BSS - Chapter 38
Chapter 38
The next day, Deng Chuan woke up bright and early.
She had turned down the flood of party invitations from friends at other schools that came with the end of the Gaokao. On the second night after the Gaokao, she went to bed early and woke up early, her routine as regular as it had been in her third year of high school.
When Deng Chuan pulled open the curtains, she paused for a moment before the familiar morning light. The same light, the same person, but the things she had to face were now completely different. For a split second, Deng Chuan felt as if she were in a dream.
With this sentimental feeling, she walked to the kitchen, heated a glass of milk for herself, and took a bag of bread from the refrigerator.
Tang Lijuan, who had to work, pushed open her bedroom door and was startled to see her. "Baby, what are you doing up so early? You can sleep in now that you're on vacation."
Deng Chuan tore at the crust of her toast and said, "I'm not tired. I have things to do today."
"Oh, you're going out to have fun, right? Go on, go on. Relax and have a good time with your friends." Tang Lijuan said cheerfully, reaching for a slice of toast.
Hearing this, Deng Chuan didn't explain further, just gave a vague "Mhm."
After finishing breakfast, Tang Lijuan left for work, leaving Deng Chuan with the soft click of the closing door. Deng Chuan didn't know if Lao Deng was home; most likely, she was alone again.
Because she was seeing Xu Wei in the afternoon, Deng Chuan had spent a good while rummaging through her closet early on. After much deliberation, she picked out a pair of black dress trousers. The cut was excellent-she couldn't remember who had given them to her-and they made her legs look long, straight, and slender. Paired with a solid-colored T-shirt, she looked very composed, almost unlike a high school student. For her first official meeting with Xu Wei after the Gaokao, Deng Chuan was determined to dress a little more maturely.
Deng Chuan had sensed the subtle shift in Xu Wei's attitude after the Gaokao with a sharpness that surpassed Xu Wei's own. Deng Chuan could also see what Xu Wei was worried about; she was the sole object and feedback unit for Xu Wei's emotions. Since that's the case, Deng Chuan thought, the force of affection is mutual. I absolutely can't bear to let the feelings Xu Wei is conveying fall flat. The current timing required not only Xu Wei's effort but hers as well. Deng Chuan was very patient. She was like someone solving the final, major question on the Gaokao math exam-by taking each step steadily and not overlooking any possibility, she would get the highest possible score.
The final major question on the Gaokao math exam was usually the one the examiners used to create a gap between students' scores.
Deng Chuan imagined herself pulling far ahead of the pack in this competition and winning the final championship.
She let out a silly laugh, changed her clothes, and checked her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room.
It was still early. Deng Chuan scrolled through her phone, turned on the projector in her bedroom, and randomly selected a movie to watch.
She had never known that a morning could feel so long.
The entire morning, she holed up in her bedroom, watching a movie, then a bit of a documentary, and picking out a few videos on photographic aesthetics. By the time she was done, it was just past ten.
Pei Qingyu posted in the group chat: Morning, I just woke up.
Deng Chuan replied: Good afternoon.
Pei Qingyu sent a Pepe the Frog question mark sticker.
Deng Chuan sent back a Shiba Inu head-pat sticker, one from Xu Wei.
To Pei Qingyu, it was incredibly passive-aggressive.
Ignoring Pei Qingyu's retaliatory spamming in the group chat, Deng Chuan exited the group and clicked into her chat with Xu Wei. The conversation had stopped at the "good morning" she had sent earlier. It seemed Xu Wei wasn't awake yet.
She imagined the scene of Xu Wei sleeping in and wished she could be the one sleeping in with her right now.
Sigh. Even a smart and down-to-earth kid would occasionally wonder in secret, Can't I just take one big leap into the future?
After what felt like an eternity, noon arrived, and Xu Wei finally sent a message saying she was up. Then, Teacher Xu very frankly admitted she had been sleeping in.
She explained: I've been so tired lately… I must have subconsciously wanted to sleep more, and before I knew it, I'd slept until now.
She asked Deng Chuan: Why are you up so early? You didn't pull an all-nighter, did you?
Deng Chuan's heart melted completely at the slice-of-life aura Xu Wei was exuding.
"No." She didn't dare say it was because she couldn't sleep thinking about Xu Wei. "I'm just used to waking up this early."
Xu Wei sent that Shiba Inu head-pat sticker again.
Deng Chuan said: I've already been watching a movie for a while, and you're just now waking up.
Xu Wei replied good-naturedly: Well… what should we do about that?
She then asked: What movie did you watch?
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Before Xu Wei could reply, Deng Chuan quickly typed: "Your punishment is to watch a movie with me. Time to be determined!"
Teacher Xu hesitated righteously for thirty seconds before succumbing to her heart's bias: "Okay."
Her single word caused a small pause in the chat box, as if something had shifted again. Both of them sensed it keenly.
Xu Wei tried to forget about it and brought the conversation back to the movie Deng Chuan had watched: "I think I saw that in college. I don't remember the plot anymore, just that the composition was beautiful."
Yes! Yes, exactly! Deng Chuan replied instantly, then sent Xu Wei the screenshots she had taken while watching the movie that morning. She launched into a long explanation about symmetrical composition, color palettes, cinematography techniques, and the connections and metaphors between the plot and the visuals. By the time Deng Chuan realized it, the chat page was filled with only her messages.
Perhaps having never seen Deng Chuan say so much at once, Xu Wei took a while to reply.
Xu Wei said: So professional.
Through the screen, through the words, Deng Chuan could almost hear the smile in Xu Wei's tone. She said, Student Deng is so professional. It seems I'm the one who's gaining something by getting to watch a movie with you.
She sent back a sticker of a small cat covering its face and rolling around in a pillow.
The two chatted for a while. Xu Wei had set their meeting time for two in the afternoon. Factoring in travel time, Deng Chuan had lunch and then left the house.
The sun was high in the sky outside. Deng Chuan was so eager to leave that she even forgot to bring an umbrella. She walked from her home to the subway station under the scorching sun, and then from the subway station to the school.
By the time she was standing at the door to Xu Wei's dorm, she was drenched in sweat.
Xu Wei paused when she opened the door, then quickly ushered her inside, pouring her a glass of water.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it. This is the hottest time of day. I should have scheduled it for later."
The air conditioner wasn't on in the room. Xu Wei picked up a magazine and fanned Deng Chuan gently. Deng Chuan's skin was fair, so the redness from the sun was particularly noticeable. Xu Wei frowned, remembering her sunscreen was already packed away in a sealed box. She sighed and said softly:
"It's so sunny. Why didn't you use an umbrella?"
Sweat from Deng Chuan's temple trickled down her jawline to her chin. She took the tissue and wiped her face vaguely. "I forgot. I was halfway here when I realized I didn't bring one."
She was a little embarrassed. The shyness mixed with her sweaty brow didn't make her look disheveled; instead, it exuded an unstoppable youthful energy.
Xu Wei averted her gaze, pulled out a few more tissues, and handed them over.
"Have you eaten?"
"Mhm."
Deng Chuan glanced around the room. Neatly packed boxes were stacked in one corner, leaving only some scattered books and magazines, along with Zhou Liu's litter box.
Zhou Liu was curled up lazily on the sofa. He only meowed once when he saw Deng Chuan enter. Deng Chuan sat down on the sofa and reached out to pet him, but he didn't react much.
He still had the sleek, lordly appearance of a master. After being neutered, his cheeks had started to fill out, becoming much rounder.
As Deng Chuan petted him, she asked Xu Wei, "Has Zhou Liu gotten fatter?"
"Mhm." Xu Wei looked down at the two of them. "He gained two pounds after being neutered."
"Wow." Deng Chuan pinched the flesh on Zhou Liu's back. It was soft.
She took a moment to catch her breath, drank all the water Xu Wei had poured for her, and as the heat gradually subsided, she stood up to help Xu Wei pack.
Xu Wei stopped her. "I'm almost done. You don't have to. Don't get your hands dirty."
Deng Chuan crouched beside her, stared at her face, and hummed in agreement.
Xu Wei couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong…" She added, "I'm not wearing any makeup today…"
A gentle touch brushed her cheek. Deng Chuan looked at her and said, "You've got some dust on you."
Holding a tissue, she wiped it away very gently. Then she added, "You look beautiful without makeup, too. It makes no difference."
Xu Wei gazed at her face, letting her do as she pleased, and said, "You can't see much of a difference now. In a few years, the gap between when I wear makeup and when I don't will be as big as the gap between you and me…"
Deng Chuan applied a little pressure, and Xu Wei fell silent. In the afternoon sunlight, feeling the gentle wiping on her face, Xu Wei only heard the person before her say, "I'm saying it makes no difference now. You talk about the future, so in the future, I'll tell you it makes no difference. I'll keep telling you that, all the way into the future, and the future after that. Okay?"
Xu Wei didn't speak. After a moment, Deng Chuan heard her give a soft "mhm."
Ignoring Xu Wei's protests, the two of them quickly finished packing the last few things. After a few trips up and down, they had loaded all the boxes into the trunk of Xu Wei's car.
Zhou Liu obediently walked into the pet carrier, which was lined with a pee pad, and allowed Deng Chuan to lift him and place him in the back seat next to a cardboard box.
By now, Deng Chuan was an expert at riding in Xu Wei's car. She settled into the passenger seat with practiced ease, fastened her seatbelt, and almost felt like catching up with the good-luck charm hanging from the rearview mirror.
The new place Xu Wei had rented wasn't far from the school. It was in a residential complex with a high occupancy rate, good landscaping, and a quiet atmosphere.
The two of them made a few more trips to move everything into the apartment. The place was a typical studio apartment. It had a kitchen, but Deng Chuan suspected Xu Wei probably had no need to cook, as there was no cookware among her belongings.
The apartment was quite clean, but the two of them still did some light cleaning. When it was time for dinner, Xu Wei asked Deng Chuan, "What do you want to eat?"
Deng Chuan said, "I'm fine with anything. It's up to you."
In the end, after a round of deferring to each other over "whose preference should decide dinner," they put their heads together and unanimously decided on KFC.
While waiting for the food delivery, Deng Chuan helped Xu Wei do some simple unpacking. Zhou Liu was finally let out and began to patrol his new territory, walking back and forth through the room.
While eating fries, Xu Wei asked Deng Chuan, "Do you want ketchup?"
Deng Chuan said, "I don't eat ketchup."
Xu Wei said, "What a coincidence. Me neither."
"I think fries with just salt are the most delicious."
"Exactly."
The two immediately abandoned the ketchup packets and quickly devoured two large orders of fries.
After a busy afternoon, both of them were genuinely hungry. They didn't worry about their appetites or appearances in front of each other and ate a solid dinner.
After dinner, Deng Chuan showed no intention of leaving, and Xu Wei didn't say anything either. She poured her a glass of water. "I haven't bought any cups yet, so we only have disposable ones."
Deng Chuan took it without minding, drank it all in one go, and said smoothly, "Then let's go to the supermarket to buy some together in the future."
"Mhm." Xu Wei lowered her eyes. "Let's skip it for today. We've been busy all afternoon, so let's not go out tonight."
She then asked her, "You woke up so early today. Are you tired?"
Deng Chuan smiled. "Not tired."
Suddenly, she leaned in extremely close, almost pressing against Xu Wei's ear, and asked, "Teacher Xu, since we're not going out tonight, what, are we going to do?"
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