In the silent and spacious exam venue, the sound of pens scratching against paper could be heard as students concentrated on their tests.
Suddenly, the piercing sound of a bell echoed throughout the seemingly dormant campus, shattering the concentration of the students. Meanwhile, the ringing of this bell signaled the beginning of liberation, the start of a nightmare, and the arrival of a new dawn.
After exiting the examination venue, Yin Zhao-an stretched lazily and yawned, her eyes moistening.
When the exam proctor stepped out of the classroom after collecting all the test papers, the students rushed into the classroom to retrieve their belongings. When these students left the exam venue a second time, some had calm expressions, some smiled, and some seemed downcast.
As for Yin Zhao-an, she exited the exam venue with a smile. But she didn't join the crowd in leaving the building. Instead, she leisurely leaned against a wall as she happily fiddled with an item in her shirt pocket—it was a gift she had prepared for Tang Yu.
…
After the crowd disappeared, Yin Zhao-an put her hands in her pants pockets and made her way downstairs with her exam tools.
Let's take a taxi to Tang-Tang's school. I think she has classes in the morning, but it doesn't matter. I can wait.
Yin Zhao-an thought about all sorts of things as she walked. She even considered the likelihood of Tang Yu agreeing to visit a hotel with her. While lost in her thoughts, she quickly arrived at the exam center's gate.
Beyond the gate was an empty street, the dark gray asphalt road extending to the outermost end and connecting to a highway.
Currently standing on the sidewalk across the empty street was a girl in a French cornflower dress, the girl having her hands behind her back as she smiled at Yin Zhao-an.
At this moment, Yin Zhao-an felt like she was the main character in a movie, with only her and the sweet-smiling girl being the only people in the world. Even the passing clouds seemed to have slowed down to watch their meeting.
However, Yin Zhao-an didn't rush over to embrace the girl like in a movie but instead chuckled and walked slowly toward the other party. Though, contrary to how calm she appeared, a layer of sweat had already coated the hands in her pockets.
Tang Yu stood motionlessly on the sidewalk, her heartbeat accelerating as she watched Yin Zhao-an walk closer and closer to her.
Yin Zhao-an did not step onto the sidewalk. Instead, she stood on the asphalt road, the road's lower elevation allowing her to meet Tang Yu at eye level.
Tang Yu tilted her head, looking somewhat dissatisfied, as she asked, "Aren't you surprised that I'm here?"
"I am surprised," Yin Zhao-an replied.
"...I can't tell."
Yin Zhao-an carefully scrutinized Tang Yu, noticing the light foundation on her already delicate skin, the orange-toned eyeshadow on her eyelids, and the lip balm smudged on her lips. Overall, Tang Yu looked very much like a peach in summer, pink and moist.
"You look very beautiful, Tang-Tang, so…"
Yin Zhao-an's eyes looked very enchanting, and they firmly grasped Tang Yu's heart. Then, before she realized it, she found getting lifted off her feet.
With little effort, Yin Zhao-an picked Tang Yu off the sidewalk and placed her steadily on the asphalt road. Then, getting down on one knee, she devoutly kissed Tang Yu's fair and slender hand.
Tang Yu stumbled backward a little, shocked by this unexpected development. Even so, her gaze remained fixated on the girl in front of her, the scenery in her eyes gradually blurring. She could also feel warm liquid sliding down her cheeks and falling silently to the ground.
"I designed this ring myself. Although I have never learned to draw, this ring's appearance seemed to be naturally imprinted in my mind, and it constantly reminded me that it belongs only to you," Yin Zhao-an said as she pulled out a delicate ring from her shirt pocket. The ring was a silver loop decorated with diamonds, and the inside of the silver ring was engraved with indistinct hyacinth flowers and three letters.
"I am willing to exchange my remaining life for your judgment, so please don't reject me," Yin Zhao-an said, her eyes turning red and moist. "Will you…give me a chance?"
The girl on one knee wore a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and black overalls. She looked resolute as she stared at the sobbing girl in the blue dress in front of her.
"I am willing." Tang Yu felt quite embarrassed when she said these three words. She couldn't help but laugh as soon as she finished, and tears flowed down due to her laughter.
Yin Zhao-an was also brought to laughter, tears streaming down her face as she devoutly put the silver ring on Tang Yu's ring finger. The ring made Tang Yu's porcelain-like, slender fingers look even brighter than before.
"Okay, that's enough. Quickly stand up. It's too embarrassing," Tang Yu said as she wiped her tears and pulled Yin Zhao-an up from the ground. She felt that both of them looked like fools for crying and laughing.
After standing up, Yin Zhao-an rested her head on Tang Yu's shoulder and embraced her beloved, her heart filled with joy and happiness.
The cicadas perched on the nearby trees had yet to stop chirping, and the sun was still baking the earth with its scorching rays.
Hyacinths symbolized "eternal devotion." People in Europe and America often carved hyacinths on the tombstones of their loved ones to show "eternal devotion."
In addition, if hyacinths wished to bloom again after their flowering period, the withered flowers from the previous season must be removed. So, hyacinths also represented reborn love.
“Be dead, and rise from the dead."
…
At night, Tang Yu received a message from Guo Yifan that their philosophy teacher had gone on a business trip, so they would have a self-study session for tomorrow's class, which, in student terms, meant that there would be no class tomorrow.
After replying with a word of gratitude, Tang Yu set her phone aside and laid back in Yin Zhao-an's embrace.
"Do you have classes tomorrow?" Yin Zhao-an lazily asked as she fiddled with Tang Yu's soft hair with one hand while caressing Tang Yu's bare shoulder with her other hand.
"No, my teacher went on a business trip," Tang Yu answered while shifting her body, feeling a bit hot.
"Oh?" Yin Zhao-an's voice suddenly changed tone, her eyes lighting up in the dark. She leaned in close to Tang Yu's ear, gently nibbling on her thin earlobe. Then, like the serpent that tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, she said in a low and hoarse voice, "Then…let's do it again."
Sensing danger, Tang Yu struggled to climb away. But Yin Zhao-an, utilizing her superior agility, quickly pressed her down and began fanning the flames on her body with her lips, leaving numerous rosy marks around her collarbone.
It's over. How am I going to return to school tomorrow? Tang Yu wondered in despair. However, she quickly stopped thinking about this problem as Yin Zhao-an swept her away to the vast ocean of desires.
…
The next day, Tang Yu only got up from bed around noon. This was her second time waking up today as Yin Zhao-an had woken her up in the morning to drink a bowl of sweet congee. When Tang Yu woke up, Yin Zhao-an was in the middle of playing with her computer by the bedside.
Tang Yu got out of bed in her nightgown, her legs still feeling a little weak. While making her way into the bathroom with trembling legs, she couldn't help but recall the question she had discussed with Yin Zhao-an after their first time together.
A platonic relationship?
As someone who had already tasted the forbidden fruit, Tang Yu could no longer consider such a suggestion, and she couldn't help but curse herself for being a fickle woman.
Once in the bathroom, Tang Yu looked up at the mirror in front of her.
The person in the mirror had on a pearl-white silk nightgown that hung lazily from her shoulders, her messy hair rested on her creamy skin, and rosy kiss marks could be seen decorating that skin.
There was an empty cup and a toothbrush with toothpaste on it placed next to the sink. Tang Yu grabbed the toothbrush and started brushing her teeth, her eyes taking notice of the silver ring on her ring finger while she was doing so.
Several small diamonds decorated the silver ring in a unique pattern. Upon closer inspection, Tang Yu noticed something peculiar about the ring's design.
There was a slight protrusion where the diamonds were, as if something was wrapped underneath. Tang Yu was puzzled by this design, so once she finished washing up, she asked the "designer" about its inspiration.
…
Yin Zhao-an set her game character on "follow" mode when she heard Tang Yu's question. Then, while gently caressing Tang Yu's ring finger, she said, "You might get angry if I tell you."
Confused, Tang Yu asked, "Why would I get angry?"
"It took me a long time to make this ring, and a big part of the reason was this," Yin Zhao-an said as she pointed to the slight protrusion on the silver ring. "This part here; there is a mini tracking device in it."
"Something like a GPS?" Tang Yu was a little surprised by this revelation.
Nodding, Yin Zhao-an continued, "Something like that. But this device is a little special in that should you show any strange movements, such as leaving the area or specific location I designated, it will send an alert to my phone, and I will immediately know your whereabouts."
Tang Yu did not respond, taking her time to process Yin Zhao-an's words.
Seeing Tang Yu remain quiet, Yin Zhao-an started to panic a little and hurriedly explained, "I'm not doing this to monitor you. It's just that I'm worried you'll disappear again like three years ago. I don't want to turn around and suddenly find you missing, so—"
The rest of Yin Zhao-an's words were silenced by a gentle kiss. Rather than words, Tang Yu conveyed her emotions through actions.
"I understand. If this can make you feel more secure, I'm willing to expose all my whereabouts to you. I won't get angry, I promise." Tang Yu propped up her body with one hand, leaning forward slightly as she looked at the panicked girl in front of her with tender eyes.
Yin Zhao-an averted her eyes guiltily in an attempt to avoid meeting the calm eyes before her. But in her attempt to do so, her eyes fell on a certain place, and her cheeks quickly turned red.
Yin Zhao-an knew that this was an unintentional action from Tang Yu, but this invisible temptation was the most deadly.
Tang Yu saw the sudden change in Yin Zhao-an's complexion, and she couldn't help but frown a little. Then, she followed Yin Zhao-an's gaze and arrived at…her own chest.
Because she was wearing a silk nightgown, the neckline would always become wide open when she leaned forward. This meant that her current position granted a certain somebody a full view of her bare chest…
Blushing, Tang Yu sat upright and lightly coughed to hide her embarrassment. Then, she said, "I'm going to change. I need to go back to school in the afternoon."
Although they had already gone all the way with each other, Yin Zhao-an still didn't dare to flaunt their relationship in broad daylight. She might be a promiscuous libertine at night, but during the day, she would become a pure and innocent girl.
Despite Tang Yu's intent to return to school, she quickly arrived at a problem. The long dress she wore to meet Yin Zhao-an had a square neckline, and it exposed everything from her collarbone to her upper chest. Or, more specifically, it exposed the kiss marks decorating her collarbone and chest. Because of this, she didn't even dare to leave Yin Zhao-an's room, let alone go back to school.
Yin Zhao-an understood Tang Yu's dilemma, but she didn't feel guilty in the slightest. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she pointed at the closet with her chin and said, "Pick a collared shirt from my closet. It should help with hiding the marks."