BSS - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Xu Wei approved the request at 9:36 PM. At that time, Deng Chuan was still in her dorm watching a movie with Su Mian and the others, and hadn't looked at her phone.

The chat interface between them only showed the automatic message sent after adding a friend. Deng Chuan couldn't think of anything to talk to Xu Wei about, so she added a contact name for her and casually opened her profile.

Xu Wei's profile was sparse, easily scrolled to the bottom. She didn't even share many articles from public accounts. The most recent original post was from the New Year when she went home and posted pictures of her cat-the Ragdoll from her profile picture-in a rare nine-photo grid. Before that, she had posted a picture of a Tchaikovsky concert ticket stub. The original post before that was from three years ago, a calmly worded complaint that the tomato and beef brisket she'd made was too tough to chew.

Deng Chuan couldn't help but laugh.

Deng Chuan herself rarely posted either. But she liked photography, so every so often, she would post the photos she'd taken during that period. Over time, her feed looked quite lively. A false prosperity, of sorts.

She exited Xu Wei's profile. It was getting late, but since it was the weekend, the chat in several of her friend groups was still lively.

Su Mian tagged her in a group chat. Deng Chuan clicked on it and saw they were calling her over to gossip.

She had no interest in trashy celebrity relationship gossip. With a touch of mischief, she left the message on "read" but pretended she hadn't seen it. The topic in the group chat moved on quickly, and Deng Chuan selectively replied to a few messages. She browsed Weibo for a while, and seeing it was about time, she put her phone away and went to sleep.

Night fell. The temperature had been dropping for days, and the late-night air was especially crisp and cold. The campus streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, dappling the ground with the shadows of trees. A breeze rustled by, making the leaves dance like waves.

After hanging her laundry, Xu Wei returned indoors, bringing a chill with her. The little cat was lying on her bed, playing with its own tail.

Xu Wei normally didn't allow it on the bed. But whenever she left it in the storage box and walked away, the kitten would meow pitifully. Teacher Xu, who was always so composed and in control in front of her students, was now helpless against a cat. She could only give in and let it follow her.

That evening, she drove the kitten to a nearby veterinary clinic for deworming and a check-up. The examination showed that the kitten had no major problems, just that it was a bit weak.

After returning from the clinic, Xu Wei sent a message to Qin Shu, and knowing full well Qin Shu's cat-crazy nature, she thoughtfully attached a short video. Qin Shu's excitement was palpable. She pestered Xu Wei for videos all night and announced she was returning to school early-she'd be back by noon tomorrow!

Xu Wei moved the kitten aside and lay down, ready to sleep. Qin Shu was still bothering her, sending a flood of messages filled with exclamation points.

She decided to pretend she hadn't seen them.

Qin Shu had said she'd arrive at noon, but in reality, she woke Xu Wei up at nine in the morning. Xu Wei had been repeatedly disturbed by the kitten last night. By the time dawn broke, the kitten was tired too, and having settled down, it finally fell asleep obediently next to Xu Wei.

But she hadn't been asleep for long before she was startled awake by Qin Shu's exclamations.

First, Qin Shu shook Xu Wei awake. Then, she scooped up the kitten and buried her face in its fur. After that, she let out a soft gasp of delight when the kitten lifted a paw to wash its face.

"So cute-"

Xu Wei lay flat on her back, sighed at the white ceiling, then rolled out of bed to wash up.

She then warned Qin Shu, who was itching to get on her bed and pet the cat, "Don't get on my bed with your outside clothes on."

"Okay, okay." Qin Shu gently scooped the kitten into her arms. "Let's not mind her. Let's come over here."

Xu Wei turned a deaf ear, pretending she hadn't heard.

After a morning of commotion, the kitten was exhausted from Qin Shu's fussing. It lay in her arms, fast asleep, its little belly rising and falling.

Cradling the cat, Qin Shu sidled over. "Sister Wei, Sister Wei, what should we name it?"

Xu Wei was indifferent. "You decide."

Qin Shu objected. "How can I do that! A name represents a mother's most sincere blessing for her child!"

Xu Wei: "Are you its mother?"

Qin Shu said, "I can be!"

Xu Wei: "I'm not. I'm its sister."

Qin Shu: "? Forget it, I won't ask you. You have no heart!"

She circled Xu Wei with the cat in her arms, muttering, "How about we call you Milk? Is that name unlucky for a cat? It sounds like it would give you diarrhea... They say a humble name makes for a hardy life, so how about you be called Goudan! But it's too weird for a cat to be called Goudan. It sounds like the family doesn't care and just picked a random name, and that won't do..."

The circling made Xu Wei dizzy. She stood up, changed her clothes, and prepared to go out. Qin Shu called after her eagerly, "Where are you going-"

The door shut with a thud. "To eat."

In the end, Qin Shu chased after her. Food delivery wasn't allowed on campus, so they had to eat at the cafeteria. Just as she stepped outside, she saw Xu Wei standing not far away, watching her unhurriedly.

This was the look Qin Shu couldn't stand the most. Ever since she'd known Xu Wei, Xu Wei had always worn this calm expression of having everything under control. Back when they weren't close, she even thought Xu Wei was a scheming bitch. She was so good at planning things, even when she needed to ask someone for a favor, that in the end, it would seem like that person owed her instead.

But she didn't dare say it out loud. She was afraid that Xu Wei could sell her and she'd still be helping count the money. Forget it, if you can't beat them, join them. "I knew you'd wait for me."

Xu Wei could tell at a glance that Qin Shu was silently badmouthing her. She curved her lips in a somewhat helpless smile. "Let's go."

After lunch, the two of them strolled along a campus path to aid their digestion. Students were returning to school one after another, and the campus was starting to get lively again.

In the evening, after feeding the cat, Xu Wei walked to the classroom door and heard a clamor. After a weekend off, the students' minds had run wild. They wouldn't quiet down until class started. She had deliberately come a few minutes early to enforce discipline during tonight's self-study session and get the students back into the right mindset.

She sat down quietly at the teacher's desk and waited for the self-study session to begin.

Unexpectedly, Deng Chuan was the only one in the entire class to arrive late, sauntering in after the session had already started. She was breathing a little heavily, with some sweat on her temples, looking uncharacteristically flustered.

She greeted Xu Wei upon entering, then leaned in and apologized in a low voice, saying she was late because of traffic. As she leaned close, the scent of her laundry detergent enveloped Xu Wei.

Xu Wei didn't say anything, only gesturing for her to hurry back to her seat.

After watching Deng Chuan sit down, Xu Wei stood up and said concisely, "Perhaps most of you already know. From this Wednesday to Saturday, the school will be holding its sports meet-"

The classroom grew noisy for a moment. She raised a hand to signal for quiet and added with emphasis, "But-"

Wu Fuwu finished her sentence, "-but it has nothing to do with us-"

"Correct." Xu Wei gave a faint smile. "However, you will get a half-day off for the opening ceremony. So, on Wednesday morning, you're free to do as you please. You can go watch the opening ceremony-" She paused slightly. "Or you can come to the classroom for self-study."

A wave of laughter filled the classroom, and Xu Wei also revealed a slight smile. "That's all. You can continue with your self-study now."

Wu Fuwu nudged Deng Chuan's shoulder and asked her, and also those around them, "Do you guys want to go watch the opening ceremony?"

Deng Chuan was noncommittal. "I'm fine with whatever."

Yu Xiao, however, was very interested, saying she wanted to go see her junior.

At No. 1 High School's sports meet, the opening ceremony featured each class making an entrance. Every class could design its own costumes and presentation, making it one of the highlights of the event.

Going with the flow, the group immediately decided to go watch the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Wednesday. An undercurrent of excitement had filled the air since early morning.

The weather was exceptionally clear. A gentle breeze caressed their faces, and the ginkgo trees along the road swayed lightly, blanketing the ground in gold and making the school look like a filming location for a youth movie. The sports field was already filled with students grouped by class, and red flags fluttered high in the air.

Deng Chuan's group sat down in the stands. The opening ceremony hadn't officially started yet, but the stands were already nearly full. The sun looked down gently upon the world. Deng Chuan wasn't wearing her school uniform jacket, just a simple hoodie, but she already felt a little warm.

Feeling the sun was a bit strong, she pulled up her hood and leaned back, trying to bury herself in the shadow of the crowd.

A while later, at 8:30, the opening ceremony officially began.

Deng Chuan squinted, watching nonchalantly with her arms crossed as the classes paraded past one by one. Some wore their school uniforms, others wore themed JK uniforms, and there were even one or two in cosplay. The music marched on with a steady rhythm. The brim of her hood was low, blocking the light and partially obscuring her eyes.

She suddenly felt a little sleepy.

Wu Fuwu and the others, however, were in high spirits. It was a rare chance to get a break from the monotonous and dull study life of their senior year, and they chatted nonstop.

Suddenly, the light in front of her was completely blocked, bringing a brief, pleasant coolness. Deng Chuan, who had already closed her eyes, opened them. She saw that it was the young teacher from the other day-the one who wanted to copy Xu Wei's report-pulling Xu Wei along and talking to their group.

She didn't say hello. She just opened her eyes and remained silent with her head lowered.

It was Wu Fuwu who had called them over. He enthusiastically scooted to the side, forcing out enough space for the two of them.

Xu Wei was wearing a floral maxi dress with a small jacket today. The hem of her dress fluttered slightly in the wind, revealing her fair ankles.

Standing for too long would block the view of the people behind them, so Qin Shu had already plopped down. Xu Wei glanced at Deng Chuan, who sat with her head down and hood up, then carefully pressed down her skirt as she sat beside her.

Qin Shu chatted idly with them, and Xu Wei would occasionally chime in. Deng Chuan remained silent, sleeping with her eyes closed.

The sun gradually climbed higher. It was getting hot, and the school, quite considerately, sent water to the stands. Xu Wei took a bottle and tried to twist it open, but couldn't. She handed it to Qin Shu.

Qin Shu was very confident. She mocked Xu Wei for being too weak, gave the cap a fierce twist, and failed to open it. She tried again using a tissue for grip, but still couldn't open it. Seeing Xu Wei's faint, teasing smile, Qin Shu refused to give up and wanted to try again.

"Let me!" Wu Fuwu took it, also twisted it confidently, and realized something was wrong. He used his sleeve to get a better grip and twisted again, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Well..." Qin Shu looked at the water bottle. She said to Xu Wei, "Why don't we just forget it? It seems like it doesn't really want you to drink it."

Xu Wei's mouth twitched. Qin Shu swore she could see a blatant message in her eyes: "You think you're so funny?"

There was a brief silence. Xu Wei took the water bottle back and said, "Forget it. I'll drink it later."

Deng Chuan, without a word, sighed internally. She took her meal card out of her pocket. "Use a card to score it." She took the water bottle, scored the perforated connection on the cap, and twisted it open.

"Wow! You can do that?!" Qin Shu's eyes lit up. "I've learned something new."

She handed the water to Xu Wei. Xu Wei took it but didn't drink. She looked closely at Deng Chuan's face; her eyes looked a little tired. Was she sleeping just now?

Yu Xiao laughed and teased, "Deng Chuan is definitely single by her own merit."

Deng Chuan leaned back and let out a huff of laughter at the comment.

Wu Fuwu added, "Exactly. Not leaving any path for us guys to survive. Might as well just get a girlfriend."

No one spoke.

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