A suffocating wave crashed over her. Yue Bai leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she fought to steady her breathing.
She opened her phone’s contacts and scrolled shakily until she found Sang Lin’s number.
She dialed.
The call connected after a few rings.
“Hello?” Sang Lin’s clear voice was roughened slightly by sleep.
“Sang Lin, it’s Yue Bai,” she said, identifying herself.
“Good morning, Sister Yue Bai,” Sang Lin replied politely, his tone warming now that he knew who was calling.
Yue Bai steadied her voice, leaning her back against the wall. “I’d like to ask you about something. Is that okay?”
“Anything Sister Yue Bai wants to know, I’ll tell you if I can,” Sang Lin said briskly, rubbing his eyes.
“I want to hear about your sister when she was little,” Yue Bai said.
Silence stretched for several seconds on the other end. Sang Lin’s breathing quickened. He let out a single syllable before clamping his mouth shut.
“Sister Yue Bai, why the sudden interest? Those are old stories from when we were adults—no, kids. I’m not sure how to even explain them,” Sang Lin said. The moment Yue Bai asked, he suspected she knew something. Unsure of exactly what, he didn’t dare speculate wildly.
Yue Bai tilted her head to the side. Qin Yan was climbing into a car.
“Um… Do you know anything about what happened between your sister and that girl who fell into the water?” Yue Bai asked carefully.
She didn’t phrase it as, “Do you know your sister pushed someone into the water?” In her mind, Senior Sister could never have done such a thing.
“Sister Yue Bai, please believe me—this had nothing to do with my sister,” Sang Lin said tensely. “I don’t know where you heard about it, but my sister would never do something like that.”
Yue Bai realized he’d misunderstood. “I know Senior Sister wouldn’t do it. I just want to understand what happened.”
She needed to know why Qin Yan was so certain Senior Sister was responsible.
Another long silence fell. Yue Bai waited patiently.
Her phone screen lit up again—another message from Sang Wan.
“You’ve been gone so long. When are you coming back?” Followed by a pitiful emoji.
Yue Bai’s heart melted. Her fingertips flew over the virtual keyboard.
“I stopped by the bakery to grab some bread for breakfast. That way, Senior Sister doesn’t have to get up early every morning to make it.” Yue Bai typed.
She started walking toward the nearby bakery.
“Get some cream puffs too.” Sang Wan.
“Sure.” Yue Bai.
It took a full two minutes before Sang Lin spoke again.
“I was pretty young back then, so I don’t know much,” he said slowly. “I just remember my sister going to the riverbank with a girl to play. The girl fell in somehow, and after she was rescued, she insisted my sister had pushed her.”
“There were only the two of them by the riverbank. With the girl saying that—and my sister in a bad mood at the time—everyone naturally believed she’d pushed the girl in.”
Sang Lin had been only seven or eight years old. Even if he’d wanted to speak up, he was powerless.
“The incident hit my sister hard. She wouldn’t speak for a long time. Luckily, Senior Sister Wen and the others were there for her a lot during that period. Later, Grandpa sent her abroad for a few years, and her personality gradually improved.” Sang Lin glossed over many details.
“Mm.” Yue Bai had the gist of it now. The key was why that girl claimed Senior Sister had pushed her. “Do you know the name of the girl who was with her?”
“That girl is Li Yi, at B University,” Sang Lin said. He’d heard about her from Qin Yan.
“Okay, got it.” Yue Bai’s gaze dropped.
“Sister Yue Bai, you…” Sang Lin hesitated.
Yue Bai knew what he meant. “I trust Senior Sister completely. Our conversation today stays between us, okay? For her sake.”
“Okay.”
Yue Bai composed herself and pushed open the door to the bakery. She selected a few oat breads and a bag of cream puffs.
Passing a street food stall, she grabbed some steamed buns and two cups of soy milk to take back.
“Senior Sister, I’m back!” Yue Bai called as she entered, spotting Sang Wan on the living room sofa.
Sang Wan had changed into loungewear. She lifted her eyelids at the sound, a faint smile in her eyes. “Took you long enough.”
“Maybe I was worn out from last night—legs felt like jelly,” Yue Bai said. She set down her haul and straddled Sang Wan’s lap, her arms looping naturally around the other woman’s neck. “What should we do? Want to rub them for me?”
Sang Wan steadied her waist with indulgent hands. “I didn’t even touch you last night.”
“Mm…” Yue Bai nodded slowly, a teasing half-smile on her lips. “Maybe Senior Sister just held me too tight.”
“Shh.” Sang Wan’s finger pressed to Yue Bai’s lips. “Don’t say it.”
Yue Bai eyed that slender finger and nipped it gently with her teeth. “Fine, I won’t. Hungry? Have some breakfast. You must be exhausted from last night.”
Still perched on Sang Wan’s lap, she twisted to grab a steamed bun and soy milk from the coffee table, pressing them into her hands.
“You and your mouth,” Sang Wan said, pinching Yue Bai’s cheek.
“I swear, no more.” Yue Bai held up three fingers.
Sang Wan laughed, plucking a bun from the bag and popping it into her mouth.
Yue Bai inserted a straw into the soy milk and held it to Sang Wan’s lips. “Try it.”
Sang Wan obediently took a sip.
Yue Bai stayed in position, grabbing a bun for herself.
After they finished eating, Yue Bai still refused to leave Sang Wan’s lap. She nestled her cheek against the warm curve of Sang Wan’s neck.
Every breath filled her with Sang Wan’s comforting scent—Yue Bai loved it.
Sang Wan toyed with Yue Bai’s fingers, admiring the neatly trimmed nails on her slender joints.
As her gaze fell to the palm, Sang Wan’s eyes sharpened.
“What’s this cut on your hand?” She examined the fresh wound closely.
Yue Bai’s heart skipped. She’d forgotten to hide it.
“Oh, must’ve bumped it somewhere.” Yue Bai feigned surprise. “I didn’t even notice.”
Sang Wan fixed her with a steady look. “Get up.”
“Huh?” Yue Bai blinked.
“I’ll grab some ointment to treat it.” Sang Wan explained.
“No way. I want to stay right here on you.” Yue Bai tilted her head back, refusing to budge.
She couldn’t care less about the minor scratch.
But in the next instant, Sang Wan hooked her legs and stood, leaving Yue Bai dangling from her like an accessory.
“!” Yue Bai yelped in surprise.
Sang Wan carried her into the bedroom like that, retrieving the home first-aid kit.
“Let’s clean it with iodine first.” Sang Wan pulled out a small bottle and cotton swabs.
“No. A Band-Aid is fine.” Yue Bai insisted.
“Fine.” Sang Wan relented after a moment, sensing her reluctance. She set aside the other items and applied a Band-Aid instead.
“Senior Sister, I’m slipping!” Yue Bai complained, clamping her legs tighter around Sang Wan’s waist and climbing higher.
Sang Wan sighed helplessly, hugging her securely as she returned to the sofa.
“You’re so clingy,” she murmured, rubbing her forehead against Yue Bai’s cheek.
“What’s wrong with clinging to my girlfriend?” Yue Bai saw no issue.
“Nothing.” Sang Wan chuckled softly.
Cuddled in Sang Wan’s arms, they watched an hour of anime. Then Yue Bai got a message from the counselor, asking her to collect and submit last week’s assignment.
Reluctantly, Yue Bai slid off Sang Wan’s lap and grabbed her laptop.
“@Everyone: Please submit the homework the counselor assigned last week now. Name the folder with your name and student ID, and send it to me.” Yue Bai posted.
Sang Wan watched her from the side.
Once Yue Bai had collected and turned in all the assignments, Sang Wan asked, “Do you have a lot of homework?”
Yue Bai shrugged. “Not too bad yet.”
Sang Wan smiled faintly. “I had the portrait you drew of me framed. I’m thinking of hanging it up. Where do you think would be best?”
Yue Bai pondered, tapping her brow. “One in the living room, one in the bedroom. How’s that?”
“Just as I thought.” Sang Wan reached out and gently patted her head.
Yue Bai nodded. She had been mulling over the matter between Li Yi and Senior Sister, planning to make a trip to B City at some point. But she spent every day with Senior Sister and had no chance to slip away without her noticing.
Just as she was racking her brains for an excuse, the day arrived for the Art College freshmen to embark on their first outdoor sketching trip.
It was mid-April—almost as if someone had heard Yue Bai’s silent plea. The location for this sketching excursion was a mountain range in B City.
The moment Yue Bai heard the news, she checked the distance between the site and B University.
A cab ride would take only half an hour. Not far at all.
The trip was scheduled for a full week, and Yue Bai worried about leaving Sang Wan home alone. She sent messages to Wen Mo and Zhou Qingyan, asking them to keep an eye on Senior Sister.
Zhou Qingyan rolled her eyes. “Sang Wan lived by herself for ages without any trouble. What, you leave for a week and suddenly she can’t cope?”
Yue Bai pursed her lips.
It was true—Senior Sister’s resilience far exceeded her expectations.
“Little Bai, I’ve packed your changes of clothes and daily essentials into the suitcase. Take a look and see if you need anything else. I’ll sort it out for you.” Sang Wan squatted beside the open luggage and asked.
Yue Bai glanced inside. “That’s plenty. It’s only a week of sketching—too much stuff will just be a hassle.”
With that, she crouched down and snapped the suitcase shut. “Senior Sister, please take good care of yourself while I’m gone. Get in touch right away if anything comes up.”
Sang Wan couldn’t help but smile. Her little underclassman really did treat her like a child.
“I should be the one saying that to you. Stay safe out there,” Sang Wan replied.
She slipped some snacks into the backpack Yue Bai carried everywhere, for munching on the road.
The night before departure, while Sang Wan was in the shower, Yue Bai slipped out alone to find Wen Mo.
She wasn’t familiar with B University and needed someone to show her around. Wen Mo’s younger brother, Luo Mian, who studied there, seemed like the perfect choice.
“You want Luo Mian to help you track someone down?” Wen Mo asked.
“Yes, Senior Sister,” Yue Bai confirmed with a nod.
Wen Mo and Zhou Qingyan exchanged a glance. Wen Mo closed the book in her hands, tapping a finger against the cover. “Who?”
“Li Yi,” Yue Bai said.
The name made Wen Mo’s head snap up, faint surprise crossing her cool features. “You know about what happened with Sang Wan?”
Yue Bai nodded.
Wen Mo frowned. “That was ten years ago. There’s no point chasing her down now.”
Yue Bai shook her head. “Some things time can’t simply erase.”
Even after ten years, Senior Sister still couldn’t let it go.
“I want to know why she said what she did back then,” Yue Bai said, her gaze steady. “There has to be some kind of reckoning.”
Wen Mo fell silent for a moment before picking up her phone and sending Luo Mian’s contact information to Yue Bai.
She dimmed the screen. “I’ve forwarded Luo Mian’s details to you. I’ll let him know shortly. Once he finds her, he’ll get in touch with you directly.”
“Thank you, Senior Sister,” Yue Bai said gratefully.
When Yue Bai returned to the Teachers’ Apartment, Sang Wan still hadn’t emerged from the bathroom. Yue Bai let out a quiet breath of relief, grabbed her pajamas from the closet, and settled on the living room sofa to wait.
She had no idea that the person in the bathroom had already changed into her pajamas and was quietly staring at the message glowing on her screen.
“Little Bai knows about you and Li Yi. She’s heading to B University to find her.”
