After the two girls returned to the bedroom, Tang Yu subconsciously locked the door and, in the next second, got embraced by Yin Zhao-an.
It was a warm embrace that allowed both participants to feel each other's heartbeat.
"...I'm sorry," Tang Yu apologized, her nose growing stuffy as tears seeped out of her eyes and soaked Yin Zhao-an's cotton T-shirt.
Yin Zhao-an's eyes also reddened slightly, but she didn't cry. Instead, she gently rested her chin on Tang Yu's head and patted Tang Yu's back, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Silly, you didn't do anything wrong."
Guilt and regret intertwined in Tang Yu's heart. If she hadn't kissed Yin Zhao-an by the window at the time, her father wouldn't have seen them, and perhaps they wouldn't have to be separated. Thinking of this, Tang Yu whispered another "I'm sorry," her voice muffled by Yin Zhao-an's shirt.
Yin Zhao-an's mentality went from panic, confusion, and fear to later acceptance. She had already gone through everything that happened today in her mind, so she knew that this was only the first hurdle they encountered.
Every day they chose to remain together would mean more challenges waiting for them to tackle.
Meanwhile, whether they would tackle these hurdles together or give up and separate was all up to them to decide.
After a while, Yin Zhao-an gently nibbled on Tang Yu's ear before she said, "I've said it before; if I can't be with the person I love, I'd rather stay single the rest of my life. The only person I will love is you, Tang-Tang. This won't change, even in death."
When Yin Zhao-an's low, hoarse voice entered Tang Yu's cochlea, Tang Yu felt her entire body tingling. At the same time, the words Yin Zhao-an said calmed her gradually restless heart. "Mhm…"
Suddenly, Yin Zhao-an thought of something as she grabbed Tang Yu's shoulders. Then, looking into Tang Yu's teary eyes with a burning gaze, she grinned and asked, "So...are we officially together now?"
Tang Yu was taken aback for a moment. However, before she could understand the meaning of Yin Zhao-an's words, she heard Yin Zhao-an firing off a series of statements like a machine gun.
"You took the initiative to hug and kiss me today. You also didn't resist my touch.
"We've also technically met each other's parents already.
"So, aren't we already together?
"Well? Are we? Are we?"
Yin Zhao-an's mood made a sudden 180-degree turn. It was as if a tragic drama had suddenly turned into a happy-go-lucky comedy.
The originally heavy atmosphere disappeared, and Tang Yu laughed through her tears as she raised a hand to cover her face. Then, in a slightly choked voice, she answered, "Yes."
At this moment, Yin Zhao-an felt like all the flowers in the world had just bloomed simultaneously. Under her excitement, she pulled away the hand that covered Tang Yu's face and gave her a smack on Tang Yu's pale pink lips. Then, she laughed and proclaimed, "I have a girlfriend now!"
After confirming their relationship, the two of them began to carefully consider their next steps.
Tang Yu thought for a moment and spoke softly, "My dad will most likely be closely watching our every move throughout this period, so we need to keep a little distance."
Yin Zhao-an absolutely agreed with this. Nodding, she said, "I'll move back home and give my parents a heads up sometime later." After pausing for a second, she added, "We can keep our distance, but you must eat your meals on time, and you cannot try to like any boy! Or anyone else, for that matter!"
Yin Zhao-an placed great emphasis on the last sentence.
Tang Yu nodded like a little chick pecking at grains, agreeing to everything her new lover said.
However, Yin Zhao-an could practically already anticipate the situation they would face once they left the bedroom. So, while packing her things in a dejected mood, she fixed her gaze on the person sitting on the nearby chair, trying to savor every moment they still had together.
After stuffing all her clothes into the suitcase, Yin Zhao-an saw that a large portion was still empty. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind as she straightened up and stared sharply at the person leisurely swinging her legs.
Tang Yu's heart skipped a beat under Yin Zhao-an's piercing gaze. Thinking Yin Zhao-an was looking at something behind her, Tang Yu stopped swinging her legs and cautiously turned her head around. However, she could find nothing of note behind her.
The next second, Tang Yu felt her body becoming airborne, and she reflexively hooked her arms around Yin Zhao-an's neck. Then, she saw Yin Zhao-an steadily carrying her toward the suitcase.
Tang Yu suddenly realized what was going on and struggled to get down. However, Yin Zhao-an mercilessly stuffed her into the suitcase before using both hands to push the suitcase's door down onto her.
Unable to bear Yin Zhao-an's shameful behavior, Tang Yu covered her face and asked in a muffled voice, "What are you doing?"
In response, Yin Zhao-an raised an eyebrow and hooked one corner of her lips as she leisurely said, "Packing you up and taking you with me."
…
Unfortunately, Yin Zhao-an was unsuccessful in bringing her new girlfriend along, and she was sadly led away by Tang Zhengyang to a clean guest room. Even the bedding inside was brand new.
After bringing her to the guest room, Tang Zhengyang started to ramble on and on, saying things like, "Uncle is doing this for your own good" and "You'll understand Uncle's good intentions when you grow older."
Tang Yu and Yin Zhao-an didn't have a chance to communicate again until after dinner. However, Tang Zhengyang urged Tang Yu to go to bed early before going to prepare a bath for Yin Zhao-an in the first floor's shared bathroom. He then went to the kitchen to heat up fresh milk for Tang Yu and personally brought it upstairs to her.