A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Kiss

◎What Kind of Kiss◎

This wasn’t the first time Bai Tan’s mother had sent her a gift like this. For her eighteenth birthday, her coming-of-age present had been a box of small toys in various shapes. They were so beautifully and delicately crafted that without the manual, one might think they were just decorative ornaments. Her mother always said that understanding your own body was also a form of self-love, and that one should be grateful for this unique vessel, as it was a source of pleasure exclusive to women.

This was likely related to her mother’s background. As an only child from the Jiangzhe region, Chen Xuelian was pampered from a young age and later studied abroad, receiving a blend of Eastern and Western cultural education that shaped her thinking. Chen Xuelian always acted on her own ideas. After returning to China, she started a business in this field. Even when her family objected, she was determined and eventually grew the company into a unique and powerful adult products company in the country.

But it was this kind of pioneer who married her father, a “boarish” man. The most regrettable thing for Bai Tan was that her father hadn’t inherited any of her mother’s open and progressive mindset.

Of course, a personality like Chen Xuelian’s meant she wouldn’t be confined to a family. After her company was on the right track, Chen Xuelian hired a CEO and began to travel the world. One day she might be in a remote mountain village, another at a school, flying from China one day to another country the next. Bai Tan silently gave her a new title: Global Ambassador for Women’s Relief and Public Welfare.

Chen Xuelian was always dedicated to charitable activities for women.

Bai Tan loved her mother deeply. Even though their meetings had gone from once a month to once every six months or even a year, she still loved her mother’s passionate soul. Perhaps at times, she wanted Chen Xuelian’s company, but for many people in this world, she already had so much. She couldn’t selfishly monopolize Chen Xuelian.

Chen Xuelian didn’t just belong to her; she belonged to the world.

But still… opening this gift in front of Gu Zhu, she couldn’t help but blush. She wasn’t ashamed of her own physiological needs, but of the “unavoidable dirty thoughts” that came to mind.

She tucked the gift into a drawer, as if temporarily locking away the inappropriate thoughts in her brain. Bai Tan cleared her throat. “You’re still young. I’ll teach you later.”

Gu Zhu’s brain almost short-circuited at her words. The initial shock of the small toy had just subsided, and now Bai Tan had said something that seemed to imply they would do things together in the future.

She suddenly covered her face. The top student’s biology knowledge was excellent, but those concepts were just words. Her exploration of sexuality was zero, so she had never even considered these questions.

Now, facing the issue so unexpectedly, her first reaction was shame and indignation. What’s my relationship with Bai Tan?

What kind of relationship is it that she needs to teach me these things?

She’s only a year older than me—no, ten months! What’s so great about that?

Gu Zhu’s actions were so adorable that Bai Tan moved closer, looking at the blush that had spread to the parts her hands couldn’t cover. She put her hand on Gu Zhu’s neck and asked teasingly, “Why are you so hot? Are you sick? Or are you secretly thinking about something inappropriate for minors?”

Gu Zhu parted her fingers, revealing a pair of moist eyes. Her cool gaze seemed to be misty, and her trembling eyelashes showed a hint of innocence, but she held a straight face. “You play by yourself. I don’t need you to teach me.”

Holding back a laugh, Bai Tan continued to tease. “Oh, I’m playing by myself, of course. You can just be in charge of sleeping.”

Gu Zhu: “…” She decided it was pointless to argue with someone so thick-skinned.

Reading the accusation in her eyes, Bai Tan burst out laughing and collapsed on her, her hands wrapped around Gu Zhu’s neck. Tears of laughter streamed down her face. Before Gu Zhu could get truly angry, she reined herself in, but not without one last poke. “Baby, has anyone ever told you how cute you are? The cutest in the world!” Her heart was stirring. If Gu Zhu hadn’t been a minor, she would have pulled out the drawer, grabbed the toy, and demonstrated it on the spot.

She admitted she was being mean. The thought of Gu Zhu’s flustered and pitiful expression made her heart flutter with anticipation.

Gu Zhu was speechless at her naughtiness. She simply shoved Bai Tan onto the bed, then quickly left, mercilessly closing the door on the person behind her who was whimpering and trying to win her back.

She decided that today, she would only be friends with the little cat, Bai Yi Bai.

This feeling of shame and indignation didn’t last long. It was easily soothed by the aunt’s sumptuous dinner, and especially by a bowl of poached sweet shrimp that the culprit had meticulously peeled herself and placed in front of her.

After dinner, they went downstairs for a walk. The tree-lined avenue was bathed in an orange-red sunset, and a gentle breeze cooled the summer heat. They passed a drink shop and bought two lemonades. Freshly squeezed lemon juice with a little honey and a few ice cubes was the perfect remedy for the meal’s richness.

They walked through a recreational area and sat on an empty rattan swing. Facing them was the lake and forest park, where they could see the bright red sun about to set.

With her long legs pushing the ground, the swing began to move, swaying leisurely and contentedly.

But this peace was broken by a sudden noise. A small dog came rushing toward them, barking incessantly. The sharp, yapping sound of the dog completely shattered the harmonious scene.

Gu Zhu looked down at her feet. It was a Pomeranian, not even as tall as her calf. It was a tiny thing with a bow in its hair and a sparkly jeweled necklace around its neck. It looked like a very expensive, high-value dog.

While Gu Zhu was observing the dog, Bai Tan had already pulled her to her feet, moving away from the barking but timid Pomeranian.

A moment later, the dog’s owner appeared. “Mei Mei.”

It was a young girl, probably around their age, dressed stylishly in a red halter top and denim shorts, with frilly sandals on her feet. As she got closer, she picked up the dog. “I knew you’d run off in a flash. Turns out you smelled someone familiar.”

“What’s wrong? Seeing me but pretending you don’t? Young Mistress Bai?”

The girl clearly knew Bai Tan. Gu Zhu subconsciously turned to look at her, and saw Bai Tan’s face was unmistakably sour, her eyes not even bothering to look at the person in front of her.

This was the first time Gu Zhu had seen Bai Tan’s emotions so openly expressed, and with such obvious disgust.

The girl acted as if she hadn’t noticed, continuing to talk with a familiar and intimate tone. “Is this your new friend? Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Ye Shuyang. I’m Bai Xiaoshui’s childhood friend.”

Gu Zhu keenly sensed that the girl’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. Hidden beneath the smile was a look of scrutiny and judgment, as if she were assessing Gu Zhu’s safety and value. Gu Zhu didn’t immediately extend her hand. Instead, she met her gaze in silence, a mutual test.

Ye Shuyang probably didn’t expect her to be so disrespectful. She withdrew her hand, and the smile on her face disappeared as well. “Came from a small place, no manners.”

It seemed the girl had known her identity all along. This meeting was a deliberate ambush, and the “coincidence” was a lie. Before Gu Zhu could say anything, Bai Tan pulled her behind her. “Ye Shuyang, what are you barking about? I’ve told you before, don’t ever appear in front of me again. Have your talents for feigning blindness and deafness become even more refined?”

“Bai Xiaoshui, it’s been so long. No matter how angry you are, you should get over it. Aren’t our eighteen years of friendship enough for you to forgive me just once?”

Bai Tan, holding Gu Zhu’s hand, took another disgusted step back. She never knew a person could wear a mask for so long, so long that she couldn’t see Ye Shuyang for who she was, and her former, unreserved trust in her had led to betrayal.

“If I could forgive you, then our eighteen years of friendship must have been utterly fake, to the point that you still don’t understand me at all,” Bai Tan said coldly. “Ye Shuyang, the fact that I didn’t pursue it back then was out of respect for those years of friendship. There will be no other room for discussion. I’ll say it again: don’t call me by my nickname, and when you see me, walk the other way. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude.”

With that, she ignored the girl, pulled Gu Zhu along, and turned to leave.

The girl who was usually so full of laughter, with her smile gone, was as cold and sharp as a knife. It made Gu Zhu think of the first time she had ever seen Bai Tan.

At that time, too, her face had a hint of a smile that wasn’t a smile, and her eyes were filled with indifference and coldness, which had made her involuntarily freeze.

Unlike the detached feeling she had back then, this time, an emotion called “sympathy” naturally arose. Even though she didn’t know the full story, from just those few words, she could easily guess that Bai Tan had been hurt because of this person.

Gu Zhu stopped and held Bai Tan’s hand. In the other girl’s confused and sullen gaze, Gu Zhu whispered, “Bend down a little.”

Even though she didn’t know the reason and was still in a bad mood, Bai Tan obediently lowered her head.

In that moment, Gu Zhu stood on her tiptoes and kissed her between the eyebrows. “Don’t be sad. You have me.”

Bai Tan’s eyes widened slightly. Her gaze fell blankly on Gu Zhu’s tiptoes. She instinctively reached out and steadied her. Their bodies pressed close, becoming each other’s support and reliance.

They had always been a relationship of mutual closeness and mutual effort.

Bai Tan’s eyes softened. She hugged the person in her arms tightly, resting her chin on Gu Zhu’s shoulder. Her body wiggled a little as she started to whine affectionately.

“Why aren’t you an adult yet? Why isn’t it winter yet? Why haven’t we graduated yet?”

“What am I going to do? I don’t just want to hug.”

Gu Zhu was rubbed until she tilted her head back. She placed a hand on Bai Tan’s forehead, correcting her teasing. “Not just hugging. I already kissed you just now.”

“I don’t want that kind of kiss!” Bai Tan pouted, her lips forming an “O” shape. “I want this kind of kiss!”

Gu Zhu: “…” She was speechless.

The two of them no longer dwelled on the encounter with Ye Shuyang. Compared to that, the one remaining day they had together during this holiday was far more important.

Gu Zhu’s train ticket was for tomorrow night. Afterward, she had to continue practicing the piano for her grade exam. Bai Tan had also been ordered by her father to go on a business trip with him. Both of them had their own things to be busy with, and the next time they saw each other would probably be when school started.

So, they cherished this one day.

“Tomorrow morning, we’ll go for dim sum first. After that, we’ll go to the amusement park. We can ride the roller coaster, the pendulum ride, and go to the water park. We’ll leave the park for lunch, then go to the safari park in the afternoon. After dinner, I’ll take you to the high-speed rail station. How does that sound?”

Lying on the beanbag chair in the living room, they leaned against each other and planned their schedule for tomorrow. Bai Tan did most of the planning, and Gu Zhu was only in charge of petting the cat and nodding.

Bai Yi Bai was a friendly cat, surprisingly affectionate. Not long after Gu Zhu sat down, it voluntarily climbed onto her lap and, after receiving a kind response, began to knead its paws, purring all the while.

Because its claws had been clipped, the kneading didn’t hurt. Gu Zhu let it continue, and with one hand, she stroked its back, acting as a qualified “fur smoother.”

The cat willingly stretched its chin onto her hand, closed its eyes, and looked utterly blissful.

Gu Zhu didn’t disappoint the cat, working diligently and meticulously, adjusting her position and pressure according to its needs.

Her careful attention made the hardworking planner next to her green with envy. Bai Tan squinted, trying to scare off Bai Yi Bai with her glare. Seeing it had no effect, she threw down her tablet and pen, leaned forward, picked up the cat by the scruff of its neck, and patted its little bottom. “This spot is mine. You’re not allowed to hog it.” After scolding Bai Yi Bai, she turned to the little one who had suddenly lost her job and was looking at her innocently. “When we live together, you can’t indulge her. You can’t let her status surpass mine. Cats are spoiled and arrogant. We have to be strict.”

The truly spoiled and arrogant young mistress was arguing about her status as the family’s top dog. Gu Zhu said nothing, watching her grab the cat’s paws, scolding it while also nuzzling its soft belly, making the cat meow loudly.

The mat on the floor was soft, and the bamboo mat laid over it was perfect for summer. On the coffee table in front of them were two water cups of the same style, one light green and one pinkish-white, with a plate of sliced fruit in between. Gu Zhu picked up a piece of cantaloupe with a fork, leaned back, and ate with a gentle smile.

She loved this cozy scene. The future she hadn’t yet dared to imagine now seemed to have a draft she could fill in. It didn’t need to be grand or boisterous. This was enough—the two of them, together, in quiet contentment.

“Let’s live together when we go to university.”

Hearing her words, Bai Tan subconsciously looked over. In her line of sight, Gu Zhu was sitting cross-legged and relaxed with her back to the window. She was wearing the pajamas Bai Tan had prepared for her, and her fair skin looked even more delicate and smooth in the light. It was as if she belonged here, belonged to her.

Outside the window, a plane with blinking lights slowly flew through the sky. Perhaps people were preparing to reunite in the distance, but at this moment, they were already together.

“Okay,” Bai Tan said, smiling and her eyes full of light.

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