Calculated Intentions

After several gloomy days, the sky over Shen City finally cleared on the last day of the year. Early in the morning, sunlight spilled over the layer of clouds.

Inside the room, the morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, landing squarely on Ye Nanzhi’s eyes. Unwilling to wake up early, she rolled over irritably, found a more comfortable position, and drifted back into her dream.

In the dream, she was repeatedly practicing the baking skills she had learned from Zheng Xiaorou. She carefully reviewed every step until, with a “ding,” she pulled her creation out of the oven. The golden cake emitted an inviting aroma, its texture soft and delicate. Ye Nanzhi couldn’t resist and took a bite. It was exactly as she imagined—fragrant, soft, and very sweet.

“Hiss—”

The dreaming Ye Nanzhi was too busy tasting to notice the odd movement by her ear. Suddenly, the little cake seemed to grow legs and run away from her. She chased after it, shouting, but the cake ran even faster and ducked around a corner. Following cautiously, she counted down three seconds and pounced, hugging the other party.

“Don’t go, don’t go…” Ye Nanzhi hugged the “cake,” nuzzling her face against it.

After a long while, the “cake” suddenly spoke. “Okay, I won’t go.”

Wait. That voice sounded familiar.

In her haze, a warm, moist sensation landed on her forehead. Chu Ran’s voice echoed again: “Zhizhi, I won’t go.”

Those few words instantly scattered Ye Nanzhi’s sleepiness. She opened her eyes to find that she, who had fallen asleep on the right side of the bed last night, had moved to the left and even crowded onto Chu Ran’s pillow. Facing Chu Ran’s beaming smile, Ye Nanzhi felt embarrassed. Just as she tried to move back, Chu Ran wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back.

“Where are you going?” Chu Ran whispered. “What, you’re not going to take responsibility now that you’re awake?”

“What… what responsibility?”

Looking down her own neck, she saw her silk pajamas had several buttons undone. Her snow-white skin was exposed, and on her chest, two faint tooth marks were visible. Recalling her dream, Ye Nanzhi’s cheeks instantly caught fire.

“I… I didn’t do it on purpose,” she murmured, mortified.

Chu Ran hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up. “Then if I do something to you now, it won’t be on purpose either.”

As Chu Ran leaned down, Ye Nanzhi yelped and dove back into the covers, rolling around until she had wrapped herself into a “zongzi.”

“What are you hiding for? Where was that boldness from a moment ago?”

“I…” After a long pause, Ye Nanzhi replied in a tiny voice, “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

Chu Ran cleared her throat, realizing it wasn’t a major issue after all. “Fine. I’ll let you off this morning.” She tapped Ye Nanzhi’s nose and added, “We’ll make up for it when I get back tonight.”

With that, Chu Ran stood up and changed out of the pajamas that had been dampened at the chest.

“Are you going out today?”

“Yes. It’s the year-end summary meeting; all the university teachers have to attend.”

“Oh.” Ye Nanzhi peeked her head out from the duvet. “Then… come back early tonight.”

“What, can’t bear to be away from me?”

Ye Nanzhi shook her head and answered honestly, “No, I’m just afraid if you come back too late, I’ll have to return to school before I can finish celebrating your birthday with you.”

Chu Ran: “…”

The year-end summary meeting was an all-day affair. Every college presented their academic achievements and research awards. Chu Ran’s group was a rare collaboration between two colleges, and the university gave it high priority, letting them report first. After the academic reports, the administrative staff also summarized the year’s work, covering everything from field trips to funding reimbursements.

Chu Ran stayed at the school cafeteria for lunch instead of going home. Just as she sat down, Yang Huining arrived with a tray and a gift box.

“Professor Chu, happy birthday.”

“Thank you.”

“Your performance at the meeting was so cool! You should have heard the deans from other colleges praising you to the Architecture Dean. They said he’s gained a powerful asset! But…” Yang Huining bit her chopstick, looking thoughtful. “Why does the name of the girl in your group look so familiar?”

Chu Ran didn’t hide it. “Of course it’s familiar. You’ve met her before; you even invited her to play the claw machine.”

Yang Huining nearly choked. She knew it! Chu Ran giving up her life as a wealthy socialite to work so hard at the university definitely had to do with that girl!

“Chu Ran, back then, after you left…”

Guessing what she was going to say, Chu Ran interrupted her. “After I left, she wasn’t with anyone else.”

Chu Ran’s gaze was steady.

“You mean… she’s been waiting for you? How do you know?” Yang Huining had stayed at Jiangzhou University for another year, and she hadn’t known. How could Chu Ran, who was in Germany, know?

Chu Ran touched her chest, where the tooth marks had been left that morning. “I just know.”

Seeing Chu Ran’s expression change at the mention of Ye Nanzhi, Yang Huining shook her head. “Tsk tsk, look at that smug face. If you had a tail, it would be wagging at the sky right now! But I want to remind you—think about how decisively she left four years ago. Why wait all these years without finding someone else? What for?”

“Maybe… she was young and timid, afraid of what people would say.” This was the only part of Chu Ran’s heart that hadn’t found peace. Even after living together recently, she still didn’t have the answer.

Yang Huining was baffled. How could a decisive genius like Chu Ran be so hung up on this girl?

“If you don’t even know that, how can you be so sure she’s waiting for you?”

Chu Ran smiled and beckoned Yang Huining closer, whispering a sentence in her ear. Yang Huining froze.

“You’re actually… living together!”

“Lower your voice! It’s not what you think. Her foot was just injured.” Chu Ran sighed. “And, she’s leaving tonight.”

Yang Huining couldn’t say much more and could only offer comfort. “As long as you’ve thought it through, I’ll support you.”

Chu Ran opened her gift—a jar of dried plums.

“My mom made them herself, guaranteed clean!”

Chu Ran smiled. “Thank the auntie for me, but maybe don’t give me sour snacks next time.”

“Why? Plums are your favorite.”

“Someone at home doesn’t like them.”

The meeting lasted until dark. When it finally adjourned, Chu Ran hurried home. It was only a ten-minute drive. As usual, she looked up at her window from the street. Every time she saw the soft light through the glass, her heart felt warm. She knew someone was leaving a light on for her.

But today, the window was dark.

Was she tired of waiting and left early? Chu Ran rushed upstairs. Inside, the house was pitch black.

“Zhizhi?” Chu Ran called out, but there was no response.

On the third call, the bedroom door creaked open, and a faint yellow glow emerged. The flickering candlelight on the cake was as bright as the girl’s smile.

“Chu Ran, make a wish!”

Four years ago, Chu Ran had wished that having someone celebrate her birthday wouldn’t be the last time. Clearly, it had come true. Chu Ran, who never believed in ghosts or gods, now truly felt there might be a deity granting grace on birthdays.

This time, she would be a bit greedier. She hoped the rabbit in front of her would accompany her for every birthday to come.

The candles were blown out, and the lights came back on. This cake was different from the one four years ago; it had no cheap colored cream. Ye Nanzhi had used top-tier ingredients, and the air was filled with a sweet fragrance. On the snow-white cake, a wolf was drawn in the top left, “Happy Birthday” in the middle, and a cute rabbit head at the bottom.

When Ye Nanzhi offered the first bite, Chu Ran went straight for the rabbit head.

“Why are you eating me!” Ye Nanzhi said indignantly. “If you eat me, I’ll eat you!”

As the “wolf” entered the “rabbit’s” mouth, Ye Nanzhi looked up to see Chu Ran watching her with curved eyes. She realized how ambiguous her words sounded, and her face heated up.

“How is it? Am I delicious?” Chu Ran asked.

“I whipped the cream myself; of course it’s delicious!” Ye Nanzhi answered stubbornly, pretending not to understand the double meaning, unaware that a bit of cream was stuck to the corner of her mouth.

“I wasn’t asking about that.” Chu Ran wiped her lip with a finger, her voice low. “I was asking about this morning.”

Ye Nanzhi’s face got even hotter. She stuttered out a question to change the subject. “That… what do you think of the cake?”

Chu Ran nodded. “It’s good. Soft and fragrant. I wonder what the texture was like when it was fresh out of the oven?”

Ye Nanzhi: “…”

Fine, the morning joke was never going to end! No more cake for you!

Ye Nanzhi brought out the prepared dinner. “Sorry, I can’t cook, so I only made this. You’ll have to settle for noodles tonight.”

In a clear broth, two golden fried eggs sat atop snow-white noodles, garnished with greens and carrots. It looked quite lovely.

“One should eat noodles today!” Chu Ran didn’t care about the simplicity and ate every bite. She usually had a small appetite, but she finished the entire bowl. Just as she reached for more cake, Ye Nanzhi stopped her.

“Don’t eat more. Put the cake in a container for tomorrow.”

Ye Nanzhi stood up to find a container, searching through three drawers unsuccessfully.

“It’s in the cabinet above you.”

“Huh? Which one!”

Ye Nanzhi opened a cabinet door; the container was on the third shelf. She stood on her tiptoes but couldn’t reach it after three tries. On the fourth try, a hand reached over her and easily grabbed it.

Ye Nanzhi turned around and bumped right into Chu Ran’s chest. They were extremely close; her nose brushed against Chu Ran’s chin. Chu Ran didn’t back away; instead, she took half a step forward. Their chests touched, and through their clothes, their hearts began to beat at the same frequency.

Today, Ye Nanzhi wasn’t wearing her hair in a ponytail; the familiar rabbit clip was by her temple, and her long hair draped softly over her shoulders. Chu Ran’s throat tightened.

“Zhizhi.” She wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist, pulling her close.

The girl blinked, looking up at her. Their gazes locked. Chu Ran slowly lowered her head, leaning in inch by inch. Just as their lips were about to touch, Ye Nanzhi suddenly turned her head away.

“Professor Chu.” Ye Nanzhi used that formal title again. But this time, her voice was slightly husky. “It’s late. I should go back.”

She slipped out of Chu Ran’s grasp. Chu Ran stood frozen for a long moment before mechanically following her. “I’ll drive you.”

It wasn’t a long drive. When the car stopped at the Shen University gate, it was 9:50 PM. The gates closed at 10:00 PM.

“Thanks for driving me back.” Ye Nanzhi reached for the door handle, but heard the click of the locks.

Chu Ran leaned against her door. “It’s my birthday. Stay with me for a little longer.”

Since they were already at the gate, Ye Nanzhi didn’t mind a few minutes. During that time, Chu Ran talked a lot—about the meeting, the plums, the cake, and the noodles.

Time ticked by. At 9:59 PM, Chu Ran suddenly unbuckled her seatbelt. “Zhizhi, thank you for today. I’m very happy. What about you? Are you happy today?”

“Yes, I’m happy too,” Ye Nanzhi nodded.

Another thirty seconds passed. It was really time for Ye Nanzhi to go.

“Chu Ran, I…” Before she could finish, Chu Ran leaned over the center console, pinning her against the seat, cupping her face, and kissing her.

Ye Nanzhi’s mind went blank. She forgot what she was going to say as fireworks seemed to explode in her vision. At that exact moment, the school’s sliding gate began to move.

Ye Nanzhi snapped back to reality, her eyes widening!

You! Chu Ran, you played me!

As if guessing her plan, Chu Ran easily caught Ye Nanzhi’s rising fist, interlacing their fingers tightly. By the time the gate fully closed before her eyes, Ye Nanzhi closed her eyes in despair.

Without the strength to struggle, Chu Ran quickly took the lead. The scent of cedarwood filled the air, acting like a magic spell. Ye Nanzhi gradually wrapped her arms around Chu Ran’s neck, sinking into the moment. Resistance turned into cooperation, and finally, into seeking more.

Under the dark moonlight, both of them were intoxicated.

After a long while, Chu Ran slowly pulled back, only to return for a lingering kiss on the corner of Ye Nanzhi’s mouth. Ye Nanzhi opened her eyes to see Chu Ran’s watery gaze fixed on her, the desire within it unmistakable. Both were breathing heavily.

“Zhizhi—”

Guessing what the other was about to say, Ye Nanzhi stammered, “I… I’m not… it’s not convenient today.”

“Then next time.” Chu Ran didn’t give up, kissing her cheek. “One week from today, let’s finish it, okay?” Her thumb brushed against the girl’s skin.

“Huh?”

“Is that okay?”

Perhaps the moonlight was too hazy, or perhaps Chu Ran’s eyes had stolen her soul, but Ye Nanzhi’s mind was empty. Like a reflexive response, she nodded dazed and whispered:

“Okay.”