Fall - Chapter 19

Yue Can gazed at the familiar kitten in the photo, her longing for Naxia suddenly intensified. Though she had adapted to life in West City, it remained an unfamiliar place, especially since she was new and her family and friends were far away. She truly missed Naxia…

After military training ended and a week of classes passed, Yue Can eagerly awaited the National Day holiday.

Many freshmen chose to return home for the break. Yue Can booked a flight for around 11 AM, packing her luggage only after waking up that morning before rushing out the door. The school was quite a distance from the airport, but traveling with several classmates made the journey less tedious, filled with casual chatter and laughter.

The flight from West City to Naxia lasted just over an hour. Yue Can ate lunch on the plane, dozed off, and soon arrived at her destination.

After retrieving her luggage and exiting the terminal, Yue Can spotted a familiar face waiting for her: Sister Tang, the family driver. The other two senior executives at home were undoubtedly too busy to pick her up themselves.

After getting into the car, Yue Can checked her phone and saw Zhong Ran had sent her an airport location, saying she and Luo Yang were about to board their flight. Zhong Ran and Luo Yang were on an afternoon flight with a longer journey, so they would arrive later than Yue Can.

Yue Can sent her own location, confirming she had already arrived.

Every time Yue Can flew, she felt exhausted. After exchanging a few quick messages with Zhong Ran, she put her phone down, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes to rest.

When she got home, only Aunt Hu was there, as usual.

The moment Aunt Hu saw her, she exclaimed with concern, “Aiyo, you’ve lost so much weight! Your mother will be worried sick when she sees you.”

Yue Can smiled. “I haven’t lost that much.”

“You can’t lose any more,” Aunt Hu insisted. Having worked for the Yue family for years, she genuinely cared for Yue Can and bustled around, asking, “Did you have lunch?”

“I ate on the plane,” Yue Can replied.

Aunt Hu rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work. “That’s not enough! I’ll make you something delicious to help you recover.”

“No need, Aunt Hu. I’m not hungry. I’ll eat later tonight,” Yue Can quickly stopped her. “I’m going to take a shower and rest.”

“Alright, you must be exhausted from the flight.”

Covered in dust from her travels, Yue Can headed straight for the bathroom. After a quick shower and changing into fresh, clean clothes, she stood before the mirror, blow-drying her hair.

When her hair was half-dry, Yue Can gazed at her reflection for a long moment. She decided she looked just right as she was and didn’t need to touch up her makeup. Back in high school, she used to overdo it, making her cheeks look almost baby-fat. Now that the baby fat had faded, her face had lost much of its youthful roundness.

Returning to her bedroom, Yue Can flopped onto the bed and rolled around comfortably. The wooden cots at school couldn’t compare to the plush mattress at home.

After scrolling through her phone for a while, her eyelids began to droop. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep face-down on the bed. Aunt Hu’s knock at the door startled her awake.

“Can Can, what would you like for dinner?” Aunt Hu asked.

What would I like? A certain person immediately sprang to Yue Can’s mind. She told Aunt Hu, “Anything is fine,” picked up her phone, sent two messages, and waited for a reply.

Bo Wanzhao spent the entire afternoon in the school library, working on her graduation thesis. When she went to get a drink, she realized her cup was empty and got up to refill it.

By the water dispenser, she ran into Su Ying, who had been in the same project group as her.

Su Ying, having just filled her own cup, stepped aside and casually asked in a low voice, “Still here tonight?”

“Yeah,” Bo Wanzhao replied.

“Me too,” Su Ying said. “Want to grab dinner at the cafeteria later?”

Bo Wanzhao chuckled softly. “Sure.” When she was on campus, she always ate at the cafeteria.

“Wanzhao, what are your plans after graduation?”

“Looking for a job,” Bo Wanzhao answered simply.

Su Ying smiled. She had wanted to ask for more specific details, but seeing Bo Wanzhao’s reserved expression, she refrained. She took a sip of her water and glanced at the person beside her. “You know, I always thought you were so aloof.”

Bo Wanzhao finished filling her cup and smiled gently. “Aloof? Me?”

“Yeah, but not the superficial kind…” Su Ying said with a laugh. She had almost said “the kind that comes from deep inside,” but stopped herself, realizing it would be too presumptuous. After Bo Wanzhao finished filling her cup, they walked back to the study area together. “Let’s go. We can head to dinner around six—we’ve got half an hour.”

“Mm,” Bo Wanzhao replied, picking up her phone to check her messages. Once she became engrossed in her studies, she rarely allowed herself to be distracted, only glancing at her phone during water breaks or trips to the restroom.

As a result, she didn’t see Yue Can’s message, sent around 3 PM, until after 5 PM. Yue Can had sent her a location pin.

Yue Can: I’m back!

Yue Can: You’ll be in Naxia for the National Day holiday, right?

Bo Wanzhao slowed her pace and replied: Yes.

The response came instantly, as if Yue Can had taken up permanent residence on WeChat.

Yue Can: When can I come over for dinner?

Was she serious about dinner? Bo Wanzhao lowered her gaze thoughtfully, then tossed the decision back to Yue Can.

bwz: When would you like to come?

Yue Can saw the message and swiftly typed: Tonight?

After sending it, Yue Can wondered if she had been too forward, suggesting tonight without giving Bo Wanzhao time to prepare. Before she could even consider a more appropriate date, Bo Wanzhao replied…

bwz: Sure.

She’s free tonight? Yue Can felt a surge of happiness.

Bo Wanzhao put away her phone and told Su Ying, “I can’t go to the cafeteria with you. Something came up.”

Su Ying noticed Bo Wanzhao’s sudden change of plans after checking her messages, as if she were in a hurry. Concerned, she asked, “Is it urgent? Is everything alright?”

“No,” Bo Wanzhao replied.

Su Ying guessed again, relying on her intuition. “Did someone invite you out at the last minute?”

Bo Wanzhao nodded.

Su Ying expressed her astonishment. “Someone actually managed to pull you away from the library?” Having known Bo Wanzhao for so long, she knew how meticulously Bo Wanzhao planned everything and rarely deviated from her schedule unless absolutely necessary.

Bo Wanzhao waved goodbye. “See you another time.”

Su Ying sighed. “Then I’ll just have to go alone.”

Bo Wanzhao packed up her things and left the library. Her apartment was less than a fifteen-minute walk from campus, but she ran into her thesis advisor along the way, who detained her for a discussion about her paper, causing a slight delay.

As the sun set, its lingering glow cast long shadows.

Beneath a sycamore tree, someone was feeding cats. Dressed in a casual T-shirt and light-wash jeans, her long hair swayed gently, and her face radiated a clean, bright smile.

Bo Wanzhao spotted her from afar. Yue Can had arrived even earlier than she had.

Yue Can had only been there a few minutes, playing with the cats. She glanced toward the alley entrance from time to time and noticed the familiar figure approaching. She patted Dirty Bun’s head, straightened up, and watched Bo Wanzhao draw closer.

As Bo Wanzhao approached, she looked at Yue Can and asked, “How long have you been here?”

Yue Can met her gaze directly. “Didn’t I send you a message?”

Bo Wanzhao paused, momentarily speechless.

“I’m used to it,” Yue Can muttered weakly, then grinned. “You never check your messages on time anyway. I just got here myself.”

Yue Can had changed a lot in the past few months, but that familiar smile brought back a sense of familiarity.

They hadn’t seen each other in four months, but as soon as they started talking, Yue Can felt like they were back to their old dynamic, as if no time had passed. She leaned closer to Bo Wanzhao, her eyes sparkling with mischief, and eagerly steered the conversation. “Have I changed much?”

Bo Wanzhao’s gaze swept over Yue Can’s smiling face. “A little.”

“Do I seem more mature?” Yue Can pressed.

Bo Wanzhao smiled faintly but remained silent. In a few more years, that word will be even less applicable to Yue Can, she thought.

“Aren’t you going to compliment me?” Yue Can’s obsession with Bo Wanzhao’s praise was oddly persistent. “Everyone said I look even prettier now that I’m back…”

Bo Wanzhao waited for her to finish rambling before gently saying, “Let’s go inside first.”

“Bo Wanzhao, you’re changing the subject!”

Bo Wanzhao lowered her head to unlock the door. The moment Yue Can arrived, the air in the room seemed to crackle with energy.

Yue Can followed Bo Wanzhao inside. Having been away for so long, she felt a pang of nostalgia. This time, she had brought cat treats and desserts, arranging them on the small dining table.

Bo Wanzhao watched Yue Can move with such familiarity, arriving to see her the moment she returned to Naxia on the first day of her vacation. She asked quietly, “Did you quarrel with your family again?”

Yue Can lifted her head. “No, I’m in a great mood.”

Bo Wanzhao stared at her, falling silent for a moment.

Yue Can sensed Bo Wanzhao’s misunderstanding. Did she think Yue Can was only coming here because she couldn’t stand being at home? She tentatively asked, “Can’t I visit you normally?”

Bo Wanzhao hesitated before replying. She couldn’t quite understand why Yue Can would willingly come to her—a dark, damp place with nothing appealing about it.

Seeing Bo Wanzhao’s silence, Yue Can asked, “Is it inconvenient?”

“No,” Bo Wanzhao replied, changing the subject. “What do you want for dinner?”

Yue Can thought for a moment. “Sweet and sour pork ribs?”

“Okay.”

“Can you cook everything?”

“If I don’t know how, I can learn.”

Yue Can froze. How had she never realized how kind Bo Wanzhao had been to her all this time? She gazed at Bo Wanzhao’s face. “You’re always so accommodating. I might take advantage of you.”

Bo Wanzhao looked back at her. “You can.”

Yue Can didn’t immediately process the reply. “I can what?”

“You can take advantage of me.”