Su Qing's inherent intelligence and clarity made Jiang Sui know, the moment he saw her eyes, that she might have guessed something.
Jiang Sui rested his hand on her chin, ignoring her gaze as he held her hand.
"You wanted me to tell you, didn't you?"
Su Qing was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected Jiang Sui to understand her so well. She nodded.
He said he missed her, and she believed him.
But his words of comfort hinted that he was hiding something.
Thinking back to their previous argument, when she'd deliberately used Li Xu's matter to disgust him, the boy's face had turned ashen. She should have known then what Jiang Sui had discovered.
His sudden departure, his sudden indifference, and now his sudden reappearance, made Su Qing take two steps back, bumping against the threshold.
The pain made her frown slightly.
Jiang Sui hurriedly pulled Su Qing's finger away.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked anxiously, his tone strained.
Su Qing shook her head and tried to pull Jiang Sui's finger away, but this time the boy wouldn't let her dodge easily. He simply held her hand and led her into the living room.
"Wait, I'll get you a glass of water."
As if to comfort her, Su Qing found herself particularly prone to getting lost in the midterms.
Her eyes were still slightly red, and her lips were very dry. She'd changed clothes, but that was just for the heck of it. There were still traces of tears on her face.
She looked like a truly adorable kitten.
She watched his back. Jiang Sui turned his head and walked backwards, his gaze lingering on her.
Worried that Jiang Sui might fall, Su Qing wanted to warn the boy.
But as she watched him, Su Qing gradually forgot about it.
The boy had already changed his clothes, and she hadn't noticed until she saw that Jiang Sui was wearing the same home clothes as hers.
His hair was half-dried, his arms and legs were long, and his features were clean and charming.
Jiang Sui brought out some water and placed it on the coffee table. "It's a little hot, drink it later."
But just as Jiang Sui finished speaking, the room dimmed.
It was like the power had gone out.
"Is it a power outage?"
The streetlight outside the house still let in a faint glimmer of light. The two of them were sitting incredibly close, not a safe distance.
"Yes, probably."
Perhaps fearing Su Qing's fear, Jiang Sui flicked on the flashlight in his phone.
In an instant, the gloomy atmosphere gradually brightened.
"Qing Qing."
The dim light always made one feel relaxed and immersed. Within the quiet atmosphere, the boy suddenly spoke, and Su Qing was startled.
Turning around, Su Qing's eyes met with a look of astonishment.
The moment she turned her head, Su Qing looked a little shocked.
She stared at her lips, now pressed against the boy's lips.
Her breath hitched...
She wanted to leave, but even the thought of moving seemed impossible.
Su Qing's eyes widened.
Unsure what to do, she could only remain motionless.
For a moment, the boy moved his lower lip, a mere touch, a gentle touch.
Su Qing's cheeks flushed suddenly. Under the dim light, a beautiful flower quietly blossomed, its brilliance and warmth.
Jiang Sui's eyes were deep and far-reaching. His pupils froze for a moment, and then he reacted quickly, turning passive into active.
On the long sofa, watching the girl trying to avoid him, Jiang Sui's slender fingers pinched her fingertips.
"Qing Qing."
"I didn't mean to."
Whether Jiang Sui had done it on purpose or not, he hadn't thought about it. The girl had touched him. He just wanted to explain, but now that he'd said it, it seemed like his attempt to hide it would only make it more obvious.
"But I really want too."
...
Su Qing pursed her lips, trying to pull her hand away.
How dare he say that?
Bold and full of emotion, untainted by a trace of dust, those stormy eyes staring at her.
Su Qing wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to hide.
"Don't you want me to tell you?"
A faint smile played at the corner of the boy's mouth, then cooled a little after he said that. He just tilted his body halfway, looking at Su Qing.
Su Qing nodded.
She'd wanted him to speak up, but she hadn't expected it to happen now...
The sudden thought in her mind sent a wave of heat up her cheeks, and a faint dampness seeped into her palms.
The young man, assuming she was frightened, gently squeezed her fingers, as if giving her strength.
"Qing Qing, there's a hidden reason behind what happened before."
Jiang Sui's words startled Su Qing, her eyes fixed on him.
A beam of light shone on the girl's face, revealing a slight paleness, her pores bustling and clear, her porcelain-white face expressionless.
She should have known he'd investigate, but she hadn't expected Jiang Sui to investigate the situation he'd been investigating, not the investigation Su Qing had in mind.
He was instead searching for the truth.
"Qing Qing, you heard correctly. There's a hidden reason behind Hu Ruanruan's incident."
Jiang Sui hadn't wanted to utter the name, but upon seeing the girl's stunned expression, he mentioned it again. Su Qing didn't seem to believe him.
Jiang Sui didn't want to mention those wounds, even if they were so long ago. He didn't want to touch the darkness in Su Qing's heart. He wanted light, to spread out and illuminate every corner of her heart.
But the person he longed for so dearly, the one he held so dearly in his palm, was so close to losing her.
Even in that dangerous moment, she was just a hair's breadth away.
Previously, Jiang Sui had believed that the things he was about to do were so dangerous that he couldn't take her with him. He would wait until he emerged from the darkness, holding the light in his hands and offering it to her.
To his surprise, the darkness was everywhere, and his precious baby was just a hair's breadth away.
The conflicting thoughts, the inner torment, that momentary fear, caused Jiang Sui to change his mind.
Even in that dark place, he would go, take her with him, not just to offer her light, but to hold that ray of light together with her.
After Jiang Sui finished speaking, Su Qing took a long moment to regain her composure.
She stared blankly at Jiang Sui.
"Jiang Sui, I know, I know already."
She was agitated, but her words were calm, her fingers unconsciously tightening.
"I told them at the time, but no one believed me."
Those memories, frame by frame, scene by scene, tore and ripped apart in Su Qing's mind, leaving her feeling a little uncomfortable.
Isolated and helpless, her passionate spirit and courage were seen as a joke. She was told to be cautious with her words, for the sake of her future.
"I know, Nannan, I know. I believe you."
Jiang Sui put his arm around Su Qing's shoulders, allowing her to curl up in his embrace.
He let her tears soak his clothes.