Qiangzi knew that this was a kind of veiled rejection from Chen Er.
Even though he had already known the answer in his heart, at the moment he heard it with his own ears, Qiangzi was still overwhelmed by disappointment.
"It's okay! I... I just wanted to tell you. Otherwise, I might not have the chance in the future." Qiangzi wanted to tell Chen Er that he was just joking. But when he met Chen Er's gaze, he still chose to tell the truth.
Even if it was doomed to be fruitless, at least he had once bravely confessed his feelings to the girl who had been a part of his entire youth.
Chen Er's lips were bloodless. She said word by word, with an unprecedented seriousness in her attitude, "We'll only be friends. So I don't want to keep you hanging on ambiguously. You're still too young. It's just a simple adolescent crush."
Seeing Chen Er pretending to be mature, Qiangzi couldn't help but tease her, "Boss Chen, how old are you anyway? You say I'm too young. Are you trying to comfort my wounded heart?"
Chen Er pursed her lips noncommittally, and then used the excuse of needing to stay in bed and rest to send Qiangzi away.
Maybe it was because of the medicine, Chen Er fell into a deep sleep.
Qiangzi tucked the quilt in for Chen Er and gently kissed her smooth forehead.
Then he turned around and left without any hesitation.
He chose to bury that affection forever and return to the days when he and Chen Er used to be like brothers.
This was to avoid putting pressure and unnecessary trouble on Chen Er, and it was also his best choice.
The North City after the rain had a unique charm. Qiangzi walked and stopped, observing the different aspects of life.
In life, nine out of ten things may go wrong. Why should he trouble himself? Living in the moment was the most important thing.
Jiang Cong didn't arrive in Beijing until late at night. As soon as he got off the plane, he turned on his phone.
Six or seven messages popped up on the phone screen at once. There were messages from Qin An and Yang Heng, greetings from his parents, and inquiries from his Beijing colleagues.
Jiang Cong pulled his suitcase and tapped on each message one by one to reply.
Scrolling to the bottom, he still didn't see a message from Chen Er.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Cong couldn't help but click on Chen Er's contact number and make a call.
The phone rang several times but no one answered. Just as Jiang Cong was about to hang up, the call was answered.
"Hello?" Chen Er's lazy and nasally voice came through the phone to Jiang Cong's ears.
Jiang Cong noticed something was off about Chen Er and asked, "Are you sick? Or just woke up?"
Chen Er shifted to a more comfortable position, poked her head out from under the quilt, took a sip of water, and continued, "I accidentally got caught in the rain and caught a cold. I just woke up after taking the medicine."
Jiang Cong's profile tightened, and words of concern slipped out involuntarily, "It's the rainy season recently. Remember to take an umbrella when you go out. Did you ask for leave from your teacher?"
At the end, Jiang Cong resumed his old - fashioned and serious tone.
Chen Er's expression froze for a moment. In her memory, she had never asked for leave from her teacher.
She usually did things according to her mood, and skipping classes was a common occurrence.
"Cough... I haven't had the time yet. I'll ask for leave later." Chen Er regained her senses and lied casually.
Jiang Cong's lips curled up playfully, with a hint of deliberate teasing, "Really? You have to remember to do it. After all, Teacher Xia Qing's phone number is still on the police station's register..."
Jiang Cong didn't say it directly, but his words clearly implied the danger of "Just try not to make the call".
Chen Er felt a headache coming on. She replied dejectedly, "Got it... I'll call right away. Have you arrived in Beijing?"
Jiang Cong's eyebrows relaxed, reducing the sense of aloofness and adding a touch of approachable warmth, "Just arrived. The person who came to pick me up is here. Go back to sleep after asking for leave. Get well - rested. I'll hire a tutor for you in a couple of days."
Chen Er: "???"
Before Chen Er could say anything, Jiang Cong quickly hung up the phone, nipping her words of refusal in the bud.
Chen Er flopped onto the bed completely and let out a helpless wail.
Jiang Cong must be sent by heaven to punish her!
The image of Chen Er looking on the verge of crying but also extremely aggrieved flashed through Jiang Cong's mind, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.
Teasing a kid was really the most interesting thing in the world.
Jiang Wan followed Father Jiang and immediately spotted Jiang Cong walking towards them in the crowd.
That smile was like a shooting star across the night sky, lighting up Jiang Wan's whole world.
"Back?" Father Jiang patted Jiang Cong on the shoulder, looking quite gratified.
Jiang Cong was his most satisfactory masterpiece in his life, without a doubt.
Jiang Cong nodded and naturally put his arm around Father Jiang's shoulder, saying gently, "There's something going on here, so I was summoned back by my superiors to analyze the case."
Father Jiang understood that Jiang Cong couldn't disclose too much, so he then turned to Jiang Cong, pointing at Jiang Wan, and introduced, "This is your Uncle Jiang's daughter, Jiang Wan. Speaking of which, her job is somewhat related to yours!"
Father Jiang thought his words would arouse Jiang Cong's interest in Jiang Wan.
However.
Jiang Cong just politely reached out his hand to shake Jiang Wan's and greeted her casually, then said nothing more.
Father Jiang was secretly anxious but could only let it go for the time being.
Being too hasty would only backfire. He'd better plan it out carefully.
Jiang Wan didn't give up because of Jiang Cong's cold attitude. After getting in the car, she sat obediently in the back seat and tried hard to find topics to talk about.
"Jiang Cong, I heard from Uncle that you're a professor of criminal psychology? I'm a forensic doctor and work in the municipal police station." After much thought, Jiang Wan decided to start from the topic of work to establish a common ground with Jiang Cong.
Father Jiang closed his eyes and pretended to sleep as soon as he got in the car, leaving the stage to the two young people in the car.
It was obvious what his intention was.
Jiang Cong seemed not to notice this subtle and ambiguous atmosphere and said in a business - like tone, "Yes. My current case is also related to the municipal police station. We may have some cooperation."
The speaker didn't mean anything special, but the listener took it to heart.
A glint flashed in Jiang Wan's eyes, and she immediately had a plan in mind.
Jiang Cong silently looked at Jiang Wan's expression through the rear - view mirror.
He always kept his work and personal life separate.
From the moment he saw Jiang Wan, Jiang Cong knew that he and Jiang Wan would only be work partners.
Compared to the overbearing and elite - looking strong woman Jiang Wan, Jiang Cong preferred the sweet and soft - spoken girl Chen Er.
Although Chen Er wasn't as innocent as she seemed.
The night in Beijing was full of bright lights and bustling traffic. Countless people returning home at night shuttled through the city, leading their own nightlife.
Jiang Cong dropped Jiang Wan off at her home first. He still bid farewell politely and declined Jiang Wan's invitation to go up and sit for a while.