BSS - Chapter 128

Chapter 128

After a few words with Xu Wei, Deng Chuan's spirits, which had been dampened by her scratch-off lottery failure, lifted once again. Over the phone, Xu Wei told her to go back and finish her lunch, so she sat back down at the dining table and picked up the half-eaten fried egg with her fork.

"My birthday has passed, which means yours is coming soon," Xu Wei said casually.

"That's right," the little friend's voice sounded cheerful. "After my birthday, it'll be Christmas soon. Our Christmas break is supposed to be pretty long, over a month."

"Mm," Xu Wei said. "It's not that long. Go have some fun with your friends."

"I'll ask Su Mian what she has in mind. Traveling around here is quite convenient."

Listening, Xu Wei nodded slightly, then quickly remembered that Deng Chuan couldn't see her. She hadn't noticed it before, but now she finally realized how conspicuously dark the room was. She got up to turn on the wall lamp by the dining table before sitting back down in her chair.

After turning on the light, Teacher Xu tilted her head in thought. Juzi and Zhou Liu were shooed off the dining table again. But they had seen enough of the excitement. Zhou Liu flicked his tail and trotted away, with Juzi scrambling after him. The two cats vanished in a flash. A moment later, the alternating crunching sounds of them chewing on cat food echoed through the room.

"You kids need to be safe when you go out to have fun," Xu Wei said.

"I know," Deng Chuan replied, holding her fork in one hand and the phone in the other, listening to Xu Wei. Her eyes were narrowed like a contented cat. She loved it when Xu Wei called her that, her tone so gentle it was as if she would always be her little friend.

This was despite the fact that they had just been talking about her turning twenty soon.

Xu Wei's gentle voice continued on the other end, "While you have the time, go out and see more of the world. Don't just stay in your room all the time. There's no end to knowledge, but the kind of leisure you have now… in the near future when you return to China, and especially when you start working, you'll have far fewer opportunities and free time like this."

Xu Wei's tone was earnest and profound. Deng Chuan's smile faded, and she answered seriously.

Now, in Xu Wei's words, Deng Chuan felt she was no longer a little friend. Xu Wei was seriously considering her future, placing her on the level of an adult.

Deng Chuan quickly felt a sense of encompassing strength. In Xu Wei's eyes, she would always be her little friend, whether at eighteen, nineteen, or twenty. Yet, at the same time, Xu Wei genuinely accepted the fact that she was growing up and was looking far, far into the future through the lens of the present.

This attitude undoubtedly put Deng Chuan at ease.

It was only after starting university and meeting all sorts of people that Deng Chuan learned that relationships with large age gaps were actually quite popular in society. There were those with a thing for older men, for lolitas, for high school boys… These relationships often originated from a craving for one party's wealth and the other's youth. Of course, genuine love existed too, but when the younger party lost their youth and became an adult, no different from the older one, would the love last?

Hearing gossip about breakups, Deng Chuan would occasionally think about herself and Xu Wei. Her youth was gradually fading, and the world she faced was growing larger. When Deng Chuan looked back at her former self now, she would sometimes laugh in spite of herself, sometimes feel proud, and sometimes feel ashamed. But it was this past version of herself that Xu Wei had so preciously loved.

Since Xu Wei loved her so dearly, the growth that Deng Chuan was personally experiencing must be even more apparent in Xu Wei's eyes.

So, did Xu Wei like the past her, or the present her? In fact, forget liking—even if the question were changed to "like more," the thought of it would make Deng Chuan very unhappy.

Being jealous of her past self—that's how irrational one could be when acting childishly.

But Xu Wei's actions proved that Deng Chuan's unhappiness was entirely unfounded. In her words, Deng Chuan heard the same unwavering acceptance and cherish she had always shown. It was as if her growth was something Xu Wei had long been prepared for. Xu Wei spoke with her about the past so openly, treated her like a little friend so openly, and also openly appreciated and encouraged her growth.

Because of Xu Wei's openness, her gentleness and acceptance, growing up became something exceptionally soft for Deng Chuan, like falling into a warm embrace.

She once again squinted her eyes contentedly at Xu Wei's words.

Lao Lin pushed open his door, his face etched with exhaustion. His shirt was wrinkled, and he looked even more worn out than Deng Chuan, who had barely slept for two hours. He hadn't shaved, and a messy two-day growth of stubble covered his chin. He saw Deng Chuan at the dining table on the phone, a blatant smile on her lips. He rolled his eyes, walked past her, and opened the fridge to get a bottle of mineral water.

He heard Deng Chuan say, "I know, but Teacher Xu doesn't need to worry. The present has its good points, and the future will have its good points too. Right now, it's just me, but in the future, we'll go on trips together."

Her tone held a heart-melting gentleness.

Lao Lin squeezed the water bottle in his hand, feeling a sourness that made his teeth ache. Then he heard her say, "Thinking about it this way, I can't lose no matter what. It really is a streak of good luck."

The little friend on the other end raised her water glass, playing around to the air, "I'll toast to you."

"What nonsense…" Xu Wei couldn't help but smile. She ate half of the matcha mousse on the table, sealed up the rest, and put it in the fridge. She added, "Alright, didn't you sleep poorly last night? After you finish eating, rest for a bit and then catch up on sleep."

"Mhm." Deng Chuan cleared the plate and cutlery from the table, rinsed them in the kitchen, walked past Lao Lin who was cooking noodles, and took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge.

"You should go to bed early too," she emphasized. "Remember my present tomorrow."

"I know," Xu Wei said with a smile. "I slept for so long this morning, I can't fall asleep again now. I can't just sleep until tomorrow to see your present. Whose fault is all this?"

"Um…" the little friend hesitated. "But you said you were very happy too…" As she spoke, a smile crept into her voice. "Are you tired?"

"Not tired," Teacher Xu quickly denied.

The little friend's voice held a hint of mischief. "Then how about another round?"

Without a second thought, Xu Wei said, "Go to sleep. You're not even thinking clearly."

"Alright," Deng Chuan said. She closed the curtains, lay down on the bed, and pulled the covers over herself, whispering into the phone, "I'm going to sleep now…"

As the call ended, she felt as if she were once again falling into Xu Wei's warm embrace. "Good afternoon… Little Fool."

---

Deng Chuan slept straight through until dusk. She opened her eyes in the dim room and immediately saw the messy bay window. The laptop screen was black, surrounded by a jumble of books and papers. Deng Chuan thought groggily that if Xu Wei saw this, she would scold her for not organizing things.

The streetlights outside were already on. Deng Chuan saw the orange orbs of light reflected on the curtains. She rubbed her face, reached for the phone by her pillow, and saw that Xu Wei had said good night to her two hours ago.

Good night, she replied underneath.

Obviously, Xu Wei wouldn't be able to reply to this message until tomorrow. Deng Chuan sighed unconsciously. With the seven-hour time difference, their messages were often staggered. For instance, when she went to sleep at night, Xu Wei would already be waking up in the morning to reply to her "good night." Then, the one waiting would become Xu Wei. She would start her workday and wait for Deng Chuan's next reply.

The waiting between them was shared, making it easier to endure than a typical vigil. This was also part of their good fortune.

Thinking of this, Deng Chuan sighed with a mix of contentment and regret. Using the breath from the sigh, she threw off the covers, stood up, took a refreshing shower, and then found a leftover rice ball from yesterday in the fridge. She sat down at her desk.

She stretched out her hand to grab the black-screened laptop from the bay window and continued writing the half-finished paper. Then she followed the list she made for herself every day, reading from her book list, listening to recordings, reviewing case studies, and reading analyses, until late into the night.

The next time Deng Chuan saw a message from Xu Wei, it was indeed the next morning. Teacher Xu had replied a few hours earlier, saying she had received the gift, but not to send such expensive things again.

A necklace and a bag worth a few thousand yuan weren't extremely expensive, but considering Deng Chuan was still a student, they weren't cheap either.

Deng Chuan had used a shopping agent to send the gift to China. She had also found the large student group chat for Xu Wei's graduating class from high school on a forum. Through a helpful junior schoolmate who acted as a go-between, she got in touch with the class president of one of the classes Xu Wei was currently teaching.

Coincidentally, this class president was the same girl Deng Chuan had seen through the window when she returned to the school to share her study experiences.

Thanks to Deng Chuan's "senior sister" halo and the class president's warm-heartedness, Teacher Xu's birthday gift was successfully delivered to her office desk.

Deng Chuan had actually anticipated Xu Wei's reaction. She understood all the reasoning but still wanted to give Xu Wei a gift that was within her means and suited her. So, in response to Xu Wei's words, Deng Chuan simply replied, "Happy birthday."

The two of them went about their work and classes until Xu Wei got off work, which coincided with a break between Deng Chuan's classes. Only then did they get to talk.

Xu Wei replied: I know your sentiment is precious… but you're still a student. Even a single sentence from you would make me very happy. Of course, I'm not rigidly defining our roles. You and I are no different in this relationship. Our relationship should be as it has always been, with mutual giving and joint effort. I'm not feeling wronged, and you shouldn't be overly demanding of yourself.

While Deng Chuan was still carefully reading this message, Xu Wei quickly sent another one: Of course, receiving a gift is a very happy thing. Receiving a gift from you is the happiest. I like it very much. My little friend has worked hard.

There must be some magic in Xu Wei's words. Otherwise, how could Deng Chuan not feel the slightest bit of awkwardness or shame, but only a wave of warmth flooding her heart and eyes?

She replied earnestly: Okay.

After a thought, she added: I'm not in a hurry either. I will grow up well and not disappoint you.

Xu Wei sent back a cat emoji sticker of it being petted on the head.

The professor had already walked in through the door. The classroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Deng Chuan propped her chin on her hand, looking at the screen, and secretly smiled, her face radiant.

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