Text

After class, Bai Yuyou sat at her desk, surrounded by the gazes and murmurs of her classmates. Even without considering her usual situation in class, Wu Ya's withdrawal from school had made Bai Yuyou stand out even more.

Bai Yuyou stood up, intending to go to the restroom.

But on her way back, she couldn’t help but glance toward the doorway, as if sensing something—

It felt like someone was following her. That strange gaze never left her body, yet Bai Yuyou couldn’t figure out who it was.

This odd sensation persisted until lunch break. Instead of heading to the cafeteria, Bai Yuyou made her way straight to the rooftop.

She walked quickly, even sensing footsteps behind her.

But as she turned the corner, she disappeared in an instant.

"Tap, tap, tap." The footsteps grew louder, as if the person feared losing track of Bai Yuyou.

"Ah?!" A startled gasp.

At that moment, Bai Yuyou stood at the corner and suddenly came face-to-face with the person who had been following her.

It was a curvy girl around her age, with medium-length brown hair. Her face was flushed with embarrassment, her expression flustered.

"S-sorry, Bai Yuyou," the girl stammered, looking utterly dazed.

Bai Yuyou studied the face before her—not unfamiliar, a classmate whose name she didn’t know. Bai Yuyou always struggled to remember names.

But if asked whose name she remembered most clearly,

Ye Shuang,

she would answer without hesitation.

"D-don’t be mad, I didn’t mean any harm. I just… wanted to talk to you," the girl said, her expression pitiful, clearly the type who was easily frightened.

Bai Yuyou gave a slight nod.

"I think you’re amazing. That Wu Ya was really awful—she used to bully me too," the girl admitted. "I’m glad your family uncovered the truth."

"I’m really timid… I never dared to stand up for myself. So, I admire your courage."

The air fell silent for a moment.

"I-I-I… I just wanted to be… friends…" The girl stammered even more when Bai Yuyou remained quiet. But the moment she noticed Bai Yuyou’s calm, slightly icy gaze, she immediately turned and bolted.

"I’m sorry for bothering you!!!"

Bai Yuyou watched the girl flee in a panic. A few seconds later,

She tilted her head. "?"

Why did she run?

"Friend." Bai Yuyou suddenly remembered that Ye Shuang had asked her to make a friend. But by the time school ended that afternoon, she hadn’t managed to speak to that girl again.

In fact, the moment the girl saw Bai Yuyou, she would immediately dart away.

......

"A girl tried to befriend you?" Inside the car, Bai Yuyou had just climbed in and told Ye Shuang about the incident.

Bai Yuyou nodded.

"Why did she run?" Ye Shuang asked.

Bai Yuyou didn’t understand either. She had never had friends before and couldn’t fathom why the girl had fled.

Ye Shuang studied Bai Yuyou’s adorable face and suddenly seemed to realize something. "Bai Yuyou, can you smile?"

The girl’s body trembled slightly at the question. After a moment, she shook her head.

What were you trembling for?

"Maybe your expression scared her?" Ye Shuang rubbed his chin, then gently placed his fingers on the corners of Bai Yuyou’s lips, lifting them slightly.

Still not quite right.

Bai Yuyou mechanically pulled up the corners of her mouth, but it still looked unnatural.

"Such a pretty face—it’s a shame you can’t smile," Ye Shuang mused. Bai Yuyou’s lack of expressiveness didn’t help either. If it were just a matter of not smiling often—like An Shiyu—it wouldn’t give off such an unapproachable vibe.

But Bai Yuyou’s aloof aura was the result of years of solitude and minimal interaction with others.

"In that case, making friends might be tough, especially since you don’t talk much," Ye Shuang thought aloud before suddenly remembering something. "Oh, do you have the notebook I gave you?"

The notebook he referred to was the one with a few written guidelines, purchased from An Shiyu.

Bai Yuyou turned and retrieved the notebook from her bag.

"Here."

"Right, this one." Ye Shuang took it with a smile, then borrowed a pen from her. "Let me show you."

With that, he quickly wrote in the notebook—

[I’d like to be friends with you too.]

Bai Yuyou took the notebook back and examined it, as if asking, "That’s all?"

Ye Shuang knew Bai Yuyou had a habit of staring silently at people—not out of rudeness, but because years of isolation had made her forget how to speak up.

Since it wasn’t something she could change overnight, Ye Shuang figured it’d be better to prepare some pre-written phrases in the notebook.

"How about this? I know you’re not used to talking—or even dislike it. If you can’t bring yourself to speak, you can write down common phrases in advance," he suggested.

Bai Yuyou lowered her head, looking at the notebook resting on her snow-white thighs. She picked up the pen and wrote:

[I’m hungry.]

"Exactly, just like that," Ye Shuang chuckled. But when he glanced up and saw the girl’s still-expressionless face, he paused.

"Hmm… hand me the notebook again. Let’s add something."

He took it back and wrote a little more. "I’ve seen your sketches in your room. I don’t know how good your drawing skills are, but if you can’t express your emotions, maybe you can draw them—"

Then, he held up the notebook—

[(´,,•ω•,,) Please be my friend!]

A simple emoticon instantly infused the words with emotion, reflected in the girl’s clear eyes.

"Draw…" Bai Yuyou took the notebook and hugged it to her chest.

"Right," Ye Shuang said. "Sometimes, a different approach might work better."

"I see…"

Bai Yuyou’s expression shifted subtly. A faint smile graced her lips, softening her usual detachment, making her delicate features even more captivating.

It was the first time Ye Shuang had seen her wear such an expression. He suddenly realized—Bai Yuyou wasn’t incapable. She was simply a blank canvas, waiting for time and vibrant colors to paint the most beautiful picture.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow," he said gently, resting a hand on her head in a tender gesture.

"Until then, I’ll stay with you."