Sang Wan helplessly held her back with a gentle hand, her cool fingertip pressing against the other’s forehead. “Your foot’s like this, and you’re still not behaving. Sit still obediently. Dinner will be ready in a bit.”
She supported Yue Bai as they returned to the living room. Still worried, she added, “Don’t run around. Be careful not to hurt your foot more.”
“Oh.” Yue Bai replied weakly, her gaze drifting toward Sang Wan’s lower abdomen.
Sang Wan smiled and went back into the kitchen. She turned the fire back on, and the range hood dutifully sucked away the rising fumes.
A little while later, the final dish was ready. Sang Wan checked the rice cooker—the rice still needed about two more minutes. She brought the bowls and chopsticks to the living room and served the dishes one by one onto the table.
Zhou Qingyan and Wen Mo emerged from the master bedroom, drawn by the aroma. Seeing the food ready, Zhou Qingyan beamed with delight and was about to praise Sang Wan, but a glance from the latter turned her words into, “Is the rice done? I’ll go get it.”
Sang Wan said, “It should be ready in a moment.” She ladled a bowl of soup and placed it next to a seat on the table, then turned to help Yue Bai sit down. “Drink some soup first. See how it tastes?”
Yue Bai felt shy about starting to eat before the senior sisters. She smiled bashfully. “You all eat too, Senior Sisters.”
Zhou Qingyan plopped down by the table with a grin, unceremoniously ladling herself a bowl of soup. She poured another for Wen Mo and set it aside, calling out, “Mo Mo, time to eat.”
Sang Wan suppressed a smile, watching Yue Bai quietly. Soon, her gaze shifted to Zhou Qingyan. The curve of her lips flattened, carrying a dangerous edge. “The rice should be done now. I think you can bring it out.”
Zhou Qingyan let out an “Ah” and took a sip of soup. “Got it, I’ll go get it.”
After all, it was only fair to help out a little when someone else had cooked.
“You sit. I’ll go.” Wen Mo hadn’t even sat down yet. She turned toward the kitchen, unplugged the rice cooker, wrapped a dishcloth around the edge of the pot, and carried it to the table.
Sang Wan was already seated beside Yue Bai. Seeing the rice arrive, she urged, “Finish your soup, then have some rice.”
“Okay.” Yue Bai agreed.
The soup was still piping hot from the pot, so Yue Bai blew on it gently as she sipped, not too quickly. Even while drinking, she stole glances at Sang Wan with her peripheral vision. Seeing that Sang Wan wasn’t watching her, she inexplicably relaxed a bit and continued sipping slowly, occasionally picking at some side dishes with her chopsticks.
Three dishes and a soup were more than enough for the group.
“Sang Wan, your cooking skills seem to have improved again.” Zhou Qingyan swallowed her food and complimented.
Sang Wan smiled faintly. “Oh? Eat more then.”
Zhou Qingyan was pleasantly surprised and immediately scooped another bowl of rice. “You got it. I’ll definitely eat plenty.”
Sang Wan picked up a piece of meat for Yue Bai and casually grabbed a napkin to interject nonchalantly, “No need to overdo it. What if you stuff yourself and blame me for it?”
Yue Bai pressed her lips together, her head dipping lower. Why did Senior Sister Sang sometimes sound so snarky?
“Little Bai, eat more. Don’t go hungry.” Sang Wan’s tone softened, unlike before. She propped her arm up, resting her chin on her hand.
“Senior Sister, aren’t you eating?” Yue Bai noticed Sang Wan setting down her chopsticks and asked, puzzled. If she wasn’t mistaken, Sang Wan had barely touched her food the whole time—only two or three bites, one of which was just to serve her.
“Not hungry. You eat more.” Sang Wan lowered her eyes, her emotions unreadable.
Wen Mo’s sipping slowed. She glanced at Sang Wan, her slender fingers steadying the edge of her bowl.
Ever since they were kids, whenever Sang Wan was upset, she ate very little. It had improved as they grew up. For someone as disciplined about meals as her, eating just a couple of token bites today clearly meant she was in a foul mood.
The reason wasn’t hard to guess.
Sang Wan rubbed her forehead and stood, heading into the second bedroom. The door clicked shut behind her.
Sang Wan pulled out her phone and made a call. After a custom ringtone played, a male voice answered.
“Sang Wan, what’s up?” Hua Yun was poking at his canvas with a paintbrush. Sang Wan had never called him first.
“I need a favor.” Sang Wan’s smiling voice came through the phone into Hua Yun’s ear.
“What is it?” Hua Yun set down his brush, his expression turning serious. From the moment they’d met, Sang Wan had never asked him for help.
“I remember you’re in the School Publicity Department. Can you post a video on the Campus Forum for me? You have backend access, right?” Sang Wan stood by the window, leaning lazily against the wall, her face turned to the side. The sky had darkened considerably.
“What video?” Hua Yun asked.
“I’ll send it to you. Take a look.” Sang Wan tapped her screen a few times.
There was silence on the other end as he watched.
A minute later, Hua Yun finished the video. He frowned. “That girl was tipping her toes?” He’d heard some talk that afternoon but hadn’t dug into the details.
“Yeah.” Sang Wan replied. “Can you post this video on the forum?”
Hua Yun peeled off the masking tape from the edges of his canvas, hesitating. “She’s definitely in the wrong, but posting this out of the blue might get her ostracized by the school. It could ruin her college life.”
Sang Wan let out a light chuckle, her tone mocking. “If she could do something like that, she should be prepared for the backlash. She knew someone was filming from outside and still dared to cheat like that. It’s way too malicious.”
“I’ll think about it. We can’t just post stuff recklessly.” Hua Yun scratched his head irritably. It bugged him that someone from his own department had been bullied by outsiders.
“Wait.” Sang Wan said. “I have another video. If that’s not convenient, post this one first.”
Sang Wan curved her lips and sent the other video. “This one should be fine to post, right? After all, lots of people heard it at the time.”
Hua Yun saw the video, and his eyes lit up. “This one’s good. A catchy title could spark some real discussion.”
After hanging up, Sang Wan set her phone down with satisfaction. She gazed at the faint moon outside the window and closed it with a lift of her hand.
Outside, the others had finished eating, and Zhou Qingyan was clearing the dishes.
Sang Wan came into the living room and saw Yue Bai sitting dazedly in her chair. A smile rose in her eyes. She walked over, pulled her up, and drew her close, looping her arm through Yue Bai’s.
“Senior Sister, I want to take a shower.” Yue Bai said awkwardly. She’d sweated during basketball that afternoon and hadn’t cleaned up yet. She felt sticky all over.
“Your ankle can’t get wet.” Sang Wan rejected immediately.
“Then…” Yue Bai looked dejectedly at her heavily wrapped ankle.
“I can help you wash up.” Sang Wan’s pupils flickered slightly as she made the offer casually, tucking a few stray hairs behind her ear.
“Ah.” Yue Bai let out a soft exclamation. “No need. I’ll just wipe down.”
“Mm.” Sang Wan lowered her gaze. “I’ll go draw some water for you.”
In the bathroom, Yue Bai watched the basin slowly fill with warm water. Once she confirmed the door was locked, she slowly undressed and wiped herself down with a damp towel.
She kept her injured foot straight out, which made it harder to clean. She had to stay balanced while bending over to reach the water.
After some awkward effort, Yue Bai finally finished. She dropped the towel into the basin and put on fresh clothes.
Her dirty clothes went into an empty basin nearby. She bit her lip, eyeing them hesitantly, wondering how to wash them. Bigger items could wait, but underwear needed cleaning soon.
She bit the tip of her tongue. Fine, treat them as disposables. She’d buy new ones once her foot healed. But she wasn’t sure if her stash would last that long.
Supporting herself against the wall, she carefully stood. The tiled wall was covered in condensation, slick to the touch.
A large mirror hung over the sink. Yue Bai glanced at her reflection and immediately noticed her greasy hair.
She usually washed it every other day, and today was wash day anyway. Plus the sweat from basketball—it was even oilier.
The bathroom door opened, and Yue Bai hopped out on one foot, bumping straight into Sang Wan leaning against the frame.
“Senior Sister.” Yue Bai called out instinctively. “Why are you here?”
“Waiting for you. In case you forgot something, I could help right away.” Sang Wan said, half-serious.
In that instant, Yue Bai understood the hidden meaning—Sang Wan was worried she’d have an accident alone in there. Guarding outside meant she could react immediately.
A warm feeling surged in Yue Bai’s heart, sweet and sugary. She grabbed Sang Wan’s hand and shook it without thinking. “Senior Sister, you’re the best.”
Sang Wan’s expression froze for a moment, her smile stiffening briefly. She hooked her pinky against Yue Bai’s palm, noncommittal. “So, do you like your Senior Sister?”
“I do.” Yue Bai affirmed without hesitation.
Sang Wan gently ruffled Yue Bai’s hair, savoring the motion. “I like you too… Little Junior Sister.”
She emphasized the last two words a touch heavier.
“Senior Sister, don’t touch my hair—it’s greasy.” Yue Bai’s cheeks flushed as she turned her head.
Sang Wan’s gaze lifted. “It is a bit. Want Senior Sister to wash it for you?”
“That might not be convenient.” Yue Bai had been standing on one foot too long; her leg ached. She lightly kneaded her thigh.
Sang Wan noticed the gesture, reached out, and scooped her up, taking most of her weight. In a soft voice, she said, “It’s fine. Lie on the sofa, and I’ll fetch water to wash it.”
“It’ll get the floor dirty,” Yue Bai said hesitantly. This was the room Wen Mo had booked, after all—being too casual might not sit well. But she really wanted to wash her hair.
“No worries. I’ll just let Wen Mo know,” Sang Wan replied, picking up on her reluctance and reassuring her.
“Hey, once you’re done washing up, can you two get out of the way? There are people lined up behind you waiting to shower.” Zhou Qingyan strolled over to the bathroom with her arms crossed, eyeing the pair huddled together with clear distaste.
Sang Wan glanced up at her, her smile fading just a touch. “Perfect timing. I want to wash Little Bai’s hair in the living room here, and I’ll mop the floor spotless afterward. That cool with you?”
Zhou Qingyan arched a brow and waved it off carelessly. “No big deal. You’ll need the bathroom faucet for water later anyway. Wen Mo and I can shower after that.”
With that, Zhou Qingyan sauntered back to the master bedroom.
“All set. I’ll carry you to the sofa—your shoes are wet, and hopping over on one foot might make you slip.” Sang Wan gave Yue Bai’s back a gentle pat, her long fingers trailing down along her waist.
Yue Bai went a little rigid. She held still as Sang Wan scooped her up, her own arms already looped around the other woman’s neck in anticipation.
Sang Wan was pleased by Yue Bai’s forwardness. With a flex of her arms, she lifted her effortlessly and settled her onto the sofa.
“Senior Sister’s going to fetch the water. Just wait here.”
