly.

Watching her, a profound wave of warmth flooded Yu Qingkong’s heart. In the past, she had never truly understood what people meant when they described someone as ‘adorable.’ Whenever she heard people gushing over someone’s cuteness, she would simply react with cold indifference, completely failing to see the appeal. But now, she understood perfectly. Her girlfriend was, without a doubt, the most adorable creature on the planet.

Her anger never lasted longer than three seconds, her eyes lit up at the mere sight of food—purely adorable. The memory of the night they ate crawfish, when Lin Wanzhao had guided her to that wishing tree and stealthily stolen a kiss, was equally precious. Even though she was naturally quite timid, she had still summoned every ounce of her courage just to draw closer to her… it was both incredibly endearing and deeply moving.

Gazing at Lin Wanzhao, who was currently giggling like a carefree young girl, Yu Qingkong’s fingers twitched slightly. A tender smile graced her lips as she murmured to herself: “Silly.”

Stepping back out onto the street, Yu Qingkong walked a few paces before halting. She turned back toward Lin Wanzhao and extended an open palm: “Hand.”

“Huh?” Lin Wanzhao stopped rubbing her cold hands together.

“Give me your hand,” Yu Qingkong instructed softly. “I’m going to hold it. This time, as your girlfriend.”

Hearing the word ‘girlfriend,’ Lin Wanzhao felt so incredibly happy she wanted to spin in circles right there on the sidewalk. Girlfriend. What an incredibly luxurious title. She had truly waited an eternity for this moment.

Lin Wanzhao blinked rapidly, a sudden prickle of emotional tears stinging her nose. She swiftly reached out and placed her palm squarely into Yu Qingkong’s hand.

Lin Wanzhao’s hand was as icy as ever, resembling a delicate ice sculpture in the dead of winter, while Yu Qingkong’s palm remained perfectly warm, like a radiant afternoon sun radiating warmth straight to the depths of her soul.

Staring down at their intertwined fingers, Lin Wanzhao sniffed quietly and asked in a low voice: “Qingkong, is my hand too cold? Does it feel uncomfortable to hold?”

Yu Qingkong fell into a brief silence, turning her head to look deep into her eyes: “Cold or not, what difference does it make? Am I supposed to let go just because it’s cold?”

“I was just asking…” Lin Wanzhao looked down at the snow-covered ground.

Yu Qingkong turned her gaze back to the path ahead, her grip firm and unyielding: “Because I intend to hold this hand for the rest of our lives.”