Give Me Another Smile

ips parted multiple times as she attempted to say something.
Eventually, though, she simply placed a hand on Tang Yu's head, rubbing the other party's soft hair as she hoarsely responded, “Mhm.”

…

Tang Yu decided to return home for the upcoming weekend.
Upon arriving back home, she found herself reuniting with her “long-lost” mother.

Although it had been several months since Tang Yu last saw her mother, the latter still had the same quiet and elegant appearance.
Even as she busied herself in the kitchen, she looked as graceful as a Western court lady.

“Little Yu, I've found a steady translation job.
I'll be helping a local publishing firm translate manuscripts.
I'll have more time to spend with you at home in the future,” Yu Wanrou said as she handed a bowl of carrot soup to Tang Yu.

The unexpected news stunned Tang Yu, and she couldn't help but ask, “Is it because of me?”

Yu Wanrou was aware of what Tang Yu was referring to, but that wasn't actually why she chose to settle down.
So, she shook her head and explained, “I've been doing freelance translation for a while now, and I sometimes can't help but miss home.
So, I felt that it was time to find a stable job and settle down.”

“That's great.” Tang Yu felt slightly relieved, knowing she hadn't become a burden to her mother.

Yu Wanrou's return didn't impact Tang Yu's life much.
The only thing that changed was that Tang Yu started to return home more frequently, even if she had to travel quite some distance.

…

After that minor incident, Yin Zhao-an no longer acted recklessly, and neither did she doubt Tang Yu's feelings anymore.
In addition, the two of them would often visit the school's self-study rooms to study together.

The self-study rooms were located on the library's second floor, and the library was a place that emphasized quietness.
So, it was very unlikely anyone would come to disturb them here.
4887

At noon, the sunlight shone through the window and illuminated the black font on Tang Yu's and Yin Zhao-an's books.
The two of them sat opposite each other, writing and drawing in their respective books without saying a word.

At one point, Yin Zhao-an got up to go to the restroom.
When she returned, she saw Tang Yu had already fallen asleep on the table.

When Yin Zhao-an was pondering whether she should wake Tang Yu up, she saw a green sticky note placed in her notebook.

——Sleepy.
Taking a nap.
Wake me up in twenty minutes.

A hint of tenderness appeared in Yin Zhao-an's eyes as she tucked the sticky note into her thick notebook and looked out the window.

Outside the window was a tree over a decade old, its green branches swaying in the wind.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, so Yin Zhao-an picked up a stack of documents from the table and held it up against the window, shading Tang Yu's face from the sun.

Along with the disappearance of the glaring sunlight, Tang Yu's slightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and her eyelashes trembled lightly.
Yin Zhao-an smiled at this sight before lowering her head to resume her studies.

When Tang Yu woke up, the first sight she saw after opening her eyes was a girl in a sky blue uniform holding up a small stack of papers to block the sun's rays that were coming through the window.
The girl in uniform had her hair tucked behind her ears, and a few soft strands covered her forehead.
The girl had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and she was using the pen in her bony hand to write down some notes in her notebook.

Tang Yu propped up her face with one hand, her eyes were filled with physiological tears due to fatigue.
At first glance, she looked teary-eyed, as if she had just cried.