It Seems Like My Senior Seems to Like Me - Chapter 53

For Pei Suye’s birthday, Ye Wanjia accompanied her to a stage play—Fifteen Days Between Two Capitals.

The performance lasted a full three and a half hours. From the moment the protagonist stepped onto the dim stage, to the fierce clashes between opposing factions, the music grew increasingly intense, each scene cresting into waves of drama until the dust finally settled. At the end, all the actors came on stage hand in hand, walking forward together for the curtain call.

Applause and cheers rose one after another. Ye Wanjia was dazed, as if her soul had just been pulled back from that grand dynasty.

“That was amazing,” she sighed, eyes shimmering with starlight.

Walking out of the theater, the two of them held hands, fingers interlaced.

Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Pei Suye was pleased as well. “So, how was it?”

Ye Wanjia answered honestly: “It’s my first time seeing something like this. I didn’t know it could be so overwhelming. When the music swelled at the end, I got goosebumps!”

As she said this, she held Pei Suye’s hand with one hand, the other hooked around her arm, leaning against her, soft and dependent.

Pei Suye leaned in as well, brushing her forehead affectionately against hers, their silky hair tangling together until you couldn’t tell whose was whose.

“Then next time another stage play comes, let’s go see it again.”

“Okay!” Ye Wanjia laughed, her grape-like eyes curving into crescents.

“Are you hungry?”

“Mm… a little.”

“Let’s get dinner then.”

“Mm!”

The two walked close together, slowly making their way toward the subway station.

Behind them, a girl smacked her boyfriend’s arm. “Look! Those two girls in front—don’t they look like a couple?”

“Huh? Which ones?”

“The really tall pair. One’s wearing overalls, the other a dress. I caught a glimpse as they walked by—God, they’re so pretty! You didn’t see? Right there, right in front!”

“Uh…”

“What?”

“I didn’t bring my glasses today.”

“Ugh, get lost!”

Dinner went by quickly. When Pei Suye returned from the restroom, a delicate box had appeared in the middle of the table.

A jade-green velvet case, square-shaped, slightly larger than a palm.

“This is…” A flicker of surprise lit Pei Suye’s eyes, though she still asked, wanting to follow the ritual. She knew Ye Wanjia must have rehearsed this moment many times in her head.

Sure enough, Ye Wanjia carefully picked up the box, holding it with both hands beneath. “Your birthday present. Want to open it?”

Sitting across the table, Pei Suye’s gaze landed on the logo in front. Her calm eyes trembled slightly, though she still maintained her gentle smile as she took the box under Ye Wanjia’s expectant gaze.

“With such a pretty box, the inside must be even prettier.”

Click!

She pressed the clasp, the domed lid sprang up about a centimeter. Her slender fingers hesitated, then pulled it open. Inside, two sliding trays revealed themselves, each with four compartments, and together with the bottom layer there were twelve in total. In each lay a crystal brooch.

It was the newly released FSL Zodiac Series, priced at 1,288 yuan.

But it wasn’t just the twelve zodiac designs. In the center slot of the bottom layer, there was an extra brooch—a willow leaf, handmade by Ye Wanjia.

Pei Suye’s eyes were drawn straight to that one-of-a-kind piece. Carefully lifting it, she asked, “You made this yourself?”

Ye Wanjia bit her lip, smiling shyly yet proudly. “Mm. It’s a little crooked, but at least recognizable, right?”

The design carried two meanings: one, it stood for “Little Leaf” (her nickname). Two, willow leaves joined together symbolized love.

Pei Suye was delighted. “Put it on for me.”

So, Ye Wanjia walked around to her side, sat down, removed the maple leaf brooch from her chest, and replaced it with the new willow-leaf one.

“Looks great.” Ye Wanjia was very satisfied. “Honestly I thought it looked just okay, but once you wear it, it’s so much prettier, hehe!”

Pei Suye raised her hand, fingertips brushing over the design. The smooth surface caught the light and shone brilliantly.

“Thank you. I love it,” she said, meeting Ye Wanjia’s eyes. “Out of all thirteen, this one is my favorite.”

Ye Wanjia quickly argued, “But the zodiac ones are so much nicer—they’re professionally made after all.”

Pei Suye didn’t waver. “But this one was made by you. To me, it’s priceless.”

Ye Wanjia froze for a moment, glancing away from the brooches back at Pei Suye. Hesitantly she asked, “You don’t like the whole brooch set, do you?”

Pei Suye gently told her, “The set is beautiful, but, Little Leaf… it’s a bit too expensive.”

Finally, Ye Wanjia understood. Pouting unwillingly, she protested, “You don’t even know how much it cost.”

“1,288,” Pei Suye replied.

Ye Wanjia fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor, not daring to meet her eyes. She heard Pei Suye sigh softly—barely audible, but heavy, settling right on her heart. The voice that was always like spring breeze carried a tinge of helplessness as she said:

“You’ve been working so hard at part-time jobs lately. I don’t want you to carry such a heavy burden just for me.”

The words stung. She’d bought the gift to make Pei Suye happy, working so hard for so long just to get it. Yet now, it was precisely this gift that made her unhappy.

“But compared to what others gave you, mine is obviously the cheapest,” she argued.

“Everyone’s financial situation is different.”

At last, Ye Wanjia slumped, her thin body sinking into the sofa in defeat. She muttered resentfully:

“Come on, you never say anyone else’s gifts are too expensive. I know I don’t have much money. I know exactly how little I make from part-time jobs.”

Seeing the downturn of her lips, Pei Suye realized that her so-called concern had come off as tactless. This girl had worked so hard to buy her a gift, and instead of appreciating it, she had scolded her.

She set the brooch box back on the table, slid closer until their shoulders touched, bent down, and tilted her head toward Ye Wanjia, gently chiding herself:

“Terrible—I made Jia Jia upset.”

Her voice was soft, like a goddess scattering sand grains into the sea with her fingertips, the sound falling lightly onto a vast blue ocean.

She held Ye Wanjia’s hand resting on her lap, cupping it between both of hers, squatting down in front of her, looking up with a coaxing tone:

“Senior just said the wrong thing. Don’t take it to heart, hmm?”

Ye Wanjia had no resistance against Pei Suye’s voice—especially now, when she was squatting below her, speaking in that low, rich tone. It was like a cello playing by Lake Baikal, the bow drawing across her heartstrings, dragging her under, drowning her in sound.

No, no, no!

She had to hold her ground. She couldn’t just melt from one apology! She needed to stay firm—at least three sentences before she forgave her!

But her disobedient eyes darted around and, unluckily, landed right on Pei Suye’s gaze. Those calm eyes were fixed on her, shimmering with light, ready to pull her in.

Damn it!

A double attack—both sight and sound!

“Hmph!”

Summoning all her willpower, Ye Wanjia turned her head away coldly, refusing to acknowledge her.

Pei Suye lifted her hand, kissed the bony ridge on the back, then held it again, her thumb stroking gently back and forth.

“Senior only thought about herself, and forgot how much Jia Jia worked for me. I’m terrible with words. Please forgive me, alright?”

Ye Wanjia’s lips trembled—she almost said yes. But she forced herself back to reason. No, hold on! At least three lines before forgiving!

Watching her restless eyes, Pei Suye had a guess what she was thinking. So she said:

“Still not forgiving me? Then…”—her voice dropped—“Looks like I’ll have to oink like a pig to make you laugh.”

Oink like a pig?

Ye Wanjia was utterly shocked. Pei Suye—the campus sensation of Nanzhou University, everyone’s goddess, the student council president, the star scholar selected for international exchange, the poised leader of the Veterinary Medicine faculty—since dating her, how had her persona changed so drastically? Oinking like a pig? Who could ever imagine such a thing?

No one could. Which was exactly why Ye Wanjia immediately whipped her head around, eyes glowing with anticipation.

“Then hurry and do it!”

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