Wait… Su Qinghe, the piano goddess of Lincheng No.1 High School, the campus belle who had been missing for a month… how could she be here? And dressed like this?
Wang Kai’s brain completely shut down. One moment he pointed at Su Qinghe, the next at Jiang Che. His mouth hung open for ages, yet not a single word came out.
Jiang Che was amused by his dumbfounded look. He stepped aside to let him in. “Why are you yelling? Get in and shut the door. It’s freezing outside.”
Wang Kai walked in stiffly and closed the door just as stiffly.
He walked up to Su Qinghe and looked her up and down several times before finally confirming he wasn’t seeing things.
“Brother Che, what… what exactly is going on?”
Lowering his voice, Wang Kai pulled Jiang Che aside. “Weren’t you heartbroken over Lin Wanwan? How did one day pass and you’ve already brought Miss Campus Belle home?”
“Picked her up,” Jiang Che replied briefly.
“Picked… picked her up?”
Wang Kai refused to believe him. “Since when do campus belles get picked up off the street in broad daylight? You think they’re cabbages?”
Jiang Che didn’t bother explaining. He just patted Wang Kai’s shoulder. “Enough nonsense. Why are you here?”
“I was worried about you!”
Wang Kai looked like he had been losing sleep over it. “You looked so devastated yesterday. You didn’t reply to messages or answer calls. I was afraid you’d do something stupid, so I came to check on you.”
“And what do I find? You just broke up with Lin Wanwan and now you’re hiding a beauty at home?”
Wang Kai had a loud mouth. Su Qinghe in the living room heard everything clearly.
Especially when she heard the phrase “hiding a beauty,” her cheeks immediately turned pink with embarrassment.
Jiang Che shot Wang Kai a glare. “Shut up. If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all.”
He walked over to Su Qinghe and softened his tone. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. He’s my friend, Wang Kai. His brain doesn’t work very well.”
Wang Kai: “???”
Su Qinghe gave a soft “Mm,” not daring to lift her head.
Wang Kai sat around for a while. He first asked about Lin Wanwan. Jiang Che told him about her phone call earlier.
The two of them huddled together and thoroughly badmouthed Lin Wanwan. Su Qinghe stayed quietly to the side the whole time, listening.
After venting, Wang Kai started asking more questions. Eventually Jiang Che got annoyed and kicked him out.
Before leaving, Wang Kai wiggled his eyebrows at Jiang Che with a mischievous grin. “Alright, I won’t disturb your romantic evening. You two enjoy yourselves.”
Jiang Che kicked him straight out the door.
Finally, the apartment returned to silence.
Jiang Che glanced at the wall clock. After Wang Kai’s interruption, it was already close to ten at night.
He held Su Qinghe’s arm and guided her toward the guest room. “It’s late. You should rest.”
“This is the guest room. Everything inside is new. If you need anything, just tell me and I’ll get it for you.”
Su Qinghe nodded obediently and followed him in.
After seeing her inside, Jiang Che turned to leave. But before walking away, he glanced at her back, hesitated, and walked over again.
He helped her tidy the bed, then clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Alright. Go to sleep. If anything happens, call me. I’m right next door.”
“Mm, thank you~” Su Qinghe smiled gently.
Jiang Che looked at her for a couple more seconds before returning to his own room.
After taking a shower, he lay in bed, tossing and turning. His mind was a mess.
Lin Wanwan. Su Qinghe. Wang Kai. Their faces flashed through his thoughts like a spinning lantern.
Just as he was getting more irritated, there was a light knock on his bedroom door.
Knock. Knock.
Jiang Che immediately got out of bed and opened the door.
Su Qinghe stood outside. Her small face was filled with lingering fear. She hugged a pillow tightly to her chest, shoulders hunched, her body trembling uncontrollably.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Che asked.
She looked up at him. Her clear eyes were full of fear. “I… I’m scared.”
The moment she finished speaking—
Boom!
A flash of lightning tore across the night sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. The apartment windows vibrated with a low hum.
Su Qinghe shuddered violently. Acting purely on instinct, she clutched her pillow and threw herself straight into Jiang Che’s arms.
With a thud, her head hit solidly against his chest.
The pillow fell to the floor.
Jiang Che froze on the spot.
Slowly lowering his head, he could only see the top of her fluffy hair.
Her body trembled in his arms like a leaf in a storm. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly, refusing to let go. She was clearly terrified.
So she was afraid of thunder.
Jiang Che felt that he should hug her to comfort her, but the gesture seemed too intimate, somewhat inappropriate.
His hand hovered awkwardly in midair before finally landing stiffly on her back, gently patting her.
“It’s okay. It’s just thunder. It should stop after a while.”
But the girl in his arms seemed not to hear him. She kept burrowing closer, as if she wanted to embed herself into him.
“I… I can’t… stay alone…”
Her voice was muffled against his chest.
Another flash of lightning lit up the corridor in a harsh white glow.
The thunder that followed wasn’t as loud as before, but it was enough to make Su Qinghe shiver violently again. Her grip on him tightened.
Jiang Che sighed in frustration.
He couldn’t just throw her back into her room.
At this rate, if he left, she might scare herself to death in there.
Take her to the living room? That would still leave her alone. And the living room was even more spacious. She would probably be more frightened.
His mind spun in confusion until a ridiculous idea surfaced.
No way…
He glanced at his own bedroom door, still wide open, then at Su Qinghe’s room. His heart twisted with hesitation.
It was late at night. A single man and a single woman… this didn’t seem appropriate.
But there didn’t appear to be any other choice.
“Alright, alright. Stop shaking,” Jiang Che said helplessly.
He gently pushed her away and guided her by the shoulders toward his room. “Sleep in my room tonight. I’ll stay with you.”
Su Qinghe looked up at him as if overwhelmed by the offer. Panic filled her small face as she waved her hands repeatedly. “Ah? N-no, that won’t do! How can I? It’s too much trouble for you…”
As she spoke, she tried to step back.
“I decide.”
Jiang Che grabbed her wrist to stop her. “And don’t worry. I won’t do anything. You sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”