BSS - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
The next morning, two classes had just ended. The bell rang crisply.
During the twenty-minute long break, the first and second years still had to do their exercises, but the third years were exempt. The sound of the broadcast from the sports field carried over to the third-year building, creating a lively atmosphere. Most students took this time to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Math class had just finished. A tall boy ran up to talk to Xu Wei. Her expression was indifferent. After a few words, she walked away, intentionally putting some distance between them.
The boy, feeling rather discouraged and sensing her impatience, stood there awkwardly for a moment before leaving.
Xu Wei remained on the corridor, leaning against the railing and looking out. In the distance was the green soccer field, the synthetic track, and large groups of students in their blue and white school uniforms. Farther still was the azure sky, dotted with a few thin, white clouds.
The weather was clear and fine.
Deng Chuan was waiting for Su Mian outside the restroom, also looking up at the sky.
The restroom was at the end of the corridor. Qin Shu, who taught chemistry to the science track classes, had just finished a lab session. She walked along, carrying a toolbox and looking around, hoping to catch a student she knew to act as free labor and help her wash test tubes.
Just as she reached the restroom door, she saw Su Mian and Deng Chuan walking out. She quickly called out, "Hey- Little Friends."
Both of them looked over at the same time and heard her say, "Are you free? Help your teacher wash some test tubes, would you?"
Her tone was light, her smile faint. It was as pleasant as a long-awaited fine day in winter.
The two agreed and readily took the toolbox. Qin Shu didn't stand idle either; she picked up a dirty test tube and began rinsing it.
For a moment, the three of them were silent, with only the gushing sound of running water filling the air.
After washing the test tubes, they helped her carry the box to the office. Once they set it down, Qin Shu quickly stuffed some cookies into their hands, smiling as she thanked them. "Thanks for your hard work. Take these and eat."
The two of them obediently accepted them, then waved their hands. "Thank you, Teacher, this is enough. We'll be going now." Qin Shu was left standing there, sighing in satisfaction. Just as expected of Xu Wei's kids, so well-behaved and cute.
The two chatted and laughed as they walked down the long corridor. Su Mian asked her about her plans for winter break. "Want to go to the library together during the break?"
Deng Chuan replied, "Aren't you going to Beijing?"
She froze for a second. "Oh, right. Then you'll have to go alone, all by your lonesome."
Deng Chuan huffed. "I can go find Qingyu."
Su Mian retorted, "Qingyu has training too!"
"Oh." Deng Chuan smiled nonchalantly. "Then I guess I'll have to go alone."
She said it so casually, but Su Mian couldn't help but imagine a hint of loneliness in it. With good intentions, she comforted her, "It's okay. I'm sure you can handle it on your own."
Seeing that Deng Chuan wasn't responding, she started spouting nonsense again. "After all, you're the kind of person who goes to the library alone even on New Year's Eve-"
"Hey-" Deng Chuan turned her head, glaring at her with a smile. "That was so long ago, how can you still remember-"
That happened back in middle school. Deng Chuan's habit of going to the library every day during vacation had annoyed Su Mian and Pei Qingyu, who complained she was being needlessly studious. Then, on New Year's Eve, while the two of them were busy planning to release sky lanterns that night, Deng Chuan remained silent. That afternoon, she sent a photo to their group chat- a picture of an open book, revealing she was at the library, all alone.
The two of them immediately took a taxi to the city library to catch her. Ever since, they'd been using the incident to tease her sarcastically, bringing it up for years.
"Hahahaha-" Su Mian burst out laughing happily. Seeing Deng Chuan raise a hand to hit her, she quickly grabbed it and begged for mercy. "I was wrong, I was wrong-"
Deng Chuan twisted her hand around to grip Su Mian's, squeezing. "Are you going to say it again?"
"Aiya- hahaha- I won't, I won't! Sss, it hurts-" Deng Chuan's strength was terrifying. Su Mian, having been a mischievous kid, was used to getting beaten up by her and was well-practiced in begging for mercy.
While begging for mercy, she tried to pull her hand back, but Deng Chuan held it fast. Unable to break free, she changed tactics and burrowed into her arms.
Caught off guard, Deng Chuan was knocked back a few steps and nearly fell.
Like the first flower of spring falling into her hair. An arm gently wrapped around her shoulder, steadying her in place. A faint fragrance washed over her, just like on the night they first met. The woman's gaze was still gentle. Only this time, she didn't say, "Be careful." Instead, she gave her a deep look and said with a smile, "Having so much fun, are we?"
The embrace from behind was soft and warm. Deng Chuan tensed, her back straightening, as she heard the patter of footsteps coming and going in the corridor.
Her lapse in attention didn't escape Xu Wei's eyes. Xu Wei released her hand. The texture of the school uniform was slightly coarse; she subtly rubbed her fingers together. She glanced at Su Mian, who was leaning against Deng Chuan, then said in a soft voice, "Class is about to start. Get to your classroom."
Teacher Xu's gaze was chilling. Su Mian straightened up as if by reflex, greeted her, and then turned and fled.
Seeing Su Mian run off so quickly, Deng Chuan turned her head in a daze and looked at Xu Wei without speaking. Xu Wei tilted her head, covering her face with the back of her hand to hide a smile, and asked, "What's wrong?"
The kid shook her head, stuffed a small package into her hand, and turned to enter the classroom.
Xu Wei looked down and saw a packet of cookies lying in her palm.
She curved her lips in an amused smile. Only little animals share their food, she thought.
After classes on Saturday morning, Deng Chuan's family had a lunch gathering. Her mom couldn't make it to pick her up, so she told her to take a taxi to the hotel herself.
Deng Chuan, a bag on her back, was dressed in layer upon layer. Her down-filled coat reached her calves, yet it didn't look bulky. Instead, because of her straight posture, she appeared tall and graceful. As she stood at the school gate waiting for a car, passersby would often give her a second glance.
In the family group chat, everyone had already arrived at the private room and were messaging to ask where she was, but the car she had booked was late. Deng Chuan glanced at the ride-hailing app; the driver seemed to be driving in circles somewhere.
She stomped her foot in frustration and looked down the road. All the cars within her sight were rushing past; not a single one was stopping.
Another five minutes passed. Deng Chuan hung up the call from her family and checked the app again. The driver was now one kilometer away.
She relaxed. About a minute later, a car glided to the side of the road and stopped.
Deng Chuan glanced at the app, saw the color matched, and impatiently pulled open the passenger-side door and slipped inside.
"Hello." She deftly fastened her seatbelt. "Okay, let's go."
But the driver in the driver's seat didn't move. Deng Chuan turned around in confusion, but the face that met her eyes wasn't the ride-hailing driver she expected, but Xu Wei, from whom she had just parted ways.
Facing Deng Chuan, she hid the confusion in her eyes well, transforming it into a gentle, teasing smile.
Meeting her gaze, Xu Wei said slowly, "Hello. May I ask where the passenger would like to go?"
Deng Chuan's face turned red. She stammered, "Did… did I get in the wrong car…?"
Xu Wei said, "Yes and no."
She reached out to stop her from unbuckling her seatbelt. "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride."
"N-no, it's okay. I've already called a car." Deng Chuan stretched out her fingers, reaching for the seatbelt buckle.
She was strong, and Xu Wei couldn't hold her back. In the midst of the struggle, her hand was instead easily covered by Deng Chuan's palm.
Once she reached the seatbelt buckle, Deng Chuan suddenly didn't want to open it anymore.
Palm against the back of a hand- this time, it was true skin-on-skin contact. The heat was on in the car, and the back of Xu Wei's hand was warm. It was as if it had been frozen stiff by Deng Chuan's cold hand, allowing her to hold it without moving.
One second, two seconds. The back of her hand was covered. The skin began to warm slightly. Deng Chuan applied a little pressure, rubbing it quietly. Xu Wei realized what was happening but didn't move, only looking up into her eyes impassively.
A storm was raging in Deng Chuan's eyes, far from the calmness of her hand. Xu Wei seemed to understand everything, yet she showed no surprise, as if the dust had finally settled.
The two of them remained in a stalemate. A minute? Two minutes? Deng Chuan didn't know how much time had passed. Long enough for her palm to grow hot, long enough for her frantic heart to calm down, long enough for her phone to start vibrating.
She hastily answered the call.
Xu Wei pulled her hand back and started the car.
On the other end of the line, her dad's voice was terrifyingly loud. "Baby- where are you? Why aren't you answering your messages."
The background was noisy. Her family were all loud talkers, and the sound of a group of them speaking at once made Deng Chuan feel flustered.
She responded to her dad's concern, saying, "I wasn't looking at my phone just now- I'm almost there, I'm halfway. You guys go ahead and eat."
"-Yeah, don't worry, I'll be there soon. Bye, see you in a bit."
She hung up. They had just reached the red light at the intersection outside the school. Xu Wei stopped the car, and the traffic outside the window came to a halt with them. At the school intersection, the red light lasted a full 120 seconds.
The car was silent. Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere was a little strange, like a tacit stalemate.
110 seconds. Deng Chuan glanced up at Xu Wei. She was gazing at the bustling intersection ahead, her expression calm.
90 seconds. The air conditioner sent out a steady stream of warm air. Deng Chuan suddenly noticed that the tips of Xu Wei's ears were a little red. Her skin was fair, so the redness was particularly obvious.
80 seconds. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Xu Wei turned her head and asked, "Where to?"
Their eyes met, and Deng Chuan's gaze flickered involuntarily. "Jingsheng Grand Hotel."
"Mm." Xu Wei said nothing more and turned her head back to the front.
Deng Chuan canceled the ride-hailing order. The driver still hadn't even tried to contact her.
She put down her phone. Looking around, she belatedly realized- she was sitting in Xu Wei's car!
In the recess of the window by her hand was a half-used tube of hand cream. The storage compartment was piled with tissues, an orange, paper documents, and a few scattered candies. A peace knot was tied in front of her.
There was no car air freshener. All around, there was only her scent.
She was a little closer to her now.
No one spoke. Xu Wei's gaze also fell on the traffic light. 25 seconds left.
She was silent, one hand propping up her head, the other resting on the steering wheel, tapping out an intermittent rhythm.
The inside of the car was as calm as a pool of water, but what lay hidden beneath the surface, no one could say.
"Deng Chuan." Xu Wei suddenly asked softly, "Do you really know where you're going?"
It was as if a breeze had blown past, sending ripples across the pool.
The question seemed to hold a deeper meaning. Xu Wei had asked it abruptly, but Deng Chuan understood. She answered:
"I do, Teacher Xu. Do you?"
Ten seconds remained on the red light. After speaking, Deng Chuan withdrew her gaze and looked out the window. A flock of birds was soaring across the clear sky.
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