If the world had no daytime (GL) - Chapter 7

Before the afternoon classes, all the students were ordered by the teachers to keep quiet and not discuss the related topics anymore.

No. 7 High School, a prestigious school with a strict school ethos, has always been a highly regarded school, but this sudden and shocking scandal caught everyone off guard. If they were not careful, No. 7 High School’s reputation would be completely ruined.

But how could rumors and gossip really be blocked? The students had many ways to communicate, so the matter continued to ferment.

Because it was an anonymous report, no one knew who the victim of this incident was. But at such a critical moment, Ye Wan’s unusual absence was very abrupt. The reason for her leave was said to be illness, but some people still associated it with her, after all, the timing of this absence was too coincidental.

Until the end of school, the secret discussions about this matter in the class had not stopped, and the speculations became more and more outrageous.

Listening to the whispers of the two boys on the right, Bai Tian sat up straight in annoyance and slapped the table hard, shouting, “Shut up, are you going to have class or not?”

Perhaps because her image as a bad student was deeply rooted, the classmates in the class were reluctant to provoke her easily. Although the two boys were dissatisfied, they still lowered their voices.

It was finally quiet around her, and Bai Tian continued to lie on the desk, but she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.

She tossed and turned, looking at her phone. The scene of Ye Wan reacting to her harsh words kept replaying in her mind, so much so that Bai Tian could hardly tell which of those expressions were real and which were her own imagination.

Ye Wan was still absent the next day.

Certain speculations that had emerged the previous afternoon spread even further and could not be stopped. Bai Tian was fed up with the ubiquitous rumors and, taking advantage of the fact that the school teachers were too busy to care, successfully skipped school once again.

After slipping out of the school, she went straight to the bus station and then called the number on the bus.

No one answered.

Bai Tian didn’t know where her unease came from. Maybe she just wanted to find Ye Wan and apologize to her face-to-face again.

It turned out that Ye Wan had been bearing such a terrible thing alone without her knowing, and she had unhesitatingly reached out to help the victim. But she had misunderstood Ye Wan again and again and said so many hurtful things.

People really like to think they know better. Once preconceived notions are deeply rooted, they can no longer see the facts clearly.

Sitting on the bus, Bai Tian was both confused and short of breath.

What if she had noticed the truth earlier?

Leaning against the bus seat powerlessly, Bai Tian lowered her head and looked at her phone.

What kind of person was Ye Wan?

Sitting on the bus, Bai Tian suddenly began to think about this question.

She was a perfect top student at school, a class monitor loved by both teachers and classmates. But in reality, she was superficially friendly but essentially indifferent, and she often mixed with bad young people outside of school. She had once led a group of people to beat up boys from a neighboring school, but now she was silently helping the students who had been hurt.

Bai Tian thought absentmindedly, and suddenly the image of Ye Wan she had seen in the restaurant appeared in her mind.

The girl in her school uniform sat in the corner, quietly eating a cheap set meal but seemed very satisfied. The woman sitting opposite her had five similar facial features. The two sat facing each other, and even without speaking, the atmosphere was exceptionally warm.

At that time, there was actually no smile on Ye Wan’s face.

She was very calm and relaxed, as if she had dropped all her disguises.

That’s why Bai Tian felt so strange.

She had seen many sides of Ye Wan, whether it was the gentle Ye Wan, the indifferent Ye Wan, the vicious Ye Wan, or the innocent and harmless Ye Wan, they were all her, but it seemed like they weren’t.

Ye Wan was the most complex contradiction Bai Tian had ever seen.

Therefore, Bai Tian always resisted contact with Ye Wan. Instinct made her have a protective consciousness, and she was very cautious about unknown dangers.

But now, when she thought of the name Ye Wan, the first thing that came to Bai Tian’s mind was the image of her holding her hand and walking quickly on the night street.

A thin body, a cold expression, but the temperature in her palm was not as cold as she imagined.

Bai Tian thought that she was very grateful to Ye Wan at that time.

When she was most helpless and terrified, she never thought that the person who would help her would be Ye Wan. Even though she looked so bad, she had indeed saved herself and had never done anything to hurt her.

That night, Bai Tian doubted Ye Wan for the first time.

She began to think that maybe Ye Wan was not as bad as she imagined. What did it mean that this person had a side that others didn’t know? In fact, she was just an ordinary high school student, and she also had a kind and brave side.

But just as this idea was emerging, Bai Tian once again witnessed Ye Wan “bullying” her classmates. So she was especially angry and even intervened.

It was such an irrational emotion that arose inexplicably, which blinded her eyes and made her ignore many things.

This made Bai Tian feel a little uneasy, because such an emotion was strange to her.

Bai Tian closed her eyes and slowly calmed down on the slightly bumpy bus, sorting out her thoughts bit by bit.

The bus finally arrived at its stop, and she opened her eyes and got off.

The morning of a weekday was relatively quiet. Bai Tian walked slowly along this street that she hadn’t been on for several days and came to a small shop. She glanced at the four big characters above and, gritting her teeth, pushed open the glass door and lifted the curtain to go in.

The boy who had been sitting behind the cash register, boredly watching a movie, looked up and met Bai Tian’s slightly uneasy gaze.

He stubbed out his cigarette, put his feet down, and asked, “Looking for Ye Wan?”

Standing in the shop in broad daylight, she could see the surrounding items more clearly. Bai Tian didn’t know what to do with her hands and feet, and she dared not glance away from the boy’s eyes.”

She nodded.

The boy pointed to the curtain behind him and said, “Upstairs.”

Bai Tian walked over and replied softly, “Thank you.”

The corridor was lit with an ambiguous pink light, and there were unusually revealing posters on both sides of the wall. Bai Tian didn’t dare to look at them, and quickly walked upstairs to the iron door on the second floor with her head down.

The door was unlocked, Bai Tian hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the door open and walked in.

Surprisingly, behind the door was a clean and bright suite. Bai Tian stood in the living room and looked around for a while, finding that it was no different from an ordinary person’s home, with a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms.

“Ye Wan, are you here?” Bai Tian called softly and walked in slowly.

The TV was on, playing a TV series, but there was no one in the room.

Bai Tian turned around in a daze, then stood quietly in the living room, not daring to move around.

She opened her phone, found the number she had just saved and dialed it, and soon the phone rang. Bai Tian followed the sound and walked over, finding that the sound was coming from a bedroom, and the bedroom door was half-open, with no other movement inside.

Standing at the door for a long time, no one answered the phone inside, and finally Bai Tian pushed the door open.

Compared to the cleanliness and tidiness of the living room, the bedroom was much more messy. The clothes that had been worn were thrown on the carpet, some were men’s and some were women’s, and Bai Tian keenly saw the No. 7 High School uniform mixed in.

This should be Ye Wan’s bedroom, but she’s not here.”

Bai Tian stood at the door, her gaze fixed on the ringing phone on the bed. She hesitated before hanging up, pondering how to find her. A voice suddenly rang out from behind her:

“What are you doing here?”

The voice was so close it felt like it was right in her ear. Bai Tian jumped, stumbled forward, and tripped over some clothes on the floor, tumbling onto the carpet.

She groaned slightly as she lay on the floor. Before she could get up, a pair of damp legs appeared in front of her.

Bai Tian looked up and quickly lowered her gaze. “Why… why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”

The person wrapped in a towel looked at her quizzically. “You barge into my house and ask me why I’m not wearing any clothes?”

The towel was a bit short, barely covering the top of their thighs. It was quite inappropriate to look up from this angle, so Bai Tian simply replied, “I didn’t mean to. I came to find you. The person downstairs said you were upstairs, so I came up.”

The person with wet hair squatted down to look at her. “Why are you looking for me?”

Their tone implied, ‘We’re not close, so what do you want?’ Bai Tian, as the one in the wrong, couldn’t be upset.

“I’m here to apologize,” she said honestly.

Ye Wan stood up and said indifferently, “You’ve already said that. No need to say it again.”

She kicked the clothes off the floor, grabbed a shirt from the bed, and tossed the towel aside.

Bai Tian, who had just gotten up, quickly squatted back down when she saw this.

It was strange. They were both girls, so why was she so embarrassed?

A pair of bare legs swayed in front of her, and Bai Tian could only make small talk. “I know what I did before was wrong, and you don’t have to forgive me. But I want to make it up to you. I’ll do anything you ask.”

Bai Tian couldn’t bear to owe someone else, no matter who it was.

Ye Wan put on the shirt, buttoning it up as she smiled.

The smile was fleeting. When she turned around, it was gone completely. “But what can you do?” she asked bluntly.

To be honest, Bai Tian was stumped.

Ye Wan could do so many things. She was an excellent student from a wealthy family, while Bai Tian was just a struggling student with no money or power. What could she possibly offer Ye Wan?

The person wearing only a shirt sat casually on the bed, legs crossed, revealing a glimpse of skin. Bai Tian averted her gaze and thought hard. Suddenly, she asked, “Are… are you hungry?”

Ye Wan paused, glanced at the clock on the wall, and replied nonchalantly, “I guess I could eat lunch.”

Bai Tian’s confidence returned. She stood up, clapped her hands, and said, “I’ll cook for you.”

The person sitting on the bed smiled after a long pause. “Just one meal?”

It didn’t seem like a sincere offer, so Bai Tian compromised. “How about ten meals?”

The other person looked at her without saying anything.

Bai Tian clicked her tongue and held up a number with her fingers. “Fifteen meals, that’s my final offer.”

The person with wet hair nodded slightly, seemingly accepting the offer. “Deal.”

Feeling relieved, Bai Tian immediately got up and said, “Wait for me,” before leaving the bedroom.

She was quite satisfied with the outcome of their negotiation.

As the saying goes, those who can admit their mistakes are great. Even if she had skipped class, skipped school, and didn’t do her homework, she was a good girl at heart and had to take responsibility for her actions.

Being able to reach a compromise was much better than she had expected.

Feeling refreshed, she entered the kitchen, glanced around, and opened the refrigerator. The next second, Bai Tian’s smile froze on her face.

“Why the hell would you put a condom in the refrigerator?! You owe the fridge an apology!”

Everyone has a sacred place in their hearts. For Bai Tian, the heir to the Bai family restaurant, the kitchen was her sanctuary.

The refrigerator was an absolute fortress.

The person in the bedroom heard her roar of anger and chuckled. They sent a message to the culprit downstairs, telling him to figure out lunch on his own.

The other person, used to such “brotherless” behavior, replied with a curse and quietly became invisible.

“Wow, are you the Chinese Little Chef?”

Ye Wan finally put on her pants at Bai Tian’s insistence. Sitting at the dining table, she looked at the delicious meal of three dishes and one soup, all of which looked incredibly appetizing, and exclaimed sincerely.

“It’s me indeed.”

Bai Tian untied her apron and quickly slapped away the hand that was reaching for the chopsticks. “You’re not human if you don’t wash your hands before eating.”

Although Ye Wan wanted to say that her hands were clean, she was sensible enough to go wash her hands.

Bai Tian served three bowls of rice. When Ye Wan came back, she said, “You served an extra bowl of rice.”

“Doesn’t the guy downstairs eat?” Bai Tian pointed downstairs.

Ye Wan picked up her chopsticks and sat down, casually saying, “He doesn’t like Chinese food.”

Bai Tian believed her and nodded, sitting down and picking up her chopsticks too.

The dishes were quite ordinary, just home-cooked tomato and egg soup, fish-flavored eggplant, twice-cooked pork, and a cold dish of houttuynia cordata.

But Ye Wan found everything novel. She picked up a piece of houttuynia cordata and asked, “What is this?”

Bai Tian swallowed her food and replied, “It’s houttuynia cordata. I saw you had some in your kitchen, so I cooked it. Haven’t you tried it before?”

To be honest, that was pretty much all the kitchen had. The other dishes were bought by Bai Tian at the nearby store.

Ye Wan shook her head, put the food in her mouth, and then frowned. “This tastes so weird, is it even edible?”

“Not only is it edible, but it can also clear heat and detoxify, improve immunity, and fight bacteria and viruses.”

Ye Wan chewed and swallowed with doubt, but couldn’t help but take another bite. “Strange, it actually tastes pretty good after a few bites.”

Bai Tian smiled secretly and pointed to the tomato and egg soup. “Drinking some soup before meals can reduce the incidence of esophagitis and gastritis.”

“You know quite a lot,” Ye Wan picked up a spoon, filled a bowl of soup, and took a small sip.

Bai Tian accepted it calmly. After all, she hadn’t been reading all those books for nothing.

Neither of them spoke much during meals, but today they talked for a long time. As Bai Tian chatted, she suddenly felt strange. Could she really have so much to talk about with Ye Wan?

It was as if their recent confrontation had been a misunderstanding.

But Bai Tian had to admit, she didn’t dislike this situation.

After the meal, Bai Tian cleaned up the kitchen and came out to check the time. She asked the person sitting on the sofa watching TV, “Aren’t you going to school today?”

Ye Wan leaned lazily against the sofa cushion and replied, “I don’t want to.”

Although she knew Ye Wan was just acting at school, Bai Tian couldn’t help but feel curious. “Is this something the class monitor would say? Old Bald Li would probably faint on the spot if he heard that.”

Although it was just a joke, it was a bit overstepping the boundaries of their relationship. Bai Tian realized this quickly and scratched her face, preparing to leave.

Ye Wan patted the sofa and said, “Sit down.”

Bai Tian was indeed a bit tired, so she sat down without hesitation, deciding to rest for a while before leaving.

“Why are you staying here?” Bai Tian looked at the TV. Perhaps because of the relaxed atmosphere, she couldn’t help but ask her question.

“Then why do you know I’m here?” Ye Wan asked in return.

Bai Tian propped her chin up and thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t know why, maybe it’s just intuition.”

“Then your intuition is pretty accurate,” Ye Wan teased, half-jokingly.

Bai Tian was already somewhat accustomed to this side of Ye Wan. Or rather, she found it easier to get along with Ye Wan like this than with the Ye Wan at school.

She didn’t understand why either.

“Because I don’t want to go home,” the person sitting beside her said softly.

Bai Tian was stunned for a moment, then realized she was answering her question.

“Why?” she asked subconsciously.

But as soon as she asked, Bai Tian regretted it. This was not only overstepping a boundary but was also offensive.

Ye Wan didn’t seem to mind. She paused for a moment and answered truthfully:

“I went to the police station to give a statement yesterday.”

Bai Tian turned to look at her profile, holding her breath, waiting for her to continue.

“The reputation of No.7 High School, which the principal had carefully cultivated, was ruined by my own hands. Since there’s no point in going home anyway, I might as well not go back.”

T/N: I’m right; Ye Wan really did help the sexual assault victim.