Perhaps it was fatigue, or perhaps the medicine was taking effect too quickly.
Su Qing searched the house but couldn't find a stool, so she simply found a book, sat on the floor, and opened the test paper in her bag.
While working on the test paper, her eyes caught sight of the boy on the sofa. She frowned, stood up, and went to the bedroom. She sheepishly rummaged through his closet.
It was so dark inside that she couldn't find a blanket, so she simply found one of his coats and covered him with it.
She also charged his phone.
After finishing these works, Su Qing finally sat down in her previous position. Across from the coffee table, Jiang Sui, who was already fast asleep on the sofa.
The slumbering boy's handsome features had lost their flamboyance. Perhaps due to fatigue, a sense of exhaustion had set in. He slept soundly, his breathing heavy. Even the broken eyebrows that usually displayed a sinister look seemed softer, and a faint sunlight shone across his features.
She seemed to have never heard anything bad about this boy.
He had always been an excellent student, ranked first in his class, captain of the school basketball team, and had many fans. However, he was aloof and aloof. Because of his good family background, no one dared to provoke him, but he was also not lacking in followers.
The first time Su Qing heard that name, she remembered she was in her first year of high school.
She had very few extracurricular activities or hobbies, and that was the first time she was dragged along to watch the school basketball team.
At the time, Ruanruan had said, "Qing Qing, look at that boy! He's so handsome!" and told her a lot about him. She seemed to agree with what she'd said, "He's very handsome."
Then, Ruanruan got into trouble...
She even began to dislike many extracurricular activities and socializing.
When Su Qing heard that handsome boy's name again, she never imagined it was from the police...
She thought long and hard about finding him and thanking him, but she thought a girl like her would probably be considered one of his many suitors, or worried he might think she had other intentions, so she gave up.
By the time she finally mustered the courage to find him, she'd discovered he'd already transferred to another school.
Perhaps it was just an incident, a moment she'd almost forgotten, only to see him again.
Her first reaction was to run away, to hide. Even more ridiculous, he seemed to treat her differently.
However, it seemed like this difference was merely something different, and ultimately, there was nothing she could do about it.
Su Qing's expression was a touch of distress, but the sound of the boy's phone vibrating nearby startled her in the quiet room. She quickly stepped forward and hit the mute button, finally quieting the sound.
Turning her head to look at the person on the sofa, Su Qing patted her chest, feeling she hadn't woken him. She then focused her gaze on his phone. It was the same model as hers, just in different colors: pink, his white.
The phone had automatically turned on because it was fully charged. She had no idea who was calling from an unknown number, and he hadn't set a password. After a moment's deliberation, Su Qing decided to mute the boy's phone.
Su Qing pulled out her phone, realizing something. Sure enough, she saw several missed calls and a text message from Hu Yifan.
The message wrote:
[Brother Sui's house key is under the carpet by the door.]
The message didn't ask about Jiang Sui's condition, but it did mention something as intimate as the house key.
This gave Su Qing the illusion that Hu Yifan's calls weren't about his concern for Jiang Sui, but rather about her inability to get into his house...
Su Qing pursed her lips and sent him a text confirming Jiang Sui was fine.
Only then did she return to her seat to work on the test.
Su Qing easily became absorbed in a task, so soon her entire attention was focused on the test.
She spent nearly the entire afternoon working on one set of questions, until the light in the living room dimmed.
Su Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Overall, she was quite satisfied. Her English had maintained its usual level, and her physics and math scores had clearly improved.
She knew that a single improvement wouldn't mean much, so she took the opportunity to organize her error notebook.
The girl's handwriting was fair, not particularly beautiful, but neatly arranged, creating a very pleasing feeling.
Jiang Sui had woken up thirstily, but the girl, looking down, was so focused she hadn't noticed anyone was watching her.
A feeling of peace and tranquility rose warmly in Jiang Sui's heart.
He was still covered in his own clothes, presumably from her.
She was sitting on the floor, though. Jiang Sui thought, "I'll have to get carpets all over the house later."
Even sitting on a carpet felt a bit untidy.
He wondered if she was cold; she looked thin and wore very little.
He wondered if she'd been eating well these past few days.
Most of the time, he wanted to restrain her and make her obey him, but just looking at her made him lose his principles. If she didn't want to eat, he would rather starve with her.
Jiang Sui thought, King You's story of lighting beacons to amuse the princes for Bao Si might not be a legend, but if he had her, no matter how much he doted on her, he wouldn't want her to bear even a stigma.
The young man with crooked eyes was overwhelmed by the momentary tranquility and beauty.
It wasn't until Su Qing finished organizing all her homework and test papers that she looked up and her eyes met Jiang Sui's. The young man's eyes seemed especially bright in the dim air.
He looked at her, blinking slowly, as if for a long time.
Su Qing closed her textbook uncomfortably. Her legs were numb from sitting, so she tapped them gently.
"Are you still feeling uncomfortable? Are you feeling feverish?"
The soft voice was also slightly hoarse. They both felt the same way, from not having drunk any water.
Jiang Sui shook his head. Ever since he saw her, he hadn't felt as uncomfortable.
After her legs and feet had subsided, Su Qing stood up, walked over to his side, leaned over, and gently placed her hand on his forehead.
"It's not that hot anymore, but I still need to take your temperature."
Jiang Sui's eyelashes brushed lightly against her palm, tickling it slightly. Su Qing withdrew her hand, picked up the thermometer from the coffee table, and handed it to the boy.
He was obedient even after waking up, putting the thermometer directly in his mouth.
Su Qing turned and poured two glasses of water, placing one in front of him while she sipped the other.
"Take your temperature first, then drink."
The boy's mouth felt dry.
She knew he was thirsty?
She was concerned about him, wasn't she...
Jiang Sui's eyes suddenly lit up, and Su Qing couldn't help but think of her rather abrupt touch to his forehead. The area where his eyelashes had brushed against her now felt burning.
"Alright, give me the thermometer. Drink some water, and I'll clean the wound behind your ear."