Chapter 36

Yue Bai lay obediently flat on the sofa, her hands folded awkwardly over her stomach. She had her eyes slightly closed.

The bathroom door stood open, allowing Yue Bai to clearly hear the sound of water splashing into the basin. She fidgeted uneasily with her fingers, her pupils darting nervously in their sockets.

Footsteps approached gradually. Sang Wan emerged carrying the basin. Without lingering, she ducked back into the bathroom to grab the shampoo and conditioner.

Her hair clips were removed, and her long hair cascaded down. Yue Bai shifted upward a little to make it easier for Sang Wan to wash her hair.

Sang Wan gently placed one hand on Yue Bai’s forehead. Her warm, wet palm dampened the other’s forehead before sliding downward to gather all the hair in her grasp.

Yue Bai had a lot of hair—barely containable in one hand. Sang Wan praised, “Your hair has such a nice texture.”

Yue Bai gripped the sofa’s fabric tightly and gave a soft acknowledgment.

“Are you nervous?” Sang Wan asked gently. The water soaked through to the tips of Yue Bai’s hair, softening the fine fuzz hidden beneath the strands.

“A little,” Yue Bai admitted honestly. “It’s my first time having someone wash my hair in this position.”

Sang Wan chuckled lightly and pumped some shampoo from the bottle. “Have you never gotten your hair washed at a salon before?”

Yue Bai shifted slightly. “I have, but not in a place like this. It feels kind of novel.”

Sang Wan lowered her gaze, her fingertips massaging Yue Bai’s scalp with gentle pressure. “Is this amount of force okay?”

“Yes, Senior Sister,” Yue Bai nodded.

With her eyes closed, Yue Bai couldn’t see how Sang Wan’s gaze kept drifting to her face while she washed her hair. Her scalp was treated with care, and the last traces of Yue Bai’s tension melted away under Sang Wan’s touch.

“I’ll go change the water,” Sang Wan said, her voice inexplicably a bit hoarse. She wrung out the dripping ends of Yue Bai’s hair firmly.

“Okay.”

Yue Bai opened her eyes lightly. A thin layer of foam clung softly to her forehead.

Sang Wan returned with a basin of clean water, rinsing away the shampoo suds before applying conditioner. She waited two or three minutes, then rinsed that out too.

“All done. You can wrap it in a towel and get up now.” Sang Wan helped Yue Bai to her feet and somehow produced a clean towel from behind her, wrapping it around Yue Bai’s hair. “Wait here. I’ll dump this water and mop the floor, then come blow-dry your hair.”

Yue Bai murmured her assent and obediently sat on the sofa, watching as Sang Wan bustled about.

Five minutes later, Sang Wan came out of the bathroom with the blow dryer. She plugged it in and guided Yue Bai over toward the outlet.

Yue Bai braced herself on one foot against the floor, facing Sang Wan directly. Her hands rested on the other’s shoulders for balance, while she leaned most of her weight against her.

Sang Wan’s expression remained calm, though her eyes softened noticeably. She switched on the dryer, its hum drowning out the surrounding sounds.

Yue Bai felt her hair being gently manipulated by someone’s fingers, warm air blasting against her damp scalp. The interplay of cool and heat sent shivers through her.

Her long lashes fluttered. In her line of sight were her own dark strands of hair and the partially obscured view beyond.

Sang Wan’s lower abdomen was right there in front of her.

Since they were indoors, the other woman wore only a white shirt. The fabric’s folds shifted with the varying arcs of her raised arms.

Yue Bai stared at that spot on her abdomen. If she reached out to touch it now, would Senior Sister even notice? Though if she did get caught, would Senior Sister think she was being improper?

“Senior Sister,” Yue Bai spoke up first.

“Hm?” Sang Wan paused her hands, turning down the blow dryer’s setting. “What’s wrong?”

Yue Bai said, “My arms are getting sore from holding onto your shoulders. Can I brace myself somewhere else?”

“Sure, wherever’s comfortable for you,” Sang Wan replied.

“Really?” Yue Bai asked, delighted.

“Really.” Sang Wan laughed and cranked the dryer back up.

With confirmation, Yue Bai couldn’t hide her grin—she bit her lip to stifle it. Then, slowly, her hands slid downward, tracing the curve of Sang Wan’s waist before settling on her midsection.

She really had defined abs!

Yue Bai’s eyes lit up. Curious, she ran her palms up and down, feeling the taut muscle lines flanking Sang Wan’s navel.

So enviable.

Sang Wan felt the restless hand on her abdomen and curved her lips into a smile. So even Little White Rabbit was interested in her.

In high spirits, she continued blow-drying the hair.

Once Yue Bai’s hands returned to her shoulders, Sang Wan turned off the dryer and picked up a comb to smooth out the strands.

“All set. I’ll carry you to the bedroom. You lie down first, and Senior Sister will join you after her shower.” Sang Wan scooped her up effortlessly and deposited her on the large bed.

“Okay.” Yue Bai had grown used to being carried after the second time; the third went smoothly.

Sang Wan turned and headed into the bathroom. She opened her phone’s notes app. At the top was a title: Little Bai.

She tapped it open, scrolled down, and added an entry.

Little Bai is a face connoisseur and a body enthusiast.

Sang Wan tilted her head, chuckling at the two new lines. She laughed softly to herself before lifting her gaze to the mirror. Her refined features stared back, and she nodded in satisfaction.

For the first time, she felt so pleased with her own appearance.

She pressed a hand to the lines of her abdominal muscles.

Not bad. Good thing she made a habit of working out.

In an excellent mood, Sang Wan removed her glasses and prepared to shower.

In the bedroom, Yue Bai finished reapplying her ointment and rewrapping her ankle. She slipped under the covers leisurely, pulling the blanket over her head to muffle her urge to squeal in excitement.

That texture… it was… absolutely incredible.

Her phone screen kept lighting up. Yue Bai tapped it open casually and saw the roommate group chat had hit 99+ messages. She opened it to see what the sudden buzz was about.

“Who posted that video on the forum? What a good Samaritan. Let’s see that girl keep hopping around,” Xu Nuo wrote.

“But why didn’t they film the people? It’s only audio,” Chen Han added.

…

Curious, Yue Bai clicked the link Zhao Yu had shared in the group. The interface jumped to another app, and she watched the progress bar fill.

The video began to play.

It opened with an empty shot of the basketball court. After a moment, a shrill female voice cut in from off-screen: “A bunch of shortcut-takers with inferior physiques.”

Yue Bai immediately recalled the girl who had said that—the one who tripped her.

What followed was the argument between Yue Bai’s class and that tripping girl. No one appeared on camera throughout.

Yet the spoken words came through crystal clear.

Yue Bai exited the video and scrolled through the comments below.

“Impressive. So a cultural studies student really looks down on arts majors?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Cultural students work hard, but arts students don’t? Who’s more noble?”

“…”

A flood of rebuttals piled up under the post, forming towering threads. The comment count had reached a staggering 999+. A few defenses from cultural students were buried under the onslaught from arts majors and their supporters.

“This is hilarious. That girl just offended everyone from the Art College, Music College, and Sports College,” Xu Nuo posted with a laughing emoji.

“Too bad they didn’t catch her on video. Would’ve been perfect,” Zhao Yu messaged regretfully.

Yue Bai frowned as she read through it all. The video seemed deliberately edited to erase the people, leaving only the audio.

Assuming it was someone from her class, she checked the class group chat. Everyone there was discussing it too, but no one claimed responsibility for posting.

As she scrolled absorbedly through the class chat history, Sang Wan finished her shower and entered. She hadn’t washed her hair, and a fresh fragrance clung to her.

“What are you looking at so intently?” Sang Wan asked curiously. She lifted a corner of the blanket, rubbed Yue Bai’s foot gently, and slipped carefully under the covers.

“Nothing much, just the class group chat.” Yue Bai set her phone aside and pulled the blanket over Sang Wan. “Someone posted a video on the School Forum, and lots of people are talking about it. Mostly arts majors posting.”

Sang Wan raised an eyebrow. Hua Yun had acted fast, pushing the post up the ranks in no time. She followed the app link into the forum.

It wasn’t quite the impact she wanted yet. Sang Wan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she tapped the back of her phone case.

The real reckoning would come after the Sports Meet ended. This was just a little appetizer. She wondered what that girl was thinking now—did she regret that outstretched foot?

“Stop looking. Does your foot still hurt?” Sang Wan kept her leg at a distance from Yue Bai’s.

“It hurts, but not as much anymore,” Yue Bai said, lying flat.

Sang Wan rolled onto her side, gazing at Yue Bai’s profile. New calculations stirred in her mind.

“It won’t hurt once you’re asleep. Heh heh.” Yue Bai lifted her arm goofily and peered at the back of her hand, where bruised veins stood out clearly.

“Mm, go to sleep.” Sang Wan turned off the light.

Over the next few days, Yue Bai was either being pampered with food or on her way to being pampered—one meal after another, all handcrafted by Sang Wan. For classes, the three of them coordinated schedules to take turns escorting her.

When all three had classes, Sang Wan would wake Yue Bai early, drop her off at her classroom first, then head to her own.

If there was a classroom switch midway, Yue Bai’s roommates handled the escort. Those transitions were the most crowded times, so to avoid any secondary injuries, Xu Nuo and the others waited until just before class when the halls thinned out before moving her. A few times they arrived right on the bell, but when the teacher saw Yue Bai’s injured foot, she let it slide without reprimand.

This went on for three straight days. By Wednesday, the swelling on Yue Bai’s ankle had improved greatly, and she could walk normally again.

That same evening marked the opening ceremony of the Sports Meet.

The opening ceremony was held at the center of A University’s largest sports field, where massive screens and bright lights stood ready. It was set to begin at six-thirty, but by just before six, the stands were already packed with people.

The four entrances outside the field were jammed with latecomers, while members of the School Student Union’s security team stood guard, directing the crowds with efficient order.

“Little Bai, your foot injury hasn’t fully healed yet. Why don’t you stay back at the Teachers’ Apartment tonight and watch the live stream online?” Sang Wan said to the girl who had already changed into her outfit and was preparing to head out. “The school will be broadcasting it live on their short-video app.”

Yue Bai finished lacing up her shoes, looking somewhat reluctant. “My foot’s almost better. It’ll be fine.”

Sang Wan frowned and glanced at the time—it was already six o’clock. Someone had posted a few photos in the Student Council group chat, showing the chaotic crush of people at the field gates.

Still, Sang Wan couldn’t shake her worry.

“If she wants to go that badly, just take her through the special passage,” Zhou Qingyan suggested. She had changed into her clothes and thrown on an outer layer for disguise.

“Special passage?” Yue Bai looked at her curiously. She hadn’t heard about that.

“Yeah, there’s a small door along the edge of the field. It’s rarely used and only fits two people at a time—kept handy for performers and hosts during big events,” Zhou Qingyan explained.

Yue Bai’s face lit up with delight. She turned an expectant gaze toward Sang Wan, who stood firm without budging. Undeterred, Yue Bai shifted her pleading eyes to Zhou Qingyan.

Catching the look, Zhou Qingyan decided to see the favor through. She leaned close to Sang Wan and whispered so only they could hear, “I think if Little Bai watches your performance up close, it’ll draw her in even more.”

Sang Wan’s expression froze. She stared at Zhou Qingyan without blinking for a long moment before turning to Yue Bai. “Fine. You can watch from backstage, but don’t wander into the crowds.”

Sang Wan had relented.

“Hee hee, I knew Senior Sister was the best,” Yue Bai said with a grin, throwing her arms around Sang Wan and swaying her side to side.

Sang Wan’s gaze softened, and she instinctively reached out to rub Yue Bai’s cheek.

“Tch, I was the one who helped you. How come you aren’t hugging me and calling me the best?” Zhou Qingyan rolled her eyes. “What a little ingrate.”

“Hug you? And how exactly would you like me to do that?” Sang Wan replied. She pressed Yue Bai’s head gently against her chest and met Zhou Qingyan’s eyes with a smile.