BSS - Chapter 160

Chapter 160

After the graduation ceremony, the last summer vacation of Deng Chuan's undergraduate years arrived.

It was graduation season. Spring recruitment had already passed, and the new graduates were either busy studying for civil service exams, preparing for their new jobs, or, like Deng Chuan, waiting for graduate school to begin. Those who didn't want to relax during this waiting period could also find an internship, take on a small part-time job, travel, or study at home.

Unlike the busyness or self-discipline of others, Deng Chuan had, for the first time in a long while, arranged a very relaxed schedule for herself.

For Deng Chuan, the end of her undergraduate studies was a meaningful event, one worthy of reflection.

The memory of graduation day was so profound-at the very end, she stood in the center of the athletic field, smiling as she held up her bouquet, the entire world seeming to become her vast backdrop. The people nearby watched her with kindness, raising their cameras to capture those moments for her. They were her classmates, her schoolmates, her teachers. The smiles on their faces were so genuine, like a form of meticulous care. Deng Chuan couldn't help but think to herself then, I am so happy.

But Xu Wei wasn't standing by her side. She was standing opposite, looking at her.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, and Deng Chuan squinted slightly.

For some reason, Xu Wei wasn't smiling. Her lips were slightly pursed, her expression a mixture of happiness and something deeper. The scorching midday sun cast small, fragmented shadows across her relaxed brow and eyes. Xu Wei just stood there, enveloped in a sharp sort of gentleness under the sunlight.

She looked like she had something to say.

Deng Chuan's smile tightened slightly. Her gaze must have held a hint of longing, because Xu Wei soon curved her eyes and walked over, asking softly, "What's wrong? Do you want some water? If it's too hot, let's go over there. It's too sunny here."

Deng Chuan shook her head and grabbed her hand. Sensing the little friend's dependence, Xu Wei silently curved her lips and squeezed her hand in return. Amidst the chaotic background noise of graduation photos, they exchanged a few words. Xu Wei's hand was steady, the sharpness in her gentleness having completely vanished, replaced by the softness and warmth Deng Chuan was so familiar with.

Not understanding what had just happened with her, the little friend was a bit flustered, yet she still had to feign willfulness. "You follow me. Don't you go anywhere."

"Okay," Xu Wei replied in a warm voice. "Let me help you with your things-are the flowers heavy? Isn't it hot holding them all the time?"

Deng Chuan shook her head.

Seeing the stubbornness on Deng Chuan's face, Xu Wei was amused and a little exasperated. She wiped Deng Chuan's face, not minding in the slightest as she dabbed away the sweat. "Honestly." She smiled, then seemed to sigh. "How are you still so silly."

Deng Chuan said in a small voice, "Are you tired? I thought you were unhappy."

"I'm not unhappy," Xu Wei said, wiping her face again. The back of Deng Chuan's neck was soaked with sweat, but Xu Wei didn't even frown as she took a tissue from her bag to wipe her own hands.

She paused again, her tone a little hesitant. "I don't know how to say it… In any case, congratulations."

Her voice was soft. "Happy graduation. From now on, you're a real adult."

"Hm?" Deng Chuan led her forward, replying, "I've been an adult for a long time."

"Is that so?"

The crowd of people taking graduation photos was gradually moving off the field, and their classmates were calling to them from not far away. After asking that question, Xu Wei quickly smiled again. "Alright, alright, if you keep this up, I'm going to think you're trying to act cute with me."

"I'm not. Is this considered acting cute? When did I act cute…"

The little friend was muttering under her breath when she suddenly stopped and hugged Xu Wei just before a classmate's camera could capture them.

Held in the embrace, Xu Wei showed no sign of surprise or panic, her gaze fixed only on Deng Chuan's eyes.

Soon, the classmate, a smile on his face, made an OK sign from behind the camera.

Deng Chuan lowered her eyes, her arms still holding Xu Wei's waist securely.

"Alright," Xu Wei patted her back, signaling for her to let go. "Stop acting cute. Your friends are still waiting for you."

The little friend didn't say anything, only pressing against her tightly one more time.

Deng Chuan's gaze was so intense that Xu Wei suspected she was about to kiss her regardless of their surroundings. She then heard her own flustered voice, "Be good, let go a little… I'm not leaving-I'll follow you. Shall we go?"

They walked over to the classmate together and took the photo that the Polaroid camera ejected.

As the image gradually became clear, the classmate who was leaning in to look let out an "Aiya," his face full of regret. "It's overexposed."

"It's fine," Xu Wei said. "It's very beautiful."

She smiled and glanced at Deng Chuan.

Today, Xu Wei was wearing a peach-colored long slip dress with a thin, beige mesh cardigan over it. Her long hair was lovely, her posture graceful. When she squinted her eyes to look over, she exuded the allure of a peach whose thin skin had been broken, its sweet juice dripping out.

The classmate felt a little embarrassed and lowered his head to look at the photo.

But Deng Chuan stared blankly at her, only managing to agree after a long pause, "Yeah… yeah. It's great, just right."

Xu Wei smiled again.

This time, Xu Wei's smile was full of ease and a lighthearted nonchalance, giving Deng Chuan even more reason to be captivated.

And so, Deng Chuan's final memory of that day was only the dazzling sunlight and the image of Xu Wei smiling as she watched her.

In the end, she took a large group photo with all the classmates and teachers who had come to take pictures with her, right in front of P University's century-old main gate.

They weren't the only group taking photos, so some waiting was inevitable. By the time they finally took the picture, everyone's forehead was covered in sweat.

But under Xu Wei's gaze, Deng Chuan felt a complete sense of relaxation in the brilliant sunlight, as if some rope that had long bound her had been loosened, allowing her to reach out and touch a deeper layer of the world. It made her think of the last time she'd felt this way-after the Gaokao, when she had broken free from the cage of endless books and practice problems and rushed toward a wider world.

She had gained a precious freedom that she couldn't have possessed before adulthood.

But this time, would what she gained still be freedom?

Xu Wei had left for class. Deng Chuan hugged Juzi and thought with a sense of ease: probably not.

Although, because she was starting graduate school, she still possessed some of the confidence and naivety that came with hiding in an ivory tower.

But at the same time, she vaguely realized that the world had indeed opened up some new areas to her.

Just as Xu Wei had said, from now on, she was a real adult.

Zhou Liu, nestled in the crook of her arm, let out a long meow.

At this thought, Deng Chuan propped herself up to pat his head, then got up to open a can of food for them.

Since Xu Wei's break hadn't started yet, Deng Chuan continued to live in Xu Wei's dorm after her own vacation began. She had no plans for the time being and was living a very comfortable life. She would sleep until she woke up naturally-cuddled by Xu Wei before she left, and cuddling the cats after she was gone. When she woke up, she would read for a while, then go to the cafeteria to get lunch for both of them. She'd wait for Xu Wei to come back for lunch, take a nap, and then follow her to the library in the afternoon.

Sometimes Xu Wei had meetings in the afternoon. On those days, Deng Chuan wouldn't go out at all, choosing to curl up in the dorm and watch movies on the projector.

Of course, since she was still living at P University, Deng Chuan couldn't purely relax. She began meeting with her graduate advisor, reading the booklist he had assigned in advance, and attending ice-breaker gatherings with her new cohort to get to know them. Occasionally, Xu Wei would also take her along to her own research group's dinners.

After a while, she became quite familiar with the people in Xu Wei's group.

Sometimes when Deng Chuan went to wait for her, she would be greeted warmly by the Senior Brothers in Xu Wei's group. Xu Wei was quite eye-catching in the math department, and the Senior Brothers, having the advantage of proximity, inevitably had some ideas. At first, they thought Deng Chuan was just Xu Wei's younger sister and would always stuff her hands with candy and small snacks, hoping to get closer. It wasn't until one time when Xu Wei held Deng Chuan's hand, their fingers intertwined, and intentionally or not, revealed their matching couple's rings, that they were dumbfounded.

But there were still some who refused to believe it.

Not long after the ring incident, Xu Wei's group went out for a gathering, and she brought Deng Chuan along again. After dinner, they went to a KTV. In between songs, they played a game. Going clockwise, each person would state something they had or hadn't done. If anyone present hadn't had that experience, they had to drink either beer or AD Calcium Milk.

Deng Chuan eyed the neatly arranged, opened bottles of beer on the table, eager to try, but Xu Wei pressed a pack of the children's drink into her hand instead.

When the game first started, everyone kept their topics within reasonable limits. But after a few rounds of drinks, when it was the youngest Senior Brother's turn, he hesitated for a moment before declaring loudly, "I don't have a girlfriend!"

After he said it, several of the other Senior Brothers next to him were clearly winking and making faces at Xu Wei in his direction.

Deng Chuan: "…"

Xu Wei acted as if she hadn't seen their expressions, keeping her eyes lowered and not moving.

Someone started pouring drinks, the crisp sound of glasses clinking. "Come on, come on… I'm not single, so I'll drink up."

Deng Chuan, expressionless, tore open the packaging of her children's drinks. As she started sipping through the straw, she thought to herself: This has absolutely no impact.

Those few Senior Brothers were still watching. Deng Chuan drank half a bottle of AD Calcium Milk, then, in one smooth motion, turned and handed it to Xu Wei. She even tensed her face defiantly, refusing to look at them with a pleasant expression.

A smile played on Xu Wei's lips as she calmly took the half-finished bottle from Deng Chuan and naturally took a large gulp.

It happened to be during a pause between songs, so the sound of her swallowing was particularly loud.

If all that wasn't enough to make the men across from them understand, the next second, Xu Wei silently took Deng Chuan's hand. On their hands, they still wore the matching couple's rings.

At this, the Senior Brothers from Xu Wei's group finally retreated, no longer trying to exude their masculine charm in front of Xu Wei and returning to normal social interaction.

Of course, after that day, Xu Wei and Deng Chuan treated these Senior Brothers to a private meal to thoroughly explain their relationship. The Senior Brothers weren't particularly old-fashioned or persistent people, which was one of the reasons Xu Wei dared to invite them. They all shared a common ground in research and, being under the same advisor, would have to interact and collaborate in the future. It was best not to let this matter affect the group's dynamics.

On their way back after that dinner, they bought a bag of sliced watermelon from a stall at the campus gate and took the campus shuttle, swaying gently as they headed back to the dorm.

It was a summer night, the sky full of stars. After talking all evening, Xu Wei was a little tired. She rested her head on Deng Chuan's shoulder, inhaling the faint, fresh scent of watermelon, and occasionally nudged Deng Chuan's ear with the tip of her nose.

The little friend had been rather silent since they started back. Xu Wei had been teasing her for a while, but she still wouldn't speak. Xu Wei was in a good mood now and didn't have the patience to guess, so she simply asked, "What's my little fool thinking about again?"

Deng Chuan squeezed her hand, rubbing the delicate bones in her palm. She paused for a long while before saying, "Nothing…"

Xu Wei hugged her arm tightly, as if she knew what Deng Chuan was feeling sentimental about.

The streetlights along the campus road cast a dim glow as the shuttle passed through the fragrant flowers and tree shadows. Deng Chuan lowered her eyes, smelling those bittersweet scents, and it felt as if countless vines were growing in her heart. She held Xu Wei's hand tightly, feeling the nerves that had always been taut gradually relax in the evening breeze. Her body felt light, as if it were being lifted up, floating in the boundless summer night.

The world was vast.

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