BSS - Chapter 144

Chapter 144

They slept straight through until evening. Deng Chuan was groggily shaken awake by Xu Wei. In the dimness, Xu Wei leaned in and spoke close to her ear, "It's late… Get up."

Deng Chuan still hadn't quite registered what was happening. She lazily reached out to hug her but was pushed away by Xu Wei. "We're at your parents' house. Get up."

Deng Chuan blinked, taking a long moment to process those words. Rubbing her eyes, she let out a long "Mmm," and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She reached for the switch on the bedside lamp, her voice still husky as she asked:

"What time is it?"

The sudden light from the lamp cast everything around them into sharp relief. Deng Chuan squinted, unaccustomed to it. Fortunately, the light was a warm yellow, not as jarring as a typical bright white light. Once her eyes adjusted, she opened them to see that Xu Wei was already out of bed, leaning over the side and looking down at her. Deng Chuan blinked, her gaze meeting Xu Wei's clear face, and a delayed sense of disorientation washed over her.

After a long sleep, her mind was still fuzzy. Xu Wei's gentle face seemed to emanate a different kind of glow under the light. Her scent, her hair, her eyes, the color of her lips—everything about her was deeply captivating, yet it also brought a sense of wistful loss. The feeling in that instant was like a hollow wind settling in her heart.

Xu Wei leaned down to look at her. Seeing the dazed look still in the eyes of the "Little Friend" who had finally woken up, she couldn't help but chuckle and tug her ear. "It's six-thirty."

Deng Chuan blinked, and blinked again. Her mind, sluggish from deep sleep, began to whir. She gradually recalled the events of the day, and these concrete facts slowly filled the empty outline of Xu Wei in her heart. Feeling returned to her limbs bit by bit. Love became tangible, making Xu Wei no longer a hollow presence in her heart, but a person with weight—the profound weight of family and a lover combined.

Seeing Deng Chuan remain motionless, Xu Wei leaned down again and whispered to her, "I called you several times, but you didn't wake up. How many days has it been since you slept properly… You were sleeping like a little pig."

"Sorry," Deng Chuan said, reaching out and wrapping her arms around Xu Wei's neck with a bit of force. She tilted her head up to kiss Xu Wei's averted chin. "It's fine. My parents probably aren't awake yet either. They didn't call for us."

"Dinner is almost ready," Xu Wei said, looking at her with mock reproach. But seeing the "Little Friend's" wide-eyed expression, she couldn't help but smile. "Alright. Get up."

During dinner, Lao Deng spoke with Xu Wei about their arrangements for Beijing. The conversation turned to the two cats at home and the inconvenience of taking them to Beijing. A hint of concern and worry appeared on Xu Wei's face. The moment she frowned, Lao Deng and Tang Lijuan immediately shared her anxiety and sincerely started helping to find a solution.

Deng Chuan served them soup, watching the clear loofah and lean pork broth swirl gently in the white porcelain bowls. She heard Tang Lijuan suggest, "Why don't you just leave them both here at our house? They can play together, and we'll be responsible for their food and water."

Xu Wei looked hesitant. "Wouldn't that be too much trouble… They can get pretty rowdy when they play. I'm afraid they'll disturb your rest."

Tang Lijuan said, "What's the big deal? If they get too noisy, we'll just shut them in Deng Chuan's room. They can be as loud as they want in there."

Xu Wei couldn't help but laugh. Her smile seemed to liven up the atmosphere at the dinner table. Deng Chuan nodded as well. "Don't worry, Zhou Liu and Juzi are very well-behaved. They won't be noisy."

Lao Deng also chimed in, "Don't worry. It's convenient for us to take care of them here. Once you two are settled in Beijing, it won't be too late to take them back."

And so, the matter was settled. After they returned home, they gradually packed up Zhou Liu and Juzi's toys and supplies and moved them over. In return, Deng Chuan moved her long-unused camera and game cartridges to Xu Wei's place. In between reading reference books and revising her resume, she could connect the PS4 to the TV and have Xu Wei play with her.

In late July, Deng Chuan passed the initial online interview with a top mainland securities firm. They scheduled her for a second, in-person interview in Beijing. Xu Wei also submitted her resignation to the school. After a series of communications and procedures, plus a few trips to the relevant departments, she successfully resigned from her tenured position.

With their respective tasks concluded, the two prepared to leave for Beijing. Lao Deng came over to their place and brought Zhou Liu and Juzi back to his home. That very evening, Tang Lijuan sent Xu Wei a short video of Zhou Liu and Juzi eating heartily from their own bowls, their heads side by side.

Xu Wei showed the video to Deng Chuan, who was leaning against her. Tang Lijuan was now in more frequent contact with Xu Wei than with her own daughter. Consequently, in the video Xu Wei sent back, Deng Chuan was pouting and sulking.

Tang Lijuan sent Xu Wei a voice message: "Haha, she's jealous. Xiao Xu, just ignore her."

Xu Wei pinched Deng Chuan's cheek, making her turn to look at her. "Alright… I'm not ignoring you." Deng Chuan cupped Xu Wei's face, leaned in to kiss her, and, while holding Xu Wei's hand, secretly tossed the phone with the chat open to one side.

Because they were leaving soon, the house was mostly packed up. The floor was covered with sealed boxes and half-packed suitcases, leaving almost no room to walk. Some of these things would be stored at Deng Chuan's parents' house, while others would be shipped to Beijing in advance.

The bedside table, usually piled with books, papers, and chargers, and the desk where Xu Wei used to grade homework, were now completely clean and empty.

The bouquet of roses Deng Chuan had given Xu Wei for their anniversary was still in its original vase. Of course, it had completely withered, but neither of them had touched it. The withered roses sat on the empty dining table.

The windows were shut, but the curtains were open. Bright white sunlight shone on the snow-white bedsheets, leaving everything scattered, everything empty, everything tightly embraced with nowhere to hide. Xu Wei wrapped her arms around Deng Chuan as she leaned in. In the sunlight, Deng Chuan's features appeared more defined, more distinct—her eyebrows, nose, eyes, and the smiling corners of her mouth. The blacks were blacker, the whites whiter, and even the shells of her ears seemed to turn transparent. As this version of Deng Chuan kissed her lips, Xu Wei's mind was still on telling her to go close the curtains.

They were leaving tomorrow. They had been busy until late that night. Tucked in bed just before sleep, Deng Chuan mentioned that they seemed to have spent the last few days just staying at home, not going anywhere. These words were merely a spontaneous thought, a bit of late-night pillow talk spoken comfortably without much consideration, yet they carried an unavoidable hint of regret and loneliness about their impending departure.

She had clearly handled separations so maturely before, but this time, it was no longer a solo journey. Unconsciously, Deng Chuan's heart had softened, becoming damp and heavy.

Xu Wei kissed the corner of her mouth. "Can't bear to leave?" Deng Chuan nodded gracefully. Xu Wei got out of bed, pulled on a T-shirt, and grabbed her car keys. "What is there to be sad about? We'll go again right now."

Just like that, they decided to go. It was already close to midnight. On their way down to the parking garage, they didn't see a single soul, only the rustling of insects. Xu Wei slipped into the car and started the engine. The roar of the motor made Deng Chuan's heart race. She fastened her seatbelt in the passenger seat and felt the car slowly begin to move, a suppressed excitement surging within her, just like the first time she had ever sat in Xu Wei's passenger seat.

As if she knew what Deng Chuan was thinking, Xu Wei drove her for a spin around the school. The silhouette of the high school wall and the nearby commercial area had fallen silent. Only the colorful lights on their facades flickered quietly. Through the car window, Deng Chuan saw the shadows of the trees on the school path reflecting faint glimmers of light under the streetlamps.

Xu Wei just drove, changing her usual style by keeping the speed slow. From time to time, she would glance at the "Little Friend's" silent profile. The colorful lights reflected in Deng Chuan's eyes, like a cluster of shattered stars falling into a dark lake.

Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere in the car was quiet, and Xu Wei's heart couldn't help but be moved.

Familiar sights flashed past the window: the high school, the hot pot restaurant, that long downhill road. But the pitch-black night made these familiar scenes seem so strange.

So, this wasn't really a trip down memory lane, but more of a half-finished midnight escape.

Escape. The word flashed through Deng Chuan's mind. What were they escaping from? What did they have that was worth escaping? There didn't seem to be anything troubling in their current lives. But Deng Chuan just had this baseless desire for Xu Wei to take her away. Either Xu Wei would take her, or she would take Xu Wei. Just as she had thought before, they needed to escape to a world where it was just the two of them. And so, they had escaped into this car, at this very moment. They let all thoughts of prospects, the future, all those ethereal words drift away with the night wind, allowing themselves to truly inhabit their own bodies, to simply gaze into each other's eyes and look ahead.

The road was empty, save for the cars parked overnight on the side. There was only their car, its bright white body a stark contrast to the night, soon to be entrusted to Lao Deng to be dealt with. In this car, in this very seat, Deng Chuan had touched Xu Wei's hand. What Xu Wei had been thinking back then, Deng Chuan could now vaguely understand. At this thought, Deng Chuan unconsciously curled her fingertips, her heart filled with a gentle certainty. If the Deng Chuan of the past had blushed from touching Xu Wei's body, the Deng Chuan of the present had calmed down from touching Xu Wei's soul. This calmness cooled the youthful passion and pride in her heart, transforming it into a river flowing quietly in the still night.

Unconsciously, Deng Chuan's expression grew serious. She looked out the window again and realized Xu Wei had driven to the art studio where Pei Qingyu used to be. The wall directly outside the car window was covered in a mural they both knew well.

She turned to look at Xu Wei, who was also studying her. Deng Chuan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.

Gazing at the speechless Deng Chuan, Xu Wei's eyes were filled with an understanding, gentle smile. A liquid light shimmered within them, as if the river flowing in Deng Chuan's soul was now flowing in Xu Wei's eyes.

It was unclear who reached out first. Xu Wei straddled her in the passenger seat, her soft body pressing close. The seat was reclined, and the embrace of two people would always be warmer than a solo journey. Deng Chuan lay back, looking up at the light gray roof of the car, feeling Xu Wei lean down and kiss her eyes.

She didn't know that the deep blue of the night on the wall outside was currently reflected in her eyes.

"Deng Chuan."

Xu Wei was breathing lightly. At this moment, in front of the reclining Deng Chuan, the ever-composed Teacher Xu finally lost her calm, as if the passion and pride of youth had been rekindled within her.

She held Deng Chuan's shoulders, speaking each word with certainty. "Don't be sad… We will have a future. We will have countless more nights like this…"

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