Chapter 67 Part 2

“Did you like it, Senior Sister?” Yue Bai asked, slipping under the covers. Her hand naturally rested on Sang Wan’s abdomen, exploring.

“Mm…” Sang Wan responded softly.

“How long until I get abs like these?” Yue Bai wondered, tracing the smooth lines under her fingers.

“Everyone’s body is different,” Sang Wan said, her voice husky.

“Fair enough.” Yue Bai suckled on the earlobe beside her, her words muffled as her fingers drifted lower. “I’ll definitely get some this semester to make you happy, Senior Sister…”

“I’m already happy…”

…

Yue Bai shuttled between the classroom, the gym, and the Teachers’ Apartment.

Every time she emerged from the gym, she felt like her body was about to fall apart. It was better when Sang Wan was there—she kept the workouts in check—but alone, Yue Bai pushed herself to the limit.

“This won’t do,” Sang Wan said another day when Yue Bai dragged herself back to the Teachers’ Apartment, utterly spent. Sang Wan gently wiped the sweat from Yue Bai’s forehead, her expression pained. “You’re just starting out. If you go this hard right away, your body won’t hold up.”

“But… I want to make you feel good, Senior Sister,” Yue Bai said with a pout. She couldn’t keep letting Sang Wan do all the work every time.

She could clearly see Sang Wan’s beautiful, soul-stirring expressions in those moments.

But her pride wouldn’t allow it to always be that way.

“Little Bai, I don’t have much demand in that area,” Sang Wan said, ruffling Yue Bai’s sweat-dampened hair.

“Go take a shower,” Sang Wan urged, drawing a bath and nudging her into the bathroom.

Yue Bai soaked in the tub, the hot water easing the ache in her limbs and bones just a little.

Her thighs trembled as she soaked for ten minutes, then quickly washed up and shampooed.

When Yue Bai emerged, Sang Wan was fetching sleepwear.

Yue Bai noticed that Sang Wan’s sleepshirt was no longer that pure black button-up from before, but a plain floral pullover set.

That black sleepshirt seemed to have been… torn by her…

“I’m going to shower,” Sang Wan said.

“Okay.”

Yue Bai’s throat bobbed. Her gaze fell on Sang Wan’s phone tossed on the sofa—she still hadn’t forgotten about the Valentine’s Day gift.

After some hesitation, Yue Bai reached shakily for the phone. The moment her fingers brushed the case, she pulled back and turned away.

She couldn’t invade Senior Sister’s privacy.

“Whatever,” she muttered to herself. Sang Wan didn’t seem to be missing anything anyway. Maybe a new sleepshirt would do.

Senior Sister seemed to really like that black one; she always wore it when they slept together.

Yue Bai opened a shopping app, found sleepshirts from the same brand, added one to cart, and arranged with customer service for SF Express delivery.

She figured it would arrive just before Friday.

“Then we can go out for dinner,” Yue Bai planned.

When Sang Wan emerged, Yue Bai was already in bed. Spotting her, Yue Bai waved excitedly. “Senior Sister, I’m warming the bed for you.”

“Warm it well,” Sang Wan played along.

Sang Wan blow-dried her hair and approached the bed, her slender fingers gripping the edge of the blanket.

Yue Bai scooted over. “Rest early tonight. Your legs will be sore tomorrow.”

“Mm,” Yue Bai nodded.

“Little Bai, my family is coming this Saturday. Want to meet them with me?” Sang Wan asked as she climbed into bed and lay flat.

Yue Bai eagerly snuggled close, pulling Sang Wan’s arm under her neck and nuzzling it. “Sure.”

The “family” Sang Wan mentioned weren’t her parents. Last time at Yue Bai’s house, when Yue Bai asked if it was her dad, Sang Wan had said he wasn’t Sang family.

So this time, it must be the family in Sang Wan’s own sense.

“Oh, right—Valentine’s Day is coming up. Anything you want? I’ll get it for you,” Sang Wan said, eyes closed as she idly scratched under Yue Bai’s chin.

“Nope,” Yue Bai said with a laugh. “How about you just give me yourself, Senior Sister?”

Sang Wan hummed. “I’ve always been yours.”

Yue Bai’s heart swelled like it was filled with honey. She giggled foolishly, propping herself up on one elbow. The blanket tented into a little mound, letting in a draft.

“Senior Sister, I noticed you’re getting better and better at sweet talk,” Yue Bai said solemnly, her bright eyes darting over Sang Wan.

“Hm?” Sang Wan puzzled.

“And Senior Sister, why do you have that kind of stuff in your netdisk?” Yue Bai pressed, increasingly suspicious. How could someone as refined and gentle as Senior Sister have things like that?

Sang Wan smiled faintly without answering. She rolled onto her side, pulling Yue Bai into her arms and sealing out the chill.

“Did Senior Sister Zhou give it to you?” Yue Bai ventured a guess.

“Lie still, don’t catch a cold,” Sang Wan deflected.

Yue Bai felt like she’d nailed it. “It has to be Senior Sister Zhou.”

“Mm,” Sang Wan softly agreed. “Time to sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, Senior Sister.”

Yue Bai had no classes Friday afternoon.

After her morning classes ended, she got a message from Sang Wan saying she had something at noon and wouldn’t be back.

Too lazy to cook alone—and with the Cafeteria packed at peak hours—Yue Bai took the elevator up to where Zhou Qingyan lived.

“Hey, Senior Sister Zhou,” Yue Bai greeted obediently.

“What do you want to borrow this time?” Zhou Qingyan blocked the doorway.

Yue Bai peeked past her, spotting the meal on the dining table. She rubbed her nose and clutched her stomach. “Senior Sister, I’m hungry.”

Zhou Qingyan said, “If you’re hungry, have Sang Wan cook for you. Why come here?”

“What’s going on?” Wen Mo asked, setting down the last dish of soup and rolling up her sleeves.

“Nothing.”

“Senior Sister Wen.”

The two voices overlapped.

“Little Bai’s here? Haven’t eaten yet? Join us,” Wen Mo offered in her cool voice.

“Yes,” Yue Bai said boldly, chin lifted at Zhou Qingyan.

Zhou Qingyan stepped aside irritably, muttering under her breath, “It’s Valentine’s Day. You’re not spending it with Sang Wan?”

“We’re doing evening,” Yue Bai said mysteriously.

“…”

After the meal, Yue Bai volunteered to wash the dishes, but Wen Mo stopped her.

“Yan Yan, you do them,” Wen Mo said.

“Oh.” Zhou Qingyan pouted.

Yue Bai chuckled from her seat, watching Zhou Qingyan reluctantly grab the dishes. When she passed by, Zhou Qingyan shot her a fierce glare.

Yue Bai shrugged.

“Sang Wan’s family coming tomorrow?” Wen Mo asked, propping one hand on the table.

“Mm,” Yue Bai nodded.

She hesitated. “Senior Sister, does she have some conflict with her dad?”

Wen Mo raised a brow. “Not my place to say. Wait for Sang Wan to tell you.”

Yue Bai pressed her tongue against her teeth, staring silently at the floor.

Zhou Qingyan emerged from the kitchen, wrist pinched between her fingers. Her willow brows furrowed as she stared at her nails, looking fragile and delicate—a sight that made Yue Bai’s facial muscles twitch.

“Mo Mo, look,” Zhou Qingyan said, sitting beside Wen Mo and extending her hand.

A fine crack had appeared in the floral pattern on her index fingernail. “That nail salon sucks. I’ll switch places in a couple days and redo them.”

With that, Zhou Qingyan’s gaze swept the table and landed on Yue Bai. “Little Bai, want to come with?”

Yue Bai hemmed. “Senior Sister told me to learn less of your flashy stuff.”

“…” Zhou Qingyan. “Where’s the flash?”

Wen Mo pressed down the bristling woman, soothing her softly. “Don’t get mad.”

Yue Bai spread her hands helplessly, deliberately flashing her right hand and tilting her head smugly. “Our types are different. Can’t do nails.”

“What are you talking about?” Zhou Qingyan asked, baffled. “What do you mean types?”

Surprise flickered in Wen Mo’s eyes. She paused. “You… Sang Wan is the bottom?”

Yue Bai hadn’t expected Wen Mo to be so direct. Her face flushed as she ducked her head.

Zhou Qingyan caught on late. She paused two beats. “Pfft, no big deal. Look, I have nails too. Doesn’t affect anything.”

Wen Mo gave her a languid look.

Zhou Qingyan shut up.

Yue Bai hesitated, seeing Zhou Qingyan still hadn’t gotten it. “I’m the same type as Senior Sister Wen.”

At that, Zhou Qingyan froze, finally understanding.

“No wonder Sang Wan,” Zhou Qingyan murmured to herself.

“No way.” She suddenly looked up, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You have the same attribute as Senior Sister Wen?”

Her surprise was so intense that she blurted out Senior Sister Wen’s full name.

“Good grief.” Zhou Qingyan didn’t know what to say.

Senior Sister Wen took it in stride, merely commenting, “Poor Sang Wan.”

“?” Yue Bai turned to Senior Sister Wen in confusion.

“It’s really tough on Sang Wan,” Zhou Qingyan added quietly.

“…” Yue Bai was completely baffled.

She hadn’t been there long when a message from Sang Wan popped up.

“Are you back?” Sang Wan.

“I’m at Senior Sister Wen’s.” Yue Bai.

“Come back. I’m home.” Sang Wan.

“Okay.” Yue Bai.

She stood and said goodbye to Senior Sister Wen and Zhou Qingyan. “See you later, Senior Sister.”

Once they had gone, Zhou Qingyan still hadn’t recovered from her shock. She jabbed at the empty air ahead of her. “Sang Wan is bottoming for love.”

Wen Mo lowered her gaze, accepting the idea with calm resignation. She’d gone from stunned disbelief to viewing it as inevitable in short order. “Sang Wan won’t touch Yue Bai until the issues at the Sang Family are fully sorted. Though I wonder if Yue Bai will start seeing her differently once she learns about those things.”

Zhou Qingyan frowned. “You mean those people will twist Sang Wan’s childhood stuff to mess with Yue Bai? Isn’t that just laughable?”

She had heard about those events from Senior Sister Wen before.

“Truth mixed with lies—it all depends on whether Yue Bai buys it,” Wen Mo said.

Belief makes it real; doubt renders it false.

Zhou Qingyan pondered for a moment. “Will Little Bai believe it?”

“Not sure yet,” Wen Mo said softly. “But Sang Wan has already put an invisible lock on Yue Bai.”

From what Wen Mo knew of Yue Bai, even if she came to believe Sang Wan had done those things, their physical intimacy would keep her from obsessing over it.

Yet that very belief would create a crack.

Like a blade suspended from the rafter, poised to drop at any moment.

“Yue Bai probably won’t believe it,” Zhou Qingyan said uncertainly.

“Perhaps,” Wen Mo sighed.

Sang Wan, why go this far? Was it a lack of trust in Yue Bai, or in yourself, that led you to such a method?

“Senior Sister, I’m back!” Yue Bai bounded in with light steps. “Has Senior Sister eaten yet?”

“I’ve eaten.” Sang Wan spread her arms wide. “Come here and let Senior Sister give you a hug.”

“Hee hee.” Yue Bai dove straight into Sang Wan’s embrace. She pressed her cheek to Sang Wan’s chest and relaxed with utter contentment.

“Silly girl.” Sang Wan breathed in the scent of Yue Bai’s hair with infatuated longing, a sorrow in her eyes that Yue Bai couldn’t see.

After a while, Yue Bai wriggled free from Sang Wan’s arms. She dashed happily into the bedroom and returned with a fresh delivery package. “Senior Sister, Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Sang Wan schooled her emotions. “What’s this?”

“Guess.” Yue Bai grinned.

“Pajamas?” Sang Wan grabbed a knife from the delivery box and sliced along the tape.

“How did you know?” Yue Bai blinked in surprise.

“It really is?” Sang Wan looked taken aback.

“The last one got… ruined, didn’t it? So I bought a new one.” Yue Bai’s ears flushed pink as she trailed off. “I noticed you wear that pair all the time, so I figured they were your favorite.”

“Mm, I do like them a lot.” Sang Wan chuckled softly, her tone carrying a hint of something unspoken.