BSS - Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Because of the exam right after the National Day holiday, Xu Wei's birthday this year was quite uneventful. The two of them stayed home at noon, ordered takeout from the barbecue place they'd eaten at before, and had a snow skin cake from the convenience store downstairs.

Although they didn't go out, there was no shortage of flowers. Without a familiar florist, Deng Chuan ordered from Hema Fresh. She had thought that flowers from a platform might be a gamble, but what arrived was a bouquet of incredibly fresh hydrangeas. The light blue Endless Summer blooms were clustered together, blossoming with fervor, and even their leaves were tender and vibrant.

It was truly a pleasant surprise.

The kid heard this and declared with conviction that it wasn't an accident, just a surprise.

Xu Wei, who was flipping through a book in the living room, glanced at her with a smile.

With the exam approaching and it being the National Day holiday, Deng Chuan came over from the university to keep her company, looking even more nervous than she was. After lunch, while Xu Wei was reading at home, Deng Chuan, intending not to disturb her, went to a nearby supermarket. She returned a good while later with a large bag of things, which included a whole fresh Sanhuang chicken.

Deng Chuan held up the chicken and announced to Xu Wei that after consulting with an expert, she had received the true secrets of cooking from Lao Deng. Today, she was going to show her what she could do.

Xu Wei felt that compared to the bouquet of flowers, this display of skill was probably the real surprise. Of course, judging by the sound of the kid chopping chicken in the kitchen right now, it was more shock than surprise.

Afraid she might hurt herself, Xu Wei leaned against the doorframe, watching Deng Chuan handle the chicken at her leisure. Deng Chuan's plan was to first make a soup, then prepare a dipping sauce, and serve the boiled chicken as white cut chicken.

So far, her plan was progressing smoothly: after an afternoon of tinkering, the chicken soup was already simmering in the rice cooker, its aroma filling the kitchen. The prepared dipping sauce was also set aside. The only step left was to chop the chicken into pieces.

But judging by the current commotion, the chicken was more likely to be minced by her haphazard knife skills before it was cut into proper pieces.

The cutting board was trembling slightly, and the sound of the knife hitting the board was deafening. Xu Wei didn't know where Deng Chuan got so much strength. She couldn't bear to watch anymore and was about to step forward to stop her, but the kid had already sensed her intention. She turned around nervously and said urgently, "Don't move! Go sit outside, you might get splashed. I'll be done soon."

Xu Wei looked up at her. Deng Chuan was frowning slightly, her lips pressed tightly together. It should have been a very convincing expression, but at some point, her face had been splattered with some blood, which made her look a little silly at first glance.

"Stop chopping," Xu Wei said. "I don't want the meat. I want chicken soup noodles."

Her tone was soft, enough to make anyone who heard it feel pampered and agree to anything.

But Deng Chuan put down the knife, thought for a long while, then wiped her face with the back of her hand and nodded. "No problem."

"You go out. I'll make the noodles for you." After saying this, the kid nudged her with her elbow, pushing Xu Wei back. "You being here makes me nervous."

"Alright, alright." Xu Wei held her wrist, tilted her head, and a faint smile played on her lips, which was enough to make Deng Chuan's ears burn.

Xu Wei even made a request: "I want lots of green vegetables."

"Mmm…" Deng Chuan said, "Okay."

"And a fried egg."

"Mmm."

"More soup, less noodles."

"Got it."

The two of them bantered at the kitchen door, their voices eventually filled with laughter. Deng Chuan's gaze fell on her, also carrying a smile. "Any other requests?"

"Mmm…" Xu Wei stared into Deng Chuan's eyes, raised a hand to wipe her face, and thoroughly cleaned the spot stained with blood. Her voice was very low. "I need the chef to be a little more focused."

The kid pursed her lips, looked at Xu Wei for a long while, then tilted her head and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It'll be quick. Just wait for me outside for a bit."

In the end, what Deng Chuan brought out was Teacher Xu's custom chicken soup noodles with lots of vegetables and less noodles, along with some shredded chicken thigh and a soft-boiled egg.

Teacher Xu was very appreciative. "Mmm, it smells so good."

Deng Chuan sat down across from her, the mangled, chopped-and-torn Sanhuang chicken placed before her. Her eyes curved as she smiled happily at Xu Wei's praise.

"Is it good?" the kid asked, her eyes fixed on her.

Xu Wei nodded. "Super delicious."

Xu Wei clearly meant it. As Deng Chuan ate the mangled chicken, she smiled. "I heard Cantonese people have a big meal and drink soup before doing something important. Plus, it's your birthday today, so it's two-in-one."

Xu Wei's chopsticks picked up the soft-boiled egg and brought it to Deng Chuan's mouth, deliberately teasing her. "So I only get this treatment before something important happens."

Xu Wei's tone was light, but her eyes were smiling. Deng Chuan was a bit dazed by the sight and subconsciously took a bite of the egg, eating most of the runny yolk.

Just as she was regretting it, she heard Xu Wei say, "Alright, now this Cantonese birthday good luck has been passed on to you."

---

Xu Wei's exam was scheduled for the first workday after the National Day holiday. Deng Chuan deliberately stayed an extra night at Xu Wei's place so that Xu Wei could go back to the university with her the next day. A year later, they were walking on the same campus path Xu Wei had taken when she first came to P University, and the feelings in their hearts were somewhat different.

Deng Chuan had a tight class schedule and couldn't accompany Xu Wei to the academic building being used as the exam hall. The two parted ways at the campus bus stop, looking at each other with restraint. The sunlight at just past seven in the morning was still gentle, and accompanied by a cool breeze, it allowed the emotions in one's heart to be lifted heavily, then set down lightly.

The kid looked at her for a long time, so long that Xu Wei thought she was about to launch into some long-winded speech, only to hear her ask nonchalantly, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"

Xu Wei's heart suddenly felt exceptionally light. She smiled and reached out to pinch her cheek. "Treat me to the cafeteria?"

"Okay." Deng Chuan nodded, then added, "After my class, I'll wait for you at the main entrance of the academic building. Just go down the stairs, turn left, and you'll see me when you come out."

As she was speaking, the campus bus to Xu Wei's exam building arrived. Deng Chuan waved at Xu Wei, standing in place and watching the bus drive off in another direction, watching the golden sunlight fall on the crown of Xu Wei's head, creating a fuzzy halo.

At nine in the morning, the bell signaling the start of the exam rang three times. The exam hall was silent.

Sitting in an exam hall again was a long-lost experience for Xu Wei. After having worked, putting herself back in the position of a student, she had already noticed during these few short months of preparation that her concentration was not as pure as it once was. Re-engaging with and picking up basic knowledge and test-taking strategies again felt more like stumbling along a bumpy road.

But fortunately, compared to others, Xu Wei felt she hadn't been distracted much.

Her personality had always had a rather carefree streak. She didn't care about a tenured position, about stability, or about the opinions and judgments of others. In this regard, Xu Wei felt she was somewhat different from Deng Chuan. Deng Chuan was too young, prone to being emotional and overthinking things, whereas she had already passed that angsty stage of searching for the meaning of life.

Because she was unconcerned with many constraints, Xu Wei was often able to feel a great sense of ease. People her age were already worrying about marriage and children, needing to plan their careers, change professions, and even enter a mid-life crisis, with the burdens of parents and children pressing down on the shoulders of a couple, to the point where they might even sacrifice their own selves.

Whenever she thought of this, Xu Wei would sigh. She had no intention of dictating how others should live their lives, but her own life had to be decided by her.

Xu Wei still hadn't told Deng Chuan that Yang Jing had gotten her marriage certificate a few days ago.

Soon, the thought of Deng Chuan filled Xu Wei's heart with a strange softness. She knew in her heart that she was so grateful Deng Chuan had appeared in her life; she had given her more possibilities.

So, it wasn't that they were different, but that they were taking different paths to the same destination. She and Deng Chuan, whether emotional or carefree, actually shared the same purpose.

At this thought, Xu Wei quickly remembered that she was in the middle of her first professional course exam. But fortunately, these thoughts of Deng Chuan only made her more focused, as if she had broken free from some kind of restraint she was destined to face in her life, soaring towards a wider sky.

In the end, the two-day exam seemed to have become a test of one's mentality. After the first professional course exam on the first morning, a few seats in the afternoon exam were immediately empty. By the last exam, half the room was empty.

Xu Wei had no mind to lament this phenomenon; she was only focused on finding Deng Chuan, who was still in class.

Deng Chuan had two periods of International Investment that afternoon, which would last until six in the evening. When Xu Wei arrived at her classroom, it was right during the break between the two long periods. It was a lecture hall, and people were sitting scattered, but Xu Wei still found Deng Chuan quickly. The kid was sitting in the middle-right section of the classroom, by the wall, next to her classmate.

Deng Chuan was looking down, taking notes from the PPT, and didn't notice the unusual atmosphere in the classroom that had arisen due to Xu Wei's arrival.

Xu Wei was dressed maturely, with exquisite makeup, and her entrance garnered quite a few stares and whispers. She paid them no mind, only staring at Deng Chuan, but the kid was engrossed in writing, not even glancing at her.

She walked to the row behind Deng Chuan. Only two students were sitting in this row, far apart from each other. Seeing her approach, they both tensed up as if to offer their seats.

Xu Wei brushed her hair back and sat down in the seat directly behind Deng Chuan, then tapped her on the shoulder.

The kid turned around very slowly, her mind still on her notes. It was her roommate who finally noticed Xu Wei's presence and nudged Deng Chuan's elbow several times, which made her turn her head less sluggishly.

Their eyes met, and Deng Chuan stammered, "Ah… why are you here?"

Hearing this, Xu Wei raised an eyebrow. "Not happy to see me?"

"No. Absolutely not." The kid immediately denied it, then swiftly gathered her messy pile of books and notes, stacked them in front of Xu Wei, and stood up to move closer and sit next to her.

Xu Wei moved inward one seat to let her sit beside her.

Before they could even speak, the bell signaling the end of the break rang, and the gray-haired professor returned to the podium. Intimidated by the stern old professor, the students in the classroom only dared to sneak glances at them. Deng Chuan's roommate also kept looking back. Xu Wei didn't mind any of this, but Deng Chuan also kept turning her head to look at her, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

With Xu Wei there, Deng Chuan couldn't concentrate on the lecture. She knew this wasn't good, but she couldn't suppress her inner excitement and kept wanting to talk to Xu Wei.

One moment she was whispering to Xu Wei, discussing what to eat for dinner and where to celebrate; the next she was asking how Xu Wei got here, how long she walked, and if she was tired. Xu Wei's mind was a bit jumbled by her chatter, so she simply pointed to her textbook, signaling her to pay attention to the lecture.

Deng Chuan felt the professor's gaze sweep over them and finally managed to calm down, albeit with some difficulty.

The kid was looking up, listening to the lecture, her profile clearly focused. Xu Wei rested her chin on her hand and also listened seriously to the International Investment lecture for a while. Unexpectedly, the forty-five minutes finally passed. Just as Xu Wei was waiting for Deng Chuan to pack her things, she heard the kid, who she thought had been paying attention for the entire class, suddenly make a proposal:

"In a few days, over the weekend, the Photography Association is having a camping trip to the mountains. It's open registration. Let's go together? We don't have to do things with them, we just have to go and come back with them. It'll be fun. We can camp, have a barbecue, and take pictures of the starry sky."

Xu Wei was caught off guard by her long string of words. Before she could react, she heard her say again:

"How about it? Teacher Xu, is celebrating your success with this trip sincere enough?"

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