There was a certain awkwardness about being together.
Su Qing sat in the dining chair, silent, sipping her millet porridge. The steaming white steam made her face feel a little hot.
She had a small frame and a small appetite.
The breakfast was quite varied. Perhaps Jiang Sui, unsure of Su Qing's preferences, had bought extra of everything: wontons, steamed dumplings, fried dough sticks, eggs.
It felt a bit wasteful to not finish it all, and this made Su Qing feel guilty.
The young man in front her, had a cold, stoic expression. He was still wearing the same shirt from last night, his sleeves rolled up, revealing a fair wrist. His slender fingers gripped the chopsticks.
He was as elegant and noble as a painting, his every gesture exuding a calmness and grace that belied his age.
He began to eat everything in small bowl, one by one.
As if he understood something from her expression and movements, Su Qing's fingers couldn't help but pinch the small bowl, setting down the remaining half of the porridge.
"Eat more."
Su Qing raised her eyes and gazed at Jiang Sui. Those eyes, perceptive at all times, were unlike the cynical ones she'd known before. Their brows were much more gloomy.
Su Qing was horrified. Did this young man know what she was about to do? Did he know something...
Su Qing couldn't imagine it.
"Why, do you need me to feed you?" The wicked young man curled his lips, not pretending, but holding a spoon and pretending to...
...
"No, I can do it myself."
The initial interpretation of Jiang Sui vanished in an instant. He was still the same cynical, arrogant man, his carefree eyes tinged with a hint of a smile.
His pale lips held a certain wickedness.
Seeing Su Qing's averted gaze, Jiang Sui's eyes paled slightly. Finishing his meal, he wiped his lips with a tissue, his gaze flickering across Su Qing's face.
This made Su Qing feel a little uncomfortable, and she quickly finished her bowl of porridge and put it down.
She prepared to say goodbye.
She had already changed back into her clothes from last night and packed her school bag, but she had still lost the workbook Zhang Yihan had given her.
"Jiang Sui, I'll go back by myself."
"I can do it myself. You need to get ready, too. We'll meet at the airport this afternoon."
Su Qing's expression was clear, and she pursed her lips. She wasn't as scared of Jiang Sui as before, but she still tried to keep her voice down, speaking in a negotiating tone.
"I'll call you if I need anything."
The boy just stood to the side, his figure solitary and pitiful.
He watched her packing without saying a word, as if she was about to leave.
Jiang Sui exuded a cold air, an unhappy indifference, and his fingers pulled out a lighter from his pocket.
Start.
Click, click.
It opened and closed intermittently.
The small flames flickered.
Su Qing pursed her lips, a little nervous, and placed her school bag on the sofa.
"Jiang Sui, are you unhappy?"
The boy's face instantly turned to look at her.
"Su Qing, what do you consider me for?"
A cold, loud voice startled Su Qing. The boy's mood fluctuated, his eyes shrouded in gloom.
Su Qing bit her lip, lowered her head, and nuzzled into Jiang Sui's arms.
"Didn't you say you agreed last night? Are you going back on your word today?"
"I consider you a future friend."
Jiang Sui lowered his head, staring at the furry head. Her shoulders trembled nervously, as if she were afraid of him. The fire in his heart suddenly died down.
The shrewd little girl, her lips smeared with honey, looked at him innocently.
"Jiang Sui, can you please not be unhappy?"
Su Qing pinched the corner of Jiang Sui's shirt and waved it.
"What future friends?"
"Hmm?"
The boy's voice was hoarse and nasal, and his eyes drooped slightly, half-hiding his raven-black lashes as he stared at her.
"Aren't we friends now?"
"Hmm?"
Su Qing didn't dare breathe, her cherry lips parted slightly, a honey-pink hue in her mouth. She clutched Jiang Sui's fingers, feeling a burning sensation in her palms. She tried to let go, but just as she did, she was engulfed in the boy's large hands.
Su Qing's eyes trembled, her face flushing slightly.
"Jiang Sui, don't bully me. You know it."
The tension in the air rose sharply.
The boy didn't seem like someone she could fool. Many scenes flashed through his mind, and he lowered his brows. What he wanted most was: why did she choose to call him that night?
Deeply, though, he longed for it.
But he still wanted to know exactly why she'd called him first.
Did she have feelings for him, too?
But he didn't want Su Qing to recall the pain, so he remained silent.
The girl's face flushed red as she looked at her nervously and uncomfortably.
"Know what?"
Su Qing closed her eyes and spoke the truth, her voice trembling slightly and tinged with anger!
"You clearly know it, you clearly know that you're attractive to others, that you can easily gain the kind of love that many others can't. Yet, you're so careless, so unconcerned, so presumptuous."
After saying that, she felt like a deflated ball.
Jiang Sui's eyes froze, and his grip on Su Qing's small hand tightened, only to find the girl trying to pull away, even trying to push him away.
He hadn't expected such an answer.
"Does it attract you?"
Su Qing bit her lip. Hearing this, she didn't reply, just biting her lip. But Jiang Sui had no intention of letting her go.
He did what he had long wanted to do.
His pale lips pressed coolly against those soft, tender lips.
Su Qing's eyes widened, staring intently at the handsome face in front her, eyes closed. She was so frightened she dared not move, even giving up resistance.
It was like breaking a taboo.
The kiss was a bit awkward, a reckless and cautious one, and it didn't last long.
Jiang Sui released Su Qing, nuzzling the girl's with his pointed nose. However, the girl seemed startled, stretching her arms and pushing hard. This sudden push knocked Jiang Sui completely defenseless onto the sofa.
He wasn't angry, but simply looked up at the girl in front him, her face covered, her face slightly red and pale. A smile flickered in her eyes, her lips curled slightly, a unique crimson.
"You gave me the deposit, so I'll stamp it for you, too."
"Su Qing, my future girlfriend."
...
Her ambiguous words made it easy for Jiang Sui to say them. Su Qing licked her lips and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Jiang Sui, do you know you stink?"
"Besides, we're all students, or... you're going too far..."
Then she glared at him fiercely, her hands still trembling.
"Don't do that again."
"Okay, I won't do that again, but you can't bite me either."