Senior actually agreed.
Yu Yixian reached out to touch her lips in a daze, as if she couldn’t believe it, or perhaps as if she wanted to hold onto that fleeting, cool sensation that had just disappeared.
Ling Yun’s dark eyes were deep and somber, her gaze locked firmly onto Yu Yixian’s fingers.
Sensing a faint, inexplicable hint of danger, Yu Yixian lowered her arm, her consciousness finally drifting back from that trance.
“Senior, I like you!” Yu Yixian exclaimed, confessing again with excitement.
“I like you too.” Ling Yun reached out, cupped Yu Yixian’s face in her hands, pressed her forehead against hers, and murmured with a lingering, affectionate gaze: “I like you.”
Every word and every syllable was spoken clearly and distinctly.
Though they were the exact same four words, Yu Yixian felt a difference in their weight. At this moment, she did not understand why there was such a difference, but the joy of a successful confession washed away her confusion.
Excited, Yu Yixian reached out and wrapped her arms around Ling Yun’s neck, planting a “mwah” kiss on Ling Yun’s cheek.
“Girlfriend!”
This time, it was Ling Yun’s turn to be stunned.
Fireworks continued to launch into the air and bloom, dyeing the night sky in colorful splendor. Both of them looked up at the bursting fireworks simultaneously, imprinting this very moment in their hearts.
Once the fireworks ended, the surroundings fell silent again, leaving only the chirping of a few insects.
Yu Yixian pulled back her arms and met Ling Yun’s gaze. Her exuberant spirit made her want to turn around and run a few laps around the riverbank.
This was the most meaningful birthday she had ever spent!
The confession was successful, and Senior had even taken the initiative to kiss her!
Watching Yu Yixian’s happy expression, Ling Yun felt as if she were tasting honey in her heart.
Then, under Yu Yixian’s bright gaze, she reached into her bag and took out a dark red velvet box.
“Happy birthday, Little Fish.”
Yu Yixian stood frozen, looking at Ling Yun in disbelief. “Senior, how did you know today was my birthday?”
Not only did Senior know, but she had even prepared a birthday gift for her.
“It’s a secret. Don’t you want to see the gift?” Ling Yun did not answer but held the velvet box out in front of Yu Yixian.
Yu Yixian could no longer worry about how Senior knew; she carefully took the velvet box and opened it. Inside lay a brooch shaped like a sunflower.
The craftsmanship of the brooch was somewhat rough; the petals of the sunflower were uneven in size. Anyone could tell at a glance that the person who made it was inexperienced. Yu Yixian instantly realized that this brooch was likely handmade by Senior herself.
Yu Yixian immediately looked up at Ling Yun and caught the trace of nervousness in her dark, deep eyes, confirming her own guess.
All of Senior’s excessive busyness over these past few days and the small cuts that frequently appeared on her fingers now made perfect sense.
“Do you not like it?” Seeing Yu Yixian staring at her without speaking, a flash of annoyance crossed Ling Yun’s eyes. Had she known, she wouldn’t have chosen this as the gift.
In truth, she had prepared two gifts: one commissioned from Grandpa Huang, and this one, which she made herself. A selfish desire had compelled her to present the one she made herself.
“No, I like it! I like it very, very much. Thank you, Senior. I am truly, incredibly happy.”
Yu Yixian took the brooch and pinned it directly onto her jacket. The style of the jacket she was wearing today was relatively simple, which paired perfectly with the sunflower brooch.
She loved the birthday gift Senior gave her, and she loved that Senior valued her. This feeling made her fingertips tingle, and she couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
The next second, a pair of hands bearing small cuts took hold of Yu Yixian’s hands. Their fingers intertwined, and Ling Yun helped her fasten the sunflower brooch properly.
“As long as you like it.” Ling Yun let go and stepped back two paces, watching the sunflower brooch she had crafted pinned to Yu Yixian’s chest, a profound sense of satisfaction surging in her heart.
Yu Yixian reached up and pressed against the brooch, locking eyes with Ling Yun and revealing a radiant smile.
The night passed quickly, especially for two young lovers who had just defined their relationship.
Yu Yixian stood downstairs at the dormitory building, full of reluctance. She held onto Ling Yun’s hand, whining and acting spoiled, “Senior, let me walk you back.”
Ling Yun naturally did not want to part from Yu Yixian, but they had already walked each other back and forth four or five times. If they kept going like this, neither would ever get back.
“Go on up. You can video call me.” In the end, Ling Yun steeled her heart, refused Yu Yixian, and pushed her inside.
Yu Yixian walked back, turning around at every step. When she reached the corner, she suddenly ran back and, with a burst of speed, threw herself at Ling Yun. “Senior, I like you.”
After saying that, Yu Yixian jumped off Ling Yun and turned to run away, not looking back this time.
However, Ling Yun still caught sight of the flushed back of Yu Yixian’s neck. With a smile in her eyes, she watched until Yu Yixian had completely disappeared from her sight before turning to leave.
Yu Yixian leaned her back against the cold tiles, holding her burning face in her hands, her light-colored eyes shimmering with moisture. After calming down for a while, the temperature on her body finally dropped. Suddenly remembering something, she hurriedly took her phone out of her bag.
Sure enough, the dark screen lit up. It was a message from Ling Yun.
[Ling Yun: Did you get inside?]
[Ling Yun: Do you want to video call in a bit?]
Looking at the two WeChat messages Ling Yun had sent, the temperature that had finally faded from Yu Yixian’s face rose again.
“Okay.”
After replying, Yu Yixian realized they hadn’t started the video call yet, so she quickly typed back.
[X: Okay~ Senior, wait for me for a moment~]
Yu Yixian did not delay any further, skipping all the way back to her dorm.
…
Yu Yixian was off the market again. The discussions about her and Ling Yun—this eye-catching young couple—on the school forum grew quite intense. However, not long after, these discussion posts mysteriously disappeared. Furthermore, because Yu Yixian and Ling Yun were not high-profile people, the number of people discussing them gradually dwindled.
Because of their respective commitments, the two had very little time to go on dates, so they could only spend their days on video calls to soothe their lovesickness. They were even teased by Wang Xiaoyue and the others that, despite having a girlfriend at the same school, they were still in a long-distance relationship.
This, however, gave Yu Yixian a reminder.
Senior is graduating soon; what are her plans for the future?
Buzz—
Yu Yixian’s attention was pulled back by the vibration of her phone. Someone had sent her a WeChat message.
[Yang Yuan: Yu-jie, are you still coming to visit me? QAQ]
Yu Yixian felt a moment of guilt.
Being busy with her relationship lately, she had indeed forgotten about Yang Yuan.
[X: I am. I’ll come to see you this Saturday. Your second sister isn’t coming back, right?]
Yu Yixian did not want to run into Yang Wenxin.
[Yang Yuan: Don’t worry, my second sister is on a business trip and won’t be back until next month!]
[X: Tell me in advance what you want to eat, and I’ll bring it to you on Saturday.]
As soon as Yu Yixian sent the message, the phone paused for a second and then began to buzz frantically.
Yu Yixian: ?
Yang Yuan, what are you doing! Are you reading off a menu?
That night, Yu Yixian stood at the end of the corridor on a video call with Ling Yun.
“Senior, I miss you so much.” Yu Yixian pouted and complained; she hadn’t hugged Senior for three whole days.
Ling Yun naturally missed Yu Yixian too, her longing even more intense.
However, her project was at a critical juncture recently; if the project succeeded, she would have enough for Ms. Ling Qian’s surgery fees. She had to be absolutely focused. But Ling Yun didn’t tell Yu Yixian any of this because she didn’t want her to worry along with her, nor did she want to receive her charity.
She only wanted Yu Yixian’s love.
The two acted affectionately for a while longer. Yu Yixian remembered she was going to visit Yang Yuan this Saturday and mentioned it to Ling Yun in passing.
Ling Yun’s originally relaxed demeanor vanished instantly. She had been leaning back against her chair, but upon hearing this, she sat upright, her body pressing closer to Yu Yixian on the phone screen. She murmured gloomily: “Is anyone else going with you?”
She remembered the elite woman she met at the hospital last time; that woman’s gaze toward Yu Yixian was definitely not innocent.
Yu Yixian did not perceive Ling Yun’s hidden jealousy, assuming it was simple curiosity. She shook her head and replied, “Just me. Senior, are you going to see your mother on Saturday?”
Ling Yun glanced at her schedule. She had originally agreed with Ms. Ling Qian that she wouldn’t visit this week, as the company had scheduled her for a business trip on Friday, and she wouldn’t be able to return until Sunday at the earliest.
But she didn’t want Yu Yixian to run into that woman.
Ling Yun lowered her eyelids and spoke slowly: “Baby, can you go on Sunday instead?”
B-baby?
It was the first time Yu Yixian had been called by such an intimate term. Even her mother only called her “baby” (baobei). A flush of red crept up to her earlobes.
“Baby, is it not okay?” Ling Yun leaned closer to the screen, her usually high-spirited, dark eyes staring pitifully at Yu Yixian.
How could Yu Yixian withstand such coquettish behavior? She raised her hand to rub her unruly ears, her eyes dodging away, not daring to meet Ling Yun’s gaze. She cleared her throat softly, “Th-then, let me ask.”
Yu Yixian hurriedly opened her chat box with Yang Yuan and asked if Sunday would work.
[Yang Yuan: Really! That’s even better!]
[Yang Yuan: I’ll tell Wei Da not to come on Sunday right now. Haha, too great! I don’t have to see him this week!]
Yu Yixian rubbed her nose, feeling like she was part of someone’s scheme.
Forget it, it was changed to Sunday anyway.
Yu Yixian maximized the video call and noticed Ling Yun had been watching her the whole time. She hurriedly said, “Okay, Senior, I’ll go on Sunday then. But why?”
Only then did Yu Yixian remember to ask for the reason.
Ling Yun watched how much Yu Yixian trusted her, to the point where she didn’t even ask for the reason. The feeling of satisfaction in her heart was about to overflow.
She wanted so badly to touch her baby’s face. It must be very hot right now. If she cupped it in her hands and rubbed it, perhaps her eyes would fill with moisture, and she might look at her with pure, innocent eyes, asking what was wrong, or if there was something dirty on her face.
At that time, she could take the excuse of helping her baby wipe her face to touch her baby’s lips. The fleeting contact on the night of the confession had haunted her memories for far too long. Her baby’s lips were pink and soft. Next time, she would savor them slowly, bit by bit, forcing them open to tease the contents hidden within…
Ling Yun closed her eyes tightly and then opened them, clearing away the fantasy just now and forcing herself to withdraw her gaze.
Looking at the confusion in Yu Yixian’s light-colored eyes, Ling Yun’s voice was hoarse. “I have a business trip on Friday and can only return by Sunday morning at the earliest. How about we go together then?”
Yu Yixian let out a small “ah,” then said, “Okay. You’ve been so busy lately, please make sure to take good care of your health.”
Yu Yixian gave a few more instructions for Ling Yun to take care of herself. She checked the time and saw it was nearly ten o’clock, noticing silhouettes moving behind Ling Yun.
“…Ling-jie, over here…”
“Okay, I’ll be there right away,” Ling Yun replied coldly, lacking the gentleness she displayed when facing Yu Yixian.
“Senior, go get busy. Let’s talk later,” Yu Yixian said, hurrying to end the conversation.
Out of Yu Yixian’s sight, Ling Yun used her finger to gently stroke the screen. “Okay, get some rest early. If it gets too late, I won’t send you any more messages.”
“Mm, you too. Bye-bye.”
Yu Yixian sighed as she looked at the ended video call, thinking she would ask about Senior’s future plans on Sunday.
Perhaps she could consider buying a house near Senior’s studio so Senior wouldn’t have to travel back and forth so exhaustively.
Yu Yixian had a plan in mind.