It was a male voice.
Xu Si immediately turned around sensitively, and Jiang Rong also turned to see the boy behind them.
Xia Chen’an looked at Jiang Rong and smiled: “What a coincidence meeting you again.”
“Yes, quite,” Jiang Rong replied, then fell silent.
Xia Chen’an glanced at Xu Si beside Jiang Rong, recognizing him as the boy she had wiped sweat for before.
Xu Si was also looking at him, subtly moving closer to Jiang Rong.
Xia Chen’an turned to Xu Si: “You’re from No. 6 High School too, right? I’m from No. 17, Xia Chen’an. We met at the sports meet before.”
Xu Si naturally remembered he was from No. 17. He gave him a cool look, his eyes somewhat unfriendly: “I’m her desk mate.”
“Oh, are you two here at the bookstore together?”
Xu Si nodded: “Yes, together.” He deliberately emphasized the last word.
Hearing this, Xia Chen’an asked: “Mind if I join?”
Xu Si replied directly: “Actually, I do.”
Xia Chen’an wasn’t embarrassed and changed the subject: “Merry Christmas.”
Jiang Rong replied: “Merry Christmas.” She continued: “Thank you for the Christmas Eve gift. Did you receive the gift I had your classmate pass to you?”
Mentioning the gift, Xia Chen’an felt complicated.
Jiang Rong had included a note inside that was polite but distant.
It said: Thank you for the Christmas Eve gift, but please don’t send any more in the future. It’s troublesome for you. This is a return gift, and Merry Christmas.
The return gift clearly drew boundaries and distance.
“I received it.”
Jiang Rong asked: “Did you read the note too?”
Xia Chen’an made an “mm” sound and said: “I did.”
Xu Si was confused beside them. Note? What note? Why hadn’t the little rule-follower mentioned any note to him?
Jiang Rong smiled politely at him: “Well, we’ll continue looking at books then.”
Xia Chen’an couldn’t say much else: “Okay.”
Meanwhile in Xu Si’s mind: Note? What note? What exactly was in the note?
Jiang Rong saw Xu Si lost in thought and said softly: “Xu Si, could you help me get another copy of that book?”
“Not… okay.” Xu Si almost blurted out about the note but caught himself.
Jiang Rong watched him get the book down and took the ones from her hands.
Even after sitting down to read, Xu Si’s mind was still on the note.
Jiang Rong quickly found her page. After reading for a bit, she felt someone hook her finger.
She looked at Xu Si across from her, somewhat confused.
Xu Si pointed at his phone, gesturing for her to check hers.
Jiang Rong took out her phone and unlocked it.
Xu Si: What note was he talking about? You didn’t mention it yesterday.
Jiang Rong realized they had been discussing something she hadn’t told him about last night.
Xu Si looked at Jiang Rong’s reply.
[Little Teacher]: Just told him not to have people deliver things anymore, it’s troublesome. This was a return gift, and wishing him Merry Christmas.
Seeing this message eased Xu Si’s displeasure somewhat, but then he remembered the “meeting again” comment.
Xu Si: Have you met at the bookstore before?
[Little Teacher]: Yes, first time was at the bookstore, we reached for the same book. Second time he helped me get a book I couldn’t reach. Haven’t met since.
After reading her words, Xu Si felt certain they must have met at the bookstore more times.
She just hadn’t noticed.
No wonder he kept trying to talk to Jiang Rong at the sports meet.
Xu Si felt somewhat annoyed and decided that from now on, when there wasn’t tutoring, he would accompany Jiang Rong to the bookstore on Fridays.
Seeing Xu Si staring at his phone without replying, Jiang Rong waved her hand in front of him and sent a message.
[Little Teacher]: Want to get food?
Jiang Rong took the two books and went with Xu Si to get two more unopened books from the shelf.
She took out her membership card at the counter to pay, but Xu Si took her phone from her hand.
“I have a membership card with money on it, I’ll pay.”
Xu Si met her gaze and finally nodded.
Jiang Rong paid and put the book in his hand: “Let’s go eat.”
Xu Si tilted his head to look at her: “Okay, let me treat little teacher to food.”
“You can’t always treat me.”
“Little teacher bought me books, why can’t I treat you to food? Besides, you’re tutoring me tonight and tomorrow weekend, consider the meals my tuition fee, okay?”
Hearing his words, Jiang Rong compromised: “Alright then.”
Behind them, a gaze watched the two intently.
He watched them leave the bookstore.
His unrequited love seemed destined for heartbreak before it could even begin.
The two seemed to have a good relationship, but probably weren’t dating.
He didn’t know if he should take a chance.
After eating.
Xu Si walked Jiang Rong home as usual.
That evening.
“Little teacher, look at this.”
Jiang Rong looked at Yuan Yuan in the camera. Xu Si held it in his arms, wearing the bell she bought around its neck and the white hat she gave on its head.
It looked incredibly cute.
Yuan Yuan seemed to notice Jiang Rong watching and shook its head at the camera, making the bell jingle.
Jiang Rong smiled: “Very cute, suits it well.”
Xu Si smiled and patted Yuan Yuan’s head, pulling it back when it tried to get closer to the phone screen.
“Why not bring it along next time we study?”
Xu Si looked at Yuan Yuan: “Better not, afraid it’ll disturb others.”
At this, Yuan Yuan was unhappy. It jumped onto Xu Si’s shoulder, meowing at the camera as if complaining to Jiang Rong and expressing its discontent.
“It’s well-behaved, you can bring it along.”
“Okay, I’ll bring it next time.”
Yuan Yuan seemed to understand, holding its head high and jingling its bell.
Jiang Rong couldn’t help laughing.
“It’s happy hearing you say it’s well-behaved.”
In the following weeks.
Every Saturday, Xu Si brought Yuan Yuan along to see Jiang Rong.
Each time Xu Si watched Yuan Yuan snuggle in Jiang Rong’s arms, he felt like he’d adopted an ungrateful child.
Yet Jiang Rong absolutely adored it.
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