The boy's bony fingers gripped the umbrella handle and took the smoothie from Su Qing's hand. After a moment's hesitation, he took it.
He felt a little distressed; both hands were now occupied.
He wanted to hold hands.
Su Qing stood to one side, much shorter than him, sipping the smoothie nervously.
She hadn't often been out alone with boys, so she didn't know what to do, feeling reserved and uneasy.
Finally, Jiang Sui spoke up, and the two of them went to the arcade.
The fifth floor of the mall was bustling with activity.
After entering the mall, Jiang Sui folded his umbrella and grasped Su Qing's wrist, never letting go the entire way.
Su Qing, her head bowed, followed behind him, silent and well-behaved.
When they were at the cashier's counter, exchanging currency, her wrist was released. Then, Su Qing was holding a small green basket filled with game coins.
"How much did you exchange? It's too much..."
It felt heavy.
"Five hundred and twenty."
Five hundred and twenty...
So many.
Su Qing was stunned for a moment, then her cheeks immediately flushed. She bit her lip, unsure what to say.
She knew about arcades, but she had never actually been there. It was filled with electronic screens, dance machines, and more, and the noise was intense.
"What do you want to play?"
Jiang Sui pinched the girl's wrist, lowered his head, and whispered in Su Qing's ear.
Su Qing shook her head in confusion. She was slow to warm up to anything she played, with no hobbies other than studying. She had no idea what to play.
She was a dull person, as bland as plain water.
Amid the clamor, Su Qing remained quiet. Jiang Sui held her wrist and led them to the claw machine.
"Play this! Qing Qing, you grab, the coins I'll hold it for you."
He pushed Su Qing in front of the claw machine, then took the coin from the girl's hand and shook it.
"You can't leave until you're done."
Su Qing frowned slightly as the young man slipped two coins in.
The dim indicator light suddenly lit up, and the entire device started playing music. Su Qing had never played this game before, and she was a little confused, unsure what to do.
She frowned.
"Like this."
The person beside her took a half step forward, grabbed her hand, and began to manipulate the joystick with her.
"Qing Qing, which one do you want? Which one looks good?"
Su Qing's fingers were stiff, and she remained motionless, allowing Jiang Sui to control the controls.
The two of them hesitated for far too long...
Then caught nothing.
For the next moment, Jiang Sui watched Su Qing trying to catch something.
For the first time, she failed, catching nothing. Su Qing turned and looked at Jiang Sui.
"It's okay, keep going."
The young man's lips curled slightly.
Su Qing, feeling a little embarrassed, scratched her fingers.
The girl's face lit up.
But...
She didn't catch any, and she curled her lips in dissatisfaction.
"Jiang Sui, I really didn't catch any."
She'd already spent a considerable amount of game coins, but it was just that carrot-shaped doll...
She still hadn't caught anything.
Su Qing felt a tinge of frustration, feeling powerless. She hadn't caught a single one.
She was persistently trying to catch that one.
"Take."
The young man's brows were cold, his lips pursed, his face expressionless as he simply tossed in two coins.
And then…
He caught something.
Su Qing was stunned. "One time already caught? I want that one more."
For the next moment, Jiang Sui followed behind Su Qing, sweeping through the crowd and catching a vast pile of dolls.
She couldn't even hold on.
He was like a cold and heartless doll killer.