Chapter 78: What Should I Do Now?

"My household registration is with my grandparents. When my parents divorced, they transferred it under their names. If it's needed, I'll bring it back to hand over to the lawyer when I go home during the next break."

Upon hearing this, Bian Yang finally let go of his worries, his expression serious. "If it's necessary, I'll let you know in advance."

"Alright," Tang Yu nodded.

Bian Yang flopped onto the sofa, legs splayed comfortably as if preparing for a nap. Suddenly, she recalled what Wang Qing had said. She grabbed the cushion behind her and threw it at him.

Bian Yang caught it one-handed and glanced at her. Tang Yu held out her small hand. "Where's your mock exam paper you promised to bring? Let me have a look."

He glanced at her palm, pressing his thin lips together. Such a beautiful hand—yet it wasn't for him to hold, but to ask for his test paper.

"Bian Yang, don't tell me you don't want me to see it," she stared at him unblinking. "Or are you just ignoring what I said, not taking it seriously at all?"

He scratched his brow with his fingertip. "Test papers are rather private, you know. Why are you so interested in my privacy?"

"You promised me you'd do your best in the science comprehensive and English exams," she insisted. "I want to see how you did."

"Is that really necessary..."

"Hand it over." She puffed out her cheeks, looking especially stern.

Her attitude made it clear he had no choice.

Bian Yang had intended to brush it off, but she remembered. In the end, after some reluctance, he pulled out the papers and placed them in her hand.

Tang Yu unfolded the science and English papers, and her forehead throbbed at the scores she saw. English was fine—he scored 125, all correct except for the essay, which he hadn't written. That was his strength.

But his science comprehensive score was abysmal—out of 300, he only scored 125!

She flipped through the papers and noticed Bian Yang had only done the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, leaving the rest untouched. Still, whatever he attempted, he got right.

Bian Yang looked rather helpless. He'd skipped grades since he was young, rarely did any test papers, and never had the patience to sit at a desk and write out solutions step by step. Completing the multiple choice and fill-ins was already his limit.

The combined score was ominous; after seeing his papers, Teacher Hou had asked if he was cursing at someone.

Tang Yu analyzed for a long while and decided that, in fact, Bian Yang was quite talented. He even got a multiple-choice question right that she had gotten wrong.

She held out her hand again. "Where are your Chinese and math papers?"

Bian Yang stood there, hands lazily in his pockets. "Didn't bring them."

"Really?"

He had just nodded when, in the next second, Tang Yu lifted the blanket, slid off the hospital bed, and marched over to him, reaching for his pockets.

She'd already glimpsed a corner poking out earlier, only for him to stuff it back in.

"Hey, Tang Xiaoyu, do you know what you're doing? This is insubordination."

He dodged backwards, clutching his pocket tightly, his actions betraying him.

Tang Yu ignored him, narrowing her eyes and sliding her hand into his pocket.

Bian Yang kept retreating until his knees hit the sofa and he fell back, giving her the chance to pin his shoulders down, holding him there with ease.

His pants were thin, and her delicate hand, searching his pocket, accidentally brushed the inside of his thigh.

Bian Yang took a sharp breath, flustered, and pressed her hand down, lowering his head, his voice rough. "Stop moving around. I'll get it myself, okay?"

Tang Yu noticed the flush on his ears, but didn't realize what was happening. She withdrew her hand, waiting for him.

Bian Yang, humiliated yet enduring, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, then finally took out the remaining two crumpled papers from his pocket and placed them in her palm, clearly reluctant.

Tang Yu smoothed them out on the bed. Two big zeros leapt out at her.

He hadn't even written his name—only the exam number!

Her eyelids twitched as she turned to look at him.

Bian Yang lounged on the sofa, his pale, slender fingers hugging a pillow against his chest, head tilted back to stare at the ceiling.

He'd asked her for answers during the exam, yet couldn't even be bothered to write the multiple choice.

She didn't believe it and flipped further.

To her astonishment, he had filled the blank spaces for the long-answer questions with sketches.

Tang Yu's breath caught.

They seemed to be... of her.

Beneath the first essay question, she was napping on her arms at the desk, soft pencil strokes blending on the page, tracing the contour of her cheek nestled in her elbow, the lines ending at her hair.

Under the second question, she was biting her pen, apparently deep in thought.

Beneath the third, she gripped a pen, head raised, eyes glued to the blackboard—only half her profile visible from his angle.

The subtle interplay of light and shadow in the sketches gave them a striking vitality.

Under the fourth...

Tang Yu silently examined every sketch, then frowned as she looked at him.

"Bian Yang, do you really like sketching?" she asked.

He lifted his eyelids, "It's alright, I guess," still in that lazy, indifferent tone.

"If it's just 'alright,' why did you draw so many?"

He hadn't answered a single question, spending all his time on these. "If you like to draw, why did you choose science?"

"I don't usually draw," Bian Yang smiled at her, a hint of mischief in his grin. "I just like drawing you."

There was a power in his gaze that rooted her to the spot.

She shifted her eyes away, heart thumping wildly.

Unnoticed, it was already midday and the room was awash with sunlight, warming faces and hands.

"You're very good, but next time, don't draw anymore," she said, hurriedly gathering up the papers and not returning them. "The college entrance exams are coming. You should focus on studying and answering the questions."

She paused, head lowered. "The nurse said I can be discharged now. It's Friday, and with the weekend ahead, I'd like to visit my grandparents."

Bian Yang stared at her for a moment, then got up from the sofa. "I'll handle the discharge paperwork for you. But could you go the day after tomorrow instead?" he said. "Lend me tomorrow."

He stood a bit too close, the faint scent of cedar wafting from him.

Tang Yu's eyes held confusion, her reaction slow. "Why?"

"Tomorrow is your birthday—have you forgotten?"

He placed his palm gently on her head, smiling. "We promised to spend it together, Tang Xiaoyu. You've forgotten again."

She truly had forgotten, as had her feuding parents, no doubt.

But Bian Yang had remembered.

"Also, your dorm is too unsafe. I took the liberty of arranging for you to live off campus with me. From now on, you'll stay at my place," he said, watching her. "Is that alright?"

Tang Yu's lashes fluttered.

She had no intention of staying in the dorm anymore. The reaction of her roommates made it impossible to maintain even a polite relationship.

But she hadn't planned on living with Bian Yang either!

"No need, I was planning to rent a place off campus, so—"

Bian Yang slowly cut her off. "So you'll waste money and be unsafe?"

He left her speechless.

His voice carried a languid, teasing note. "If they find out where you live and see you're alone, you'll have nowhere to turn for help. And with your parents likely to hassle you over the lawsuit, you'll be beset on all sides, Tang Xiaoyu. What would you do without me?"

With that, he opened the wardrobe and unhurriedly began packing her things.

There wasn't much—just a few clothes and some pastel underwear.

He still remembered the odd look the sales clerk gave him when he bought them at the mall...

Tang Yu quickly pushed him away, barely keeping her composure as she stuffed her underwear into the bag.

"I—I can do it myself..."

Bian Yang stood aside, lips curved in a faint smile, as if to say, "What are you so shy about?" "We're going to be housemates from now on. As your elder brother, it's my duty to take care of you. No need to be polite."

"I never agreed to live with you..." she muttered softly.

"Oh?" Bian Yang smiled. "Are you particularly charitable by nature?"

Tang Yu was puzzled.

Until he explained, "Spending your hard-earned wages on rent and utilities, you're completing society's financial cycle—earning money only to spend it outside, not taking a penny home?"

Tang Yu was left speechless.

Bian Yang noticed her brows twitch, a sign she was wavering.

"If you feel bad about freeloading, you can pay rent in labor."

She still said nothing, so he sighed, "Since someone looks down on my grades, I have no choice but to hire a tutor. But tutors are so expensive these days... what am I to do?"

His sidelong glance, barely perceptible, flirted with her.

When she looked over, he immediately averted his gaze, wearing a look of deep concern.