A Dish

Ye Shuang softened his tone, "Find some time to go to the hospital for a check-up. After all, you're still young and haven't even graduated yet."

"I... I..." The girl hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "I understand."

"School doctor," she spoke again.

"Hmm?"

"If this turns out to be true... can you keep it a secret for me?" The girl seemed flustered upon learning about the situation, even a little fearful of the consequences.

She half-expected Ye Shuang to say something like, "Classmate, you wouldn’t want your family to find out about this, would you?" and then threaten her. But contrary to her fears, Ye Shuang simply smiled warmly.

"I won’t tell anyone. Go to the hospital as soon as possible. At your age, you really need to take care of yourself."

"Don’t let a moment of youthful impulsiveness ruin your bright future. There’s still a long road ahead."

After saying this, Ye Shuang fell silent.

Perhaps he was the least qualified person to say such words.

People always pay for their impulses in the end, and the one they can’t forgive is often themselves.

But unlike what Ye Shuang expected, the girl’s expression grew resolute after hearing his words. "I know. That guy actually lied to me about... being safe. There’s no way I’d make such a sacrifice for him."

With that, the girl prepared to leave, but not before giving Ye Shuang a deep bow.

Ye Shuang suddenly felt that being a school doctor was quite interesting—occasionally, he even got to witness some juicy drama.

At 4 p.m., it was time to clock out. The day hadn’t felt much like work at all—aside from those two female students earlier, no one else had come in.

For the first time, Ye Shuang felt that work could actually be enjoyable. He had spent most of the afternoon reading.

Hanging his white coat on the hook, Ye Shuang locked the door of the third infirmary and made his way to Class 3-A.

Coincidentally, exams had just ended. When Bai Yuyou noticed Ye Shuang outside the window, her eyes instantly brightened. She stood up and hurried to the classroom door, throwing herself into his arms.

"Ye Shuang... hug..."

"We’ll hug at home," Ye Shuang instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist before quickly letting go.

At that moment, Tang Keke also walked out, looking utterly confident.

"Seems like the exam went well?" Ye Shuang chuckled.

"Nailed it!" Tang Keke practically lifted her chin to the sky.

While the top students sighed, the slackers rejoiced.

Soon, Tang Keke seemed to remember something. "Oh, right, big bro, you still haven’t told us why you were supervising our exam today."

"Are you a teacher?"

"Not a teacher. To be precise, I’m temporarily working here." Ye Shuang hadn’t yet figured out how to explain the situation with An Shiyu.

Bai Yuyou also looked at him curiously. She spent every day with Ye Shuang—since when had he started working at the school?

"It’s a long story. What do you want for dinner tonight?" Ye Shuang smiled. "Keke, you should join us too. Consider it a little boost after these two days of exams."

"I’d love to," Tang Keke said regretfully, "but it’s my grandpa’s birthday tonight, so I can’t. My parents are coming to pick me up soon."

"No problem. We’ll do it another time."

"Hehe." Tang Keke suddenly felt that being friends with Bai Yuyou was truly the best.

Since Tang Keke had to leave early, Ye Shuang drove Bai Yuyou home. It was only a little past four, so rush hour hadn’t started yet—the roads weren’t too crowded. Remembering that Bai Yuyou had been going home with Tang Keke after school these past few days, he casually asked,

"Yuyou, where do you usually go after school?"

Seated in the passenger seat, Bai Yuyou mentioned places like dessert shops.

"Ever been to an arcade?" Ye Shuang suddenly asked.

"Arcade...?"

"Yeah. Never been?" Ye Shuang grinned. "Back when I was a student, I loved going there—games like King of Fighters, Metal Slug, Street Fighter, stuff like that. Really fun."

Though there were plenty of entertainment options nowadays, Ye Shuang wasn’t the same teenager who could spend an entire day glued to games.

"Okay." Hearing that it was something Ye Shuang liked, Bai Yuyou immediately nodded.

After parking near an arcade, they stepped out of the car and were greeted by a refreshing breeze.

The wind gently lifted the strands of Bai Yuyou’s hair. She tucked a loose lock behind her ear, and under the warm sunlight, her fair profile made Ye Shuang pause for a moment.

Snapping out of it, Ye Shuang shook his head with a quiet laugh.

"Ye Shuang."

"Hmm?"

"Ye Shuang... is your birthday coming soon?" Bai Yuyou asked.

"Yeah, this week," Ye Shuang replied before adding, "It’s our birthday."

Bai Yuyou didn’t know her actual birthdate, so she wanted to celebrate on the same day as Ye Shuang. To her, it was like an unspoken bond—a coincidence that wasn’t really a coincidence.

"What kind of gift do you want?" Ye Shuang smiled.

Asking directly might not be as good as a surprise, but he wasn’t sure what would make the perfect gift for her.

"Anything?"

"If it’s possible."

"I want... Ye Shuang to marry me."

Ye Shuang was stunned for a second before recovering. "You’re not old enough yet."

"Where did that come from? Who put that idea in your head?"

"Keke. She’s a love expert." Bai Yuyou unknowingly threw Tang Keke under the bus.

"What?"

Since when had Tang Keke taken up the role of a self-proclaimed romance guru? Clearly, she needed a little "guidance."

Ye Shuang cleared his throat. Meanwhile, Bai Yuyou looked at him expectantly. "Ye Shuang, what do you want?"

"For your birthday gift... I’ll give you anything."

Bai Yuyou didn’t understand these things, but if it was something Ye Shuang wanted, she was willing to give it.

"A birthday gift, huh?" Ye Shuang thought for a moment before smiling. "How about you cook a dish for me? Just one. Can you do that?"

Bai Yuyou blinked, seemingly not expecting that request. "One dish?"

"Yep. Start with something simple." Ye Shuang had been teaching her to assist in the kitchen—it was about time she learned to cook properly.

If there ever came a day when he wasn’t around, at least she wouldn’t have to rely on instant noodles.

Not that instant noodles were junk food, but eating them too often would lead to an unbalanced diet.

"Okay."

Once Bai Yuyou agreed, Ye Shuang didn’t press further.

They entered the arcade, where Ye Shuang exchanged some cash for tokens. He noticed Bai Yuyou’s gaze lingering on a claw machine.

"That’s a claw machine. You can grab plush toys from it." Ye Shuang jingled the tokens in his hand. "Want to give it a try?"