I Miss You Even in the Daytime [Rebirth GL] - Chapter 30

“Classmate, oh?” Auntie Fang immediately set down her spatula and came over to sit beside Xu Liming, leaning in with a beaming smile. “Xiao Lu has been here for half a year, and I’ve only ever seen those kids bully her. I’ve never seen her have a friend! This is a first!”

Auntie Fang was a bit overly enthusiastic. Xu Liming wasn’t quite used to such warmth and instinctively leaned back slightly, offering a polite smile.

“Are you very close with Lu Baitian?” Since she was just waiting, Xu Liming started chatting with her. “Do you often see her being bullied?”

“Just that one time Baitian fought back!” Auntie Fang waved her hand, her nose scrunching up. “Those girls in her dorm—pretty as they are, their hearts aren’t so good. They’re always flapping their lips for no reason.”

“It’s only because Xiao Lu’s family situation isn’t great and she has no one to back her up; otherwise, how could she let those few bully her?” Once Auntie Fang started standing up for her, she couldn’t stop talking.

Xu Liming nodded thoughtfully.

Auntie Fang chattered for a good while before suddenly remembering something important. She smacked her forehead. “Aiya, look at my memory! Xiao Lu isn’t coming to the cafeteria today. You won’t be able to wait for her.”

Xu Liming paused and checked the date on her phone. “But doesn’t she do work-study here every Friday night?”

“She took leave,” Auntie Fang said, thinking hard. “I think she said she was going to take some test… a driving test.”

“I don’t understand that child. She doesn’t even have a car to drive; why is she learning to drive for no reason?” Auntie Fang shook her head.

Xu Liming was also a bit surprised. Why is Lu Baitian taking a driving test?

Before she could think further, the cafeteria doors were pushed open. A sweating figure came running in with a pitter-patter of footsteps, stopping hurriedly beside Xu Liming.

The bangs on her forehead were damp, plastered against her smooth brow. It looked like she had seen the message and rushed all the way here.

“Xu… Xu Liming,” she panted, looking a bit lost at the sight of Xu Liming squeezed into the corner by Auntie Fang.

She secretly gestured to Auntie Fang under her sleeve, whispering, “Auntie.”

“Eh? Weren’t you going to practice driving? Why are you back?” Auntie Fang obviously didn’t understand the gesture and asked again.

Lu Baitian bit her lip awkwardly, not daring to meet Xu Liming’s gaze. Although Xu Liming wouldn’t pry, she still felt… a bit guilty.

“Um, I took leave and came back to help you,” she answered softly.

“Our Xiao Lu is so sensible, knowing Auntie would be too busy alone today and coming to help!” Auntie Fang grinned, showing a row of white teeth, and stood up with her spatula again.

As she bustled away, she shouted, “You stay and keep your classmate company; Auntie will go tell them to prep the vegetables!”

With a clang, the kitchen door shut, and the corner of the cafeteria finally fell silent.

Lu Baitian let out a sigh of relief and looked at Xu Liming. The other girl was staring at her intently, her dark eyes looking even darker in the dim light.

She tensed her body under that gaze. “Why… did you come to find me?”

“Hasn’t the flu been going around the school lately? The actors are sick and we can’t rehearse.” Xu Liming lazily brushed her hair. “Tao Ning and Sun Muya both have colds and told me not to go back to the dorm.”

“I had nothing to do, so I came to hang out with you.” She brushed away a leaf that had somehow fallen onto her.

“But, I still have to work…” Lu Baitian pointed hesitantly at the storage room behind her. “It’ll take a long time.”

“It’s fine. I’m not in a hurry anyway.” Xu Liming pulled out her phone and opened a game; a pleasant startup chime rang out.

“I’ll wait for you,” she said with a smile.

While Lu Baitian was busy, Xu Liming sat nearby and waited. Lu Baitian would look up occasionally to steal a glance. Seeing Xu Liming’s slender, scallion-like fingers loosely holding the phone, her index finger sliding from top to bottom—it made Lu Baitian’s heart itch.

Lu Baitian lowered her head to mop the floor, but those hands remained vivid in her mind.

Around 9:00 PM, the number of students in the cafeteria finally thinned out. Only a few who had late classes were still eating. The kitchen stopped cooking, and Auntie Fang took off her hat, walking out radiating heat.

“Xiao Lu, you can get off work now!” Auntie Fang slapped Lu Baitian’s shoulder hard. “Look at how skinny you are. Come on, bring your classmate to Auntie’s dorm. Auntie will make dumplings for you!”

“No, no, no, it’s fine…” Lu Baitian waved her hands repeatedly. She tried to stop Auntie Fang, but the rag in her hand was still dripping. By the time she quickly wrung it dry, Auntie Fang was already standing in front of Xu Liming.

She saw Auntie Fang bending over with a wide smile: “Dearie, come on, go to Auntie’s dorm. Auntie will make dumplings for you!”

“Auntie…” Lu Baitian knew Xu Liming was used to being pampered and was a picky eater; she hurriedly grabbed Auntie Fang’s arm in a panic.

She pleaded softly, “Thank you, Auntie, but…”

She didn’t expect Xu Liming to interrupt her.

“Sure.” Under Lu Baitian’s shocked gaze, Xu Liming spoke with a smile.

Ten minutes later, the two of them stood at the entrance of the staff dormitory, dragged along by Auntie Fang. The staff dorms at Huachuan were simple and cramped; the hallway was cluttered with junk, and someone’s laundry—including underwear—was even hanging there.

Lu Baitian pulled Xu Liming along occasionally, acting flustered the whole way, terrified that Xu Liming might brush against the hanging laundry.

“Don’t be afraid! My place is a bit small, but it’s very clean!” Auntie Fang said, rubbing her hands. She pulled out her keys and opened the door, letting a dim yellow light spill into the hallway.

“Xiao Lu here often helps me tidy up, don’t you worry.”

Xu Liming poked her head in to look. Auntie Fang wasn’t lying. It was indeed small—a space the size of a palm that barely fit a bed and a desk.

On the desk were several photo frames showing a girl who looked about their age.

Xu Liming walked in slowly. The floor was made of old yellow tiles that gave the room a sense of age, but they were slippery to step on—it seemed they had just been mopped.

“Clean, right?” Auntie Fang closed the door happily. “Have a seat. Auntie made the dumplings at noon; they’ll be ready to eat after a quick boil!”

Auntie Fang squeezed into the tiny kitchen with some effort. Xu Liming retracted her gaze from the woman’s stout back and looked at Lu Baitian.

“That makeup you had last time—was it Auntie Fang who did it?” she asked suddenly.

Lu Baitian’s face felt like it had returned to that night; a faint red drifted under her eyes. She nodded and then carefully nudged her.

“Xu Liming, sit down.”

“Do you want some water?”

“Is it too stuffy? I’ll go open a window…” She was very familiar with this place and busied herself, though she hardly knew with what.

Xu Liming pulled her back with a laugh. “What are you doing?”

Lu Baitian stopped and lowered her head, rubbing her cuffs. “I’m afraid you won’t like it here…”

“It’s pretty good here; it feels very ‘lived-in.’ And Auntie Fang is very nice.” Xu Liming understood what she was thinking and couldn’t help but pat the girl’s fluffy head.

“Am I that delicate in your heart?” She looked down at her.

After having her head patted, Lu Baitian felt as if she were in a free sauna; she immediately started sweating. Xu Liming’s hand felt warm on her head, the sensation distinct.

She loved it so much…

“I’ll go help Auntie Fang!” Lu Baitian blurted out, then bent at the waist and slipped away like a sleek little fish.

Xu Liming didn’t realize her casual gesture had caused a tidal wave in the other girl. She propped herself up and jumped off the bed. “I’ll help too.”

In the end, she wasn’t allowed to help. As soon as the two reached the kitchen door, Auntie Fang shooed them out. She placed two plates of steaming dumplings on the table. “Dinner is served!”

“Both plates are cabbage and pork filling. Auntie will go get some vinegar for you!” Auntie Fang seemed very happy they were there; everything she did was full of joy.

Xu Liming said thank you and took a bite. The finely chopped cabbage mixed with the fresh scent of pork—it was delicious. It had been a long time since she’d eaten homemade dumplings; the taste was completely different from what was sold outside.

Xu Liming’s gaze turned a bit dazed.

Beside her, Lu Baitian silently noted this dazed look. Xu Liming likes dumplings. I can make dumplings too.

The silence between them was broken by a thud. Auntie Fang brought two bottles of beer and set them heroically on the table. “Come, come, come, have a drink!”

“Just a little bit of beer, don’t be afraid!” She poured a glass for each. “Auntie is happy today; drink a little with me!”

Before Xu Liming could refuse, the woman downed half a bottle, wiped her mouth, and said, “Auntie’s daughter is the same age as you two this year, but it’s a pity Auntie works every day and can’t see her. So I’m happy just seeing you.”

“Come, come, Xiao Lu. When Auntie was your age, I could drink every man in the village under the table!” She raised her glass to toast Lu Baitian.

Lu Baitian was startled by the toast and hurriedly picked up her glass, lowering her head to clink it and taking a tiny sip.

Xu Liming couldn’t bear to watch and simply took the glass to help her take a sip, then changed the subject: “Auntie, what major is your daughter studying?”

“Computer Science,” Auntie Fang said excitedly. “Her grades are excellent; she just got a scholarship last year. She’s just as good as our Xiao Lu.”

“She’s also fair-skinned like Xiao Lu. Plenty of boys at school are chasing her.”

At this, Auntie Fang remembered something and suddenly leaned closer to Xu Liming, asking in a whisper, “You’re her friend, so you must know—which boy does our Xiao Lu like?”

“Huh?” Xu Liming was stunned. Lu Baitian lunged forward and covered Auntie Fang’s mouth.

“Auntie Fang! Don’t talk nonsense! I don’t like any boys!” Lu Baitian was so anxious she could hardly speak clearly. “You’ve had too much to drink…”

However, she was no match for Auntie Fang’s strength. She was set aside by Auntie Fang like a little chick. “You child, it’s just this much; how could Auntie be drunk?”

“And didn’t you say yourself you wanted to go to class with that kid? Auntie even did your make—”

Auntie Fang didn’t finish the sentence because Lu Baitian jumped up again to cover her mouth. Her eyes were rimmed with red, as if tears might fall at any second.

Auntie Fang finally realized something was wrong. She stopped talking and apologetically touched Lu Baitian’s eyes.

“Aiya, my dearie, what’s wrong? Auntie didn’t say anything…”

“Auntie was joking. There’s nothing, nothing at all.” Auntie Fang hurriedly wiped Lu Baitian’s tears. She hadn’t seen this child cry in so long; seeing her teary-eyed felt quite pitiful.

Xu Liming, not quite understanding the situation, assumed Lu Baitian just didn’t like being teased. She pulled out a tissue for Lu Baitian and said softly to Auntie Fang, “Auntie, she has a soft personality; don’t tease her anymore.”

She stuffed the tissue into the girl’s hand, only to see the girl lift her eyes to look at her—the corners of her eyes were moist, and her tense gaze was mixed with caution.

“I really don’t like any boys!”

“Auntie Fang was talking nonsense, Xu Liming.”