NOVEL WEB Chapter 54: Few hours before the finals
The morning started slow. I was halfway through a bowl of noodles at a street vendor's stall when the noise of the bustling city began to blur into the background. Another ordinary day or so I thought.
"Shouldn't you be doing something useful for once?"
I didn't even need to look up to know who it was. That voice had a way of cutting through everything else.
"Morning, Shadow Lotus," I said, grinning lazily as I glanced up. "Shouldn't you be busy with your finals today?"
Ying Yue stood there, arms crossed, her usual icy expression firmly in place. She didn't respond immediately, instead glancing at the food on the table with what I swore was faint disdain.
"Finals don't start until later," she said coolly. "What's your excuse for slacking off this early?"
I shrugged, slurping another mouthful of noodles. "This is productive. I'm fueling up for another long day of... existing."
Her lips twitched like she wanted to say something, but instead, she pulled out the chair across from me and sat down.
"You're taking a break before the big test?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Never thought you'd need one. "
She shot me a sharp look, but there was a flicker of something behind her eyes. Tiredness, maybe? Or was it nerves?
"Not that it's any of your business," she said, brushing off the comment, "but I've prepared enough. Unlike some people, I don't waste time."
"Touché," I said, smirking. "Still, you sitting here with me doesn't that count as wasting time?"
Her glare was enough to make most people flinch, but I just leaned back in my chair, unbothered.
"You're insufferable," she muttered, looking away.
"And yet, here you are sitting with this insufferable one" I said, gesturing around us.
Ying Yue didn't reply, instead focusing on the menu. When she finally ordered something simple, I couldn't help but grin. Even when she tried to act indifferent, there was something... oddly human about her today.
She frowned, looking at her bowl. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure, sure," I said, smirking. "But you're nervous about the finals, aren't you?"
Her chopsticks froze for half a second before she resumed eating. "I'm not nervous," she said firmly. "I've prepared. Unlike you, I actually put in the effort."
"Ouch," I said, pretending to clutch my chest. "Your faith in me is overwhelming."
She rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
When we finished, I walked with her for a while, the crowd around us shifting and moving like a living thing. She didn't say much, but she didn't leave either. It was almost... comfortable.
As we passed a street vendor selling little trinkets, I noticed her glance linger for a moment too long on one of the displays.
"Want one?" I asked, nudging her lightly.
"No," she said, her tone sharper than necessary.
"Come on," I teased. "Think of it as a good luck charm for your finals."
She huffed, clearly annoyed. "I don't need a good luck charm."
"Yeah, but you want one," I said, already handing over a few coins to the vendor. I picked out a small lotus-shaped charm and held it out to her.
She stared at it for a moment before reluctantly taking it. "You're ridiculous," she muttered, but her voice was softer than usual.
"Maybe," I said with a grin. "But now you've got no excuse to bomb your finals."
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need your ridiculous trinkets to pass."
"Sure, sure," I said, waving her off.
As the sun climbed higher, she sighed and finally stopped walking. "I need to go," she said, her usual coldness creeping back into her voice.
"Good luck," I said, flashing her a lazy smile. "Not that you'll need it, Shadow Lotus."
"Stop calling me that," she muttered, turning to leave. But just before she disappeared into the crowd, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"Thanks for the... charm, let's meet again" she said, almost too quietly to hear. Then, like always, she was gone.
I stood there for a moment, watching the spot where she'd disappeared. Somehow, the city felt quieter without her.
Ahh I can't wait for the classes to start after the finals.