Chapter 121: I’m Sure I Can Do Well on the Exam

Tang Yu did not sleep a wink all night.

Every sound from the room next door—even the slightest rustle of blankets or the shifting of a body—made her nerve endings quiver. She buried her flushed face into the quilt, trying to hide the unspeakable images racing through her mind, but she couldn't help but touch her own slightly swollen lips.

Her head was filled with scenes from just before she went to sleep, and her fingertips seemed to still hold the lingering warmth from when she had touched his body.

What was she to do? She was always being teased, and she simply couldn't handle it! She couldn't let him have the upper hand forever, could she?

Tang Yu pouted, feeling indignant. Her friend Wang Qing had gossiped to her before about how so-and-so broke up because the girlfriend was too clingy and lacked a mind of her own. Tang Yu wasn't particularly clingy, and she certainly had her own opinions, yet she always lost the initiative when it came to *this*. Every time he teased her, she would become flustered, her mind going completely blank. All the exercises she’d done and the vocabulary she’d memorized would vanish into thin air.

Lying stiffly in bed, she wanted to kick her covers around to vent, but she was afraid of waking the person on the other side of the wall. Instead, she reached for the phone on the nightstand, snuck it under the covers, and unlocked it to chat with Wang Qing. Since the college entrance exams had ended, Wang Qing was definitely out having the time of her life and likely wasn't asleep yet.

Sure enough, as soon as she sent the message, a reply came back instantly.

Wang Qing: [Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you too excited to sleep, secretly checking your answers?]

The air conditioning was on, but it was a bit stuffy under the quilt. Tang Yu typed: [No, I just can't sleep...]

Assuming it was about the exams, Wang Qing comforted her: [Don't worry, you definitely did well. Stop overthinking it.]

However, the reply from the other side was: [The questions were actually quite simple this time. I’m sure I did well; I’m not overthinking.]

Wang Qing’s mouth twitched violently. "..." Was that even something a human would say?

Tang Yu: [Bian Yang’s birthday is on the tenth of next month. What do you think... would be a good gift for him? O(≧v≦)O]

Wang Qing teased her: [Why are you in such a hurry about his birthday?]

Tang Yu: [He’s my boyfriend. If I’m not in a hurry, who is?]

Wang Qing: [!!!?]

She then sent a shocked voice message: "You two are officially dating? Since when?!"

Tang Yu turned the volume to the lowest setting and snuck the phone to her ear to listen.

[Didn't you see the post I made on my moments?]

Wang Qing: [I saw it, but it was just about watching a movie.]

Tang Yu realized that her own post had only said "It was good," while Bian Yang’s post had explicitly emphasized the word "girlfriend." Wang Qing didn't have Bian Yang on WeChat, so she hadn't made the connection.

But... Tang Yu bit her lip and replied: [The photo showed two people holding hands.]

Wang Qing rolled her eyes: [That could just be a brother or someone else. People on the internet even take photos of their own left and right hands holding each other. Who could tell from that? It wasn't obvious enough.]

Tang Yu frowned slightly. Was it not obvious? She thought it had been quite clear.

Wang Qing: [Still, I’m not surprised you two are dating.]

Bian Yang was the kind of person who wore his likes and dislikes right on his face. When other girls approached him, he was cold and irritable. But whenever Tang Yu spoke to him, his lips would curl up to the sky, and he would always find ways to edge closer to her without it looking too deliberate. Anyone who couldn't see that would have to be an idiot. If it weren't for the fact that the college entrance exams were right around the corner and the school wasn't strictly enforcing the "no dating" rule, they would have been caught in a heartbeat.

After sending the message, Wang Qing noticed a red dot on her Moments icon. She clicked in and saw that Tang Yu had added a comment to her original movie ticket post: *Watched it with my boyfriend O(≧v≦)O*

Wang Qing: "..." That was definitely obvious now.

Tang Yu suggested on WeChat: [Do you want to go shopping together tomorrow?]

Wang Qing was incredibly surprised; it was the first time she’d heard Tang Yu initiate anything outside of studying. She asked: [Is this to buy a birthday gift for Bian Yang? (Side-eye smile)]

Tang Yu sent a cute "Mm-hmm" sticker. Wang Qing felt speechless, sensing the cloying, sour smell of romance radiating from her screen, but she agreed anyway. Her best friend wanted to go shopping—what could she do? She had no choice but to tag along.

—

Tang Yu had gone to sleep late, and it wasn't until her alarm went off that she groggily crawled out of bed. She smoothed out her hair, slid off the bed, and crept to the door to listen for a moment; the room next door seemed empty.

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, the door swung open from the outside, giving Tang Yu a start.

Bian Yang was leaning against the wall, observing her dazed expression with calm amusement. "Up already?"

Tang Yu froze. She had been too busy watching his bed to look at the doorway... Did he see her lurking by the door like a creep?

"Yeah," she said steadily, though she subconsciously pressed her lips together.

"Go wash up." Bian Yang kept his eyes on her, his voice steady but his gaze filled with hidden laughter as he reached out to pat her head. "Breakfast is on the table."

Tang Yu immediately said "oh" and ducked her head as she hurried out. While she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she heard a precise female voice coming from the kitchen:

"Prepare a piece of pork tenderloin, cut it into strips about one centimeter wide. Place the cut tenderloin strips into a bowl, add a suitable amount of salt, cooking wine, and a dash of pepper, then stir well to let the meat marinate evenly..."

Tang Yu, with her mouth full of foam, stood at the bathroom doorway and peeked out. The kitchen counter was a bit low for him; the young man was slightly hunched over, his head lowered as he watched the video on his phone while frowning at the various bottles and jars in his hands, likely trying to find the seasonings mentioned in the video.

"Let me do it," she said, her mouth full of bubbles.

Bian Yang immediately said, "No need." He then tilted his chin toward the dining table. "Finish washing up. It’ll get cold if you don't eat."

On the table were steamed buns, meat buns, and a soft-boiled egg, along with a bowl of tofu pudding—all things he had bought from downstairs. In a thermal mug nearby, her traditional Chinese medicine for the morning was keeping warm, and the air held a faint, earthy scent of herbs.

Tang Yu watched his clumsy attempts at cutting the vegetables; the counter was already a mess. She parted her lips, unable to help herself: "Are you sure you can handle this alone? Maybe you should leave it for me."

Bian Yang shot her a lazy, sidelong glance. "You really shouldn't ask a man if he can handle something. Also, pull your head back in."

"..."

...Fine.

Tang Yu obediently went back to the bathroom to finish washing up. A few seconds later, she heard a clatter and bang from the kitchen and couldn't resist looking again.

Bian Yang was crouched down, picking up meat that had fallen on the floor. Seeing her head pop out, he quickly destroyed the evidence by tossing it into the trash can. He defended himself by saying, "I didn't want that part anyway."

"..."

She really wanted to tell him not to waste food, but seeing how determined he looked, she swallowed the words.

After washing up, she sat at the dining table to eat breakfast, though her peripheral vision was constantly fixed on Bian Yang in the kitchen. He seemed to be tackling a world-class problem; despite following the video steps one by one, he didn't know where things were going wrong, and eventually, all the ingredients ended up in the trash.

Bian Yang took out a fresh piece of tenderloin and began "massaging" it with seasonings. Seeming to sense her gaze, he turned slightly, and Tang Yu immediately pulled her eyes away and buried her face in her food.

"Tang Xiaoyu, you have to finish all of that. No leftovers."

Tang Yu’s mouth was stuffed, making her voice muffled. "I can't finish it..." There was at least enough for two people on the table.

Bian Yang said slowly, "I don't know who it was last night shouting about wanting to protect me. How are you going to protect me with those thin arms and legs of yours?"

Tang Yu was speechless. She gnawed on a bun and went quiet.

Bian Yang lowered his head to slice the tenderloin, not looking up. "There are three months until college starts. I want you to gain ten pounds in these three months."

Tang Yu puffed out her cheeks: "...Who does that?"

"Acting cute won't work." College meant military training, and there was no way her frail little frame could handle that kind of exertion.

"If you're under ninety-five pounds," he sprinkled seasoning onto the meat and let out a chuckle, "you’re dead meat!"

Tang Yu: "..."