Fall - Chapter 10

“Come over to study,” Yue Can said.

Bo Wanzhao remained silent, simply gazing at her.

The only thing about Bo Wanzhao that wasn’t gentle was her gaze, which held both resilience and sharpness. Despite her delicate frame, she never gave off an impression of meekness or weakness.

The unspoken message in her reaction seemed to ask, “Are you serious?” Yue Can explained, “There’s no study atmosphere at home.”

Bo Wanzhao still showed no reaction. She doesn’t want to be at home, so she’s using my place as a temporary refuge again.

“That’s discriminatory,” Yue Can declared indignantly. “Just because we’re academic underachievers doesn’t mean we can’t work hard, strive for improvement, and embrace a brighter future!”

After Yue Can finished speaking, Bo Wanzhao nodded gently. “You can.”

“……”

Bo Wanzhao then asked, “Is there a study atmosphere here?”

Yue Can replied with utmost seriousness, “The study atmosphere you radiate is so strong, one person like you could rival an entire class.”

Bo Wanzhao smiled faintly.

The meaning of that smile was ambiguous. Bo Wanzhao often smiled like this, and Yue Can took it as mere polite perfunctory, devoid of deeper meaning. Clearly, Bo Wanzhao had misunderstood her intentions, believing she was here for a study session, which was why she agreed.

“If it’s inconvenient, never mind. I’ll be going now,” Yue Can said, bending down to pick up her umbrella from the floor.

“It’s not inconvenient at all,” Bo Wanzhao replied, turning back to continue organizing her desk.

The umbrella slipped from Yue Can’s hand again. She glanced at Bo Wanzhao’s back and realized that Bo Wanzhao was actually…

quite indulgent toward her.

Even a little unconditionally indulgent.

Yue Can squeezed onto half the desk to work on her practice test. Having grown accustomed to studying with Bo Wanzhao supervising her, she now felt a lack of academic atmosphere without the university prodigy by her side.

Bo Wanzhao continued translating.

After staring at the densely packed English words on the test paper for too long, Yue Can’s head began to swim. Bored, she glanced across the desk at Bo Wanzhao, who hadn’t taken a break beyond occasional sips of water.

Yue Can’s gaze drifted to Bo Wanzhao’s hand holding the water glass. Her fingers were slender and long, and the pale blue veins on the back of her hand were prominent due to her excessive thinness. A small purplish bruise marked the spot where she had been pricked with a needle the previous night.

Bo Wanzhao took a sip of water, set down the glass, and stared at the computer screen. Her thin lips moved slightly as she said, “Daydreaming again. Focus.”

Faced with this timely reminder, Yue Can was speechless. The devil across the desk can multitask?

Bo Wanzhao lowered her head. “Ask me if you get stuck.”

“Not yet,” Yue Can said.

“Don’t be stubborn,” Bo Wanzhao replied.

“……”

Yue Can had completed half of her English practice paper when she noticed Bo Wanzhao pushing herself despite not being fully recovered. “Shouldn’t you rest today?”

“I don’t need to. I’m already fine,” Bo Wanzhao insisted.

Who’s being stubborn here? Yue Can thought to herself.

Around noon, lunch was delivered as usual. One portion was clearly prepared specifically for Bo Wanzhao, focusing on easily digestible and nutritious foods.

Yue Can went to the kitchen to wash her hands before eating. When she returned to the dining table, she found Bo Wanzhao had already ladled her a small bowl of mushroom chicken soup.

“Let it cool a bit,” Bo Wanzhao said. “Be careful not to burn yourself.”

“Okay,” Yue Can replied, sitting down at the table. She glanced down at the steaming soup beside her. Though Bo Wanzhao’s care remained detached and lukewarm, Yue Can sometimes felt her actions were even more considerate than those of a boyfriend…

Every weekend morning, Yue Can woke up on time and left for tutoring. Tan Ming, seeing her daughter’s unusual cooperation without a single complaint, couldn’t hide the worry in her eyes. “You…”

Yue Can stood in the entryway, changing her shoes. “What is it?”

“Have you been under any stress lately?” Tan Ming asked anxiously.

“What kind of stress could I possibly be under?” Yue Can retorted.

“Why are you suddenly working so hard?” Tan Ming scrutinized her precious daughter. Yue Can had always dragged her feet during tutoring sessions, making excuses and even feigning illness to avoid studying for half a day.

“The college entrance exams are right around the corner. You told me to buckle down, remember?”

Tan Ming remained puzzled but simply said, “If anything’s bothering you, you must tell Mom, okay?”

Yue Can was speechless. She had indeed been unusually enthusiastic about studying lately, even rushing to Bo Wanzhao’s place on weekends. She figured it was simply more comfortable being with Bo Wanzhao than staying home.

She couldn’t explain why she felt so relaxed and at ease around Bo Wanzhao. Aside from tutoring sessions, Bo Wanzhao rarely engaged in casual conversation with her.

At noon, Bo Wanzhao received a phone call and stepped outside to answer it.

Yue Can found her behavior mysterious.

The spring sun was bright and warm. After lunch, Yue Can rested on an old bench beneath a tree, basking in the sunlight. She noticed Bo Wanzhao was still on the phone…

Though the distance was too great to hear the conversation, Yue Can observed that Bo Wanzhao spoke for an unusually long time.

Bo Wanzhao can actually talk to someone for this long? Could it be a boyfriend? But her demeanor during the call didn’t suggest romantic involvement. Yue Can’s mind wandered aimlessly, her thoughts scattering like dandelion seeds in the breeze.

A few more minutes passed before Bo Wanzhao hung up. As she turned, a small cat blocked her path, mewing softly at her.

Yue Can, observing the scene, found it amusing and called out, “It’s trying to sweet-talk you.”

Clearly, Bo Wanzhao wasn’t one to be swayed by such tactics, not even by an universally adored kitten.

Bo Wanzhao glanced down at Yue Can, who was sitting under the tree, smiling, relaxed, and utterly at ease.

“Want to come sunbathe?” Yue Can casually invited, their eyes meeting.

It was merely a polite gesture, as Yue Can fully expected Bo Wanzhao to decline with a curt “No need” and retreat indoors to bury herself in work, as usual. But…

Bo Wanzhao looked at her, then walked into the sunlight and sat down beside her.

Yue Can stared in surprise, even after Bo Wanzhao had settled in.

Bo Wanzhao returned her gaze. “Am I not allowed to sunbathe?”

“Of course you are,” Yue Can replied. “It’s public space.”

This was so out of character that Yue Can couldn’t help but wonder: Was she in a bad mood? Because of that phone call? Who had called? What had happened?

If she asked directly, Bo Wanzhao would undoubtedly reveal nothing. She was like someone trained by an intelligence agency, shrouded in secrets and tight-lipped.

The two women sat half a person’s distance apart, quietly basking in the sunlight. A small cat had followed them and settled by their legs.

“What’s its name?” Yue Can asked.

“Do stray cats even have names?” Bo Wanzhao replied.

Yue Can casually bestowed a name, bending down to the cat and saying, “You can be called Dirty Bun.”

Bo Wanzhao lowered her gaze. “Why?”

Seizing the rare opportunity for casual conversation, Yue Can picked up a paper bag nearby and said lazily, “Today’s dessert is Dirty Bun.”

Bo Wanzhao remained silent.

As usual, Bo Wanzhao didn’t initiate much conversation. Yue Can glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, pondered for a moment, and asked, “Do you want one?”

“No need,” Bo Wanzhao replied.

Yue Can offered one anyway. “There are two—one for each of us. They’re delicious, I promise…”

Bo Wanzhao eventually accepted.

Yue Can tore open the packaging and began eating.

Bo Wanzhao followed suit, taking small, delicate bites.

Yue Can stole another glance. Who else could eat a Dirty Bun with such elegance and grace? Only Bo Wanzhao.

Perhaps the perfect weather was conducive to conversation. Yue Can felt compelled to say something. “Bo Wanzhao…” She’d been calling her by name a lot lately.

Bo Wanzhao responded in her familiar tone, “Hmm?”

“Are you being nice to me because of my mom?” Yue Can asked, tilting her head. She’d been curious about this for a long time.

Bo Wanzhao was clearly not the type to be particularly considerate, yet she always looked after Yue Can. Having known Bo Wanzhao for quite some time, Yue Can had never seen her treat anyone else with such care. In Bo Wanzhao’s eyes, she had always been an exception.

Yue Can waited for Bo Wanzhao’s answer.

But Bo Wanzhao remained silent for a long time…

Does that mean she agrees? Yue Can thought she had asked a question with an obvious answer—something best left unspoken. She lowered her head and took another bite of her dirty bun.

Bo Wanzhao watched her, then gently reminded, “Your nose.”

“Hmm?” Yue Can didn’t understand at first and instinctively touched her nose, only to smear the cocoa powder into an even messier smudge.

Seeing this, Bo Wanzhao sighed helplessly and leaned closer, using her fingertip to gently wipe the cocoa powder from Yue Can’s nose.

As if a switch had been flipped, Yue Can froze, staring intently into Bo Wanzhao’s eyes and the faint smile playing at the corner of her lips. She had to admit, Bo Wanzhao’s face was undeniably captivating, especially when viewed up close like this…

The fingertip felt ticklish, almost tingling. Even after Bo Wanzhao’s hand moved away, that strange sensation lingered on Yue Can’s nose.

Bo Wanzhao’s voice was soft as she said, “There, all done.”

Yue Can stiffened slightly. The sun was particularly harsh today, making her feel a bit hot.