Lend Me Your Shoulder - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Professor Lu’s waist was about as Xu Yeyu imagined: a standard broad shoulder and narrow waist, likely with dimples and abs, and perhaps even a faint, extending M-line further down.

Xu Yeyu blinked, forcing herself to pull back her wandering thoughts and focus on the current scene.

She smiled and casually chatted, “What a coincidence, Professor. I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Mm.”

The man responded deeply, then his voice, warm and faint, murmured into her ear: “Standing steadily?”

“Huh?” Xu Yeyu didn’t know what he was asking. She looked up at him and said, “Standing steadily. What’s wrong?”

He lowered his brows: “Then you can let go of me now?”

Xu Yeyu understood, let go of the hand still wrapped around his waist, and obediently took a few steps back.

She specifically clapped her hands to indicate: “Let go, let go…”

Lu Yanbai: “…”

After a moment, he glanced at her: “What are you doing here?”

“I… came for a stroll,” Xu Yeyu swayed slightly. “What about you? Just walking around?”

His answer was, as usual, concise: “Came to take a look.”

Xu Yeyu realized, rubbed her nose, and interjected, “They’ve planted a lot of new trees and flowers around here recently. It’s good to see them; it tends to make people happy.”

She hadn’t expected the professor to be so un-nerdy. At least he knew about the new things in the area and would even take time to look around.

“Professor, do you know if there’s a winery nearby?” Xu Yeyu asked him.

Lu Yanbai nodded: “Yes, why?”

“No reason, just asking casually. I thought you wouldn’t know,” Xu Yeyu said. “The winery is quite fun. I’ll treat you sometime. It’s just that the security inside is quite strict; they don’t let people into the basement or anything. If you’re caught, they’ll kick you out…”

Lu Yanbai curved his lips: “The cellars contain wine and valuable instruments, so of course they need to prevent accidental touches.”

“And I don’t think they have surveillance cameras, that’s why they don’t let people go…” she whispered.

“What?” He didn’t hear clearly.

“Nothing,” Xu Yeyu shook her head. “I was just rambling.”

Xu Yeyu looked behind her again and asked him, “Are you planning to go back now?”

Lu Yanbai nodded, then looked at her, pondering for a moment, and said: “…Want me to give you a ride?”

Not this time.

“No, I was just asking,” Xu Yeyu said. “I want to walk a bit longer by myself.”

He nodded: “Be careful.”

“Got it, Professor, bye-bye.”

Xu Yeyu turned and waved goodbye to him. The man nodded, acknowledging her.

…

Going to the winery alone again, Xu Yeyu was standing at the entrance lost in thought when Xiang Wei called.

Xiang Wei: “Where are you? Are you back yet?”

“I’m back, heading back now. What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing. Just checking on you. I’ll tell you when you get back.”

Xu Yeyu collected her thoughts, thinking Xiang Wei was waiting for her at the apartment, and quickly hailed a taxi to get there.

When she opened the door, Xiang Wei was jumping up and down in the room.

Xu Yeyu: “Are you performing a ritual dance?”

“You’re back?!” Xiang Wei abruptly turned around and gave her a warm and enthusiastic hug. “I missed you so much! Boss Ye!”

Xu Yeyu pulled Xiang Wei away and gazed at her for a moment.

Then she said, “Alright, spill it. What did you do to wrong me?”

Xiang Wei: ?

Xu Yeyu listed them one by one.

“Broke the vase in my room?”

“Or threw away my manuscript?”

“Ate cookies on my bed and sprinkled crumbs all over like a Parkinson’s patient?”

“Wore my clothes and ripped them?”

“Still not… then did you ruin my computer?”

“…”

Xiang Wei frowned: “Xu Yeyu, what kind of idiot do you think I am to do those things?”

“Tsk,” Xu Yeyu shook her head. “Just now you were so enthusiastic, calling me ‘Boss Ye,’ and now that I’ve exposed you, you’re revealing your true nature, calling my name fiercely.”

Xiang Wei: “Didn’t you force me? Do I want to scold you? You deserve it.”

“Do you think that logic makes sense?” Xu Yeyu threw her bag on the chair. “Since you didn’t do anything to wrong me, why were you so unusually trying to curry favor with me just now?”

Xiang Wei swallowed, bit the soft flesh of her lower lip, and then slowly said, “This…”

“That…”

“By the time you finish, Nezha, who was in the womb for three years, would have appeared out of nowhere,” Xu Yeyu tapped the table. “Hurry up, Ms. Xiang Wei.”

“The class monitor just called me again.”

“Why did he call you? To ask you out?”

“Ask out my ass, he’s definitely calling about our university reunion,” Xiang Wei’s tone suddenly shifted. “Besides, don’t you know who he wants to pursue…”

Xu Yeyu raised her hand, signaling to stop: “Alright, hold it. Get to the point.”

Xiang Wei shrugged: “After I told him we weren’t free, he kept calling and messaging me every now and then, saying everyone else had gathered, and it was just the two of us missing. He also said something about how it’s a rare chance to gather, and should we just watch everyone not being there? We’ll have fewer chances to meet in the future, should we even deprive ourselves of this one chance?”

“Anyway, he said a lot to me. I told him we’d moved to L City and really couldn’t make it, apologizing. But then he told me they were willing to come to L City.”

Xu Yeyu: “…”

“That wild, huh?”

Xiang Wei winked at her: “I guess his true intention isn’t the wine; it’s Yeyu in L City.”

Xu Yeyu understood her too: “So, to help him out, you agreed?”

“He went to such lengths, how could I refuse?” Xiang Wei was also a bit troubled. “We were the only two in the class who couldn’t go. Saying we were busy was one thing, but no matter how busy, there’s always time for a meal, right? Moreover, the whole class is coming all the way here for us! How could I refuse? Refusing again would really be too much.”

Xu Yeyu thought for a moment: “You’re right.”

Class monitor Li Feng had gone to such lengths, giving them such face, putting so much effort into a meal. They should appreciate it.

Xiang Wei: “So I said, if everyone truly doesn’t mind the trouble and is willing to come, we’d definitely welcome them.”

Xu Yeyu nodded: “Yes.”

Xiang Wei, seeing her so understanding, also breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Yeyu sat down cross-legged.

“Anyway, you’re the one who promised them; it has nothing to do with me.”

Xiang Wei: ?

“Don’t play dumb with me. You definitely know crystal clear why Li Feng wants to come so badly.”

“Oh, and also, I’m not asking for your opinion, I’m informing you, so clear your schedule,” Xiang Wei put on a fake smile. “After all, I agreed on your behalf too.”

Xu Yeyu sighed meaningfully, feeling very sorry for herself: “Nothing is more vicious than a woman’s heart. Alright, I get it now. We’re just plastic sisters; we don’t even need the wind to blow, we’ll scatter after walking two steps.”

“No, we’re not,” Xiang Wei said.

Xu Yeyu: ?

Xiang Wei: “We’re not plastic flowers, we’re trash flowers. Plastic flowers are too expensive; you don’t deserve them.”

Xu Yeyu: “…”

“But…” Xiang Wei drew out her words, “Li Feng just told me they’ve confirmed when everyone can come. I was curious, so I asked them why the others agreed to come here. A-Jiang said that Li Feng not only reimbursed everyone’s travel expenses but also treated everyone to a two-day winery tour.”

“Who wouldn’t be tempted by such an offer?”

Xiang Wei wiggled closer to Xu Yeyu: “Rich second-generations sure are willing to spend money when pursuing someone.”

It was well known that since university, Li Feng had launched a very passionate pursuit of Xu Yeyu, literally pulling out all the stops to amuse her. He almost tore the whole school apart looking for fun things for her.

However, Xu Yeyu simply had no feelings for him. She had thought he would stop obsessing over her after graduation, but who knew, he seized the opportunity of a class reunion and still used all sorts of methods to see her.

Xu Yeyu glanced at Xiang Wei, wishing she wasn’t the one being pursued: “Then why don’t you go date him?”

“He likes you; what does that have to do with me?” Xiang Wei teased her. “If you agreed to him, maybe I could benefit too, like getting treated often.”

Xu Yeyu thought for a moment and then said seriously, “If I were with Lu Yanbai, you’d also get a lot of benefits.”

Xiang Wei: “Oh really? Like what?”

Xu Yeyu: “As a single dog, you’d get to eat mine and Yanbai’s golden dog food every day, and you could also do his class assignments. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Xiang Wei: “Great my ass, get lost.”

…

After receiving Xiang Wei’s “dinner party message,” Xu Yeyu had thought Li Feng and the others wouldn’t arrive for a while, but she received a message from Li Feng just a week later, saying the main group would arrive next weekend.

On the day the large group arrived, to show their sincerity, Xiang Wei and Xu Yeyu personally went to greet them.

Xu Yeyu had originally thought everyone would come by train or high-speed rail, but to her surprise, Li Feng had directly chartered several cars, and everyone arrived in sedans.

Li Feng’s luxury car led the way, looking quite impressive. Xiang Wei couldn’t help but whisper to Xu Yeyu, “Anyone who didn’t know would think he’s here to pick up a bride. This is all for you, Princess Yeyu.”

“Go away,” Xu Yeyu pushed her. “We can joke around privately, but don’t say that later, or Li Feng might actually think I’m interested in him.”

Xiang Wei: “Whether you’re interested in him or not, isn’t he interested in you? It’s been four years; what devotion! If this were a novel, he’d definitely be the second male lead, don’t you think?”

“Not necessarily, it mainly depends on looks.”

“…”

Li Feng was the first to get out of the car, and everyone else gradually followed.

Xu Yeyu smiled and greeted her friends. Someone playfully asked her, “Why did you run off to here?”

“Just to breathe some different air,” Xu Yeyu said. “You guys worked hard, coming all this way.”

“Not hard at all, not hard at all. Brother Feng worked hard; he was entirely responsible for finding cars and everything, putting in a lot of effort along the way.” Someone winked.

Li Feng, seeing himself mentioned, also stepped forward and smiled at Xu Yeyu: “Hi, long time no see.”

Although a rich second-generation, Li Feng didn’t have much of a playboy aura. He was jovial with friends, but when facing Xu Yeyu, his feelings were entirely transparent in his eyes.

Xu Yeyu didn’t dislike him, but she simply had no feelings for him, so she always kept their relationship strictly as ordinary friends.

The two exchanged a few indifferent pleasantries. Xiang Wei, sensing the awkwardness, patted Xu Yeyu: “Oh, right, aren’t you going to tutoring this afternoon?”

Xu Yeyu, desperate for an escape, clung to this lifeline.

“Yes, I have tutoring.”

“Tutoring? What tutoring? Haven’t you graduated?”

“Well… something came up. I have psychology classes every Saturday afternoon,” Xu Yeyu pulled out her prepared explanation. “You guys go sing for a bit. Xiang Wei and I have already booked a room. I’ll join you all after my class at six, and then we’ll have dinner together.”

Everyone didn’t intend to delve deeper and nodded in agreement.

Li Feng asked, “Where’s the tutoring?”

“L University.”

He jingled his keys and said, “I’ll give you a ride.”

“…”

“No need, I can just take a taxi myself.”

“Hey, Xu Yeyu, there’s a car right here, and you’re still taking a taxi? Aren’t you giving the class monitor face?”

“Exactly, let the class monitor give you a ride. It’ll fulfill one of his long-held wishes.”

Under everyone’s coaxing, Xu Yeyu couldn’t resist and nodded.

Li Feng drove her to the entrance of L University, chatting idly with her along the way.

When they reached the entrance, Xu Yeyu prepared to unbuckle her seatbelt: “Okay, you can stop here. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“No need,” Li Feng said. “Just tell me where to go. I’ll drive in; walking is too tiring.”

At the bottom of the teaching building, the car finally stopped. Xu Yeyu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she could finally leave. Who knew that Li Feng got out of the car with her?

At first, Xu Yeyu thought he was just getting out to use the restroom. It wasn’t until Li Feng followed her to the office door that she snapped back to reality and looked at him.

Li Feng smiled: “I’ll wait for you.”

Xu Yeyu was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, “No need, I’ll just call a car to find you guys later.”

“I’d rather wait for you,” he hinted, craning his neck to look into the office. “Is your teacher a man?”

Xu Yeyu followed his gaze inside. Lu Yanbai was sitting opposite them, next to Xu Yeyu’s usual seat, looking up at Li Feng.

Xu Yeyu smiled at Li Feng: “It’s really fine. This isn’t my first time here. You can go back first; I’ll be fine.”

“Many professors are beasts,” Li Feng frowned. “And you’re in the same office. The door is closed. Be careful he doesn’t harass you.”

Xu Yeyu: “…”

I wish he would harass me.

Li Feng said: “I don’t trust it. Let’s just keep the door open. I’ll watch you from outside; you don’t need to be afraid.”

Xu Yeyu: “I really don’t…”

Before she could finish, the man in the office, who had been watching for a long time, saw Xu Yeyu still talking to another guy with her head turned, and couldn’t help but frown, calling out to her: “Xu Yeyu.”

Xu Yeyu suddenly turned her head: “Coming, coming…”

She walked over and sat next to Lu Yanbai, took out her book and exercise book from her bag, and whispered, “Shall we start? I finished the assignments you gave me last time. Should we check them first?”

Lu Yanbai nodded. Xu Yeyu handed him a pen.

As he took the red pen from her hand, Lu Yanbai noticed that the person outside kept staring at him. He even saw that when his hand and Xu Yeyu’s hand got close, the man’s eyes looked dangerous, and he even gritted his teeth.

Lu Yanbai uncapped the pen: “Who’s outside?”

“My classmate,” Xu Yeyu confessed. “He insists on standing outside and waiting for me. You can just ignore him.”

Li Feng kept looking in, and there was no way she could just walk over and close the door.

Lu Yanbai, who usually didn’t meddle, surprisingly continued to ask: “Waiting for you?”

Xu Yeyu nodded: “Yes, we’re having dinner together later.”

The man’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly: “A date?”

Xu Yeyu looked at him, blinking blankly, before she could even answer, she heard Lu Yanbai continue in a deep voice.

“Don’t go on dates with boys casually.”

Finally, he added: “Especially at night.”