BSS - Chapter 69
Chapter 69
When Xu Wei woke up the next morning, Deng Chuan was already gone from her side.
Zhou Liu had taken her place, licking his fur by the pillow. It was the sound of his tongue rasping against his coat that had woken Xu Wei.
The room was bright with daylight. Xu Wei lay in bed for a while, feeling a bit dazed. She scrolled through her phone. It was the third day of the National Day holiday, and everyone was still enjoying their break. Her social media feed was a long stream of photos posted by colleagues and friends who were traveling or dining out. There were also many unread messages from Yang Jing, who wasn't on holiday and was working overtime at her clinic. Every morning when Xu Wei opened her eyes, her phone was full of messages Yang Jing had sent out of boredom during her night shifts.
Her messages were a hodgepodge of things she'd found while surfing the internet. Xu Wei replied to a few of them, then figured Yang Jing was probably catching up on sleep now and didn't send any more.
Zhou Liu was still vigorously grooming himself. Xu Wei reached out to pet him, and in return, got her hand licked and covered in saliva.
Xu Wei wiped the saliva back onto the cat. The stinging sensation from the barbs on its tongue finally cleared her head. The apartment was silent; she had no idea where Deng Chuan had gone.
As she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, she called out softly, "Deng Chuan-"
The young woman's reply came from the direction of the kitchen.
Xu Wei entered the bathroom and tied up the hair scattered around her shoulders and face, revealing her delicate features. Hearing Deng Chuan's response, her brow twitched noticeably, showing a hint of relief.
The bathroom door closed with a soft click, shutting out Zhou Liu, who had been following at Xu Wei's heels.
Deng Chuan was busy in the kitchen. When Xu Wei emerged, refreshed, from the bathroom, the first thing she saw was Deng Chuan's slender back.
She walked over, and Deng Chuan felt a sudden tightness around her waist. The next second, Xu Wei's warmth and fragrance completely enveloped her. Xu Wei leaned in and whispered softly in her ear, "What are you doing?"
Deng Chuan said, "Making you sweet soup."
Xu Wei paused, not quite understanding. "What sweet soup?"
"Sweet Egg Drop Soup." The young woman turned to look at her, her dark, bright eyes filled with a smile. "I looked it up online. People from Chaoshan have to drink Sweet Egg Drop Soup on their birthdays."
This was true. Xu Wei leaned against her, her voice muffled. "But my birthday has already passed."
"I didn't know before, so I'm making it up to you now," Deng Chuan said with an easy confidence, stirring the wisps of egg in the pot. She added, "I originally wanted to make you sweet dumplings. But I failed."
Xu Wei glanced at the countertop nearby, which was a mess of flour. "Where are the dumplings?"
"In the trash," Deng Chuan said, embarrassed. "After I cooked them, I took a bite, and the inside was still raw. But if I cooked them a little longer, they just dissolved."
Xu Wei tightened her arms around her, uncharacteristically willful. "Don't throw them away next time. I want to eat them even if they're failures."
Deng Chuan nudged her face affectionately and turned off the stove. "Have this first."
She brought the pot and the sugar jar to the dining table, and Xu Wei sat down. She watched Deng Chuan bustle about, ladling soup for her, a smile playing on her lips.
The white porcelain bowl was filled with a clear, sweet soup, the egg flowers fluffy and practically melting in her mouth. Xu Wei took a few sips and discovered several white lotus seeds at the bottom of the bowl.
"Is it sweet enough? I can add more sugar if it's not," Deng Chuan said, watching her intently.
Xu Wei nodded, then shook her head, indicating that it was delicious. She took another spoonful, holding the spoon in her mouth as she spoke, her words muffled and sounding like a spoiled child. "Why aren't you eating?"
The young woman smiled sheepishly. "I was tasting it while I cooked. I'm already full."
Xu Wei's eyes curved into crescents. Deng Chuan sat across from her, resting her chin on her hands and watching. The sweet food seemed to soften Xu Wei's entire demeanor. She ate the soup one spoonful at a time, the spoon occasionally clinking against the porcelain bowl, creating a crisp sound like a tiny melody.
Deng Chuan's heart soared along with this little tune.
Xu Wei finished one bowl and, unusually, served herself another. She saw Deng Chuan's eyebrows raise in pleasant surprise and asked with a smile, "What? Are you that happy?"
Deng Chuan watched her, chin in hand, her eyes sparkling. "If you eat more, I get a sense of accomplishment, like I'm raising a daughter."
Xu Wei shot her a subtle glare. "Who's whose daughter?"
She lowered her eyes, held the bowl of sweet soup, and took another demure sip.
That one glance sent Deng Chuan's heart into a flutter. She stared at Xu Wei intently. "Either way is fine with me."
"In your dreams."
After they finished the soup, the leftovers were sealed and put in the fridge. Deng Chuan didn't let Xu Wei get her hands dirty, cleaning up the messy kitchen herself. When she came out, wiping her wet hands, Xu Wei was sitting on the sofa, reading a book.
Bright sunlight streamed in from outside. Last night's rain had stopped, and the air drifting in was filled with a post-rain freshness. Xu Wei looked so quiet and beautiful when she was reading. Deng Chuan sat down beside her and also picked up a book from the nearby pile.
The book Deng Chuan randomly grabbed was the one about Fermat's Last Theorem she had seen in Xu Wei's office before. Xu Wei had clearly finished it. Many parts of the book were marked with notes and highlights in different colored pens, indicating they were written on different days. Some places were underlined, with just a simple sentence written beside them.
Deng Chuan followed the notes and the book's content, tracing Xu Wei's line of thought.
What was Xu Wei thinking when she read this? she wondered.
With this starting point, Deng Chuan read earnestly about the wonders and perseverance of mathematics described in the book, and in doing so, she found a sense of happiness greater than any she had ever experienced from studying before.
Deng Chuan belatedly realized that this feeling of happiness was in no way inferior to all the pride she had felt in her academic abilities over the past eighteen years.
The two of them read quietly. Xu Wei leaned against Deng Chuan. After the rain, the weather had gradually turned cooler, and the warmth of their bodies pressed together was perfectly comfortable.
Summer was slowly fading away.
The National Day holiday was also being consumed day by day. Before this holiday, Xu Wei had never realized that the age gap between her and Deng Chuan would present itself as a gap in stamina. She really couldn't keep up with an eager young lover who'd had a taste of pleasure. Finally, on the fifth day of the holiday, Xu Wei stopped Deng Chuan's approaching shoulder as they lay in bed.
The extensive marks Deng Chuan had left on her neck had mostly disappeared, leaving only a few stubborn or newly added dark red spots, like small accessories worn around her neck.
The young woman's kiss was poised to land. Xu Wei looked into her desirous eyes and softened her voice, coaxing her, "Shouldn't you go home for a visit today? Don't let your family worry."
Deng Chuan looked at her innocently. "My family doesn't know I'm back."
Xu Wei caressed her face, persuading her, "Be good- if I were your mother, and my daughter who I'd raised for so long came home without a word and didn't even come to see me, I'd definitely be very sad."
Deng Chuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright then…"
She leaned down and kissed Xu Wei's lips. "I'll go home for a bit later. I probably won't be back to sleep tonight."
Before Xu Wei could nod, she heard Deng Chuan whisper right next to her ear, her voice drawn out and light, "Can you manage sleeping all by yourself?"
The little one had learned to feign retreat in order to advance. Xu Wei couldn't help but laugh in exasperation at her seductive tone. "I've always slept alone, why wouldn't I be able to?"
Seeing her little trick didn't work on Xu Wei, Deng Chuan unconsciously pouted, her eyes filled with both vexation and regret. "But I want to sleep with you."
The little one couldn't bear to be apart from her. Xu Wei's gaze softened without her realizing it. She stroked Deng Chuan's face, and before she could speak, she felt Deng Chuan lean down to kiss her ear, murmuring, "Teacher is right, I have to go home. So… can we make up for tonight's portion now?"
Xu Wei's body tensed involuntarily from her proximity, the heat, and her own racing heart. Her voice trembled slightly. "No-"
"Please," Deng Chuan begged in a low voice, though her hands were already moving with purpose. She took Xu Wei's wrist, interlaced their fingers, and pressed their joined hands beside the pillow.
"Please. Teacher."
Deng Chuan pressed close to Xu Wei's ear and whispered again.
"Please."
Xu Wei was left completely speechless. She wrapped her arms around Deng Chuan's slender back. After a moment, she called her name, "Deng Chuan-"
She received a muffled grunt in response.
That afternoon, Deng Chuan packed up and scurried home. She had called her mom and learned that both her parents were home. As she stood at the door and raised her hand to ring the doorbell, her shoulder still ached a little- that morning, after they were finished, Xu Wei had given her a rare, annoyed bite, the teeth marks landing right in the middle of her shoulder.
When Tang Lijuan opened the door, she saw her daughter looking rosy and healthy.
Deng Chuan hadn't brought any luggage, simply saying she had stayed at a friend's house for the past few days. Tang Lijuan had always been lenient with her, and even more so after she started university. Seeing her daughter standing before her in one piece, she acknowledged it and didn't give it another thought.
Deng Chuan had missed her mother's enthusiastic embrace. She was thoroughly kissed several times by her mom before being allowed inside. Lao Deng was sitting on the sofa, pretending to flip through a newspaper. On the table was a half-finished game of Chinese checkers.
Deng Chuan called out to him, "Dad-"
Lao Deng eagerly replied from behind the newspaper, "Ah, my dear daughter. You're back."
He was speaking, but the newspaper he was holding didn't come down. Deng Chuan found it a bit strange. "Dad, what are you hiding from?"
"What am I hiding from-" Lao Deng's attempt to argue was cut short by Tang Lijuan, who had entered the living room. Her tone was cheerful. "Exactly- what are you hiding? Let your daughter see your honorable face."
Curious, Deng Chuan stopped in her tracks.
Stuck in a bind, Lao Deng grumbled as he lowered the newspaper. His face was covered in paper strips, making him look utterly ridiculous.
Tang Lijuan laughed with particular delight.
He had been a bit embarrassed at first, but seeing his daughter trying to stifle her laughter, he laughed too. "Honestly- Deng Chuan, you be the judge. I'm playing Chinese checkers with your mom, but how can she be like this? These kinds of uncivilized punishment rules should be banned…"
Tang Lijuan was perfectly justified. "The rules apply to both of us. If you won, I'd have to stick them on my face too- come on, isn't it your turn?" She sat down on the sofa, facing the game board. "You didn't secretly make a move while I was getting the door, did you?"
Lao Deng let out a cry of protest. "You can question my skill, but you can't question my character."
Tang Lijuan snorted dismissively, raising a delicate eyebrow. "What character do you have that can withstand questioning?"
Lao Deng's indignant reply came from behind her. Hearing this, Deng Chuan really wanted Xu Wei to be there to listen- her parents' antics meant they didn't need her back at all.
Deng Chuan opened the door to her room. The decor was exactly as she had left it. Yet, a sudden, long-absent sadness washed over her.
Even though it was her own home, Deng Chuan felt she was no longer the teenager who had lived in this room just a few months ago. Was this what growing up was like? Once you left home, you set foot on a path from which you could never turn back.
She pulled open the tightly drawn curtains, wanting to let the sunlight stream in. But the scorching summer sun was gone, and from the window drifted a few faint hints of autumn.
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