Lend Me Your Shoulder - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Borrowing From Sixth Grade

Lu Yanbai, holding the lesson plan in his long, slender fingers, nodded lightly at the boys: “Hmm.”

Xu Yeyu was still frozen at the door handle: “…”

Xiang Wei also felt as if time had stopped and curled up there without daring to look back.

Lu Yanbai glanced at the two pretending to be ostriches in front of him, then paused for a moment, his voice flowing like clear spring water: “What are you all standing at the door for?”

Seeing they couldn’t keep pretending any longer, Xu Yeyu turned back and bravely started: “We just…”

Lu Yanbai quietly waited for her to continue.

Xu Yeyu slightly gritted her teeth, revealing a small patch of tiny white teeth between her lips.

She said, “Did you hear what we just said?”

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes still calm and emotionless: “What did you just say?”

Seeing he hadn’t heard her nonsense, Xu Yeyu relaxed, licking her lips with her tongue, looking like a sly yet somewhat clumsy little animal.

She said, “We don’t have seats to sit.”

Lu Yanbai glanced into the classroom; his eyes held the usual chilliness.

It wasn’t the first time he encountered this situation. Previously, other students were helped by others to save seats without knowing the situation and only realized it after arriving, as the spots were already taken hours ago.

No matter how capable he was, he couldn’t just create seats out of thin air.

Xiang Wei saw Lu Yanbai didn’t respond, and turned back to Xu Yeyu: “That guy said before, last time we were lucky because someone who had taken the seats left due to an emergency. This time, definitely…”

“There are seats!” The boy suddenly spoke up.

Xu Yeyu poked her head out: “Where are the seats?”

She doubted they would add two seats beside the podium just for her.

The boy scratched his head: “I… last time I saw you two came late, and you come every class, so you should be required students. But before, someone always helped you save seats, so I didn’t quite know the situation here. I felt you’d come today and might not get seats, so I took two seats for you.”

Xu Yeyu was a bit anxious: “That good? Is there a business for saving seats?”

The boy blushed under her gaze: “No… no, it’s just helping out, just helping.”

“If it’s business, that’s fine too, after all, you broke through the sea of seat savers for us,” Xu Yeyu thought he might be shy, “It’s okay, my friend has money.”

Xiang Wei: ?

“People say it’s friendship help, why are you so vulgar all the time?”

Xu Yeyu: ?

Xiang Wei smiled at the boy: “Where’s the seat? Let’s go inside.”

The boy grinned: “Okay.”

Xiang Wei walked forward with the boy, and Xu Yeyu was about to follow, but just as she turned, she suddenly felt it wasn’t right to just leave Lu Yanbai there, so she turned back and looked at him.

The man’s heavy gaze met hers, his brow slightly furrowed as if asking if she had anything else.

Her mind went blank. Raising her eyelids a bit, the light poured more fully into her eyes, sparkling two tiny bright spots in her pupils.

She pointed behind her: “Professor, I’m going ahead first—”

It was like giving the one left behind a sense of security, soothing him—just in case he didn’t know where she was and got worried. “I’ll go ahead for a bit. Don’t wander off. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

Her tone carried a hint of something… indescribable, almost a faint… affection?

Lu Yanbai: “…”

He didn’t expect that even after entering the classroom and sitting down, she’d still report to him.

He had never met a student like that before.

He clearly paused, then quickly restored his usual expression.

Lu Yanbai nodded: “Hmm, go ahead.”

Receiving the reply, Xu Yeyu turned and smiled slightly at the corners of her lips. Her steps lightened, and her hair twirled and fluttered in the air.

Only one empty seat remained in the classroom, and Xu Yeyu quickly found it.

As she sat down, she heard the boy explaining to Xiang Wei:

“Because too many people come to the lecture, to avoid students in this class not getting seats, the professor’s course has a rule: not too many auditors can join. When the third group is full, no more can be added. If more are added, the students supposed to attend this session won’t have seats.”

Xu Yeyu looked and found the boy and them were indeed sitting in the third group.

“Such a rule means saving seats must be really hard,” Xu Yeyu said, “Thank you, classmate.”

Xiang Wei echoed: “You’re such a good person. Even though we’re strangers, you helped us save seats. You really have a kind heart.”

The boy’s eyes flickered: “It’s, it’s nothing.”

Xu Yeyu nodded: “After all, caring for the weak and vulnerable is everyone’s responsibility.”

The boy was puzzled: “…Weak and vulnerable?”

Xiang Wei pointed at Xu Yeyu’s head, making a ‘can’t say’ expression and whispered: “Brain-damaged counts as vulnerable.”

Xu Yeyu was quick to retort: “She’s also part of the weak and vulnerable—weak-minded.”

Xiang Wei: “Then I think you’re even more seriously ill than me.”

Xu Yeyu’s tone turned sharp: “What did you say—”

Xiang Wei timidly: “So what?”

“…I love you both,” Xu Yeyu squinted her eyes and forced out a harmless gentle smile.

With ten minutes left before class started, Xu Yeyu spun her pen again, fully immersed in her creative thoughts.

Meanwhile, the boy chatted warmly with Xiang Wei. Finally, the boy said with lingering interest:

“The professor’s class is really hard to save seats for. You don’t know, actually we used to have class in a different classroom, but because too many wanted to attend, we switched to this big lecture hall.”

“Is Professor Lu’s class so popular?”

“He himself is popular—handsome and nice, and his lectures are brilliant. Who wouldn’t want to fight for a spot?”

The boy continued: “To save seats for his class, we even made a seat-saving group chat. Looks like you don’t have much time, want to join? Many want to join but can’t.”

While the boy searched for the group number, Xiang Wei took out her phone, and Xu Yeyu clicked her tongue.

Xiang Wei: ?

Xu Yeyu cupped her lips and whispered: “You just sat down, and he’s already asking for your contact.”

Xiang Wei: “This is to join the seat-saving group, I’ll add you.”

Xu Yeyu sighed with a worldly expression: “It’s a trick, a disguised way to get your number. Think about it, strangers help save your seats for a reason, and look at how well you two get along.”

“…”

“When he asks for your phone number, say this: ‘Classmate, it’s inconvenient to contact like this. Let’s switch to phone contact. By the way, I heard there’s a quiet cafe near school, perfect for study discussions. Let’s go sometime.’ First the cafe, then the amusement park, and finally…”

Xiang Wei: “Damn, where do you get all these stories every day?”

Xu Yeyu straightened her clothes: “I don’t have many stories, I’m a novelist.”

Xu Yeyu continued: “You really shouldn’t doubt me; I have experience.”

Xiang Wei: “I know you’re pretty and get approached often.”

“Vulgar,” Xu Yeyu said, “I’m a writer. Guessing story development is my duty.”

Xiang Wei: “Hmm, even though you haven’t finished a novel in two years.”

“…”

After class ended, when leaving L University, Xu Yeyu checked Weibo and saw there was a lantern festival by the riverside nearby.

Naturally, Xiang Wei was dragged along.

They strolled around, stopping here and there. Suddenly, Xu Yeyu said: “I once wrote a plot set at a lantern festival. The female lead held a glowing balloon…”

“Where are there glowing balloons here?” Xiang Wei looked up.

“They can be made by yourself.”

Xiang Wei: “Do you think this is ‘I Love Invention’?”

“Don’t believe me?” Xu Yeyu tugged her sleeve, “I’ll make one for you.”

They bought a transparent balloon and a string of small LED lights. The shopkeeper also gave some glow-in-the-dark stickers.

Xu Yeyu hung the lights inside the balloon, fixed them with the stickers, then held the balloon. It really looked like a small night lamp.

Xiang Wei bowed: “Alright, you’re amazing. I admit defeat.”

The two walked away holding the balloon, nearby at the lantern festival four figures appeared.

Lu’s mother held Lu Wanyi’s hand walking ahead, with Lu Yanbai and Lu’s father walking side by side behind.

Lu’s mother chided: “It’s all because you insisted on coming to see the lantern festival, making your brother unable to rest after evening study.”

“I’m helping him relax,” Lu Wanyi said, “After a whole night of class, he’s tired. Family is most important—being together to unwind.”

Lu Yanbai said: “I didn’t even know there was a lantern festival. Where did you hear about it?”

“Just… a liked post by an author on Weibo,” Lu Wanyi smiled, “Brother, do you think they have glowing balloons here?”

“Why would you want such strange balloons,” Lu Yanbai lifted his eyelids, “They probably don’t sell them.”

Lu Wanyi hung her head and turned: “Alright.”

But a moment later, her eyes brightened and she almost jumped: “Look, over there! They really have them!”

Lu Yanbai followed her gaze. In the deep night, one lantern after another blended into a misty outline. A slender figure stretched out arms lazily, with balloons tied to her fingers like flickering stars in the night sky.

Far away, Xu Yeyu took off the balloon tied to her ring finger and said: “My heroine was holding this balloon when she met the hero. Do you think if I turn around, I might meet my Professor Lu?”

“Won’t happen.”

Xiang Wei patted her shoulder: “I suggest you just dream about it, that’s faster. In dreams, anything is possible.”

Xu Yeyu didn’t look back and quickened her steps: “Then let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“Back to dreaming.”

Xiang Wei snorted.

Lu Yanbai’s evening study was on Friday, and Xu Yeyu’s makeup classes on Saturday and Sunday. That meant she could see him three times a week in a row.

The next day, Xu Yeyu, eager as ever, packed early, ready to find Lu Yanbai.

Xiang Wei looked at her: “Why are you packed so early today?”

Xu Yeyu pursed her lips: “I want to have a pleasant office meeting with him.”

She didn’t know why, but since she didn’t see him at the lantern festival last night, she felt a little lost and especially wanted to see him today.

She packed her new pens into her bag and left at 5:10.

She arrived very early; the office door was still closed.

After about ten minutes, the man’s figure appeared at the stair entrance.

She raised her hand to greet: “Professor Lu!”

Lu Yanbai walked over, his eyes deep and calm, and asked faintly: “Why are you here so early today?”

Because I want to see you.

Xu Yeyu cleared her throat and made up a plausible excuse: “I went to a stationery shop last night and bought a popular note-taking gadget. I want to share it with you today.”

“Note-taking gadget?” The man frowned, seeming unfamiliar with it.

Xu Yeyu nodded and began to demonstrate as soon as she entered the office.

She took out a notebook, her pale white fingers gripping the pen shaft, drawing a long fluorescent line on the paper.

Calling it a “note-taking gadget” was a bit exaggerated. The pen had gold powder inside that glittered under light, making the marked parts shimmer beautifully.

Girls tend to be attracted to pretty things, and seeing the highlighted key points often helps memory, hence the name “gadget.”

Lu Yanbai watched her enthusiastically demonstrate, drawing a long line.

He thought something impressive would happen next and waited, but after staring for a long time, nothing occurred.

Meeting her expectant gaze, Lu Yanbai spoke in a clear voice:

“What’s different from a normal pen?”

“…”

Xu Yeyu was stumped.

Such a pretty gold shimmer, and the professor couldn’t tell?

Well, it made sense, since he probably saw all lipsticks as the same color and couldn’t see the gold powder either…

“Not really different, it just glows.”

She held the notebook under her eyes and gently shook her wrist.

Her eyelashes blinked as the gold powder inside the pen flickered in the light, reflecting bright, shiny little sparks.

“See, it’s buling buling,” she said.