Chapter 58

“I mean, if anyone confesses to you on the campus forum from now on, I’ll step in and block it for you. I’ll tell them you’ve already got someone,” Hua Yun said smugly as he cut himself a slice of cake. “And then Sang Wan handed the spot over to me.”

Sang Wan coughed lightly and shot him a sideways glance before smacking his shoulder. “Eat your cake and keep quiet.”

Yue Bai scratched her head, a shy smile spreading across her face. “No one’s ever confessed to me before.”

It was her subconscious way of telling Sang Wan there was no need to worry.

“That wasn’t because…” Hua Yun’s remaining words died on his lips as Sang Wan kicked him under the table. He clamped his mouth shut in silence.

“What did you say, Senior?” Yue Bai hadn’t caught it.

Hua Yun tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Nothing.” He resentfully scooped up a spoonful of cake and shoved it into his mouth.

It was all because Sang Wan had turned down those guys’ advances.

Zhou Qingyan shrugged and handed the packaging bag to Yue Bai. “Little Bai, happy birthday. This is the gift from me and Senior Sister Wen. We weren’t sure what you’d like, so we just picked this out. I hope you love it.”

Inside the bag was a sleek black-and-gold box, sealed tightly shut. Yue Bai stood up and accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, Senior Sister. You really didn’t have to go to so much trouble.”

“Don’t mention it.” Zhou Qingyan shook her head.

“Oh, right.” Hua Yun set down his cake, shrugged off his backpack, and rummaged around inside for a moment before pulling out a box of oil painting pigments. “Your senior doesn’t have anything fancy to give, so here’s a set of pigments.”

Yue Bai hesitated as she eyed the pigments he offered. She had known Zhou Qingyan and Wen Mo for over a year now, so gifts from them felt perfectly natural. But she had barely crossed paths with Hua Yun a handful of times, and accepting a gift from him out of the blue made her feel a bit awkward.

“Go on and take it. It’s the thought that counts, after all—it’s from Hua Yun.” Noticing her reluctance, Sang Wan stepped up behind Yue Bai. She placed her hands on Yue Bai’s shoulders, leaned down, and whispered softly into her ear.

“Yeah, it’s my sincere gesture. You accepted gifts from Zhou Qingyan and the others, but not mine? Does that mean you’re looking down on your senior?” Hua Yun chimed in.

Sang Wan had kept her voice low and restrained, but they were all sitting so close that the others could still make it out.

“Then thank you, Senior,” Yue Bai said. She couldn’t bring herself to refuse any longer.

Once everyone had finished their cake, they cleared the stone table and tossed the trash into a nearby bin.

The group strolled along a winding path to the small square in front of the artificial lake. Colorful lights were already twinkling there, and a student band was playing covers, drawing a lively crowd of onlookers with nothing better to do.

The nearby benches were packed with people.

Yue Bai trailed behind Sang Wan, weaving into the throng.

The song wrapped up, and the guitarist set his instrument aside. He grabbed the microphone from nearby and strode straight over to Sang Wan. “Here.”

Sang Wan gave a faint smile. She took Yue Bai’s hand, gave her palm a gentle squeeze, then released it and followed the young man across the low barrier in front.

“Is Senior Sister going to sing?” Yue Bai asked quietly as she waited.

“Did Sang Wan call in the big shots from her Music College?” Zhou Qingyan said in astonishment. “She’s really got some pull.”

Wen Mo chuckled. “Should I invite our college’s stars next time?”

“…What, you playing defense attorney for her now?” Zhou Qingyan pouted.

Wen Mo just smiled without a word.

The instruments kicked in, and Sang Wan began humming softly in time with the rhythm. The long, drawn-out intro blended seamlessly with her voice.

It’s an English song, Yue Bai thought to herself.

The melody was familiar, but the title escaped her for the moment.

She lost herself in Sang Wan’s singing, captivated by the starry sparkle in her eyes—like a field of baby’s breath twinkling with radiant light, beckoning her to explore further.

The instruments faded out, and Sang Wan’s voice trailed off with them.

The applause erupted like thunder.

Students from the Music College often performed songs here, but it was rare to see their top talents banding together like this.

Sang Wan held a finger to her lips in a playful shush, a serene smile curving her mouth. Her thin lips parted as she spoke. “This song is dedicated to everyone here tonight.”

As she spoke, Sang Wan’s gaze cut through the dense crowd and locked unwaveringly onto Yue Bai.

Their eyes met across the space, sparks igniting in the air. Yue Bai knew—this song was meant just for her.

She bit her lower lip as a surge of happiness welled up inside her, impossible to contain. She wanted to shout it to the whole crowd: This was the song Senior Sister had sung for her alone.

Sang Wan’s smile softened a touch. She handed the microphone back to the person seated nearby and offered her thanks. “Thanks so much for helping out tonight.”

“Tsk, no trouble at all. Where’s that little sister of yours? I didn’t spot her,” the man whispered as he took the mic.

The accompanying musicians crowded around too. “Sang Wan, still playing coy? Come on, let us have a look.”

With so many students milling about, Sang Wan didn’t want to draw extra attention. “I’ll bring her over in a bit—you can all get one quick peek.”

“Just one glance? Come on!” someone teased with a laugh.

“What are you thinking? Getting to see her even once is a steal. How many looks do you want?”

…

Sang Wan hopped back over the barrier and made her way to Yue Bai’s side amid a sea of curious stares. “Come on, let’s head back.”

“Mm.” Yue Bai nodded vigorously.

From behind them, the lead singer’s voice rang out between measures of accompaniment. “This next one’s for all the couples out there. May all lovers find their way to each other.”

Yue Bai glanced back and instinctively tightened her grip on Sang Wan’s hand.

Zhou Qingyan and the others were still hanging around.

Yue Bai and Sang Wan strolled side by side all the way back to the Teachers’ Apartment.

Sang Wan pulled out her key and unlocked the door. “Little Bai, Senior Sister still has one birthday gift left for you.”

She pushed the door open and turned to the woman beside her, her eyes gleaming especially bright.

“Hm?” Yue Bai let out a soft sound of surprise.

“Give me a sec.” Sang Wan pinched Yue Bai’s cheek playfully before heading into the master bedroom.

Yue Bai’s curiosity piqued, and she started to follow, but Sang Wan blocked her. “Go wait on the sofa.”

“Oh.” Yue Bai craned her neck to peek into the bedroom, but the wall cut off her view.

With no luck, she reluctantly pulled her head back.

Sang Wan pressed the hidden compartment beneath the desk, activating the safe with a soft “click” as the lock disengaged. A few stacks of documents lay inside; she pushed them aside and retrieved a small object from the very back.

It was a wood carving.

Shaped like a little rabbit.

Sang Wan gazed at it intently, her features softening into gentle curves. Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she clasped the carving between her hands and held it to her chest. She closed her eyes, her lips moving soundlessly.

Yue Bai fidgeted in the living room, her anticipation building as she wondered what Sang Wan would give her.

When Sang Wan finally emerged from the bedroom, Yue Bai’s excitement reached its peak.

“Senior Sister.” She bounded over happily and draped herself over the back of the sofa.

Sang Wan laughed softly and tugged her down from her perch. “How do you have zero manners when you sit?”

“Hehe.” Yue Bai grinned foolishly. “I’m just a little excited.”

“Excited about what?” Sang Wan teased deliberately, standing right in front of her.

Yue Bai’s eyes widened. “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“Oh?” Sang Wan bent down without warning and tilted Yue Bai’s chin up with her finger. Her thumb brushed gently over Yue Bai’s nearly chapped upper lip. “Your lips are so dry.”

“…”

“Not easy to kiss anymore.”

“…”

“Senior Sister, you’re disgusted with me,” Yue Bai accused.

“No, I’m not.” Sang Wan’s fingertip tapped rhythmically at the center of Yue Bai’s lips. After a moment, she fished a lip balm out of her shirt pocket with evident amusement and uncapped it.

Yue Bai obediently closed her eyes. But after a beat, the expected cool sensation never reached her lips. She opened her eyes in confusion.

Sang Wan was applying the balm to her own lips.

“…”

Once finished, Sang Wan pursed her lips in satisfaction.

“Senior Sister, I thought you were putting it on for me,” Yue Bai said, her brows furrowing into little mountains.

“I am putting it on for you.” Sang Wan leaned down as if it were the most natural thing in the world, hooking her hand around the back of Yue Bai’s neck. “Just… indirectly.”

Before Yue Bai could process it, Sang Wan’s face loomed larger in her vision. Her pupils contracted sharply as the moist touch on her lips mingled with the faint, sweet scent of the balm from Sang Wan’s nose, overwhelming her senses in a rush.

Senior Sister—this is cheating!

Pinned against the sofa and unable to move, Yue Bai wrapped her arms around Sang Wan’s neck, trying to deepen the kiss.

But Sang Wan only suckled at her lips, her tongue tip flicking teasingly before withdrawing just as quickly—never giving Yue Bai a chance to catch it.

“Mm~” Yue Bai let out a dissatisfied hum. She opened her eyes to protest, only to find Sang Wan already watching her. The shallow blue of her colored contacts was obscured in shadow, making the exact hue hard to discern.

Sang Wan pulled back slightly. Her thumb pressed against Yue Bai’s lips once more, and she nodded approvingly. “This works just fine too. The weather’s so dry these days—make sure you drink plenty of water.”

“Mm…” Yue Bai licked her lips and mumbled in response.

“What’s wrong?” Sang Wan studied her, poking at her softly rounded cheek. “Not happy now?”

“No.” Yue Bai’s voice dropped even lower as she silently tugged at the hem of Sang Wan’s shirt, swinging it back and forth idly.

Sang Wan gently pried her hand away and placed the wood carving she’d fetched from the bedroom into Yue Bai’s palm.

“Little Bai, happy birthday,” Sang Wan repeated softly. “This is Senior Sister’s gift to you.”

Yue Bai’s attention snapped to the palm-sized rabbit wood carving in her hand. She leaned in close to examine it, prodding it curiously with her other hand.

“A wood carving?” Yue Bai exclaimed in delight. “And it’s a little rabbit—so cute!”

“Is it carved by Senior Sister herself?” Yue Bai tilted her head up, her smile radiant and utterly captivating.

“Mm.” Sang Wan murmured softly.

“I love it so much. Are you really giving it to me?” Yue Bai asked uncertainly, repeating herself. The rabbit wood carving looked well-worn with age, the paint on its tail chipped away from years of gentle handling.

“Mm.” Sang Wan nodded. “I carved it during my freshman year of high school.”

Back then, she had missed her mother terribly. Mimicking the way her mother had taught her years ago, she had spent an entire month painstakingly shaping it.

A fond memory seemed to surface, for Sang Wan’s lips curved into a sweet smile. “I thought long and hard about your birthday gift before settling on this one.”

She had been at a loss for what to give Yue Bai—until that night at the Artificial Lake. There, at a ring-toss stall, she had spotted a stuffed rabbit that looked almost identical to the girl by her side.

The sight had immediately brought this wood carving to mind.

That holiday, she had made a special trip home to retrieve it.

Even so, she had hesitated back then about whether to actually give it to her. Their relationship hadn’t deepened to its current closeness yet.

“I love it. Thank you, Senior Sister.” Yue Bai caressed the worn spot on the rabbit’s tail with tender care.

She vowed to herself that she’d find a way to restore it someday. But on second thought, perhaps the marks of time added a special meaning to the carving.

Otherwise, why hadn’t Senior Sister ever fixed it herself?

“You’re really giving it to me?” Yue Bai asked once more, still not quite believing it.

“Really.” Sang Wan confirmed with a nod.

“Yay!” Yue Bai beamed with excitement.

“But…” Sang Wan’s tone shifted.

“But what?” Yue Bai tensed.

“Once you accept my gift, that means you’re mine. Got it?” Sang Wan declared her claim slowly, her voice laced with possession.

“Message received!”