Liu Ranran didn't stay in school for much of her lunch break. Afterward, she went to her teacher to write another note for her absence.
She attended a one-on-one tutoring class outside, living directly with her teacher. The school tacitly tolerated this behavior, turning a blind eye to it to improve admission rates.
Hu Yifan, hadn't seen for a few days, had unexpectedly joined the school basketball team.
After lunch, he went to practice, so Jiang Sui and Su Qing were the only ones left on the way back to school.
It was still quite hot at noon.
The boy walked to the right in front of Su Qing, Su Qing standing under the shade of a tree, the boy under the sun.
A faint chirping of cicadas lingered in the silence, and the boy's handsome appearance drew considerable attention. Su Qing lowered her head, pinching her fingers. They were both wearing school uniforms and white shoes, making them look like a couple's outfit at first glance.
The cafeteria to the teaching building took about five or six minutes. Boarding students usually returned to their dormitories to rest, while commuting students went home. Those who didn't usually took a nap in the classroom.
Su Qing was the second type. After a quick lunch, she would casually lounge on a desk at school for a while, then head to the toilet to wash her face and freshen up before class.
Jiang Sui, who usually didn't eat in the cafeteria, Su Qing didn't seem to remember seeing him during her lunch break.
She followed the boy step by step; he seemed to be heading to the teaching building as well.
They had only walked halfway when the boy beside her tugged at her shirt. "Would you like to buy something to drink?"
The scorching sun was causing beads of sweat to form on Su Qing's forehead, but it wasn't noticeable. Seeing the boy tugging at her shirt, Su Qing paused and nodded.
Okay.
The canteen was still further away than the cafeteria, so getting there would require some backtracking.
Su Qing continued to walk under the shade, while Jiang Sui walked under the sunshine. As Su Qing's eyes drifted over the boy's cheek, his face was unperspired. The sunlight bathed Jiang Sui's complexion, making it appear even fairer, almost radiant and dazzling.
"You come up walk too."
Perhaps because of what she had said yesterday, the boy and she didn't act at all close. Instead, they seemed more like ordinary students, maintaining a proper distance. If you didn't look closely, you wouldn't have guessed they were walking together.
Although the boy's features had a gentleness to them, it was clear he was slightly unhappy.
It was too hot, so Su Qing made some space. There weren't that many students in campus anymore.
Su Qing stood under the shade, looking at the boy.
His school uniform was slightly open, revealing a white short-sleeved shirt underneath. The moment Su Qing raised her eyes, she could see the boy's neck. His slender neck inevitably reminded her of the mole on his collarbone.
Very charming.
When the boy's eyes flicked towards Su Qing, she couldn't help but glance up.
"It's too hot. Come up."
A tense voice echoed. Even though they'd spent a lot of time together, Su Qing couldn't understand why her palms still began to sweat.
The boy paused, and Su Qing could feel him looking at her.
"I don't want to go up. I want to hold hands."
The voice overhead enveloped her like the wind, completely enveloping her. Su Qing's ears crackled like popcorn. Unbelievable, these were Jiang Sui's words. She froze for a moment, then realized what was happening. Her cheeks flushed red, and she was at a loss, clutching her clothes and striding forward...
Her steps were much faster than before, and her palms were damp. The boy's kiss from that night resonated in her mind, its dry, yet warm touch rubbing against her palms.
Her ears were filled with the thought of him saying he wanted to hold her hand.
She was walking so fast that she couldn't even see the steps ahead. By the time Su Qing saw them, she nearly fell. In a split second, a pair of strong arms grabbed hers.
"Be careful!"
The boy's voice was thick with nervousness.
With a twirl, Su Qing leaned halfway against Jiang Sui, her ear against his chest. The powerful thump of the young man's heart beat resonated with her nerves.
Su Qing felt the tips of her ears burning. She steadied herself, descended the steps, and after a long search for her voice, she spoke slowly.
"I'm fine."
Hearing her voice, the young man's fingers finally loosened from her arm, his tense eyes slowly relaxing.
The shop was clearly quite a distance away, but it didn't take long for the two of them to be standing inside.
The boy's handsomeness drew a long glance from the clerk. Su Qing stood beside, completely ignored.
Jiang Sui's face was clearly expressionless. He simply asked Su Qing what she wanted to drink. In that instant, Su Qing clearly felt the clerk's hostile and scrutinizing gaze.
Su Qing casually pointed at a drink and was about to pay, but the boy stood at the register, his thin lips curled.
"Scan mine."
The clerk looked at the handsome boy with delight, obliged to do so, and dropped a finger. Su Qing felt a sense of frustration.
The boy who was checking out the bill didn't seem to be holding the bottle of water she'd randomly pointed at, but rather pineapple-flavored juice.
Su Qing was a little confused. How did he know what she liked?
Looking at the unscrewed bottle in front of her, Su Qing picked it up and took a sip.
She had doubts in her heart, but she didn't voice them. However, the boy seemed to know what she was thinking.
"I saw you really enjoyed sweet and sour pork with pineapple at noon."
The boy held the bottle tightly and took a sip. After a strong roll of his Adam's apple, he said simply.
At lunch time, he noticed that the girl, who usually disliked meat, seemed to have no resistance to the sweet and sour flavor and had eaten several pieces today.
Su Qing's fingertips holding the bottle paused for a moment, her ears slightly pinking, and she pursed her lips and gently bit them several times. She was so busy talking to Ranran at lunch time that she didn't notice the boy was paying attention to her.
"So, what do you like to eat?"
Su Qing blurted out.
"Do you like strawberries?"
She remembered that the boy seemed to like strawberries. He'd bought her strawberry-flavored drinks several times before, and there was also strawberry in the fridge at home.
The boy's lips curled slightly, a faint smile flickering in his eyes. After a pause, he agreed.
"Yes."
Whether right or wrong, he was fascinated by the fact that she was completely focused on him.
At this moment, whether he liked strawberries or not seemed irrelevant.