With the plan in place, it was time to act.
The next day, while chatting with Ling Yun, Yu Yixian found out the location of her studio. She immediately messaged Secretary Li, asking her to look for suitable apartments in that vicinity.
Time flew by.
On Sunday morning, Secretary Li arrived to pick up Yu Yixian to go look at apartments.
“I found three suitable places in total. I had someone take videos of them yesterday. Take a look, Miss Yixian.”
When Secretary Li saw Yu Yixian get into the car, she handed her the tablet she was holding.
“Thank you, Sister Li!” Yu Yixian took the tablet, her eyes crinkling into smiles at Secretary Li, and lowered her head to flip through the videos.
“What made you think of looking for an apartment? Are you planning to move out of the dorms? But isn’t this area a bit far?”
Yu Yixian didn’t even look up, focusing very seriously on the videos on the tablet. Upon hearing Secretary Li’s question, she replied slowly, “Maybe. My girlfriend works near there, and I don’t want her to have to go back and forth so much.”
Secretary Li had been the one to prepare the fireworks for the confession, so she naturally knew that Yu Yixian had a new girlfriend recently, but she hadn’t expected the progress to be so fast or for Yu Yixian to be this infatuated.
Are they planning to live together? Should I advise against it?
Secretary Li scrutinized Yu Yixian’s profile. Seeing her focused and earnest expression, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
Forget it. The boss told me to listen to everything Yu Yixian says, and barring any accidents, Yu Yixian will become my boss after she graduates. Why should I meddle?
Secretary Li retracted her gaze and began introducing the three apartments she had found.
It took the whole morning, but Yu Yixian settled on one. This apartment had great natural lighting, was well-located, and was close to her senior’s studio.
Yu Yixian glanced at a message; Ling Yun said she would be back after one o’clock in the afternoon. She thought about it and decided to just go to the hospital first to keep Yang Yuan company for a while longer.
As for the rest of the paperwork for the apartment, she would leave that to Secretary Li.
Carrying her things into the hospital, the moment Yu Yixian entered the room, she saw Yang Yuan fast asleep in bed.
Yu Yixian checked the time; it was already twelve-thirty. Why is she still sleeping at this hour? Could she be feeling unwell?
“Yuan-yuan, Yuan-yuan, what’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?” Yu Yixian hurried over to the bedside and patted Yang Yuan’s face to wake her up.
Yang Yuan opened her eyes groggily. “Big Sister, it’s you…”
With her slow, languid voice and unfocused eyes, the anxiety in Yu Yixian’s heart immediately dissipated. She stood up straight and gave Yang Yuan an annoyed eye-roll.
“What time is it, and you’re still sleeping? Get up quickly.” Yu Yixian brought the food containers she had left by the door inside, shaking her head as she watched Yang Yuan yawn while setting up the small bed table.
“What time is it?” Yang Yuan set up the table and leaned back against the headboard, still looking sleepy.
“It’s twelve-thirty. Have you been staying up late again recently?” Yu Yixian took out the dishes Yang Yuan had ordered one by one, shaking her head again as she looked at her drowsy expression.
Yang Yuan’s eyes shifted away. Looking at all the delicious food on the table, she changed the subject. “Perfect, I’m starving. Big Sister, you arrived just in time!”
Yu Yixian saw Yang Yuan’s stiff attempt to change the subject but didn’t press her, simply urging her a few more times to stop staying up late.
“Mmm-hmm, I know, it’s delicious~” Yang Yuan stuffed her mouth full, nodding obediently as she listened to Yu Yixian’s advice.
Yu Yixian shook her head helplessly.
After finishing lunch, Yang Yuan patted her rounded belly and leaned back against the headboard, her eyes following Yu Yixian around the room.
“Big Sister, just leave those there. Wait for someone to come by tonight and have them clean up.”
Yu Yixian continued cleaning up without looking up. “Who is coming tonight?”
“Uh… the cleaner I hired. Yes, the cleaner!”
Yu Yixian looked at Yang Yuan strangely. “If you hired one, then you hired one. Why are you stammering when you talk?”
“D-do I? Hahaha, how could that be! Anyway, Big Sister, when are you leaving?” After saying this, Yang Yuan looked annoyed and quickly slapped her own mouth. “No, no, oh! Right, Big Sister, I noticed you brought someone with you the other day. Why didn’t she come today?”
Yu Yixian put down the trash she had collected, stood straight, and frowned, studying Yang Yuan.
It was strange enough, but she also seemed to have a hint of a guilty conscience.
“It’s nothing, I just woke up and ate too much, so I’m suffering from a lack of blood to the brain. I’m being a bit silly, heh heh.” After insulting herself, Yang Yuan laughed a little, glancing at Yu Yixian with a slightly guilty expression.
Yu Yixian nodded, about to say something, when suddenly her phone rang with a WeChat call. Opening it, she saw it was Ling Yun.
“I’m going to take a call.” Yu Yixian smiled brightly, pointed her phone toward the door, and left after she finished speaking.
Yang Yuan, who had still been feeling guilty, was suddenly filled with curiosity. Who on earth is calling Big Sister? Why is she so happy? Could there be some development?!
Yu Yixian found a quiet corner to answer Ling Yun’s call.
“…Were you busy just now?” Ling Yun’s voice came through the receiver, slightly distorted.
“It’s alright, it took me a little while to find a quiet place. Are you off the car now?”
“Yes. Are you at the hospital right now?”
“I am. I didn’t get here long ago. I just had lunch with Yuan-yuan. What about you? Have you eaten?” Yu Yixian explained what she had been doing quite naturally.
“I haven’t eaten yet. Baby, didn’t we agree to wait to go together?” Perhaps trying to hide a certain emotion, Ling Yun’s voice was overly gentle, taking on a coaxing tone instead.
“I woke up early today, so I came over first. Why don’t you go eat first? Staying hungry is bad for your health.” Yu Yixian rubbed her tingling ears; Ling Yun’s voice just now was too gentle, as if she were speaking right into her ear, making her blush uncontrollably.
“But I want to see you, baby.” Ling Yun’s voice sounded dejected.
“I—I want to see you too. Then I’ll go have a meal with you in a little while? I’ll wait for you at the hospital, okay?” Yu Yixian was immediately swayed and hurried to soothe Ling Yun.
“Okay, baby. You must wait for me this time.” Ling Yun chuckled softly.
Yu Yixian shivered, responded in a jumble, and quickly hung up the phone.
Phew.
Yu Yixian let out a long breath and touched her burning face. She walked quickly to the restroom.
Looking at herself in the mirror with misty eyes and flushed cheeks, Yu Yixian hurriedly used cold water to cool herself down.
The Senior’s voice when she gets gentle is practically seducing me into committing a crime. I don’t dare imagine what it would be like if the Senior called me ‘baby’ in bed… stop, don’t think about it!
Ahhhh! Yu Yixian covered her face and let out a silent cry. She absolutely couldn’t let the Senior discover her looking like this. What if she misunderstood and thought she was some kind of lecherous girl? She still wanted to maintain a good image in front of the Senior!
After staying in the restroom for a while longer, Yu Yixian looked at herself in the mirror, and since the redness had faded, she prepared to return.
Just as she reached the door, Yu Yixian suddenly heard a muffled sound from inside. Her heart skipped a beat, and with her hand on the doorknob, she prepared to rush in.
There was a glass panel on the door. Yu Yixian looked through it subconsciously, and her half-step into the room froze instantly.
Inside the room, besides Yang Yuan, there was another familiar figure. One sitting and one standing, the two of them were leaning against each other, heads very close together. Yang Yuan’s hand was tightly clutching the tie hanging down from the other person.
The door was pushed open a crack, and the wet, squelching sound immediately made her understand what the two people inside were doing.
Yu Yixian closed the door with a blank expression and turned to walk downstairs.
No wonder Yuan-yuan was acting so weird earlier, stuttering when she mentioned the cleaner. So that ‘cleaner’ is Wei Da.
That’s not right though. The last time I came here, Yuan-yuan didn’t even want to look at Wei Da. When did they get back together?
Yu Yixian sat on a bench downstairs at the hospital, her brow furrowed in deep thought.
Just then, Ling Yun’s phone call came through again.
“Baby, where are you?”
Yu Yixian paused. Calculating the time, Ling Yun should have arrived by now. She hurriedly got up and walked back toward the hospital. “I’m outside catching some air. Are you at your mother’s place? I’ll come find you.”
“No need. Wait for me outside; I’ll be out in a moment.” Ling Yun told Yu Yixian not to move, saying she would come down to find her.
“Oh, okay.” Yu Yixian stopped in her tracks and, hearing this, sat back down.
Yu Yixian sat blankly on the bench. In her mind, the image of Ling Yun flickered, alternating with the sight of Yang Yuan and Wei Da being intimate just a moment ago.
Apart from the peck on the night of the confession, the most intimate thing she and the Senior had done was hold hands.
Yu Yixian’s fingers touched her lips unknowingly. A sudden impulse surged in her heart: since she and the Senior were already a couple, the Senior shouldn’t reject her if she tried to kiss her, right?
As she was thinking this, Yu Yixian suddenly heard a rustling sound behind her, like someone’s footsteps.
“What are you thinking about?”
The familiar voice appeared right above her head. Yu Yixian looked up, and just as she was about to speak, she was stunned into silence by Ling Yun’s appearance, which was different from usual. She stared at Ling Yun, mouth agape.
Perhaps because she had just returned from a business trip, and because the temperature had risen recently, Ling Yun was wearing a smoke-gray casual suit.
Maybe it was hot on the way over, because Ling Yun had taken off her suit jacket and was carrying it on her arm. She had also unbuttoned the collar of her shirt down to her chest. As she looked down at Yu Yixian seriously, the long black hair on one side of her face was tucked behind her ear, while the other side fell naturally in front of Yu Yixian’s eyes.
Yu Yixian’s eyes subconsciously followed that lock of hair, staring at it intently like a little cat encountering a cat teaser toy.
Ling Yun was amused by Yu Yixian’s cute little expression; her narrow eyes curved slightly. Her other free hand caressed Yu Yixian’s face, and a flash of satisfaction crossed her eyes.
Yu Yixian stared at Ling Yun’s face and suddenly said, “Senior, lean down a little.”
Ling Yun was puzzled, but she still did as Yu Yixian asked, bending over to get closer.
Yu Yixian reached out and took hold of the hand Ling Yun had used to caress her face, pulling her slightly forward. “Closer.”
Ling Yun was startled, seemingly realizing what Yu Yixian was about to do. Her heart rate accelerated instantly.
“Senior, come a little closer, okay~” Yu Yixian hummed coquettishly, her gaze flickering with anticipation and nervousness.
Yu Yixian held Ling Yun’s hand tightly, pulling her toward herself bit by bit. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller. The next second, Yu Yixian sat up straight abruptly and pressed her lips against the spot she had been dreaming of.