Chapter 55

Jiang Chen seemed to have parked across the street, near Xiangyang Community. The restaurant was a long way from the school gate. Xi Yu walked at an unhurried pace, but Yu Nianyi instinctively fell a step behind her.

A university campus in winter was still lively; the cold hadn’t dampened anyone’s enthusiasm, and laughter still rose and fell along the way. The two of them walked amid the noise, yet the atmosphere between them felt oddly out of place.

What bad luck. Of all days, Xi Yu had to run into this.

Song An Ning must have noticed the atmosphere between Yu Nianyi and Xi Yu. She probably had already guessed their relationship. What she’d just done was obviously deliberate. Yu Nianyi should have made things clear with her earlier.

She took a deep breath; the cold wind cut straight into her stomach, raising goosebumps all over her body and leaving her chilled to the bone.

“Xi Yu-jie...” Yu Nianyi quickened her pace and caught up to Xi Yu.

Xi Yu gave a soft mm, turned her head to look at her, and slowed down as well to wait for her.

“That girl is a friend I’m not especially close with. We played together when we first got into university, but we didn’t really keep in touch after that, and we’re not even in the same major.” Yu Nianyi studied Xi Yu’s expression. “...As for that group chat, I only joined it randomly when I was a freshman and had nothing better to do. It’s nothing important; I stopped messing around in there ages ago...”

Xi Yu’s gaze drifted into the distance, and Yu Nianyi couldn’t tell what she was thinking. After a long moment, she said, “Mm. I’ve seen her.”

Yu Nianyi came to an abrupt stop and stared at her. “When? I don’t think I ever mentioned her to Xi Yu-jie.”

Xi Yu took a long step forward and stopped at the crosswalk by the school gate. The green light had just gone out; across the road, the signal was a glaring red.

“Right here. I saw you with her.”

Yu Nianyi froze for a moment and looked around.

The crowd was thick and bustling, and a whole line of cars stood motionless on the left. Thinking of something, she suddenly said, “That day... was it the day it snowed?”

“Mm,” Xi Yu said.

Yu Nianyi finally fell silent. She stood in front of Xi Yu with her head slightly bowed, and after a long while said, “...That was a long time ago.”

“Yes.” Xi Yu nodded.

Yu Nianyi said again, “I only treated her to a meal to repay a favor.”

Xi Yu turned to look at her, then replied, “Alright. I know.”

“This is your freedom.”

The light changed. Xi Yu started forward first, and Yu Nianyi could only see her white, blurred back as she walked away.

Xi Yu really did speak like that; every answer of hers sounded considerate and steady, so much in keeping with her own temperament.

All the worrying and imagining Yu Nianyi had done along the way seemed unnecessary.

It seemed like it really had been unnecessary in the first place.

What a considerate girlfriend.

Yu Nianyi stared at Xi Yu’s back for a long while. Just as the light was about to turn red again, she ran quickly across the road.

Jiang Chen had indeed parked at the entrance of Xiangyang Community. Xi Yu walked straight toward it, seemingly with no intention of going upstairs for a while.

Yu Nianyi hurried after her and stayed close behind.

Xi Yu didn’t rush to get in the car; she turned back to look at her.

Yu Nianyi took Xi Yu’s hand, which hung at the side of her coat, and looked up at her. “You’re going back already...”

People were coming out of the community in pairs and trios, passing by the two of them on their way farther down the street.

Xi Yu let her hold on. After the passersby had gone far away, she said, “Do you want to come home with me?”

Yu Nianyi froze. After a few seconds, she nodded hard. “Yes.”

-

Xi Yu’s home was still the same as Yu Nianyi remembered: spacious and quiet, with a minimalist decor and color palette, neat and spotless everywhere.

Yu Nianyi put on the fuzzy slippers she had worn there last time and slowly followed Xi Yu inside.

Looking over, she saw Xi Yu pour herself a drink at the tea bar with practiced ease, then turn back and ask, “Orange juice okay?”

“Yes.” Yu Nianyi nodded.

Xi Yu said nothing more, pouring the juice into a cup and warming it up.

Yu Nianyi never drank her drinks hot; only Yu Lan would do something like that.

Xi Yu seemed to know what she was about to ask and said directly, “You just recovered from being sick. Your body’s still weak, so it’s better to drink something warm.”

Yu Nianyi swallowed the words she had been about to say and said only, “Okay.”

After sitting for a while, her body gradually started to warm up. Yu Nianyi took off her coat just in time to see Xi Yu walking over with the orange juice.

Xi Yu sat down in front of her and handed her the juice. Watching her take a small sip, she then asked, “When are you going home?”

Yu Nianyi set the cup on the coffee table. “I’m not sure. Things at school are basically done. Mom hasn’t rushed me yet, so I might stay a few more days.”

She looked at Xi Yu. “I’m not in a hurry to leave.”

Xi Yu sat off to the side. On the coffee table was a particularly professional-looking tea set. Lowering her head, she listened to Yu Nianyi speak while lifting a transparent kettle to rinse the teacups, her movements smooth and unhurried.

Yu Nianyi rarely saw Xi Yu like this. It was novel, and her attention was completely drawn in.

“Okay; remember to tell me when you leave.” Xi Yu lifted her eyelids, her gaze lightly brushing over Yu Nianyi’s eyes before she lowered it again and poured the water from the cup into the tea ware.

Yu Nianyi nodded and reflexively answered, “Okay.”

She watched Xi Yu place the tea leaves into the cup, then watched her slowly pour boiling water in again, as if soaking every leaf with deliberate care, slow and gentle. After that, Xi Yu covered it with the lidded bowl and finally looked up at her.

Noticing Xi Yu’s gaze, Yu Nianyi thought she hadn’t heard her answer and nodded again. “Don’t worry, Xi Yu-jie. I’ll definitely tell you in advance when I leave.”

Xi Yu studied her quietly, her expression faintly obedient. “I heard you.”

Then she lowered her head and once again poured the tea liquor from the cup into the vessel, added more water, waited a while, and only then slowly filled the teacup in front of her.

A clear amber color swirled in the air, bright and transparent.

Under the familiar fragrance, there was even a faint, delicate sweetness, like honey.

Xi Yu lifted the teacup and gave Yu Nianyi a subtle glance before bringing the tea to her lips.

“Xi Yu-jie, what kind of tea is this? It smells so good.” Yu Nianyi stared at Xi Yu’s slightly lowered lips and asked without thinking.

Xi Yu’s hand hovered in midair; the liquid in the cup was bright and clear. “It’s the same one you brewed before.”

Yu Nianyi let out an oh. Seeing that Xi Yu had no intention of drinking again, she asked, “It looks like it tastes really good. Can I try some?”

Xi Yu’s arm didn’t move. Her eyes, deep and dark, fixed on Yu Nianyi’s face. “Yes.”

Then she handed over the cup in her hand.

Yu Nianyi froze. She had thought Xi Yu would brew a fresh cup, but instead she just gave her the one she had already drunk from.

She took it and clearly saw the damp sheen at the rim of the cup.

Xi Yu said nothing. She crossed one leg over the other, one hand resting lightly by her lips, and watched her in silence.

There was still a bit of distance from the used rim. Yu Nianyi moved her fingers, turning the cup slightly, then suddenly lifted it to her mouth. The warm moisture wrapped around her lips; the mellow sweetness flowed down her throat.

Xi Yu watched her quietly. Then she lifted a hand, her fingers lightly touching Yu Nianyi’s cheek, brushing there as if casually wiping away a trace of moisture. “How is it?”

Yu Nianyi tightened her grip on the teacup, which was already empty. It felt as if her whole mind had been wrapped in some inexplicable sweetness; the numb, tingling sensation from Xi Yu’s touch on her face kept spreading. She nodded and looked at Xi Yu’s pale lips. “It’s good.”

Xi Yu’s eyes finally curved. Then she stood up. “It’s getting late. I’m going to take a shower.”

Before Yu Nianyi could react, she had already left on her own.

“The master bedroom has a shower. Your pajamas are on the bed.”

Yu Nianyi’s eyes widened. A beat too late, she looked around and then slowly got up, heading toward the master bedroom.

The scene of an indirect kiss, full of lingering romance, still hadn’t faded from her mind, and now all she could picture was Xi Yu’s wet hair and bare body.

Yu Nianyi’s face went completely red. When she had followed Xi Yu home, she had indeed had that thought in mind.

She had during the day, but after seeing Song An Ning, it had faded quite a bit. Her mind had been busy trying to figure out how to explain away the misleading things Song An Ning had said. But after coming here, Xi Yu had stirred her interest back up all over again.

For some reason, a vague instinct kept telling her that Xi Yu had done that on purpose.

Yu Nianyi showered on her own, thinking nonsense the whole time with her head down.

Her mind was still a mess. She stayed in the shower for an hour and a half before finally washing up at a leisurely pace. When she reached for the pajamas Xi Yu had mentioned, she realized it was a white, slightly lacy long nightdress.

She turned it over and over in her hands, examining it from all angles, genuinely surprised that Xi Yu actually owned something like this. She had never seen Xi Yu wear it before, not even in video calls.

The moment she opened the door, a black silhouette sitting motionless on the bed came into view, and Yu Nianyi jumped in surprise.

Xi Yu seemed to have been waiting for a long time. She wasn’t wearing glasses; her long hair was loosely draped behind her shoulders, revealing her calm, fully visible features. The light from the bathroom shone on her, making her brows and eyes especially clear.

For some reason, Yu Nianyi’s heart skipped a beat.

She slowly walked out, unwilling to miss even a moment like this. She came to stand in front of Xi Yu and lowered her head to look at her. “Have you been waiting a long time, Xi Yu-jie?”