Wuzhen, having just entered winter, had seen temperatures drop significantly lower than usual.
As the plane landed, a chill could be felt.
Jiang Sui hadn't left with Pei Dai. Pei Dai had gone off to investigate matters and coordinate work, and it wasn't convenient for Jiang Sui to follow, so the two parted ways.
Su Qing was still working on a test paper when she received the boy's call.
Although she had taken a leave of absence, Su Qing was deeply aware of the importance of studying.
Looking at the cold air outside, Su Qing, who rarely closed the windows, closed them.
"Have you gotten off the plane yet?"
The girl's voice, tinged with sweetness, softly reached Jiang Sui's ears.
"Yes, is your cold feeling better? Have you been drinking more water?"
A cold...
Su Qing was stunned when Jiang Sui asked about her cold. She didn't actually have a cold, and her mood hadn't been particularly volatile. She was just worried that Jiang Sui would focus too much on her, so she let his emotions drift to her own health and mood.
Su Qing pinched her phone and feigned a cough.
"I'm feeling much better now. I've been drinking water. Was it really cold after getting off the plane? Did you bring any warm clothes?"
As Su Qing changed the subject, she remembered that the clothes she'd seen in Jiang Sui's wardrobe were mostly spring and summer-style. He seemed to dislike wearing too many layers, always wearing very thin clothes.
Especially with the temperature today, which was already dangerously below zero by nightfall.
Jiang Sui, knowing Su Qing was trying to change the subject, didn't press the issue. The cold snap did make him shiver, but it wasn't a big deal.
"What if I don't have warm clothes?"
After getting into a taxi and giving the driver his address, Jiang Sui switched hands to answer the phone.
Su Qing, genuinely assuming Jiang Sui didn't have any thick clothes, pursed her lips and said without hesitation, "Let's go shopping tomorrow and buy you some clothes."
Perhaps because it was windy outside, Su Qing could still smell the slight draft of cold air coming from the receiver even before Jiang Sui got in the car.
"Okay."
Jiang Sui naturally wouldn't miss such a good opportunity.
Even after arriving, he didn't hang up the phone; he continued chatting with Su Qing.
"How many days off did you take?"
This was something Jiang Sui hadn't asked before. Su Qing didn't know if he was being intentional or not, but she still told him the truth. "I took a week off."
"Why did it take so long?"
Hearing Jiang Sui's question, Su Qing had already found an excuse. "Didn't I go for a check up with Mom? We plan to go back in a few days, and I wasn't feeling well, so I just took a few more days off."
Su Qing was still a little nervous as she spoke, but the young woman always had excellent control over her emotions.
"I took a week off too. This time, I can stay with you for a few more days."
?!
Jiang Sui also took a week off?
Su Qing's mind was a little foggy, and for a moment she was at a loss.
"You, why are you asking for leave? Didn't you miss so many classes?"
Su Qing was deeply uneasy. A guess flashed through her mind, but she couldn't quite confirm it. She pursed her lips, a look of confusion and disbelief filling her entire body as she stared at the textbook on her desk, lost in thought.
He wouldn't know, would he?
Su Qing's mind was uncertain. Before Jiang Sui could say anything, she looked up at the sky outside. It was a dull blue with a hint of gray. They said it was going to snow tomorrow, and by the looks of it, it looked like there were signs of that happening.
"Jiang Sui, do you know something?"
"I..."
She wasn't stupid; she could naturally guess what was going on. She felt flustered and uneasy.
"Jiang Sui, you know, don't you?"
From her initial doubts to her current determination, it was clear that Su Qing understood Jiang Sui well enough.
After all, neither of them was acting strangely in front of the other; they seemed to know each other's inner thoughts.
"Yes, I know."
The boy's response seemed devoid of emotion, which flustered Su Qing. She bit her lower lip, feeling a bit lost.
"Are you angry?"
The voice was hollow, ultimately lacking confidence. Su Qing's eyelashes trembled, and even before she heard Jiang Sui's reply, beads of sweat formed in her palms.
"No, I was just thinking, my little one is really smart. She said she wouldn't lie to me last time, and she really didn't. She selectively told me."
Jiang Sui seemed to be getting out of the car. Su Qing heard the sound of payment and the door closing. Listening to the boy's voice, she felt a little ashamed. She had said she wouldn't lie to him, but this...
Su Qing pursed her lips, not knowing whether intentionally or unintentionally trying to change the subject.
"Are you home yet?"
She thought she heard him coming up the stairs. The house Jiang Sui rented was old, only six stories high, and he lived on the third floor, so there was no elevator.
Su Qing could only hear the boy's footsteps in the quiet hallway.
"Qing Qing, are you trying to change the subject?"
Jiang Sui unlocked the door, clearly unwilling to let her go. Once inside and turned on the light in the hallway, he found some food on his table, with words written on it.
Su Qing listened to the sound of Jiang Sui turning the key in the door lock, her heart pounding.
She hadn't really expected to keep this a secret for much longer, but she hadn't expected Jiang Sui to find out so quickly. She instinctively retorted.
"I didn't. I wasn't trying to change the subject."
The innocent, soft voice made Jiang Sui look at the food on the coffee table and unpack it. It was just simple fast food: hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, and the like.
Perhaps because it was so quiet, without any noise, Su Qing could clearly hear Jiang Sui unpacking.
"Okay, you weren't trying to change the subject."
The fast food was actually cold, packed in insulated bags. Because the weather was so cold, it felt completely cold to the touch. Yet, Jiang Sui's heart was still warmed, alight.
Thinking back to when he'd told the girl the key's location, she'd remembered it. Jiang Sui's lips curved slightly, his brows furrowed, his face clear and handsome.
"When did you come?"
Su Qing pursed her lips. Naturally, she knew what Jiang Sui was talking about. She blushed. After all, this was the first time she'd shown such concern for someone, even secretly visiting his house to buy him something.
"Is it cold? I see there's a microwave in the kitchen. You can heat it up."
Su Qing dodged the question, her voice softly entering Jiang Sui's ears.