Chapter 46

Sang Wan leaned her back against the green wire fence behind her, her gaze half-lowered as she held the limp figure in her arms who could barely stand upright.

Yue Bai pressed her forehead against Sang Wan’s neck, occasionally shifting position to nuzzle a little more. As her nose brushed over the skin, she inhaled the faint, soothing scent of Sang Wan’s body. The churning nausea eased somewhat, though the metallic tang of blood still lingered in her mouth.

She breathed unevenly, pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth and sucking gently in an attempt to banish the taste.

Her legs throbbed with intense soreness, her calf muscles knotted tight, while overwhelming fatigue and pain coursed through her entire body.

“It hurts,” Yue Bai whimpered, her features twisting in grievance as she slumped pitifully over Sang Wan’s shoulder. Her hands slipped inside Sang Wan’s coat, wrapping around her from within and parting the fitted fabric at a seam.

“It feels like there’s blood in my mouth,” Yue Bai said with a sniffle. “I feel awful.”

She was seeking comfort from Sang Wan.

Beneath the coat, Sang Wan wore a black shirt. Yue Bai’s movements had rumpled it slightly, but Sang Wan paid it no mind as she held Yue Bai close. Her refined features showed only a faint trace of concern otherwise, betraying no other emotion. She lifted her eyes briefly to glance at the people watching them from a distance, a flicker of displeasure crossing her gaze.

Soon, she lowered her head again, her voice gentle and reassuring as she asked, “Little Bai, would you mind if others knew about us?”

Yue Bai looked up in confusion, catching the emotion that still lingered in Sang Wan’s eyes. “Senior Sister, are you unhappy?”

As soon as she spoke, the bloody taste in her mouth seemed to intensify.

“No,” Sang Wan replied, tightening her arms around Yue Bai. She repeated softly, “Would you mind?”

Yue Bai’s mouth parted slightly. Though she didn’t fully understand Sang Wan’s intent, her trust in her won out. “As long as Senior Sister is okay with it.”

At those words, a familiar tenderness settled over Sang Wan’s features—the kind Yue Bai often glimpsed.

The pain in her body seemed to fade a little with that gentle expression.

“Senior Sister?” Yue Bai gazed at her in bewilderment.

Sang Wan’s eyes swept impassively over the onlookers, then she dipped her head and pressed a soft kiss to the forehead of the girl in her arms. Her long index finger threaded through Yue Bai’s hair to the back of her head, drawing her close against her chest. “Still feeling sick?”

The brief touch of something incredibly soft against her forehead vanished before Yue Bai could savor it fully, like the brush of a feather, leaving a lingering warmth.

Her heartbeat suddenly raced faster than after an 800-meter sprint, the “thump-thump” echoing through her veins straight to her brain. Yue Bai stared blankly, drawing one hand up to touch the kissed spot. Her large, bright eyes brimmed with utter bewilderment.

Though they were in a secluded spot with few people around, someone might still see them.

Yue Bai had never expected Sang Wan to kiss her so directly in a place like this.

“No one will see,” Sang Wan murmured, rubbing Yue Bai’s flushed cheek soothingly. “Still feeling sick?”

Mortified, Yue Bai buried herself deeper into Sang Wan’s coat. Her pounding heartbeat mingled with Sang Wan’s own, weaving together into a rhythm she couldn’t ignore.

Sang Wan watched her movements, the curve of her lips deepening. She raised her gaze, locking eyes with the person staring at her from a dozen meters away.

Disbelief filled Li Ci’s eyes. The stopwatch slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground as he stared back in stunned silence.

He had noticed ever since he saw Sang Wan supporting her junior classmate toward this quiet corner. He had meant to go over and say hello, to make his presence felt, but then he witnessed Sang Wan leaning down to kiss the girl’s forehead.

The shock hit him like a thunderbolt, fragments of memory flooding in—every time he had seen Sang Wan with this junior. An unthinkable yet undeniable truth crystallized.

Sang Wan liked that junior. There was no other explanation for why someone who seemed so gentle yet kept everyone at arm’s length would show such care for a girl she had no relation to.

“Li Ci, what are you staring at? Hurry up—the next group for the fitness test is coming,” called the boy from his group.

“Coming,” Li Ci replied. He stole one last glance at the embracing pair before turning away.

Without her glasses, Sang Wan couldn’t make out Li Ci’s expression clearly. He had been pestering her too much lately, and she had no patience to play along. Since everyone would find out eventually, better to nip the trouble in the bud early.

“Not sick anymore,” Yue Bai’s voice emerged faint as a mosquito’s hum. Her left hand clutched the hem of the coat. “Senior Sister, let’s go back.”

“Alright.” Sang Wan gently pried away the hand gripping her coat and clasped it instead, her fingers squeezing one of Yue Bai’s knuckles. She bent halfway at the waist. “Do your legs still hurt?”

“A little,” Yue Bai admitted honestly. “I couldn’t take it after the first lap.”

Sang Wan straightened up, heartache evident in her eyes. “I should have started training you sooner. Running two laps a day wouldn’t have left you suffering like this.”

As she spoke, footsteps approached from behind. Zhou Qingyan strode over with her arms crossed, a notebook in hand. “How does an 800-meter run leave you in this state?”

“Sang Wan, aren’t you going to take her back to rest up?” Zhou Qingyan teased, then raised an eyebrow at Yue Bai. “Little Bai, you’re a bit frail, huh? Sang Wan finishes her 800-meter without even breaking a sweat. You should learn from your Senior Sister.”

The words “your Senior Sister” turned Yue Bai’s already flushed face an even deeper shade of red.

“I’m off to help compile the data,” Zhou Qingyan said with a wave as she walked away.

Watching Zhou Qingyan depart, Yue Bai found herself utterly speechless.

She really was a bit weak, wasn’t she?

Hand in hand, they strolled slowly back to the Teachers’ Apartment. The moment they stepped inside, Yue Bai collapsed unceremoniously onto the sofa.

Sang Wan changed into slippers, hung up her coat, and placed Yue Bai’s slippers by her feet. She crouched down, her fingers brushing Yue Bai’s shoelaces.

“Senior Sister, I can do it myself,” Yue Bai yelped, springing up. She hurriedly grabbed her slippers and moved to another spot on the sofa, stowing her shoes on the rack before standing ramrod straight in front of Sang Wan, like a soldier awaiting inspection.

But she had moved too forcefully. Her already aching legs protested sharply from the sudden motion, the pain amplifying with the slightest bump.

“Hiss~” Yue Bai drew in a sharp breath, her brows furrowing as tears welled up on her long lashes. Only then did she clutch her leg, trembling as she sank back onto the sofa.

“Be careful,” Sang Wan said, stepping in front of her. She averted her eyes, unable to bear the sight of Yue Bai’s pained expression. Kneeling before Yue Bai, she patiently massaged her leg muscles. “Just endure it a bit—it’ll pass soon.”

Yue Bai pursed her lips, fighting back the pain and the urge to cry.

Ten minutes later, Sang Wan rose and settled onto the sofa, drawing Yue Bai into her lap by the waist. She shook Yue Bai’s shoulder gently. “Little Bai, turn around.”

Yue Bai obeyed, turning her head. Her tear-dampened lashes fluttered, her large watery eyes filled with grievance. Her lips glistened faintly, alluring in their wetness.

Sang Wan gazed at her like this, a wicked thought flickering through her mind: I want to make her cry. She lowered her gaze slightly, concealing the desire burning within.

“Little Bai.” Sang Wan’s voice came out husky, standing out in the quiet room shared by just the two of them.

“Senior Sister?” Yue Bai’s soft reply carried a hint of a sob, stirring something primal.

Puzzled, Yue Bai reached out, her fingers tracing Sang Wan’s neck until they brushed her throat. “Your voice is hoarse. I’ll make you some honey water.”

“No need.” Sang Wan caught the hand of the girl about to rise, twisting her wrist to pull Yue Bai straight into her embrace.

Mindful of Yue Bai’s sore legs, Sang Wan didn’t use much force.

“Little Bai, have I ever told you that you can be a bit rough with me? I’d like that.” Sang Wan’s fingertip hovered at the edge of Yue Bai’s lips, restraining the impulse to lean in and kiss her.

“Mm…” Yue Bai recalled that day when Sang Wan had placed the flowers on the coffee table and said as much.

“So, when do you plan to get a little forceful with me?” Sang Wan’s heated gaze fixed on Yue Bai’s lips, her slender fingers twitching with the urge to press down.

She curled and uncurled her knuckles, rubbing them repeatedly.

“Chase you now?” Yue Bai hesitated. “Can I rest a bit first? My legs still hurt.”

Sang Wan: “…”

This girl was proving impossible to lead.

Yue Bai sneaked a glance at Sang Wan from the corner of her eye. After her words, Sang Wan had fallen silent, booting up the computer while holding her and searching for a drama.

A romance drama, no less. Since when did Senior Sister watch this kind of thing? And why just clips?

Yue Bai didn’t dare make a sound. She figured it must be because she was so weak—Senior Sister couldn’t bear to scold her outright, so she was watching videos to unwind.

And so, a grand ambition was born in her heart, one destined never to come to fruition.

She would start exercising early in the mornings.

As the video played bit by bit, Yue Bai watched along.

Time passed, the progress bar advancing until, at a certain point, Sang Wan “accidentally” brushed against her, snapping Yue Bai out of her wandering thoughts.

Bored, Yue Bai glanced at the screen.

“!!!” Her pupils dilated at the shocking scene—a pair of girls locked in a kiss, intimate sounds filling the air.

Damn, that’s embarrassing. Yue Bai averted her eyes, letting her gaze dart around the living room, pointedly avoiding the video.

Sang Wan glanced down. The girl in her arms squirmed restlessly, deliberately turning away from the scene.

Her eyes darkened.

The video cut off abruptly, the screen returning to the home interface.

Yue Bai breathed a sigh of relief. She had no idea why Senior Sister wanted to watch that.

“Little Bai.” Sang Wan’s voice grew even hoarser. She was deliberately dropping a hint, and the meaning in her words couldn’t have been more obvious. “What did you think after watching it?”

“Uh… no real thoughts.” Yue Bai licked her lips. “It just felt kinda weird.”

Sang Wan: “…”

Very good. She really was a blockhead.

“How about dumplings for dinner?” Sang Wan gave up. She hugged Yue Bai, burying her head weakly in the other girl’s hair.

“I’m fine with anything,” Yue Bai said.

“Mm, I’ll make them. There should be two bags of frozen dumplings in the fridge.” Sang Wan rested for a moment, then pulled away from Yue Bai and stood up to open the fridge door.

Cold air seeped out from the cracks around the door. Yue Bai bit her lip, staring at Sang Wan’s figure. Something felt off—why had she suddenly shown her a video of two girls kissing?

Yue Bai narrowed her eyes slightly.

A forceful attitude.

Showed her that kind of video.

Putting it together…

Senior Sister couldn’t really want… Yue Bai’s mouth twitched. She thought her idea was too bold.

In her mind, Senior Sister was gentle and rational. If she really wanted to do that with her, she could just say it outright.

Yue Bai propped her cheek against her hand, pondering for a few seconds. Whatever—she’d take a gamble. Senior Sister was her girlfriend, after all. Even if she guessed wrong, Senior Sister wouldn’t hold it against her.

She thumped her still-sore calf a couple of times and got up to head into the kitchen.

Sang Wan had just torn open the bag of dumplings when she saw her come in.

“Frozen dumplings cook really fast.”

“Senior Sister, do you want me to kiss you?”

The two voices rang out at the same time.