Chapter 70 Part 1

“Sorry… sorry.” Sang Wan clutched her chest, gasping for breath. A faint metallic tang of blood hung in the air.

A smear of red stained the corner of Yue Bai’s lips. She licked it away casually. “It’s fine, Senior Sister. Are you okay?”

Tear tracks had dried on Sang Wan’s cheeks, her stunning features streaked with moisture. The fragile air about her made Yue Bai hesitant to touch her.

Yue Bai’s fingers curled at her side. After a moment’s hesitation, she carefully extended two fingers, pulling a wet wipe from the pack to dab at the tears on Sang Wan’s face.

Then she used a tissue to wipe away the remaining dampness completely.

Sang Wan’s long lashes fluttered, her eyes clearing to a bright, lucid shine.

Yue Bai’s gaze fixed intently on Sang Wan’s face. She stared into those eyes, still damp from tears, wanting to ask about her past but fearing it might shatter her composure again.

A long silence stretched between them.

Yue Bai rose to fetch a glass of water from the living room. As she turned to leave, a slender hand with distinct knuckles gripped her wrist.

Yue Bai glanced back. The hand’s owner lifted her head weakly, her voice tentative. “Where are you going?”

Yue Bai’s heart lurched as if struck, a sharp ache blooming in her chest.

Why was her Senior Sister suddenly so vulnerable?

“I’m just getting you some water.” Yue Bai dropped to one knee on the bed, her hand gently stroking Sang Wan’s neck. The mattress dipped slightly beneath her weight.

“I don’t want any.” Sang Wan refused, clutching Yue Bai’s sleeve and refusing to let go. Her tone held a rare plea. “Stay here with me for a bit.”

Sang Wan slowly nestled into Yue Bai’s embrace, pressing against her abdomen. Her arms tightened gradually, holding her close.

She nuzzled closer. “Let me hold you for a while. Just a little while.”

Sang Wan closed her eyes, steadying her breathing.

Yue Bai remained still, turmoil flickering in her eyes as she stroked Sang Wan’s back.

Time slipped by quietly. The strength in Sang Wan’s arms faded, and she slowly straightened up. A gentle smile curved her lips once more, as composed as ever. If not for her still-red, swollen eyes, no one could imagine how heartbreaking her tears had been just moments ago.

“Senior Sister?” Yue Bai stared, dazed by the sudden shift.

Sang Wan’s lips moved. “Just a nightmare. I’m fine.”

Yue Bai’s slender brows knitted together. Looking at her Senior Sister like this filled her with a pang of sorrow. The ability to recover so quickly—didn’t it mean that, in some forgotten corner, Sang Wan had once hidden away alone, crying helplessly?

Tending her own wounds in solitude.

“Mm.” Yue Bai wasn’t sure what to feel. She turned and headed to the living room.

The water dispenser gurgled as she pressed the button, pure water flowing from the spout.

“Senior Sister, here, drink some.” Yue Bai held the disposable paper cup to Sang Wan’s lips, helping her sip.

Sang Wan took only a little. Yue Bai finished the rest and tossed the cup in the trash.

She climbed back onto the bed, sitting cross-legged across from Sang Wan.

“Want to ask me something?” Sang Wan leaned back against the pillows.

“Senior Sister, give me your phone.” Yue Bai held out her hand.

Sang Wan lowered her gaze and picked up the phone from the nightstand, handing it over with a playful smile. “What, checking up on my class schedule?”

A wave of dense heartache washed over Yue Bai. Even now, her Senior Sister could joke around, as if nothing had happened—as if she were still the same empathetic, warm-hearted Senior Sister Yue Bai had always known.

Just as she’d believed.

“Mm.” Yue Bai played along with a smile.

As expected, the lock screen password was Yue Bai’s birthday. Her fingertips danced across the screen.

Before long, she handed the phone back. “All checked.”

Sang Wan’s lips twitched in a half-smile as she took it. The screen unlocked via facial recognition, revealing the open interface.

It was the QQ account that hadn’t been logged out.

Sang Wan’s eyes darkened slightly.

A row of unfamiliar avatars and chat windows filled the screen. She paused, then tapped into the profile. An account completely unrelated to her own stared back.

“This?” She looked up in surprise.

“My QQ.” Yue Bai stated it matter-of-factly. “It’s linked to yours now. You can log in anytime, see who’s messaged me. Too bad WeChat doesn’t have that feature—I’d link that too, so we’d be bound together.”

Sang Wan stared at the account in stunned silence. She shook her head. “Unlink it. I…”

“No. I did it willingly. I want my girlfriend to know my every move, who I talk to, everything. Check whatever you want—I’m happy for you to know it all.” Yue Bai took Sang Wan’s hand and pressed her lips to it. “I want to be bound to you forever.”

“Little Bai.” Sang Wan gazed at her, dazed.

“Senior Sister, I want to be with you forever and always. No matter what happens, believe me—I won’t leave you unless you push me away.” Yue Bai promised solemnly.

“I won’t push you away.” Sang Wan said hurriedly.

“Then I’ll cling to you for life. Will you take care of me, Senior Sister?” Yue Bai leaned in close, their noses nearly touching, the air filled with each other’s scent.

Yue Bai’s finger lightly traced the small mole on Sang Wan’s chin, reluctant to let go.

That mole only showed when Sang Wan was without makeup; she usually covered it with concealer.

Sang Wan’s skin was flawless. Even this close, Yue Bai couldn’t make out her pores, and the fine hairs on her face were invisible in the dim light.

“I’ll take care of you.” Sang Wan’s voice came out husky. She pulled Yue Bai’s hand away from the mole, lacing their fingers together.

Yue Bai lay with Sang Wan for a while before they both reluctantly got up.

It was already four in the afternoon. Yue Bai drew back the curtains, letting faint sunlight filter in and dimly illuminate the bedroom.

She turned on the lamp, grabbed clothes from the closet, and changed, tying her hair up simply.

Sang Wan rose silently. She glanced at her sleepwear—the buttons undone in disarray, hanging loosely off her body. She pressed her lips together, her thoughts drifting back to the moment the clothes had been tugged open.

“Little Bai.”

At the sound of her Senior Sister’s voice, Yue Bai looked over instinctively. “Senior Sister?”

Sang Wan shook her head. “Nothing. Just wanted to call your name.”

“I’m here.” Yue Bai smiled softly and walked over, pecking her on the lips.

Over the weekend, Yue Bai stayed by Sang Wan’s side. Seeing her emotions stabilize, she finally relaxed a little.

Before Monday’s class, she hugged Sang Wan tightly, reluctant to let go. “Senior Sister, be good and wait for me to come back. I’ll bring you something tasty.”

Sang Wan looked at the girl treating her like a child and couldn’t help hugging back, nodding gently. “Okay.”

Yue Bai parted from her with great reluctance.

Once she was gone, Sang Wan redialed the call she’d missed earlier while they were embracing.

“Hello, Teacher. Sorry, I didn’t see my phone earlier. Mm-hmm, got it. I’m heading over now. Thank you, Teacher.” Sang Wan nodded repeatedly as she replied.

When Yue Bai arrived at the art studio, only a few students were there. The sketch teacher fiddled with the computer at the front.

Yue Bai gave the teacher a surprised double-take. Why was she here so early today?

She leaned toward the League Branch Secretary, who had arrived early beside her. “Did the teacher say anything?”

The League Branch Secretary paused in sharpening her charcoal pencil, a sheet of drawing paper clipped to her board. “She said we’re doing figure drawing today. The model will be here soon.”

Yue Bai recalled the teacher’s mention last semester of nude models and whispered even lower. “We’re not really drawing a nude model, are we?”

The League Branch Secretary shrugged. “Probably not. I asked some upperclassmen—they’ve never done nudes. And the teacher just said the model’s a senior from another department, so it can’t be that.”

“That’s a relief.” Yue Bai settled her nerves.

She returned to her seat, pulling several new charcoal pencils from her case and laying paper on the floor to catch the dust.

After sharpening the soft, medium, and hard ones, the studio gradually filled up.

The bell rang. The teacher glanced at the empty doorway.

She clapped her hands to get the class’s attention.

“Class, today we’re doing figure drawing. Hand them in at the end of the morning session—this will count toward your semester grade as a percentage of the total.” The teacher paused. “First, let’s go over key points for figure drawing.”

After ten minutes or so, she stopped and tapped the podium. The PPT on the big screen cycled through slides.

“The model’s a senior I invited from another department—make sure you draw her well.” With that, the teacher turned and sent a message.

Moments later, a knock sounded at the studio door. The teacher hurried over and opened it.

“Senior Sister.” Yue Bai gasped inwardly the instant she saw her.

Why was Senior Sister here? Was she the model the teacher mentioned?

“Sang Wan, sorry to take up your time.” The teacher beamed.

“No problem.” Sang Wan nodded warmly.

Yue Bai’s eyes had been glued to Sang Wan since she entered. Why hadn’t her Senior Sister told her she was coming to model?

Yue Bai quickly clipped a fresh sheet to her board, eagerly awaiting Sang Wan taking the chair in the center of the studio.

“Alright, this is your model for today’s figure drawing. Draw well—she’ll pick one to take home.” The teacher announced.

“Got it!” Yue Bai’s response rang out the loudest.

The teacher gave her an extra glance. “Yue Bai, shouting like that—you won’t have loose lines or poor structure this week, will you?”

Yue Bai’s hand, gripping the charcoal pencil, twitched slightly as she lowered her head in utter dejection.

Don’t say that in front of Senior Sister.

She sneaked a glance upward and, sure enough, caught Sang Wan watching her with a sly grin.

How embarrassing.

“It won’t happen again. This time, I’ll draw Senior Sister looking absolutely stunning,” Yue Bai vowed solemnly.

Laughter erupted from the classmates around her.

Sang Wan pretended not to be too familiar with her. “I’m really looking forward to my junior’s work.”

“Alright, let’s get started. Just draw what you can see from your angle,” the teacher said, turning to Sang Wan. “Sang Wan, you can sit on that chair in the middle. Any pose is fine. Thanks for your help.”

“Mm-hmm, got it.” Sang Wan acknowledged, turning the chair around and scooting it forward a few centimeters before sitting down.

Yue Bai’s heart raced. Sang Wan’s face was now directly facing her, the two of them less than two meters apart.

“Is this okay, Teacher?” Sang Wan asked.

“Perfect,” the teacher replied.

The charcoal pencil glided across the sketch paper. Unlike the previous time when she’d painted Senior Sister’s portrait in gouache, this was with charcoal. Last time, it had been just her alone; this time, it was a whole group.

She had to draw it well.

The paper rustled softly with each stroke, and Sang Wan gazed straight at Yue Bai, a smile playing on her lips.

Time slipped by slowly. Sang Wan’s legs began to tingle faintly, so she shifted slightly, adjusting her pose just a bit.

“Senior Sister, don’t move,” someone called out immediately.

“Sorry about that.” Sang Wan quickly returned to her original position.

Yue Bai shot an irritated glance at the speaker, her tone sharpening unconsciously. “It’s been two hours already. Senior Sister isn’t a wooden statue—she can move a little without ruining your drawing, right?”

Normally, once the basic form and structure were sketched out, you didn’t need to reference the model too closely anymore. Minor shifts in details might change slightly, but a model’s small movements wouldn’t disrupt the overall composition much.