Lend Me Your Shoulder - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Borrowing Nine Down

This sudden incident hit Xu Yeyu like a depth charge, leaving her dizzy and dazed.

She opened her eyes wide in vain, her body parts stopped functioning, and for a moment, she forgot what she was supposed to do.

It wasn’t until Lu Yanbai blinked again that she suddenly withdrew her hand.

Xiang Wei, watching from the side, asked, “What the heck are you doing?”

Xu Yeyu didn’t answer her, just stared blankly ahead. After a long pause, she finally squeezed out, “…Professor Lu?”

Xiang Wei was also dumbfounded. She followed Xu Yeyu’s gaze, and saw Lu Yanbai standing just on the other side of a bookshelf, barely a shelf away.

Xu Yeyu and Xiang Wei exchanged a glance that screamed: What on earth do we do now?

Stammering for a while, her mind battling a war of gods and fireworks, Xu Yeyu opened her mouth to defend herself.

“I… I really didn’t know the back of the shelf was hollow. It’s all because the partition looked so misleading. I honestly thought it was just a photo of you. When I came in and saw pictures of several L University professors here, I assumed it was just a promotional thing…”

Her voice grew quieter as she spoke.

Touching a professor and still trying to defend herself—she might just be the boldest person in the world.

Lu Yanbai, as usual, said nothing.

Xu Yeyu’s mind was spinning with countless imagined scenarios, terrified that his next line would be, “So just because it’s a photo of me, you think it’s okay to touch it? Xu Yeyu, how dare you lust after your university professor.”

…

She felt incredibly empty.

After a long pause, she timidly mumbled, “I really didn’t mean to touch you…”

Xiang Wei, inwardly in despair and screaming, thought: What is she even saying? Isn’t this making it worse?

But she could only support Xu Yeyu: “Yes, I can vouch for her. Xu Yeyu was just here to pick out books.”

It was a situation that could’ve been resolved with a simple “Sorry, it was an accident,” but Xu Yeyu went on and on like a guilty person trying too hard to cover up, afraid her little thoughts might be discovered.

Lu Yanbai stood in front of her waiting for her to finish, and once he saw she had nothing more to say, he lifted the Walden book in his hand slightly.

With his usual calm voice and lowered eyes, he asked, “What books did you pick?”

Xu Yeyu: “Huh?”

She paused, then quickly recovered and responded, dazed but firm: “Ah…”

Since he wasn’t pursuing it further, she saw no reason to dig her own grave.

She glanced at the books in her hand and said, “I picked Peter Pan, And the Mountains Echoed, and A Thousand Splendid Suns.”

She had originally come looking for Walden too, but seeing Lu Yanbai holding it, she decided not to buy it anymore.

That way, she could borrow it from him later, and it would give them another reason to keep in touch.

As Lu Yanbai began to walk away, heading toward a side aisle, Xu Yeyu shook her head and sighed with a “tsk.”

Xiang Wei: “What are you sighing for?”

Xu Yeyu: “I just think I’m too smart for my own good.”

“…”

“How smart, exactly?” Xiang Wei asked. “Smart enough to reach for a photo and accidentally grope your professor instead?”

Xu Yeyu: “Can you please shut your adorable little mouth?”

Once Lu Yanbai turned into a side aisle, Xu Yeyu finally understood the bookstore’s layout.

Like library shelves, books were placed on both sides. Lu Yanbai had probably been crouched down picking books on the opposite side, and she had unexpectedly opened the partition from her side, launching a surprise-touch attack.

Lu Yanbai glanced over at the central area of the store, seemingly looking at something.

Xu Yeyu stood beside him and asked, “Did you come specifically to buy books?”

He answered calmly, “Just happened to be nearby.”

Last night, Lu Wanyi had been rambling about something she’d seen, and insisted on going on a book-shopping spree.

This morning, while he was still busy with work, Lu Wanyi excitedly knocked on his door: “Bro! Want to go for a walk?!”

He asked what she was up to, and she solemnly replied: “Take me to the bookstore, my favorite author just released a new magazine, I have to get a copy.”

Reading was a good habit and a healthy mental escape, so after he finished his tasks, he drove her to the biggest bookstore in the area.

He hadn’t expected to run into Xu Yeyu there.

Xu Yeyu had no idea he was with his sister, and thought he had come alone. She guessed his house must be nearby.

Thinking this gave her a burst of motivation. She weighed the three books in her hand and got ready to check out.

If she had run into Lu Yanbai alone today, she could’ve used the opportunity to suggest lunch or offer him a drink or something.

But since she was with Xiang Wei, she couldn’t pull off anything extra, so this encounter would have to remain confined to the bookstore.

Still, since Lu Yanbai often appeared around here, they were bound to have many more “accidental” run-ins.

As they were about to part ways, Xu Yeyu waved, “Bye, Professor.”

Lu Yanbai nodded, then paused as if remembering something. He asked, “Have you finished the assignment I gave?”

Xu Yeyu froze, her smile instantly stiffening: “…”

The next second, she flashed a bright grin, stepped back, and clasped her hands like a martial artist: “The green mountains remain, and the rivers keep flowing. Farewell for now—we shall meet again if fate allows.”

“…”

After paying and stepping out with her books, Xu Yeyu looked sideways at Xiang Wei, who was holding nothing.

“You didn’t buy anything?”

Xiang Wei: “I’ll just read yours.”

Xu Yeyu: ?

She handed the three books to Xiang Wei, who asked, “What are you doing?”

Xu Yeyu rubbed her fingertips together, closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and seemed to be savoring something.

“Shh.”

Xiang Wei craned her neck: “Are you…?”

Xu Yeyu, completely absorbed, rubbed her finger again and said softly, “Reliving the feel of Professor Lu’s brow bone.”

His skin was really smooth. Even though the touch lasted just a moment, she could still faintly recall the warmth and elasticity of his skin’s texture.

She might’ve grazed the tail of his eyebrow too—the fluffy edge had tickled her fingertip and the sensation lingered.

“You weren’t sincere when you apologized, were you? You were probably thinking, ‘Damn, that felt good!’” Xiang Wei hit the nail on the head.

Xu Yeyu grinned and rubbed her wrist: “You know me too well.”

On the way back, Xu Yeyu took a few detours and stopped by a stationery store.

Xiang Wei asked, “Didn’t we just come here recently? You bought a bunch of those glitter pens for notes. Used them all already?”

“No,” Xu Yeyu said, “They’re not for me.”

“Then for who?” Xiang Wei asked curiously.

Xu Yeyu scrunched her nose: “A kid from the orphanage.”

“Ah…” Xiang Wei nodded. “The one you met last time at the orphanage?”

“Mm.”

“When are you going back?”

“Day after tomorrow, in the afternoon.”

“I’ll go with you,” Xiang Wei offered. “I’m free anyway, and I could use some karma points for job hunting.”

Xu Yeyu nudged her shoulder: “Our Wei is so kind.”

“Well, it’s your money,” Xiang Wei said cheerfully. “Might as well take advantage.”

Xu Yeyu: ???

They bought crayons, pens, and watercolor supplies, and headed home with a big bag.

Two days later, they got up around nine, ate breakfast, rested a bit, and went to the orphanage in the afternoon.

The orphanage—Qiyou Orphanage—was decently equipped. As soon as they entered, they saw kids playing hopscotch with chalk outside.

Xu Yeyu played two rounds with the kids at the entrance before heading into the building.

The innermost room was filled with drawings, each paired with a short story. As soon as they entered, Xiang Wei couldn’t help but marvel, “Wow—who drew these?”

Xu Yeyu’s eyes landed on a boy hunched over a desk, drawing.

Xiang Wei looked in the same direction.

The boy looked about thirteen or fourteen, completely focused on his work. He wore an oversized long-sleeve shirt—technically a medium, but he was so thin it looked XXL on him.

The hand peeking from the sleeve was pale to the point of being sickly. His delicate features lacked the usual youthful spirit, drooping with a kind of quiet gloom. The air around him felt heavy and somber.

While the other kids were outside in the sun, he stayed in a dim room under a blanket, drawing.

Xu Yeyu placed the supplies on the table and introduced them one by one when he stopped: “These are water pens for coloring; these are fineliners; you can also use crayons. This is watercolor—you need to add water.”

He nodded but said nothing.

They stayed at the orphanage for two hours. On the ride back, Xiang Wei asked, “Who was that boy? He seemed… off.”

Xu Yeyu: “He has depression. Depression with autism.”

“No wonder,” Xiang Wei sighed. “Such a shame, such a talented kid.”

Xu Yeyu nodded softly.

She came to the orphanage to understand, to empathize, to get closer.

The director had mentioned a boy with depression and autism, but incredible artistic talent. One look at him, and Xu Yeyu was struck—he looked so much like her cousin Jiang Zhou.

Same features, same talent—delicate and clean, with a neat row of teeth.

A boy like that, when he smiles, must be truly radiant.

After a rare weekend without tutoring, Xu Yeyu was back in Lu Yanbai’s office the following Saturday.

A copy of Walden sat on his desk. After their session, Xu Yeyu casually brought it up: “Are you planning to read that book?”

He replied with a calm “Mm.”

“When do you usually read? Weekdays?”

“Mm.”

Carefully, she asked, “I wanted to buy that too, but I forgot. Could I borrow yours?”

He pulled the book from the shelf and placed it in front of her.

“I won’t get in the way of your reading,” she said quickly. “I read fast. I’ll finish it by Tuesday or Wednesday and bring it back to you.”

Lu Yanbai glanced at her: “I’m not always here… it might not be…”

Before he could finish, Xu Yeyu earnestly cut in: “That won’t do—I hate inconveniencing people. I’ll return it on time. If your schedule isn’t fixed, we can just coordinate later. And since tutoring might change, how about we exchange contact info?”

She was thinking too fast. Lu Yanbai paused.

Xu Yeyu seized the moment: “I support all contact channels: WeChat, QQ, or phone number.”

“…”

She pulled up her WeChat QR code and held it out: “WeChat then? Should I scan you, or will you scan me?”