Chapter 68 Part 1

Yue Bai had originally planned to take Sang Wan out for hotpot, but every restaurant was packed on Valentine’s Day. With Herculean effort, she finally managed to book a spot at a barbecue joint.

“Senior Sister, the food at this barbecue place is amazing,” Yue Bai said, patting the chair before sitting down.

Sang Wan smiled faintly. Her slender fingers rested on the menu as she skimmed through it, checking off a few must-try items before sliding it over to Yue Bai. “Have you been here before?”

“Nope.” Yue Bai clicked the pen cap, and the ballpoint tip sprang out. “Xu Nuo and the others have, though.”

Sang Wan nodded. “I see.”

“Senior Sister, should we start with these?” Yue Bai added a few more items, then grinned as she unfolded the menu fully. She gauged their appetites and figured it was enough before handing it to the server.

“Mm.” Sang Wan never ate much. The overhead exhaust fan hummed softly.

Tendrils of smoke swirled amid the murmur of conversations around them. Sang Wan’s features remained serene and refined as Yue Bai gazed at her, lost in a daze for a good ten seconds.

As if sensing the stare, Sang Wan looked up. Her gaze lifted slowly until their eyes met, and Yue Bai broke into a wide grin.

Sang Wan couldn’t help but smile in return, a gentle curve softening her lips. She lowered her head again, picked up the water pitcher with one hand, and scalded their bowls and chopsticks.

“Senior Sister.” Yue Bai seized the moment to unwrap the plastic-sealed utensils in front of her and called out leisurely.

Sang Wan lifted her eyelids with an indulgent look and took them from her. They scalded them together.

Soon, the dishes arrived one by one. Sang Wan used the serving chopsticks to place meat onto the grill pan.

Yue Bai’s eyes were glued to the sizzling, oil-popping meat. She swallowed hard. “Smells so good.”

Sang Wan murmured a soft acknowledgment and quietly set her chopsticks down.

The grill was evenly loaded with meat, and Sang Wan kept a close watch, flipping the pieces now and then.

Yue Bai clutched her chopsticks, practically vibrating with anticipation.

After a few minutes, the first batch was nearly done.

Sang Wan picked up a crisp green lettuce leaf, spread some sauce on it, added a piece of perfectly grilled meat, wrapped it up, and offered it to the eagerly waiting girl across from her.

“Try it,” Sang Wan said.

“Thanks, Senior Sister.” Yue Bai took it happily, cupping a hand under her chin as she took a small bite.

The tender savoriness of the meat burst in her mouth alongside the fresh crunch of the vegetables.

“Is it good?” Sang Wan asked.

“Delicious,” Yue Bai replied without hesitation.

Amused by her enthusiasm, Sang Wan smiled faintly. She wrapped another piece for herself.

As Yue Bai ate, she used the serving chopsticks to add more meat to the grill. Spotting a done piece, she eagerly transferred it to Sang Wan’s bowl.

“Senior Sister, eat more.” Yue Bai solicitously added another piece for the woman across from her.

“Mm.” Sang Wan nodded absently, picking up her chopsticks to take the grilled meat from her bowl. She dipped it in sauce and popped it into her mouth.

“Senior Sister, aren’t you worried your girlfriend will get mad that you’re out eating with me on Valentine’s Day?” Yue Bai asked in a squeaky voice, putting on a show of “making my own girlfriend jealous.”

Sang Wan arched a brow and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “No.”

“Wow, your girlfriend’s so chill,” Yue Bai said mischievously, complimenting herself.

“She is,” Sang Wan replied with a chuckle, playing along. She wrapped another piece and handed it over.

“Senior Sister, won’t she mind you feeding me?” Yue Bai persisted, leaning in to take a bite straight from Sang Wan’s outstretched hand. “Anything tastes better when you feed it to me.”

Sang Wan gazed at her steadily, then burst out laughing after a moment. “She might get mad if I fed someone else, but she’d probably be thrilled if it was you.”

Yue Bai let out a soft “Eh?” “Senior Sister, you sure know how to talk.”

“It’s barely flattery if you’re just complimenting me again.” Sang Wan withdrew her hand. Her fingertips glistened with a bit of oil, which she wiped away on a napkin without fuss before resuming her careful grilling.

They finished the meal and left the barbecue restaurant.

Yue Bai twisted her neck a few times and fished a candy from her pocket, holding it out on her palm. “Senior Sister, want some candy?”

“No thanks, you have it.” Sang Wan declined.

“I don’t want it either. Too sweet.” Yue Bai tucked it back into her pocket.

Sang Wan’s gaze drifted ahead. Valentine’s Day had brought out flower stalls everywhere, buckets of colorful blooms available for purchase.

The bouquet Yue Bai had given her earlier had wilted, and Yue Bai had used it to soak her feet.

Sang Wan glanced sidelong at the conflicted girl beside her and took her hand, leading her to one side. “What are you thinking about?”

Yue Bai’s brows furrowed even tighter. “Senior Sister, this is our first Valentine’s Day together, but aside from dinner, it feels like we haven’t done anything else.”

The more Yue Bai thought about it, the more off it seemed. She’d overheard people in the classroom talking about all the things couples did on Valentine’s Day.

Some went to movies after dinner or out to have fun somewhere.

But from the looks of things, she and Senior Sister were just heading straight back to the Teachers’ Apartment.

“What else do you want to do?” Sang Wan prompted, waiting for her to continue.

“I don’t know. I’ve never celebrated Valentine’s Day before—no experience at all.” Yue Bai sighed in frustration. “Maybe I should ask Senior Sister Wen how she and the others spend it.”

Sang Wan chuckled softly. “Everyone has their own way. Why follow the crowd? Besides, if you interrupt them now, Zhou Qingyan will come looking for you tomorrow.”

Yue Bai sighed. “True. At lunch today when I crashed their meal, I felt like Senior Sister Zhou would’ve kicked me out if Senior Sister Wen hadn’t been there.”

Sang Wan pinched Yue Bai’s cheek indulgently and led her onward. They passed several flower stalls along the way but didn’t stop.

Yue Bai tugged at Sang Wan’s hand. She wanted to buy a bouquet for her.

“No need to buy flowers,” Sang Wan said, seeing right through her.

“Why not?” To Yue Bai, it felt like an important ritual.

“It’s unnecessary.” Sang Wan led her out of the crowded area and finally stopped.

Under a quiet, dimly lit streetlamp, the earlier bustle felt cut off entirely—no sound reached them at all.

Yue Bai hadn’t expected such a peaceful spot amid the hubbub. She looked around. Beneath the yellowish glow, only the two of them stood there.

“It’s like a whole different world from over there,” Yue Bai whispered.

In the tranquil surroundings, she didn’t dare speak loudly, afraid of disturbing the moonlight.

“There’s nothing fun here. It’s usually deserted, and even more so tonight,” Sang Wan explained.

“Aren’t we people?” Yue Bai teased deliberately.

Sang Wan shot her a helpless, fond glare and tightened her grip on Yue Bai’s hand. Her free hand dipped into her coat pocket. “Little Bai, happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Close your eyes,” Sang Wan said warmly.

Yue Bai obeyed without question, just like on her birthday when Sang Wan had told her to close them. She was always so compliant.

Something cool settled around her neck. Yue Bai instinctively shrank back as cool fingertips brushed her skin, threading a metal chain across the front until it clicked shut with a soft snap.

“There. Your Valentine’s gift.” Sang Wan pressed two fingers to Yue Bai’s collarbone for a moment before pulling away.

Yue Bai cupped the delicate chain in her hands. The silver-white links held a small pendant engraved with a character: “Wan.”

“Before giving you this, I worried you might already wear necklaces often, but from what I’ve observed, you don’t. So I chose this.” Sang Wan paused, then tugged open her collar to reveal her own chain, bearing the character “Bai.” “Couple necklaces.”

Yue Bai carefully compared the two chains, studying them intently before letting out a muffled laugh. “Senior Sister, since when did you start doing stuff like this from the internet?”

Sang Wan laughed along. “I had no idea what to get you. Though these are different from the ones online—the characters on them, I carved stroke by stroke myself.”

She had spent weeks on them, wasting countless materials before succeeding, and chose to engrave them inside to form these pair of necklaces.

“Wow.” Yue Bai gripped the pendant tightly, enunciating each word. “Senior Sister is the best. I’ll treasure it.”

Sang Wan’s features softened, her eyes half-lidded as she asked carefully, with a hint of anticipation, “What if I’m not as good as you imagine?”

Yue Bai didn’t catch the deeper meaning. “In my eyes, Senior Sister is the best person ever.”

Sang Wan smiled faintly. “You are too.”

Back at the Classroom Apartment, Sang Wan showered and naturally slipped into the pajamas Yue Bai had given her—identical to the previous pair, down to the silky fabric.

Sang Wan tugged at her lips while facing her reflection in the mirror. Her slender fingers buttoned them up one by one, all the way to the top. She did it with utmost care, as if handling a priceless work of art.

After Sang Wan emerged, Yue Bai headed into the bathroom. When she finished, she changed into the matching pajamas from Sang Wan, though hers were white.

Sang Wan sat at the desk organizing documents—things Yue Bai couldn’t make heads or tails of. After applying her basic skincare, Yue Bai slipped under the covers.

“Another day warming the bed for Senior Sister,” Yue Bai said, propping herself half-upright with the blanket draped over her abdomen.

“I’m honored.” Sang Wan rose without looking back and left the bedroom. “It’ll be ready soon—just a few more minutes.”

Yue Bai had only been teasing. “No rush. Take your time. I’ll charge up a bit.”

She’d forgotten to charge her phone before leaving, and now the battery was critically low.

Her gaze fell on the screen as her hand reached for the charger plugged into the headboard.

It was a bit far. She rolled onto her side.

When Yue Bai pulled over the charging cable to plug it into her phone, her hand slipped. The phone tumbled off the bed and clattered onto the floor.

“Tsk.” Yue Bai clicked her tongue. She leaned over the edge of the bed to retrieve it. Just as she started to pull back, her peripheral vision caught sight of a little notebook that had fallen under the bed at some unknown point.

“Is this Senior Sister’s?” Yue Bai picked it up without thinking.

She flipped open the first page, where a few lines of writing were scrawled.

Sang Wan’s handwriting differed greatly from the woman herself.

In Yue Bai’s mind, Sang Wan was always so gentle and soft. Yet her script was sharp-edged and forceful—a stark contrast in styles.

“Senior Sister’s handwriting is so pretty.” Yue Bai set the notebook on the bed and plugged in her phone to charge before finally reading the contents of that first page.

“I think I’ve fallen for that junior sister.”

Yue Bai’s cheeks flushed faintly. She mumbled happily, “Why did Senior Sister even write this down?”

She skimmed through the entries one by one.

“Let Hua Yun pretend to confess to Wen Mo to provoke the little one. Sure enough, she got anxious.”

The smile at the corner of Yue Bai’s lips froze. The memory of that nighttime confession on the playground flashed vividly before her eyes.

So it was Senior Sister’s plan all along? No wonder Senior Brother Hua and Senior Sister Wen had interacted so naturally afterward—and Senior Sister Zhou hadn’t said a word about it.

A strange unease welled up inside her. If Senior Sister liked her, why not just say so directly?

She kept reading downward.

Until she reached the very last entry.