Chapter 52
It was a laugh filled with resignation, tenderness, and a warm, rich softness.
Yu Nianyi clutched Xi Yu’s clothes. She had clearly used a great deal of force, yet she felt strangely hollow and unsteady, her fingers trembling with unmistakable clarity.
She let out a long breath and forced herself to stay calm as she stared at Xi Yu’s composed face. “Sister Xi Yu’s kissing skills are nothing like what I’d imagined.”
Xi Yu glanced at Yu Nianyi’s hand resting on her, her gaze lingering vaguely on Yu Nianyi’s pale pink lips. “Mm.”
“What did you think they’d be like?”
Yu Nianyi bit her lip. She hesitated for a long time, but in the end didn’t say a single word; instead, her face only grew redder.
She gave an embarrassed little sound, realizing her attempt to show off her kissing skills had gone nowhere. Too shy to bring it up again, she sat up straight and said the food would get cold; they should eat first.
Xi Yu didn’t ask further. She simply said okay.
Xi Yu never seemed to push Yu Nianyi on things she didn’t want to answer, or on topics she’d already brushed past. At times, it made her seem especially easygoing and considerate.
The meal went slowly. Yu Nianyi had been used to eating quickly since she was young. Back when her family ran a small restaurant in Lincheng, she was always being hurried to finish her food; once she was done, she had to help out. After all, more than ten years ago, there were plenty of people in Lincheng who ate on credit or freeloaded. Whenever the place got busy, she had to help keep the accounts so the shop wouldn’t end up earning less than the rent.
Later, after her parents divorced, the family only got busier. Yu Lan took on the burden at home, and Yu Nianyi had to shoulder some of it too. Lunch was never eaten at a proper time.
It was rare for Yu Nianyi to have the patience to eat this slowly, and yet sitting with Xi Yu, her urge to talk kept swelling. She always wanted to chat about something, to watch Xi Yu’s reaction when she listened, to look at her expressions, at the occasional trace of helplessness she couldn’t quite hide.
After they finished, they washed the dishes together. Then Xi Yu said she needed to leave; she still had to go out of town tomorrow.
Yu Nianyi didn’t try to keep her. She knew full well that her place wasn’t suitable for a second person to sleep over.
The only places one could lie flat were the single sofa in the living room and the small single bed in the bedroom. No matter which one it was, sleeping there was far from comfortable, and it wasn’t exactly suitable for vigorous activity either.
Yu Nianyi had originally wanted to see her downstairs, but Xi Yu firmly declined, saying Yu Nianyi had only just recovered and shouldn’t catch a chill again.
…
Then, three days later, the teacher sent a message in the class group chat, asking everyone to bring their work to the classroom. The pieces would be reviewed one by one and graded for the final record.
By the time Yu Nianyi arrived in the classroom, quite a few people were already there. Their works had been laid out haphazardly, and the first glance upon entering was still enough to be striking.
There was no shortage of talented painters at school. Some were born with it; others had worked hard for three years. The pieces created with real care always carried a unique kind of impact.
Zhang Min had been waiting in the classroom for quite a while. Surrounded by students, she chatted lightly with them about trivial matters and everyday things. Once everyone arrived, she instructed them to arrange their work neatly on display.
“I’ve seen all of your pieces, and they’re all very complete and impressive. That makes me very happy. Next, I’ll go through each work one by one; the other students are welcome to listen as well.”
Zhang Min’s critique style was nimble and flexible. She took one look, then walked over to the far right. In an instant, the students gathered around her.
Yu Nianyi’s painting was the second piece from the right, a spot that was easy to see at a glance.
And the first painting was Yang Shuyu’s.
“Shuyu has improved a lot. The color palette is very comfortable, and Yu Nianyi is vividly rendered in your painting,” Zhang Min said, raising her chin to glance around. She spotted Yang Shuyu standing outside the crowd, while even Yu Nianyi at the edge was clearly visible. Zhang Min smiled. “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but the Yu Nianyi in your painting seems a little melancholic. That does suit your temperament.”
Yu Nianyi stood behind them and couldn’t see Yang Shuyu’s expression. She could only feel the students around her turning to look back. A few seconds passed before Yang Shuyu finally said thank you, teacher.
“...This should be Yu Nianyi’s painting, right?” Zhang Min stood before Yu Nianyi’s work, studying the woman in the painting.
Yu Nianyi hurried over, and the classmates consciously made way for her.
“Yes, Teacher Zhang.”
Zhang Min gave an acknowledging sound and smiled at Yu Nianyi. “Your style is still so distinct. I don’t even need to look twice; I can tell at a glance that it’s yours. This piece is quite a surprise, though. Who is the person in the painting? A friend of yours?”
Yu Nianyi smiled. “Mm, someone very close to me.”
The students’ gazes all landed on the painting, studying the woman inside it.
Someone nearby murmured as if asking Yu Nianyi, “...Who is this girl? I’ve never seen her around you before...”
Zhang Min’s voice cut over it, and the surrounding noise grew even blurrier. “Not bad. The structural features and the rendering of the hands are very meticulous; clearly a lot of effort went into it. The texture of the clothes, too, and the relaxed composure of the person in the painting are captured very well.”
“Especially the expression. The curve of the mouth and the eyes are both excellent; they really catch the viewer’s attention.”
Zhang Min kept looking at the painting, the smile on her face never fading. “I’m very satisfied with this piece. It’s much better than your previous practice works in both likeness and spirit.”
Yu Nianyi curved her lips and nodded, thanking the teacher.
The classmates around them also praised it a few times and stood in front of Yu Nianyi’s painting for quite a while.
One of them couldn’t hold back any longer. While Zhang Min was critiquing the next piece, he asked in a low voice, “This is kind of scary, you know? Landscapes are one thing, but your portraits are this good too. Who’s the student you painted? Is she from our school? She seems pretty mature.”
As if joking, the boy added, “If it’s convenient, could I get her contact information? That older-sister vibe is way too charismatic...”
Yu Nianyi shot the boy a glare and warned him in a low voice, “Forget it. She already has a partner.”
The boy let out an “ah,” pouted, and walked over to Zhang Min.
Not far away, Yang Shuyu quietly watched the exchange between the boy and Yu Nianyi. Only after the boy left did she withdraw her gaze.
After class, Zhang Min explained that on Friday, the students would need to bring their works to the exhibition area, and in the afternoon they could begin taking photos as keepsakes.
Yu Nianyi opened her phone. Since Xi Yu couldn’t take voice calls over there, she could only type out everything Zhang Min had said and launch into a full praise barrage.
[Yu Nianyi: It’s all thanks to Sister Xi Yu that I improved so much. The teacher at school praised me, so how should I thank you, sister~]
Buzz buzz.
[Xi Yu: Congratulations.]
[Xi Yu: You already had very strong fundamentals, and with your focus and dedication, your work was bound to be excellent. I only played a very small part.]
Yu Nianyi puckered her lips. She stared at the screen for a while, then bent over the keyboard and typed furiously.
[Yu Nianyi: I just think Sister Xi Yu is really great, and if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the feelings I had while painting back then, or the final result I have now.]
The other side paused for a few minutes, seemingly sensing the shift in feeling in Yu Nianyi’s words. No message came through.
Yu Nianyi sighed, feeling a little sulky that Xi Yu didn’t understand what she meant. The praise from everyone else was one thing, but from beginning to end, the most important thing to her, the one she cared about most, was Xi Yu.
Sometimes Xi Yu’s way of speaking also matched her outwardly proper image too well. At times like this, it somehow made flirting with Xi Yu feel like submitting a work report, or reciting a lesson to a teacher and classmates; and Yu Nianyi hadn’t recited lessons in a very long time.
She tapped Xi Yu’s avatar, and the screen once again displayed that small line of text.
If Xi Yu were by her side right now, they might be able to face each other and give Xi Yu a big, big hug first, then look at the touched smile in her eyes, instead of being dry and awkward like this.
Yu Nianyi swept the stray hair at her cheek back behind her ear and lowered her gaze to type.
[Yu Nianyi: Sister Xi Yu only left for two days, but it feels like we’ve been apart forever. I miss you so much.]
The phone vibrated again, and a message popped up at the bottom of the screen.
[Xi Yu: Mm. I’ll be in Jiayang tomorrow at 2 p.m.]
A moment later, another message appeared.
[Xi Yu: Me too.]
Yu Nianyi stared fixedly at those three words. The eyes that had been drooping just now curved all the way up. She pressed a hand to her lips and smiled.
[Yu Nianyi: Do you need me to pick you up, Sister Xi Yu?]
[Xi Yu: No need. Jiang Chen will drive. What’s your schedule for tomorrow afternoon?]
[Yu Nianyi: The art exhibition at school opens at 2:30 in the afternoon. Sister Xi Yu can come and have a look.]
[Xi Yu: Okay.]
-
On Friday, Yu Nianyi got up early. Knowing Xi Yu was coming back today, she deliberately dressed herself up in a way that was especially eye-catching and bright, polished from head to toe. As a result, every classmate who passed by would subconsciously say she looked especially beautiful today.
There wasn’t much to do for the exhibition. The oil painting department handled it together. There were already enough people to hang the paintings and steady the ladders, while the rest moved around in small groups from the entrance all the way to the innermost room, taking in every displayed work.
Yu Nianyi followed the teacher to help hang the paintings. By the time everything was finally done, it was already noon, and only a few people were scattered around the exhibition hall.
She came down the stairs and happened to receive a call from Xi Yao, who said she was waiting for her in the student cafeteria so they could eat lunch together.
Xi Yao and Luo Yiran had already finished their end-of-term matters and were waiting to see the academy’s final art exhibition of the year before the two of them went out to have fun.
It was the lunch rush. Students were coming and going in the cafeteria, and the whole hall was noisy and lively.
Yu Nianyi went up to the third floor and found the place Xi Yao had sent her. At a glance, she saw Xi Yao and Luo Yiran sitting in the distance.
Xi Yao waved at her. “Wow, you dressed up so nicely today?”
Luo Yiran also looked Yu Nianyi up and down and praised her for looking pretty.
Yu Nianyi curled her lips and plopped down across from them. “Xi Yu is coming back to Jiayang today.”
Xi Yao and Luo Yiran exchanged a look, then let out strange, overly sweet sounds of “ohhh.” “I knew it. As soon as you came upstairs, the whole cafeteria felt pink, you know? Like one of those idol dramas where the BGM starts playing automatically.”
While the three of them were talking, Luo Yiran ordered another student set meal and casually placed it on the table for Yu Nianyi. “What time is Sister Xi Yu getting here? Can she make it in time for the exhibition opening?”
Yu Nianyi thanked her and took it. “She can. She’ll be here at two. You’ll see her later.”
Xi Yao hurriedly waved her hand. “No, no. We’ll look at ours, and you two can do your thing. I’m still not really suited to seeing her lately.”
Yu Nianyi looked confused. “Why?”
Xi Yao said, “What else? The other day I went home to grab something, and I happened to run into my dad at home. He lectured me for ages, said I was irresponsible and only cared about having fun. In the end he even told me to meet the sons of his friends... It was so annoying I could die. Nothing I say ever counts with him...”
Yu Nianyi subconsciously looked toward Luo Yiran. Luo Yiran’s lips were pressed together; when she noticed Yu Nianyi’s gaze, she only gave a very faint smile.
“We had a pretty bad fight that day. My dad will probably tell my sister to bring me back,” Xi Yao said, pausing briefly before glancing sideways at Luo Yiran. “I don’t want to make my sister’s life difficult either, so I’m planning to leave tonight and stay outside for a while. Saves us from getting on each other’s nerves.”
The irritation in Xi Yao’s eyes was obvious. Yu Nianyi didn’t say anything, only belatedly realizing their worries.
Then Xi Yao abruptly changed direction and looked at Yu Nianyi. “This is where your family’s better. Auntie understands your orientation, and you really do communicate with each other. Your family is harmonious and close.” She tugged at her lips in a smile. “Unlike us; we seem lenient on the surface, but there are actually limits.”
Yu Nianyi smiled without saying much and changed the subject.
The meal ended quickly. Xi Yao said she would accompany Luo Yiran to see the exhibition first, and after that she’d leave on her own.
As for Yu Nianyi, she went home for a bit and carefully fixed up her hair before she finally received a call from Xi Yu.