Chapter 53

Yu Nianyi stopped in front of a flower shop near the school gate. As soon as she stepped inside, the owner recognized her and asked what kind she was looking for.

She looked around, and in the end her gaze landed on a bouquet of strikingly bright red roses.

At first glance, they didn’t seem to suit Xi Yu at all. But after another look around the shop, it somehow felt as though red roses were exactly what should be given to Xi Yu.

Red roses were a symbol reserved for lovers; whether between a man and a woman or between two women, simply holding them brought an air of romance and ambiguity.

In a school full of comings and goings, they suited Xi Yu best.

Yu Nianyi did not deny the selfish, possessive little impulse in her heart. So many people had spent the whole day asking about the woman in her painting; she did not want Xi Yu to come in person only to find those same people still crowding around and asking about her.

She stood by the school gate, looking at the red roses in her arms from left to right, liking them so much she could hardly bear to let go.

It happened to be the rush hour between classes. The students and passersby around her all glanced at Yu Nianyi without thinking, their eyes drifting over the red roses in her arms. Even after they had walked far away, they still turned back for another look, apparently very curious about the other main character.

Yu Nianyi did not pay much attention to the looks around her. She opened Xi Yu’s chat window and kept refreshing it, her eyes finally settling on Xi Yu’s earlier reply.

[Xi Yu: I’ve gotten off work. I’m already on the way.]

It had been from a few days ago, in the ceramics shop, when Xi Yu had been sitting across from her. It was only after the two of them finished eating and Xi Yu left, and Yu Nianyi was lying in bed, that she saw Xi Yu’s message.

She read those few words over and over, only to realize that Xi Yu hadn’t answered whether she missed her.

Yu Nianyi curved her lips; then her finger slid down to the message Xi Yu had sent today, saying she felt the same.

So this older sister was someone who got embarrassed very easily, too.

Yu Nianyi snickered softly. The scent of roses filled her nose, carrying the faint coolness unique to winter; under the warm sunlight, it mingled into a fragrance all its own.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was bright, and the people on the road all looked youthful and radiant, chatting and laughing as they went.

Yu Nianyi stood in the crowd, her hair shining gold and making her skin look especially fair. With her makeup, her whole face looked even more striking.

A black car pulled up very directly by the roadside in front of Yu Nianyi. Hearing the sound, she instinctively looked up; under the dark window, she couldn’t see the person inside clearly.

For some reason, though the car was completely unfamiliar, peering through the window made it feel as if the person inside should be Xi Yu.

The rear door opened, and Xi Yu stepped out. She was wearing a light apricot casual tracksuit Yu Nianyi had never seen before, with a white overcoat draped over it. The coat hung open; as she got out, the hem swept through the air in a beautiful curve.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened slightly as she watched Xi Yu walk toward her. The outfit had shed some of that serious, workday stiffness, and standing at the entrance to a university campus, she strangely looked a little like a senior student.

Yu Nianyi tightened her arms around the roses a little. The prickly scrape of wrapping paper against her skin didn’t register at all; all she felt was a throb in her chest, and even the sound of traffic seemed to gradually fail to cover the beat of her heart.

“Why are you standing here?” Xi Yu strode over, a faint crease appearing between her brows as her gaze settled on Yu Nianyi’s slightly dazed face. “Have you been waiting long?”

Yu Nianyi looked up and smiled, her voice sweet and soft. “Sister Xi Yu.”

“Mm.”

Xi Yu met her eyes. “I sent a message.”

Yu Nianyi gave a small “ah.” Her phone had long since been tucked into her pocket; when it had vibrated just now, she had thought it was a class notification.

“I haven’t been waiting long. I was just buying flowers at the flower shop,” Yu Nianyi said with a smile, stepping a little closer to Xi Yu. “I wanted to see you sooner, Sister.”

As she spoke, she held the flowers out in front of Xi Yu. “I wanted to give them to you sooner, too.”

Xi Yu lowered her eyes and looked at the large bouquet of red roses in front of her.

Under the afternoon sun, the roses were a brilliant red, their scent sharp and their color vivid. The hands of the person holding them were chilled pink from the cold; yet she herself seemed to notice nothing, only smiling.

Xi Yu took the bouquet and held it in one arm.

“Thank you. They’re very beautiful.”

Jiang Chen got out from the driver’s seat. When she saw Yu Nianyi, surprise flashed across her face at once, but she quickly composed herself. Even after Xi Yu took the red roses, her expression did not change.

Xi Yu took a pair of gloves from her pocket; they were black leather gloves. She handed them over. “Don’t leave your hands bare in the future. You should take care of yourself.”

Yu Nianyi froze, watching as Xi Yu lowered her head and, with unusual focus, used one hand to put the gloves on her.

The fur lining inside the gloves was thick, and still seemed to hold a little warmth.

“President Xi, should I help you carry the flowers?” Jiang Chen’s voice came from behind them.

Xi Yu finished putting the glove on Yu Nianyi’s right hand before saying, “No need. You can go back.”

Just as Xi Yu was about to put the other glove on Yu Nianyi’s left hand, Yu Nianyi raised her hand to stop her. She familiarly took Xi Yu’s right hand and lifted it, shaking it lightly in front of her. “I like it like this. The other one can go on Sister Xi Yu.”

There were fewer people by the school gate than there had been a moment ago, but from time to time someone still passed by. Their gazes brushed over the two of them before moving on.

Yu Nianyi put the glove onto Xi Yu’s hand and said softly, “It’s okay to hold hands at school, right?”

Xi Yu tightened her grip on Yu Nianyi’s hand slightly. “Mm.”

Jiang Chen asked, “President Xi, then when should I come pick you up?”

Only then did Yu Nianyi shift some of her attention to Jiang Chen. Xi Yu said, “No need. Get off work directly; just park the car in the lot.”

Jiang Chen nodded and said okay, then looked at Yu Nianyi.

“Long time no see, Jiang Chen jie,” Yu Nianyi said with a smile.

Jiang Chen nodded. “Long time no see, Miss Yu.”

Yu Nianyi shook the gloved hand she was wearing, her face full of refusal. “Jiang Chen jie, don’t call me that. Just call me Nianyi.”

Jiang Chen agreed and turned to leave.

-

There were quite a few people heading to the exhibition hall; some were students and teachers from the school, and others were from outside.

Every time an exhibition opened, the school teachers and students would post some of the works and detailed introductions on the official WeChat account and across various websites. People who followed this kind of information naturally came eagerly.

So in the days before the exhibition, the number of visitors was always only ever more, never less.

Yu Nianyi and Xi Yu followed the crowd inside. The closer they got to the exhibition hall, the more crowded the road became, and the more people there were.

Yu Nianyi didn’t pay much attention to her surroundings; she only kept looking at Xi Yu. Xi Yu’s outfit, in the bustling university campus, looked not the least bit out of place; in fact, it drew the eyes of people around them again and again.

“Sister Xi Yu, why are you so pretty today?” Yu Nianyi tightened her grip on Xi Yu’s hand, the corners of her mouth lifting too. “You’re already very beautiful on normal days, so why are you dressed like a college student today? I almost didn’t recognize you when I first saw you.”

Xi Yu turned her head to look at her. “That different?”

Yu Nianyi said, “Not really. No matter what you wear, Sister Xi Yu is still Sister Xi Yu; you’ve always been the one I like.”

“It’s just that I was a little surprised. A little delighted.”

Xi Yu gave a quiet “mm,” and the calm lines of her brows and eyes curved as well.

“What message did Sister Xi Yu send me?” Yu Nianyi asked.

Xi Yu drew the roses a little closer to herself. Hearing Yu Nianyi ask, she paused for a few seconds before saying, “I arrived in Jiayang half an hour early, but I needed to go home first.”

“Go home? Did you forget something?”

Xi Yu pressed her lips together. “To change clothes.”

Yu Nianyi stared at Xi Yu’s beautiful profile; her gaze naturally fell on Xi Yu’s outfit and swept over it from top to bottom. Thinking of something, she leaned closer to Xi Yu. Their shoulders brushed lightly, and she laughed again. “So that’s why. Because you were coming to school to see me? So you changed clothes, Sister?”

Xi Yu looked ahead as the two of them followed the crowd into the building, then approached the elevator.

The space gradually became narrow; people went in one after another, and the sounds of conversation were trapped inside the elevator.

Yu Nianyi moved closer to Xi Yu and angled her body slightly so she wouldn’t be easily bumped by others from that position.

Xi Yu noticed her movement. In the rustling murmur of conversation, she met Yu Nianyi’s eyes and then nodded.

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened slightly. She tightened her hand in Xi Yu’s, and in the cramped space her face suddenly felt hot for no reason.

There were quite a few people in the exhibition hall, many of them students and teachers Yu Nianyi knew, some even familiar to her. Some stood in front of the works chatting casually with visitors; others followed behind the teachers, listening to their opinions and explanations.

But people carrying roses while viewing the exhibition were rare. The moment the two of them entered, a faint floral scent drifted through the hall; it was very pleasant.

It was impossible not to look toward the source of the fragrance.

A few classmates walked over and blocked Yu Nianyi and Xi Yu directly.

“Yu Nianyi, you actually brought the person in the painting herself? Didn’t you say this sister wouldn’t come this morning? Why the sudden change of heart…”

Yu Nianyi was too lazy to deal with this male classmate; it was he who had kept chasing after her and asking about Xi Yu’s identity.

“If she wants to come, she comes. If she doesn’t, she doesn’t. Why would she need to report to you before coming?” Yu Nianyi frowned, though she still wore a smiling expression; the smile did not reach her eyes.

“What gorgeous red roses?” a female classmate asked. “They suit this sister so well. As soon as you came in, the whole area smelled like flowers; it smells amazing. Could you tell us your name, sister? Are you a senior from our school?”

Yu Nianyi said nothing; she only deliberately held up the hands the two of them were holding in front of everyone.

Xi Yu turned to look at Yu Nianyi, then said, “Sorry, that’s not convenient.”

“And I’m not from this school.”

The girl let out a rather regretful “ah” and sighed, though she still secretly studied Xi Yu.

As soon as the students in the class heard Xi Yu’s answer and saw the hands Yu Nianyi had deliberately linked with hers, they immediately understood. Two girls holding hands wasn’t anything unusual, but if it was Yu Nianyi, then it meant something very different.

They subconsciously looked around for Yang Shuyu’s figure, but didn’t find her. In the end, they only chatted with Yu Nianyi and Xi Yu for a couple of lines before tactfully leaving.