Feng Ning peeked through the gap and looked around. Students were gradually returning from lunch for their afternoon rest. She made a gesture, “We can go now.”
Avoiding peak hours, they came out of the girls’ dormitory building. Jiang Wen refused to walk back to his dorm in this state. Feng Ning could only lead him to a small pavilion in the bamboo grove nearby to temporarily shelter from the rain.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhao Binlin arrived at the scene.
He silently looked at them, unable to say a word for a long while.
“What’s going on here…” Zhao Binlin asked hesitantly, “What’s this all about?”
Jiang Wen’s collar was half wet, the cold seeping into his bones. He uncomfortably tugged at it, ignoring Zhao Binlin. Feng Ning thought for a moment, “It’s a long story.”
Both their clothes and pants were streaked with dirt. Jiang Wen sneezed several times in a row. Everyone looked at him, while he turned his head and shot Feng Ning a fierce glare.
Feng Ning shrank her neck guiltily.
Their little interaction caught Pei Shurong’s eye. She handed the bag in her hands to Jiang Wen, “How did you end up like this?”
She couldn’t imagine how someone usually so germophobic could end up in such a sorry state, as dirty as a refugee.
Pei Shurong was tall and slender, wearing a knee-length poppy red wool coat, a gray plaid long skirt, and short tassel boots.
Feng Ning inwardly admired: As expected of the voted school beauty, look at that temperament! That figure!
Jiang Wen zipped up his jacket, put on his hood, and then his mask.
Seeing him fully armed, Feng Ning’s expression was a bit speechless: “Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?”
“Not at all dramatic.” Zhao Binlin revealed a mysterious smile, “This is where you don’t understand. You don’t know that in this school, the girls who admire our headliner could probably form a reinforced platoon. This kind of image absolutely cannot be seen.”
The rain fell steadily, and they had brought three umbrellas. The two boys shared one, while Feng Ning and Pei Shurong each had their own. Feng Ning asked curiously: “Why do you call him headliner?”
“Because he’s as beautiful as a flower, naturally gorgeous.”
Feng Ning let out a long “oh,” laughing mischievously: “Has he taken any clients then?”
Jiang Wen gave her a bland look, while Zhao Binlin smoothly played along with the joke: “Hehe, his price is too high, no one can afford him yet.”
Feng Ning remembered how female classmates often secretly discussed Jiang Wen’s good skin, and said what came to mind: “What a waste not being a woman with that face.”
Jiang Wen retorted: “It’s also a waste that you’re not a man.”
As they interacted, their dialogue carried an underlying tension, completely forgetting the others.
As they walked.
“My shoelace is untied, help me hold the umbrella.” Feng Ning said this to Zhao Binlin.
But when she passed the umbrella handle over, Jiang Wen naturally took it. Pei Shurong was stunned for a moment before recovering.
Feng Ning crouched down with her dark red backpack, not noticing others’ expressions.
All three stopped to wait for her, Zhao Binlin helped Jiang Wen hold the umbrella, while half his body was exposed helping Feng Ning with the umbrella.
Not only was it raining, but it was also windy. Feng Ning was freezing. Shivering, she reached the intersection and casually waved to them, “I’m heading back first.”
Seeing her figure disappear in a flash, Zhao Binlin turned his head, “Are you two each other’s bad luck charm? Why does misfortune strike whenever you meet?”
Pei Shurong pressed her lips together and gave Jiang Wen a deep look: “Are you close with her?”
Zhao Binlin immediately responded: “I’m okay, Jiang Wen is closer.”
Jiang Wen was playing with his phone. He opened Feng Ning’s WeChat avatar, clicked around in the notes and tags settings, turned off the screen with his thumb, and casually replied: “She’s just a jinx.”
Zhao Binlin leaned in close, “Why do I feel like you’re in a pretty good mood? What were you two doing just now, it couldn’t have been fooling around, right?”
Jiang Wen put away his phone: “Can’t you think of anything besides that stuff.”
“What’s wrong? So impatient when with your brother.” Zhao Binlin’s expression was very playful, “Ah, it really hurts. You were so patient holding the umbrella for the girl just now, you puppy.”
He carelessly told him to get lost.
Pei Shurong walked beside them, gripping her umbrella handle tightly. She smiled casually and changed the topic: “Where’s Xi Gaoyuan?”
“Him? He recently broke up with Lin Ru, probably trying to make up with her now.” Zhao Binlin didn’t care much, “Why are you asking about him?”
She talked about her winter break plans: “Didn’t he say before he wanted to go to Hokkaido? It’s perfect timing for the break, how about we go to Japan for a trip before New Year?”
Zhao Binlin was enthusiastic: “Sure.”
Pei Shurong turned to look at Jiang Wen, “Ah Wen, are you going?”
“We’ll see.” Jiang Wen answered absent-mindedly, “I might have something.”
Hearing this, Zhao Binlin couldn’t help asking: “What? What could you possibly have?”
Jiang Wen sneezed twice more, “Staying home with my sister.”
Zhao Binlin was very surprised: “You’re staying with her? What for?”
“Homework.”
Zhao Binlin elbowed him, “No jokes, are you going or not?”
Jiang Wen still shook his head, saying lightly: “There’s a competition next semester, I need to study at home during winter break.”
Back at the dorm, two people had already left, and Meng Taoyu was packing. She was startled seeing Feng Ning’s state, “What happened to you, Ning Ning?”
“Nothing.” She waved it off casually: “Just fell down on the way.”
Feng Ning took off her wet jacket, went to the bathroom for a hot shower, and came out to see Shuang Yao sitting in a chair.
“Did you finish packing?” she asked while drying her hair.
“Yeah.” Shuang Yao looked worried, “Damn, the physics exam was so hard, I probably failed. How did you feel about it?”
“Me? Just so-so.”
Meng Taoyu said goodbye to her: “Ning Ning, my mom’s waiting downstairs, I have to go.”
Feng Ning responded, “Okay, take care.”
Meng Taoyu pulled her suitcase to the dorm door, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and turned around: “Ning Ning, if you’re free during the break, can I come visit you?”
Feng Ning agreed readily: “Sure, just message me beforehand when you want to come play.”
“Okay.”
With just the two of them left in the dorm, Shuang Yao sat up a bit straighter, “How’s the forum situation?”
“What about it, who cares about it, I don’t care.” Speaking of this, Feng Ning suddenly remembered, “Oh right, I met Pei Shurong today.”
“What about her?”
“She’s quite pretty, more beautiful in person than in photos.” Feng Ning stuffed her winter break homework into Shuang Yao’s backpack—her own backpack had just been washed.
Shuang Yao thought for a moment, “Isn’t she close with Jiang Wen?”
“How would I know?”
“You don’t care?”
Feng Ning was puzzled, “Why should I care about that?”
Shuang Yao examined her expression, “Really? I feel like you’ve been quite entangled with Jiang Wen lately. When your ankle was hurt before, didn’t he carry you to the infirmary, and later helped you find your phone?”
“He’s fun to play with,” Feng Ning said.
Shuang Yao seemed thoughtful, speaking meaningfully: “And then?”
Feng Ning continued: “It’s also fun when he gets angry.”
“That’s it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Shuang Yao observed her expression, smiling suggestively: “After all this time, I don’t believe you don’t like him at all. Could it be you’re feeling inferior because of his family background?”
Feng Ning sighed deeply: “Sister, I beg you, can your imagination be a bit richer?”
After returning home for the break, Feng Ning spent two days completing her winter vacation homework.
Zhao Huiyun’s tutoring schedule was two hours each morning and afternoon on Mondays and Wednesdays. Feng Ning had never formally tutored anyone before, so she specially prepared lessons in advance.
Before leaving, she specifically checked the weather, which looked okay. To be safe, Feng Ning still brought an umbrella.
She bought a sandwich for breakfast on the way and entered Zhao Huiyun’s address into Gaode Maps.
The Jiang family was in business and believed in feng shui. Their home wasn’t in the bustling area, and although it was a detached villa, the decoration style was more classical, with trees and flowers planted in the corners of the courtyard, with very few modern elements.
Jiang Wen came to open the door, his hair still messy, wearing loose low-necked pajamas with one button undone, revealing half of his protruding collarbone.
Feng Ning pulled her hair out from her white scarf.
The outside temperature was below zero, her face was frozen red, and white mist came out when she spoke, “Hi, good morning, Classmate Jiang!”
“What’s that in your hand?” He wasn’t very energetic.
Feng Ning handed him a wintersweet flower she’d picked, “I picked it up on the way, smell it, it’s quite fragrant.”
An auntie called out anxiously: “Xiao Wen, how could you come downstairs without even wearing a coat when you have a cold!”
“You have a cold?”
Jiang Wen lifted his eyelids wearily, “Yeah.”
Feng Ning then noticed his heavy nasal voice, thinking it must be from getting caught in the rain before.
After changing into slippers, Feng Ning followed him inside. They met a man coming towards them.
This man had a cold jawline, handsome features, and wore a black suit—totally the image of an elite Wall Street banker from American TV shows.
Seeing them, he asked: “Is this Xiao Rou’s tutor?”
Jiang Wen made a sound of agreement.
The man nodded, said nothing more, and passed by them.
After he left, it took a full ten seconds for Feng Ning to come back to her senses. She dreamily asked the person beside her, “Who was that just now?”
“My cousin.”
Feng Ning excitedly burst out: “Damn, how is your cousin so handsome? Is he a celebrity?”
Jiang Wen’s face showed his usual neither-hot-nor-cold expression as he sneered: “Wipe your drool, fangirl.”
Her eyes sparkled as she asked very familiarly: “Does your cousin have a girlfriend?”
Jiang Wen controlled his temper and said flatly: “How is that any of your business?”
“Don’t you think he’s handsome?”
Used to bantering with her, he replied: “No.”
Feng Ning’s enthusiasm didn’t diminish: “How old is cousin? Maybe I still have a chance?”
Jiang Wen’s steps faltered, his expression quite ugly, “Don’t you have someone you like?”
Feng Ning pondered for a moment, “When did I say I had someone I liked?”
“You. Said. So.” Jiang Wen’s tone was ice-cold, barely holding back from losing his temper.
Feng Ning remembered and thought to herself, wasn’t that just something I made up to annoy you?
“Okay, I did say that,” she admitted.
Feng Ning didn’t feel anything was wrong at all and said cheerfully: “But that doesn’t stop me from liking others too!”
Jiang Wen had perked up his ears waiting for what she’d say next, only to hear this. His expression turned as black as a pot bottom, “How can you say such frivolous things?”
They went up to the second floor, and Jiang Wen went to his room to put on a thin sweater. They went to Jiang Yurou’s bedroom. She had just gotten up, and Jiang Wen bent down to help his sister put on her clothes one by one.
The little sister had difficulty with her legs, so Jiang Wen personally carried her to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Feng Ning rarely saw him being so gentle, finding it quite fresh.
Jiang Yurou’s skin was white and delicate, her whole being carefully nurtured into delicacy. Several times Feng Ning’s fingers itched to touch her face.
The little girl was quick-witted, much smarter than that chubby Zhao Fanyu. During the lessons, when Feng Ning briefly explained the key points, she understood immediately.
During the break, Feng Ning was drinking water. Jiang Yurou slightly raised her head, curved her eyes, and called out, “Tutor sister.”
“Hmm?” Feng Ning’s heart was about to melt from the cuteness.
“Big brother just told me something.”
“What is it?”
“Come closer.” Jiang Yurou beckoned, looking very mysterious.
Feng Ning leaned in to listen.
Jiang Yurou recalled for a moment, then said in her crisp childish voice, innocently: “Big brother asked me to secretly ask you who’s more handsome, him or Cousin Jing.”
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