Fall - Chapter 17

The girl politely said, “It’s alright,” and left.

Bo Wanzhao thought she must be overly tired. She took out her keys to unlock the door.

The kitten remained in place, meowing at her.

Bo Wanzhao looked down at the cat—the one she called Dirty Bun, whom she’d encountered several times before. It seemed Yue Can had fed it too frequently in the past, because even though Yue Can no longer came around, the cat still often lingered nearby, waiting.

The kitten approached and rubbed against her pant leg, silently begging for attention. It then looked up at her, its round eyes seeming to ask why that person hadn’t come.

For over two months, Yue Can had traveled extensively throughout the country, covering every corner of the land. By mid-August, their journey was nearing its end; after a few more days of sightseeing, it would be time to return to Naxia.

Their itinerary hadn’t been particularly strenuous, but after such an extensive trip, it was impossible not to feel exhausted.

Upon arriving at their final destination, the group had dinner and returned to their hotel, opting for an early night’s rest rather than any further activities.

Yue Can and Zhong Ran shared a room, while Luo Yang stayed with his cousin, Zhuang Qimeng.

Back in their room, Yue Can took a shower and burrowed into the soft bedding, hugging a pillow as she lazily complained to Zhong Ran, “I don’t want to travel for the next year.”

“Me too,” Zhong Ran replied listlessly, slumping on the sofa while editing photos. “I just want to go home.”

After lying down for a while, Yue Can picked up her phone and started scrolling through photos. She selected a few and posted them on her WeChat Moments, not so much to share with others but to document her life.

The post quickly garnered numerous likes and comments.

Bored, Yue Can clicked through to check the notifications, scrolling down the long list.

As always, that person’s name was nowhere to be found.

Yue Can found it difficult to define her relationship with Bo Wanzhao. Sisters? Friends? Neither seemed quite right.

If they weren’t close, why would Bo Wanzhao bring her home to stay overnight and take such good care of her? Yet if they were close, why did Bo Wanzhao seem uninterested in deepening their connection?

Yue Can wasn’t passive by nature, but her pride prevented her from making unilateral advances. What was the point?

After mulling over these thoughts for a while, Yue Can put down her phone and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the day’s activities.

The next day’s itinerary was relaxed, focusing on visiting a single scenic spot.

The area was famous for its ancient wishing tree, drawing crowds of tourists who stopped to make their wishes.

Zhong Ran, who had done her research beforehand, insisted that the tree was incredibly effective and that they absolutely had to make a wish.

Yue Can grabbed a wishing plaque to join the fun. She guessed Zhong Ran would wish to find a girlfriend, while Luo Yang would undoubtedly wish for academic success. After pondering for a while, she couldn’t think of anything she truly desired. Usually, her wishes were granted without needing to make a special request.

In the end, she wrote a conventional wish: “May Yue Can always be happy and joyful.”

“I heard this tree is super effective!”

“There’s something mystical about it.”

The surrounding tourists were also talking about the tree’s mystical powers. Suddenly, Yue Can had an idea. After a moment’s hesitation, she ran back to buy another wishing plaque.

Under the blazing sun, Yue Can lowered her head and wrote earnestly. This time, she didn’t hesitate, finishing in just a few strokes.

“Who else are you writing for?” Zhong Ran asked, craning her neck to peek at the two plaques Yue Can had written.

“Nowhere does it say you can only make one wish,” Yue Can replied, shielding the plaques from view.

“Greedy!” Zhong Ran teased. “Be careful—you might not get either wish granted.”

Yue Can shrugged with a nonchalant smile, thinking, Then I’ll just have the second one come true.

Soon, both wishing plaques were hanging from the tree’s branches, swaying in the breeze under the sunlight. The other plaque read: May Bo Wanzhao have smooth sailing and achieve all her desires.

It was late August, and the graduation trip had come to a perfect end. Yue Can dragged two oversized suitcases back to Naxia, filled with souvenirs and small gifts for everyone.

As soon as she returned, she had to start preparing for university life.

Yue Can ultimately chose a university in the northern part of Naxia, not too far from her hometown. Her reason was simple and straightforward: she wanted to see snow in winter.

Zhong Ran followed Luo Yang, successfully enrolling in a university in the same city. After checking the map, they discovered their campuses were adjacent, less than a kilometer apart.

As she stood on the cusp of a new chapter in her life, Yue Can felt surprisingly calm. During the final days of summer vacation, Zhong Ran invited her to watch a movie—the same one Zhong Ran had mentioned before. Yue Can couldn’t help but admire her friend’s persistence.

With their impending separation, the movie was secondary; what mattered was spending time together and chatting.

The two sat cross-legged on the sofa, eating ice cream while watching the projected film, occasionally drifting into casual conversation.

It was a drama with a subplot of romance, and Yue Can found herself engrossed in the compelling narrative. Just as she was fully absorbed, her WeChat buzzed with several notifications.

Zhong Ran asked, “Who is it?”

Yue Can glanced at the message without replying, then took another bite of her ice cream. “Someone confessing,” she replied expressionlessly.

“How many is that now?” Zhong Ran asked.

Yue Can sounded slightly annoyed. “Second or third, I think.”

Ever since graduation, everyone had been acting like wild horses let loose, throwing caution and restraint to the wind. Rumor had it that three or four couples had gotten together during the graduation party alone.

“You’re not interested in any of them?” Zhong Ran pressed.

“Nope,” Yue Can replied.

Zhong Ran’s eyes lit up. “Then what kind of person would you be interested in?”

“What counts as ‘interested’?” Yue Can countered.

“Interested is…” Zhong Ran perked up at the topic, now that high school was over and she no longer had to hide her desire for romance. She turned to face Yue Can, her small mouth chattering away. “Someone you feel really comfortable being around. You’re curious about them, unconsciously pay attention to them, and might even miss them when you’re apart.”

Zhong Ran spoke with such conviction, she sounded like a love guru. She stared at Yue Can, her eyes sparkling with gossip. “Have you ever felt that way about anyone?”

Yue Can fell silent, her voice catching in her throat.

Zhong Ran had expected Yue Can to dismiss the question with a carefree “No,” but instead, she saw Yue Can hesitate. Such hesitation on this topic could only mean one thing… Zhong Ran gasped, “You do?”

Yue Can didn’t answer directly. Instead, she slowly countered, “Are you interested in Luo Yang?”

Zhong Ran instantly fell silent, her face a mask of confusion.

Yue Can continued calmly, “Isn’t that exactly how you feel about Luo Yang?”

Zhong Ran rushed to defend herself, her face flushing red. “That’s completely different! Luo Yang and I have a purely platonic friendship! I have no romantic feelings for him!”

Yue Can smiled faintly. “So your theory doesn’t hold up either.”

“I’m not finished yet! There’s one more crucial point,” Zhong Ran interrupted, lowering her voice. “Do you have any… other desires? Like hugging, kissing, or… you know, that.”

That. Everyone knew what she meant.

Yue Can glanced at Zhong Ran. “Finished with your s3x ed lesson?”

Zhong Ran wasn’t so easily diverted. She circled back to her original question: “You still haven’t answered me. Are you interested in someone?”

Yue Can chose not to reply.

Unable to get a straight answer, Zhong Ran had no choice but to suppress her curiosity. She knew Yue Can’s stubborn nature; if Yue Can didn’t want to talk, she could ask until the next lifetime and still get nothing.

They continued watching the movie.

The film shifted to its romantic subplot, showing the two female leads lying in bed, embracing intimately, whispering sweet nothings.

“Aaaaaah, they’re perfect for each other!” Zhong Ran squealed, transforming into a hyperactive groundhog as she shook Yue Can’s arm frantically.

As Yue Can watched, she inexplicably recalled the way Bo Wanzhao had held her that day, so intimately…

When the two women on screen locked eyes and began kissing, Zhong Ran’s excitement reached fever pitch. “Aaaaaah, so sweet! So sweet!”

“Are you serious?” Yue Can chuckled, feigning disdain at Zhong Ran’s over-the-top reaction. She then gazed calmly at the screen as the women kissed tenderly, their passion gradually intensifying into an inseparable embrace… It is a little sweet, she thought.

Just as Bo Wanzhao had crossed her mind, Yue Can remembered something else. She picked up her phone and proactively sent a WeChat message:

Yue Can: Are you home tomorrow?

Bo Wanzhao had carried so many things for her; it was only right to deliver a gift in person.