Healing the Black Lotus Female Supporting Character (Transmigration into a Book - ABO) - Chapter 33
After the midterm exams, time became even tighter for the third-year students.
Hua You and Bian Chengyi both spoke with their families and decided not to go home on weekends anymore, choosing instead to stay at school for self-study.
Ever since that night when they’d been so close, their relationship had become more steady and in sync. Now, even a glance was enough for them to know what the other was thinking. If Hua You looked over at Bian Chengyi, she’d hand her the physics paper she had just finished; if Hua You paused her writing even briefly, Bian Chengyi would also stop, pack up her things, and get ready to head to the cafeteria.
Neither of them had broken that last, thin layer between them, but Bian Chengyi had a feeling: once the Gaokao was over, everything would fall naturally into place.
There was, however, one thing troubling her lately—her upcoming physical education exam, which came three weeks before the academic Gaokao. It was almost time to submit the official registration, but she still hadn’t decided whether to take the 800-meter run or the 200-meter swim. Although she had been training for the 800 meters at school, her mother had mentioned that her swimming scores were actually more impressive, and her chances of getting full marks were higher.
So Hua You suggested they go to the nearby public pool on a day off to test it out. Although Bian Chengyi had a pool at home, she clearly preferred testing things out with Hua You rather than going home and facing the pressure from her mother.
It was nearly summer. Hua You took a slow breath of the warm, slightly stifling air. For the first time, she clearly felt the weight and presence of the approaching Gaokao.
Summer… the season of exams.
After their kiss, their relationship had been hovering at 95%. Hua You figured that once the exam ended, they’d probably hit 100%. Looking up at the clear blue sky, she couldn’t help but wonder—
Is the sky you see, in your world… the same as the one I see here?
Is it just as blue? Just as pure?
Her memories of her old world were starting to blur. What had it even looked like?
While she was zoning out, Bian Chengyi’s calm voice brought her back.
“Ready to go in?”
Hua You turned back and smiled brightly. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
She carried her bag and headed into the Omega-only changing room to put on her swimsuit. Technically, she was only there to help Bian Chengyi test the waters—but come on, was there any harm in playing a little while she was at it?
Happily, she changed, stepped out from behind the curtain—and saw that Bian Chengyi was already waiting for her poolside.
It wasn’t her fault for being momentarily dazed… Bian Chengyi was slender and tall, and in a swimsuit, she looked even more graceful—like a white swan stretching its wings at the edge of the pool. When she smiled, the sunlight seemed to shimmer across the surface of the water, all toward her.
“You’re slow,” Bian teased.
“I never agreed to race you in this!” Hua You pouted, then laughed. “Forget it, let’s just get in!”
“Did you shower first?” Bian raised an eyebrow, but Hua You grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the water.
“It’s summer—water’s not cold!”
She stepped into the pool first using the metal handrail, looked up at Bian with a smile, and said, “Come on, Sister Bian, be a good girl and play with me!”
Bian could only shake her head and follow her in. “Did you forget what we came here for?”
“What did we come for again?” Hua You tilted her head, pretending to think. “Oh right—swimming! Don’t worry, I brought my waterproof watch. I’ll time you.”
Bian smiled and stopped near the edge in the shallow area. “Alright then—my little cat, I’m counting on you.”
Then she dove forward, sliding through the water like a fish returning to the sea.
The full mark for female Alphas in the 200-meter swim was 4 minutes and 46 seconds. Bian Chengyi was hovering around 4 minutes and 40 seconds. Hua You showed her the time afterward.
“Honestly, I think swimming’s your best bet, Sister Bian. Compared to the 800 meters, you perform better in the water. You’ve got a real shot at full marks.”
“How’s your swimming, little cat?” Bian asked.
For Omegas, the time allowance was 10 seconds longer than for female Alphas. But Hua You thought for a second and said,
“I’ll stick with running. I feel like it suits me better.”
Bian gave a confident smile. “Then in the pool, you’ll never catch me.”
Hua You grinned, splashing water at her. “Maybe not—but I can still hit you with water!”
Bian pulled herself up to the edge of the pool, looking like a mature adult ignoring a child’s antics. Hua You, smug with victory, didn’t notice her leave…
Until she returned—dripping wet and armed with a water gun.
No fair! The power of money is cheating!
Hua You shrieked as she scrambled around the pool, arms covering her head.
“Sister! Sister! Timeout! Can we call a truce, please!”
Bian waded into the water again, raising an eyebrow. “You sure you want a truce?”
Hua You nodded furiously like a pecking chick and crept closer—then suddenly splashed her with both hands and shouted, “Lies! This means war!”
Caught off guard, Bian took another splash straight to the face. She didn’t get angry—just smiled helplessly and held her head.
“You’re such a little trickster.”
“And you’re unfair for using money!” Hua You called as she retreated toward the deeper end of the pool. “Don’t you dare come over here!”
But just as she stepped back, her foot slipped. She fell backwards into the water—and to make things worse, she suddenly cramped.
The pool’s lifeguard whistle blew loudly.
Hua You flailed for a moment and spotted a lifebuoy being tossed her way—but before she could grab it, a pair of strong arms had already reached her.
She gasped for air twice, then wrapped her arms tightly around Bian Chengyi.
“…Thank goodness,” she whispered breathlessly in her arms.
“You really need to stop skipping your warmups,” Bian Chengyi said as she let Hua You cling to her shoulders. Being taller, she could still stand steadily in the deep end of the pool.
She walked toward the edge, but when she saw how tightly Hua You was still holding on—clearly shaken—she couldn’t bring herself to scold her anymore.
What a child, she thought.
The kind of precious, fragile child you just couldn’t bear to scold. Bian Chengyi glanced down at Hua You’s wet, wide eyes—like a small creature from the forest, sometimes tame, sometimes quick and wild. Her heart raced from the closeness, and with Hua You clinging to her like this, she had no choice but to bite her lip and look away.
But… how do you block out the scent of peach blossoms?
Bian Chengyi could only sigh and go over to apologize to the lifeguard, assuring them Hua You was okay. Then she returned to deal with the frightened little cat still in her arms.
She helped Hua You out of the water, handed her a towel from the showers, and sat with her on a lounge chair by the poolside for a while.
But still—some things had to be said.
“Will you warm up properly next time?”
“I will… Sister Bian, don’t be mad, it was just an accident!”
“But what if it hadn’t been here—what if this had happened by the ocean, with no lifeguard and no me?” Bian Chengyi’s voice tightened slightly. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she felt. She forced herself to stop. Her expression, serious and still carrying the calm authority of a class monitor, made Hua You fall quiet for once. The usually bright and talkative girl didn’t dare say another word.
“…Forget it,” Bian Chengyi sighed, rubbing her temples. Seeing how shaken Hua You still looked, she couldn’t bear to keep scolding her. “Wanna get some ice cream?”
Hua You’s head shot up instantly. Her eyes sparkled—she loved sweets.
So the two of them left the pool and found a small ice cream cart nearby. They each bought a cone—strawberry for Hua You, chocolate for Bian Chengyi.
“Not all chocolate tastes the same,” Hua You said while nibbling. “People always say good chocolate should be bitter, but I just think the sweeter it is, the better! Now I don’t even want the expensive stuff anymore—it’s too bitter!”
Bian Chengyi took a small lick of her chocolate ice cream. “I think mine tastes sweet.”
“Really?” Hua You’s eyes lit up. She’d already devoured more than half of her strawberry cone, but now her gaze kept drifting toward the chocolate in Bian’s hand.
Bian Chengyi caught the look right away and offered her cone. “If you don’t mind, want to try a bite?”
Hua You leaned in and took a small, careful lick.
“It is sweet!” she said, happily surprised.
Bian Chengyi smiled. “You don’t think I know what you’re up to? You just wanted to taste both flavors and made up an excuse.”
Hua You grinned and playfully pleaded, “Don’t expose me! Think about it—I went through a traumatic experience just to keep you company while you trained. Don’t I deserve a little reward?”
So easy to please, Bian Chengyi thought.
A small cat who could be completely soothed… with just two scoops of ice cream.
Bian Chengyi took another bite of her chocolate ice cream—it really was sweet.
The two of them wandered hand-in-hand under the shade of the trees, with no particular destination in mind. It was just a quiet stroll to relax, as they chatted casually about the little things they needed to keep in mind for the upcoming PE exams.
“I hope the volleyball they give me ‘likes’ me,” Hua You said with mild concern. “If it keeps slipping from my hands after just a few serves, I’ll be so embarrassed in front of the other school.”
“It won’t,” Bian Chengyi replied with a gentle smile. “If we’re talking about that, then I’ll need to pray the basketball and the hoop are in sync with me. Otherwise, if I miss, my score might drop too.”
“Ugh, PE full marks really depend on luck,” Hua You sighed. “You have to hope for good weather, hope your body’s in perfect condition, and pray you don’t randomly trip and break a leg the day before the exam…”
“Luck is part of skill,” Bian Chengyi said suddenly. “Just like… if I hadn’t met you, those tricky science questions would probably still trip me up. I’d keep solving, keep messing up, keep hitting walls…”
And maybe keep falling apart.
But thankfully, some things were already different now.
Hua You didn’t read that deeply into her words. Instead, she answered seriously, “It’s okay, Sister Bian.”
“No matter how difficult a question is, there’s always an answer.”
“And if we really can’t solve it…”
“Then we skip it!”
“Go around it—and there’s a whole new view waiting on the other side!”
Grinning, she pulled Bian Chengyi forward and broke into a run. “Let’s eat out today! No more cafeteria food!”
Bian Chengyi looked at the girl running ahead of her.
To me…
—You are the newest, most mysterious view I’ve ever seen in my life.