Fall - Chapter 22

Yue Can couldn’t hide her emotions, nor could she conceal her thoughts, especially after a few drinks. Whatever she was thinking, she blurted it out. She said “it feels like” because she herself was confused. She had always believed that missing someone only happened when you were lonely, but she wasn’t lonely tonight.

It feels like I miss you a little.

The words sounded like a love confession, carrying an ambiguous, flirtatious undertone that muddied the atmosphere.

Both fell silent, leaving a brief pause in the call.

After the brief pause, Bo Wanzhao continued, “You’re drunk. Get some rest.”

Yue Can tried to assert herself, proving her sobriety. “No, I know who you are. You’re Bo Wanzhao, the devil…”

Bo Wanzhao chuckled softly. “Stop teasing.”

“You haven’t wished me a happy New Year yet. If you do, I’ll stop teasing.” Yue Can grew bolder, increasingly enjoying making demands of Bo Wanzhao, relishing being treated as a special case and indulged by her.

Bo Wanzhao sighed in resignation. “Happy New Year.”

“Who are you wishing a Happy New Year to?” Yue Can asked, her voice bright and cheerful as she laughed.

Bo Wanzhao listened quietly, her voice gentle as she replied, “Yue Can, Happy New Year.”

Only after all her little requests were fulfilled did Yue Can end the call.

Bo Wanzhao put down her phone and glanced around her room. The solitary space remained silent, yet just moments ago, it had felt alive with the warmth of New Year’s festivities.

She didn’t mind the quiet; in fact, she cherished it. But she never found Yue Can’s messages intrusive. On the contrary, Yue Can’s presence felt like a breath of fresh air, offering moments of respite and brief escapes from her somber reality.

That day Yue Can had asked if Bo Wanzhao was being kind to her because of Tan Ming. Bo Wanzhao hadn’t answered then, because the truth was more complex. Initially, she had indeed tried to accommodate Yue Can out of gratitude to Tan Ming. But gradually, she realized that if she were merely repaying a debt, she wouldn’t need to be so warm and attentive to Yue Can.

“Finished your call?” Zhong Ran asked, approaching the sofa and sizing up Yue Can.

“Mhm,” Yue Can replied lazily.

“Anyone who didn’t know better would think you were talking to your girlfriend,” Zhong Ran teased.

“What ‘object’? I was calling Bo Wanzhao,” Yue Can explained vaguely.

“I know…” Zhong Ran said, glancing toward the bathroom where Luo Yang was showering, the water cascading loudly. She turned back to Yue Can and whispered, “I’m starting to think you’re not as straight as you seem.”

Yue Can didn’t hear her clearly and asked loudly, “What?”

Is this what it means to be a fearless straight girl? Zhong Ran thought, speechless as Yue Can casually tossed out flirty remarks. The way she’d been acting on the phone… if the person on the other end wasn’t straight, they’d be completely charmed to death.

Zhong Ran thought back to Bo Wanzhao. She’d never told Yue Can that the moment she first saw Bo Wanzhao, her “Gaydar” had gone off. Bo Wanzhao’s aura was just that captivating, which was why Zhong Ran had been so eager to get her contact information. Beautiful women who liked women ranked at the very top of her mental hierarchy.

“Are you obsessed with older women?” Zhong Ran persisted. “Do you always act so clingy when you call your sister?”

Yue Can realized she might have gone overboard tonight, but so what? She could be herself around Bo Wanzhao. She retorted defiantly, “What’s wrong with that?”

Zhong Ran: “……”

If she had even half of Yue Can’s charm, she wouldn’t still be single.

Three days was more than enough time to explore West City.

Yue Can took Zhong Ran and Luo Yang to her university for most of a day, then accompanied them to West City’s popular tourist spots. With no other plans for the New Year’s holiday, the group spent their time wandering around, eating, and enjoying each other’s company.

On the last day of the holiday, Yue Can saw Zhong Ran and Luo Yang off, marking the end of her carefree days. With only two weeks of winter vacation remaining, the final exams loomed.

Yue Can had to buckle down and start studying. Her usual study habits were haphazard, with sporadic bursts of effort followed by long periods of slacking off. She relied on last-minute cramming, not aiming for top marks, just hoping to avoid failing.

The study atmosphere in the dorm reached an unprecedented intensity.

“Every page in this textbook is highlighted—it’s like nothing’s highlighted at all! How are we supposed to memorize all this?”

“I heard they’ll test us on the lecture notes too. Are your notes complete?”

“I need to copy notes from someone—I missed so much.”

Yue Can stared at her own messy notes, some scribbled in frustration so illegibly she couldn’t even read them herself. Her head ached.

“Maybe we could borrow Senior Sisters’ notes from previous years?”

“That’s a good idea.”

Before they knew it, the morning had passed. Ba Hua asked Yue Can, “Can Can, let’s go grab lunch?”

Yue Can, dizzy from studying, was ready for a break. “Yeah, I’m hungry too.”

The others in the dorm weren’t hungry yet, so Yue Can and Ba Hua headed to the cafeteria. West City had been snowing for days, blanketing the landscape in white and creating a thick winter atmosphere.

Yue Can snapped photos with enthusiasm.

Ba Hua noticed. “Does it not snow in Naxia during winter?”

“It does, but not like this. The snow here feels so romantic,” Yue Can said with a smile, casually sending the romantic photo she’d just taken to Bo Wanzhao.

Yue Can: It’s been snowing for days.

Whenever Yue Can saw something beautiful, her first instinct was to capture it and share it with Bo Wanzhao. She wondered if doing so might bring Bo Wanzhao a little more joy. Bo Wanzhao had been so good to her, and she always wanted to do something nice in return.

As they approached the cafeteria entrance,

“Yue Can!”

Yue Can ran into a familiar face. She greeted her with a smile, “Senior Sister Yun Lan!”

Yun Lan was the president of the tennis club and Yue Can’s direct senior. “Just heading to lunch now?”

“I was busy studying,” Yue Can replied.

“How’s the studying going?”

“Just okay,” Yue Can said, her head already aching at the thought.

“Want to borrow my notes?” Yun Lan offered.

“Senior Sister, you still have your notes? They haven’t been borrowed yet?” Yue Can asked in surprise. She’d assumed that someone as academically gifted as Yun Lan would have had her notes snatched up long ago.

“Still have them,” Yun Lan said warmly. “I can bring them to you this afternoon if you need them.”

“Yes, please!” Yue Can replied immediately, feeling like she’d been thrown a lifeline in the snow. “Will you be in your dorm this afternoon? I can just come by and pick them up.”

Yun Lan agreed, confirming she’d be in her dorm that afternoon.

After Yun Lan left, Ba Hua looked at Yue Can with envy. “Having connections really pays off. Even just grabbing lunch, someone’s offering you their notes.”

Yue Can smiled. She was widely recognized as a social butterfly, active in several clubs and knowing people from all years and majors—she definitely had her network.

That afternoon, Yue Can went to Yun Lan’s dorm. Yun Lan handed her several notebooks. “Thank you, Senior Sister! I’ll treat you to dinner next time.”

“Don’t be silly, it was no trouble at all,” Yun Lan replied, then grabbed a bag of chocolates from her desk and offered it to her. “Here, take these.”

Back in her dorm, Yue Can felt saved. The notes organized by a top student were truly exceptional—neat handwriting, with key points and secondary points clearly marked. She took a photo and posted a grateful, flattering message on her WeChat Moments.

Bo Wanzhao had a late lunch that day. While eating, she checked her phone and saw Yue Can had indeed sent her messages: one a photo of a snowy landscape, the other a picture of a desk.

Yue Can: Just ten more days until freedom!

Bo Wanzhao replied: Focus on studying.

Yue Can glanced at the message and immediately responded: Super serious about it!

Bo Wanzhao typed another message and sent it: Replying so quickly?

Yue Can: ……

Bored, Bo Wanzhao clicked on Yue Can’s profile and then casually scrolled through her Moments.

A few minutes earlier, Yue Can had posted a photo of chocolate and a notebook. Bo Wanzhao glanced down at the screen. The notebook was the exact one Yue Can had sent her a picture of.

The caption read: Thank you to the beautiful, kind-hearted, super-duper amazing Senior Sister Lanlan!

Bo Wanzhao stared at the post calmly for a moment. No wonder everyone says she has a sweet tongue. It’s true.

She suddenly remembered Yue Can’s clingy voice on the phone that day, saying, “You’re the best!” So that’s just her catchphrase.

Bo Wanzhao put down her phone and quietly finished her meal.

Yue Can tried to focus on studying, but the more she studied, the sleepier she became. She couldn’t resist picking up her phone again to give her brain a break.

Meanwhile, Bo Wanzhao was nearly finished with her bowl of noodles. She noticed another message from Yue Can. Constantly messaging every few minutes? Is this what she calls “super serious”?

Yue Can: Teacher Bo, can you share some study tips? I’m about to memorize everything until I puke. Please save me!

Bo Wanzhao tapped the screen a few times.

Yue Can’s screen lit up with two ruthless words:

No help.