Chapter 14: If I Go Bald, Will You Still Love Me? (14)

The art room seemed utterly transformed, as if it had been given new life. The small table, still in decent condition, and the cabinet nestled in the corner were now adorned with vibrant colors. While Shen Ji worked on his math problems, Bai Yao propped her chin on her hands at the table, looking around with keen interest. Every little detail in this place was filled with unexpected delight.

Suddenly, she remembered the flowers she had noticed on her way here.

Shen Ji was nearly slumped over his desk, gazing at the numbers in his book as if they were dancing chaotically before his eyes. His brows were furrowed in frustration, and soon his gaze grew vacant—clearly, his mind was wandering far away.

Just then, someone grabbed his hand.

Shen Ji snapped back to himself, instantly sitting up straight, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the girl beside him. The word “anticipation” was practically written across his face.

Whenever Bai Yao touched him, she'd usually give him a gentle pat, then follow it with a kiss.

But this time, his anticipation was in vain.

Bai Yao simply turned his hands over, examining them closely. Only when she saw that both were unscathed, free of any marks left by flower thorns, did she finally sigh in relief.

Looking up, she met the boy’s jet-black eyes, fixed unblinkingly on her. Bai Yao knew exactly what he was hoping for, but after glancing at the math problem he had attempted, she reached out and pinched his cheek. “Shen Ji, what exactly are you doing?”

Shen Ji answered innocently, “I was thinking about you, Yao Yao.”

A surge of happiness fluttered in Bai Yao’s heart, but she maintained a stern expression. “Are you completely lovesick? If you don’t study properly, you’ll be left digging wild vegetables for a living!”

In this world, there was an odd, unspoken agreement: the wealthy would do everything they could to send their children to this all-in-one institution that combined high school and university. Only after graduating at twenty could they inherit their family’s estate.

Bai Yao and Shen Ji had just one year left before graduation. Shen Ji wasn’t the brightest to begin with, and if she didn’t keep pushing him with a whip at his back, what if he failed to graduate?

But Shen Ji didn’t share Bai Yao’s anxieties about the future. He leaned forward, resting his chin on her shoulder, curling up like a big cat begging to be stroked. Rubbing his face against hers, he said, utterly unconcerned, “I won’t be out digging wild vegetables—I’ll be your freeloader, Yao Yao.”

He was remarkably shameless about declaring his desire to live off her. Most boys would vehemently insist they’d never rely on a woman’s support, but he took pride in it, not shame.

Yet, Bai Yao thought about it and decided it wasn’t such a bad idea after all—after all, she could well afford to keep a man.

Shen Ji twined a lock of Bai Yao’s long hair around his finger, playing with it intently. Clearly, he found everything about Bai Yao far more interesting than studying.

Given the wonderful surprise he had given her today, Bai Yao’s heart softened. After correcting his mistakes on the math problems, she didn’t force him to continue studying.

Their study time was more than an hour shorter than usual. Shen Ji’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and he kept repeating, “Yao Yao, you’re wonderful.”

Bai Yao shot him a glance. “Was there ever a day when I wasn’t?”

Shen Ji sat upright, speaking with exaggerated seriousness, “Yao Yao is wonderful every day.”

Bai Yao was satisfied with this answer. She lifted her bag and poured out a pile of snacks. Shen Ji stared, slightly stunned, at the heap of dried meat and beef jerky forming a little hill on the desk.

Bai Yao picked up a pack of dried meat, tore it open, and brought a piece to his lips. He opened his mouth and swallowed it in one bite.

Bai Yao quickly scolded, “Chew before swallowing, don’t just gulp it down.”

Shen Ji mumbled an “okay,” obediently biting the food into smaller pieces before slowly swallowing it.

There was nothing wild or rushed about his eating now—no more wolfing down food as if he were starving, but instead, a slow and careful savoring, the way normal people ate. He’d learned this from Bai Yao.

Bai Yao fed him another piece, watching him eat with relish. She laughed, “Isn’t this cooked meat so much tastier than the half-raw stuff you used to scrounge up?”

Shen Ji nodded, opening his mouth again. “Yao Yao, more.”

Bai Yao handed him another piece, instructing, “If you’re hungry in the future, eat this to fill your stomach. No more eating anything unclean.”

Shen Ji scooted closer to her, pressing his body against hers, his eyes crinkling with a happy smile. “I know. Eating dirty things will make me sick. You don’t want me to get sick. If I’m sick, I’ll be miserable, and if I’m miserable, you’ll be miserable too.”

Bai Yao snorted, “What does your sickness have to do with me? I wouldn’t be upset.”

She said this, yet her hand continued to feed him morsels of delicious meat.

Shen Ji lowered his head, not to eat, but to gently kiss her fingers. He held her slender wrist, planting a trail of soft kisses across her pale fingers, the back of her hand, and up her delicate forearm.

Bai Yao felt ticklish and nudged his leg with her foot under the table. “That tickles.”

Shen Ji laughed, his eyes alight with happiness. He held her hand tightly, refusing to let go, his eyes bending into a smile. “Yao Yao, you have to keep feeding me in the future too.”

Bai Yao scoffed, “Don’t you have hands of your own?”

Shen Ji shook his head. “I like your hands.”

It wasn’t just her hands he liked, but the joy in her eyes when she looked at him, the lips that always claimed to dislike him yet still kissed him, the way her breath would quicken when he kissed her, even the way she kicked his feet—he liked it all.

Everything about her, he liked.

Bai Yao never seemed a patient person—she was willful and domineering at school, yet toward Shen Ji, she was endlessly patient and tolerant.

With her, Shen Ji was just an ordinary, carefree boy, indulged without restraint.

For as long as he could remember, this was the first time he’d felt so unconditionally cherished.

Suddenly, Shen Ji felt as if his body was filled to the brim. He was used to this unique favoritism, and he knew he could never allow it to vanish.

Yao Yao’s hands looked most beautiful when they stayed right where they belonged—on her.

Just as Yao Yao should always stay by his side.

Snuggled up next to Bai Yao, Shen Ji finished two packs of dried meat and three packs of beef jerky. He didn’t feel thirsty, but she did on his behalf. She put the snacks away, forbidding him from eating too much at once. Her bag was like a magical pouch—she pulled out a bottle of AB calcium.

But she didn’t hold it firmly, and the bottle rolled across the floor to the corner, coming to a stop only after bumping into the cabinet.

Bai Yao stood up to retrieve it. As she bent down, her elbow nudged the cabinet door, causing it to swing open a crack.