It Seems Like My Senior Seems to Like Me - Chapter 38

Pei Suye lived in Yuanshan Academy, a small but precious community filled with the scent of books.

“Senior lives so close?”

Ye Wanjia exclaimed. Strictly speaking, Pei Suye didn’t even need to stay in the dorms.

“Mm, moved here last year. Previously, I was over in Jiangbei.”

Pei Suye’s tone was calm—neither boastful nor pretentious, just a straightforward statement of fact.

Ye Wanjia, who had no concept of Jiangbei, didn’t realize the housing prices there were even higher than in Yuanshan Academy. She innocently said,

“Well, this is still closer. It must be convenient for you to go home.”

Pei Suye nodded, “Yes. So I’m just going home to pick something up and will be back tonight.”

Ye Wanjia was curious: “You could just sleep at home and come back tomorrow.”

“No, I have a few things to take care of at home,” Pei Suye replied.

After finishing her tutoring session, it was exactly 8:30 pm. Ye Wanjia wrapped herself tightly in the wool scarf her mother knitted, put on gloves and a mask, leaving only her eyes exposed. Fully armored against the cold, she shivered as she walked out of the apartment building.

Yuanshan Academy’s landscaping was beautiful. Walking through the dimly lit paths felt like wandering in a forest outside an ancient castle—deep, silent, and, in other words, extremely cold.

Leaving Building 11 and walking along the small west path, she reached the three-way junction, but Pei Suye, who was supposed to wait there, was nowhere in sight. Only a pink private car was parked.

Could it be…?

She cautiously approached. The night wind stung her face, yet a faint spring-like fragrance lingered in the air.

Click. The car door opened, and a tall figure stepped out of the driver’s seat. In the faint light, she smiled softly:

“Get in.”

Pei Suye could drive.

Although most college students had licenses, Ye Wanjia couldn’t immediately associate the word “college student” with “driving a car.” Watching Pei Suye drive skillfully, her hair cascading down, a U-neck camel-colored knit sweater enhancing her delicate skin, her fingers long and slender on the wheel, the wrist bones raised like pearls—it was truly a pleasant sight.

“Oh, senior,” Ye Wanjia said, sitting in the passenger seat and fastening her seatbelt obediently, “you said you have a few things to take care of at home. Is it a lot? It’s almost nine now.”

Pei Suye paused slightly, almost letting the pressure on the pedal give her away. “Not much. Should be done quickly.”

“Good,” Ye Wanjia said, warming up under the heater. Her mind became active. “What about your bike?”

Pei Suye slowed down and spoke more slowly: “Folded it and put it in the back. This car is my mom’s. I rarely drive, but it’s a bit cold tonight, so I borrowed it.”

“True, riding at night is too cold,” Ye Wanjia agreed wholeheartedly. “My face hurt just coming down from the building.”

At the red light, Pei Suye braked. During this moment, she took a lotion from the backseat and handed it to Ye Wanjia:

“Use this.”

The dreamlike pink car moved slowly along the old street. The bright streetlights cast a warm golden light, coating the straight avenue with softness and romance.

As for Pei Suye’s “things to do at home,” it was really just her personal wish—to send Ye Wanjia back to the dorm.

In the second semester of her freshman year, Ye Wanjia did something that would drive her forward for a long time—she took the TOEFL.

Nanzhou University had many international programs and always encouraged students to study foreign languages. For studying abroad, IELTS or TOEFL were options. If students wanted to prove their English proficiency, a TOEFL score above 90 would get the university to reimburse the exam fee and reward 1,000 yuan.

The idea came to Ye Wanjia one morning during her run. She saw Pei Suye studying at the pavilion by the track.

At that time, the birds sang sparsely in the morning, and sunlight filtered through fresh green leaves, spreading a layer of crisp light over the small pavilion.

Pei Suye had restyled her hair. This time, she straightened her natural curl and dyed it back to black. On top, she wore a light blue plaid headband, exuding a faint tea-like fragrance.

“Senior, you’re studying English?” Ye Wanjia called across the mesh fence of the track, smiling brightly.

Pei Suye looked up from her book and walked toward the fence. “Mm, I have the TOEFL next month, so I’m cramming a little.”

“Weren’t you abroad before? Why are you studying again?”

“Previously I only got 85 points. I want to improve it.” She rose and faced Ye Wanjia across the fence. “Actually, you could take it too. Freshman year is the best time to study English—you shouldn’t waste it.”

Ye Wanjia replied frankly, “I’ve thought about it, but the registration fee is too expensive—1,700 yuan. That’s several times a CET-6 exam.”

Pei Suye chuckled. “When you put it that way, it makes sense. But TOEFL is more valuable. For applying abroad, teachers prefer students with a TOEFL score.”

Knowing Ye Wanjia was short on money, she added, “As for the fee, I can invest.”

Invest?

Ye Wanjia had never heard it put that way.

“How?” she asked.

Pei Suye explained: “If you score above 90, the school reimburses the fee and rewards 1,000 yuan. I can cover your registration fee. When you get the results, we split the bonus in half.”

Ye Wanjia hesitated: “What if I don’t reach 90?”

“Then consider my investment a loss.” Pei Suye looked into her clear eyes and raised an eyebrow. “So… do we do this business?”

Ye Wanjia agreed, though she had her own thoughts. If she scored above 90, the prize money would be split; if she didn’t, she would repay Pei Suye’s fee. Taking money without returning it always made her uneasy.

At that time, time itself seemed to be carved into precise units, each one a testament to effort.

Every morning at 6:30, they met at the small pavilion on the east side of the track. One hour practicing speaking, then breakfast at the cafeteria. If there were morning classes, they attended; if not, they continued studying in the library.

Ye Wanjia didn’t have a laptop, so she borrowed one from the library. She followed Pei Suye’s recommended online courses—listening in the morning, reading in the afternoon, writing at night. Even on duty at the office, she carried a TOEFL vocabulary notebook.

Reading and writing were her strengths, while listening and speaking were weaker. In the week before the exam, she practiced three sets of listening daily and did speaking drills face-to-face with Pei Suye. One asked, one answered, until she could fluently fill the time.

At that time, Ye Wanjia was full of energy. Even later, when she heard claims that “being in a relationship affects studying,” she always corrected them:

“Truly liking someone means wanting to become better together. You’re full of energy, how could it affect studying?”

Effort gave her the answer. In mid-April, she scored 91 on the TOEFL. After receiving the reward, she repaid Pei Suye’s 1,761 yuan registration fee and the 500-yuan profit share. With the remaining 500, she bought a heated foot bath for her family, then nervously sent Pei Suye a message:

“Senior, want to have dinner together tomorrow?”

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