The moment Jiang Che’s hand touched her arm, Su Qinghe trembled all over.
But at least this time she didn’t scream or shove him away. Compared to before, it was already much better.
Sensing that he meant no harm, her tightly wound body relaxed just a little.
She bit her lower lip and, a little embarrassed, gently pulled her arm free from Jiang Che’s hand, then felt along the wall as she tried to stand up on her own.
“I… I can manage.”
Her voice was very soft, like a kitten’s.
Jiang Che didn’t believe her. He frowned and stood beside her, watching closely, ready to catch her at any moment.
Her fever had not subsided, and she hadn’t eaten for who knew how long. She had no strength left.
The moment she tried to push herself up, her legs gave way and she pitched forward.
“Su Qinghe!”
Fortunately, Jiang Che had been prepared. He reacted quickly, catching her and pulling her straight into his arms.
Her soft body collided against his chest. His solid frame cushioned the impact so she wasn’t hurt.
A faint, pleasant scent drifted into Su Qinghe’s nose. She instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes.
Jiang Che helped her steady herself and then eased a little distance between them. After making sure she wasn’t injured, he let out a breath. “Alright, stop pretending to be strong. In your condition, a gust of wind could knock you over.”
He supported her as they slowly walked toward the bathroom. “I’ll help you there. Can you wash yourself?”
Her face turned bright red, whether from fever or embarrassment he couldn’t tell.
She nodded hastily and whispered, “I can.”
Jiang Che led her to the bathroom door but didn’t step inside. “Everything in there is new. Be careful. If you need anything, call me.”
After saying that, he closed the door. Then he hesitated and pushed it open again.
Su Qinghe startled. “Wh… what is it?”
“I’ll get the towels and stuff ready for you.”
He walked to the cabinet and took out a brand-new towel, along with body wash and shampoo, all still sealed.
Since he rarely stayed here, most of the items in the apartment were untouched.
After placing everything inside, Jiang Che guided Su Qinghe through the position of the water heater and shower controls. Only then did he leave the bathroom again.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
Jiang Che didn’t know what to do, so he sat on a dining chair not far from the bathroom and waited.
After spacing out for a while, he suddenly realized she didn’t have any clothes to change into.
She couldn’t possibly put those garbage-heap rags back on.
He let out a quiet hiss and walked into his bedroom, opening the wardrobe.
Row after row of men’s clothing. Black or white. Nothing a girl could wear.
After rummaging for a while, he pulled out a white shirt that still had the tag on it.
It was long enough. She could probably wear it as a dress.
Jiang Che carried the shirt to the bathroom door and knocked. “Su Qinghe, I left some clothes outside. Take them after you’re done.”
No response.
He knocked again. “Did you hear me?”
A few seconds later, a faint “Mm” came from inside, barely louder than a mosquito’s hum.
…
Jiang Che returned to the living room and sat on the sofa to wait.
Time passed slowly. The longer he waited, the more anxious he became. She still hadn’t come out, and his thoughts began to run wild.
What if she had fainted in there?
He was just about to stand up and check when the bathroom door clicked open.
A wave of warm steam rolled out.
Su Qinghe held onto the doorframe and cautiously stepped halfway out.
Jiang Che’s gaze landed squarely on her.
Her face was clean now. Though still pale enough to be alarming, it wasn’t as flushed as before, which meant her fever had likely eased a little.
Her delicate, beautiful features now carried a faint blush beneath the pale skin. Wet black hair clung to her cheeks and neck, droplets sliding down from the tips.
She wore his oversized white shirt. The hem fell below her knees, revealing two slender, straight legs.
The sleeves were far too long, completely covering her hands. She had to grip the cuffs awkwardly.
Because she was so thin, the wide collar slipped slightly, exposing a small stretch of delicate collarbone.
She stood there quietly, eyes unfocused and empty, her whole being radiating a fragile, shattered beauty.
Su Qinghe had no idea that Jiang Che was staring at her without blinking.
Jiang Che was the first to snap back to his senses. He cleared his throat and walked over. “Finished?”
She flinched at his voice, her body shrinking slightly as she nodded.
As he stepped closer to help her sit on the sofa, he noticed her small, pale feet were bare against the floor.
Even though the floor heating was on, she seemed sensitive to the cold. Her toes curled involuntarily.
Jiang Che coughed awkwardly and quickly went to fetch a clean pair of slippers, slipping them onto her feet.
After helping her sit on the sofa, he went to the kitchen, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to her.
“Tell me what happened.”
He sat down on the single sofa opposite her and asked directly.
He and Su Qinghe weren’t strangers, but they weren’t especially close either.
The first time they met was during the opening ceremony in their first year.
She played the piano, and he played the violin beside her.
Along with other students handling different instruments, they formed a small band and performed at the ceremony.
Even though they were in the same group, they barely interacted then. At most, they exchanged greetings when they saw each other.
They only became somewhat familiar during the first half of their second year.
Jiang Che remembered it was the school sports meet. Each class had to prepare a performance for the opening.
He personally liked traditional Chinese culture, so he suggested organizing a hanfu fashion show.
By coincidence, that very afternoon he ran into Su Qinghe at a hanfu shop in the city.
They greeted each other and started chatting, discovering that they both liked hanfu. From there, conversation flowed naturally.
Later, when he was free, Jiang Che would sometimes ask her to eat at the cafeteria together. They were half friends, at least.
But since he spent most of his time chasing Lin Wanwan, he gradually stopped talking to Su Qinghe as much, afraid of leaving a bad impression on Lin Wanwan.
The next news he heard about Su Qinghe was that she suddenly stopped coming to school. And now, he had found her in that alley.
Thinking of all this, Jiang Che slowly pulled himself out of his memories and looked again at the girl’s pale, delicate face.