During the meal, Shi Nianhuan was not very lively either.
She really wanted to act a little more cheerful in front of Lin Xiangyang, but Jiang Chenyu was here.
Whenever Jiang Chenyu was around, Shi Nianhuan was always forced to act very restrained.
“By the way, Nianhuan, I’m going out with your Gege this afternoon. Do you want to come along?” Lin Xiangyang suddenly looked at Shi Nianhuan and asked.
His casual tone instead startled Shi Nianhuan.
Her little heart began pounding uncontrollably. Before she could show her delight, Jiang Chenyu poured cold water over her.
“What is she going for? She’s dull and wooden, and can’t do anything.”
The atmosphere grew a little awkward.
Shi Nianhuan opened and closed her mouth, wanting to refute him. She did not want to look so embarrassed in front of Lin Xiangyang.
But when Jiang Chenyu swept her with a glance, she was so frightened that she fell silent.
“Jiang Chenyu, how can you talk like that? I think Nianhuan is quite good. Isn’t staying at school boring enough? She should come out and relax on the weekend.” Lin Xiangyang quickly reacted and spoke up for Shi Nianhuan.
“Mm.” Shi Nianhuan hurriedly nodded. She was truly afraid that if she expressed herself any later, something else would go wrong.
But before Shi Nianhuan could rejoice, Lin Xiangyang’s next words sent her straight into hell.
“Perfect. I’ll bring my girlfriend along too and introduce her to you.”
Shi Nianhuan’s hand trembled slightly. She failed to hold her chopsticks securely, and they fell to the floor.
Jiang Chenyu and Lin Xiangyang both looked at her.
Shi Nianhuan lowered her head and bit her lip hard, not letting anyone see how embarrassed she was.
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t hold on to them properly.” She bent down to pick up the chopsticks. Tears fell onto the floor with a pata-pata sound, a noise only she could hear.
After picking up the chopsticks, Shi Nianhuan hurriedly wiped away her tears.
When she raised her head again, she gave Lin Xiangyang an especially radiant smile, looking no different from usual.
Lin Xiangyang continued chatting and laughing with Jiang Chenyu. Only she knew how bitter she felt inside.
After eating, Lin Xiangyang finally told Shi Nianhuan that they were going swimming in the afternoon.
At the mention of swimming, Shi Nianhuan’s face immediately turned red.
Although she could swim, she did not even have a decent swimsuit.
The main reason was that she had not gone swimming in too long, so all her swimsuits were child-sized.
Seeing Shi Nianhuan’s embarrassed appearance, Lin Xiangyang guessed most of the reason.
He was truly like a warmhearted big brother, asking her gently, “What’s wrong? Is there something inconvenient?”
Shi Nianhuan stammered and murmured for quite a while before finally telling him with a flushed face, “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
Lin Xiangyang burst out laughing, his eyes narrowing slightly and the curve of his lips lifting just enough. His voice was warm as well. “It’s nothing. We’ll pass by a shopping mall later and buy you one.”
“Mm.” Shi Nianhuan nodded vigorously.
Shi Nianhuan knew it—Jiang Chenyu simply disliked her.
On the road to the shopping mall to buy her a swimsuit, Jiang Chenyu kept muttering impatiently, looking extremely unwilling.
Lin Xiangyang drove, while Jiang Chenyu sat in the front passenger seat.
Because of Jiang Chenyu’s muttering, Shi Nianhuan became completely ill at ease.
Many times, Shi Nianhuan wondered how wonderful it would be if Lin Xiangyang were her Gege.
But that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
When they arrived at the shopping mall, Jiang Chenyu said he would sit in the car and wait for them.
Shi Nianhuan thought to herself that it could not be better.
But Lin Xiangyang refused and insisted on dragging Jiang Chenyu out with them.
Standing among the wide variety of sexy swimsuits, Shi Nianhuan once again blushed uselessly.
Even though both Lin Xiangyang and Jiang Chenyu were sitting on chairs waiting for her.
Shi Nianhuan tried her best to find a swimsuit that did not look too revealing.
The sales assistant kept pestering her. “Miss, this style looks wonderful. Your skin is so fair; it will definitely look beautiful on you.”
“All right, I’ll try it.” Shi Nianhuan accepted the swimsuit the sales assistant handed her. It was a three-piece swimsuit. Although Shi Nianhuan was very unwilling, the shop seemed to have only even more revealing options and nothing modest.
Shi Nianhuan really wanted to try another shop, but thinking that Jiang Chenyu certainly would not agree, she could not be bothered to suggest it.
Shi Nianhuan dawdled in the fitting room for a long time, but finally made up her mind and walked out.
The sales assistant continued following beside her, chattering away. “Miss, you really look beautiful in this.”
Shi Nianhuan looked at herself in the mirror. Her skin was soft, fair, and delicate; her long legs were faintly visible, and her slim stomach had not a trace of excess flesh.
It really did not look bad. It was just that...
Shi Nianhuan instinctively turned around to look for Lin Xiangyang, only to unexpectedly meet his gaze.
He was looking in her direction, his face filled with undisguisable amazement.
At that moment, Shi Nianhuan knew that she must look beautiful, and delight rose in her heart once more.
She hurriedly turned her head and entered the fitting room.
She was in such a hurry, with only Lin Xiangyang in her eyes, that she failed to notice the amazement filling Jiang Chenyu’s gaze as he looked at her just now.
“I never would have thought our little sister has grown up. Her figure isn’t bad either.” Lin Xiangyang patted Jiang Chenyu’s thigh and sighed sincerely.
Jiang Chenyu suddenly slapped his hand away, then stormed off angrily.
Lin Xiangyang shrugged and looked at Jiang Chenyu’s back, unclear why. He truly did not know how he had provoked him.
After changing back into her clothes, Shi Nianhuan came out and saw only Lin Xiangyang. She handed the swimsuit to the sales assistant and said in a soft, sweet voice, “Please wrap it up for me.”
“Certainly.”
Lin Xiangyang walked over. “How is it? Did you buy it?”
“Mm.” Shi Nianhuan’s face was a little red. She lowered her head, not daring to look into Lin Xiangyang’s eyes.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into your Gege. He suddenly became angry.” Lin Xiangyang complained to Shi Nianhuan.
Shi Nianhuan nodded. That really was typical of Jiang Chenyu. She echoed Lin Xiangyang, “It’s all right. He’s just like that. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Mm.” Lin Xiangyang nodded.
Shi Nianhuan followed the sales assistant to pay. Lin Xiangyang watched her bouncing back, and an unreadable color veiled his eyes.
After they arrived, Jiang Chenyu got out of the car and asked darkly, “Where’s your girlfriend? Where is she? Why hasn’t she come yet?”
Lin Xiangyang also checked the time, then spoke while lost in thought. “Let’s wait a little longer. She should be here soon.”
Shi Nianhuan secretly looked at Lin Xiangyang. He was handsome even when anxious, but the person he thought about day and night was not her.
Shi Nianhuan felt a little sour inside. She shifted her gaze away and deliberately tilted her head up to look at the enormous sun in the sky.
Shi Nianhuan did not notice that Jiang Chenyu had seen every movement she had just made.