Jiang Che had not even had time to argue back when he felt the small hand that had been holding his arm tighten slightly.
Confused, he lowered his head to look at Su Qinghe’s face.
He regretted looking the moment he did.
Her eyes had somehow turned red, and the faint blush that had colored her cheeks earlier had faded, leaving her face noticeably paler.
Jiang Che was stunned. What was going on with Su Qinghe? Why had her expression changed so suddenly? Hadn’t she been perfectly fine at the mall just now?
His mind began racing as he replayed Bai Yuning’s words in his head.
“The one you brought last time wasn’t this girl, was it?”
“Changing women as often as changing clothes?”
Jiang Che swallowed, hardly believing the conclusion slowly surfacing in his mind.
Was Su Qinghe… jealous? Because of Lin Wanwan?
The moment he realized that, his thoughts became tangled.
No way. Could Su Qinghe really have feelings for him?
Although he did not want that to be true, he was not an idiot. From yesterday until now, many of her reactions clearly showed that her feelings toward him were far from ordinary.
Even if it was not fully formed love, it was definitely not something casual. At the very least, it was a budding affection that had yet to fully mature.
Jiang Che scratched his head in frustration. So how was he supposed to act around her now?
Pretend he did not know?
Honestly, he could not do that unless he could maintain Oscar-level acting skills in front of her twenty-four hours a day.
Not to mention he did not have that kind of talent. Even if he did, acting all day would be exhausting.
Accept her feelings and be with her?
That was even more impossible. He had just broken up with Lin Wanwan two days ago. If he started being ambiguous with another girl immediately afterward, what would that make him? A scumbag?
How could a normal person be heartbroken over someone one day and then instantly move on to someone else the next?
Jiang Che believed he was not capable of doing that.
But when he saw Su Qinghe looking as though she might shatter at any moment, his chest tightened. All the messy thoughts disappeared, leaving behind only one emotion—heartache.
He could not just stand there and watch her continue to suffer like this.
Bai Yuning also sensed the shift in atmosphere. She withdrew her teasing smile and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? I was just joking. Why does the little girl look so frightened?”
Jiang Che did not respond to her. He held Su Qinghe by the shoulders and gently turned her toward him, forcing her to face in his direction.
“Su Qinghe.”
She gave a muffled “Mm.” Crystal tears were already clinging to her long eyelashes, ready to fall at any moment.
Seeing her pitiful expression, Jiang Che sighed inwardly and decided to make things clear.
“Listen to me. Lin Wanwan and I are completely over.”
He enunciated every word carefully, afraid she might miss something.
Su Qinghe’s body trembled slightly, but her fingers gripping his sleeve showed no sign of loosening.
Knowing she would not believe him so easily, he continued, “Don’t take what my sister just said to heart. She likes to joke around.”
“Lin Wanwan did come here before, but I didn’t bring her. She wasn’t feeling well and insisted on coming to this hospital. I just happened to drop her off on the way.”
After finishing, Jiang Che felt his explanation alone was not enough. He dragged Bai Yuning into it as well.
“Sis, back me up. Isn’t that what happened?”
Bai Yuning had been enjoying the scene unfolding before her. She had not expected to be pulled into it.
Pushing up her gold-rimmed glasses, she smiled at Su Qinghe and nodded. “Yes, yes, that’s exactly what happened.”
“And besides,” she deliberately stretched out her tone, looking Su Qinghe up and down with undisguised fondness, “I didn’t like that girl at all. She was arrogant and rude, not polite in the slightest.”
“How could she compare to our Qinghe here? So obedient and adorable. Just looking at her makes people like her.”
Her words could not have been more helpful.
Not only did she clarify the misunderstanding for Jiang Che, but she also subtly stepped on Lin Wanwan while lifting Su Qinghe up.
As expected, girls understood girls best.
In truth, the moment Jiang Che chose to explain himself, Su Qinghe had already decided to believe him.
She was genuinely overwhelmed that he would take the initiative to explain things about Lin Wanwan to her.
She knew she was not anyone special to him. She had no right to be jealous or resentful, and he had absolutely no obligation to explain anything to her.
Yet he had chosen to explain.
Did that mean she was at least a little special in his heart?
Su Qinghe could not help letting her thoughts wander further. Could it be that Jiang Che liked her too? Even just a little?
Now, after hearing Bai Yuning’s words, the last trace of doubt and unease in her heart vanished completely.
Jiang Che did not like Lin Wanwan anymore. His family did not like her either.
But his family liked her.
The probability of her becoming Jiang Che’s girlfriend had just increased a little more.
The girl slowly released her lower lip and let out a soft “Mm.” Her voice was thick with tears, sounding both wronged and fragile.
Seeing her mood finally ease, Comrade Jiang Che let out a long breath of relief once again.
In just one day, without spending a single yuan, he had successfully comforted a girl three times.
He felt immensely proud. As an outstanding young man like himself, learning how to make girls happy was clearly effortless.
Clearing his throat, Jiang Che pulled the conversation back on track and said to Bai Yuning, who was still watching with interest, “Alright, enough gossip. Let’s get to business. Help her check her eyes.”
Only then did Bai Yuning put away her smile and return to her professional demeanor as a doctor.
“Alright. I’ll call an ophthalmology specialist over.”
Bai Yuning was an endocrinologist. The reason Jiang Che had brought Su Qinghe straight to her was simply to take advantage of connections.
The hospital was crowded on ordinary days, and today was Saturday. Jiang Che did not even need to think to know that the ophthalmology department must be packed. Waiting in line would probably take forever.
Then he remembered that his dear cousin was highly respected in this hospital. So he eagerly brought Su Qinghe here to use the back door.
Bai Yuning went to the window to make a call. While she was arranging things, Jiang Che helped Su Qinghe to a chair and let her sit down to rest.
She had barely been seated for two seconds when she suddenly stood up again.
Jiang Che was puzzled. The next moment, he saw the girl in front of him biting her lip lightly, her expression awkward and flustered.
“Jiang Che… I think… I think I got my period…”