BSS - Chapter 88
Chapter 88
The office was silent; the school was utterly quiet. This quiet was completely different from the quiet of the night. The school's quiet was like the ticking of a second hand-within the silence was hidden time, hidden the straight backs of the students.
Everyone knew it wasn't a true quiet; this silence held an immense tension unique to youth.
In the gray-white winter, doors and windows were shut tight. The lights in the classrooms were on, illuminating the black hair of the students with their heads bowed and the hands that gripped their pens.
Outside the classroom, Deng Chuan was also enjoying this quiet. The clock in the office ticked away, like an accompaniment to her moment. In one's youth, there are always moments of sudden enlightenment. They are like dreams-you are unaware while in them, but when you wake, you step into the next journey.
Now, it was time to wake from the dream.
Deng Chuan lowered her head, lost in thought for a good while before looking up. She grabbed a few tissues and messily wiped the tears from her face. Amidst her complex emotions, she was still mindful not to let her tears wet Xu Wei's desk, wiping the already clean surface over and over.
Now, besides tea leaves and fruit peels, the office trash can also contained a good number of tissues stained with Deng Chuan's tears.
After doing this, she didn't want to go anywhere else. She simply sat down in Xu Wei's seat and, with the slow reaction that follows an emotional release, began to seriously study the desk before her.
This desk exuded Xu Wei's style from top to bottom. There were no decorations of any kind. Even the cup was a simple glass one. There were no green plants, no tea tins, no coffee boxes. The only touch of daily life was a small box containing spare hair ties.
Next to the computer were stacks of collected homework, with test papers and newspapers from various classes piled to one side. Lesson plan books and folders were neatly arranged in simple bookends, their color palettes even harmonious. Pens and rulers of various colors and types were placed in an acrylic organizer, so simple it was pleasing to the eye. Deng Chuan picked up a red pen, unscrewed the cap to look, then put it back.
The teachers' office had a glass partition, on which were posted class schedules and a few sticky notes. On the desk sat a small, new calendar, just flipped to the first month. Deng Chuan saw an unmissable red circle around yesterday's date.
She reached out and touched the red circle. The calendar page felt smooth, allowing her to feel the pressure of Xu Wei's pen as she traced the mark left by the circle.
Deng Chuan couldn't help but wonder, what kind of mood was Xu Wei in when she drew this little circle? What was she thinking? Was she smiling?
She imagined this Xu Wei, imagined her at this desk, holding a pen and grading homework, leaning back in her chair to talk to a student, her lips pressed into a serious line. Occasionally, a colleague would come over to speak with her, and it would be in such an interval that her train of thought would be broken, and she would look up and draw a small circle on the calendar with the pen in her hand.
Perhaps she even smiled softly, revealing that beautiful smile Deng Chuan knew so well, one she rarely showed to others.
Deng Chuan's heart trembled at this beauty that only she was familiar with. Her intelligence made her realize at once that, in the days she knew nothing about, Xu Wei had still been favoring her without reservation.
They say loving and being loved is life's eternal question, and at this moment, because of this small red circle, Deng Chuan understood with perfect clarity: as always, she was still deeply loved by Xu Wei.
Two and a half hours passed, neither quickly nor slowly.
After the bell signaling the end of the exam rang, the students' clamor finally erupted from the silence, as if they had been holding it back for a long time. The old Deng Chuan, being one of them, had been used to it, but now she could well understand their feelings.
Regardless of the results, regardless of the pressure they faced tomorrow, at this moment, the final exams were finally over.
Students passed by the corridor from time to time. Gradually, more and more students left the exam hall. The sound of their footsteps was a chaotic patter, accompanied by cheerful roughhousing and shouts. This floor belonged to the brilliant second-years.
Afraid that Deng Chuan had been waiting too long, Xu Wei had hurried back. The proctors collected the papers and had to submit them along with the name lists to the subject office. The moment Xu Wei stepped out of that office, she quickened her pace, leaving her partner teacher, who had been eager to walk and talk with her, far behind.
Thus, she became the first teacher to return to this office. When she entered, she saw the kid sitting in her seat, looking up at her with a bright, white-toothed smile. "You're off work."
She watched her and said with a smile, "I can finally wish Teacher Xu a happy winter break."
Xu Wei's mood became exceptionally light. "Mm. I'm finally on break too."
She poured herself a glass of water and leaned closer to see what the kid was doing, asking, "Are you hungry? Wait for me to pack up my things, and we'll go eat right away."
Seeing nothing in front of Deng Chuan and that nothing on the desk had been moved, Xu Wei was a little surprised. She squeezed the back of her neck, her tone containing a particularly obvious affection. "You were just sitting here spacing out? Little fool, what were you thinking?"
Suddenly, Deng Chuan reached out and hugged her.
It was winter, and Xu Wei was wearing a wool coat. A normal hug, through the thick clothing, wouldn't have much sensation. But Deng Chuan's arms slipped through the opening of the coat, wrapping firmly around Xu Wei's waist. It felt smooth, firm, and very warm.
Xu Wei's waist was very narrow, about the length of Deng Chuan's forearm. Her fingers rested loosely on the other side, and she could feel Xu Wei flinch sensitively.
The hug was sudden, but Xu Wei didn't push her away. She just held her position, glanced at her, and made a motion to continue tidying the books on her desk.
There were only the two of them in the office, but footsteps still echoed from the corridor. There was no telling when someone might come in.
Xu Wei tidied her books for a while, and finally, someone entered the office. It was a group of teachers together. Deng Chuan, sitting in the chair, spotted Mediterranean among them almost at a glance. She hadn't expected him to be teaching second-year science-track math with Xu Wei this year.
Seeing him, Deng Chuan was rather speechless. The group of teachers stood at the doorway making small talk, not seeing their posture. Deng Chuan looked away, still hugging Xu Wei. She looked at her calm profile and applied a little pressure at her waist.
Xu Wei turned her head and leaned closer, her eyes holding a hint of innocent confusion.
Deng Chuan lowered her voice and asked self-righteously, "That person at the door… is he still bothering you?"
Not knowing who the kid was talking about, Xu Wei followed her gaze in confusion and couldn't help but smile.
She leaned close to Deng Chuan's ear, her voice as low as Deng Chuan's. "Still very annoying, but he can't get to me."
Seeing that Deng Chuan seemed a little unhappy, Xu Wei patted her face. "I'm not annoyed, what are you annoyed about?"
The kid frowned. "I don't like him."
"That's right," Xu Wei listened without much reaction, a hint of a smile in her voice as she said matter-of-factly, "The one you like is me."
Deng Chuan hugged her tighter. The people by the door began to shift their feet, but she kept her arms around Xu Wei's waist, her voice dropping very, very low, almost a whisper. "Wrong."
She said solemnly, "I love you."
And Xu Wei listened quietly, indulging her closeness.
To Deng Chuan's surprise, Mediterranean wasn't in the same office as Xu Wei. He left after he finished talking, and the other teachers who had been chatting at the door filed in, busy packing up their own books for the break.
No one paid them any attention. Xu Wei's desk was in a corner, so no one needed to pass by it, and the glass partition blocked most of the view, allowing them to continue this small moment of tenderness.
Xu Wei let Deng Chuan hug her quietly for a good while. Only when she needed to bend down to get things from her drawer did she turn sideways and pinch her cheek, her voice so low it was barely audible in the somewhat noisy office. "That's about enough, isn't it? Are you going to let me pack my things or not?"
The kid obediently let go, pulling her arms out from under Xu Wei's coat. She stood up and helped Xu Wei pull open the drawer. "What else do you need to take home?"
Xu Wei leaned down and pulled out a whole sleeve of soda crackers, a tin of cookies, and many, many candies and chocolates from the drawer. "And these."
She carefully checked the production and expiration dates. "I can't eat much of this, they're about to expire."
Then she shoved the snacks into Deng Chuan's arms. "This task is for you."
Deng Chuan had no choice but to accept the armful of snacks she was given.
After taking the snacks, the packing was more or less done. Xu Wei looked at Deng Chuan, who was cradling the candy and cookies. The kid was wearing a coat that went past her knees, her frame already that of an adult. The small patch of white fabric showing at the collar was the base layer Xu Wei had watched her put on that morning. Looking up, she saw the familiar brows and eyes, and the small, raised bone on the bridge of her nose. Xu Wei secretly adored that little bone, and she also loved her beautiful eyes, which were currently gazing at her.
She looked at this version of Deng Chuan, whose arms were full of the candy and cookies she had given her. Because there were so many, the candies were sliding down the folds of her coat, forcing her to hold them even tighter.
It was almost like she was holding a bouquet.
A thousand thoughts turned in Xu Wei's mind, her defenses softening again and again because of these small details. But her face remained serene as she turned, gathered the files and materials she was taking home into her own arms, and led Deng Chuan out.
Seeing them leave, a teacher in the office said goodbye to Xu Wei and finally noticed Deng Chuan's presence. "Teacher Xu, why do you have a little follower with you?"
Xu Wei replied in a cool, polite tone, "Mm. My little follower is here to help me."
She nodded to the colleagues in the room. "I'll be going then. It's cold and might snow, everyone get home early."
Once outside, Xu Wei heard Deng Chuan's footsteps hurrying to catch up and walk beside her. She called out softly, "Teacher Xu, wait for your follower."
She secretly slowed her pace, waiting for the kid, who was struggling to hold the candy and cookies, to catch up. "A follower this slow is unqualified. I'm going to have to replace you."
The next second, she heard the kid's urgent rebuttal: "You can't replace me!"
Xu Wei led her around a corner, reminding her to watch her step, then asked calmly, "Why not?"
She saw a frank, self-satisfied smile appear in the kid's eyes. "Because I'm not just your follower."
As if to elaborate on her previous statement, Deng Chuan lowered her voice and leaned closer, so their arms were almost touching. With her words, Xu Wei's waist seemed to be enveloped in a warm embrace once more, taking her back to the moment in the office when she was being held:
"I have-other benefits for you. So, you can't replace me…"
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