BSS - Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Accompanied by the rustling night breeze, they quickly hurried back to the dormitory.

This dormitory building housed only master's and doctoral students. There was no curfew, and access was solely by key card. Everyone's daily routines were very different; some were even accustomed to spending all night in the lab. As a result, apart from the fixed class periods, it was rare to run into each other in the hallways at other times.

They took the elevator all the way up without encountering anyone, only hearing the dorm auntie humming softly in the laundry room.

After entering the room and turning on the light, Zhou Liu and Juzi came trotting over, weaving around their feet and following them.

Xu Wei patted each of their heads before going into the bathroom to remove her makeup.

The bag containing the watermelon was placed on the table, slightly open, emitting a tempting, fresh, and sweet fragrance. Zhou Liu and Juzi couldn't resist approaching, their little noses twitching as they sniffed at it. Deng Chuan picked them up, one in each arm.

She tapped their little foreheads as they nudged against her and lectured, "You can't touch that. Big Sister will get angry."

Juzi didn't listen, struggling impatiently in her grasp.

Deng Chuan held onto his paw, which was reaching forward, and tried to reason with him, but she eventually gave in. "...Just a little bite, okay? Little kitties can't be too greedy."

When Xu Wei came out after her shower, she saw Deng Chuan sitting cross-legged on the floor, breaking off pieces of watermelon to feed the cat. Dark red juice dripped all over her hand, threatening to stain her clothes, but Juzi eagerly licked it away. Perhaps the cat's barbed tongue tickled her palm, as Deng Chuan was laughing the whole time.

Not much of the watermelon was eaten, but both the cat and the person seemed quite happy.

Forget it.

Xu Wei glanced over, then turned away with an 'out of sight, out of mind' attitude to get a clean set of pajamas for Deng Chuan from the closet.

Zhou Liu wasn't very greedy. Seeing Xu Wei come out, he lost interest in the watermelon and trotted over to rub back and forth against Xu Wei's calf, as if seeking affection.

Following Zhou Liu's movement, Deng Chuan noticed that Xu Wei was out. She met Xu Wei's calm gaze and smiled a little sheepishly. "You're done? Then it's my turn."

The Little Friend's smile held a cautious softness, her gaze like that of a small animal. It made Xu Wei's heart soften, and she decided not to fuss about the mess from feeding the cat watermelon-the sticky hands and dripped juice. She only asked, "Is the watermelon sweet?"

"Very sweet." Deng Chuan could tell she wasn't angry and felt relieved. The piece of watermelon had been mangled, and Juzi, finding it uninteresting, scampered away. She wrapped the juice and pulp in her palm with a tissue, threw it in the trash, and stood up briskly, moving closer to Xu Wei. "Want a taste?"

Before Xu Wei could react, she had already braced Xu Wei's shoulder with the back of her clean hand, bent down slightly, and gently pressed her lips against Xu Wei's.

Unlike the fresh fragrance of watermelon, Xu Wei's lips were clean, with no taste at all, only a faint, steamy moisture on the surface.

It was like kissing into a mist.

Deng Chuan thus unconsciously sought to kiss her more deeply.

Suddenly, the Little Friend's face was magnified before her, almost distorted. Xu Wei's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her eyes and didn't pull back, only tilting her head up slightly. Her hand rested on Deng Chuan's waist, letting Deng Chuan patiently trace the shape of her lips, then probe into their warm mouths, making everything moist and soft.

Deng Chuan hadn't lied; the watermelon they bought that night was indeed very sweet. Xu Wei felt as if she had just taken a huge bite of watermelon-flavored cotton candy. The Little Friend kissed her endlessly. Her hand gradually tightened, embracing Deng Chuan's waist. Then it moved upward, resting quietly against Deng Chuan's back.

The skin beneath her hand was firm and taut. The young body couldn't withstand the teasing and was already trembling slightly. Xu Wei imagined Deng Chuan's blood rushing through her veins, converging at her beating heart, then flowing out again to her limbs. It was this cycle, over and over, this abundant vitality filling Deng Chuan's entire being. And then she leaned down to kiss her, quietly yet fiercely.

With the deepening kiss, Deng Chuan's fiery breath washed over her face, as if lava were coursing through her veins. A youth like lava. The thought made Xu Wei's heart flutter. Once again, she clearly and profoundly realized that she was loved by such a person, and that she loved such a person in return.

With this thought, Xu Wei's palm couldn't help but slide gently. The lines of Deng Chuan's back were exceptionally smooth. As Xu Wei touched these lines, it was as if she were touching the years of their growth. Deng Chuan truly had an adult's body now. Xu Wei thought of the dinner that evening, of the man across from them who, after everything was out in the open, had stared at them with a shocked and uncomprehending gaze. Deng Chuan had immediately sat forward a little, blocking most of the unpleasant line of sight, as if wanting to spread her wings to protect her.

Thinking of Deng Chuan's expression at that moment, Xu Wei felt a rare sense of being lost in thought.

That Deng Chuan had been very silent on the way back. Xu Wei knew she must have been secretly making some kind of resolution in her heart. Although Deng Chuan had grown up and the world she faced had expanded a thousandfold, her way of dealing with situations beyond her control remained as stubborn and direct as ever.

All along, Xu Wei had trusted her determination and will, which was why she hadn't offered words of comfort during Deng Chuan's silence.

She had always believed.

When Xu Wei first met Deng Chuan, she watched her as one would watch a flower bloom. She wanted to control it, yet she couldn't stop herself from paying attention to her, just as humans can't help but gaze upon a treasure that is about to be unveiled.

And now, the treasure had been unsealed, revealing a garden that seemed to hold an entire spring in bloom.

Their lips and tongues intertwined. Deng Chuan was still mindful not to get the sticky watermelon juice on Xu Wei's nightgown, so she didn't make any more intimate moves. She took a breath, pulling back with a mix of satisfaction and regret, and said softly, "I'm going to take a shower first."

Xu Wei was also catching her breath. Her face and neck were flushed, and a captivating shimmer filled her eyes. Hearing Deng Chuan's words, she didn't show much reaction, only giving a soft "Mm" and pushing the clothes in her hands into Deng Chuan's arms. "Go on."

Steam filled the bathroom, and the air still held the fragrance and moisture from Xu Wei's recent shower. This discovery made Deng Chuan even more impatient. Barefoot, she felt as if she were stepping onto a red-hot branding iron. Turning the water temperature down was useless; the flames were not extinguished but instead flared up even more intensely.

She didn't know how much time had passed. Deng Chuan got dressed, composed herself, washed her hands carefully, and pushed the door open to go out.

The cool air from the air conditioner rushed to meet her. The curtains had been drawn. The small room could be taken in at a glance. Xu Wei was sitting at the table, looking very leisurely as she ate watermelon and played with the cat.

It was clearly a relaxed and gentle scene, yet Deng Chuan felt a sense of urgency, as if being hurried along. She met Xu Wei's bright eyes and felt as if she were being held by a tight rein, pulling her straight toward her.

She grasped Xu Wei's shoulders and leaned down once more. The warm, fragrant, and soft body was instantly in her arms. Juzi, who had been in Xu Wei's lap, jumped to the floor and meowed in protest.

This time, Deng Chuan tasted the sweet watermelon juice. It was even sweeter than what she had eaten earlier.

They fell back onto the small single bed. The narrowness of the bed forced them to press closer together. Xu Wei had been busy these past few days, and it had been a while since they had been this close. They both couldn't help but let out soft, contented sighs. This was a proximity even closer than an embrace.

The brief cooling-off period gave way to a more passionate burning. After it was over, Deng Chuan finally remembered to turn off the light. Xu Wei watched her, readjusted her position, and rested her head on Deng Chuan's arm. After turning off the light, the Little Friend lay back down, turning on her side in the darkness to place light, intermittent kisses on her eyelashes. Xu Wei wrinkled her nose and tried to block her, but her hand was caught and gently kneaded a few times.

The bag of unfinished watermelon remained on the table. The fresh, sweet scent of watermelon drifted out from the loosely tied bag, filling the entire room with the help of the air conditioner.

This was the scent of summer.

Xu Wei moved her lips. Deng Chuan sensed her intention to speak and affectionately kissed the corner of her mouth, tightening her embrace. She still held Xu Wei's hand, fascinated, gently caressing her palm, tracing the faint yet undeniable lines.

Xu Wei felt her touch and gently tried to pull her hand back.

Deng Chuan held on, not letting go, and whispered, "I'll read your palm for you."

Xu Wei laughed softly. The puff of air from her laugh gently brushed past Deng Chuan's ear. They were so close that even their breaths and tremors seemed to be transmitted between them.

Deng Chuan also secretly curved her lips into a smile. She very seriously felt Xu Wei's hand all over, inside and out, sliding over the palm lines and the gaps between her fingers, touching the smooth creases between her knuckles. Finally, she held it tight and said, "You will live a very happy life."

Her tone was so certain that it made Xu Wei laugh again. She raised her other hand and slowly wrote something in the palm that Deng Chuan was holding.

Deng Chuan felt the movement of her fingertip. In Xu Wei's palm, she read her own name.

There was a faint callus on the side of Xu Wei's middle fingertip, a mark left from years of writing. Deng Chuan had the same mark in the same place. It was the only thing their hands had in common.

Deng Chuan released Xu Wei's palm and placed her own against it, pulse to pulse, palm to palm. Her hand was slightly larger than Xu Wei's; in the darkness, one could only see that her fingertips were a little longer. Xu Wei slowly clasped her hand. The faint callus on the side of her finger brushed lightly and slowly against the same knuckle and spot on Deng Chuan's hand before closing firmly around it.

Neither of them spoke.

Maintaining their intertwined fingers, Deng Chuan turned over and gazed at Xu Wei's eyes, which were still bright in the darkness. Xu Wei's pupils were filled with a water-like tenderness, like a black pool that could hold all the dreamlike nights.

Deng Chuan held back, holding back the overflowing joy and softness surging in her heart. After a long pause, she slowly said, "I love you..."

In a flash, countless moments of Deng Chuan professing her love flashed through Xu Wei's mind. The gazes, the postures of the Deng Chuan from the past instantly overlapped with the Deng Chuan of this moment.

Xu Wei slowly exhaled. Her hand still held Deng Chuan's tightly. At this moment, both of them felt a love like water, threatening to submerge them completely.

There are so many places that hold beauty and goodness, Deng Chuan thought.

And right before her eyes was just such a scene.

Such a scene settled into their lives, continuing on through their countless years to come.

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