As the young man finished speaking, a slight chill drifted through the moist air, a touch of coolness that slowly seeped into Su Qing's heart.
His eyes were unfocused, as if he was looking at her, yet not quite, with a casual air.
Su Qing was a bit confused by Jiang Sui's words, even trying to recall them carefully.
She pinched her palms, licked her lips, and tentatively offered a soft rebuttal.
"No, only fetched water once... physics questions... and the essay. We didn't said much." That time, he had insisted, and Su Qing felt a little embarrassed. As for the essay, she considered it a matter of mutual help between classmates.
The voice was low. Even though neither of them was in a relationship, Su Qing felt strangely guilty under the boy's watchful eyes.
"Hmm?"
With a faint nasal sound, the boy had already pocketed his lighter. Perhaps out of frustration, he ripped open a few buttons on his shirt, using too much force, causing them to break and fall to the ground.
There was a soft, gentle, clacking sound.
"He helped you collect the water once, the one you saw he doing. The other two times were done secretly."
A hint of disdain flashed through the young man's downcast eyes. He leaned closer to Su Qing, a strong, fresh scent emanating from him.
Su Qing didn't know what Jiang Sui's scent was, but she was instantly enveloped by it, unable to escape.
"I said I'd give you a year, not for you to flirt with someone else."
The tip of his nose pressed against hers.
Su Qing's eyes flickered, and she tried to move away, but a pair of strong hands on her waist held her still, preventing her from moving.
"Jiang Sui, let me go. I'm not flirting with someone else."
She weakly retorted, her voice hazy, and curled her lips in displeasure, as if dissatisfied with Jiang Sui's words.
He was clearly the one taking advantage of her, yet he accused her of being affectionate with someone else.
This annoyed Su Qing immensely, and a hint of resistance gradually appeared in her eyes, but this resistance was nothing compared to Jiang Sui's.
She placed her hands on the boy's chest and exerted herself a little more.
"Hiss..."
The inadvertent gasp that escaped Jiang Sui's lips made Su Qing pause, not daring to move.
"Jiang Sui, I really wasn't being affectionate with anyone else. What's wrong? Let me go first. Are you hurt?"
The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and now she calmed down a bit. She stiffened her body and let Jiang Sui hold her. She remembered his arm was still injured, and she didn't know if it had healed yet.
She tightened her fingers across her chest, clenching them into fists. She felt helpless, because she clearly wanted to distance herself from him.
Jiang Sui seemed not to hear the girl's words, his eyes blazing at her.
"Don't let anyone get you water."
"Don't ask anyone else questions. If you have any questions, ask me."
The voice was overbearing, a touch of coldness in its tone.
It carelessly wafted into Su Qing's heart. In the quiet, dark alley, she was held against the wall by the young man, and she could even feel his warmth.
Every second, it slowly seared her skin.
"I know, I know. Let me go first."
There was even a raspy, yet unwavering warmth in his voice.
The palm-leaf fan's eyelashes fluttered, their blinking a captivating chorus. Even with his eyelids lowered, Jiang Sui could see that sweet little mouth.
His Adam's apple rolled for a moment before he reluctantly let go of the person in his arms.
His palm rested on the girl's furry head.
"Nannan, be good."
His initial rage was instantly extinguished.