Less than half a meter apart.
Jiang Sui took in Su Qing's indifference. Her nonchalant expression, the pain she had caused him still lingering on his lips.
He hadn't dared to ask about Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School's affairs lightly, and Su Qing would reveal them without a trace.
She turned and left without a second thought, leaving Jiang Sui alone.
Hu Yifan, after finishing his water, dazed, wandered off. After a phone call, he saw Jiang Sui alone on the vast court.
Hu Yifan glanced around but didn't see Su Qing. He knew Jiang Sui would follow Su Qing wherever she went.
The two who had just been hugging and kissing, showing off their affection to everyone, he'd even dismissed the students for them. Could they have been arguing?
This thought made Hu Yifan stand up and walk towards Jiang Sui.
The young man's neck tilted upward, his tall, firm body looking somewhat lonely in the already dimming sunlight.
This was the least Hu Yifan could see. The coat Jiang Sui had given Su Qing to sit on was still lying on the stone bench nearby, the girl who had been sitting on it long gone.
The young man's expression was aloof and indifferent, his jaw set in a clenched fist. His fingers curled into fists at his sides, his suppressed anger flaring up, his gaze fixed vacantly ahead.
"Brother Sui."
Even the usually carefree Hu Yifan now took on a serious tone.
It was obvious they were arguing. He didn't understand emotions, but the torn and broken look in Jiang Sui's eyes reminded him of Hu Ling, and for a moment, Hu Yifan felt a pang of pain.
Others may not know, but Hu Yifan knows firsthand how much Jiang Sui has worked to be with Su Qing. The young man would have split the 24 hours of a day into several parts. Hu Yifan has seen him vacantly staring at his phone several times, only to find, with a casual glance, that the screensaver is a picture of Su Qing.
Hu Yifan had no recollection of Su Qing being a student at Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School, but upon hearing that she was in a relationship with Li Xu, he internally rejected. He knew his buddy best. Aside from his family troubles and a somewhat aloof personality, it's no exaggeration to say he was a child of destiny.
Who was Li Xu? Born into nouveau riche, lawless, and relying on his father for support, he'd committed countless utterly unscrupulous acts.
Initially, Hu Yifan hadn't imagined that Su Qing, a girl so innocent-looking, could be connected to Li Xu. If Ah Zhao hadn't accidentally mentioned it and warned him not to get involved, he would have had to talk it out with Jiang Sui.
But now, it seemed there was no point in talking. He saw that he was doomed.
"Brother Sui, girls just have tempers. They'll be fine in a few days."
Hu Yifan, always gifted with sweet talk, didn't know what to say. His dry voice offered no comfort to Jiang Sui.
The boy's eyes were filled with a coldness that threatened to drown him.
Just have tempers?
In a few days?
A hint of sarcasm tugged at Jiang Sui's lips. He was afraid she truly disliked him; he saw no trace of attachment to Su Qing.
Watching Jiang Sui walk away without a backward glance, Hu Yifan silently picked up the boy's discarded clothes and followed him.
——
The moment Su Qing turned around, tears welled in her eyes. She lowered her head, not wanting anyone to notice her abnormality, and walked along the corner.
The phone in her pocket kept ringing. She could imagine who it was.
She clutched the phone, somewhat venting her anger, and answered it.
"What the hell do you want!"
"I've recorded the call you gave me. You'd better not bother me again, or I'll call the police!"
Wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, Su Qing's voice was hoarse and cold, as if she was actually going to do the same thing.
"Qing Qing."
The exclamation from within the phone was that it was Liu Ranran, leaving Su Qing stunned. She quickly brought her phone screen to her face and saw that it was Ranran calling.
"Qing Qing, what's wrong with you? Is someone harassing you? Is someone blackmailing you?"
The situation had escalated to the point of calling the police. Liu Ranran's nerves instantly shot to the brink, and she even heard Su Qing's sobbing.
Although she had always been quiet, Liu Ranran knew Su Qing was definitely not the type to burst into tears when faced with difficulties. Yet, now, she could hear the girl's anger and tears in her voice.
Thinking of the words she had just spoken, she couldn't take them back.
Su Qing was at a loss for what to do. Back then, when Jiang Sui heard her on the phone, Su Qing was afraid the other party would hear that she was with him, so she decisively hung up.
She thought it was that person calling, but it wasn't him, it was Liu Ranran.
"Qing Qing, where are you? I'm coming to find you now."
Liu Ranran's tone was urgent, and her heart was filled with anxiety, fearing Su Qing was being bullied. Su Qing's silence at that moment made her realize the seriousness of the situation.
"Ranran, no, no, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong. It's just a scam call."
Su Qing's unspoken lies made her feel a moment of unfamiliarity with herself.
She never lied without blushing or fluttering.
"Really?"
Liu Ranran was a little skeptical. A scam call wouldn't make someone cry, and besides, she could just block it.
Fearing Liu Ranran wouldn't believe it, Su Qing repeatedly assured her that it was a scam and that she was worried about her midterm exam performance. This finally dispelled Liu Ranran's doubts.
Only when they were about to hang up did Liu Ranran say that she didn't have to go to tutoring today, and that they could go shopping together. Su Qing was worried that her current mood would dampen her mood.
She excused herself by saying she had an exam and promised again that she would definitely go shopping with her after the midterm exam next week.
Then they hung up.
But a new text message flashed on her phone, just as she should have clicked it.
It was just getting dark, and Su Qing was already in the bus. The sender was Jiang Sui. She was stunned, unsure when she clicked on it.
A few lines of text made her heart sink.
A cloud of confusion filled her eyes.
She didn't realize it until she had passed the bus stop, and after she hurriedly got off, those words remained etched in her mind.
[Then, as you wish, let's broke up like that.]
She'd already anticipated this outcome, but tears welled up in her eyes. Luckily, she'd missed her stop, otherwise she'd have been unable to clean up after returning home.
Su Qing forced a wry smile and pulled out her phone. She should have been polite enough to reply, right?
Leaning against the wall at her doorstep, Su Qing didn't know how she'd managed to type. Her eyes ached, but she could only hold them back.