“Where’s your dog license?”
“You didn’t put a muzzle on your dog when you went out. Do you think you can control it if it bites someone? Look at you, panting and weak—bet you only got all that muscle from shoving protein powder into your mouth!”
“What, you don’t like that? Wanna fight?!”
“Get lost! Stay the hell away from me!”
“……”
When an unreasonable person meets an even more arrogant one, the only outcome is that both human and dog slink away with their tails between their legs.
Jiang He’s face was dark as thunder. He glared at the retreating figures of man and dog for a full two to three minutes before turning to look at Yu Yingying, whom he had been protecting behind him.
“And you! Are you okay?”
“I…”
“Are you out of your mind? You don’t use your brain but think you can just top off your height? I need your protection with my physique, what were you thinking?” Jiang He shouted, furious, raising his voice. “Next time something like this happens, you look out for yourself first, got it?!”
“I’m fine…” Yu Yingying raised her hand in surrender, “Enough, stop talking.”
Jiang He’s eyes blazed: “I have to talk! You have zero awareness of safety, and now you want to shut me up?!”
“Yes, I was impulsive just now, but…” Yu Yingying tapped his supposedly seriously sprained left ankle and said with a complex expression, “I think you should explain yourself a little.”
Jiang He visibly froze, staring at her, then at his foot, instantly speechless. All his earlier arrogance turned into a meek little flame.
Yu Yingying took a deep breath, smiling at him: “Come on, start your excuses.”
Jiang He: “……”
Yu Yingying: “……”
Their eyes met, and even the warm sunlight of three or four in the afternoon couldn’t salvage Jiang He’s shattered pride.
Embarrassed! Humiliated!
In this “critical” moment, the voice of the so-called “Top Dating Advisor 081” suddenly popped into his mind: Play the victim. Be coquettish. Men who act cute get what they want!
The previously chaotic, thorny path ahead suddenly seemed to open into a wide, smooth road!
He moistened his dry lips, turned his back to Yu Yingying, lowered his head, and asked in a mix of frustration and sulkiness:
“You knew I was injured and didn’t want to come see me. If I didn’t do this, were you just going to ignore me forever?”
Yu Yingying froze: “Huh? Wait…”
“Since you know now, you go back to the library and study. I won’t hold you up. I’ll go back on my own—I’m used to being alone these days anyway. I’m not injured; I was just indulging you.”
Yu Yingying: “…?”
Oh god, what’s happening? That tingling sensation at her scalp came back! Her heart felt a little resistant, but… damn it! Watching Jiang He bend down to pick up the crutch, his entire figure drooping, so lost and solitary, she felt utterly exhausted.
She felt a label fall from the sky and stick on her head with a “pop”—two bold black characters: Scumbag Girl. She couldn’t shake it off!
Recalling how Jiang He had fiercely protected her just now and scolded her for not putting her own safety first, Yu Yingying reflected on herself and realized… maybe she had been a little too harsh on her boyfriend.
She hurried to catch up and called out: “Wait, I’ll walk you back.”
Jiang He paused, put one hand in his pocket, looked back at her, and stamped the crutch on the ground impatiently while pouting: “I’m not even hurt, why would you walk me?”
“…Then I’ll go back?” Yu Yingying asked politely.
“Hah!” Jiang He’s face darkened, teeth gritted: “If you dare go back, you’re dead meat!”
Yu Yingying decided not to humor him. She pulled out her phone to check the law:
“According to Article 232 of the Criminal Code: Intentional homicide is punishable by death, life imprisonment, or fixed-term imprisonment of over ten years. May I ask if you want to challenge the law?”
Jiang He laughed angrily: “You just said you’d walk me back!”
Yu Yingying replied patiently: “I can walk you home. After I drop you off, I’ll leave.”
“I’m not a girl—I want you to walk me home?”
“Then what do you want?” Yu Yingying looked up at him, eyes warning, as if staring at a reckless husky. With Jiang He’s behavior, he wasn’t much different from the dog just now.
Jiang He glanced at her and awkwardly asked: “What… are you going to do later?”
“Study,” Yu Yingying said without hesitation.
Jiang He hissed in pain from his teeth: “…Fine, fine, I’ll take you to a café to study.”
Before Yu Yingying could react, he strode ahead. A few steps in, noticing she wasn’t following, he called back: “What are you waiting for? Come on!”
Yu Yingying asked: “You’re just going like that?”
Jiang He: “What else?”
She pointed at his foot wrapped in gauze: “It’s already exposed—you’re not going to remove the bandage?”
Without removing it, he couldn’t wear shoes—would he just hobble along with the crutch forever?
“……” Jiang He, wait!
He realized it wasn’t even June yet, how’s it so hot? He completely forgot! To make the bandage look realistic, who knows how much cotton Jiang Chengyu had stuffed inside… That bastard, he’ll pay later!
Jiang He looked around for a place to sit. While searching, he suddenly remembered something and suspiciously sniffed his jersey. Good.
After a three-second pause, he decided to go home for a three-minute “battle shower.”
He shouted to Yu Yingying: “Hey, wait here. I’ll go buy some oranges for you.”
Yu Yingying glanced at him coldly, eyes flashing danger, lips slightly upturned in a polite smile.
“…” Jiang He coughed: “I’ll take a quick shower at home. Be back soon.”
Yu Yingying: “…Fine.”
Watching Jiang He, crutch in hand, gauze-covered foot moving at lightning speed, she really wanted to ask her past self: Was I out of my mind? Why didn’t I just get a normal boyfriend! Or someone like Jiang He… Not that he’s bad, but he’s clearly not the type I like! Dating just wastes study time!
Jiang He’s shower really was quick—less than ten minutes for a round trip. Yu Yingying even suspected he didn’t wash properly. But worried about him getting angry, she wisely didn’t ask.
Outside the Happiness Garden complex, there were some shops. Jiang He found a nearby café. They sat at the best window seat and ordered two coffees.
Yu Yingying unzipped her backpack, took out her professional textbooks, and got ready to study.
“Why are you working so hard?” Jiang He asked.
“The school is generous. First prize scholarship is two thousand yuan,” Yu Yingying replied simply. “If I want to minimize tutoring, I have to get this scholarship. I lost my memory, and I’m afraid I won’t do well, so I need to go through all the professional books from scratch.”
“Why do you tutor?” Jiang He asked, then immediately realized he’d been foolish.
Yu Yingying bluntly said: “No money for food.”
“……” Jiang He was silent for two seconds, then unusually earnest: “Hey, want me to help you?”
Yu Yingying looked up at him in surprise: “You?”