Chapter 27

After they finished ordering, the two of them lapsed into an awkward silence. The lively clamor around them only made their quiet table stand out even more.

For a moment, Yue Bai felt terribly embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. She passively fiddled with her phone while Sang Wan propped her chin on one hand, gazing leisurely at the girl across from her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yue Bai could see Sang Wan’s stare fixed on her. She clutched her phone tighter, deliberately trying to ignore it.

She really should have looked up some conversation topics beforehand. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be sitting here tongue-tied now. Yue Bai silently berated herself for her lack of foresight.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a server arrived with the hotpot base. Another followed shortly after, carrying a selection of dishes.

Sang Wan stood up and grabbed the kettle, scalding their utensils with hot water. Once the servers had left, she picked up the serving chopsticks and began adding the dishes to the pot.

It was a split pot, and Sang Wan divided some of the ingredients between both sides. Yue Bai wanted to help but had no idea where to start.

“It’ll be ready to eat soon,” Sang Wan said, pushing a plate of crispy pork toward Yue Bai. “Have some of this to tide you over first.”

Yue Bai shyly picked up a piece with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. After swallowing, she said, “Senior Sister, you go make your dipping sauce first. I’ll go after you get back.”

“That works.” Sang Wan nodded and headed to the sauce station.

About two minutes later, she returned—one hand holding a small bowl, the other balancing a plate of seasonal fruit.

She set the fruit in the center of the table. “Go ahead.”

Yue Bai murmured her agreement and went to make her sauce.

By the time she got back, the first batch of ingredients was cooked. Sang Wan lifted her gaze, serving chopsticks in hand. “Can you handle spicy?”

Steam blurred her features, lending her an ethereal beauty. Yue Bai stared for a few extra seconds before managing to reply, “Yeah, I can.”

Sang Wan tilted her head slightly, her brows and eyes taking on a soft flush from the rising heat. With the serving chopsticks, she picked out some tender meat and placed it in Yue Bai’s bowl. “Eat up.”

“Thanks, Senior Sister. I can get it myself.” Yue Bai raised her bowl halfway to catch the food.

Sang Wan just smiled and gave a noncommittal hum.

Yue Bai ate small bites from her bowl, occasionally adding more. She glanced quietly at her phone. A message had come in, so she set her bowl down and unlocked the screen.

“What are you up to?” It was from Zhou Qingyan.

“Eating with Senior Sister Sang,” Yue Bai replied.

“Does Senior Sister need something?” Yue Bai added.

“Nah, just saw someone’s back from afar and thought it was you,” Zhou Qingyan messaged back.

Before Yue Bai could respond, another notification popped up at the top of her screen. She tapped it without thinking.

“Not paying attention.”

Yue Bai’s head snapped up in surprise. Sang Wan’s phone screen had already gone dark, and she was elegantly eating her food with her head bowed.

Yue Bai licked her lips and typed quickly: “I am paying attention!”

Sang Wan’s phone lit up. Yue Bai watched her glance at it casually before grabbing a napkin to dab at her mouth. No reply came.

A flicker of disappointment—and the embarrassment of being caught—stirred in Yue Bai’s chest. She was just about to explain herself when a pair of chopsticks reached across the table. Freshly cooked food landed in her bowl once more.

“Eat more,” Sang Wan said again. She set the serving chopsticks down with a helpless sigh and folded her hands on the table. “It’s been over a month now. Why are you still so stiff around me?”

“Hahaha, am I?” Yue Bai’s grip on her chopsticks faltered, unsure what to pick next.

“You are.” Sang Wan’s gaze washed over her like calm water. She plucked a piece of watermelon from the fruit plate and took a small bite before continuing. “Is Senior Sister that scary?”

“No, no!” Yue Bai denied it hastily. How could such a beautiful senior sister be scary? “I’m just… not used to it.”

Not used to sitting across from Senior Sister like this, alone in a place like this.

Sang Wan nodded, looking as if she understood. “Then we’ll have to go out more often so you can get comfortable with it. School or anywhere else.”

Yue Bai wasn’t nearly as reserved on campus. Sang Wan had thought they were past this by now, but the moment they stepped outside, her junior sister turned shy all over again.

Yue Bai hadn’t expected herself to act this way off-campus either.

After they finished eating, Yue Bai beat Sang Wan to the punch and paid the bill. Sang Wan couldn’t help but chuckle at her eager haste.

As they stepped out of the hotpot restaurant, Yue Bai figured that since they’d come all this way, they couldn’t just eat and head straight back.

“Senior Sister, want to wander around a bit?” she suggested.

“Sure.” Sang Wan smiled warmly, with no objections.

The north school gate opened onto a bustling snack street lined with food stalls. Yue Bai had hoped to find a mall, but after looking around, nothing caught her eye.

“Senior Sister, how about some candied hawthorns?” Yue Bai spotted a little shop up ahead.

Dozens of colorful skewers gleamed under the transparent counter at the entrance.

“We can give them a try.” Sang Wan nodded.

Yue Bai started toward the shop, but Sang Wan caught her wrist. Her palm was soft and warm against Yue Bai’s skin. Stunned, Yue Bai turned around, only to meet Sang Wan’s deep, affectionate gaze. The question died on her tongue.

Senior Sister Sang without her glasses… her eyes made it so easy to misunderstand.

Yue Bai’s heart pounded faster. She swallowed hard.

“Why aren’t you watching where you’re going?” There was a hint of reproach in Sang Wan’s tone, but it was mostly fond exasperation. “That’s a bad habit. You need to fix it.”

Feeling guilty, Yue Bai wiggled her arm playfully. To deflect any scolding, she put on a coquettish whine. “But Senior Sister’s right here, isn’t she?”

“You.” Sang Wan clearly enjoyed it. The grip on Yue Bai’s wrist loosened but didn’t let go entirely. “Come on. Watch the road next time.”

“Okay!” Yue Bai’s voice lifted cheerfully.

Ripples of warmth spread through Sang Wan’s eyes. She tilted her head, taking in the lively sparkle of the girl’s profile. Something deep inside her softened, over and over.

Yue Bai held out the freshly bought skewers like she was presenting a treasure. “Senior Sister.”

She was letting Sang Wan pick first.

With a gentle smile, Sang Wan selected one with fewer hawthorns. “I don’t really like sour things.”

Time flew by, and before they knew it, evening had arrived. Exhausted, Yue Bai let Sang Wan lead her back to campus by the hand. She was about to head straight to her dorm when she casually asked, “Senior Sister, you’re not going home for National Day?”

Sang Wan’s expression didn’t change. She shook her head. “Not planning to for now. What about you?”

“Same here. All my roommates went home, so it’s just me in the dorm.” Yue Bai let out a dramatic sigh. “All alone.”

“Want to come over to my place?” Sang Wan murmured, her fingers rubbing the spot between Yue Bai’s thumb and forefinger. “I’m by myself too. We could team up.”

Yue Bai let out a soft “Ah?”

“Not interested?” Sang Wan was still smiling.

“No, no! I just didn’t expect Senior Sister to invite me.” Yue Bai’s response was earnest. She scratched her head. “If you don’t mind…”

“Come on over.” Sang Wan gave a faint smile.

It would bring some life to her empty dorm.

“Then I’ll gladly accept your invitation.” Yue Bai cupped her hands in a playful salute.

Sang Wan playfully flicked her forehead. “Then tomorrow, Senior Sister will take you somewhere a bit more thrilling. How does that sound?”