Chapter Twenty

The brief rest period passed in the blink of an eye, and the school bell rang as scheduled.

The plane tree leaves at the school gate still carried the lingering warmth of late summer. Yuzuru had just adjusted the shoulder strap of her backpack when someone beside her gently tugged at the corner of her clothes. Yukimura looked at her, his purple eyes filled with a playful contemplation: "I'm practically your junior now, and thinking about it, I feel a little resentful."

Yuzuru raised an eyebrow, deliberately reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone teasing: "Don't be afraid, junior, your senior has your back."

The words had barely left his lips when a dangerous smile spread across Yukimura's lips, his eyes concealing an unmistakable possessiveness. Yuzuru's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stuck out his tongue, grabbed Yukimura's hand and shook it, his voice softening as he pleaded, "Okay, okay, it's my fault. Senior or junior, you're the best, okay?"

Who would have thought that the former tennis club captain, who once dominated Rikkai University, would take a leave of absence due to a year-long training camp last year, and now step into the University of Tokyo as a freshman, becoming a finance major—and also becoming the "junior" of Yuzuru Hanyu, a senior from the Chinese Literature Department.

The two strolled hand in hand through the campus. One had dazzling purple hair and an air of nobility, while the other had smooth black hair and sweet eyes. They were such a perfect match that they attracted frequent glances from passersby, as well as whispers and the sound of camera shutters snapping photos.

Yuzuru had class in the afternoon, but Yukimura insisted on accompanying him since he didn't. When the two arrived at the classroom, it was already packed, so they could only find two adjacent seats in the last row. The bell rang, and an elderly gentleman with white hair and beard, yet full of energy, pushed open the door and entered. His voice was so loud that it could be heard in every corner of the classroom without a microphone, and he began his lecture in a clear and organized manner.

When it came time for the Q&A session, the old gentleman's gaze swept across the entire room, then suddenly fixed on the back row: "That student with purple hair, yes, you, come and answer this question."

Yukimura stood up helplessly and explained in fluent Chinese without any accent, "I'm sorry, Professor, I'm not a student in this department. I'm just here to audit the class."

The old gentleman stroked his goatee in surprise, his eyes full of admiration: "You speak such fluent Chinese, very good, very good."

As soon as he finished speaking, some mischievous students below started jeering: "Professor, he came to class with his wife!"

These words instantly ignited the atmosphere in the classroom. The old gentleman also became interested and asked with a touch of gossip, "Oh? Which one is your wife? Stand up and let everyone introduce her, and answer the question from earlier."

Yuzuru's cheeks flushed bright red instantly, and he wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. Under the ambiguous and teasing gazes of the whole class, he could only stand up with a stiff upper lip and answer the old man's question accurately, albeit with some stumbling. After sitting down, he immediately covered his face with his textbook, his ears burning hot enough to fry an egg.

The old gentleman couldn't help but laugh as he looked at her shy expression: "You're doing a great job as a family member. Your Chinese is more standard than many local students, and you don't have an accent."

"It seems Yukimura-kun has taught us a lot through his words and deeds!" a student exclaimed, drawing a burst of laughter.

After class, Yukimura smiled and tried to drag Yuzuru into his finance class, but Yuzuru shook his head like a rattle-drum, refusing to sit in with him anymore—it was just too embarrassing!

After class, the library is quiet and peaceful, devoid of classroom noise. Only the swishing of pens across paper, the soft rustling of pages turning, and the occasional tap of a keyboard create a peaceful and focused background sound.

Yuzuru pulled Yukimura through the door. She needed to research ancient texts for her thesis, while Yukimura brought a case study for his finance class. They found a seat by the window and sat down side by side, quickly immersing themselves in their studies.

The library's air conditioning carried a faint scent of ink, and the scratching sound of pens gliding across paper never ceased.

Yuzuru frowned at the obscure characters in the ancient texts, his fingertips lightly tapping on the pages, trying to understand the logical structure of the paper.

Yukimura noticed that the thermos beside her was empty, so he got up, ruffled her hair, and said softly, "I'll go get some water. Wait for me to come back."

Yuzuru looked up and smiled at him, his eyes still showing lingering focus: "Okay, and could you add some honey for me? Thanks."

The tea room was at the end of the corridor. Just as Yukimura turned on the hot water tap, he heard light footsteps behind him.

He turned around and met Li Zhi's gaze—the other man was also holding a water cup, obviously there to get water too.

“Hello, Yukimura-kun,” Li Zhixian said in a calm tone.

"Hello, Mr. Li." Yukimura nodded slightly, his purple eyes filled with a polite smile.

Hot water was slowly poured into the thermos, and the rising steam blurred the distance between the two people.

After a brief greeting, Li Zhi suddenly smiled, his tone full of sincerity: "I heard you won Wimbledon, congratulations."

"Thank you." Yukimura turned off the tap, his fingertips tracing the warm surface of the cup, and then changed the subject, "Thank you for taking care of me during the time I was on leave from school, Yu."

Li Zhi paused in his pouring of water, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes before settling into a faint bitterness: "It was just a trivial favor, nothing more than because..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yukimura's gentle voice interrupted him: "Because you like her?"

Yukimura's tone was not probing at all; he simply stated things plainly, with a faint smile on his lips, making him so frank that it was impossible for anyone to ignore him.

Li Zhi was taken aback for a moment, clearly not expecting him to be so blunt, then chuckled and shook his head: "So direct?"

“Your feelings are obvious and precious.” A gentle breeze blew through the corridor window, ruffling the wisps of hair on Yukimura’s forehead. His eyes were exceptionally sincere, without a trace of defensiveness or hostility. “Thank you for your affection. She deserves to be loved. She has always been a very good person.”

Looking at the undisguised appreciation in his eyes, Li Zhi remained silent for a few seconds before suddenly smiling with relief: "You are very outstanding. It's clear that Yuzuru likes you very much."

He looked out the window at the clear blue sky without a single cloud, his tone tinged with melancholy but also with composure, "I hope you will be happy in the future."

"Thank you for your blessing." Yukimura gripped the thermos tightly, the warmth of the cup seeping through his palm. "You too."

As soon as they finished speaking, they looked at each other and smiled, all the unspoken words turning into this silent understanding.

Li Zhi turned around first and slowly walked down the corridor into the distance. When he reached the library entrance, he subconsciously glanced back, his gaze sweeping over the spot by the window. He then nodded slightly and turned to blend into the sunlight outside.

Yukimura also turned and walked back, the honey water in his thermos emitting a faint sweet fragrance.

He returned to his seat, leaned close to Yuzuru, and whispered in her ear, "The water is ready, the temperature is just right," his voice as gentle as a feather brushing against her.

Yuzuru looked up at him, smiled, took the cup, took a sip, savoring the sweetness on his tongue, then lowered his head again to continue writing his thesis.

Yukimura sat down beside her, opened his financial case analysis book, and ran his fingertips across the pages. The quiet and focused atmosphere in the library remained unchanged.

Sunlight streamed through the glass window, falling on the pages of the book, and even the air carried a faint scent of ink and warmth.

When the two closed their books and stood up, the sun had already sunk below the top of the teaching building, and the orange-red sunset covered half the sky.

They walked side by side in the sunset, their shadows stretched long. Yuzuru turned to Yukimura to discuss dinner plans, when suddenly his eyes lit up: "That's right! I've been wanting to take you to a sushi omakase place. We stumbled upon it with Mina, and it's super delicious!"

She excitedly gestured with her hands, her speech quickening: "Their sushi has fish so thick it's almost falling off, especially the belly part, which is rich and juicy without being greasy. And the seafood rice is topped with a generous layer of small silver fish, so fresh and sweet it'll make your eyebrows fall off!" Yukimura listened intently, his gaze so tender it could melt your heart, his fingertips gently hooking her hand as he patiently listened to her recount the wonders of the food.

As they were talking, a familiar voice came from behind them. Turning around, they saw Liu Lian'er coming out of the library, holding a thick data booklet in his hand.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to go eat." Liu Lian'er pushed up his glasses, his gaze falling on the two clasped hands, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

The three, who hadn't seen each other in a long time, hit it off immediately and decided to go to the sushi restaurant together.

As we entered the restaurant and took our seats, the chef had just cut up an extra-long piece of tuna belly. The fish meat was bright in color and had a delicate texture. Its length was almost that of a small fish.

Yukimura and Yanagi Renji exchanged a glance, both unable to hide their surprise. The chef sliced ​​the fish into thick pieces, placed them on the vinegared rice, and handed it to them. One bite was not enough to fill them. Yuzuru carefully dipped the fish in the sauce, took a small bite, and the rich oil melted on his tongue, the delicious flavor spreading instantly.

The seafood rice with small silver fish that followed was even more amazing. The white rice was covered with a dense layer of small silver fish, sprinkled with a little seaweed flakes and chopped green onions, and drizzled with a spoonful of special soy sauce. After mixing it well, every bite was full of rich sweetness. The three of them nodded in praise, and even Liu Lianji rarely put down his data manual and focused on tasting it.

The cool evening breeze in the park after dinner dispelled the greasiness of the sushi and brought the freshness of the grass and trees.

Yukimura and Renji Yanagi walked side by side on the path, naturally chatting about tennis—about the current juniors of Rikkai University's tennis club, about the recent situations of their old friends, from match results to fun training stories, their words full of familiarity and nostalgia.

Yuzuru followed beside them, his hands behind his back, listening quietly as they reminisced about the past. Occasionally, he would be amused by the funny moments they shared, his lips curving into a smile, his eyes gentle and content.

As their conversation grew more animated, she quietly slowed her pace and walked toward a nearby vending machine. She bought three cans of chilled juice, found a bench to sit on, and made a phone call home, softly sharing the day's interesting events and the delicious sushi she had eaten.

As darkness fell, the streetlights came on one by one, casting a warm yellow glow.

The three said goodbye at the park entrance. Liu Lianji smiled and told him, "Let's play ball again next time," before turning and leaving.

Yukimura took Yuzuru's hand, his fingertips warm, and the two strolled slowly toward the apartment, occasionally whispering a few words to each other along the way. Their shadows stretched and drew closer under the streetlights, filled with the gentle tranquility of life.