Yu Yixian felt for a moment as if she had fallen into a trap, but looking at the smile on Ling Yun’s face, she thought, if it’s a trap, so be it; as long as the senior is happy.
“Then keep me company for a meal first.” Ling Yun stood up and reached out to Yu Yixian.
The two left the hospital with their fingers intertwined.
The place they went to eat was one Ling Yun had found. Although the storefront was small, it was very clean. It was a family-run business where the wife was busy greeting customers at the front desk, and the husband was silently cooking in the kitchen. The two had almost no conversation, yet they were unexpectedly in tacit harmony.
Yu Yixian sat opposite Ling Yun, tilting her head to look curiously at the busy couple, but a second later, Ling Yun cupped her face and turned her head back.
Yu Yixian: “?”
Ling Yun was slightly dissatisfied: “You were looking for too long.”
Amused by Ling Yun’s jealousy, Yu Yixian rubbed her cheek against Ling Yun’s palm. “Senior, don’t be jealous. I was just admiring their atmosphere.”
As she spoke, Yu Yixian held Ling Yun’s hand, her tone tinged with curiosity: “Senior, do you have any plans after graduation?”
Ling Yun immediately held her hand back, her thumb stroking the back of Yu Yixian’s hand. She raised an eyebrow upon hearing the question: “Do you have any hopes for my plans?”
Yu Yixian wrinkled her nose: “Senior, that question is against the rules; I asked you first.”
“But I want to know your answer. Tell me, okay, baby?” Ling Yun gathered Yu Yixian’s hands together. At this moment, she felt that she had finally caught this lively, free, and beautiful little fish.
Yu Yixian realized that she simply could not resist Ling Yun when she spoke in this gentle, coaxing tone. She wiggled her fingers, discovered she couldn’t pull them away, and simply gave up, letting Ling Yun hold them.
“Then I’ll tell you.”
Ling Yun nodded, appearing even somewhat expectant.
Seeming a bit embarrassed, Yu Yixian lowered her eyelids. “Naturally, I hope you can stay here. After all, I’m only a sophomore. If we are in the same city, I’d still want to see you on weekends. If you go somewhere else, we might not have as much time to meet.”
Yu Yixian’s voice grew lower and lower, and as she spoke, a hint of disappointment crept in.
“But I still hope you go do what you love. After all, transportation is so convenient now; when I have a break, I’ll go see you!”
“We won’t be separated. I like this job, and I also like being by your side.” Ling Yun felt very satisfied seeing how reluctant Yu Yixian was to let her go.
That was enough. What kind of job it was didn’t matter to her; there was no difference.
Since her little fish couldn’t bear for her to leave, she would stay. Before her business trip, Wei Da had asked her if she would stay after this project ended. Ling Yun had replied that she would see, but it looked like she could give him a definite answer tonight.
Ling Yun’s noodles and side dishes arrived. The two let go of each other’s hands. Yu Yixian wasn’t hungry, so she rested her chin on her hand and watched Ling Yun eat.
Ling Yun ate quickly, clean and efficiently, finishing a large bowl of beef noodles in no time.
After paying the bill, Ling Yun pulled Yu Yixian away.
Both wanted to walk around outside for a while longer, but it was Sunday. One had an 8:00 AM class the next day, and the other had to go to work. Yu Yixian suggested they go back to get a good rest and not rush things.
Ling Yun was reluctant. She stood downstairs at her dormitory, saying nothing, and stared at Yu Yixian silently.
Yu Yixian felt even more reluctant to leave now. She jogged over and hugged Ling Yun.
“Senior, you need to rest well; don’t be willful.”
Ling Yun narrowed her eyes slightly, held the girl in her arms tightly without saying a word, and spoke with a hint of resentment in her tone: “We haven’t seen each other for a long time. Are you kicking me back like this?”
Yu Yixian wanted to look up to speak to Ling Yun, but Ling Yun pushed her head back down with one hand. She had no choice but to lean on her shoulder and say helplessly: “But your health is more important.”
It’s not important.
Ling Yun silently retorted in her heart, but she didn’t dare say it out loud, fearing that if Yu Yixian heard it, she would get angry and say she wouldn’t talk to her anymore.
They hugged for a while longer. No matter what Ling Yun said, Yu Yixian would not budge. Ling Yun reluctantly let go and turned her head away to avoid looking at Yu Yixian.
Yu Yixian was amused by Ling Yun’s pouting expression. She liked seeing the lively and changing expressions on her senior’s face, which made her feel that her senior was truly alive.
However, liking it was one thing, but Yu Yixian didn’t like it when Ling Yun was angry. She reached out and tugged on Ling Yun’s sleeve, shaking it back and forth.
“Senior, I’ll give you a surprise in two days, okay? Don’t be angry. Also, in two months, we’ll be on break. When that time comes, my entire vacation belongs to you, alright?”
Upon hearing that Yu Yixian’s entire vacation would belong to her, a spark of light appeared in Ling Yun’s long, narrow eyes.
“Really?”
“Of course it’s real. Why would I lie to you? I like you the most, Senior.” Yu Yixian leaned in and kissed her. “Alright, you must get a good rest today. No more staying up late.”
Yu Yixian agreed to several more conditions before she finally managed to coax Ling Yun back.
Back at the dorm, Yu Yixian chuckled after seeing the message Ling Yun sent her.
[Ling Yun: I’m getting ready to sleep. Remember to find me in your dreams.]
[X: Okay, see you in my dreams.]
It was a new week.
Yu Yixian went through her daily full schedule of classes as usual, and in the evenings, she walked with Ling Yun on the playground or along the forest paths.
Yu Yixian took out her phone to take a picture of the book she needed for the current class, telling Ling Yun she was about to start.
Ye Qian, who was sitting next to her, was busy playing around with Wang Xiaoyue. When she glanced over and accidentally saw the message Yu Yixian sent to report her status, she asked curiously: “Do you have to report in even when you’re going to class?”
After finishing her message to Ling Yun, Yu Yixian looked at her: “Since we can’t see each other, consider it sharing our daily lives.”
“Being in a relationship is so troublesome. I’m glad I’m single.” Ye Qian tried to put herself in those shoes; reporting in occasionally was fine, but reporting in every single day sounded exhausting.
Wang Xiaoyue also leaned over and nodded: “Being single is better.”
Yu Yixian smiled and patted both their heads: “Yes, yes, being single is good. Class is starting, stop messing around.”
During class, Yu Yixian recalled the words of Ye Qian and Wang Xiaoyue. She could understand them, as some people felt that there was nothing to report since her day was so repetitive, and over time, it felt no different from being monitored.
Besides, it seemed her previous girlfriends didn’t like reporting in. However, Ling Yun was different. She would proactively send what she was about to do, roughly how long it would take, and tell her that if she couldn’t be reached, she could leave a message first.
Over time, Yu Yixian had been influenced by Ling Yun to habitually report her status. She felt it was quite nice; it allowed them to share their lives, and if an emergency happened, she didn’t have to overthink why the other party wasn’t answering calls or replying to messages.
She liked it very much.
Because she also wanted to know what her senior was doing.
“Hey, May Day is coming soon. What are your plans?” Wang Xiaoyue suddenly lowered her head and looked toward where she, Ye Qian, and the others were sitting.
Yu Yixian woke up from her distracted thoughts. Hearing the keyword “May Day”—a rare long holiday—she wondered if her senior had time.
Ye Qian rested her chin on one hand while spinning a ballpoint pen with the other: “No plans for now.”
“Jiajia, Jiajia, what about you!” Wang Xiaoyue stretched her neck and shouted, making Yu Yixian laugh.
Tang Jia was listening to the lecture attentively and didn’t hear Wang Xiaoyue’s voice.
“Let’s talk after class,” Yu Yixian whispered.
The class passed quickly. Those who needed to go to the restroom went, and those who wanted to nap rested their heads on the desks.
Wang Xiaoyue sat directly in front and looked at the three of them.
“Are you going home for May Day?”
Tang Jia’s eyes dimmed, and she shook her head: “Not going.”
Tang Jia’s family situation was special. Wang Xiaoyue and Ye Qian didn’t know much about it, only that she didn’t have a good relationship with her family. Yu Yixian knew, however, as she had been the one to step in and help resolve things back then.
Yu Yixian patted Tang Jia on the back and comforted her: “It’s okay. Go out and relax with them when the time comes.”
“Aren’t you going with us?” Wang Xiaoyue asked subconsciously.
Yu Yixian crossed her arms and teased: “I have a partner, I’m not going out with you single folks.”
“Hey! Ye Qian, Jiajia, pin her down!” Wang Xiaoyue chuckled, rolled up her sleeves, and started tickling Yu Yixian.
“Hahahaha—I’m wrong, ouch! I know I’m wrong!”
The four girls erupted into a mess of laughter, and others around them joined in as well.
Joking aside, they eventually decided to go to a nearby city for two days. Ye Qian was responsible for making the itinerary, Wang Xiaoyue for communications, and Tang Jia for taking photos.
“When I was making the itinerary, I found a spot there called the ‘Red String Lover’s Tree.’ Do you want to go see it with your senior?” Yu Yixian was curled up in a hammock video-chatting with Ling Yun when Ye Qian walked over with her laptop.
Yu Yixian put her phone on her lap and took the laptop from Ye Qian: “Let me see.”
She looked at the itinerary Ye Qian found for a moment and felt it was indeed good. “I’ll ask my senior.”
“Sure, then I’ll send the itinerary to you.”
Ye Qian took the laptop back. Yu Yixian turned her phone around and watched Ling Yun, who was resting her chin on her hand and staring at her quietly.
“Senior, are you free for May Day?”
“Yes, does my baby want to go on a date with me?”
Yu Yixian took off one earphone. It was truly against the rules for her senior to speak in that tone and call her “baby.”
Yet, she liked it.
“Yes, I want to go on a date with you. So, Senior, do you want to go together?”
Ling Yun’s eyes narrowed happily, her long black hair draped over her back. Yu Yixian inexplicably felt that there were two fluffy ears on her senior’s head, shaking happily without stopping.
“Okay.”
Over the next few days, Yu Yixian followed along with Ye Qian’s itinerary research while sending it to Ling Yun, asking her where she wanted to go.
Ling Yun was naturally fine with anything; as long as Yu Yixian was by her side, it didn’t matter to her where they went.
However, Yu Yixian had some trouble when it came to booking the room.
Ye Qian and the others had booked a standard double room, intending to push the two beds together so the three of them could sleep together.
Yu Yixian had originally planned to book a standard double room as well, but the relationship between her and her senior was a bit different from that of her and the other three girls.
She and her senior were a couple; staying together made her feel a little shy.
Of course, she wanted to stay with her senior, but she was afraid her senior would mind…
When Ye Qian heard Yu Yixian’s worries, she rolled her eyes silently: “I think you’re worrying too much.”
Even Tang Jia agreed with Ye Qian, silently nodding from the side.
“Just seeing how your senior clings to you, do you think she would disagree?” Wang Xiaoyue leaned in and giggled.
They had all witnessed how Ling Yun clung to Yu Yixian and felt that Yu Yixian’s worry was completely unnecessary.
Being teased like this, Yu Yixian couldn’t help but blush and pushed them: “I know! You aren’t allowed to talk about it anymore!”
However, she still decided to ask Ling Yun.
[X: Senior, should we book two rooms?]
[Ling Yun: ?]
A question mark was sent over immediately.
[Ling Yun: Do you not want me anymore? Crying, crying, crying]
Looking at the three crying emojis, Yu Yixian silently booked one room.
This year, May Day fell on a Friday. Ye Qian and the others planned to rush to the train station right after class.
Ling Yun had to work overtime tonight and wouldn’t be finished until after nine o’clock. Yu Yixian would go to the studio to pick Ling Yun up first and then head to the train station.
Since the place they were going wasn’t far, the train ride only took an hour; if they took the high-speed rail, it would be only a few dozen minutes. They could go in the evening and rest at the hotel.
After class, Yu Yixian carried her packed suitcase, ate dinner, and then had the driver pull up in front of the studio building.
The weather was hot now, and even at night, it was only slightly cooler than during the day. Yu Yixian opened the car window and looked at the brightly lit office building opposite, sighing at how many people were still working overtime.
The thought that she might also be working overtime in two years made her lose her smile instantly.
“Miss, are you sure you don’t need me to follow you this time?” The driver was still a bit worried.
“No need. Not many people there know me, and plus, I’m not going alone, so it wouldn’t be convenient for you to tag along.” Yu Yixian shook her head with a smile.
“I’ve already told Mom and Dad, they know.”
The driver nodded: “Alright then. Remember to let me know the day you return, Miss; I’ll wait for you at the station.”
“Thank you, Uncle Li.”
“What are you thanking me for? Eh? Is that your friend, Miss?” Uncle Li smiled and waved his hand, his eyes sharp as he spotted a familiar figure in front, waving frantically to hail a cab.
Yu Yixian was stunned and hurriedly leaned out to shout: “Senior! I’m here!”
It was only past seven; she got off work so fast. It looked like they would have to wait at the station for a while. Yu Yixian was thinking about what they could do at the station when she saw Ling Yun running over, her face full of anxiety.
“Little Fish, I’m sorry, let’s cancel the date. Something happened to my mom!” Ling Yun’s usually steady black eyes were now full of urgency.
Yu Yixian was startled, and upon hearing that something had happened to her senior’s mother, she was shocked as well and quickly opened the car door to let her in.
“Uncle Li, go to the hospital, hurry!”
Yu Yixian held Ling Yun’s hand to comfort her: “It’s okay, Mom will be fine. Try to calm down first.”