The last day off of the weekend.
They had agreed to meet Pei Dai in the morning, so Su Qing left early once again. It was just too early, and she didn't want Jiang Sui to pick her up, but the boy insisted.
Finally, he met Su Qing at the corner of the alley.
The boy was still carrying the same backpack she'd bought yesterday, and wearing a new down jacket, also new. Su Qing pursed her lips, looking at the jacket, a moment of daze.
She put it on too. They both put it on simultaneously, without anyone reminding the other or anything else.
When Jiang Sui saw Su Qing wearing the same down jacket as him, his mood brightened noticeably, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
The rosy crimson color on Su Qing's already porcelain-white skin made her cheeks blush even more, and her ears softened slightly. She stepped forward, and Jiang Sui's large hand grasped hers.
"It's too cold, Qing Qing, warm my hands."
Su Qing glanced up at the boy.
His words were a bit too revealing. He was truly a natural clothes hanger. Aside from a brand on the chest, there was no other markings on his clothes.
Both of them had pockets.
Pursing her lips, Su Qing didn't expose the truth, letting Jiang Sui hold her hand. His hand was actually warmer than hers.
It was more like he was warming hers.
The sky was a bit gloomy and foggy, almost suffocating.
When the two arrived at the agreed location, Pei Dai was already there, greeting them.
The air inside the private room was filled with a shimmering warmth. "Qing Qing, take off your coat."
The young man draped his coat over a chair and leaned over to help Su Qing take it off. "It's hot here, but it'll be cold outside."
It turned out he was worried she'd caught a cold. Su Qing pursed her lips. Even though she knew the boy's attitude towards her remained unchanged, whether in front of strangers or elsewhere, she still blushed slightly out of embarrassment.
After putting her clothes away, Su Qing pursed her lips. When she reached for a glass of water, Jiang Sui had already placed it in front of her.
After all, Pei Dai was still there, especially as the head of the family, a man of considerable status. Su Qing felt she needed to stop Jiang Sui. She raised her elbow, gently nudged him, and whispered, just enough for them both to hear.
"Jiang Sui, I can do it myself..."
Jiang Sui withdrew his hand, his eyes filled with confusion.
The situation between the two of them was remarkably reminiscent of his own youth. Pei Dai couldn't help but let a faint smile play out, hoping to brighten the mood. "It's okay. Qinqin and I were like that when we were young, but Qinqin was never shy."
"As a man, you should do what you have to do. Don't worry about him. Just enjoy yourself."
Pei Dai said, "In some cases, Qinqin's personality is that kind of thing. She appears aloof to outsiders, and in reality, she's quite aloof. For so many years, he's been the only one who near her."
If others were afraid to approach her, he would approach her himself.
When Pei Dai said this, Su Qing pursed her lips slightly, and Jiang Sui just smiled.
After opening up, the relief was followed by a tinge of worry. Pei Dai hadn't called them yesterday because he wanted the two children to spend a day together.
Otherwise, they might have been in a bad mood.
Tian Shasha's case had become thorny, and so had the only evidence.
Pei Dai tried his best to appear relaxed, not too serious. He glanced at Su Qing and then at Jiang Sui. "Things are getting a little complicated, but don't worry."
Complicated?
Su Qing's brows twitched, feeling that what was about to be said wouldn't be good news.
Jiang Sui naturally realized this, recalling what he had said in yesterday's text message: they should spend some quality time together. Normally, if there was any good news, he would have told them.
"You said, I'm not afraid."
Su Qing pinched her fingertips and gently pushed the water glass to the edge of the table. Her palm-sized face grew serious.
"Su Qing, Tian Shasha's phone was lost before she sent you the message and text."
Lost...
The crucial "before" proves that this matter has essentially nothing to do with Tian Shasha.
"Those recordings you made earlier only prove that you two had some conflict, so anything else is completely unfounded."
Yes, to put it bluntly, those were just minor disagreements between classmates; they prove nothing.
Su Qing's face paled. She bit her lower lip, suddenly understanding why Tian Shasha had appeared so brazenly in front her two days ago.
And she acted completely clueless, looking incredibly innocent.
She even emphasized the fact that she had lost her phone.
Su Qing pursed her lips and said nothing. Jiang Sui's eyes darkened, and he squeezed her fingers. "We'll get to the bottom of it."
Things had been going so smoothly until now. Who could have imagined that something like this would happen now? No one expected it.
Dramatic.
Su Qing rested her chin on her hand and looked up at Pei Dai.
"Two days ago, this Thursday, I was accompanying my mother for a check up when I ran into Tian Shasha at the hospital entrance."
Running into...
Su Qing felt her fingers ache from Jiang Sui's pinch. The boy's eyes were fixed on her.
Pei Dai hadn't expected Su Qing to have seen Tian Shasha in such a short time.
Seeing both of their eyes fixed on her, Su Qing didn't exaggerate, simply recounting the events. "That day at the hospital entrance, she asked to borrow my phone, saying she'd lost it, and then she called a number."
Surprisingly, there was this.
Su Qing pulled out her phone and handed it to Pei Dai. Pei Dai glanced at the number, pulled out his own, and dialed the number.
It was just a beep, and the call didn't go through.
His brows furrowed tightly.
"It can't get through. This number is no longer in service."
No longer in service?
Instantly, everyone realized that since the number they were calling was no longer in service, Tian Shasha had done it on purpose.
"How did she know you were going to the hospital?"
Pei Dai was puzzled and wanted to know the answer, only to see Su Qing shake her head. "I made a last-minute decision with my mother the night before about going to the hospital. I didn't tell anyone except Jiang Sui when I entered the hospital."
If there was any suspect, Jiang Sui would be the first.
The rigorous Pei Dai also had to take this into consideration.