The one-bedroom apartment wasn't very large. The living room contained only a simple wooden coffee table and a gray linen sofa. The open kitchen was gleaming and unused, its furnishings simple and devoid of unnecessary decorations, yet it was clear that everything was brand new.
There was no hint of everyday life, a cool, refreshing air.
Su Qing sat on the sofa while the young man retrieved two bottles of strawberry-flavored soda from the kitchen refrigerator, opened one with a screwdriver, and placed it in front of her.
In the moment of alternating hot and cold air, tiny drops of water accumulated on the freshly brewed soda bottle.
Placing her backpack on the side of the sofa armrest, Su Qing curled up on her toes as she watched the boy sit down beside her. The air conditioner was on, and the sofa was a bit low. The boy's long legs, curled up, accidentally rubbed against the corner of the coffee table, making a squeaking sound.
The figure falling beside her made her nervous for a moment. Su Qing bit her lip and picked up the test paper she had bought, which the boy had casually placed on the coffee table.
"The teacher asked me to buy this. I didn't know if you bought it, so I bought it for you that time."
Opening the bag, Su Qing placed the test paper next to Jiang Sui's hand. With her head lowered, she grabbed her backpack and prepared to look for her test paper for today.
"Bought it for me?" Jiang Sui's voice raised a slight frown, his fingertips casually tracing the paper twice. It was an English paper.
The boy's tone was indistinct, neither happy nor unhappy.
Being alone in the room made Su Qing nervous. She sat stiffly, then nodded and hummed softly.
"You truly are so fair-minded."
A hint of sarcasm crossed the boy's eyes, a cold glint in his voice piercing the air. He glanced at the still-unpacked copy of "Quantum Mechanics" with a hint of annoyance.
He glanced at the trash can, almost wanting to throw it in, his brow twitching.
The water droplets rolling down the glass bottle on the table had formed a small pool.
"No... Jiang Sui, don't random say that."
The girl's fingers tightened around her school bag. Her drooping eyelashes cast shadows on the sides of her nose. She bit her lip, her expression filled with innocence and grievance, with a hint of anger.
What do you mean by "You truly are so fair-minded?"
Her cheeks flushed and then paled.
"What nonsense did I say? Wasn't that book for someone else?"
The boy's voice was a little cold, especially now that they were so close, their senses and five perceptions amplified instantly.
The deep, low tone was thick with displeasure.
"That book, because during the last competition, Zhang Yihan gave me the actual English exam questions from the previous year, that's why..."
Listening to the girl's explanation, Jiang Sui's eyes grew colder. Those actual exam questions, he was quite attentive.
Zhang Yihan?
She remembered his name quite clearly.
Jiang Sui pinched his fingertips. "You're much more conscientious towards him than you are towards me," he said, his words uttering an inscrutable emotion.
Su Qing was stunned for a moment. Turning her head, she saw the wound on the boy's arm had healed, leaving only a shallow scar.
"He and I are just classmates."
The girl's voice was soft and cold, her tone clear of any connection, which made Jiang Sui's expression brighter. He squinted his eyes and pursed his face.
"What about you and me?"
"Hmm?"
The tail lingered, his voice rasping in his throat, a deep, hoarse, magnetic, and dangerous sound.