A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Summer Camp

◎The End◎

Perhaps sensing the movement beside her, the person who had been sleeping soundly suddenly sat up halfway. She opened her eyes, looked down at the person beneath her, and upon confirming that Gu Zhu was awake and well, she abruptly lay back down. She simply pulled Gu Zhu back into her arms and mumbled, “Let’s sleep a little longer. It’s not light yet.”

Gu Zhu was hugged tightly, and as they pressed close, she instinctively propped herself up on Bai Tan’s shoulder. Hearing her groggy words, she knew she wasn’t fully awake, just checking on her out of habit. This gesture, after their long night, filled her heart, which felt like it was full of holes, with the soft warmth of marshmallows.

She was being loved so tenderly by this person. Thinking this, she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around Bai Tan’s back and hug her tightly in return.

She had turned off her alarm clock in advance. The seconds ticked by, and as the time to get up drew closer, she wished it would slow down, just so she could spend a little more time with the person in her arms.

When it was finally time to get up, Gu Zhu slowly untangled the hands and feet wrapped around her. As Bai Tan was about to wake up, she quickly tucked the blanket back in, gently patted her back, and soothed her in a very soft voice, “It’s okay, go back to sleep. Sleep a little longer.”

Gu Zhu stared at her sleeping face, at the way the young mistress finally fell back into a deep sleep, feeling a little reluctant to move. For the first time, she had the thought of skipping class. If only I could stay with the young mistress like this forever. Her gaze lingered affectionately, unwilling to leave.

In the end, logic stopped her. She tidied up her things, quietly left the dorm, and as she closed the door, her eyes lingered on the bed before she turned and walked away.

The morning was for experiments. After receiving the topic, she scanned it, quickly outlined the steps in her mind, and then worked through a mental draft. When she was sure, she began the practical work.

She was the first to finish. After raising her hand and having the teacher confirm her successful results, she requested to be excused early.

The lab teacher raised an eyebrow but, seeing her efficient and perfect results, agreed to her request. So Gu Zhu cleaned her tools, spent another ten minutes writing her lab report, handed it to the teacher, and then left the lab.

As soon as she was out the door, her steps involuntarily quickened. She first went to the cafeteria to get two packed lunches, and then jogged back to the dorm. At the door, she calmed her hurried breathing, listened for a moment to the sounds inside, then carefully turned the doorknob and entered.

The bed curtain was already pulled back, and the bed was clean and neat. She froze, thinking Bai Tan had gone out, and felt a pang of disappointment as she stood there.

“You’re back so early today?”

A voice suddenly came from behind her. She immediately turned her head, her mouth slightly ajar, looking at the person brushing her teeth. The girl was still wearing her pajamas and standing idly. The young mistress was still here, she hadn’t left. The bitterness in her heart was instantly replaced by the fullness of seeing her.

Seeing her look of surprise, Bai Tan seemed to guess what she was thinking. She gestured for a moment, then went back to the bathroom to rinse her mouth. She casually splashed some water on her face, wiped it, and came out just a few seconds later. Seeing Gu Zhu still waiting foolishly, she felt like she was melting from how cute she was. “Were you afraid I would leave?” she asked softly.

“Mm.” Gu Zhu nodded, picking at the bag that held the lunch boxes. “After I left, I started wanting to see you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

With a very serious expression, she spoke such straightforward, honest words. It was too much to handle. Bai Tan felt her heart shoot with an arrow of affection. No one could resist a quiet person suddenly saying sweet things. A smile spread across her face, growing wider and wider. “Then come here and give me a hug.” She opened her arms.

A feeling of intense longing made Gu Zhu take a few steps and embrace her. The fragrant warmth filled the empty space in her arms from the morning. Her affection for Bai Tan’s embrace was deepening little by little. Perhaps one day, she wouldn’t be able to leave it at all.

Indulgence was a terrifying thing. Gu Zhu had never allowed herself to lose control, but with Bai Tan, she couldn’t help but fall. She hoped they could stay together forever, so she wouldn’t have to give up this longing.

For the remaining days, Bai Tan sometimes continued to be her auditing student, sometimes acting as Gu Zhu’s lab partner. Other times she would be absent, busy with her own work. The only constant was that every night, she would be there to pull Gu Zhu into her arms when she needed her.

The nightmares were significantly reduced. It was like she had found a powerful support, and even when they did appear, she was no longer overly afraid.

The second to last day of the training camp was a mock exam, which took up the entire day. The last day was a summary and commendation ceremony, an encouragement for all the students and a recognition of the top three scorers from the mock exam.

Gu Zhu’s results were once again outstanding. With Li Jiajia and Bai Tan’s relieved and proud eyes and their powerful applause, she went on stage to receive the first-place trophy. Even though it was just a training camp award, her strength was evident to everyone. In the future, on the real competition stage, they would all be strong opponents, and until the end, no one could say who the true winner would be.

The awards ceremony ignited a renewed determination in all the participants.

Packed with their luggage was a group photo of the training camp. In the picture, all the faculty, resident advisors, and students were gathered at the main gate. In front was a long red banner that read:

2XXX Seventh Provincial Chemistry Competition Summer Camp

The fourteen-day summer camp had come to an end.

Gu Zhu didn’t rush home immediately. Instead, she called Gu Baozhi to share the good news. Amidst Gu Baozhi’s continuous “good, good, good,” she paused for a few seconds and said softly, “Mom, I plan to stay in Shengcheng for two more days before coming back. Is that okay?”

Gu Baozhi was silent for a few seconds. The quiet felt like her inner struggle. After a long moment, she slowly spoke. “Are you with a friend?”

“Yes, with Bai Tan. She lives here. We’re not going anywhere else, just staying around her home.” Gu Zhu no longer hid her continued relationship with Bai Tan from her mother. She hoped that the two people who were so important to her could coexist, or at least, that her mother would first accept Bai Tan’s existence.

Gu Baozhi clearly remembered the girl. She hadn’t expected the two to still be friends. Her instinct was to refuse, but the intimate change that had just occurred in her relationship with Gu Zhu, as well as the honor of her first-place win, made her unable to say no.

Gu Zhu had promised that her grades wouldn’t suffer, and she had kept her word. So what reason did she have to object?

Gu Baozhi unconsciously washed her flour-stained hands in the running water, finally speaking with difficulty. “Okay. Then please be careful. I’ll be waiting for you to come home.”

“Mm, thank you, Mom. I’ll be home on time the day after tomorrow.” Hearing her consent, Gu Zhu was a little happy. Being honest with her closest person and not being rebuffed made her feel a sense of relief. She subconsciously looked at Bai Tan and saw her glancing at her nervously, which suddenly gave her an idea for a prank.

After hanging up with Gu Baozhi, she deliberately lowered her head, staying in place for several seconds with her phone, looking disappointed. This expression naturally drew Bai Tan’s consolation:

“If it’s not okay, that’s fine. I’ll come to you when I get back, it’s the same.” Even though she really hoped Gu Zhu could stay, she didn’t want her to be in a difficult position. Bai Tan silently wondered, what could I do to get Gu Zhu’s mom’s approval?

Sigh, she thought, I should have studied harder back then. Not only did my dream of becoming a landlady not fully come true, but I was also forced to work a family summer job, and because of that, my ‘good friend’s’ family has politely rejected my chance to enter her home. It was enough to make her want to shed tears.

Seeing her pout and still try to comfort her, Gu Zhu couldn’t bear to deceive her any longer. She lifted her head and leaned closer to Bai Tan. Under her confused gaze, she suddenly smiled. “I was just kidding. Mom said yes.”

Because her prank was successful and she was in a good mood, she was smiling more happily than ever. The corners of her mouth curved into a crescent shape, and her pink lips looked soft and full.

Captivated by her smile, Bai Tan completely forgot about the prank. She just smiled along, pulling her closer and wrapping her arm around her shoulder, as if to press her into her embrace. “Haha, the little turtle came out of her shell and learned how to play pranks and spray water on people, did she? Watch me tie you up!”

Tied up with her playful “five-rope knot,” Gu Zhu’s smile hadn’t faded. From holding back her laughter, the corners of her eyes were a little moist. This side of Gu Zhu, her rare, joyful look, was so endearing that Bai Tan’s gaze enveloped her, wanting to preserve this little one forever.

She cherished everything about Gu Zhu. So even if she wasn’t liked, it was okay. After all, what she wanted was just her little Gu Zhu.

As long as her little one didn’t give up on her, she would always be there.

On the way, Gu Zhu informed Li Jiajia of her plans. Li Jiajia had personal business in Shengcheng and needed to stay for a few days. She was originally going to take Gu Zhu to the station, but when she was told Gu Zhu was staying at Bai Tan’s for two days, she just asked her to confirm with her family and let her know, then they parted ways.

After giving her some instructions and telling her to call if anything happened, Li Jiajia finally hung up the phone.

The car turned into a residential community. The area was surrounded by greenery, and the environment was very pleasant, with cafes, Western restaurants, and children’s play areas.

When she entered Bai Tan’s house, Gu Zhu realized that the nearly three-hundred-square-meter flat on a single floor actually belonged to Bai Tan alone; it was a property under her name. The interior was brightly decorated, with a large floor-to-ceiling window looking out onto a wetland park surrounded by trees and a clear lake.

After changing into slippers that the live-in aunt had prepared in advance, Gu Zhu followed Bai Tan inside. A mat was laid over the spotless tiles, and a cat with a fluffy tail suddenly came down a spiral climbing tree.

The floor-to-ceiling cat tree was very tall, satisfying the cat’s natural instincts. One wall was covered in jumping platforms, and it was easy to imagine the cat’s happy, cool-running adventures.

This was the first time Gu Zhu had actually seen the fabled little cat, Bai Yi Bai. It was even more magnificent than in the photos, with a pair of blue and green heterochromatic eyes that were as clear and beautiful as gems.

It first rubbed against Bai Tan, then circled Gu Zhu, sniffing her. After confirming that this “foreign object” had a familiar scent and posed no threat, it let out a “meow” and swept its tail across her calf.

With just one small trick, the fluffy creature had captured another human.

Gu Zhu’s eyes were full of the little cat. Her gaze followed its elegant steps, and when she saw it licking its paws and washing its face with its pink tongue, she couldn’t help herself. She took out her phone, aimed the camera at it, and her thumb seemed to have a mind of its own, pressing the shutter button again and again.

Soon, photo after photo filled the screen.

This drew the displeasure of the other cat-like human. The cat in the camera’s frame was blocked by the human’s beautiful but sulky face. After taking the picture, Gu Zhu poked her head out from behind the phone. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Let’s go to the room and unpack first.” Bai Tan said with a forced smile, and quietly nudged Bai Yi Bai with her foot.

Bai Yi Bai couldn’t resist giving her a swat, then haughtily swung its tail and climbed to its special spot, lazily lying down to continue its elegant face-washing.

Seeing the cat leave, Gu Zhu put away her phone and was led into the room by Bai Tan.

It was clearly the master bedroom. There was a row of wardrobes on the side of the bed. After pushing one door open, Gu Zhu saw that her clothes had also been hung inside.

After a brief tidying, she looked around the room. The two-meter-wide bed was covered with a soft lychee-pink blanket. On the bedside table was an alarm clock, a photo of the mistress and the little cat, and a small gift box with a card on it.

Bai Tan also noticed the unopened gift. She picked it up and glanced at the card, understanding immediately: it was probably something fun her mother had found.

She tore open the wrapping paper. The light green box had no icons or text. Without any caution, Bai Tan opened the lid. After seeing what was inside, she immediately closed it again.

Although it was only for a few seconds, the text and images on the instruction card on top were already imprinted in their minds.

Vibration, licking, wrapping… learn to please yourself, learn to enjoy a happy life.

Gu Zhu: …

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