“Why don’t you play in the living room for a while?”
Jiang Che walked over, took the brand-new phone they had just bought out of Su Qinghe’s pocket, and placed it in her hand. “You can practice the useful features you learned at the store earlier. Or you can listen to an audiobook or something. There are snacks and fruit on the coffee table. If you’re hungry, just help yourself.”
He had arranged everything thoughtfully, but he clearly underestimated just how clingy Su Qinghe was at the moment.
She stood there holding the phone without moving.
Hearing Jiang Che turn and walk toward the bedroom, a surge of unease rose instantly in her heart.
She did not want to be alone.
Even if it was just separated by a single door, she felt like she and Jiang Che would be in two different worlds.
“Jiang Che…”
He had just reached the bedroom door when he heard her and stopped, turning back. “What’s wrong?”
Su Qinghe bit her lower lip, her hands twisting together in front of her. After hesitating for a long time, she finally gathered the courage to speak. “C-Can I… go in with you?”
“Into the room?” Jiang Che raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Mm…” She nodded. Afraid he might refuse, she quickly added, “I’ll just sit quietly. I won’t disturb you at all… I don’t want to stay outside alone. It’s too quiet. I’m scared…”
By the end, her voice had become so soft it was barely audible. The cautious, pitiful way she looked was enough to make anyone feel her grievance.
But she was not pretending. She truly could not bear being separated from Jiang Che, not even for a single minute.
Only by smelling his scent and hearing his breathing could she feel that he was beside her, accompanying her.
Jiang Che had always been completely defenseless against her pitiful expression, whether it was an act or not.
Who could possibly refuse when a soft, delicate girl looked at you like that and acted spoiled?
Forget going into the room. If she asked for the stars in the sky right now, he would probably try to find a ladder and pick two for her.
“Alright, alright. Come in.”
He sighed helplessly, silently calling her a clingy little thing, and then took her wrist and led her inside.
Su Qinghe’s mood changed instantly. The moment she heard him agree, a small smile bloomed on her face, and she hurried after him.
…
Jiang Che’s bedroom was spacious, decorated in a cool, industrial style dominated by black, white, and gray.
The desk stood by the window, piled with messy books and exam papers, along with a top-tier desktop computer.
Jiang Che glanced at Su Qinghe instinctively, about to explain that he usually did not keep his room tidy and hoped she would not mind.
Only after opening his mouth did he remember she could not see. For some reason, the tension in his heart immediately eased.
“Sit on the bed. The chair is too hard.”
He guided Su Qinghe to sit on the edge of the bed and casually handed her a pillow. “If you’re sleepy, just lie down. The blanket’s behind you.”
“Mm.” Su Qinghe hugged the pillow, took off her slippers, and sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
The obedient way she looked made Jiang Che feel as if he were luring an underage girl into his room.
But Su Qinghe was an adult…
So maybe luring was not entirely out of the question…
Jiang Che quickly shook his head, throwing those chaotic thoughts out.
He pulled out the chair and sat down, taking a stack of crumpled exam papers from his backpack. He randomly grabbed a math test, smoothed it out, and began writing.
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
Soon the room was filled with the sound of pen against paper.
Su Qinghe tilted her head slightly, listening. A faint, gentle smile curved her lips as she “looked” toward Jiang Che’s direction.
To her, it was not just the sound of writing. It was her source of security.
As long as she could hear it, she knew Jiang Che was less than two meters away.
That feeling was wonderful.
For Jiang Che, however, it was not so wonderful.
At first, he could barely get through the simpler questions by relying on muscle memory. But when he reached the harder problems, he stared at them for a long time without moving his pen at all.
His mind was filled with the soft, shallow sound of her breathing behind him. He simply could not focus.
Just thinking about Su Qinghe sitting on his bed, wearing that soft sweater, her beautiful eyes that could not see still “watching” his back, made it feel like ants were crawling all over him.
Restless.
Jiang Che irritably tossed the pen onto the desk and grabbed a cold cola from the side, taking a large gulp.
How was he supposed to study like this?
He turned around, his gaze falling on Su Qinghe.
The girl was sitting quietly, holding her phone but not using it. Her head tilted slightly, as if listening to the wind outside the window, or perhaps just lost in thought.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through a gap in the curtains, landing on her profile and outlining her in a soft golden glow.
Her skin was so fair it seemed to shine. Even the fine, tiny hairs on her face were clearly visible.
Too obedient.
So obedient it made him want to hold her carefully in his palm, yet at the same time bully her just a little, to see her cry and beg for mercy.
What kind of beastly thought was that?
Jiang Che cursed himself inwardly. She was already so pitiful. Why was his mind filled with indecent nonsense?
That said, since he could not focus on studying anyway, he might as well do something serious.
This was a good opportunity to speak openly with Su Qinghe and make things clear.
Jiang Che was a man of action. Once he made up his mind, he did not hesitate.
He turned the chair to face her directly, spread his legs casually, rested his elbows on his knees, and leaned forward slightly.
“Su Qinghe.”
Suddenly hearing her name, Su Qinghe jumped, her body trembling slightly as she turned toward the sound. “Ah? What’s wrong? Did I disturb you?”
“No. I’m not writing anymore. My brain hurts from it.”
Jiang Che casually made up an excuse, his gaze fixed firmly on her face, not wanting to miss even the slightest change in her expression.
“Since we’re both free, let’s talk?”
“Talk… about what?”
Although she did not know what he wanted to say, her heart inexplicably tightened. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the pillow.
Compared to her nervousness, Jiang Che appeared far more relaxed.
“Let’s talk about us.”
Talk about… the two of them?
Su Qinghe froze. Her already tense heart grew even more uneasy, as if he were about to say something very bad.
“Su Qinghe.”
Jiang Che called her name again, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, staring directly at the girl sitting on the bed.
“You know I’m not someone who beats around the bush, so I’ll just ask directly—”
He paused, observing her reaction.
“Do you like me?”