Back to Auntie’s School Days - Chapter 22.2

The bus announced the next stop, and the person next to Tan Yanqing stood up. Seeing this, Jian Hao got up and moved to sit beside her. But just as she was about to sit, the bus made a sharp turn. Jian Hao lost her footing and lurched into Tan Yanqing as she sat.

It was a gentle collision. Jian Hao reached out to steady herself against her companion, not thinking much of it, but Tan Yanqing’s breath hitched. She looked down at where Jian Hao had bumped into her.

After convincing herself that Jian Hao’s feelings for her weren’t “real” romantic intent, Tan Yanqing had been deliberately maintaining distance. This meant avoiding physical contact or eye contact.

But Jian Hao clearly hadn’t noticed she was doing this. Jian Hao would still grab her hand to race for seats, their hands joining so naturally as if they had held each other ten thousand times before. Such thoughts left Tan Yanqing with no room for anything else. The “new study plan” was just something she’d said.

Jian Hao’s teasing didn’t stop there. She wouldn’t just call her name in that cat-like way; she would even bring her hands near her face, so close it felt as if she would touch her cheek in the next second.

In reality, having a seat on the bus didn’t matter to Tan Yanqing. She could have let go of Jian Hao’s hand, but when that warm hand held hers, the idea of letting go only flickered briefly in her mind before being ignored.

“What are you thinking about again?”

Jian Hao settled into her seat and turned to look at Tan Yanqing, finding her staring out the window in a daze. She looked too, but saw only thick greenery and passing pedestrians.

Tan Yanqing withdrew her gaze, lowered her eyes, and asked, “Aren’t you worried about Jian You?”

“I know what she’s up to.”

Tan Yanqing looked at her.

The first time Jian You told Jian Hao to go home alone, Jian Hao agreed on the surface but followed her, watching her enter an internet cafe. These past few days, Jian You had spent all her time there.

“I can’t let her go on like this, so I wanted to talk to you about what to do.”

Tan Yanqing gave a quiet “Mhm.” Jian Hao thought she was still being aloof and uncaring, but after they bought groceries and returned to the house, Tan Yanqing asked which internet cafe Jian You was at and then made a phone call, asking the person on the other end to go there.

After she hung up, Jian Hao edged closer. “You called Xinsui?”

“Mhm.”

Tan Yanqing walked toward the kitchen.

Jian Hao followed: “You’re so smart, knowing to let Xinsui go find her.”

Tan Yanqing glanced back at her “little tail.” “Could you not have thought of that?”

Jian Hao laughed: “I did.” She blinked. “But I don’t know what Xinsui told you that night or what she’s thinking, so it wouldn’t have been right for me to go looking for her.”

Tan Yanqing washed her hands. That night, Zhu Xinsui had lain beside her. They had become friends largely because neither liked to talk much. So even though they were facing a separation, even in the same bed, they hadn’t said a word. It wasn’t until the next day when Zhu Xinsui was about to leave that she told her with red eyes how much she’d miss her, asked to stay in touch, and added: “If Jian You gets a girlfriend, tell me secretly!”

That was all.

Although Zhu Xinsui hadn’t explicitly said she liked Jian You, Tan Yanqing understood. She wasn’t dense in that regard. She could feel the difference between liking and hating.

The only one she couldn’t figure out was Jian Lai.

Was Jian Lai treating her as a friend, or trying to be her girlfriend? Would friends ask about dating? But would a girlfriend say she “loved” someone else right in front of her?

Tan Yanqing couldn’t see through Jian Lai, nor could she see through herself. She had thought that in her three years of high school, she wouldn’t have any new friends besides Zhu Xinsui. She also thought that besides studying, she wouldn’t have any other plans.

Until one day—

She was bumped into by a scatterbrain.

A second before squatting down to pick up her workbooks, she had instinctively frowned at the intruder. How should she put it?

Cute. Prettier than anyone she had seen before.

Sweet. She carried a scent Tan Yanqing liked. Perfume? Laundry detergent? Or maybe just her natural scent.

Nice voice. She had apologized in a hurry, but her voice was soft, like marshmallow.

Full of life, well-bred. Every move suggested a free spirit.

Pretty hands. The hands picking up the books were pale, the fingers long and slender, the nails rounded and healthy. There was a tiny, tiny mole on the web of her right hand. She wondered what it would feel like to kiss it. Her arms were also delicate and white as milk; at her wrists, the thin layer of skin covered faint blue veins. If she held them, would she feel the heartbeat connected to them?

More than anything, the impression was that she was wearing pajamas. A pair of pajamas that had been worn for a long time but looked quite good. Who wears pajamas to school? Truly a scatterbrain.

She had taken the workbooks from the girl. Her fingers brushed the spots where Jian Lai’s hands had been; the warmth seemed to linger there.

The girl had even called her name. How could someone make her name sound so good? Like the soft whimpering of a pet nestled in one’s arms.

But then the girl asked for Jian You’s name. Ah, the person who was inexplicably at odds with her. Her interest in the scatterbrain dimmed. If she was friends with Jian You, they certainly wouldn’t have a connection; she might even hate her.

Yet she hadn’t expected it. The scatterbrain came to Class 2 and sat right behind her. Then came the news: she had amnesia?

She didn’t believe it. The look in the girl’s eyes was too different. When she looked at her or Jian You, there was always an indescribable intensity and intimacy. That wasn’t the emotion of someone with amnesia; it was like a book full of history. But later, she had to believe it. Because as they spent time together, she realized she no longer cared about the truth of it.

“I’ll wash the green beans.”

Jian Hao’s voice pulled Tan Yanqing’s drifting thoughts back. She said softly, “Mhm.”

One trimmed the beans while the other sliced the meat. Finally, with Tan Yanqing at the stove, a plate of stir-fried beans and pork was served on the coffee table. With a bun each, dinner was simple. Afterward, they wiped the table, took out their homework, and began.

Doing what your crush has done is a behavior many people share. When your actions overlap with theirs across time, that subtle feeling can make you very happy.

Tan Yanqing studied hard, and Jian Hao tried to keep pace. she didn’t complain about being tired or not wanting to write anymore. She slowly fixed her bad habits, leaving the difficult problems blank until Tan Yanqing finished and could explain them. Although she still didn’t know which university to apply to, walking step by step on solid ground eventually helps you find where you want to go.

For a time, the only sound was the pen on the paper, until a roll of thunder rumbled.

The lights were on inside. Jian Hao followed the sound to the window and realized the sky had darkened at some point. She let out a cry of surprise, pushed off the table, and trotted to the door. She opened it to look out.

The wind was picking up and clouds were rolling in. The oppressive, ink-black clouds were sinking low, making the air feel heavy.

“I have to go back, otherwise I won’t make it before the storm hits.” She closed the door and trotted back to the table, saying her goodbyes while packing her books.

Tan Yanqing didn’t even look out the window. She looked up at Jian Hao and said, “It’s too late. The rain will start any second.”

“Do you have an umbrella?” After asking, Jian Hao’s eyelashes fluttered, and she locked eyes with Tan Yanqing. “Wait? Can I stay at your house tonight?”

She had panicked seeing the storm and completely forgotten she was at Tan Yanqing’s. What was there to fear at Tan Yanqing’s house?

Tan Yanqing: “Mhm.”

Her expression was flat, making it hard to tell if she minded or not, but her agreement was enough. Jian Hao put down her bag. “Then I’ll borrow the phone to call Auntie and let her know.”

Listening to Jian Hao talk to Jian Sihong, Tan Yanqing slowly turned her head to look at the trees outside, swaying in the wind.

Let it rain.

Let it rain.

Splash—splash—

Drip—drip—

Jian Hao turned off the shower and used the towel Tan Yanqing had found for her to wipe away the water droplets. The stay was sudden, so she had nothing prepared, but fortunately, Tan Yanqing had kept those pajamas from last time. Compared to these, Jian Hao actually wanted the ones she’d traveled in—the ones “Auntie Tan” had given her when she was fifteen. But they were all from Tan Yanqing; she liked them all.

Beyond the pajamas, there was even fresh underwear. She marveled at Tan Yanqing’s thoughtfulness.

Dressed in the pajamas, she turned on the faucet below the shower head and washed her underwear. When she went out to hang it up, she noticed another pair of underwear dripping with water on the drying rack. It was the same style she was wearing.

Inexplicably, Jian Hao’s cheeks felt hot.

“Why aren’t you drying your hair?”

She had just hung up her things when Tan Yanqing’s voice sounded behind her. She turned around. Tan Yanqing’s hair, usually tied up high, was now loose, and she had taken off her black-framed glasses. Without the barrier, when those cold peach-blossom eyes looked over, a ripple started in Jian Hao’s heart.

Oh my god, she’s a master.

She muttered it to herself. But compared to the future “Auntie Tan,” the current “Xiao Tan” was still so youthful.

Jian Hao walked toward her. “I haven’t had time yet.” Her voice was lazy. “Will you help me dry it?”

She expected a refusal, but to her surprise, Tan Yanqing gave her a look, nodded, and turned toward the bathroom.

Jian Hao’s eyes lit up as she followed. The mist on the mirror from the shower hadn’t fully faded; standing there, Jian Hao saw Tan Yanqing through the haze, like looking at a flower through fog. Xiao Tan’s silhouette always seemed to merge with that of the adult Tan Yanqing.

She had thick hair, and her least favorite thing about showering was drying it. When she was little, Jian You would do it, but as she grew older and didn’t have to worry about the hairdryer hurting her, Jian You got lazy. Sometimes she’d just do it halfway and leave it damp. She’d sleep with wet hair. That was until she stayed at Auntie Tan’s house once; when Auntie Tan discovered she’d lain down without drying her hair, she brought the hairdryer to the room and made her lie on the bed while she did it for her. After that, whenever she stayed over, Auntie Tan always dried her hair for her.

As Tan Yanqing’s fingers worked through her hair, the same restlessness she only felt when Auntie Tan did this resurfaced. Jian Hao felt an itch in her heart. She looked at Tan Yanqing in the mirror. “Why aren’t you wearing your glasses?”

The mist blurred the youthfulness on Tan Yanqing’s face. Looking at her now, it was like looking at the Auntie Tan who wore rimless glasses. She missed her.

“My prescription isn’t high; I don’t need them if I’m not reading.”

A breeze hit the back of her ear—it was hard to tell if it was the hairdryer or Tan Yanqing’s breath as she spoke. Regardless, Jian Hao’s ears felt hot. She wondered if she shouldn’t have asked Tan Yanqing to do this. Was she being too willful? Tan Yanqing was Tan Yanqing, not Auntie Tan; she had no reason to dry her hair for her.

But she had been spoiled by Auntie Tan; she couldn’t bring herself to stop her. Instead, she felt a bit drowsy. She let out a yawn. “Mhm, you look really good without glasses.”

Perhaps she spoke too softly and was drowned out by the noise of the dryer; the person behind her didn’t respond.

“Done.”

After some time, Tan Yanqing turned off the hairdryer. The mirror had cleared. Jian Hao let out a lazy yawn, adjusted her hair a few times in the mirror, then turned to say, “Thank you.”

“Mhm.”

Tan Yanqing walked out, and Jian Hao followed just as a crack of thunder sounded. Jian Hao, who was about to say she was sleepy, slowed her pace for a second, then stepped forward and hooked her arm through Tan Yanqing’s. “Tao Tao~”

Tan Yanqing stopped to look at her.

Jian Hao shivered. “I’m afraid of thunder.” She hunched her shoulders and leaned into Tan Yanqing’s shoulder, her voice still soft. “Can you stay with me while I sleep?”

“No.”

The voice that answered her was exceptionally firm and clear amidst the sound of the rain and thunder.