Chapter 10 : She’s already helped you

Jiang Yule returned to her bedroom.
Her eyes landed on the can of cola in the transparent cabinet.

It was the one Su Yubai handed her at the teacher appreciation banquet.

Jiang Yule drifted into a daze.
Her mind flashed to the night before Su Yubai left the country, the words she blurted out in her presence.

Those words lingered in her mind for so long, they blurred.

If they reflected Su Yubai’s true thoughts, why did she keep helping her, time and again?

Her phone’s ringtone snapped her out of it.
She picked up—

“My gosh, my sister actually agreed!”
Su Yingying’s loud voice burst through the receiver.

Jiang Yule was surprised too.
Su Yubai hadn’t refused.
She probably couldn’t say no in front of the parents.

“Okay, we’ll go together.”

“Then Wuzhou’s our first stop for the grad trip!”
Su Yingying sounded thrilled, relieved she wouldn’t face her sister’s icy demeanor alone.

“Great.”

Su Yingying sent several posts from Xiaohongshu, all trending travel spots—beaches, mountains, grasslands.

Jiang Yule clicked through, drawn to Huanglong Island and Guangnan.

They settled on Huanglong Island as the second stop, Guangnan the third.

“Oh, send your ID number to my sister. She’s booking the tickets.”

“Got it, sending now.”

This was the perfect chance to thank Su Yubai.
A formal thank-you felt too abrupt otherwise.

Jiang Yule opened Su Yubai’s chat, staring at her white profile picture, unsure how to phrase it.

After drafting and deleting, she typed a long message:
[Good evening, Professor Su. My ID number is xxxx. Also, I just learned you helped connect me with Professor Qiao, and with that other matter—thank you so much! If you ever need help with anything within my ability, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d do anything to repay you! Lastly, most importantly: if it’s convenient, may I treat you to dinner to show my gratitude?]

She checked Wuzhou’s bullet train tickets, calculated the first-class fare, and transferred the amount to Su Yubai.

Realizing the last message was a payment, which felt impolite, she added:
[Thanks for booking the tickets too!]

“I sent my ID to Professor Su,” Jiang Yule updated Su Yingying in real-time.

“Awesome. We’ll stay in Wuzhou two days, then head to Huanglong Island.”

Just two days?
Jiang Yule worried faintly.
“Will Professor Su finish her stuff that fast?”

“My mom said it’s one day of work, so we get a day to play.”

“Okay.”
“Do we need to book a hotel in Wuzhou?”

“My sister’s handling it. We just need to book the rest.”

After booking flights and homestays, Jiang Yule’s chat with Su Yubai still had no new notifications.

She reread her message several times, then sent it to Su Yingying.

Su Yingying paused before replying, “Yule, are you that formal with my sister?”

Jiang Yule shook her head.
“Not really, just respect! You get it, right?”

“Fine.”
Su Yingying dropped it but teased her wording.
“‘Do anything to repay’? That’s a bit much.”

“I wanted to show my gratitude.”

“No biggie. She might find it cute.”

Su Yingying reassured her.
“It’s fine, don’t worry. My sister often leaves her phone and stays in her study till midnight. Not replying is normal.”

Su Yubai was a known workaholic in academic circles.

Jiang Yule felt at ease.

“But, you really want to eat alone with her?”
Su Yingying sounded hesitant.

A meal was trivial compared to Su Yubai’s help, but it showed her gratitude, Jiang Yule thought.

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing. Just brace for her freezing you out.”

Jiang Yule recalled riding with Su Yubai to the airport.
It wasn’t that bad.
“Okay, thanks for the heads-up.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yule showered.

She wondered if inviting Su Yubai to dinner was too hasty.
Her foster mother’s memorial was in two days—a sensitive time.

Jiang Yule prepared for rejection.

After washing up, she saw Su Yubai’s reply:
[No need to be polite.]

Attached was a train ticket screenshot.

Followed by:
[I’m asking for your help, so no need to pay for the ticket.]

Su Yubai was always direct, never polite.
Jiang Yule didn’t insist on the payment, but noted Su Yubai had ignored the dinner invite.

As expected.
She typed quickly:
[Okay, see you in two days, Professor Su!]

Su Yubai replied swiftly:
[Yes. Let’s eat after your trip.]

Jiang Yule blinked.
Su Yubai hadn’t rejected the dinner.

On departure morning, Jiang Yule’s mom dropped her at the high-speed rail station.
Only Su Yingying was there.

“Where’s your sister?”

“I just found out before we left—she went to Wuzhou last night. Probably to prepare.”

Soon, Jiang Yule got a message from Su Yubai.

A location pin, with:
[I arrived in Wuzhou last night. You and Su Yingying, stay safe.]

Jiang Yule replied:
[Got it, Professor Su.]

The bullet train to Wuzhou took two hours.
Jiang Yule had downloaded variety shows yesterday.

She brought fruit and bread from her mom.
Su Yingying brought spicy strips and cola.

A perfect balance.

Time passed easily.
One episode in, they were nearly there.

Jiang Yule planned how to get a taxi when Su Yingying gasped.
“My sister sent someone to pick us up.”

She showed Su Yubai’s WeChat:
[Car’s here, right side of the exit, white, license plate Hang F 38A0N.]

They exited the station, heading right, spotting the car from afar.

Before they got close, the driver’s door opened.
A woman stepped out and turned.

Jiang Yule stared.
It was Su Yubai.

“My sister’s picking us up herself!”

Jiang Yule watched Su Yubai stand still.
Someone got out of the passenger seat.

A woman, slightly older than them, called out brightly, “Hey there!”

They waved back.

“Who’s that?”
Jiang Yule hadn’t seen her before.

“No clue.”
Su Yingying had never been to Wuzhou with Su Yubai and didn’t know her either.

“Sis.”
“Professor Su.”
They approached, greeting Su Yubai.

Su Yubai opened the trunk.
“No issues on the way?”

Jiang Yule shook her head.
“None.”

“Let me help!”
The other woman rushed over to assist with their luggage.

Jiang Yule and Su Yingying, lifting a suitcase together, said, “No, no, thanks.”

The young woman grinned, introducing herself.
“I’m Yubai’s junior sister.”

Sister. Junior.

That was loaded.

Jiang Yule lowered her eyes, setting down the suitcase.
Su Yubai spoke suddenly.
“She’s Su Jinyun, inheritor of Wuzhou embroidery.”

The woman panicked.
“No, I’m not! You are, senior sister.”

Jiang Yule recalled her mom’s words.
Su Yubai’s foster mother was the previous Wuzhou embroidery inheritor.
After her passing, Su Yubai, uninterested, passed it to this woman?

Su Yubai said nothing, giving Su Jinyun a cold look.

Jiang Yule caught the woman muttering, “Yubai’s doing it again.”

Her tone was familiar.

Su Yubai got in the driver’s seat.
Su Jinyun followed, taking the passenger seat.

Jiang Yule closed the trunk, heading to the back right door.
A clear voice stopped her—

“Jiang Yule, sit up front.”

Her lashes trembled.
She looked toward the driver’s seat.
Su Yubai was watching her through the rearview mirror, their eyes meeting.

The car’s air stilled for a moment.
Su Jinyun spoke up.
“Is Yubai tired of my chatter?”

Su Yubai looked away, saying flatly, “Jiang Yule gets carsick.”